1

The morning arrived gloomy and foggy. A pallid mist made its way up the streets of Varnam from the fields and the air was cool enough to render one's breath visible. A single glance out of the window made Izumi crawl back into her bed and pull the blanket over her head.

“I'm not going anywhere.”

Compared to the inn at Grelden, this one was a step down in the level of service. The guests didn't get separate rooms for themselves unless they specifically requested one and were prepared to pay a good deal extra. Instead, there was a larger sleeping hall downstairs, with white-painted walls and stripped décor, with rudimentary wood bunk beds for about forty guests or so. As said, Varnam was hardly a tourist hotspot and at this time of the week, barely eight beds were taken. At least the night was quiet.

Izumi was among the first to stir at dawn. She had instinctively grown wary of sunrise, even if there were no disturbances today. Hoping nobody noticed, she tried to go back to sleep.

However, Riswelze's head from the bunk above hers soon appeared hanging upside down over the edge.

“Up already? Then, shall we be on our way?”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Izumi repeated, louder. “I'm going to sleep here until there's summer, a real summer!”

“Try to think of it this way,” the girl argued, “since it's still not too hot out there yet, all the nasty, venomous snakes, centipedes, spiders, mosquitoes, and warguls aren't out in full force yet. It's the optimal time of the year to explore the forest.”

“Venomous spiders!? And some unknown mystery creature I can't even pronounce was mixed in as an afterthought!? That's it, I'm definitely not going!”

“Your world doesn't have warguls? That's boring.”

“I don't need excitement of that sort!”

“Oh come on, rise and shine.”

“For once, Ai-chan didn't wake me up, yet I still can't sleep my fill...I hate this world! Hate it, hate it, hate it!”

“...What are you two being so noisy for? It's not even the second period yet.” Yuliana woke up on the bed adjacent to Izumi's and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

“Rise is being a bully!” Izumi complained under the blanket. “Let me sleep...”

“Time flies and we have preparations to do.”

“You still haven't given up on your expedition?” the princess asked Riswelze. “It's two against one now. Just forget about it.”

“Geez,” Riswelze sighed and shrugged. “You get a cozy little hike, maybe a week or two enjoying nature, pick up a bottle of some suitably odd-looking juice, and then sell it at Bhastifal for a ton of silver. Then early retirement and an easy life ever after. The end. What's wrong? You don't like money? Has the princess awakened to the joys of poverty?”

“I'm simply not attracted by the idea of getting thrown into jail for fraud," Yuliana replied. "No. It's a waste of time, anyone with a modicum of common sense can tell that. You, master assassin, are free to go wherever you please. But leave others out of it. I'm going to Tratovia today and then continue north to Melghier.”

“Melghier?” Riswelze repeated, raising a brow. “Why there? You want to become a pirate? Slightly more reputable a career than a princess, maybe, but slightly unexpected...”

“In your dreams,” Yuliana sighed, got up and started to clear her bed. “I'm taking a ship and sailing to Val Astea, that's all.”

“Val Astea? What business do you have with the goti? It's on the other side of the sea, you know?”

“I know. Just passing through.”

“Passing through...For what? There's not beyond there.”

“Yule's going to apply to a tower tournament to save the world,” Izumi mumbled under her blanket, trying to speed up the dialogue and get back to sleep. “And wish for a gender change.”

“A tower tournament? Wish for what…? You're not making any—wait a minute.” Stunned, Riswelze dropped down from her bunk and stepped next to Yuliana, grabbing her shoulder. “The Trophaeum? The Hel’s with that? You've got some guts, preaching to me about common sense with a straight face, while chasing dreams of your own!”

“The Covenant is not a dream,” Yuliana answered while brushing the girl's hand off and continuing to fold her blanket. “It's real. Or did you miss that on your travels, Ms All-Knowing Sage?”

“You—you'll never make it,” Riswelze couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the princess's plans. “Do you have any idea what's between you and that place, provided it's where it's said to be?”

“I'm aware. But no matter how far or dangerous, I will do it.”

“There's no return!”

“I'm aware,” Yuliana said and turned around. “I'm also aware that trying to explain myself to you is wasted effort. Because all you're capable of thinking is yourself, your own good, comfort, and gain. You cannot fathom that other people might have ideals and aspirations beyond themselves, worth more than their own safety.”

“Such as?” Riswelze rolled her eyes. “You're right, I don't understand. Even if you somehow succeed, what good is it if you never make it back alive? You won't be there to see anyone benefit from your sacrifice. What is the point?”

Without answering, Yuliana started to put on her dress and armor.

“What about Izumi?”

“I'm going alone. It has nothing to do with her.”

“Nothing? Are you listening to this?” Riswelze turned to ask Izumi instead. “Do you get what she’s saying?”

“What I don't get is, how can you two be this energetic so early in the morning?” the woman's muffled voice answered, without care.

“You already knew? And you're letting her go?”

“It's a free world. I'm just sightseeing. And trying to sleep.”

“Oh, I'm really going to go mad with you two.”

After a while, the other guests were starting to get up as well, and Izumi had no choice but to admit that getting any more sleep was unfeasible. Reluctantly, she got dressed and joined the others in the dining hall for breakfast. A breakfast otherwise satisfactory, but still highly lacking in caffeine.

The mood at the table was about as vague as the weather outside.

The three women all had their separate goals.

Of course, they had known as much from the beginning. But it was only this morning that they had to admit carrying on together any further was impossible. Either some of them set aside their private objectives and shared the path of another—or else they could only bid farewell and face the world henceforth alone.

No one could call it an easy decision.

Whether they wanted to admit it or not, the week spent on the road and the colorful events before the trip had already forged a bond between the three of them that couldn't be painlessly severed. The mere thought left them equally depressed and at a loss of words.

But it was while the three remained seated under the awkward silence that an interruption arrived. The tavern's front door flew open with a bang and one of the town's men barged in,

“Riders!” his frantic cry sounded across the hall as soon as he could draw breath. “Imperial banners!”

The formerly solemn mood in the dining hall turned startled.

Imperial troops crossing the border to Luctretz—everyone was immediately assuming the worst case scenario. War. Had the long-anticipated war started? Was the Empire about to launch a surprise assault? Would the town be razed? The fields burned, the cattle slaughtered to feed the foreign invaders? Varnam had been caught completely off-guard, everything was going to be lost. All the people present immediately forgot about their breakfast and rushed out to the street.

Well, not all.

The three women lingered.

While dismayed by the news, Yuliana already knew Luctretz had allied with Tratovia behind the scenes. Even if a legion was coming, they were likely to only pass through the town on the way to the Langorian border. Riswelze didn't move simply because, war or not, it had nothing to do with her. And Izumi remained seated, of course, because she was an outsider and the interruption was no different from a game cutscene to her.

Although, she couldn't deny being curious.

“Wanna go see?” she asked.

“I'd rather not,” Yuliana sighed and rubbed her forehead. “They're on their way to burn and pillage my country before occupation and oppression, what else? Pardon me, but I will not enjoy such a spectacle either.”

“You couldn't be any more depressing, even if you tried,” Riswelze said to her.

“Well, suit yourselves,” Izumi said and got up from her seat. “I do want to see what the people from this fabled Empire look like.”

“Oh, wait for me!” The assassin quickly followed her.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

The two stepped outside, where a large number of townspeople and visitors had already gathered along the main street, as if to see a parade. Some of the residents of the nearby houses were still in their nightwear and looked dazed. The more fiery spirits had chosen to pick up improvised weapons, shovels, ladles, and brooms, before their pants. The chilly northern breeze made them soon regret this decision and, with no riders in view, they swiftly returned indoors to improve their public image.

But soon enough, riders did appear.

The fog had concealed their approach until it was too late to even think about running or hiding. Being only a small rural town without military presence or key strategic resources, Varnam lacked heavy walls or gates, allowing the foreigners to ride in uninterrupted. The few guards stationed in the town could only admit their helplessness to stop the incoming force.

It wasn't an army, but a sizable unit regardless.

A company of around a hundred men. Not simple infantry, but cavalry on black horses, knights, with three supply wagons following behind. They all wore dark plate armors instead of crude chain mail, with deep purple surcoats, and closed helmets. Some carried spears, others tall banners adorned with silvery unit insignia, and other symbols Izumi couldn't understand.

“Check this out,” Riswelze whistled as the entourage slowly passed. “It's not a reconnaissance or a strike unit. They're hunting.”

“Huh? How can you tell?” Izumi asked.

“The banners. See, they have different symbols for different situations, to signal their business to other units from afar. Sometimes military squads have to cross over to foreign territories in pursuit of dangerous monsters. So they carry the appropriate banners in order to not get confused for raiders and attacked when they're trying to do everybody a favor. Though I hear the Imperials haven't practiced that in decades. Normally, they'd just give up the hunt if the mark crosses the border.”

“Oh, that's pretty smart, I guess.”

“And look at those armors. Not a speck of dirt on 'em. These guys aren’t just any typical border patrol. This is an elite unit, the Stohrenkartes, or Stormcrows. Soldiers handpicked to serve directly under the Emperor himself.”

“Hm? Why would you send such high-level players monster-hunting? Isn't that a waste?”

“Beats me. Oops, there comes the lead. On your best behavior now.”

After the leading squads, close to the mid-part of the lengthy cavalcade, came an eye-catching group different from the standard knights.

The first rider was an older man, unarmored, his head bare, the top of it bald with only short, frizzy hair on his temples. He was dressed in a dark riding coat with silver buttons and linings, a large white emblem on his chest. If his attire and decorations didn't make it clear he was a high-ranking figure, the effect was conveyed by the hawkish gaze of dark blue eyes. That gaze, behind a pair of rectangular spectacles, swept over the townspeople from left to right and back left again as he rode on, and his expression looked distinctly displeased with what he saw.

A few paces behind the austere man came a pair riding side by side.

The one further back was a man older than the former, also with a reclining hairline but his strands longer and nearly pure white. He also had a goat-like beard, giving him a somewhat humorous air. The old man's watery blue eyes ignored the locals as he rode on and wiped his large, reddened nose, sniffing. He didn't wear a coat as handsome as the one before him, but a dark robe with baggy sleeves, that nearly hid the hand holding the reins of his horse, while the other grasped a long, wooden staff.

Izumi soon forgot the other two, however.

The figure riding beside the older man couldn't have possibly differed from the other two more.

It was a woman younger than Izumi, judging by the face, but an adult nevertheless, with a presence no less commanding than that of the first man. Her chestnut-brown hair was tied tightly behind, with only a few curly strands framing the sides of her pale but beautiful face. The look in her brown eyes was distant, aloof in the regal, self-contained fashion, but Izumi could tell she was perfectly aware of every little detail around her. The woman was dressed in a long uniform coat with golden rank insignia on both sides of the collar, leaving no doubt that she was an officer. Over the coat, she also had a lighter cloak with the hood cast in the back.

The audience forgot themselves watching the dream-like scene flow by. The procession didn't continue for much longer, however.

“Here's good enough,” the cruel-looking man suddenly called out, while the adventurers still remained within an earshot.

“Captain. Stop,” the officer said.

At her words, the knight riding behind immediately called out,

“COMPANYYYY—HALT.”

The order was echoed by the other squad leaders, front and back, bringing the unscheduled parade to an instant stop. And stilled they remained, like tin soldiers. No noise, no shifting. Even the horses were superbly trained, it seemed.

The cause for the pause became soon apparent.

The Imperials wanted to have a word with the locals. Meaning, in this case, the town elder, who was a short, older woman, a widow in her mid-fifties. Woken up too early, she now made her way towards the knights while pulling her overcoat tighter on. Regardless of her modest size and high age, the town elder had the strength of character to make up for both, and looked distinctly displeased by the crude wake-up.

“What is the meaning of this?” she yelled at them. “What are you Tratovians doing in Varnam? Is it war? You're going to attack us now? Burn down our little houses? Is that it?”

“Calm yourself,” the gray-haired man with the glasses told her. “We've slightly more important business today than invading your pigsties and granaries.”

“Then what is it?” The town elder showed no signs of calming down. “Be out with it and on your way. The last time I looked, we were still in Luctretz and we don't need your mean horses making a mess on our streets.”

“Then let me explain. We are on a bit of an errand and want to hire men. Woodcutters, carpenters, what have you. Twenty or so should do. The job takes a week, maybe two, after which they are home free. Properly compensated, of course.”

“Out of the question,” the woman denied without hesitation.

But the Imperial wasn't going to give up that easily.

“Reconsider. This is a small town, you need the coin. You know that as well as I do. It's not a war we're off to, you'll have your boys back, safe and sound. No one needs to know. I wouldn't call it a bad deal by any means.”

“And what do you need woodcutters for?” the town elder scowled at him. "No, don't answer. I know. There's only one place here with wood to cut. And the answer is no. Absolutely not. No one from Varnam is going with you, you poor devil.”

“You're not the law here,” the man scoffed at her and instead turned to look at the townspeople lining the street, raising his voice. “Anyone here in need of easy money and honest work? I'm sure not! You'll do your job, the job you know best, nothing more will be asked of you. As you can see, you'll have sufficient protection. The Empire's finest. You'll be fed and paid and then return to your own business. You can be stubborn if you want and stick with your elder, but if you're looking for some...variation, then come find me. Our company will camp outside the town and depart for the Felorn Woods tomorrow at dawn. Let the word go 'round! Thank you! Shall we go?”

“Just a moment.”

The noble-looking woman urged her horse to forward and approached the town elder in turn.

“Pardon our intrusion to your town, madam,” she cordially said, climbing down from the saddle. “We shall do our best to keep the distraction to a minimum.”

“Hmph,” the town elder snorted spitefully and looked away, but didn't seem too opposed to speaking with a fellow woman.

“I was hoping you could tell me something,” the officer continued. “Have you had any visitors from the south lately? Anyone particularly suspicious? Someone who behaved oddly or was otherwise eye-catching, a foreigner. Only this week. It could be very important.”

“It's a manhunt you're on then?” the elder replied. "What manner of a fellow is it that you’re after?”

“I am sorry, but we have very little information of our own. Anything you can tell us would be appreciated.”

“Why, we don't get many visitors at this time of the year,” the older woman answered. “But some do come. A few only just arrived last night, and they're not from Luctretz by the looks of 'em. There's two standing right there, as a matter of fact.”

The Imperial quickly turned to glance at five o'clock where the elder was pointing—at Izumi and Riswelze near the tavern doorway. For a moment, her previous official politeness was gone and her gaze flashed like lightning.

Being so abruptly made into a topic, the pair of travelers were too surprised to move.

“Archers!” the officer sharply cried.

Several nearby knights immediately pulled their bows from their back and took aim at the pair. The townspeople backed away in shock and retreated into their houses with surprised cries and clamor.

“What are you doing?” the town elder yelled in dismay. “Didn't you tell me you weren't here to fight?”

“For your safety, madam, stand back,” the Imperial curtly told her, without taking her eyes off of Riswelze and Izumi.

“Your names?” she asked them.

“Ahem,” Riswelze cleared her throat, defiantly folding her arms, “I would be the famous Ridley Radilly Rude, or Rad-Rude for short, a wandering performer and a peddler of bad advice. Want one? The first one's always free.”

“I-I'm Izumi, Itaka Izumi, pleased to meet you,” Izumi said with a nervous bow.

“What are you doing, don't give them your real name!” Riswelze berated her in a whisper, although in the heavy silence surrounding them, it was audible everywhere.

“I can't help it, I get nervous when so many people are staring at me!” Izumi bemoaned. “My imagination's not working right now!”

Not amused, the Imperial woman glanced at the old rider behind her.

“Yornwhal, what do you say?”

“What can I say?” the elderly man shrugged and shook his head. “You know reading minds is not my forte. I can tell if someone I know has changed, but if it's a complete stranger—it’s too vague to say for certain. But they do seem fairly normal to me.”

“Your 'seems' is not good enough,” the woman groaned. “Oh what I wouldn't give to have Carmelia with me...”

“So, are we in trouble or are we not?” Riswelze asked.

The officer glared at her in answer,

“You seem a little mismatched for friends or family. Where did the two of you meet? When was it?”

“Our first meeting...was in another life. Far, far away,” the assassin answered like a bard. “Death separated us, yet fate reunited me with my soul sister after all those eons and now we can never be apart! Surely.”

Their questioner still wasn't pleased. And neither were the archers.

“Weigh your next words very carefully, jester,” she told Riswelze, before turning to Izumi. “The sword on your back—it's elven design, don't even bother to pretend otherwise. There are no elves in Luctretz or Langoria. So where did you get it?”

The last words were quiet as a whisper but heavy as lead.

“I...um...er...”

The earthling, unaccustomed to such an audience or the tense atmosphere, had no talent for spinning the yarn. I just found it lying on the ground, she was going to say, which was the honest truth—But given the circumstances, that terribly suspicious and incredible answer was likely to sign her death sentence.

“Well?” the woman pressed her. “Answer me! Or die.”

She raised her hand and the archers tightened their bowstrings.

Clak.

Before anyone could say anything, the nearby tavern door opened and out stepped the knight princess of Langoria. No longer hearing the horses or the commotion, she had assumed the riders had passed and that it was the time to head out.

What a terrible timing.

“Good grief, like children, gawking at every terrible—”

At the sight of the archers, Yuliana cut herself off and froze to where she stood in the doorway.

The Imperial woman turned her sharp eyes at the princess——and her expression turned startled. An unguarded gasp immediately escaped her lips.

“Yuliana!?”

Yuliana looked back at the woman, her eyes immediately brightening up with the light of recognition and the following astonishment.

“Master?”