That night, Arthur took me into the small shop in the corner of the town. As we walked into the shop, I was hit by a wave of scents - the sharp tang of herbal remedies, the sweetness of potions, and the earthiness of medicinal plants. It was packed with shelves full of brightly colored bottles and jars, each containing different dried plants, remedies, and shimmering magic powders. To the left, I saw the examination room, with a table and bed ready for patients.

"Wow, this place is amazing!" I exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. "It's heaven for an apothecary!"

"Make yourself at home," Arthur replied.

"Eh? Wait, this is your home?" I gasped.

"Not exactly. I rented the room upstair," Arthur replied while taking off his shoes.

I raised an eyebrow, "I guess it's nice to have a tenant that doesn't mind smelling like a medicine cabinet."

Arthur chuckled lightly, "Well, I got a friend discount for the rent. This place owned by a close friend of me, Princess Kiara."

My eyebrows raised even higher, "You two live at the same roof? Are you two going out or something?"

"N-not exactly. Uh, how should I explain it. H-hey, what's with your face? Do you have a problem?"

I crossed my arm and grunted, "Of course I do! I don't like intruding people's love nest, you know."

Arthur got flustered, "L-Love nest?! No, you got it all wrong. Y-you see, Princess Kiara and I knew each other since child, so she is more-like a little sister to me."

I clasped my mouth, hiding a grin beneath it. Oh my, his reaction was pure gold. I remembered Arthur said he used to protect two troublesome Princesses. Ah! How could I forget, Kiara had the same family name with Quina, The Megistus Familia. Perhaps Arthur was like a bodyguard for the two Princesses. G-Geez, so cute! Wait, could it be... a love triangle? A-Awww, it was just like the romance novel that we used to read together!

... Wait, we? Uh, my mind was a mess. I guess, I just got tired from the warm welcoming of this world.

"Well, I hate being a third wheeler too. Unless, you guys okay with having a threesome," I joked.

"W-WHAT? H-Hell no! We're not like that yet!" Arthur face got red like a beet

"Oooh, yet? So this sister-brother business is just a pretense?"

"Uh, no, that's not what I mean! It just, it just... Ugh, forget it!"

I bursted out a laugh but keep it beneath my hand, "Geez, I'm just joking. Don't get so red about it, you virgin!"

"Ugh, you little rascal. I was thinking of forgiving your debt to me."

"Stingy!"

Arthur shrugged, but then he noticed something. Without a warning, Arthur's strong arms enveloped me, taking me by surprise. My body tensed and I tried to break free. He drag me under the desk and closed my mouth with his hand.

"Quiet... There's someone here. This rancid smell, a werebear," Arthur whispered.

Eh?

"Who's that?!" someone shouted.

As the door to the inner hall of the shop swung open, two imposing figures emerged into view. The first was a burly gray-furred bear, wielding a massive sword that rested easily across his broad back. The second was a captivating sorceress with wavy red hair. She was the one that attacked Kiara in the Cathedral before.

With a lightning-fast move, Arthur plucked a bottle of enchanted dust from the nearby shelf and swiftly cast it over the two of us. Like magic, it effectively erased our scent, confusing the bear.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The bear sniffed the air and readied his sword as he searched the room. Despite his tireless efforts, he soon grew frustrated and scowled in disappointment as he failed to find what he sought.

"I swear I heard someone arguing here," said the bear.

Just as I thought we were in the clear, the bear turned towards our direction, his nostrils flaring as he picked up on our scent. I could feel the blood draining from my face as I realized we had been discovered. I panicked as the bear and witch got close to us, my mind racing for a way to escape. But suddenly, I had an idea. A crazy, desperate idea.

"M-M-Miaww," I meowed, hoping to pass myself off as a stray cat. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I cringed with embarrassment.

How could they possibly believe such a cheap trick? To make matters worse, Arthur shot me a disappointed look and lightly smacked my head.

"W-What are you doing?" he whispered.

"N-Not sure!"

We waited in tense silence as the bear drew closer and closer, his sword glinting in the dim light. Arthur prepared to draw his sword, his eyes fixed on the bear's massive form. But just before the bear found us, the woman shouted. "C'mon dear, it's just a cat fight. You're overreacting it, Denova. We got our objective so let's get out before The Company comes."

The bear took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring with anger. "Alright, Bian."

As they left the shop, I let out a long, shuddering breath. We had narrowly escaped with our lives, and I couldn't help but feel grateful to be alive.

"Umm, Master Arthur... your hands," I implored as I got annoyed.

"S-Sorry," Arthur was surprised and quickly let me go. He stood and check the shop as if nothing happened, trying to distance himself from me. Well, well, just a little touch and he was clearly conscious about me. Heh, boys will be boys.

Hah... let him be, I was more intrigued about the break-in anyway. They didn't touch the cash register or steal expensive drugs on the shelves. The magical brews here could cost around boxes full of gold coins, you know.

Hmm, then what was their purpose for coming here? I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. We investigated the room that the two figures came. But then Arthur quickly kneeled and said,

"Wait, this is hers...!" Arthur took the necklace on the floor together with a handkerchief. A sharp smell attacked my nose. Ugh, that smell. The handkerchief reek of chloroform!

Arthur's face was etched with worry as he muttered, "That idiot…How could a person get kidnapped twice in a day?"

"Wait, Kiara? Oh no no no, I just save her!" I asked, my voice firm. "We should hurry and follow them!"

But before Arthur could reply, a loud noise echoed through the street outside. It was another iron cart, racing through the night, and Arthur's face turned pale as he realized what it meant. Without a word, he chased the cart, leaving me alone and confused. But in his carelessness he dropped the handkerchief.

"She must be really important to him," I muttered as I put the handkerchief in my pocket.

***

Alexandria's splendor cast a shadow that haunts every inch of the wall. Outside the city's thick walls, sprouting like mushrooms, a slum huddled together along a small river.

As I looked around the settlement, my heart ached at the sight of the makeshift houses and shelters. The wood they used had been scavenged from demolished buildings or former war shields, with chipped paint and splintered edges. The roofs were held together by nothing more than a few dried coconut branches, woven loosely and still full of holes. One spark and the entire settlement would be up in flames.

I was met with cynical and hopeless stares from every direction. Old demi-humans sat with beer bottles in their hands, trying to numb the pain of their lives with alcohol. The children looked at me with their brown eyes, their bellies were swollen with hunger. Their reddish fur was matted and they wore rugged clothes, yet they didn't smile - they knew nothing but misery. It was a heart-wrenching scene, and I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled in my stomach.

"Hey, wait...! He was supposed to watch over me, but now? Ugh, that guy, really!" I shouted at Arthur, but he was so fast on his feet. I stopped, catching my breath. A throbbing pain stabbed my heart, a quick reminder of my congenital disease, The Palemoon. Not only I couldn't use magic, but this defective heart significantly diminished my stamina.

"Geez, people in this ear clearly lack patience! Back then, it was a virtue to listen to a woman, you know," I grunted.

Suddenly a familiar voice could be heard behind me.

"This smell... I knew it. There is someone in that house!"

A sharp bloodlust stabbed me in the back, as I barely evade the swing of a mighty blade, but its pressure cut my neck a bit. Y-yikes, such powerful swing. I quickly jumped back and surprised to see that the attacker was Denova, the Werebear.

So, he baited Arthur and me to come out of the house, before striking us. What a sharp wit he had!

The air was thick with the scent of bloodlust, and the windows around us were quickly shuttered as parents hustled their children inside. The people on the street suddenly vanished, leaving me alone to face the fearsome Denova. Yikes this is bad. I hadn't recovered my stamina yet and my body clearly weakened from malnutrition. Fighting a strong werebear like him might be difficult.

"What a shame," Denova growled, his eyes glinting with malice. "A young girl like you still has long future ahead, but alas, your journey end here. The Order couldn't let any witness alive."

This was it. The end. I nervously smiled, trying to keep up my brave front.

But inside, I was screaming. Dammit, why did this always happen to me!?