A surprised Elrianthe looked at the kneeling Alison.

'Your Highness? Please...' she thought, recognizing that Alison was exaggerating again.

“Stand up, please, and listen to me carefully. I am neither a goddess nor any queen. I am a person just like you. Enslaved and trying to survive, do you understand?” said Elrianthe.

“But after all, you are-”

“Shh. There are no 'buts'... I want to be your friend, Alison. I want to be able to rely on your support and care, do you understand? I value my friendship with you. I don't want to treat you like a subordinate, nor do I want you to treat me like your mistress. That's not what friendship is about.”

“I understand. I'm glad you put it that way. From the beginning, I wanted to form a strong bond with you. You gave me hope and lent me a helping hand when others turned away. I want to be close and support you as much as possible,” Alison confessed.

“I'm glad to have met you. You are really a great help,” replied Elrianthe with a smile.

“I'm happy to help you in any situation,” added Alison.

The road to the town of Pershore passed them in the blink of an eye. However, before they reached its borders, the cart passed two more villages that looked deserted. The fields were empty, even though the harvest season was underway. The doors and windows of the huts were closed, some boarded up to prevent anything from getting in. There was no light in the immediate area, even though the evening was approaching, and any moment now, everything would be shrouded in darkness.

Gaz didn't pay any attention to it, and Elrianthe didn't have the faintest idea about this world, so she decided to ignore it. Why should they care about the lives of villagers when their own fates were headed in an unknown direction? Don't get involved if it doesn't concern you. This principle saved Elrianthe from trouble many times in her previous life.

Finally, Elrianthe caught sight of the town's walls. Several meters high fortifications stood proudly on the outskirts, defending the residents behind them.

Gaz stopped at the southern gate, one of three leading into the inner city. A guard in armor with a stitched badge on his chest, armed with a sword and shield, approached Gaz and asked for documents.

After a routine inspection, the cart moved on. Although a tarp covered the compartment behind the wagon driver, they entered the city without checking the cargo. Gaz steered the horse toward the inn, where they hoped to spend the next two days. Eventually, they stopped, and Gaz let the others know they could get off.

“Wait,” Alison stopped Elrianthe as she took her leave.

“I remember,” Elrianthe replied, putting the illusion on her ears so they were no different from human ears.

“It's about something else,” she said quietly.

“Hmm?”

“Forgive me if you find this inappropriate,” warned Alison, then gave Elrianthe a big hug.

Surprised by the sudden approach, Elrianthe didn't know how to respond properly.

“I know it's hard for you. I can see how you are suppressing all this inside you. You will be fine. You're strong and I believe you'll make it through. If you need anything, I'm here for you,” Alison said quietly.

Elrianthe embraced her and snuggled in even tighter. Her pleasant scent and sensitive touch reminded Elrianthe of the care and closeness of another person that she missed so much. The tears that ran down her cheeks testified to how much she needed it.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“Girls, I told you that you can already leave- Oh,” Gaz, tilting back the sheet, saw Elrianthe cuddled in Alison's arms. “I'm sorry, I'm not bothering you anymore.”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“That's okay. We're on our way,” Elrianthe replied, rubbing her wet cheeks.

Elrianthe got out of the cart and was finally able to look around to see what the town from another world looked like. What she saw resembled nothing out of the ordinary.

A wide main road stretched through the city, leading to the market in its center. Tall, gray buildings of stone and wood surrounded her on all sides. Narrow alleyways encroached between them, leading to less secure corners.

From Elrianthe's perspective, the city looked very typical of medieval imagery, especially from games and movies.

“It doesn't look... extraordinary,” Elrianthe commented under her breath.

“It's one of the smaller cities in the region. There's nothing to expect,” replied Gaz, puzzled by her comment. “Have you ever been to a human city?”

“I think not,” replied Elrianthe, clearly confused.

“In that case, let me arrange what you need, I have some connections here,” assured Gaz.

Immediately, Gaz headed for the inn, and the girls followed him. As they went inside, they heard a bell ring as the door opened.

Elrianthe looked around the interior. Numerous tables, benches, and armchairs suggested that the premises also served as a tavern or bar. Even so, she didn't see many customers.

“Ah, Mr. Prum. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow at the earliest. What brings you to town so early?” asked the tavern owner, who emerged from the back room.

“Hello, Roland. I had to change plans,” Gaz replied.

“Did you get hit by monster attacks, too? Working as a traveling merchant is a dangerous business. I told you that you should settle here and open a store,” remarked Roland, an older man who seemed to be on good terms with Gaz.

“I prefer... to travel,” Gaz replied nervously, looking for an excuse.

Elrianthe's gaze shook him as he realized that by hiding his real 'job' from Roland, he had reduced her to a mere product on display at a stall.

“Oh, I understand. Traveling is definitely more worthwhile for you. Finding such beauties in our city would border on the miraculous. I'm glad you're doing well after all, Mr. Prum,” Roland added with a smile.

Alison and Elrianthe exchanged glances, barely holding back a burst of laughter, but managed to contain themselves so as not to raise unnecessary doubts in their innkeeper. It's better that they don't have to look for another cover.

“Yes, haha. I think I'm lucky,” replied Gaz, swallowing with a struggle.

“I'll assign you one of the larger rooms with thick walls. You'll be able to enjoy your privacy to your heart's content,” Roland decided, reaching for a key tucked in the reception counter.

Tie: “I'm not going to sleep in one room with you,” protested Elrianthe.

“In fact, I'll take two separate rooms. Next to each other. With access to a private bath,” replied Gaz to Roland's suggestion.

“Oh, this way. Well, all right. Here are the keys,” replied Roland, placing three brass keys on the countertop, which were tied to small plates with door numbers.

“Thank you, Roland. By the way, you mentioned monster attacks. Could you elaborate on that?” asked Gaz, referring to Elrianthe's request.

“Don't you know? Some kind of unusual plague of monsters began to occur in the areas bordering the Crow Forest, causing people to have to leave their homes and flee,” he replied.

“Do you know the reason?”

“The guild claims that some stronger monster has appeared in the forest, causing others to start leaving the forest in search of new territories. I don't know the details. You would have to ask them directly.”

“Thank you in any case, Roland. Have a good evening,” replied Gaz.

“Have fun,” replied Roland, following the blonde with his eyes. “Ah, the young ones.”

Elrianthe took the key from Gaz and entered her room. For obvious reasons, she decided to share it with Alison. Although she didn't suspect Gaz of having a tendency toward aggressive sexual politics, she preferred to make sure he didn't have any opportunity to do so. She would rather give herself to Gaz alone and satisfy his desire, just so Alison could sleep peacefully. On the other hand, thinking about it made her body start to react, demanding it to some extent.

As nasty as it sounds, Carl has contributed in some ways to Elrianthe getting used to her new body and identity. Of course, she would never forget who she was before, which was a major blockage against accidentally falling in love with another man. However, she wouldn't turn down good sex, especially after seeing how intense her sensations could be. The thought of it aroused desire in her, but every time she remembered life in the cell, which destroyed her mood. She wanted to change that to get rid of the trauma. Experiencing new and powerful sensations that would bring her pleasure should largely help replace the pain left behind by Carl.

“Should I try it?” said Elrianthe under her breath, pondering the right choice.

“Go ahead. You deserve it,” replied Alison.

“Huh?”

“I see you're tired. You should rest. There's nothing to think about.”

“Ah, well, yes. Good. That's what I meant.”

“I'll wake you up before breakfast,” Alison added.

“Thank you. Close the door for the night,” said Elrianthe, then fell asleep momentarily.