On the road to the capital, a stone's throw from the walls…

「Haaaa… Haaaa… Greaves… Can we pause… For a few minutes?」

Will gasps heavily as he leans onto his staff, barely keeping up with the party. Alicia slows down a little to look backwards.

「Will, you big baby! Man up! We could have been there hours earlier if not for your breaks every 5 seconds!」

Greaves shouts at Will over his shoulder, pointing at the gate in the distance.

「Greaves, don't be too hard on him, he's still recovering…」

Alicia sighs, looking away from the heaving Will towards Greaves.

「We can rest at an inn, if we can actually get there today!」

Greaves stops, crossing his arms as he turns around.

「Will, do you need a moment?」

Lian stops as well, glancing at Will over her shoulder. Her silken, black ponytail jiggles behind her head.

「No! I'm fine! I'm alright now!」

Will straightens out, walking past Alicia and Greaves, sputtering and squeezing his lips together as he tries his best emulating a face that looks normal with his teeth clenched.

「…You don't have to push yourself-」

「Hnngh- I'm fine, Lian! Don't worry about me! Huff-」

Will replies, with laborious effort to sound unbothered. He takes the lead, walking past Lian as she looks down at him with a somewhat concerned expression. She sighs, and follows.

「See? He was just being a baby about it.」

Greaves points his hand at Will as he speaks to Alicia then continues onward, shaking his head. They walk to the rear of the line, a little girl in a black-red gothic dress catches his attention as they wait their turn to enter.

「…What's up with her?」

Greaves turns to Will leaning onto his staff, wheezing and gasping for air.

「…Eh? Ho?…」

Will asks, slurring as he gasps. Greaves nods his head towards the girl with the parasol. His brows rise when he sees her approach.

「…Are you Greaves?」

The young girl asks, hiding her face beneath her parasol despite it already being dusk.

「Yeah, I am! Finally my fame prece-! Wait, how did you know?」

Greaves exclaims proudly with a mighty pose and his fists on his hips, his brows furrow when he realizes they haven't really been to the capital yet, and it's unlikely the word of his sparse exploits spread that far. Alicia's jaw drops when she peeks at the girl with the parasol past Lian's back.

「Gh- Gh- Gho-」

She points at the little girl, eliciting a confused, raised brow from Lian when she looks down at Alicia.

「…I am Straf's messenger. He commands you to approach the palace tomorrow, and assault it when you notice a commotion within.」

The parasol girl imparts Straf's message, while Alicia is pointing at her with a shaky hand and a pale face.

「Gh- Gh- Gh- Ghost! Ghost!」

She manages to exclaim, after heavily stammering.

「Tsk. Alicia, she's not a ghost, I'm talking with her… We'll wait near the palace then- Wait! Hold on! He can't order me around!」

Greaves clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes, looking over his shoulder at the terrified girl behind him. Lian stares with wary eyes down at the little girl's parasol, but is otherwise calm.

「Disobey Straf at your own peril, worm.」

Snarling, Lily lifts the parasol up from over her face and glares murder at Greaves with her crimson eyes. He recoils back when he sees her slit pupils, and cold fear runs down his spine. He grips at his sheath with his hand, but can't find enough courage to also grasp the hilt of his sword.

Her eyes move to Will, who is the closest to her and leaning forward using his staff for support as he tries to catch his breath. He almost chokes and takes a step back when their eyes meet. Lily's eyes drift over Alicia in the rear, causing her to yelp and jump back the same moment.

Then she glares up at Lian with a cold sneer, displaying her fangs. Lian's black eyes immediately narrow, and she clutches onto her spear tighter as she glares back into the vampire's eyes.

「Vampire-」

Lian quickly mumbles out, every instinct in her body screams at her to drive her spear into the vampire girl's body, but her eyes snap to Will in front of her. Her mind calms as there is lack of hostile intent from the girl, and she recalls the annoying encounter with Straf back in the village.

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「Yes… And you should know your place. Beneath Straf. And beneath me.」

Lily says, then backs a few steps out. She glares at Alicia one last time, causing her to tremble, then disappears in a leap that only Lian can hope to perceive, blurring into the night.

「Wheeeeeeeew… I thought I was done for…」

Will sighs, finally catching his breath as he clutches at his chest.

「Tsk… Shit… We're still pathetically weak…」

Greaves clicks his tongue and grits his teeth in frustration, staring in the direction Lily has left in.

「This Straf… Who is he, exactly? Is he a servant to the vampire? It didn't sound like it.」

Lian asks, glaring at Greaves with the same face as she did at Lily, before her gaze turns towards the darkness beside the road.

「Dunno, he just walked up to us out of nowhere back in the village. He said he's a super ass adventurer, or something. She made it sound like she is serving him.」

Greaves says in an irritated tone, keeping his fists on his hips as he scowls into the night.

「Indeed… I may have greatly underestimated him. I have taken him for a loud-mouth and a braggart… Frankly, that may still be the case, but- Ah. The line.」

Lian's expression gradually returns to normal, and her glare softens. With the corner of her vision, unbeknownst to the party, the line has moved far ahead of them.

「Ah! Shit, let's go!」

Greaves runs up to the back of the line, before their spot is stolen. Moments later, it's their turn.

「Halt. You there, girl. Let me see your face.」

The guard sticks his palm out to stop Greaves and his party, then points at Alicia.

「Again!?-」

「Huh?」

The guard furrows his brows as he stares at Alicia, sheepishly clutching her wand closer with a tight-lipped grimace.

「…Nothing.」

Alicia shakes her head lightly as she lowers her gaze. The guard walks up to her.

「C'mon, look me in the eyes.」

The guard demands, and she looks up. He turns his head to his partner on the other side of the gate, and shakes his armored head. Lian standing behind the trio catches his attention next.

「What, they grow you people at a farm, or something?」

Astonished, he comments, looking up at Lian's face.

「…Meaning?」

She tilts her head, even finding the courage to slyly smirk at the guard after the encounter with the vampire.

「…At least your eyes are normal, never mind, go on through.」

The guard waves them past, and Lian's brows rise a little. Greaves moves on, and the rest of the party follows him in. Greaves relaxes as the vampire lamps' light washes over them, and he places arms behind his head.

「Now Will can get his baby bed time! Let's find an inn… Hey, Lian, what did that guy say that pissed you off so bad, anyway?」

Greaves peeks at Lian walking behind him and Will, she returns the glance.

「He is a loud-mouth, a braggart, and a lecher.」

Lian responds, staring ahead down the lamp-lit street.

「Huh? Lecher? I agree with the first two, but where'd that come from?」

「…Do you not know what a harem is? I am amazed he dared to even suggest such a thing.」

Lian glances down at Greaves.

「Nope, no clue.」

「Do you know, Lian?」

Alicia meekly asks, looking up high towards the tall spearwoman's face. Lian sighs.

「Back home, certain clans had a very relaxed stance towards adultery. So much so, that the strong, prestigious, or wealthy men were allowed to have multiple wives. Nobody batted an eye at it. Needless to say, many considered that to be a form of blood rot, as they were more concerned with pleasure than amassing power, or even surviving at that point.」

Lian casually explains.

「Okay? That's kind of weird. But what does that have to do with anything?」

Greaves asks, glancing at Lian with furrowed brows.

「…Such an assembly of women, we call harems.」

She answers, with a somewhat condescending look on her face. Alicia blinks.

「…Eh? Eh? Eeeeeehhhhhhhhhh!?」

As her jaw drops and her eyes widen further and further, Alicia's shock deepens. She lets out a mortified, confused shriek with her hands on her blushing face. Everyone in the party stares at her with furrowed brows…