Ristia Alschient, Town of Ceris, 5810 U.C.

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As I approach the gate, I hear nearby guards whispering to each other.

“Hey, isn’t this the girl Bill mentioned?”

“Yea, around 14, long red hair, looks like a doll. She definitely fits the description. And she even wears the clothes he showed us.”

“So, you think he was telling the truth about a monster girl?”

“I’m not sure. You know well that he’s just an old drunk who got too cocky because of ranking in the guild. His party has the highest ranking in this town, and now he has a ridiculous idea that he rules the place. What a moron.”

“It can’t be helped. Since that last royal decree was approved, every skilled man moved closer to a capital.”

Looks like pest 1 blabbered about me to the guards. What a pain. Couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Hey, you, stop! We have a few questions for you.”

“Please, help me!”

“Huh?!”

I burst into tears in front of them. I can see a visible confusion on their faces. Soon enough, someone came to check on the ruckus.

“What’s wrong? Don’t cry. Guys, take her inside. What did you do to her?!”

“It’s not our fault! She suddenly started crying. It’s the girl Bill told us about. I don’t think it's a good idea to take her inside.”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into Bill, but she looks more like a victim to me. Search her up to be sure, we’ll ask questions after she calms down. Hey, it’s alright, we’ll take you somewhere safe, so don’t cry anymore, okay?”

The Guard in front of the gate said that while signaling to the other two to go to me. One man gently helped me get up and held my hands, while the second one ravaged through my pockets. He found a sack with money, which I took from late adventurers. After confirming it’s the only thing on me, he passed it to the guy, who is probably their superior here. They led me inside to a small building near the entrance.

There isn’t much here. One small bed in the corner, a round table with four chairs in the center, and a small rack holding keys on the wall next to the doors. Nothing fancy. They took me to the bed and told me to sit down. I do as they say. I have a plan of action in mind.

“So, can you tell us your name?”

“.... It’s Ristia.”

“Ristia, please tell us what happened to you.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“..My dad … gone .. hic … bandits … I run away.”

“Hey, calm down, no need to cry. You’re safe now. What happened to your dad?”

“Bad people wanted money. He gave them. But they wanted more. And. They got mad.

Started shouting. They killed him. They killed my father.”

“I know it must be hard for you, but can you recall what these men looked like?”

“Five of them. One with a long beard. Bald. Ugly.”

“It sounds like Bill’s bunch. How low can you get to assault innocent people and call yourselves the best adventurers in town? That dress, did they order you to wear?”

“Yes. ... Because.. hic .. they ripped my .. clothes .. and …”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to tell us that. We have a fairly good idea of who the so-called monster is. So, how did you escape?”

“They were distracted by monsters. I used that opportunity to run away.”

“And what about the money?”

“Fight was intense, and one of them dropped this pouch.”

“I see. Well, I must say, you’re a brave girl, be proud of yourself. It’s okay now. Nobody Is going to harm you again. You can use this money to go to an inn and rest. I recommend going to the one near the east gate. A very nice old lady works there. If you say that Ben from a north gate sent you, she should look out for you. I’ll put a good word for you. We’ll report this incident to the guild. If they show up in any guild in this country, they should be immediately arrested. You can rest easy.”

“Thank .. hic .. you.”

I’m so glad they believed that story. I avoided a lot of trouble thanks to their trust. Others looked skeptical, but the biggest fish there got fouled easily. They can’t question the decision of their superior. I’ll better be on my best behavior anyway, just to be sure. I think it’s best for today to go to that inn he told me about and take it easy for the day. They may find it suspicious if, after all, that had supposedly happened to me, I’d go live my everyday life like I’m an ordinary little girl.

According to the information I got, the inn should be somewhere around here. Wandering around, I finally notice a large banner on top of the entrance that says “Vilna Par La Sie”. It’s the same name the guard chief told me about, so I enter without hesitation.

“Hello, dear customer… Oh my, are you perhaps Ristia, my dear?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry, Ben told me about you. Come here, you’re probably hungry. I’ll get you our specialty. It’s on the house today. I can’t comprehend how these heavens could do such awful things to you.”

Lady in her 60s, after eyeing me, immediately sprang into action. She sure got fired up quickly. She offered me free food, so I can’t complain. But I can see she’s the kind of person that doesn’t shut up. I despise that attitude with all my heart. And I have to play a role of a victim on top of it all. It’s such a huge pain in the ass.

Why can’t I just laze around all day like every regular dragon? Being born into royalty isn’t so great as commoners might think. I’d rather have a simple life. Finish my job for the day and don’t give a damn about everything else. Well, since I was banished from the dragon community, my wish can finally become reality. As far as humans go, I’m an ordinary commoner.

This dish was delicious, I can’t have enough of this. I already devoured four plates. And that lady, her name is Jes, looks at me with eyes that say 'what a poor little thing'. I’m loathing of her sympathy. But free food tastes even better, so I’m going through with this. This inn has a hot bath, and it’s all for myself today. What a wonderful thing. I’m treated like royalty here, but it’s even better cause I have no obligations whatsoever. I can truly relax in this bliss.

My room is pretty spacy too. It looks like something not everyone can afford. Since I don’t know the actual value of human money yet. I gave every last coin to Jes. he happily obliged and took this money for my lodging. It should suffice for a week or so. I need to find a job soon. Jes said I can be her helper here and be a live-in maid. I didn’t give her an answer yet, but there is no way I’ll be living with her. I can’t stand her talkativeness. When she starts, I just want to bury myself. I don’t want to think about my future now. As I lay on the comfy bed, my thoughts quickly become fussy, and I drift away into the world of dreams.