Several hours before Demetrius rushed off in search of his sister, Adriadne was talking with Ganzaya in a hallway. It wasn't much of a conversation, though.

"I am going to see if my wife is in Cea. If Demetrius returns before I do, please let him know what I'm doing," the Ulv said.

The girl nodded.

"Don't worry. I will," Adriadne replied. "Knowing him, where you are will be one of the first things I'll ask."

Ganzaya gave her a quick bow.

"Thank you, Lady Adriadne. I will see you later," he stated.

Then, the Ulv warrior walked away, leaving the building and moving into the streets of Cea. This left Adriadne alone. She walked through the estate, listening with incredible intensity. Adriadne even used her witchcraft to enhance her senses. Soon, the girl found what she was looking for. The sound came from a nearby room, behind a closed door.

"Tomoe, perhaps I could buy you some decorations for your sword?" Theodora asked.

"Decor...ations?" the onna bugeisha answered, wondering what the word was.

"There they are!" Adriadne thought. "I don't know why Demetrius is tolerating Theodora trying to steal Tomoe from him, but there's no way I'm letting that happen!"

The Kallergis girl knocked on the door. Adriadne kept her banging light, a plan having formed in her mind.

"Who is it?" Theodora's voice came through the door.

"It's Adriadne," the Kallergis girl smiled. "May I come in? I have a lot to talk to you two about.

"Very well. You may enter."

Adriadne stepped into the room with a forced smile. Theodora was standing in a posture that made her look like some barbarian prince. The sight of it made Adriadne want to vomit. Tomoe sat on a chair, looking bored out of her skull. She gave Adriadne a look that read 'help me.'

"Well, Adriadne, what brings you here?" Theodora asked.

"I was thinking that, since Tomoe has never been to a Remen City before, we could show her around Cea? I am certain that you know a lot about it," the Kallergis girl answered.

Theodora's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"That is a good idea. I find it suspicious that you'd suggest it," she said.

"It appears that Theodora has some talent in reading people. Either that, or she noticed something else about me," Adriadne thought before speaking. "I've only been to Cea once, and I did not stay here long. I need a guide, and Demetrius is not here right now. The three of us going out together would benefit both myself and Tomoe."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

A slow nod came over Theodora's head.

"That is a good point, and I'd love to show Tomoe here around one of the Remen Empire's great cities," she said.

Tomoe looked like she didn't know whether to be grateful to Adriadne or to try to punch her face in. Still, the girl maintained a calm composure.

Theodora then turned to face her. There was a wide smile on the ice stratigos' face.

"And I will make sure to tell you every single detail about what my family does in Cea," Theodora declared.

She bowed and muttered some words in her native language.

"Baka gaijin."

Theodora gave her a bow back and extended a hand.

"Come, Tomoe, let us go together," she suggested.

Adriadne stepped in, grabbing both of their hands.

"We're losing daylight. We should hurry," the Kallergis stated, dragging the two of them with her.

After some quick preparations, they were riding through the streets of Cea. Theodora was happily chatting away with Tomoe trying to focus her attention on anything else. Adriadne enhanced her eyesight as she scanned the area.

"I need to find something that'll make Theodora look worse in Tomoe's eyes. Assuming Tomoe is attracted to her...let's see...what do I know about Tomoe's tribe of barbarians? They...are very restrictive. I think," Adriadne thought.

Her eyes fixed on a place where alcohol was sold.

"Perfect. I can use this to discredit Theodora while talking up Demetrius," she pondered before speaking. "Perhaps we should get a drink?"

Theodora looked at it. Temptation poured through her body. However, she held it off.

"Not now. Perhaps a private bit of wine back at my family's house?" Theodora suggested.

She then turned her attention to Tomoe.

"Perhaps you'd like to join me?"

"No," the onna bugeisha answered without hesitation.

"Ah, you do not like wine," Theodora nodded. "Perhaps some other drink, then? My family has a storage room with the best vintages. For example..."

Things continued like this for some time. Theodora bragged about her family, Adriadne suggested they go somewhere she could potentially make Theodora look bad, and the ice stratigos turned her offer down. Meanwhile, Tomoe wished she was dead, and not because of her suicidal tendencies.

The sun started to go under the horizon as the group made their way through the city. Theodora led them to an isolated ledge where they could watch the sunset together. There was a moment of silence that brought Tomoe much relief.

Finally, Theodora turned to Adriadne with a smug smirk on her face. The Kallergis girl's right eye twitched open seeing this. A bad feeling flowed through her.

"It seems you failed to accomplish what you wanted to, Adriadne," Theodora said.

The Kallergis girl let out a deep sigh.

"Unfortunately, you are right," she stated. "It seems that today is your win."

Tomoe shook her head.

"Urusai," she muttered in her native tongue, wondering if she should be happy that she couldn't understand a lot of what they were saying.

"And these wins will con...tine..ue..." Theodora started.

She turned pale as snow when her gaze fixed on something behind Adriadne. Tomoe and the Kallergis girl both noticed this. They turned to see what Theodora was looking at.

Before them was a tall man wearing strange clothes. His eyes slowly started to glow, and there was a wide smile on his face. It revealed rows of sharp, pointed teeth, like a shark mixed with a barracuda.

"Hello, ladies," he said. "Tell me, what is your favorite internal organ?"