The heavy steel gates, the surrounding moat, and the watchtowers piercing into the clouds made the city appear impregnable.
Now, I was perched on a branch of a maple tree in a nondescript forest outside the city.
There was a considerable distance between me and the city gates. It would take at least four minutes to reach them on foot.
If possible, I didn't want to cause a commotion and had to avoid any confrontation with the guards.
But I had been crouching here for nearly an hour, and I still hadn't come up with a good way to sneak in.
The security was too tight. Numerous guards patrolled the outer walls, and there was a heavy military presence at the gates. It seemed like even a mouse would have a hard time sneaking through.
What should I do...?
"Struggling to figure out how to infiltrate the city?"
A seductive voice whispered in my ear. Startled, I quickly turned towards the source of the voice—
—our eyes met at that moment.
It was a face one would never forget after seeing just once. Her silver-white hair fell to her waist, and two sharp horns, curved in an "S" shape, extended from her head. She was dressed in a long black robe that draped over her porcelain-like skin. Her slender eyebrows and perfectly arched light-pink lips adorned her delicate, high-bridged nose.
She knelt gracefully, her fiery red eyes gleaming as she gazed at me.
This stunning beauty... had been silently lurking next to me all along?
However...
Though I had prepared myself for battle, she didn't seem hostile. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and looked at me with a mischievous smile, as if waiting for my response.
Mysterious yet pure—that was the first impression she gave me.
"...Yes."
"Need my help?"
"I certainly do."
Without the slightest hesitation, I immediately gave an affirmative answer.
One way or another, I had to get into the city.
Even if she had ulterior motives, I was confident in my ability to thwart them, thanks to my powers.
"Well then, I wish you a safe journey—and don't concern yourself with who I am."
With that, the woman waved her hand, sprinkling some kind of golden powder over my head. I had no idea where the powder had come from.
The next thing I knew, I was flying.
Or more precisely, I was being thrown through the air.
***
What was happening?
Did she just... throw me?
If this was her way of helping me infiltrate the city, it was awfully rough. Wouldn't this make me more likely to be spotted?
There was no time to think. The ground inside the city was fast approaching, and with the wind howling in my ears, I prepared myself for a rough landing—
'You won't get hurt... trust me.'
The seductive voice echoed once more in my ears, causing me a brief moment of hesitation.
In the next instant, I crashed into the ground, completely unprepared.
Dust rose, my ears rang, and by all logic, I should have been crushed to pieces by now.
But...
I was unharmed?
Despite the immense impact with no protection, I felt no pain at all.
Was it adrenaline numbing my sense of pain? Puzzled, I started checking my body for injuries.
No fractures, no bleeding, not even a scratch.
Come to think of it, that woman had sprinkled some golden powder on me earlier.
Maybe that was what saved me?
"Well, as long as I'm not hurt," I thought.
But...
I should be under the watchful eyes of countless guards by now, right?
Feeling uneasy, I glanced around—
—and saw no one.
The area was surrounded by makeshift wooden buildings, dilapidated structures, dirty utensils, and foul air. Anyone maintaining this place would never allow it to fall into such disrepair.
It seemed she had precisely dropped me into a desolate part of the city.
"That woman's got some skill."
I pushed myself off the ground and brushed the dirt from my clothes.
But even though I'd made it into the city, I couldn't let my guard down. It was possible that guards, either inside or outside the walls, had spotted me during the fall.
Besides, what was I supposed to do next? Where should I go? Who could I find?
As a stranger in this unfamiliar world, I had no connections, no resources.
Maybe that woman could provide some answers.
I looked back, but all that greeted me was a desolate scene.
She was long gone.
"What now...?"
I sighed.
"I guess I should move cautiously through the city."
There was no use overthinking it. I'd just have to go with the flow. Worst case, I'd leave the city and continue searching for a safe place to settle.