Receiving a direct order from Gideon got Luke and Lyra fired up. It had been days since they last heard him speak in operation terms.
That meant Gideon was serious about this plan.
The two said their goodbyes, and Gideon nodded, dismissing them and ordering them back to their posts. Lena also left to check on her patients again.
Gideon stepped out of the room and headed up to the second floor, stopping right in front of Mitsuko's door. One of her attendants stood guard outside.
"Sir," the attendant greeted.
"Is Lady Mitsuko with a guest?" Gideon asked.
"Yes. She's speaking with one of our elders."
"Do you want to see Lady Mitsuko?"
He nodded and cleared his throat. The attendant smiled and asked Gideon to be patient. She said Lady Mitsuko had been talking for a while, but their conversation would be over soon.
Gideon didn't mind waiting. After all, she might have information Gideon needed.
They no longer needed phones or translation apps. The four were now fluent in the local language, making communication much smoother between them.
It helped a lot, even if it took them days to learn the language. Unlike English, their language was much easier to understand.
The door opened. One of the elders stepped out and looked shocked to see Gideon—team leader—standing there, leaning against the hallway wall.
"Do you want to discuss something with Lady Mitsuko?" the elder asked. Gideon cleared his throat and nodded.
"I need to ask her something. Do you mind?" Gideon asked.
"Not at all, Sir."
Even though the elder smiled, Gideon clearly saw the sharp look in his eyes as he walked away from the second floor. He couldn't be sure what that meant.
"Please come in, Sir Gideon," Lady Mitsuko said.
Gideon nodded. He stepped inside and sat cross-legged on a floor cushion. One of the attendants brought over a tray with a teapot and cups, along with some snacks for Gideon.
"The village is much calmer now. They're willing to listen to the words of the Night Goddess," Mitsuko said, sitting gracefully on her bed, surrounded by soft pink curtains.
"Night Goddess?"
"That's what the villagers call Miss Lena. Because of how well she brews medicine, that's the name they gave her."
"People were even more amazed when they realized she had no affinity," Mitsuko added.
"Makes sense," Gideon replied, nodding slightly.
Mitsuko smiled, noticing how handsome Gideon looked with his black hair, fair skin, sharp jaw, and blue eyes. He looked like a prince—only dressed in simpler clothes.
She crossed one leg over the other and looked at him with admiration.
"What brings you here, Sir Gideon?" Mitsuko asked.
"I want to ask about the documents needed to enter the human city."
"Yesterday, I saw visitors and merchants hand over wooden plates to the gate guards. What were those?" Gideon asked.
"Those are entry permits."
"Those plates are given only to humans who register as city visitors," Mitsuko replied.
'I figured as much. It's an entry permit,'Gideon thought.
"So where can I get one of those plates?"
Mitsuko kept smiling and pointed north of the kitsune village. There, a small human settlement existed, with a population of about 1000 to 5000.
Gideon was surprised. That village wasn't marked on the map Mitsuko had given him. Mitsuko chuckled softly. She had expected that question.
"Although the kingdom rules over all conquered lands, humans are allowed to build settlements on their own initiative," Mitsuko explained.
"Once a settlement has a stable leadership structure, the kingdom will step in to support them."
"That's why I didn't list those villages—there are too many, and we can't record them all," she said.
"And what does that village have to do with entry permits?" Gideon asked.
"You can register your team as an adventurer party there. That'll get you entry permits to certain listed cities," Mitsuko replied.
"An adventurer party?"
Mitsuko narrowed her eyes and sighed. She hadn't expected to explain something like this to Gideon. He really didn't know much about human society.
But she had already shared a lot. Her throat felt dry. The tea in her cup had gone cold—a sign that their meeting should end.
"If you want more details, you should go to that village and find out for yourself."
"I think that's enough for today. I have things to attend to," Lady Mitsuko said.
She stood up and walked forward. Before parting ways, Mitsuko turned and handed a pouch of money to Gideon.
He caught it and opened the drawstring. Inside were silver and copper coins—ten silver and fifteen copper.
"That's the money of this world. Spend it wisely, Sir Gideon."
"Trade has been difficult lately due to the humans' policies," Mitsuko added.
She walked out of the room, with Gideon following shortly after. He stored the coin pouch and left Mitsuko's home.
Gideon saw Lena smiling while talking with some villagers. They were asking where her ability to identify illnesses came from. Lena answered proudly, in a way they could understand.
"I learned it at the academy—not a magic academy like the one you mentioned."
"It was a general academy. I studied many things. I majored in medical science," Lena said.
"Woah... Can I become like you, Miss Lena?"
"Well, I'm not sure if—"
"You can learn it in the future. For now, study directly from the expert," Gideon cut in, showing up and surprising Lena.
"Gideon?"
The two kitsune girls turned and saw Gideon. To them, he was handsome—an ideal type. Their faces turned red and they quickly walked away, trying to avoid eye contact with him.
"You saved me," Lena said, exhaling.
"If we ever get the chance, we'll build a university someday," Gideon joked.
"Sounds like extra work to me," Lena replied.
"No, it's to make your life easier, of course."
"So, what did you two talk about?"
Gideon didn't answer at first. He showed her the coin pouch and explained the nearby human village close to the kitsune settlement.
Lena was surprised. She had no idea there was a human village nearby—according to the map, the only human place marked was Mischo City.
She already knew about entry permits and such. This was getting really interesting—it was all new to her.
As long as there was no magic involved, she didn't mind.
"I've got free time. I've already told a few people to watch over the patients," Lena said.
"Should we go check it out now?"
"That's your call, Captain."
Gideon gave a small smile and sighed. "We're going."