There was another man beside the girl. His clothes weren't too formal or too casual—simple, yet neat, the kind of outfit worn by someone who managed almost everything in a castle. There was a steady weight in his black eyes, the kind that seemed to take in every detail. The moment he noticed that trembling girl, he rushed toward her without any second thought.
The girl glanced at Arashi.
"He was so reckless," she said softly. " Let me apologize on his behalf."
She lowered her head slightly in apology. As she dipped her head in apology, the fabric of her neckline shifted just enough to reveal the faintest glimpse of her upper breast.
Emi stood in silence, her arms were folded, her expression as still and cold as stone. Flustered and unsure, Arashi instinctively raised both hands, palms outward, as if he was pleading for her to stop.
"Don't apologize," he said quickly. "It's fine."
The princess slowly raised her head, and her expression was filled with quiet gentleness.
"Still, I'm sorry."
Then her eyes softened as she looked at them both.
"I heard what you explained to him. Your boat got destroyed by the sea monster, so you had no choice but to land here, right?"
Arashi scratched the back of his head, cheeks warming as he stood before such a beautiful girl.
"Yeah… that's right."
The princess's smile warmly. "This village... it's not safe anymore. Those monsters could come back at any moment."
Her voice was calm, yet carried quiet resolve.
"You can stay in the castle."
Arashi and Emi froze, their eyes got widened in shock.
"…The castle?"
Beside her, the man with the sword got tensed. His sharp gaze flicked between them and the girl.
"Your Highness... we can't allow this. We don't even know who they are. They could be a threat. The castle is only sheltering the villagers, not intruders like these two."
But the princess shook her head gently.
"Don't say like that. They have nowhere to go. If we force them back to the sea, we'd only be sending them to their deaths. They're just kids… Please let them stay."
The man placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head slightly, his voice was carrying the weight of conflicted loyalty.
"Please... don't ask me like this, Your Highness. It makes me feel guilty. Your wish is my command."
A relieved smile spread across her face.
"Thank you."
"Come with me," she said softly to Arashi and Emi.
"The castle isn't too far, and it's safer there than here."
Arashi exchanged a quick glance with Emi. She paused, arms still crossed, her eyes were flicking around the village with a hint of unease.
"Are you sure the others will be okay with this?" Emi asked in a low voice, which was barely above a whisper. "Letting strangers into the castle… will they even accept it?"
The princess's gaze softened. With a smile she said,
"They'll understand. They've seen enough fear and loss today. And… you two are just kids. You guys suffered a lot today. So, they will understand"
Arashi nodded, still feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty.
"Alright… let's go," he said, as he took a step closer.
The guard who had rushed to the trembling girl gently help her up, he gathered her into his arms and started to walk alongside them. The two men followed a few steps behind-one was carrying the girl in his arms, the other keeping a hand on his sword.
Together, they moved down the bloodstained streets. Arashi's eyes swept over to the wrecked houses, shattered woods, and the half-eaten bodies that were lying on the ground. Each sight was hitting him like a blow.
Emi, however, didn't look to the left or right. Her eyes locked straight ahead, her face had set in a hard look, she was hiding whatever she truly felt in the moment.
Then, all of a sudden, her voice broke the silence.
"The man with the sword said this village was restricted… only governments are allowed here. Why is that?"
Both she and Arashi turned their eyes toward the girl's back as they waited for her answer.
The girl's steps grew slower.
"Nice question," she said softly.
Then her voice dropped, it was carrying a weight that made them both listen to her carefully.
"All of this… happened because of one of my father's mistakes."
Emi frowned slightly, her brows were pulling together in thought.
"…What?"
The princess gave a small nod, her expression was turning more serious.
"Yes," she said firmly. "My father… was once one of the World Government's greatest scientists."
Arashi's eyes widened, a look of surprise was crossing his face.
"A scientist? For the Government?"
The princess pressed her lips tighter, a quiet bitterness was running softly through her words.
"Not just any scientist-he had been trusted with secrets most people didn't even know were real."
Emi crossed her arms, her eyes were locking onto the girl with quiet intensity.
"…And that mistake you mentioned earlier… it came from his work, didn't it?"
The girl fell silent for a moment, her steps were slowing as the weight of her memories pressed on her shoulders.
"…Yes. Because of him, this village became cursed."
The girl also added,
"He always wanted to do things differently from the others. The government once killed a monster and brought its corpse back for study, because even for them, defeating just one monster was difficult. But my father… he secretly took that corpse. His goal was to give its power to a human and bring him back to life."
Arashi blinked, his jaw was tightening as tension flashed across his face.
"Wait… you mean he actually tried to put a monster's power into a person?!"
Beside him, Emi's gaze sharpened, her expression was calm but cold.
"And what happened to that human?"
The princess's voice grew heavier, her eyes were darkening as she continued.
"But my father failed. The experiment never brought that human back to life… and in his despair, he came back to the castle... never knowing the storm that awaited him."
Her steps slowed as her words grew sharper.
"Then… one night, a man appeared. I don't even know how he slipped past the guards, and the government soldiers. My father was far too important for the World Government to leave unprotected—yet this man cut through them like they were nothing."
Her hands trembled slightly, though her voice remained steady.
"He seized my father by the neck, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished. Not walking… but teleporting outside."
Her tone softened into a haunted whisper.
"But what I saw next was even more terrifying."
Arashi and Emi leaned in without meaning to, caught in her words.
"Two demon-like monsters knelt before that man. They weren't like the ones that attacked our village. No... they were different - they looked like they were bigger, smarter, and were stronger than the others."
She clenched her fists, her turquoise eyes were flashing with memory.
"And on the right side of their chests… I saw numbers carved into their skin. One had the mark '1.' The other… '2.'"