However, just as she was eating an apple and preparing to pass through the entrance of the alley ahead, she heard faint footsteps coming from within. As time passed, the footsteps drew closer. It was obvious they were heading straight toward her, and the rapid rhythm made it clear the person was running.
Tap tap~! ×N
Just as the sound of footsteps and the lengthening shadow from the other side grew larger, she immediately stopped at the perfect moment, predicting the other party's emergence and flawlessly avoiding the figure that burst out of the alley the very next second.
Whoosh~!!
"Sorry... make way!"
The figure that ran out seemed to notice the Shogun passing by and hurriedly tossed out a casual apology without even turning back before leaping forward in one bound—
Whoosh~
The small figure jumped lightly onto a distant rooftop like a cat, stepping across the tiles before disappearing from her sight.
Though the moment was brief, the Shogun clearly saw the other party's clothing and appearance—
Short golden hair. A small and slender frame. Black tight-fitting pants covering only one leg. A red scarf draped around her neck. A brown vest for an upper garment. And those striking red eyes. In that instant, she memorized every detail of the girl's features.
Had it been anyone else, she might not have paid special attention. But in that fleeting moment, it was obvious the girl possessed combat capability—especially that leap, reminiscent of light-body techniques. It piqued her interest. She knew this world contained things like magic, and something called blessings. Ram and Emilia had mentioned them before. She only had a general understanding.
[That girl seemed to be in quite a hurry.]
Ei interjected at the right moment.
'Mm...'
[Hm? Shogun, there's something at your feet.]
'...?'
Hearing Ei's reminder, she instinctively lowered her head to look beside her high heels. Something was lying on the ground, glittering in the sunlight like a gemstone.
She stepped back, bent down, and picked it up. Upon closer inspection, it was a badge-like object with a black base adorned with golden patterns. About three centimeters long, slightly heavy, smooth to the touch, and extremely sturdy. At its center was a red gem that shimmered under the sunlight.
A dragon?
The golden pattern clearly depicted a coiled dragon. The dragon's mouth faced her, and within it was the very red gemstone. Overall, it was exquisitely crafted.
[It must have fallen from that girl, right?]
Ei analyzed.
"Perhaps..."
She answered softly.
[What will you do?]
"...What do you mean, what will I do?"
She was momentarily speechless.
[This item... will you return it?]
Ei asked.
Judging by how refined it was, it was clearly a valuable possession. It must be important to that girl.
"...Haa. Since I picked it up, it would be better to return it to its rightful owner."
She sighed, then stood and began walking in the direction the girl had gone.
[Good child.]
'Say that again and I won't return it.'
[Ah...]
Ei let out a doting yet helpless sigh.
Although she had intended to follow, the distance between them had already grown too great. The other party was nowhere to be seen. Even activating her elemental vision revealed no trace at all—not even footprints. It was evident the girl was highly skilled at concealment.
With no other choice, she retraced her steps through the marketplace from before... and decided to ask someone for directions.
There—she found someone.
"Oh my~? Isn't this the little beauty from earlier? What's wrong? Finished your apple and want more?"
The familiar apple vendor was sitting outside his stall, fanning himself leisurely while teasing her.
"..."
Seeing him, she paused. Her gaze shifted to a stack of blank papers and a pencil resting on the stall beside him. An idea sparked in her mind. She stepped forward, tore off a sheet, grabbed the pencil, and began drawing.
"Hey—wh-what are you doing?"
The vendor blinked in confusion.
In less than a minute—perhaps not even thirty seconds—she had sketched the girl's full likeness with refined lines. She handed it to the man so quickly that he instinctively leaned back.
"Do you recognize her?"
She asked directly.
"Huh? Ah... let me see..."
The man snapped out of it and awkwardly wiped the sweat from his forehead before taking the paper and examining it.
"Hmm—"
He stroked his chin thoughtfully while looking at the pencil drawing.
"..."
The Shogun narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched him, appearing faintly impatient.
"...Felt?"
He finally said a name.
"...Felt?"
She repeated, having heard it clearly this time.
"Yeah, Felt~!"
He responded.
"Felt...?"
She asked in confusion.
"A person's name. The girl you drew is probably 'Felt.'"
He waved the paper lightly as he explained.
"Blonde hair?"
She confirmed.
"Mm, that's right... and very agile, too, yeah?"
"That's accurate."
She nodded.
"Then it's definitely her."
He concluded firmly.
"She's quite well-known in the slums, though I don't know exactly where she lives. If you're looking for her, just wander around there for a bit."
The man stuck a toothpick in his mouth and gestured with his chin.
"...Where are the slums?"
She asked.
"Oh, they're to the south of the royal capital. Easy to find—the area that looks like ruins. That's the place."
He pointed out the direction.
"Thank you."
She offered a simple thanks and immediately turned to head south.
"Hey~! Not buying more apples?!"
He shouted after her, but she had no mind to respond. With a loud bang!, her body transformed into a streak of lightning and shot into the sky, flying straight toward the southern edge of the royal capital!!
Crackle~!!
The lightning descended from the sky and ultimately hovered at the edge of a dilapidated settlement. The particles of light reassembled into the slender figure of a woman as the Shogun stepped out. She glanced instinctively at the golden dusk along the horizon. It was already late. She had left the mansion rather late to begin with... and after this detour, she needed to move faster. Moreover, she still had not found Emilia.
Caw—caw—
Crows perched on old rooftops nearby cried intermittently, flapping their wings and scattering. Unlike the royal capital, this place was filled with a somewhat oppressive atmosphere. The overall tone was dim. Dust like mist hung in the air, especially visible under the dusk light, resembling a crude and heavy Tyndall effect—more like drifting sand.
[So this is the slums. Truly rundown.]
Ei remarked with a complicated tone.
'This is where the lowest stratum of people live...'
As Ei had said, "rundown" was the most fitting description. Cracked, yellowed dirt roads stretched ahead. Deep, shadowed alleys occasionally revealed fleeting figures. Old window frames creaked harshly from time to time. Nearly every step stirred up a bit of dust.
On both sides stood residents clad in ragged cloth. Some beggars struggled to ask for food. Even children appeared pitifully poor.
Tap tap~
She walked through the broken district. Those she passed instinctively turned their gazes toward her. Naturally—whether in temperament, appearance, or attire, she was entirely out of place here.
Some impoverished young men flushed red with infatuation the moment they saw her face, as though their souls had been stolen. Seeing this, she sighed faintly.
Passing a little beggar girl, she paused. Reaching into her pocket, she placed five coins into the girl's bowl. The girl smiled at her, then quickly stuffed the coins into her pocket as if they were treasures before running off.
[Will that amount be enough for her?]
Ei asked.
'It might be the most she's received all day.'
[Haa... how pitiful.]
Ei felt a pang of sorrow. As a deity, compassion was deeply rooted within her. Witnessing such a scene inevitably saddened her.
As the Shogun straightened, she noticed people watching her from behind nearby windows. Turning, she swept her gaze across them. She discovered some were staring at her with resentment—eyes filled with hatred, as if they wished to devour her.
'There are those who harbor hatred as well.'
She responded inwardly.
[Indeed... such is human nature.]
'Let's go.'
[...Mm.]
She continued walking deeper into the district, subconsciously ignoring the various people and incidents she encountered along the way.
After walking for several minutes... there were still no discoveries.
[Searching blindly like this isn't a solution.]
'Hm, that uncle didn't know the exact location either. He only knew she was in the slums, and all the houses here look nearly identical.'
As she walked, she chatted with her mother.
[Open your elemental vision again, Shogun.]
Ei suggested.
Humm~
Obediently, the Shogun let a violet glow bloom within her eyes. In an instant, the entire area was overlaid in shades of purple. Like sonar, waves spread outward. This time, however, it differed from before—clear footprints became visible. They were slender and petite, highly likely belonging to that girl, Felt.
[Just as I thought...]
Ei smiled faintly.
'So that means... after entering the slums, her guard lowered, and she unintentionally left traces behind.'
[But... why would she be on guard in the first place?]
Ei asked keenly.
'No idea... perhaps she was being chased by someone?'
Her earlier footsteps had indeed been frantic.
Now that she could see the trail, things became much easier. She followed the footprints deeper into the district. After several more minutes, dusk had fully given way to darkness. Pale, desolate moonlight poured down from the sky, casting a faint silvery sheen over the already eerie slums. The surroundings were unusually quiet—only a few crickets chirped intermittently.
The further she walked, the fewer houses there were. In the distance stretched plains like a desert. This seemed to be the last inhabited section.
At last, she stopped before a two-story building several times larger than the others. It appeared to be a dilapidated tavern. At such a late hour, there wasn't even the faintest glimmer of light inside—not even candlelight. It was as silent as death.
"This is the place."
After confirming, she stepped up to the entrance and pushed open the door.
Creaaak~!
The door emitted a harsh, timeworn screech. Before her lay a pitch-black interior. Occasionally, the faint squeaks of rats echoed within.
[Shogun...]
"Mm?"
[There's the scent of blood inside. Be careful.]
Ei warned her.
"Understood."
She frowned slightly and stepped lightly into the dark tavern. The sharp clicks of her heels against the wooden floor echoed rhythmically around her.
Something here was wrong... no, very wrong. Both of them knew it.
Squeak~
Clack!
The door behind her suddenly shut on its own, the abrupt sound cutting off even the faintest trace of light. The surroundings were plunged into absolute darkness.
Humm~
A faint violet glow blossomed before her like a lantern. The Shogun's eyes now shimmered with crystalline purple light, illuminating the area ahead like a flashlight.
Tap tap~
Stepping over overturned tables and scattered chairs, she approached the counter, surveying the scene with her glowing eyes. In the next moment, she noticed a streak of crimson blood on the floor. It stretched forward like a dragged trail into the darkness. Her expression grew solemn as she cast her light toward its end.
"!"
A massive man came into view. He had already lost all signs of life. His eyes were wide open in a miserable death, his body pinned against the wall. A giant axe was embedded in his forehead, his skull split open, blood and brain matter splattered.
"Ugh... kh..."
"...?"
A pained groan and coughing suddenly sounded from somewhere nearby. Drawn by the noise, she turned her gaze and saw someone lying in a pool of blood beneath a shaft of moonlight, unable to move.
She hurried over and crouched beside him, seeing his appearance clearly—
A young man.
His clothing style was entirely different from the others. It looked like sportswear... with sneakers. Clearly not the fashion of this place.
"Kh... s-save—save..."
Blood poured from his mouth. Upon seeing her, he looked as though he had glimpsed hope and forced out the words miserably. As she lowered her gaze, she saw his wound—or rather... the cross-section. His intestines had spilled out.
"Wait a moment."
She was about to summon Musou Isshin, but his words changed.
"W-warn... b-behind..."
By the time he finished, he was nearly out of breath.
[Behind you!]
Her mind reacted instantly, sensing a blade rapidly approaching her neck from behind.
Whoosh!
She ducked in the next second, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Oh my~?"
The person behind her let out a surprised exclamation. It was a woman's voice. Seizing the chance, the Shogun glanced sideways at the weapon that had just passed over her head—a short, curved blade. Her brows knit together as she gathered Engulfing Lightning in her hand.
Crackle—!
She swung the polearm in a sweeping arc and turned like lightning, slashing straight toward her opponent's face!!
"!"
The woman's expression darkened. Under the violet glow of the blade, she precisely blocked the strike before it could reach her neck.
Bang!
A thunderous sound erupted through the tavern, stirring dust into the air.
Crackle~
At the instant their blades clashed, the lightning from Engulfing Lightning illuminated their faces. In her violet gaze, she clearly saw the other woman's beautiful features, her jet-black hair, and her eyes—dark as a mire, burning with fanatic madness.
"How wonderful... your martial skill."
The woman revealed an obsessed smile upon seeing her face.
"And your beauty suits my tastes as well~!"
Slurp~
The woman extended her tongue and licked her lips in a coquettish yet unsettling manner. The sight made her frown in disgust.
So disgusting!
Boom~!
Just as she was about to knock the woman away—
Humm~
The space around them suddenly began to tremble. It fractured like a vortex, collapsing and shattering. It resembled the scene when she opened the Plane of Euthymia, yet it was different. This time, a pitch-black power gradually consumed the surroundings, turning everything into dispersing particles—or was it reversing? The woman before her froze in place, her body breaking apart into fragments.
"!"
At that instant, she remembered something and quickly glanced down at the young man who had already lost his breath. She realized that the black power was clearly emanating from his body. In the next second, the corpse began to rise into the air. With his chest thrust forward, an even deeper and more profound force burst forth, engulfing all space—including her—in blinding light.
...
When she regained her senses from the haze, everything had changed—or rather, become familiar again. The color returned to her eyes as she stared blankly at the familiar marketplace, the familiar atmosphere, and—
"Hey, beautiful~! Want to buy some apples?"
The familiar apple vendor stood before her.
He held up a plump red apple, speaking with the exact same expression and movements as before, as though replaying a scene.
She stared blankly at the apple—and the man behind it.
"Eh?"
A small, bewildered sound escaped her lips.
"What do you mean 'eh'? Are you buying or not?"
He sounded slightly impatient.
Eh?!!
What... happened?