The Frostfang's pawprints faded behind them, but the chill of its presence lingered. Every creak of wagon wheels sounded too loud, every gust of wind too sharp. Reika sat on the edge of her seat, laptop bag clutched like a shield, eyes fixed on the treeline.
Only Katsusora looked composed — or at least practiced at it. His hands rested neatly on his briefcase, but Reika had seen his panel flash that final warning.
[Note: Predator remains in territory. Risk: Ongoing.]
She shivered. "It's still out there, isn't it?"
He adjusted his glasses, gaze forward. "Yes."
Her shoulders sagged. "…Great. Wonderful. Fantastic."
A faint, humorless smile touched his lips. "Better than certain death."
Before Reika could snap back, heavy footsteps approached. Darius Veylan, the caravan captain, strode beside their wagon. His scarred face was carved from experience, his tone brisk but not unkind.
"You'll ride with us," he said. "Safer than walking. Safer than freezing."
One of the guards immediately began rearranging the wagon bed, piling cushions to form seats. To Reika's horror, it looked far too much like they were being honored rather than merely accommodated.
Her protests caught in her throat. What do we even tell them? We fell through glowing threads into a medieval fantasy?
Katsusora's panel shimmered again.
[Risk Scan: Identity Options]– Admit lost travelers → Suspicion probability: 82%– Claim merchant ties → Theft probability: 65%– Present as wandering nobles → Safe escort probability: 91%
His choice was instant.
"We are of noble birth," Katsusora said smoothly. "Separated from our attendants on the road. Your aid… has spared us from disaster."
Reika choked on her own spit. He didn't—!
The guards reacted immediately. Spears lowered, backs straightened. Several bowed outright.
"My lords, forgive us! Please, take the wagon. You should not be left to danger."
Even Darius, though his eyes narrowed with something unreadable, didn't contradict the assumption. He merely gave a curt nod and barked for the convoy to move.
Reika slumped onto the cushions, face red. As soon as the wagon lurched forward, she leaned toward Katsusora and hissed, "Nobles?! You told them we're nobles?!"
"Highest survival probability," he replied without hesitation.
"You absolute—"
A faint chime cut her words short.
[Love Point Acquired: Coordinated Deception]
Reika buried her face in her hands. "This system is mocking me…"
The Ride of Pretenders
The convoy wound its way across the frost-tipped grasslands. Reika tried to sit regally on the cushions, but every bounce of the wagon made her look more like a disgruntled office worker than a noble lady.
Katsusora, maddeningly, looked like he'd been born to sit there — posture straight, expression calm, hands folded as though attending a boardroom meeting.
"Stop looking so natural about this," Reika muttered.
He raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer I panic?"
"Yes! At least then I wouldn't feel like the only fraud here."
Another chime.
[Love Point Acquired: Shared Banter]
Reika groaned, shoving a cushion into her face. "I hate this system."
But as the wagon creaked on, her irritation slowly gave way to silence. She peeked out from behind the canvas and saw the world rolling by.
Villages sagged under winter's weight. Barns stood empty, roofs patched with straw. Children ran alongside the wagons, their faces gaunt, hands reaching out for crumbs. Some guards tossed small crusts of bread, but more often they looked away, shame in their eyes.
Reika's Prosperity Web pulsed faintly, golden threads fraying in all directions. She saw shortages like snapped ropes, supply lines breaking, distribution collapsing.
Her throat tightened. "…This kingdom's falling apart."
Katsusora's Risk Scan flickered cold data:
[Regional Starvation Probability: Critical][Collapse Likelihood: 78% → Rising]
He spoke low, almost to himself. "The system is already breaking down."
Walls on the Horizon
By the time the sun dipped westward, Aurelia's walls rose in the distance.
They were vast — stone fortifications that must have once struck awe. Now, weather and neglect had worn them thin. Banners hung in tatters, their colors dulled.
But what drew Reika's breath was not the walls themselves, but the crowd beneath them.
A line of peasants stretched along the road — hundreds, maybe more. Hollow-eyed families clutched at the gates, begging entry. Guards shoved them back with spears, shouting curses.
Reika's hands clenched into fists. "They're starving… and they're keeping them out?"
Katsusora's gaze was unreadable behind his glasses. "Systems collapse from the top, not the bottom."
She turned to glare at him, ready to shout — but stopped. His words weren't cold dismissal. They were an observation, heavy with inevitability.
And that was worse.
At the Gate
The convoy rumbled to the trade entrance. Guards approached, eyes wary. But when they spotted Reika and Katsusora seated on cushions in the front wagon, everything changed.
Their spines stiffened. Their helmets dipped in deference.
"My lords," one guard said quickly, "forgive us. We did not expect nobility to travel with this convoy."
Reika opened her mouth — Wait, we're not—! — but Katsusora's hand brushed hers subtly, halting her words.
He leaned forward, calm as ever."Circumstances delayed us. Captain Veylan ensured our safe passage."
The guard bowed deeper. "Then you may pass freely."
The caravan rolled forward, waved through without question.
Reika fell back against the cushions, face burning hot enough to melt the frost outside. "We just conned our way into a starving city as nobles…"
Katsusora adjusted his glasses. "Better to exploit an assumption than to challenge it."
Another chime.
[Love Point Acquired: Silent Coordination]
Reika muttered into her hands, "This system is going to be the death of me…"
Inside Aurelia
The gates clanged shut behind them.
Inside, the city split itself in two.
The outer ring was chaos — ration lines snaked endlessly, markets stood barren, desperate faces filled every street. Beggars clutched at hems, their cries echoing hollow against stone.
But glimpses beyond the inner gate told another story: noble estates glowing with lanterns, feasts spilling music into the air, laughter drifting like a cruel taunt.
Two worlds, side by side. One starving. One feasting.
Reika's throat ached with fury. "If it doesn't flow, it fails," she whispered bitterly. "And Aurelia is already failing."
Katsusora's Risk Scan pulsed cold one more time:
[System Alert: Structural Risk – Aurelia Supply Collapse Imminent]
He exhaled slowly. "This kingdom… is already broken."
Darius' Warning
The convoy rolled into the trade quarter. Darius rode alongside, his scar catching the last light of dusk. For the first time since the Frostfang, he addressed them directly.
"You play nobles well enough," he said quietly. "But in Aurelia, that role makes you shielded… and targeted. People will bow… and they will plot."
His eyes lingered, sharp and unreadable. Then he rode ahead, barking orders to unload the grain.
Reika and Katsusora exchanged a glance.
They had survived the fangs of a monster outside the walls — but inside, they had stepped into a kingdom devouring itself.