The atmosphere on the return trip was even more somber than when they had arrived. Amber was preoccupied, her pace unconsciously quickening. Li Fu followed quietly, his gaze scanning the streets with even more focus than before.
As they passed a crossroads, a burst of suppressed sobbing and stern reprimands caught their attention. A woman dressed in plain clothes with a brown Badge pinned to her chest was tightly clutching the hand of a seven- or eight-year-old boy, pleading desperately with a female knight in a Knights of Favonius uniform who had a cold expression. The boy's chest was empty.
"Please, Knight-Captain! Just a few more days! I beg you! I'll get the Credits, I swear! He can't be without status!" The woman cried, nearly falling to her knees.
The female knight remained expressionless. Her gaze swept over the brown Badge on the woman's chest and then landed on the unregistered boy, her tone devoid of any emotion.
"Regulations are regulations. His 'Temporary Residency Permit' expired yesterday. Either you pay 100 Credits for formal registration now, or I take him to the 'Unified Care Center' in accordance with the law."
Hearing the words "Unified Care Center," the woman's face instantly turned as pale as paper, and she hugged her child even tighter.
Passersby stopped to watch, but most looked on with indifference.
Amber's footsteps came to a sudden halt. She looked at the desperate mother and son, her lips pressed together until they were white, and her hands hanging at her sides were clenched into fists. Li Fu could clearly see that her body was trembling slightly.
Li Fu's heart also tightened slightly. Although he didn't understand the specific vocabulary, he had vaguely caught the word "Credits" earlier at the restaurant. Combined with this scene, he instantly understood—the boy was facing the misfortune of being separated from his mother because he lacked these so-called "Credits."
Amber seemed to want to step forward, but when her gaze touched the silver Badge on her own chest—the one belonging to the Knights of Favonius with its special patterns—her feet seemed to be nailed in place. Her face was full of struggle.
Just then, the female knight performing her duties noticed Amber and Li Fu.
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Amber's knight Badge, nodding as a greeting between colleagues. Then, her eyes fell on Li Fu behind Amber, whose chest was also empty.
The female knight's brow immediately furrowed, and her gaze became sharp and full of scrutiny. She didn't speak, but her look seemed to be questioning Amber.
Under that gaze, Amber's cheeks instantly flushed red; a sense of embarrassment and a hint of humiliation welled up in her heart. She subconsciously turned her body, trying to better shield Li Fu behind her.
In that brief delay, the female knight stopped paying attention to Amber and turned back to the mother and son, speaking coldly.
"No Credits, then we proceed by the book!" With that, she reached out to pull the boy away.
"Wait!" Amber finally couldn't help but speak out, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremor.
The female knight paused and looked at her with confusion and impatience.
"Outrider Amber? This is a standard enforcement action. Do not interfere."
Amber took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady.
"How... how many Credits are they short? I can... perhaps I can..."
Before she could finish, the desperate mother, as if grabbing onto a final lifeline, lunged forward and grabbed Amber's arm.
"Knight! Please! Only 100 Credits! Just 100!"
Amber looked at the almost frantic hope in the woman's eyes and felt more and more gazes gathering around them. She could sense the complex meanings within those looks.
100 Credits was not a small amount.
Li Fu stood behind Amber, taking everything in. He saw Amber's struggle, the female knight's coldness, and the numbness of the passersby. He lowered his head, hiding the churning coldness in his eyes.
In the end, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Amber used an almost humiliated posture to operate an inconspicuous bracelet on her wrist marked with elemental power, transferring those life-saving 100 points to the woman.
The woman was full of gratitude. Clutching her son, who was finally able to register and receive the lowest-grade grey Badge, she practically fled the scene.
The female knight gave Amber a deep look and left a single comment.
"Your compassion is noted, Outrider. But remember your position. And deal with your... situation." Then she turned and left.
The crowd of onlookers also gradually dispersed.
Amber stood where she was, not moving immediately. She looked at the decreased number on her bracelet, her shoulders slumping slightly.
Li Fu stepped forward gently. He didn't touch her, but just stood quietly by her side, looking at her with his clear eyes.
Amber felt his approach and turned her head to meet his gaze. She tried to force a smile, but found she didn't even have the strength for that. She just said in a low voice, sounding more like she was talking to herself.
"We... we need to get you registered soon, Li Fu."