"Don't pretend to be weak, Abby."
I looked at Mr. Kaltain in confusion. Why would she question that? Was it possible that Lord Kaltain knew my identity? Or did Lord Kaltain actually already know that I was the Phoenix Goddess or the Goddess of the North? But, where did she know that from?
"Why do you always ask such strange questions?"
Lord Kaltain smiled. She had just opened her mouth before the voice of the warrior outside called her out.
Lord Kaltain straightened her clothes, she glanced at me briefly. "Take it easy. I'll teach you. Don't think I'm irresponsible."
"You're not irresponsible, really."
Mr. Kaltain left without saying anything more. Perhaps she seemed to understand that she was being irresponsible. I'm glad I was able to bring him to his senses, because he's an ignorant man.
I put on the coat that was in the room, deliberately prepared by the servants at the behest of Lord Kaltain. I rushed out of my room, walking down a large high hallway with windows without glass. The castle was made entirely of solid stones, it even looked like it was permanently affixed with the most effective adhesive. This time I didn't jump out of the room window to get out, as the building of the castle seemed imperfect and there were some fragile parts of the roof. I wondered where Lord Kaltain's wealth was that he couldn't even afford to renovate the castle.
When I got to the ground floor of the castle, several servants whispered glances at me. Their eyes glanced up and down, probably confused as to why I had been brought here. If I were a servant, I would definitely think that I was a naughty girl teasing her master. From any angle, I don't have any noble traits.
I went straight out to the door that was guarded by only one soldier. The main door is reserved for the entry and exit of noble people, mainly used during special welcomes like a red carpet. I saw a few horses left in the stable, eating fresh grass that had been cut from nowhere. I'd love to ride a horse again, even though I'd fall off many times.
"Miss, please do not block the way."
I immediately gasped as a soldier spoke out loud to me. I went straight for my main mission today. I was probably too rash for going out without knowing where this place was, and what kind of danger it was. I also don't know why I felt like I had to look for Ruel who was rude for leaving without saying goodbye. However, I'm honestly a bit sorry to think that Ruel was actually being tortured for looking like a stray cat.
I finally arrived at the Blue Region again after boarding a public train and paying a few gold coins. The public carriages here were pulled by one tall, burly horse. I could see a line of bread vendors crowding the roadside area. The smell of vanilla and chocolate dominated the place. I glanced at some caramelized treats that looked really delicious. I was eager to try just one loaf of bread for the morning, but the vendor's unfriendly stare put me off. Maybe she thinks I'm a homeless person.
"Hey, Miss. Buy two of these buns, and I'll give you one for free."
The fat, sharp-eyed man said quickly. I gasped, instantly stopping and looking at him straight on. "How much are these buns worth?"
"For two loaves of bread, you only need to pay ten gold coins."
I chuckled. "Why not just five gold coins?"
"Then you won't get one free."
"That's fine. Give me two loaves of bread, and I'll pay you five gold coins."
"But you'll regret it if you buy only two, Miss."
"No what-"
Before I could finish my sentence, a small commotion suddenly broke out. Several merchants cursed as someone bumped into them, and were followed by another person who ran as fast as the wind. I narrowed my eyes, looking further into what they were fussing about so early in the morning, until I saw a small white cat that ran away with its tiny body.
"Ruel!" I muttered. I immediately took off running, leaving behind the baker who called out to me demanding to buy his wares. I didn't care about that, focusing on chasing after the two people. I entered small alleys filled with trash cans, jumped over mounds of straw stored in the alleys of people's houses, and almost slipped on the water from the clothesline. I could see that the two men in the filthy brown robes were still eagerly chasing Ruel, their voices excited like they wanted to catch a serial thief. One of them finally caught Ruel by pulling the scruff of his neck. I quickened my pace, then launched a single bullet that I fired next to the man's ear. They both looked at me blankly, while I gasped for air while clutching my chest.
"That's my cat. Please give it back."
"What was that?" muttered the person holding Ruel. He glanced at the person next to him with a laugh. "Where did he get a weapon like that?"
The person next to him chuckled crisply. He lowered his hood. Instantly I could see the form of a girl whose hair was silver with pale skin. Her eyes matched her hair. I gulped. "Hey, why are you chasing after my kitty cat?"
"Why are you chasing that ugly cat of yours, too?" said the girl. She took over the cat in the hands of the person next to her. "He's been with us since last night. This cat doesn't belong to you anymore."
I was about to reply, but Ruel clawed the girl's hand and jumped at me. The person next to the girl immediately looked at the girl's hand, then glanced at me. "She's still mine. Look, the proof is that she approached me."
"You-" The person with the brown hood walked slowly toward me. I backed away warily. One hand was holding the pistol I had just loaded in the castle earlier. "Why are you coming so close to me? Do you have a crush on me?"
The man laughed at my words. He lifted his hood, revealing the same beautiful form as the girl from earlier, except his hair and eyes were as dark as night. I raised my eyebrows. "What do you want?"
"You're the one who's going to have a crush on me."
I laughed lightly, picked up Ruel and chuckled. "Well, whatever. The point is, I apologize for launching that shot earlier. Then you guys can go again."
"So what if we go again?" said the silver-haired girl. She glanced at Ruel who was squirming at me. "Is that cat not an ordinary cat?"
"What do you think this underfed cat can be?"
They both rounded their eyes, as if agreeing with my words. Finally they sighed. "If you really are the cat's owner, then we can't do anything else," said the black-haired man, "the cat has wanted to run away since the night. Yola and I just want to adopt him."
I laughed at that. I quietly flicked Ruel who was asleep in my armpit. "Is that so?" I smiled, "Thank you very much then."
The man nodded, while the girl named Yola clucked. "Next time don't throw your cat away! If you do, he'll be mine!"
Ruel meowed loudly, expressing his dislike for Yola. I sighed, why would Ruel reject a girl as beautiful as Yola. If I were his cat, I'd probably be willing to adopt her.
"I wanted to ask you," said the black-haired man, "where did you get that weapon?"
"Before you ask, wouldn't it be better to tell me your name?"
"Wow, you seriously have a crush on me, huh?"
"Well, let's just say that."
The man laughed amusedly, while Yola clenched her fists behind her. She gave me a fiery look. "My name is Zuna. Yola and I are sisters."
"No wonder you two look alike."
"Back to the original topic. Where did you get that weapon?" Zuna asked, "Your clothes also look like those of a noble family."
I scratched my head that wasn't itchy. How do I answer that, huh? I'm a Greek hobo if you want to know. "If I said I stole it, would you believe me?"
"Pretty sure, because I also like to take other people's things," Zuna said with a laugh. "But your stuff can't be stolen in ordinary places. Who are you really?"
"I don't know who I am either. Let's find out together." I smiled wryly, "Who are you guys?"
"We're ordinary people."
"It looks normal, though."
"Hey, listen. We're not ordinary people," said the silver-haired girl. "You're definitely going to shut up at the sight of me."
"Yola, don't-"
The girl didn't listen to Zuna's words, and began to take out a green ball of light from her forefinger, then threw it quickly to the other side, scorching the wall quickly. I smiled at this fact, while Zuna froze with her mouth open. It seemed that not many people knew that they were talented.
"You're a juggler, huh?" I said. Yola chuckled. She immediately took out her magic ball again and threw it at me. I fell but was still able to hug Ruel to my chest. Zuna looked panicked and tried to stop Yola. I sat up quickly and was quite surprised to see blood dripping from my nose, staining Ruel's fine, innocent hair. I wiped the blood as best I could, feeling dizzy but still wanting to speak. I was probably a rude girl who didn't know any customs.
"Turned out to be a witch, huh?" I muttered, chuckling and approaching the two of them with a smile. "Introducing, my name is Abby. Starting today, you guys should be friends with me." []