After arriving in the city of Grakon, Victor and Gizel bid the merchant good travels as they look for an inn to spend the night. They walk through the bustling streets of vendors, fortune tellers, and craftsmen admiring all the wonders of the city.
"This is such a beautiful place. I could stay here forever."
"It is a beautiful place, but we need to focus. There's no telling what our enemy has planned next."
Gizel is annoyed at Victor's response, but she chooses to remain silent. After asking around for directions, the two eventually find an inn to rest for the time being. When they walk up to the counter, a short elderly man greets them with a smile.
"Welcome to the Frut Inn, fellow travelers. How can I help you?"
"We would like to book two rooms, please."
The elderly man looks behind Victor to see a beautiful woman standing there waiting.
"Well, unfortunately, we only have one room available. All the others are booked. Would you be willing to accept it?"
Victor pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a sigh.
"We have no choice. This is the only affordable inn for us at the moment. Ok, we'll take the last room."
The elderly man smiles and presents documents that need to be signed. After signing all the papers, he gives Victor the keys and wishes him goodnight. When they arrive at the room, Victor opens the door to reveal a small, unexpectedly neat room with the barest essentials.
"This is actually a welcome surprise. At least we don't have to worry about dirt."
Gizel starts unpacking her bag while Victor opens the window and stands on the edge. Gizel stops what she's doing and asks.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Ladies need their privacy, correct? I'm going out to give you that privacy and maybe see if I can find clues to my mother's birthplace. I'll be back later, so don't wait for me, ok?"
He dissappears, leaving Gizel to carry on with her business.
"I swear that boy is not normal. I mean, how could he not be interested in even sneaking a peak at a mature ladies body?"
After a moment of silence, she smiles and continues with unpacking. Victor quietly and methodically makes his way all over the city looking for someone who might know the whereabouts of his mother's town. Sounds of a struggle make him stop, and he head's towards the noise to see what's happening. When he arrives at the edge of a roof, he sees six figures surrounding a young girl in the alleyway below. A feeling prompts Victor to go and save her, so he drops down from the roof and lands on the ground behind the group, sending dust in all directions.
The figures turn around and look at the dust ready with their weapons. The dust clears and reveals a human figure. The young girl starts crying out when she sees it.
"Please help me!"
"SHUT UP!!"
The leader slaps the girls face, causing it to bleed.
"Boys! We seem to have someone who doesn't know how screwed he is. Teach him a lesson while I take my sweet time with this little girl."
The figures rush towards Victor, lifting their weapons to attack while their leader prepares to have his way with the girl. Victor dissappears from their sight and appears behind the leader. Before he has time to react, Victor grabs the leader by his crotch and squeezes until he hears a popping sound, then rips it off. The leader falls to the ground, howling in pain while the other's look on, their faces as white as snow.
"Tell you what, if any of you can touch me, you can have your way with the girl. But if you fail, then you're dead. Sound like a deal?"
They look at each other, deciding whether to attack him or run away. One of them runs towards Victor, raising his sword to strike.
"Gale wind."
Victor sends a small condensed orb of wind towards them, and they begin to laugh. Meanwhile, Victor takes the girl and leaves the alley. When the figures look again, the stranger disappeared along with the girl. One of them looks at the green orb and sees it begin to crack.
"Run for y-"
The orb breaks, releasing a deafening wind that slices all of them to pieces, leaving no trace. Victor doesn't even look back. His face is emotionless as he carries the now unconscious girl back to the inn. When he arrives, Gizel is waiting for him.
"Took you long enough to come back."
"Were you waiting for me this whole time?"
Victor asks this as he climbs through the window with the unconscious girl in his arms.
"What happened to her?"
"She was attacked by six guys who had the intention of having fun with her. So I stepped in to help her out."
"What happened to the attackers?"
"Oh, I just scattered them with the wind."
Gizel notices the blood on Victor's hand as he lays the girl on the bed.
"So what made you go to that length just to save her?"
"Call it a feeling, but I'm betting she is very important, and that may serve in our favor later on. I'm going to go bath. Please watch her for me."
Gizel pouts while nodding her head so Victor leaves to go to the baths. Gizel carefully observes the strange girl, and a feeling of recognition bites at her as she tries to think where she's seen this girl before. She notices a ring on her hand with a crest engraved into it. As she looks closer, her eyes widen, and she remembers who this girl is.
"The princess? What is she doing here?"
Gizel anxiously waits for Victor to return and give him the news. At the males bath, Victor relaxes in the warm water as he washes himself.
"What you did to those attackers surprised me a lot. Never thought you could be so cold-hearted. You really are full of surprises."
"Just shut it, Shadow. Let me relax. It's been a while."
"Just saying. Good job, by the way. That girl will prove to be a valuable asset in our fight against the gods."
"Really? How so?"
"Find out for yourself!"
Victor groans and finishes bathing, and then he heads back to the inn. As he arrives, Gizel is sitting next to the girl who has regained consciousness with a dark expression on her face.
"What's wrong, Gizel?"
"I think it's best if she tells you."
"Th-thank you...for saving me kind sir. I really appreciate it. My name is Gwennith, Gwennith Fryden, princess of the kingdom of Fryden, and I need your help. Please. Save my father and the kingdom."
She passes out again before she can say another word. The room is filled with silence as Victor and Gizel exchange a multitude of looks between each other.