After several days of travel, Uta and Stella finally arrived at their destination: the magical city of Alden.
Towering walls encircled the city, their imposing presence a testament to the city's defenses. At the main gate, a long line of people waited to be admitted.
"This is Alden," Stella said, gesturing toward the queue. "The city ruled by the sage who once defeated the Demon King and saved the world. It's also home to some of the most advanced magical research on the continent."
She pointed toward the gate, where an elegant white arch loomed over the entrance.
"Do you see that white arch over the gate?"
"Yeah, what is it?" Uta asked, tilting his head curiously.
"That arch can instantly detect a person's criminal history. It's why the guards can process people so quickly."
As they watched, person after person passed through the arch without incident. Occasionally, however, the arch glowed red, prompting the guards to detain the offending individual.
"If someone has committed crimes like murder, theft, or assault, the arch lights up, and they're immediately arrested," Stella explained.
Uta frowned. "Does that mean I can't go through it either?"
"Nor can I," Stella admitted with a resigned sigh. "We'll need to find another way into Alden without passing through the arch."
"Oh, that's easy," Uta said nonchalantly. "We'll just teleport in."
"That won't work either. Look above the city," Stella countered, pointing skyward.
Uta followed her gaze to see a faint, shimmering barrier extending from the city walls, enveloping the entire city.
"That's an anti-teleportation barrier," Stella explained. "If you try to teleport into the city, you'll get hit with a powerful electric shock."
"Like one of those electric fences to keep deer away? Scary stuff," Uta remarked, though his tone betrayed more amusement than concern.
"Anyway, let's jump in."
"What?"
Before Stella could protest, Uta grabbed her hand and teleported.
In the blink of an eye, they were inside Alden, standing in the bustling streets beyond the wall.
"Wha—!? How did you—!?" Stella stammered, looking around in disbelief.
"Like this," Uta said, demonstrating an exaggerated "hop" with his feet.
"That's not an explanation! How did you bypass the barrier?*"
"Hmm… because I'm me?"
"That's not an explanation either! You're impossible!*"
Stella groaned, but deep down, she realized there was little point in questioning Uta's abilities. He was an enigma—logic and reason seemed to have no hold over him.
"Okay, we're inside. Now what?" Uta asked, looking around.
"You wanted to meet the sage, didn't you?" Stella reminded him. "In that case, we'll need to go to the Tower of the Wise."
"The Tower of the Wise? What's that?"
"It's the central institution of this city—a hub for magical research and innovation. Since Alden is semi-independent from the kingdom, the Tower also functions as its administrative body."
"Oh, sounds fancy. Let's head there now!"
"Wait! You can't just barge in! The sage is the highest authority in the Tower. Do you think they'll just meet with anyone who shows up unannounced?"
"Hmm… good point," Uta admitted, scratching his head. "Waka did always tell me to be polite to people in authority."
Uta's mind wandered back to his childhood. His childhood friend, Waka, had often scolded him for his lack of manners, especially when dealing with teachers or elders.
"If I just storm in, Waka's going to yell at me again," Uta muttered. "Her lectures are terrifying… So, what's the proper way to meet this sage?"
"Typically, you'd need to present something valuable—like a rare magical artifact or material—to gain an audience," Stella suggested. "Something that could contribute to the Tower's research."
"Oh, like bringing a gift box of fancy sweets? I can do that," Uta said, his face lighting up.
"More like rare monster materials," Stella clarified. "Monster hides, fangs, or cores are highly sought after for magical experiments. If we could bring something like that, the mages might consider letting you meet the sage."
"Got it! Thanks, Stella! You're really helpful!"
For a moment, Stella froze. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had genuinely thanked her.
"Uh… You're welcome," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
As they continued walking, Stella glanced at Uta from the corner of her eye.
(The first person to ever thank me… is the one I was sent to kill. How ironic.)
"For now, let's find a place to stay," Uta said, breaking her thoughts. "The sun's about to set, and we don't want to be wandering around at night."
"Agreed," Stella replied with a nod.
Though she didn't fully understand why she was following Uta, she decided to see where this journey would take her.
(I have nowhere else to go. I might as well follow him and see how far this road leads.)
And with that quiet resolution, Stella walked alongside Uta into the heart of Alden, the ruins of her past life left far behind.