"...Uh... Sis...? Who's the pretty lady next to you?" Fleda eyed Alruna with suspicion.
"Good question. Ask her yourself." I said, tossing a dried apple to Manfred.
Alruna straightened, hands clasped formally. "Greetings! I am Alruna Gaede. As indicated by my surname, I hail from Gaede City. I'm currently journeying to Aureo for the Nito Trials. Regrettably, I exhausted my funds mid-travel and became stranded here after losing my way."
A nagging thought prickled me—Alruna's shifting demeanor. One moment, a flustered mess; the next, radiating unshakable poise. Split personality?
Fleda cut through my musings. "How'd you take down those wolves so fast?"
"I... swung my glaive decisively," Alruna mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
Fleda raised an eyebrow. "Who trained you?"
"My father, Karl Gustav Gaede."
The name jolted me. "The Karl Gustav? Hero of the Third Candle War? Leader of the Thousand Immortals?!"
Alruna nodded shyly. "Though he rarely speaks of his military days."
"Your father's a legend!" I blurted. "His unit became the Scharfschützen—the strongest magic corps in Zea! They're why Ingvaeon repels invasions!"
Manfred gaped. "Woah! Is your dad really that strong?!"
Alruna fiddled with her spectacles. "He prefers gardening now..."
"Please send him my regards!" I clasped her shoulders. "I've idolized him since childhood!"
Fleda snorted. "Military maniac."
The cart creaked onward. Alruna's presence thrilled the atmosphere—Manfred hung on her every word, Fleda monitored her with wary curiosity, and I battled a mix of awe and bewilderment.
"Your glaive technique," I pressed. "Is it based on your father's legendary Löwe Glaive Arts?"
Alruna flushed. "Yes. He was so strict about it."
Hearing all that makes me wonder. Why would that Karl Gustav's daughter be interested in joining the Guild? I mean, if she wanted to, she could easily become a big shot in the Royal Army given her lineage and skills. It didn't make sense for someone of her stature to seek out the Guild, which was often seen as a place for those looking a second chance in life.
"Why the Guild?" I blurted, unable to contain my curiosity.
Alruna paused for a moment, her expression shifting slightly as if she were weighing her words carefully. "It's... complicated. To prove I'm more than a name, I think."
I instinctively felt that Alruna was hiding more than I could imagine. But I'm not one to pry into other people's secrets.
As we neared Aureo's sturdy walls, Alruna's posture shifted again—shoulders squared, voice steady. "The trials won't know what hit them."
Manfred whooped. Fleda rolled her eyes. And I marveled at the enigma beside me: part klutzy warrior, part general's daughter, wholly unpredictable.
***
Thanks to the old man's swift carriage, the four of us reached Aureo in just one day. As usual, we queued at the main gate separating the city from the wilderness. This time, security checks were exceptionally strict compared to Tiel, where one could enter without proper identification by filling out forms. In Aureo, however, only those with papers could enter, a requirement due to the influx of people seeking work after a prolonged winter. Many immigrants from small villages were denied entry and ended up creating makeshift settlements outside the city walls.
"Citizenship papers only!" a guard barked, shoving back a woman clutching a crying infant.
As we approached Aureo's towering walls, we saw numerous shantytowns, where both humans and elves faced significant hardships. Fortunately, I, Fleda, and Manfred had the required papers thanks to Henry's help, and Alruna already had hers from her time in Gaede.
Dusk was settling in, casting a warm golden hue over the landscape as we waited for about three hours for inspection. Our citizenship papers ensured a smooth process, and we bid farewell to the old man who had driven us.
"Brrrr! It's cold, cold!" I exclaimed, shivering slightly.
"Yeah, it feels colder today than in the past few days," Fleda replied, pulling her cloak tighter.
Despite my thick clothing, the cold chilled my skin, making finding a place to rest our top priority.
We found ourselves in Gloomridge Plaza, bustling with merchants and townsfolk. Just like in Tiel, we were awestruck by Aureo's sights.
The marble colonnades radiated a warm and welcoming light under the enchanted lanterns, casting playful shadows across the cobblestone paths. The detailed craftsmanship of Aureo's artisans was evident in the colonnades, with each column telling a tale of the kingdom's rich history. Towering stained-glass windows, even taller than the temple in Ercangaud. The windows sparkled in the gentle light of the lanterns, creating a dazzling array of colors that brightened the plaza.
Dominating the center of the plaza was a magnificent statue of Aart Wulfheim, the esteemed founder of the kingdom. His stone sword, held aloft, appeared to slice through the air, eternally hovering over a frozen fountain that twinkled like diamonds in the moonlight. The fountain, adorned with intricate carvings depicting historical battles and joyous celebrations, stood as a testament to the kingdom's resilient spirit and the legacy of its founder.
Meanwhile, flags of the Ingvaeon Kingdom decorated the sky, fluttering gently in the evening breeze. Nobles in silken robes drifted past, their laughter sharp as icicles. I pulled my patched cloak tighter, suddenly aware of the potato stains on my tunic. Aureo was indeed prosperous and different from typical elf towns.
"Hey! Don't daydream in the middle of the road!" Alruna called, snapping me back to reality.
"Eh? Oh," I stammered as she pulled us to the side of the road, narrowly avoiding a speeding horse-drawn carriage.
"That aside, do you have a place to stay in mind?"
"No. Why do you ask?" I replied, sensing her unease.
"Oh no...!" Alruna slapped her forehead in frustration. "Do you remember what day it is today?"
"Uhh... It's Tuesday?" I guessed.
"Not that! In a week, there's going to be the Founding Festival! Every noble and merchant in Ingvaeon is here!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in panic. "We'll be sleeping in gutters!"
Fleda smirked. "Princess needs her silk sheets?"
"Princess needs to not freeze!"
"Calm down! We'll find a place eventually!" I reassured her.
The reality of our situation began to sink in. The excitement of arriving in Aureo was overshadowed by the pressing need for shelter. The festival was a significant event, and we were not the only ones seeking a better life in the city.
***
"Sorry, miss! No vacancies here!"
...
"...Uh, I'm sorry, dear! Our rooms are all full right now!"
...
"No empty beds, but my heart has plenty of room!"
"Shut it, creep!"
Slap!
An hour had passed, and we still hadn't found a single inn with a vacant room for the four of us. From flea-ridden inns near the city walls to gilded lodgings by Königsburg Castle—every door slammed shut. My toes had lost feeling two blocks ago.
Ugh... I really don't want to sleep outside in this weather. Night was falling, and the cold that had been biting us since the beginning was now intensifying.
Then I remembered Henry's words: "Find Claudia Augusta. Eccentric, but trustworthy."
According to him, this person was quite famous in Aureo and within the Guild itself. However, he also warned us that this person was... very peculiar. Her fashion sense was described by Henry as "very strange and gaudy."
The address scribbled on his note led us to Westgate, near the royal gardens. The clock tower above read 10 PM—too late for polite visits, but desperation overrode etiquette.
With the hope of finding shelter, we quickly set off to locate her. Even if we ended up sleeping in a stable, it would still be better than having to sleep out in the open.
Aureo defied night's grip. Lanterns bathed the streets in honeyed light as Glücksmarkt—the Founding Festival's night market—swallowed the district. Ale barrels lined cobblestones, their hoppy stench mingling with roasted chestnuts and foreign spices. Minstrels plucked lutes beside fire-eaters, while children darted between stalls clutching candied apples.
"This way!" I shouted over a brewer's bawdy song.
Manfred gaped at a troupe of acrobats. "Is that... a shadow puppet?"
"Focus!" Fleda dragged him onward.
The market's energy was infectious—drunken laughter, clinking steins, the rhythmic clop of festival horses being paraded. But exhaustion weighted our steps.
"It's about twenty minutes' walk to the address," I said, dodging a wobbling drunkard.
Manfred sniffed a fruit skewer longingly. "Can we—"
"After we secure shelter."
We passed a betting booth crammed with rowdy elves. "Fifty Gulden on Blackmane!" a man roared, slamming coins on the counter.
"The horse race," Alruna explained. "Winner gets a gold medal from the king himself."
Fleda snorted. "Fix your own roof before betting on nags."
"Let's keep moving," I urged my companions, trying to shake off the weariness that clung to us. "We need to find Claudia before it gets too late."
***
"This can't be the right place," Fleda muttered, staring up at the five-story mansion. Its wrought-iron gates stretched wider than Ercangaud's town square. Even the yard was spacious enough to serve as a training ground for horses.
"It's the address Henry gave us," I said, though doubt gnawed my ribs. "And three locals confirmed it."
Alruna gaped at the manicured topiary flanking the driveway. "Since when do adventurers own estates?"
"Excuse me!"
Silence.
Fleda kicked the gate. "Anyone home?!"
"Read the sign," I pointed to weathered brass lettering: Announce presence via striker. Three knocks.
"You're enjoying this," she hissed.
"Mildly."
I gripped the lion-shaped knocker—its jaws clamped around a horseshoe—and struck three times. The clang echoed through frostbitten air.
The third strike hadn't faded before footsteps crunched gravel. A figure emerged from the mansion's shadow—a tall woman towering at around 180 centimeters, her auburn hair streaked with silver. Though her ears bore the rounded tips of a mixed blood, everything else screamed military precision: crisp Aragonese-tailored shirt, polished boots, a long horizontal scar below her eyes.
"State your business." Her voice could've chipped ice.
Fleda—Fleda, who'd stared down starving wolves—fumbled Henry's note. "W-we're here at Henry Maas' request!"
"Henry? Let me see..." Claudia snatched the paper, her gaze scraping over us like a whetstone. Alruna shrank behind Manfred, who'd gone statue-still.
"Henry's idea of a joke?" She crumpled the note.
"He said you'd... provide lodging," I managed.
"Did he?"
The silence stretched. Somewhere in the gardens, a nightingale sang, searching for his mate.
...
"...Ugh, is this one of his hobbies? Always throwing annoying tasks my way?"
"So..." Alruna squeaked. "Can we stay?"
"Sure."
"It's true. Henry really did-WAIT!? YAAAY!"
Alruna couldn't contain her excitement. She cheered loudly and celebrated right in front of Claudia.
"Hey."
Claudia firmly grasped Alruna's head, causing her to freeze in place. The once lively Alruna now stood still, her body drenched in cold sweat.
"You can stay here, but..."
But what!? Are we going to fight demons? Become soldiers and join a war against another nation? Or perhaps, become living punching bags for her!? Her way of speaking is so ambiguous!
"Wait? Why do you all look like you're ready to meet your doom? Relax. I'm not going to ask you to fight demons, become soldiers, or even be a living punching bag."
"All you need to do is help me with some chores. Cooking. Laundry. Stable cleaning. Gardens weeded by dawn."
Alruna lunged forward. "We'll scrub your floors with our toothbrushes! We'll—"
"One thing. Break anything," Claudia said softly, "and you'll repay it in blood."
Alruna's grin froze.
"Understood?"
"YES, SIR!" We all shouted.
***