28 Chapter 28: The Mysterious Voice

A line of people and wagons were waiting in front of the giant gate, trying to enter the city. Most of them were merchants' wagons of many sizes, mixed with adventurers carrying their weapons and hunts, and commoners carrying different variety of stuff.

Senka, Mirra, and Rena were the last to join the line.

"Senka, can you let me down now?"

Some people were looking in their direction.

Senka kneeled, so she could get down, Rena felt slightly embarrassed. "Thank you."

He shook his head a little. Telling her not to mind it.

Rena got a glimpse of his personality today, even though his demeanor was as cold as a Buddha statue, but he actually wasn't as cold as he look. He was awkward when he offered her to ride on her back, but it made her easier to tell his sincere intention.

"Ahh, I'm so glad we don't need to sleep on that plain tonight!" Mirra said. "It's all thanks to you, sis!"

"Yeah, I'm glad as well. And thanks to Senka that we made it on time to arrive on the gate before they closed it hehe."

When they arrived at the entrance, a little problem arose when the gatekeepers asked for their identifications. Mirra and Rena couldn't proof their identities and Senka couldn't talk. Initially, they supposed to enter the city in a carriage with Jean.

"You are saying your guarantor is Jean Jaunice?"

The look of the old gatekeeper was skeptical. He whispered to the other gatekeepers there, discussing something. Apparently, they thought it was only their prank, three suspicious youngsters claiming to have a connection with the most famous wizard in their country.

"I'm sorry, but we can't call an important person like him just to prove your identities. Except that mute guy, we can't let you enter the city."

Rena was frustrated at her teacher. She let out a heavy sigh.

(After throwing us in the middle of nowhere with a horde of monsters chasing us, now they think he is too important to be our guarantor...)

She knew that Jean didn't mean to trouble them here. She was sure the thought that they would be stopped at the city gate never crossed his magic-oriented mind.

"Hah... What should we do now?" She slumped her shoulders.

Behind the soldiers who were standing on the gate, she saw a banner. A red flag waving with gold symbol of shield and laurel wreath.

(Hmm? That symbol looks what Baudric gave me.)

She remembered what Baudric said earlier, if she ever needed help, she could ask him. She got an idea. She knew he wasn't inside the city, but that guy was strong and a veteran adventurer, he might have some sort of influence.

She dig her bag, trying to find the pin he gave her.

"Then... How about Ignus Baudric? I know he is not inside the city right now, but we got this from him." Betting for this chance, she showed the gold pin to the old gatekeeper.

"T-t-that....!!"

His behavior changed drastically after seeing the pin. Without further ado, he allowed them to enter the city, giving them a salute before they left.

Rena was relieved that Baudric's influence was great.

"Huff, I must thank him when we meet him again." Squeezing the gold pin on her palm.

They walked further away from the city gate, their shadows couldn't be seen anymore on the road that at least twice as big as the one in Fort Forenza, relying on the dim lightning from the oil lamps inside the houses near the street.

"Senka, what should we do now? Do we need to stay at an inn or... ugh, finding Jean's residence?"

It was already late so the better option was the first one. Senka agreed to this, he found an inn in the alleyway. So they went there.

The inn was small but neat, a middle age man greeted them soon. "Welcome!"

"Ehm, how much a room per night?" She asked.

"It would be one silver per night with dinner, miss."

She had some silvers fortunately, so she gave him three silvers for three rooms. The innkeeper said they would deliver their foods, so they went straight to their room.

Mirra's room was in front of Rena's, and Senka's room was next to her. After saying good night to her friends, Rena went inside her room. It wasn't big, but still a decent room for them to stay.

Tired from all the exhausting activities today, she lay on the bed as soon as the door was closed. She didn't have appetite to eat dinner but a free dinner wasn't something she wanted to refuse, so she ate a little.

Rena tore the bread into two and bite it.

[Help!]

She almost got choked. The voice returned. And it sounded closer this time.

Her body froze, her fingers left a mark on the bread she gripped tightly. Since she was alone this time, the voice clearly resounding in her mind.

(Please, obake-san, leave me alone. Om maha yakcha tsa soha, om, om, namu amitabha...)

[Rude... I'm not a ghost!]

Probably because they talked telepathically, he understood what she meant.

(Then what are you? Why are you following me?)

[I'm a selkie. My name is Neel. I've been caught by humans. Please, help me!]

(What's a selkie? How am I suppose to help you? I don't even know where you are.)

[You don't know what a selkie is? Selkie is... uhm, selkie is a great creature! No problem, I can feel your energy, I can guide you to where I am.]

(I don't really want to...) This was her honest thought, she didn't try to communicate it.

But, of course, he could hear it.

[Help me, please! Please! Please! ...x times]

He started pleading and crying in her mind.

(Alright!! Alright!! Alright!! Stop screaming in my mind!!)

She got dizzy because of this mental torment, she couldn't finish her bread either. A kid throwing tantrum in your head would make one went insane soon enough.

Leaving with no choice but to help the mysterious voice, she grabbed her bag and quit the room.

(Even though I can do magic now, I still don't want to go outside during the dark...

Should I tell Mirra and Senka? They are going to think I'm crazy.)

[Hurry!]

(Can you be quiet? Let me think!)

She really didn't want to go alone, the situation was too suspicious.

She knocked the door in front of her and Mirra opened it. "What's up, purple sis?"

"Uhm... Can you accompany me outside, Mirra? I want to walk around a little."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "We can walk around the town tomorrow. It's already dark outside."

Mirra was completely right, but Rena couldn't say it. If she didn't go, the little ghost would haunt her all night long.

"Please, Mirra? Just for a while?"

Mirra sighed. "Purple sis, do you want to get into trouble again?"

(I'm already in one...)

Rena put a troubled expression.

"I'm sorry but I'm really tired today. Let's go tomorrow morning."

"Okay, then. Sorry, Mirra. Good night, I hope you sleep well." She smiled with a resigned look.

"You too, purple sis. Please, don't do anything careless, okay?" Mirra was watching Rena's expression, checking if she upped to something.

Rena nodded and turned around, walking to the direction of her room. When she heard the door behind her was closed, she changed her direction, walking toward the entrance they came earlier.

She left the inn and dived to the night streets.

(Where should I go now, Obake-san?)

[I'm Neel! I told you I'm not a ghost! I'm sending a telepathic message and you are the only one who hear it.]

(Why did I have this ability... Ok, ok, Neel, where should I go? ...Ah, I want to return quickly to the inn.)

Her thoughts were mixed in when she was talking to Neel.

[Go north from your current position...]

(I don't know which one is north. I can't read the stars.)

[Whaa- How useless...]

(Shut up! You are the one who forced me to do this.)

[Then just walked around, I'll tell you if you go to the right direction!]

Rena told herself she would finished this little problem soon and went back to the inn.

She walked around in circle for a while, following Neel's guidance, at some crossroads, her footsteps were halted, finding the correct direction to the owner of the voice. Sometimes she went straight, in other times, she turned around. She carefully avoiding people on the streets, and not walking too close to the alleyways, where she could get dragged the slight moment she got careless. Some men trying to follow her, but she used earth magic to trap their feet on the ground, and then running away. Slowly, she was getting closer to where he was.

(Is this where you are?)

[Yes! I can feel you close by.]

When she turned to the corner, the street in front of her was the brightest she'd walked so far. Everything was colorful, like they were having a festival night here. Decorations were placed in front of the buildings and the lamps had magic stones quality, just like the one she saw in the Bath house. A thick incense smell permeating in the air.

She looked around left and right when she noticed something. The women here were dressed attractively and excessively, with a full make up on their face and a lot of skin showing. Groups of men walking nearby and a lot of couples passed by.

"Isn't this a night district...?"

A sweat drop from her forehead. This was the absolute worst place for women. In every place, no matter where, a prostitution quarter always exist, and Valia Kingdom with their high value of chivalry and nobleness were no exception to this rule.

(Hey, Neel, where should I go from here?)

[Move forward, only a few hundred meters more.]

"Hyaa!!"

A hand grabbed her shoulder. When she turned around, a burly man was standing behind her.

"Missy, do you want to accompany me for a while? Oh? That's an interesting eye color, is that real?"

Rena tried to shove his hand, but he held her arm now. "Let go of me."

She whispered shield and the barrier knocked the man out.

"H-hey, you...!"

The man shouted but Rena had run away.

(You better pay me for all these troubles.)

[I will, I will! Just two hundred meters more, a little bit to the right. Yes, that direction.]

Soon, she saw a big estate with three meters fence surrounding the place. From the outside, it looked like they were having a party inside the mansion. The light was bright and many carriages parked in line.

Two guards were guarding the gate. They moved when a carriage leaving the place.

"How am I suppose to enter here?" She talked to herself.

She couldn't climb the fence and going through the gate was impossible. For a moment, she walked in circle trying to figure it out what she could do.

*tap* *tap*

Rena reacted when someone tapped her shoulder. "Shield!"

But the man stepped backward as fast as she said the word, dodging her magic. She caught a silver glow from the corner of her eyes when she turned around.

"Eh, Senka?! What are you doing here?"

He frowned at her, giving her a questioning look.

Rena realized the same question could be asked back to her. It seemed Senka had been following her since she left the inn.

"I have a reason for this, you may not believe me but earlier at the plain I heard a voice asking for help. And it seems he is inside this building."

He gazed at the building in front of them before looking at her again, and to Rena surprised, he lowered his body, telling her to get on his back.

"Thank you for believing me!" She said, a relieved expression spread on her face.

She felt a little awkward clinging to a man's back. This was the second time for today. His lean body didn't seem to get effected by her body weight. He just got up, and walked to the opposite direction of the fence, taking some distance for acceleration.

Normally, it would be impossible for someone to jump that high. But when Senka started running, slammed his right foot to the ground, and leaped into the air, the physics rules had been broken.

And he landed on the other side of the fence safely.

If Rena didn't witness Senka's capability with her own eyes, it's hard to believe that he just jumped over three meters fence carrying her on his back. But again, this was the guy who slaughtered a herd of Valiant Bulls alone, unscathed.

She thought it was normal that people in this world could be that strong.

Senka didn't put Rena on the ground right away. After they entered the property, he quickly ran to the mansion before someone noticing them.

"Uhm, Senka, can you put me down now? I think it's fine now, I can walk by myself." Rena said after they arrived at the outer wall of the building.

She started wondering if Senka might actually enjoy this. It reminded her of wife carrying race which guys ran as fast as they could, each carrying a woman on his back.

He put her down just as her wish and they peeked inside the nearby window, checking what was inside. A scene that was expected from a prostitution quarter, which these two people had no experience of.

"..."

Luckily, it was dark outside so both of their face who changed color couldn't be seen.

It may look like a noble's mansion but they were still in a night district. The mansion Rena tried to infiltrate was actually a high-class prostitution quarter.

She started panicking. (Neel, are you sure you're here?)

[Yes, I am. Go to the room on the northernmost of the building, the fireplace there will lead you underground.]

(Underground?!)

The situation became more and more undesirable for her. An image of a dark, damped place flashed in her mind. She couldn't shake the possibility of a trap off her head.

(Ugh, what should I do...)

[Please, believe me, this is not a trap. I really need your help. These people have killed my parents and separated me from my sister. Please save me before...]

Rena couldn't just go back after coming this far.

(Fine. If you're lying, I won't let you go easily.)

Telling Senka what they should do, they walked cautiously to the northern side of the mansion.

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