A Heroes' Welcome

Finally, after miles of untamed wilderness, a medieval town came into view. It stood as a lone bastion of civilization, a glimmer of hope in the wake of what the summoned had endured hours ago.

As Sato's companions released sighs and words of relief at the sight of potential safety...

"Oh, thank god, a town!"

"It's quite a... rustic-looking place, isn't it?"

"Who cares, Conman? A place with walls is good enough for me."

...he, sadly, couldn't share in their ease.

'So this is their headquarters…'

The soldier's mind was tangled in numerous knots composed of escape strategies and dread for what lay ahead. More than that, he felt a distinct feeling of helplessness.

'Though I know something's wrong, I can't leave. I'm trapped…'

The sensation of powerlessness Sato felt was akin to being tied to a cinderblock and thrown into deep waters. He knew he needed to break free from the rope's deadly pull but was forced to remain, doomed to sink and suffocate within the depths of the murky unknowns ahead.

Even so, a smirk formed on his face; the town's arrival changed things. Despite being within enemy territory, now he had a chance to pilfer supplies for the hardships ahead.

'A week's worth of provisions, weapons, travel gear… I'll need to steal quite a bit. Guess I've gone from soldier to thief…'

While he planned his grocery list, the others gazed in awe at the view before them.

"The sight is so... mesmerizing," Kamida said, his voice filled with bewilderment.

"It's almost like we've gone back in time. The city's practically glowing!" Agawa replied.

And glowing it was.

Perhaps it was just the time of day, but the city's rooftops seemingly radiated light. The evening sun's rays bore down upon its sea of shingled rooftops, reflected in various directions, casting a vibrant orange tinge across the landscape.

Yet, the most notable detail was the all-encasing stone wall. Its skin, like a warrior from battle, was battered and bruised with various scars. At the top of its peak, an adornment of spiked crenellations was constructed to ward off any scaling intruder.

The corners were even more impressive. Each boasted a massive, buttressing-supported tower nearly twice the size of the wall itself.

'Why is everything so... medieval here?' Sato furrowed his brow. The sight was too different from what he was accustomed to, given the modernized world he came from.

'A stone tower, a medieval town, carriages, crude weaponry, the landscape, and even magic? None of this seems real…'

While Sato dealt with his disbelief, the others were still awestruck by the town's appearance.

"Wow... Look at that!" Agawa pointed to the far side of town.

Sato followed her gesture to see an extravagant mansion that dwarfed everything else in size. It was so disproportionate that the village houses seemed fit for dogs rather than people.

'Safe to say that's where our "hosts" live,' the soldier mused. 'They must be really high-class. I wonder if they'll act the part too: throwing their discarded meals away by the bucketful to a pack of dogs.'

"So…" Kamida interrupted Sato's thoughts, "that's the Lord's manor, I take it? I must confess, I feel an excitement stirring within me. The place exudes such elegance!"

"Yeah... I think you need to be pretty narcissistic to want to live like that though," Agawa replied.

"It doesn't matter. They better not try to lock me up again, though. For their own sake," Takagi cracked his knuckles and smirked. "I'll make 'em pay for it if they try."

Kamida's expression widened with excitement. He gestured toward the three other passengers in a grand display of showmanship, almost leaping from his seat. "Ah yes, I'm glad I chose this carriage to ride! Between you three, we could take on the world if given a chance!" He clenched his fist and raised it toward the ceiling.

'Take on the world, huh?' Although Sato appreciated the sentiment, he wished Kamida hadn't been so dramatic about it.

After all, what Kamida's words suggested was truly a terrifying prospect, one many soldiers had felt back home. For Sato, Kamida's nonchalant suggestion only heightened the fear.

'Civilians...' Sato shook his head. 'The things they say with smiles on their faces… Shows just how disconnected they are from it all.'

Meanwhile, Takagi assumed a smug smirk, crossed his arms and legs, and leaned back in his seat. "Heh... Try not to be too amazed by my talents, Conman. But I can appreciate your smart decision to team up with me."

"Pffffft, and what talents would those be? Starting brawls? Breaking down doors?" Agawa mocked.

"Heh, you should be grateful. I doubt anyone else could've broken down that door like I did," Takagi growled in retaliation.

"'Anyone else' wouldn't have immediately resorted to breaking things. What if you had angered those hooded guys? Did you even think about that?"

Takagi's expression turned matter-of-fact as he blankly stared at Agawa. "I'd beat the hell out of them... obviously?"

"..."

An awkward silence lingered between the two before Agawa shrugged with a tired sigh.

"So you'd default to starting a brawl? Of course… Naturally… What else would I even expect from you?"

As the carriages approached the gates, Sato couldn't help but notice the absence of townspeople on the main road. Despite the numerous buildings and street stalls, the city seemed eerily lifeless.

'I've seen war-torn ghost towns livelier than this,' Sato thought. Even though it was evening, he still expected to see a few citizens walking the streets. Yet, there wasn't a man, woman, or child in sight.

A jagged-steel portcullis gate passed overhead, and Sato gained a better view of the city's interior. On either side of the road ahead was a line of buildings, with the occasional alleyway or sideroad to separate them.

Like everything else, the buildings had an archaic charm.

Although compacted on street level, they stretched abnormally high vertically. Each subsequent floor jutted forward slightly more than the last, supported by a series of diagonal wooden pillars.

"Hey, look at that," Agawa signaled, pointing to a structure adorned with a redwood cross. Alongside it was a wooden sign with black painted wording written in a strange language.

Two large bay windows were built into the structure's ground-level walls. Behind them, various display cases showcased a wide assortment of colored bottles... and a slightly hidden child. His eyes seemed tired and his face…joyless.

"Hmmm… What a great 'Hero's Welcome.'" Sato mumbled.

'Tsk, that look in his eyes…' Takagi glared back at the child. Memories of a hundred stares just like it from his peers and adults alike flared up within his mind. The feeling of pity being shoved onto his shoulders was a feeling the punk hated like no other.

"The brat better stop looking at me like that…" he mumbled, then leaned out of the carriage's window. "You wanna fight?! Come on over! I'll show you something to pity!"

The child only sighed to himself in response to the threat. Then, he stepped away, disappearing into the darkness within the building.

"God, shut up!" Agawa snapped back. "Leave the poor kid alone and sit back down!"

"Come now, you two. Let's not fight, especially not in public. It could create a poor image for us," Kamida eased like a parent quelling two rowdy siblings.

Soon after the child, more townsfolk had come into view. Each wore unnervingly sad expressions similar to the boy's.

The first to voice their concern was Takagi.

"So much for the 'welcoming celebration' we were promised! Weren't we supposed to be the saviors of these people? Fight against 'Demon King Brawn' or whatever his name was? Why are they looking at us like we're the invaders? Talk about being ungrateful!"

"Now, now," Kamida performed a calming gesture. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. So let's not make any harsh assumptions, okay?"

"Tsk... I don't care about their explanations. But whatever…" Takagi sighed and leaned back into his seat. "This place better have some decent food, at least."

Oddly enough, while the others experienced frustration and worry, a sensation of strange nostalgia welled up within Sato.

'Of course, I should've expected this...' It was expected that those one protected would show fear in the face of the conflict coming with it. There were very few villages that Sato had encountered throughout his travels that were actually welcoming to the presence of soldiers.

'It can't be helped,' is what Sato thought, but his attitude changed after encountering more villagers. He soon realized their expressions weren't what he initially assumed.

'Is this really the same? Those pained, wavering eyes… Those aren't ones of hatred or terror. Nobody's hurling rocks at us or threatening persecution. What it feels like is nothing short of total isolation and grief. It's almost like…'

"They're afraid," Agawa said solemnly. "Doesn't it seem like they're afraid? And sad... They seem sad to see us."

Kamida interlocked his hands over his lap and hardened his expression. "You may be right, Miss Agawa. The unease I sense from these people isn't unlike those that couldn't pay their debts. I'm detecting expressions of guilt. But guilt for what?"

Roughly ten minutes passed while the group endured the stares from dozens of townsfolk.

Every clack of the carriage's wooden wheels on the road thickened the tension in the air. The atmosphere was filled with such weight that Sato's shoulders felt physically heavier, and a bead of sweat formed at his brow.

'Stay calm, Katsuro. Don't give in to the anxiety. Everything's fine.'

An incessant, anxiety-prompted ringing filled the soldier's ears as his eyes darted in every direction. He watched, he waited, and he readied himself for anything. Any odd movement which could've signified danger.

At least, until Agawa's awe-inspired gasp pulled him from his concentration.

"Oh my god... Look at the place!" The unease in her voice had been completely washed away by wonder.

"It's even more breathtaking up close!" Kamida exclaimed with widening eyes. "Oh... Oh... I have a tear forming in my eye. The wealth… It's all just so-"

"Pointless," Takagi interrupted. "Ugh. I can't believe you both are getting so excited over this place. It's an eyesore."

Looking forward, Sato witnessed what the group had been referring to: the massive manor in all of its splendor. Sometime during his panic, the carriages must've passed through the gates into the inner courtyard.

Judging by the rows of windows, at least six floors were stacked upon one another. Two colossal banners symmetrically dangled from either side of the manor's wall. Both depicted an odd bird wreathed with a spark of flame.

On the left side, there stretched a vast hedge garden painted in a deep green hue. Towering shrubbery obstructed Sato's view, making it challenging to discern the details within. However, he could catch glimpses of a weathered stone mausoleum amidst the blades and branches of intricately sculpted foliage.

On the right side was a warehouse-like structure. There were several horseless carriages similar to the ones the group rode in stationed around it.

'I better make a mental note of that place. It could be useful later,' Sato thought to himself.

A jarring bump drew the soldier's attention to the road ahead. On either side of the path were equidistant pine trees. It wasn't just the distance; each was completely symmetrical in stature too.

"What's that supposed to be?" Agawa asked. She was slightly leaning out of the window and pointing forward.

"It's a bird; what's it look like?" Takagi retorted.

"I know that!" Agawa snapped back. "I mean, what kind is it?"

"A mutant flamingo, obviously."

"It's certainly not a species I've witnessed before," Kamida hummed to himself. "It's probably just a part of local folklore if I had to guess. Granted, I'm no expert on avian physiology or history."

The group continued their banter as Sato shifted his body to see what the group was discussing. What met his gaze was a tall marble fountain toward the road's end. A masterfully crafted statue stood atop it, captivating him with its graceful composition.

The creature's neck curved inward into its chest, a flexible display of polished stone. It was balanced on a single leg as if to flaunt its elegance to any that witnessed it.

Its wings reached skyward, appearing as if it were draped in a royal raiment of cascading fire. Though the flames were but an illusion built from stone, its realistic design convinced the beholder it was hot to the touch.

Finally, intricate feathers adorned the creature's head, enhancing its regal aura as each plume flared out toward the heavens.

"Yup," Takagi crossed his arms with confidence. "It's definitely a mutant flamingo."

"Really? What kind of 'flamingo' looks like that?" Agawa said with a blank stare.

"The 'mutant' kind. I was kinda obvious about it," Takagi shrugged and replied matter-of-factly.

"Sure, whatever you say," Agawa sighed and returned to her seat. As she did, the carriages were nearing a complete stop.

A circular road was bound around the fountain, constructed in such a way that it drew any exiting passengers to the manor's entrance.

Sato broke out in a cold sweat, and his eyes uneasily twitched as the manor enlarged in his view. Seeing such a display of indulgence and greed… Of course, a practical man like him was bound to be intimidated!

'This is the reason wars are waged…'