Chapter 4 - Section 2: The Threat Of Finding You Have Friends
Having finally entered the capital city of Joquet after almost an entire day of waiting, first in line to enter the city and then again after being interrogated.
But that's all over unsure where the merchants or marked wolves are now, perhaps they cleared the entrance or are still being interrogated but Kurama on his back told him he needed to find a safe place to stay for the rest of the morning, being kept up all night would just make any reunion with Heracles a nightmare as he's surely in some manner of trouble and Satou would need to be at his best to help, not at his worst tired and wanting to sleep more than anything.
As the pair wandered around the city was set up in a half-wheel and spoke pattern with the Castle being the central hub, with a main gate and main street acting as each spoke in the wheel all leading a straight path to the castle.
As far as city planning in a world with medieval-style technology this cities layout is a tactical nightmare, most medieval cities would be set up in the style of a maze so that invading armies had to struggle in urban warfare and exhaust their forces to make their was to the castle where the elite defending force would reside ready for the counter-attack right when the invaders were at their weakest.
But a wheel and spoke design would allow you to breech the gates and march straight to the castle for the final fight, perhaps it matters little in a world with magic, maybe you can use something akin to clairvoyance, or flight magic making the effort meaningless, or maybe it's just the way this country is, after all the king is decided by combat so perhaps they view their wars the same?
Bunch of battle maniacs totally out of their minds.
The wall around the main street was simple since it was so early in the morning that barely anyone else was already out on it, passing by some inn whose lights were off.
Entering the first they came across whose lights were on.
Without haggling for a price Satou took up lodging in a twin room, entered it placed Kurama safely within the sheet before doffing his own wear into his inventory and dropping into his own bed fading into darkness just as the sun's first light poked its way up over the cities horizon.
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Hours passed and by the time he woke up finally evening was starting to fall once again, having woken and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes he saw that at some point Kurama had left her bed and curled up into a tight doughnut on the foot of his own bed like a dog who needs to sleep next to their Master.
Having awoken his choice was set, he simply brushed the hairs on Kurama's head light petting her awake.
Getting re-dressed with new clothes from his inventory and Kurama sporting another very cosplay-like Halloween setup that made her more than just a little bit happy as she was jumping around the room constantly checking out the new clothes her master had provided to her.
Having gotten down to the main floor the proprietress was manning the front desk busily doing calculations in the sign-in book.
handing her back the key to their room.
"Thank you for the stay, it was most comfortable we look forward to staying again someday" <Satou >
"Eh? you paid for one night didn't you, night has only just begun you know sweetie!" <Proprietress >
"Oh no worries there, we only just got into the city due to the long lines so we needed to sleep but we're going to be meeting up with some friends now so we won't need the room" <Satou >
"Oh my how fortunate, do you know where your friends are, if they're famous perhaps I could give you a general direction?" <Proprietress >
"Hmm, well for the first group I'm sure we can find the wolves at the adventurers guild, but as for him, I'm not quite sure" <Satou >
"Him?" <Proprietress >
"His name is Heracles" <Satou >
"Eh? I'm sorry my dear what was your friend's name again?" <Proprietress >
"I said his name is Heracles, why do you..." <Satou >
Stopped his words mid-sentence realizing the mistake, as the proprietress's face was frozen in shock meanwhile, the attached bar which moments ago was full of boisterous laughter and conversations was now dead silent as every eye within was staring at the pair of them.
[I knew the capital was bad based on the greetings we got yesterday but I didn't think it would be this bad, I mean sure members of the clergy were all up in arms against an invading religion but the local citizenry as well?]
Deciding they'd long overstayed their welcome Satou quickly grabbed hold of Kurama's hand and took off from the inn's door diving into the crowd of people flocking the main street just outside, from behind he could hear a bell being rung, the nice lady at the front desk voice screaming out for the guards.
"Just what have you landed us in the middle of this time Herc? What a great welcome-back gift you've given to us." <Satou >
[Mapping Skill Activate: Filter Capital of Joquet show hostiles as red, non-hostile as blue]
Almost the entire mapped is filled in red, damn it we've walked into nest of vipers.
[Mapping Skill Activate: Filter show Hellenic believers as Yellow]
Having altered his filter the map changed once again in his mind, not all the blue dots turned yellow but there was a significant number that had grouped together, this Satou had decided was most likely Herc location, as the others were either in small numbers or along surrounded by hostiles, probably believers who been arrested by the guards.