2

I should have stolen a change of clothing. At the very least, a towel to dry off with. But no, I didn't even think about taking things like that when planning my escape. I guess I am, deep down, just as much as an idiot as the king and princes. But this oversite is taking its toll now. The water was freezing, and the night air had a chilly bite to it, causing both of us to shiver. Some hero I am. What hero causes the girl they saved to die of hyperthermia alongside them? We need clothes and someplace to dry off in. thanks to my map skill, at least I know just the place. It's not ideal, but it will do.

"I found a place we can dry off," I tell the girl currently hugging herself. Toya simply nods in response, so we get underway.

The part of town we find ourselves in is a rundown slum. Starving people are lying in the street, and according to my map, one of those people are being eaten by a pack of stray dogs. I pick a route around that scene so Toya wouldn't see, but the sounds of a mans scream still fill her with fear. I guide us through the twisting maze-like streets and right to an abandoned building. While it is not really abandoned. The people who previously lived there are lying dead on the second floor, but we shouldn't see them as long as we stay downstairs.

It's not a nice place, but there is no one around to call the town guard on us and plenty of clothes inside. I think this place might have been a clothing store. When we climb in through a broken window, there are racks of clothes on display and a counter by the door. The only thing different about this store and the ones I am used to back in my old world is that there is no changing room. But at least we should be able to find some dry clothes that fit in here with all the available options.

"Take a look around and find something to change into," I tell her as we walk between racks of clothes. "No one has been here for a long time. If the thick layer of dust is anything to go by, help yourself. I doubt anyone will miss anything we take."

"But that's…." Toya begins to complain, but the cold air and damp clothing change her mind. "No, your right. We need to change into something warm and dry, or we will freeze to death just… just don't peak, okay?"

"Relax, I am not the kind of guy that peeps on little girls," I assure her as I start looking through a selection of clothing that looks like it will fit me.

"Little girl…." Why does she look so angry? "I'll have you know I am sixteen years old. I am not some little girl! So please don't treat me like a child again."

Sixteen years old. Sixteen. That would make us the same age, but Toya is half my six and… lacking in particular areas compared to other girls I know. Wait, why is she glaring at me now?

"I'm still growing!" Toya yells, turning her back on me. "Just you wait, I will have the most wonderful body one day and won't let you see it even if you beg me."

"I'm sorry,"

It's not like I was interested in seeing her childlike body like hers. However, I still owe her an apology for staring and mistaking her age. Still, it is not my fault that I mistook her age. Toya is so small and innocent that it is hard not to think she is a child. Suppose she really wanted me to treat her as anything else. In that case, she should stop glaring at me for an understandable misunderstanding.

I ignore her for now and go back to picking something out. It is not hard to find clothes that fit me but finding the right clothes is tricky. I want something light, easy to move in, and won't tear easily. It is hard to find clothing items like that as the sturdy stuff is heavy and will slow me down, while the light stuff looks like it won't last long in a forest or anywhere outside of a city, in fact. But in the end, I find something that fits my criteria. A blue and white tunic that looks like it won't be torn by tree branches or impede my movement with a pair of brown trousers and boots in good condition. To top it off, I pick out a cape with a hood and an eye patch to cover my demonic eye to hide my identity. Hopefully, now I can escape this city with Toya and find her someplace the king can't reach her.

"Hey Chris," Toya speaks up. "I finished changing so you can look down."

It looks like Toya picked out sensible clothes instead of going for the more stylish options that I can see here. She wears a light brown tunic with matching trousers, but she still stands out, so I also hand her a hooded cape. She looked like she was about to complain but stopped herself when she saw me pull up my hood. It is a good thing she understands that we need to remain hidden.

We each put our old clothes into my storage. Unlike me, Toya does not have a menu with a map and storage section, so I will keep her things safe. We grab a few changes of clothes before we leave and re-enter the street. It's great to not feel the chillness of the wind as much as we did in our wet clothing.

<0>

At least the streets are empty, and technology in this world has yet to reach the point where communicating over long distances was easy. That means no guards are looking for us yet, and the only eyes on us are from the prostitutes and drunks wandering through the streets. That's fine. I doubt any of them will turn us in. Checking my map once more, I guide Toya to where we will make our final escape from this city.

"The next part is going to be dangerous,"

I tell Toya as we stop in front of a rundown warehouse that looks abandoned but is secretly still active. Thanks to my map skill, I have learned about how a group of smugglers use this warehouse as a secret entrance to the city. Beneath the ground, a small tunnel leads to outside the wall. Unfortunately, countless members of a criminal guild are hiding inside because of this tunnel.

"Wait here," I continue. "I'll come to get you when it is safe."

"Stop treating me like a child," Toya huff puffing out her cheeks as she moves in front of me, blocking my way. "I am going with you."

"Are you sure?" I stare down at her determined look. "We will be up against criminals, and they will treat you far worse than that stupid prince would."

"I don't care. I am still going with you," She sure is a stubborn one.

"Fine," I sigh. "Do what you want."

"I will,"

I ignore her response and pay no mind to the smug look on her face. I just simply walk past her and enter the warehouse. I don't think I need to tell what a bad idea it is to just walk into the middle of a smugglers ring, but since these guys are weaker than the guards at the castle, it should not be a problem for me. Toya, on the other hand, might be in trouble.

"You brats made a big mistake coming here,"

Six men and two women quickly approach us drawing knives. They look tough, and if I had not been gifted this power when I came to this world, I would have been terrified by them. Too bad they don't know what they are up against.

"Kill the boy but keep the girl alive. We should be able to get good money for her when she grows up,"

"Hey Chris," Toya says, and I find the dark aura forming around her to be more terrifying than the thugs closing in on us. "That one is mine."

Remind me never to call her a kid again. I feel sorry for the guy who understandably mistaken Toya for a little girl. It may be wrong to feel this way about an enemy, but I feel bad for him to have got on Toya's bad side.

"He's all yours," I tell her. "I'll handle the others."

"Tough talk for a dead…."

I feel no need to hold back against these guys. When the first thug approaches me, I punch him hard enough to send him crashing through the wall at the far end of the room.

"So which one of you is next," They all stare at us in fear as we start to move towards them.

"I'm not fighting him!"

"Yeah, I don't have a death wish!"

Three of the thugs run away, dropping their weapons, making it a two-on-two fight. If these two want to flee, too, I won't stop them. But somehow, I get the feeling Toya won't let the man who insulted her go.

"Get… get the boy!" The thug who said that insult commands as he backs away.

"No way you fight him!"

I don't have time for them to decide who gets to fight me, so I knock one of them out, leaving Toya a chance to deal with the person who mistook her for a kid. Te thug continues to back away, but Toya does not let him escape. With a swift swing, she smacks him in the head with her sheathed sword knocking the man out.

"The tunnels this way," I point to a door with a keep out sign stuck to it after confirming with my map there are no other threats. "We should hurry before more of these guys show up."

"Right,"

Girls are scary. My sister is just like Toya in the way both girls can quickly swift their moods. She looked ready to kill only moments ago, and now she is all smiles and sunshine. It's probably best not to think about it. Kicking the door open, I quickly use my fire magic to light up the dark void on the other side of the door. It is smaller than I expected but just as crudely made as I thought it would be. I take a step forward, but I stop when I feel Toya grip my sleeve.

"Don't go too far away," She tells me.

Is she afraid of the dark? She sure is childish for someone who wants to be treated like a grown-up, but I don't mind. I start to walk, letting her hold onto my sleeve as the light from the warehouse behind us is slowly swallowed by the void.

"It won't be long," I assure her, well checking my map. "Five minutes tops, and then we will be out of this city."

I have to hand it to those smugglers. They really knew what they were doing when they dug this tunnel. I can see no signs that the tunnel will collapse. The tunnel exits into a secluded area surrounded by trees and bushes, according to my map. No one and no animals are around, so it looks like we will make a clean break.

"So, where will we go once we are out of the city?" Toya asks after a few minutes of walking in this dark silent tunnel. "Unlike you, I don't have some cool map to tell me where to go."

"The border to a neighbouring kingdom is not that far from here," I reply, looking at the neighbouring kingdom on my map, feeling worried. "After that, I don't know. After gathering some information, I will see what things are like there and then decide whether I am staying or leaving."

But we might not make it. I would be fine if I was by myself, but Toya here complicates things. It is not that I don't think she can make it. Toya looks like she could walk double the distance. The problem is food. When I was in the kitchen, I only took enough for one person to make the trip. I really wish I had taken everything that wasn't nailed down. All well, there's no point in complaining about it now. I'll figure something out. There must be something I could do to earn money or some food that's easy to steal out there.

"Will it be safe there?"

"I don't know," It's not what she wants to hear, but it is the truth. "We won't know until we get there."

"So you are not going to leave me once we are out of this spooky tunnel,"

How could she even think that? If I was going to leave, I would have done so at the castle.

"I promised to take you somewhere safe, didn't I?"

"You did," Toya smiles. "But you also said I could come with you."

"Do you want to stay with me?"

"Don't know," Toya grins. "I'll let you know when we escape this kingdom."

<0>

Finally, we are out of the tunnel. It took longer than I expected but not long enough to put us behind schedule. The sun is starting to rise, and things are looking up. We are free! Free, and I couldn't be happier. Birds sing, the wind gently blows, and we are greeted by the beautiful sight of a baby deer drinking from a stream while its parents watch over it. This is the first time I have seen a deer in real life. I wish this moment could last forever.

"Hey, Chris," Toya tugs at my sleeve. "Let's get going. I want to reach that kingdom next door."

"Let's get going," I smile.

Taking my first steps of freedom since coming to this world, I walk with Toya in the direction of the neighbouring kingdom. I wonder what I will find when I get there. If this was some anime or manga, I would become popular with the ladies. But that would mean Toya would also fall for me and constantly get jealous. I could do without all that trouble, and after seeing what she did with that thug, I know for sure I would never want to be on the wrong side of her temper. At least the chances of that happening are too low to ever happen. This is real life! Not some manga or anime but real life. Things like harems only happen in works of fiction, so I have nothing to worry about. I will live an everyday boring life here in this world once I am out of the king's reach, and Toya will go her separate way.

<0>

There you are, Demon Spawn. I smirk as I leap from one branch to the other. If I catch him, then father is sure to praise me, and the king would finally send knights to take care of the bandits in my tribe's forest. Just you wait, Demon Spawn, I will catch you. Once I bring him before father, I am sure he will pat my head while singing my pr… woah I need to be careful not to daydream. I don't want to lose sight of my prey. This bounty is as good as mine!