Spying on the pursuers

I stood by the window in what looked like the most utility-focused lodging one could create in this medieval-like world.

The room consisted of two single beds, a simple table with a set of chairs, and then a huge coffer with a sizeable lock for the guest to keep their belongings secure.

That was all I could afford with what little money I had on hand… At least, when it came to the rooms that fulfilled my requirements.

'It looks clear for now,' I thought, staring impassively through the lonesome window of the room at the street several stories below.

This kind of outlook on the main street of the city was one of the reasons why I splurged, throwing nearly all of my remaining coins at the innkeeper for just two nights at this place.

And I did so, even though I had no plans of staying more than just a single night here.

'Oh, right,' my body twitched a little when I recalled what I was supposed to do once safely hidden in our new base of operations.

I reached out to the inner pocket of my coat, pulling out a weird-looking yet extremely detailed effigy.

It looked to be made from all sorts of materials, from mere dirt encompassed in the hands of the character carved out of a white stone, through jades that decorated its arms all the way to a small sphere of pure gold that made up the sculpture's head.

'I wonder what this thing is,' I thought while looking down at the strange item Nay entrusted to me with a single, extremely straightforward instruction.

"First, find a safehouse," Nay's words rang in my ears even though it was already quite some time since the girl left.

I looked at the effigy again, repulsed by its weird look but also attracted to the insane mastery of the craft of whoever made this thing.

And then, with a heavy sigh, I grabbed the item with both of my hands before snapping this delicate piece of art in half.

"That's what she wanted me to do… but now what?

I took a deep breath and looked away from the window, taking another chance to scan the room I'd found for us.

In theory, we were one bed short. But in reality, the size of this room was perfect, as not even in the inn would I dare to go to sleep without someone guarding the doors. As such, while we would have to share one of the beds, we wouldn't be short of one at the very least.

The table in the room was the one thing that actually went beyond the standards I observed in the last city… but that my host also didn't expect to see. And while one could argue that this Inn simply provided prepaid meals to every room rather than having all the guests gather at the dining hall, I could also see another explanation behind this unexpected luxury.

'For a huge desk to be in an Inn's room… Doesn't this mean it's a damn business suite?' I thought, unable to hold myself back from comparing this world to what I was used to back in the real one.

In this world, a simple desk was all that a merchant or an important official would get. Just some space to sit down and sign some documents or write orders for their subordinates.

It was a simple room. Not too shabby but also not as luxurious as I expected it to be for the price I paid.

But whether this place provided a peak comfort or not, couldn't really matter less. The most important thing for me was to have a clear and undisturbed view of the street below.

And quite honestly, lurking in the corner of the window at the top of a four-story building gave me the best possible observation point that I could ask for!

'Still, compared with the hotels of the real world…' a stray thought entered my mind as I moved my eyes back to their job of observing the streets. 'Maybe that's what I should go for? Recreating the experience of customer service from the modern world to scam the nobles of this world out of their imperials?'

I closed my eyes for but a second and took a long, deep breath.

Suddenly, a sixth's sense jerked me back awake, forcing my eyes open and directing them to the source of the unexpected disturbance.

The street that was filled with nothing more but a constant stream of pedestrians was now… opening up, as the people made their way to the sides, opening a path for something through the street's middle.

'I guess asking for a reasonable challenge would be way over the top,' I thought, releasing a heavy sigh when I finally made out the figures responsible for the commotion.

It was a group of six people, which alone indicated it was the party that I saw chasing after us. But what was even worse…

They were actually riding down the street on their damn horses, minding not all the civilians who had to squish by the sides not to be stepped on.

This outrageous sight… actually found its explanation when I laid my eyes on the second person from the front of the group, a dignified-looking lady with simple clothes of a quality that alone was enough to disperse the crowd with just its magnificence.

'Is she some sort of a bigshot?' I thought, watching how the girl with long, golden hair rode through the middle of the crowd without batting an eye as if it was the most natural thing for her to do.

Still…

Even though just a single look at the leading woman was enough to make me feel strangely suppressed… it was the second woman in the group that made my heart rate raise.

'Damn,' I cursed under my breath, watching how the group of six raiders mounting their exhausted horses continued down the street… Right in the direction of the imperial express that I've sent Nay to visit.

'Wouldn't guests of importance visit the local lord first?' I thought, my eyes glued to the white presence of the second woman.

The presence… that I was already familiar with.

Her robes, her mask… even the gentle yet dignified way in which she carried herself… All of them were exactly the same as how I saw the saintess act back when she healed my injuries after the tournament!

'Just what is she doing here…?' I thought of a question, only to roll my eyes, stumped by how obvious the answer was.

While I didn't who was that girl with the golden hair, the presence of this particular saintess proved my earlier guess.

The group that I was watching, hidden in the shadows by the corner of the window, was the very same group that was chasing us all over the eastern plains!

For the next few moments, I could feel my blood grow thicker as my mood continued to tense up. Only when the audacious group made their way down the street did I dare to relax a little.

'It seems they are not as stupid as I hoped they would,' I thought, feeling the tension leaving my body.

The situation wasn't good. Seeing our pursuers head straight for the Imperial Express proved all my precautions to be well in place and justified… while at the same time proving that escaping this chase wouldn't be as easy as I really hoped it would be by now.

'Still, there's a chance…'

Already relaxed, I nearly jumped when the saintess suddenly pulled the reins of her horse, and from down the street, she twisted her body and locked her eyes exactly on my window.

I nearly jumped… and I only had the instincts of my host to thank for remaining completely still.

Feeling the strangely penetrating gaze of this distant figure, I remained rooted in place, not daring to do as much as flinch. And as the strange stalemate continued, I had to fight off my desire to flee on the spot that kept growing more and more intense with each passing second.

Thankfully, after an awfully long moment, the sainted turned back before picking the pace. She still threw one last sweeping look at her surroundings, only to end up shaking her shoulders and rejoining her group on their way to the imperial express.

'It seems she didn't really see me,' I thought, gulping my saliva down as I slowly backed off from the window, cutting off any line of sight that the people on the street could have on me. 'But that leaves one question…'

I took a deep breath before taking my time exhaling it.

'What the hell was that in the first place?'