Chapter 3: City of Argus

Upon reaching their final destination, they are welcomed by an enormous structure resembling a Greek temple—an architecture exceeding any skyscraper. Seigfried and Brunhilde were even more taken aback by the building's astounding size because it made them appear like ants next to it. The condition of the temple itself was still decent, and it was made with granite and marble.

Seigfried: How on earth did they build this in a century!? *While shocked, he ran all over the outside front of the temple gate, looking at every detail of it.*

Brunhilde: Who knows? *staring at Seigfried, who is running like a child at an amusement park*

Just as Seigfried was playfully running around in the front of the temple gate, he would feel a presence that had not before existed, as if it had simply teleported there. It made him stop and give the front gate a serious, menacing glare. In his head, he considered, Is this Heracles? No, this is someone else. but who? When Brunhilde saw his face, she asked.

Brunhilde: Are you alright, Seigfried? *she will talk to him in a concerning tone*

He turned to Brunhilde with the same gaze, and...

Siegfried: Teehee, as much as I want to explore the outside of this structure, we must go to the city. *He attempts to sound cute and girlish when he speaks.*

Brunhilde: *Hearing how he spoke, she was physically grossed out of her mind and wanted to die.* Ew, Gro...

Seigfried: Sorry, but we didn't have time to talk dirty. We can always do it later. *He quietly spoke and placed his finger on her lips while trying to look cool.*

Brunhilde thought, Prick. When they arrived at the temple, they found themselves in a city. The large building was well-lit by many torches, which added to the cozy atmosphere of the city even in the dark. Although it wasn't shocking that some areas of the city were in ruins, at least it was in better shape than the city where Brunhilde was buried. But what stood out was one skyscraper that stood tall. On top of the skyscraper was a large bonfire radiating.

Seigfried: Welcome to Argus! *He turns to face Brunhilde* This is the city ruled by Heracles, our first target!

Brunhilde: Heracles, huh? *she stops to think for a bit* In that case, let's go kill him right now. *She then grabs the hilt of her sword, ready to draw her sword, and starts walking off in one direction.*

Seigfried: *He quickly put his hand on her shoulder.* Woah, woah, where do you think you are going? Even then, you don't even know where he is.

Brunhilde: *She stared at him for a few seconds and replied,* You're right. Then just tell me where he is, and I will go to him.

Seigfried: No, that is just stupid! At that point, we might as well jump off a cliff! Besides, the heroes aren't like those you fought with previously, so don't get cocky. I suggest we should explore this place and then form a plan.

Brunhilde: But you are strong, aren't you?

Seigfried: Yes, I may be strong, but I heard that Heracles was one of the few who was able to go toe to toe with Gilgamesh, which is why I suggest we should form a plan before we fight.

Brunhilde: *She sighed and moved her eyes to the corner.* Sure, lead the way.

They would then proceed to continue walking and exploring Argus. The city itself seemed lifeless, and the few citizens of Argus would just give them a wary look or just try to avoid them in general. It was clear as day that the citizens were scared of them. After all, the parents would hide their kids, citizens would rush to their homes, and lastly, some of them were preparing their weapons and moving closer to them. Although Seigfried was walking in front of Brunhilde, he could tell that she was reaching for her swords and ready to draw her blade, and he would speak to her in a serious tone.

Seigfried: Brunhilde, don't attack them. They may be preparing their weapons, but they're just scared and they intend to frighten us away from this area.

With that, she would stop and keep following him behind. A couple of seconds later, a little girl starts to run towards Brunhilde, while the girl's parents run after their child, telling her to stop, whereas the girl herself is carrying something in her hand. With that, Brunhilde looked toward the girl who was running at her, which caused Seigfried to turn to her and yell out.

Seigfried: Don't do it!

The little girl stopped in front of Brunhilde, and she spoke.

Young Girl: You're very pretty, ma'am. *She had an adorable smile while holding the calla lily bouquet. *This is for you.

Handing the bouquet toward Brunhilde. She would pause a few seconds and extend her hand to grab the bouquet from the girl and say,

Brunhilde: Thank you. *She smiled toward her and placed her hand on the girl's cheek.* You're also very pretty, too.

Young Girl: *The smile she had widens even more, and she turns to her parents and says* Mom and Dad. She just called me pretty. 

The parents went toward their child, and the girl's dad spoke to Brunhilde while the mom held onto her child.

Girl's Dad: *he would put his knees to the ground and look down and say* I'm so sorry. Please don't hurt my family. *He uttered it in a pleading tone.*

Brunhilde: *She offered her hand to the dad and replied* Please stand up.

The father of the girl grabbed her hand and stood up slowly. It was clear he was terrified, along with the girl's mom. Brunhilde then looked at the bouquet in her hand and looked back at them, then replied.

Brunhilde: Don't be, because the flower she gave me is very lovely. *She smiled at the parents.*

Her smile soothed not only the worried parents but also the city's residents who saw the situation; at that time, her smile was more radiant than any torch in the area. As a result, the cautious anxiety that the people had felt from the beginning had faded away, and the city appeared to have become livelier. With a sweet smile on her face, the young girl waved goodbye with her parents as they headed toward the city near the front gate.

Young Girl: Bye pretty lady.

Brunhilde: Bye *she would wave back at her then she would then face Seigfried and say.* By the way, Siegfried, what do you mean "don't do it"?

Seigfried: I thought you were going to give that kid the same treatment A**kin did to the youngling.

Brunhilde: The what? *She gave him a confused expression.*

Seigfried: *fake cough* Well, nothing major; in fact, we shouldn't discuss it unless we want to invite trouble from a specific company. * He gave the most obvious, fake laugh.*

Brunhilde: Um, Ooook. *Thus making her even more confused than she already was.*

After that, they would continue to explore the city, and Seigfried was about to discuss their plan with Brunhilde when he sensed something was off. In his thoughts, the other presence I felt earlier when we came to Argus is now coming closer. Just like the first time, he stared in the direction where he sensed the presence.

Seigfried: Brunhilde, you ought to use this chance to explore while I go off to take care of some business I want to do alone... By the way, be careful when interacting with the citizens. Even though things appear to be getting better, we should still be cautious because they could try to tell their hero about our plans, which could put us in danger. *He would run in the direction in which he sensed the presence.*

Brunhilde: But I don't know how to find you! *She yelled*

Seigfried: * He would run but speak loudly from afar.* Don't worry! My ability allows me to sense any person!

Seigfried would wave her off after that, and they would part ways. Following their brief departure, she would wander around the city's stores, some of which offered clothing, food, and medication. But the place that intrigued her the most was a blacksmith place that sold tools, weapons, armor, and lastly, prosthetics. She would search for a few minutes before someone from Blacksmith Place, covered in debris and grease, loudly introduced herself to Brunhilde while carrying some equipment.

Blacksmith Woman: Who could you be, a customer? *She looked at Brunhilde from head to toe.*

Brunhilde was looking at the blacksmith woman when she noticed two daggers in sheath wrapped around both of her ankles. At first, she was taken aback because the woman didn't appear to be the kind of person to carry a weapon, but then she realized that the woman had just left the Smithing room.

Brunhilde: Um, no. *she said it casually with her usually blank expression.*

Blacksmith Woman: *She gave a hard stare at Brunhilde* Hmm, I see... eh, that's alright, I don't mind it.

 Brunhilde was expecting the woman to be mad that she was not a customer. In reality, the woman was rather sweet. The woman would speak to her.

Blacksmith Woman: *She unloaded the gear onto the shelves and spoke in an enthusiastic tone* So you are one of the visitors that the citizens have been talking about? *with a wide smile on her face.*

Brunhilde: Me? *she points at herself.*

Blacksmith Woman: *She gave Brunhilde a small chuckle.* I mean, I never saw you in this city, so yeah. Marika is the name, by the way. *Extending her hand to Brunhilde for a handshake.*

Brunhilde would stare at her hand which made the blacksmith woman notice.

Marika: Oh, sorry about that. *She quickly wipes her hands and extends again.*

Brunhilde: *She extended her hand and gave a handshake.* Brunhilde.

Marika: *She would take a brief break to gather her thoughts, and she'd slap both of her hands together.* Yes, exactly like the Valkyrie from the Völsunga saga, or is it nibelungenlied? But either way, may I call you Hilde instead? Don't get me wrong. Not that Brunhilde is a bad name—quite the contrary—I just want to call you Hilde. *she chuckled.*

Brunhilde: I'm fine with it.

Marika: *All of a sudden she started to act shy and say.* If it is too much to ask, can we be friends? I always want to make friends from the outside who aren't around here and who aren't trying to kill us.

Brunhilde: Sure.

Marika: Yeah! That means we're friends. *She will then hug Brunhilde while still covered in grease and debris from her work from a while ago. Eventually, she released and quickly pushed Brunhilde.* Apologies for that; I was simply thrilled to have visitors who were genuinely good people. Oh, how about we take a stroll so I can show you the best place in Argus since I just finished what I need to do here?

Brunhilde: *Although she was a bit hesitant, she complied with an awkward smile.* Um, Sure.

Marika: Yeh! Let's go after I clean myself up.*She smiles*

After Marika cleans herself, she'll grab Brunhilde by her hand. Brunhilde would often tell Marika that she didn't need to eat, telling her instead to try it and enjoy herself. Marika would introduce Brunhilde to the locals and even take her to numerous food stands. During their time together, she persuaded Brunhilde to try on a range of clothes, some more revealing than others; if Seigfried himself were present, he would probably die of happiness; meanwhile, Marika would always give her her encouragement. Brunhilde noticed the expression Marika made as she dragged her around the shopping district and saw how joyful she seemed. Even though Brunhilde appeared to always be expressionless during the whole trip, there was a part of her that was pleased when she was with Marika at those hours. From the scene they created, it seemed as though they were sisters. As they walked, Marika would speak.

Marika: It has been a while since I had this much fun with someone besides my... family. *She had a sad look but quickly tried to change her expression.* Well, that was a lot of fun, but I should return to helping my people.

Brunhilde: You helping your People?

Marika: I didn't tell you, but I'm the current "lord" of Argus.

When she heard that, she thought, Marika is the lord? Now that I think about it, nobody has talked about Heracles since we arrived, the hero who supposedly ruled this city. Where is he? During the time she was thinking, Marika would wave her hand in front of her to get her attention.

Marika: Um, hello, Hilde? Are you there?

Brunhilde: *She would snap out of it and speak.* You don't have to respond if it is too personal, but who was the previous lord?

Marika: No, no, it's fine. I could answer it. My father, the former lord, was kind, selfless, and the best father I could have ever asked for. He wasn't the same, though, since my mother and sibling passed away; in fact, I think he passed away on the day he lost them.

Brunhilde: *She wanted to apologize, but she sensed that Marika didn't want to hear it, so she chose to shift the topic.* Marika, do you mind if I help you around? 

Marika: Eh! But I have already dragged you around so much today.

Brunhilde: No, it's fine. I had so much fun today; it was the least I could do. *She smiles at Marika*

Marika: *She blushed and quickly turned away, covering her entire face with both hands while attempting not to look at her.* Um, um, sure, Hilde. Then let's go.

But at that moment, a loud explosion happened near the front gate of Argus. 

Marika: The front gate!

Marika ran toward the explosion.

Brunhilde: Marika!

Brunhilde would quickly follow after Marika. When they both got to the place near the front gate, that part of the city was in ruin, and corpses were everywhere on the ground. When Marika saw the massacre, she was enraged; she appeared like a different person and yelled out.

Marika: It's you bastards again! I won't let the same thing happen!

She took her two daggers from her ankle and turned to leave without thinking, but fortunately, Brunhilde intervened before she could go any farther. She was angry with Brunhilde at first, but in the end, she was relieved that she had been stopped.

Brunhilde: I'll go because I'm not from here, and besides, the city can't afford to lose its leader, right? After all, who is going to watch over them if you're gone?

Marika: *After pausing to collect herself, she answered.* Brunhilde: Stop them before they hurt more of my people.

With no answer to Marika, Brunhilde would charge headlong toward the nineteen people wearing toad masks; their demeanor was identical to that of the initial group of enemies. Unlike them, they seemed to be more skilled at fighting and killing. Preparing to draw her sword, she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that the young child who had given her the bouquet was on the ground, dead.

Alongside her were her parents, who attempted to protect their daughter but failed miserably. When she saw the girl's body, she immediately went to her corpse. She went to her knees and gently touched the girl's cheek. When five of the adversaries spotted her, they ran toward her with weapons. Marika would attempt to warn Brunhilde while helping those who were harmed during the attack, but to no avail. At that moment, in Brunhilde's world, everything was silent, and the color around her had changed to red and black. She was filled with an emotion she had never experienced before—Anger—for the first time since her resurrection. As the adversaries attempted to stab Brunhilde with one strike while looking at the girl, Brunhilde remained on her knees and closed her eyes... Then she effortlessly reduced all five into atoms. Upon seeing this, Marika couldn't believe it because not once she saw Brunhilde draw her blade at them. Brunhilde then would take one Calla Lilly flower from the bouquet she was given and put one in her pocket, setting the rest of the bouquet in the girl's hands. At last, she stood up and drew her blade at them. She would stare at them with an intense glare and walk toward them, enraged. But that will be a story for another time, and we will continue where Seigfried left off.