St. Looned.

[Panda's POV?]

After a day of walking, the town's buildings came into my sight. 

Surrounded by a shrubland in the borders of the kingdom, the occasional trees created some natural cover for the humble human settlement, while this one remained mostly the same.

The two humans walked confidently, freely showing their faces. As for me? I had to hide it under these rags.

… As always.

"I know you two are tired, but we have to check in with the town's guard captain," stated the dark haired woman, with seriousness written on her face.

"Alright. We'll drop by the inn later, though… Right?" spoke the brown haired man.

The one who beat me in my old home… and forcefully took me in.

I still don't understand his actions, but I guess an opportunity is an opportunity. Even if it lasts for a few days.

'.... Whether he's insane, or just an idiot, I'll take this… At least, I can eat three meals a day.'

But at the same time, I have to be ready to run away at any time. Who knows if these two are involved with… them.

Shivers ran down my spine, as soon as I thought of their group.

"And, we're here."

Standing mere steps away from a large building, the "wanted" posters by the walls caught my eyes. Out of the eight or so, six of them were some variant of beastkin.

"Ren, what are you waiting for?" inquired the male, almost curiously.

As it turns out, the two humans had almost entered the place, while my thoughts clouded the world around me.

"N-nothing," I answered, earnestly, and walked in. 

The fresh scent of the clean air disappeared as soon as we entered the facility, only for it to be replaced by the cold, stifling atmosphere of a… cell.

"Ah, you three must be the Royal Ensemble's envoys, correct? I'll let Captain Rogers know you're here, so please give me a second," cheerily voiced the receptionist.

Her clean, tidy blonde hair and clothes emanated a fragrant, sweet smell, as the woman's sky blue eyes irradiated a strange kindness, alongside her smile.

No furniture seemed to be out of place in the lounge, either… 

The dark haired woman sighed after the blonde left, and turned to face the man. "Randall, please try to be mindful of the way you speak."

"Will do, Jeannie," replied the man in a casual tone, further heightening the disappointment in the woman's voice.

Footsteps clashing with the wooden floor emanated from the staircase, only for a man to appear.

Sporting a beard alongside his shining, silver armor, he walked down the stairs with pride. With the sword hung on his waist waving slightly, after each step taken.

"Welcome to this humble town, adventurers. I'd love to give you three a small tour, but I fear we do not have the time."

So, he led us straight into his office.

Inside, a large, wooden terminal stood, with a seemingly ethereal map of the Fegendale Kingdom hovering above the colorful crystals from the structure's upper surface. Both the buildings representing the cities and the terrain within the borders lacked a lot of detail.

"I apologize for the quality, but we haven't been able to fully reconnect to the kingdom's Mana Transmissor."

"Mana Transmissor?"

The Captain glanced at the confused man. "Yes, Mana Transmissor."

His gaze trailed off, before he muttered something. "Damn it, those bastards did an amazing job at fucking it up…"

Jean, the woman, interrogated the captain.

"Oh, the monster tide? Yes, we did have to deal with it… That's how we lost the transmissor..."

While they spoke, I looked out the window. 

Many buildings resembling houses lay in ruins, whether partially or completely, and humans dressed in rags carried materials, while a few humans clad in iron armor helped them to restore the fallen buildings.

At one point, I noticed a small boy, hunching over in a dark corner. With his head buried between his knees, and the two arms isolating him from the rest of the world, no one seemed to notice him. Nor his agony.

Witnessing such a scene, I couldn't help but feel pity. Yet, I resorted to doing the one thing I knew best… Turning a blind eye away.

'I'm sorry… huh?'

Was the strange guy looking at me? Or was he staring out the window?

"What do you think, Ren?" He inquired, curiously. With his distant eyes facing the outside world.

"... It happens."

It's sad, but… it is what it is.

He nodded, and didn't utter any further words… Instead, his melancholic expression did all the talking.

We stayed like this for a few minutes, until the human woman walked towards the door. 

"Let's go, we have to check in with the town's inn," she declared.

Thus, we left.

"So, Hiyoshin, how do you feel about this?"

Good thing she does refer to me with my actual name.

"Honestly, I feel good. Having warm meals and good nights of sleep were nigh impossible for me in the past, but now… I still can't sleep properly, but the food is perfect."

With a smile on her face, Jean nodded happily. 

"By the way, who's paying for the stay?"

"I will, Randall," replied the human woman, answering his question.

They spoke a few more times on the way, until we finally arrived at the warm, cozy-looking inn.

Lanterns illuminated the outsides, while a warm, orange light easily made itself visible, in spite of the glass-made windows.

The innkeeper, a fairly old human woman, greeted us in a friendly manner.

Jean asked for a few rooms, only for the old lady to confess that the only remaining room was a 3-person one. She accepted it, and the lady grabbed a key. 

Then, she paid the lady with her own Mantris.

"Thanks, Miss."

"No problem, young ones," she answered, with a strangely kind smile.

The brown haired man led the way, only for the old woman to speak up. "Ahem, the bedrooms are this way…" she told us, while pointing in our opposite direction.

The man held back his laughter, and we climbed up the staircase, walked down the wooden yet tight floor, only to reach our room at the end of the hallway.

"Can I take this off?"

"Sure, go ahead. Randall, please wait outside while we change."

"I'll grab a pillow," he declared, while taking a hold of one, before leaving the room…

After he closed the door, a body slumped down on the floor. We looked at each other dead in the eyes, and I turned to face the wall.

"... Miss Jean, I have a question," I mumbled, while dropping the oversized coat on the nearby bed.

"What is it, Hiyo?" she asked, while the sound of something falling on the floor reached my ears. 

"Why did you two bring me in?" 

Her voice trailed off, leading to an awkward laugh. "I'll be honest with you… I don't know. It was all Randall's idea."

'... What did he see in me?'

"I-I see… Thank you, Miss."

"It's alright, Hiyo. By the way, I'm done."

I turned again, only to spot a few clothes laying on each bed. And a white shirt covering Jean's upper body.

Looking down on the dark hood I've been given, I felt slightly jealous.

'… At least you don't have to hide your own-'

"Are you girls done??"

The man's voice resounded, as we instinctively looked at each other. And, at the door.

"Do we really have to share a room…?" I muttered, silently.

Jean stared at me for a moment, before grabbing the room's key, and locking it.

"Hey, what was that? Did you lock the door??"

"Sorry Randall, we had no choice. Two women and a man shouldn't be sharing a room."

"T-this… This is betrayal! I will have my revenge!"

And like that, the sound of his footsteps walking down the hallway reached our ears.

A sigh of relief escaped my mouth, as Jean spoke up. "Hah, good thing that worked out."

"I'd have expected him to do… anything."

She glanced at me, and gave me an answer. "... You know, I just had the feeling he wouldn't. I'm not sure why. Now, come on Hiyo, we should sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a hard day." 

Nodding, I tucked myself into the incredibly comfortable bed, and quickly fell asleep.