The sun started rising as I slowly made my way to the front gates of Radiant City. The knights saw me approach, and a few recognized me. Four of them approached me curiously.

“Feodora Cicer, what happened to you? You look like you’ve been through a tornado.”

I scratched my cheek.

"Y-Yeah, I did have a rough night. Would you guys know how I can find the Cafree residence?"

One of the female knights gasped.

“Oh no, did the Countess devil do this to you?!”

I nodded with a bit of hesitation.

"Yeah, we had… differences, and she attacked me last night."

One of the male knights took out their phone.

“For now Feodora, could you sit over there and rest? We'll contact Terra and figure out the best way to do this."

My shoulders slumped.

“Sure, I guess.”

The last thing I wanted to do was make this a big deal. I would have just gotten the information and figured it out myself. But that wasn't likely going to happen. I cursed myself for not deciding to sneak inside the Radiant City with shadow walking. I could have gone to the Radiant City academy and found her that way.

"What a mess…."

I slumped over in the guard shack. To my surprise, a knight brought me a few refreshments and offered me a few medical aids and a change of clothing. They had a water vessel patch up my wounds by healing me too. For the first time ever, I felt a sense of safety being with the knights of Radiant City.

“Oh geez, Feodora! I had no idea Countess Mellissa escaped her residence recently.”

Terra, the knight with the fiery red hair, entered the guard shack. She sat down next to me and looked over my wounds.

“It is what it is.”

 

 

Slightly annoyed, I answered.

"What happened? Tell me everything so I can make a proper statement, Feodora."

I sighed.

"I'll handle this myself. Where can I find the Cafree residence? That way I can speak to Mellissa in person and resolve this."

The knight contemplated for a bit before responding.

"Well, Feodora… you won't be able to go into the Cafree residence even if I told you."

“Hm?”

"It's heavily guarded with highly trained mercenaries. Due to how prominent the Cafrees are, they hired arms to protect their property. Even if you go to the gates of their manor, they'll likely just turn you away, and you'll never get an audience with Mellissa."

I pondered.

“Then… I’ll just find her at her school.”

Terra shrugged.

"I would have suggested that first, but recently Mellissa hasn't been attending classes. From what I've heard, she took a short leave from it… the day you and Jade left for the Cero Village."

My chest twisted like a wrench was churning inside me.

"How long is her leave?”

Terra shrugged again. This was becoming a thing with her.

“Who knows? Usually, she's forced to take long leaves when doing her rituals. Her dorm is honestly… just there for show most times."

Terra looked down at the floor.

"Mellissa wants to be normal, Feodora. But a lot of times, she can't. Mellissa is a good student and gets good grades in her courses. But the fact is, Mellissa's unpredictable, and most times, she's forced to take leave and home study for a bit before she can come back. Especially when she does her rituals."

Terra sounded a bit depressed, explaining this.

 

 

“It’s nice to feel like you’re part of the group… when in reality, you’re an outcast, Feodora. That’s the only reason why she has a dorm room in the first place.”

I thought about that room. It had a spell around the door, likely something made to help suppress Countess Mellissa?

“There was a spell around Mellissa’s dorm room. What was that?”

Terra looked me in the eyes.

"Oh, that? It's not a suppressor or anything. There's no way to suppress Countess Mellissa without the actual rosary. It's a spell to alert us if she turned during her classes."

“Like a motoring system?”

I added.

"Just like that. That way, if she did turn, the knights could be ready to stop her from hurting anyone."

Terra looked up at the ceiling, likely thinking long and hard about Mellissa.

“The Cafrees pay an extraordinary amount for Mellissa to attend that school. All she wants to do is study like everyone else… but even that is a grueling task.”

The knight turned back to me.

"What I'm saying is… I'm sorry for what happened to you, but there are a lot of complications involved that led up to this happening. For the time being, the knights will have to facilitate a way for you to speak with the Cafree daughter."

I closed my eyes.

“How long will that take?”

I asked.

"If they realized that Countess Mellissa did something atrocious, the Cafrees would avoid it for as long as they could. Even if we told them that you want to talk with her.”

In simple terms, my hands were tied. I wasn’t going to get a chance to speak with Mellissa any time soon.

“Then how about I wait until Countess Mellissa comes out and use the rosary on her?”

Terra pondered.

"I think it could work. You'll just be waiting until Countess decides to come and attack you again…."

The knight perked up.

“Oh, why don’t we get Jade involved? Even if she’s busy, I’m sure she’ll spare the time in this matter. The Cafree’s have great respect for her.”

I nodded.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. Jade is Mellissa's good friend. I bet Jade could get me inside the Cafree manor."

Terra jumped and clapped excitedly.

“Oh good! If you will, please follow me to the knight’s station, Feodora! We can talk with Elizera too!”

We both made our way out of the knight station and into the Radiant City. It's a good thing she figured this out. My idea was to sneak into the manor if worse came to worst. I wanted to nip this situation as soon as I could. That way, my simple life could officially begin…

 

---

 

We eventually made our way to the knight station. It wasn't as busy as the last time I came, with the entire bombing situation. I went inside after Terra, only to be greeted by the big man himself.

"Hello, Halmote. Have you, by chance, seen Jade or Elizera around?”

The big man rubbed his bright red nose and scratched his big ears. It was like a strange ritual he had to do before speaking.

"No sir, no sir. Last I heard, they were interrogating that dark vessel. They seem to be on another mission outside of the city."

Terra pondered.

"I tried calling them but neither of them answered. Did they mention how long they would be gone for?"

Halmote inhaled deeply and then deflated like a balloon.

“Not for a few days at the least. Elizera and Jade said it was urgent.”

Halmote said.

Did they find out something during their interrogation with Vert?

I added.

"That would be my guess, yes, sir!"

I scratched my head, a tad annoyed. Terra seemed to pick up on this.

"I see… this is kind of important, so if they do come back, please call me, Halmote."

The big man saluted.

“Will do!”

Terra slumped her shoulders.

"I guess that idea was a bust. Well, while you're here, I can write a report on what happened. Please explain in detail all the damages to your cottage too so we can provide the Cafrees with a list.”

She took me to the side, and I did all the legal paperwork. Everything in me wanted to just leave though. When it was all said and done, she walked me outside.

“Where can I find the Cafree manor?”

I asked.

“Feodora, if I give you that information, I'm not sure what you'll do with it. The last thing I want is you taking revenge on the Cafree."

I scratched my cheek.

"I'm not that kind of person. And if you won't tell me, I'll find another way. I bet everyone here knows where I can find the wealthiest humans in the city.”

Annoyed, the knight put her hand on her shoulder.

"Fine… but promise me you won't do anything stupid. My job would be on the line if Jade and Elizera found out I helped you like this."

The knight took out a pen and wrote on a piece of paper.

“The Cafree’s have a manor out of the south gates of the city. You have to travel near the Sanctum. When you get there, take the trail following the west and you’ll come to a hill. Right over that hill is the entrance to the manor territory.”

Terra scratched her head.

“But be careful, Feodora. The people they hire are expert mercenaries and won’t hesitate to hurt you if you’re caught. Oh, and keep your phone on so I can call you if Jade comes back.”

I nodded.

“Alright, I’ll be safe. Thanks for all your help, Terra.”

The knight rubbed the sole of her shoe on the ground.

"No reason to thank me… I just feel responsible for what happened. The knights should be there and deactivate any left-over bombs at your place. Take the time and rest here until we give you the clear."

The knight looked rather cute, acting this way. If bunnies were red… I think she’d be a red bunny.

“Right, well… I’m off.”

 

---

 

 

The daylight broke as I made my way out of the south gates. With every step, my mind rolled through everything. This wasn't a quick walked and it gave me more time to think about everything....

Terra mentioned more about how Mellissa lives her life. A girl who wishes to be like everyone else created a world for that with the resources she had. Mellissa was allowed to have a dorm at her college, make friends, and study there like any other person. But in reality, that dorm is just for show. She regularly takes leaves of absence and home studies due to the ritual taking a toll on her. People fear her despite how sweet she is.

In a way, Mellissa is playing the part of a normal girl...

 

 

"It's hard to fit in with other people, isn't it, Mellissa?"

I don't know what sparked Mellissa's interest in me from the first day we met, but we shared a lot in common. Both of us are rejected because of a side we'll never see. We're both cursed, and there's nothing we can do to stop that…

Eventually, I found the hill Terra spoke of. As I journeyed up the steep trail, I continued to debate what I would do. If what Terra said was true, then the mercenaries hired by the Cafrees wouldn't let me get in easily. It would be in their best interest to not even allow me the chance to get near Mellissa.

“Hm?”

I felt shadows nearby, so I stopped. My instincts told me that people were coming down the other way. So, I hid in the shadows and ensured they didn't see me.

“Patrol sucks.”

Two men were walking the trail, likely doing what they were complaining about. They both sported black suits and gloves. At their sides were swords. These men were the people Terra mentioned, mercenaries paid to protect the Cafrees.

Being humans and having little way to protect themselves, I can see them going about this. With the wealth they acquire, I'm sure they have their fair share of enemies too. As I observed them, one took out their phone.

“The trail is all clear.”

After confirming that nobody was around, they both made their way back up the trail towards the manor. It would be suicide for me to continue up this way.

If it was night, it would be easier to get inside. My chances of getting caught would be way lower. From how it looked, these mercenaries were heavily armed, and the last thing I wanted was to get in a fight with them. I guess I should make my decision…

If I decided to wait, I could do more research on Mellissa. I will likely find her friends at her school and see if I can understand her better. But then, I want to confront her as soon as possible. To stop getting attacked by Countess Mellissa during the cover of the night.

 

“So… what am I going to do?”

 

---

 

Route Choice

 

1. Continue to the manor. (Infiltrate the Cafree manor during the day.) A

2. Bide my time in the Radiant City. (Infiltrate the Cafree manor at night.) B

 

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