"I know," I laughed cheerfully to myself.
I shook my head, and glanced down at my hands. Opening and closing my palms as I did.
"Say, are you sure you can't come with me?"
I felt a sense of deja vu; as if this happened before. And it did. Just a few minutes ago. Except now, my role was reversed. But unlike Jay, whom I politely let down, I never got my response.
I looked back up, and just as I expected, the Plague Doctor was gone.
He was nowhere to be seen. Not anywhere in the emptier street than before. He had left before I even asked my question, as if he knew the question was coming. And he did so without saying even a single word.
"Stop being so cool," I muttered under my breath.
It would have been nice if we could have hung around each other for a bit longer. I had only just met him, but I liked him a lot. It would have been nice to get a companion; to have someone whom you knew and could talk freely with. And I was going to get one, eventually. It just was not Felix. Not now, at least.
Because this was a passing encounter. We met at a crossroads for a moment— and only a moment. Now we had to continue down our respective paths. There was a chance we could meet again in the future. But this was not the future; it was the present.
And the present held one thing, and one thing only for me:
I’m going on an adventure!
With a goal in mind and a place to go, I started down the road ahead of me.
Chapter 10: Interlude IV - Lilith
"Is that really it?" a voice asked, sounding a little bit disappointed. "I thought it would be grander than that. I’ve seen portraits. And pictures— you know the ones taken for reconnaissance during the Free War? And it made it look way nicer than this."
Edith turned from where he sat on his horse. He glanced past his four companions who were also looking in the same direction as him, and at the girl who spoke. She was a beautiful young woman, dressed in garments that matched her appearance. And while the lack of armor may have made it seem as though she was unprotected, the dozens of mana crystals engraved throughout her clothing implied otherwise.
"What?" the woman said, taken aback by the staring. She flipped her azure hair back with one hand, and huffed. "I’m just saying, it’s nothing amazing. Every time I am allowed back into Xanderia, I just get mesmerized by how wonderful everything is. This pales in comparison to our majestic Capital city!"
"Saintess Lilith," Edith finally spoke out, adjusting the open helmet on his head, "I don’t believe we’re here to sightsee. We’re here on official business. At the formal request of both the Free Cities and the Chained Cities in Besha."
"Fine," the woman said, pouting. "But I don’t really see what makes this place so special. It’s even got its own title and everything!"
The man shook his head. He grasped at his horse’s lead, pulling it as he did. He took off in a gallop, and his companions followed after him.
"Hey, wait for me!" Saintess Lilith called out.
And the group of six— one Saintess and five Inquisitors— rode down the gravel road, towards the gates of the city up ahead. Together, the delegation from the Holy Xan Empire entered into Boleria, the Free City of Trade.
"—but those Abominations have not once left the city!"
"And you’re sure about this?"
"When can I go? I’m bored. I want to explore!"
"Yes. We were unable to investigate for the first two months due to the dangers surrounding a scouting mission, but after we appeased the Slaves— ahem, the Chained Cities— by outlawing slavery, and no other cities in Besha were attacked by a horde as large as the ones that took Bys, we sent a small group of riders to survey the scene."
"And what did you find?"
"I bet they were just hanging around the city. Abominations tend to do that. Hey, is there any entertainment in this city? Anything I can do for fun?"
There was a cough. The Bolerian official politely bowed her head to the woman interrupting him. "I’m sorry, Madam.... Saintess. While your conjecture was correct, I feel like your… comments are disrupting this meeting."
Saintess Lilith sat up, her head snapping at the elderly man who said that. Her malachite green eyes flickered, and she smiled. "Are you saying my presence is not necessary? Am I allowed to leave?"
"No, Saintess Lilith," Edith ordered, "sit."
"I’m not a dog!" the Saintess exclaimed in feigned annoyance. "I’m a Saintess of the Holy Xan Empire," she said, indignantly folding her arms, "I feel like I should be treated with more respect."
Another Inquisitor— a woman with pointed ears— leaned over to Edith. "Sir, don’t you think we should just let her go? If you want, I can tail her. Keep her out of trouble."
Edith hesitated. He looked at his companions. The other four Inquisitors seemed like they were getting sick and tired of the Saintess after over a month of travelling. Her constant whining, pranks, and general attitude was difficult to deal with, even for the most disciplined of individuals. They were practically begging him to let the Saintess do whatever she wanted.
The man turned back to Saintess Lilith. She had her head down, with her eyes opened wide, looking up at him. "Please?" she pleaded. "I never get to leave the Gates of Hell. I just want to see something… new."
The squad leader for the mission saw this, and he wavered. He took a deep breath, opening
