An Unconventional Path

"So, this is what you meant by 'somewhere else'?"

Shane crouched behind a tree, unable to stop himself from complaining.

Frieren crouched beside him, remaining silent.

Two hours ago, they had arrived at the gates of Gostan City, only to be turned away for lacking identification.

The city was currently in a state of high alert due to attacks by unknown forces; even with a merchant offering to vouch for them and even proposing a security deposit, the guards refused to let them enter.

"What a very responsible soldier."

Frieren had even expressed high praise for that guard at the time.

Yet, she immediately turned around and dragged him along to sneak under the city walls...

The moon hung high in the sky.

Outside the city, it was deathly quiet.

The red glow of a row of torches moved slowly across the battlements, casting long, slanted shadows of the patrolling soldiers.

After observing for a moment, Frieren whispered, "Once they pass, we'll run to the base of the wall. You know how to swim, right?"

"I do, but..."

Shane felt he needed to say something; this plan was far too childish. If they were caught by the guards, it would surely lead to a serious misunderstanding. However, before he could figure out how to phrase it, Frieren had already stood up and dashed forward.

"Hey?"

With no other choice, he had to follow.

Between their position and the base of the wall lay a moat several dozen meters wide, the water not particularly deep. But it was spring, and the water was freezing at night.

Shane tentatively dipped one foot in and shuddered instantly.

Beside him, Frieren didn't wait.

The elven girl raised her staff, her footsteps elegant as she trod across the water, jogging all the way to the other side without even dampening the hem of her skirt.

Shane was dumbfounded.

As expected of a noble mage; even when sneaking around like a thief, she remained so elegant.

Silently grumbling to himself, Shane resignedly submerged his body into the water and began to swim forward slowly.

Frieren glanced at the movement speed of the torchlight on the wall and turned to urge him, "Hurry up."

Finally, just before the patrolling soldiers circled back, Shane successfully reached the shore.

He hugged his arms, shivering as he stood at the base of the wall, his back pressed tightly against the stone, trying his best to keep his teeth from chattering while waiting for the soldiers to pass.

Swish.

After confirming it was safe, Frieren waved her staff, casting a [Drying Magic] on Shane. Instantly, a wave of warmth swept over his entire body, and his soaked clothes returned to a dry state.

Shane felt as if he had come back to life.

Then, just as before, Frieren grabbed Shane by the back of his collar and activated [Flight Magic] to lift him into the air, the two of them swiftly skimming over the city wall.

They landed successfully inside the inner city just as the patrolling soldiers turned back, the red glow of their torches sweeping past once more.

The timing was precise.

Just as Shane let out a sigh of relief, Frieren suddenly took a step back.

"Oh no."

The girl dropped that simple sentence and turned to run.

??

Shane was full of question marks.

By the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late.

There were patrols in the inner city too!

And there was a curfew in effect! There wasn't a single soul on the streets!

"Who goes there!"

"Intruders!"

"Alert!"

The soldiers reacted swiftly, immediately giving chase in the direction the two were fleeing.

Because they were unfamiliar with the terrain, the two could only scramble through the alleys. The number of pursuers behind them grew, and it looked like they wouldn't be able to evade them for much longer.

"Don't you have some kind of [Sleep-Inducing] magic!" Shane couldn't help but retort.

"Attacking soldiers is a serious crime; we would be executed."

"..."

This wouldn't do!

Shane scanned the surrounding environment, his brain racing at high speed. He had it!

He brought Frieren rushing into a house facing the street.

As luck would have it, it was a tailor shop.

He quickly pushed open all the windows at the front and back of the shop to create the illusion of an escape, then decisively pulled Frieren down to crouch in the corner.

[Goddess's Barrier] activated.

Hum—

A barrier silently unfolded in the air, concealing everything within it.

Frieren felt the energy fluctuations around her, but she was completely bewildered. She looked at Shane in astonishment and was just about to open her mouth to ask when Shane clamped a hand over her mouth.

At the same time, three soldiers burst into the tailor shop.

"Where are they?"

"Where could they have hidden?"

The soldiers' voices successfully woke the owner of the tailor shop.

On the wooden stairs leading to the second floor, a little girl with green hair appeared.

The little girl looked to be about seven or eight years old, clutching a rag doll, rubbing her eyes while asking in a muddled voice:

"Big sister, are you staying up late making clothes again?"

As she spoke, she pouted her little mouth in dissatisfaction.

However, when she opened her eyes and saw the three soldiers downstairs, her little head went completely blank.

At this moment, the person she called sister, wearing a robe-style nightgown, came running down from behind her and pulled her into her arms.

"Ubel, don't be afraid, big sister is here."

The little girl realized what was happening, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lip and didn't cry, only gripping her sister's clothes tightly with her small hands.

Her sister patted her back gently, soothing her emotions.

"Gentlemen, may I ask what is happening?"

"We are pursuing suspicious individuals. We just saw shadows run into this house. Have you seen or heard anything?"

"No, sir. We have been sleeping upstairs and were only just woken up."

"Apologies, miss. Would you mind if we searched the place?"

"...Very well, but please do not frighten my little sister."

Having obtained consent, the three soldiers began searching the cabinets and under the tables in the room. They didn't miss the rooms upstairs either, and the sounds of clattering echoed one after another. The two young women stood by the wooden stairs, waiting nervously.

After a full search, they found nothing.

The three soldiers frowned simultaneously. They returned to the first floor and carefully examined the layout of the room.

One of the soldiers pointed to the open windows and said, "Could they have jumped out the window and gone somewhere else?"

"It's possible. Tell the other patrols in the city to be on high alert. I will go report this to General Glucks and ask him to send more men to search the nearby blocks. We must not let spies infiltrate again."

"We are deeply sorry for the late-night disturbance, miss. Please understand our intention to guard [Gostan City]."

After nodding in apology, the three soldiers finally left the house.

The tailor shop returned to peace.

"Big sister..."

"Don't be afraid, it was just a misunderstanding."

"The suspicious people the soldiers mentioned, are they bad people?"

"Don't let your imagination run wild. It might have just been a lost kitten. Don't worry, big sister is here. Come, big sister will sleep with you tonight."

The little girl called [Ubel] was still somewhat shaken. Her sister gently picked her up and, while singing a nursery rhyme, carried her back to her room.

She rested her head on her sister's shoulder, but her eyes looked past her sister toward the corner of the first floor.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and she muttered to herself:

"Maybe it was two kittens."

At this moment, Shane, hiding in the corner, felt his heart rise for no reason.

Could the little one have discovered something...

Ubel? This name is so familiar; have I heard it somewhere before?