"Morning runs are good for body and mind. You get to see sights others never do—the pure, unspoiled face of a city. Only at this moment, while everyone else is still lying in **, can you have all the beauty of Vizima to yourself." Victor ran ahead, calm and unhurried.
"But I... would rather still be lying in **... You don't have to share this beauty with me." Angoulême lagged slightly behind, panting heavily.
"It's only because your body isn't used to it yet. Run regularly, and once you adapt, you won't get this tired anymore."
Seeing that she still looked half-dead, he added, "Think back to that cross-country run through the Floating Harbor forest. Doesn't that give you a little motivation?" The young man mercilessly "boosted her morale."
Having her sore spot exposed, the girl said nothing. She merely gritted her teeth, pushed off hard, and hurried past him.
But she had not gone far before suddenly stopping. Pointing toward a narrow alley beside them, she turned back with a mocking expression. "Hehehe! So this is the beauty the captain wanted to share with me? It certainly leaves an impression!"
Victor caught up in a few strides and saw what Angoulême had seen. It was indeed an unforgettable sight, though it had nothing whatsoever to do with the word "beautiful."
Blood had splattered across both walls of the alley in great sheets, staining them dark red. A body—perhaps once human—lay sprawled on its back atop a pile of straw. It was only "perhaps" because... "Tsk, tsk. Being disemboweled and chopped into eight pieces wouldn't be much worse than this. Let's go. Run faster. We didn't see anything."
The moment he finished speaking, the young man left without the slightest hesitation.
Angoulême promptly followed. "I thought the captain would want