Jessica had recently made a new friend.
Not long after turning ten, she had moved with her stepfather to the narrow pass north of the Royal Capital. The two of them made a living by running an inn beside the newly built road. There were far more travelers going back and forth between the Royal Capital and the former site of Pearl Lake than there had been a few years ago, but theirs was still the only household nearby. Jessica had been terribly lonely and felt that she had not seen any children her own age in a very long time.
Thus, when she discovered "Michael," she had been as delighted as if she had received the first box of candy in her life.
"Uncle George, I'm going to play with Michael!"
After welcoming two more travelers to the front desk, Jessica turned back and called this to her stepfather. Then she quickly spun around and vanished through the back door, out of everyone's sight.
Her stepfather watched her disappearing figure and could not help sighing.
"Hello, we'd like a large room with two beds. Do you have any vacancies?" The two travelers walked over. Dressed in somewhat mysterious cloaks, the red-haired woman in front smiled and asked him this.
Her stepfather turned back. "...All right. Please register your names and identities here."
"No problem." The other woman nodded, took the little booklet he handed over, and murmured as she wrote, "Joanna Hall, Laila White... Sir, there's no need to worry. Our backgrounds are clean. We're with the New Battle Arts Alliance, and we won't cause you any trouble."
Her stepfather took the booklet and glanced over it, then confirmed the badge on Joanna's chest. He nodded and revealed a welcoming smile.
"Welcome, ladies. Don't worry, we still have plenty