With Seele leading the way, the group turned onto a narrow path.
They climbed the steps along the path and rounded a few bends before arriving at the mouth of an alley.
"This place..."
Seele examined the marks on the ground, then raised her head to look out at the street, where she could see patches of frost covering the ground.
"Signs that someone fought Fragmentum Creatures," Bronya added. "But the damage isn't severe. It might have been only a brief encounter."
Seele recalled the place they had encountered earlier, where the entire ground had melted, and asked, "Could a fight have broken out between powerful Fragmentum Creatures?"
Stelle raised a hand and scratched her head. "Do Fragmentum Creatures fight over territory too? Like the vagrants?"
Bronya shook her head. "No. Based on the Silvermane Guards' combat records to date, Fragmentum Creatures haven't displayed any similar traits."
Standing at the alley's mouth, Seele poked her head out and looked around. The street was empty, with no Fragmentum Creatures in sight.
As they continued onward, at some point, Fragmentum Creatures had stopped appearing.
Still, most Fragmentum Creatures wandered aimlessly, so this was nothing particularly unusual. If anything, it made getting around easier.
"Let's leave that aside for now. This works out perfectly. That road ahead will take us to the orphanage."
Seele spoke. The question of whether Fragmentum Creatures had started waging "gang wars" could wait; their priority was to gather supplies as quickly as possible.
Stelle and Bronya nodded. The three crossed the street and headed toward the steps of another narrow path, continuing upward.
Along the way, they saw quite a few old things from years past. Though covered in dust, they still appeared intact, leaving Seele rather wistful.
She also thought that if everyone back then had united