Shadow in the Pool

What did it mean to throw one's weight around? Gold Armor and Little Paper Crane were the very picture of it. Though neither Little Paper Crane nor Gold Armor walked sideways, and their manner was hardly arrogant, everyone else detoured wherever Gold Armor went. One person occupied the space of four or five, creating a very real kind of "tyranny."

Little Paper Crane was experienced at sightseeing and could always find places where something was happening to watch the excitement. Though Gold Armor was aloof and had little interest in many matters of the outside world, he still obeyed Little Paper Crane's requests.

While Ji Yuan and Huli searched all over the city for the creditors of the foxes, Little Paper Crane and Gold Armor wandered all around Deer Peace City.

The pair had even forcefully mediated two disputes. Before they knew it, afternoon had arrived, and Gold Armor and Little Paper Crane came to a relatively secluded fork in the city streets.

"Chirp~"

Little Paper Crane flapped its wings, and Gold Armor headed down a deeper, more secluded alley to the right. Blocked by the buildings on both sides, the light here seemed much dimmer.

Though Gold Armor remained enormously built even after taking human form, his footsteps were nearly soundless. With few pedestrians here, he moved like the wind, his steps like drifting smoke. The deep and secluded alley flashed past in an instant, and he soon reached its far end.

The moment they passed through the alley, the view before them opened up. First came a pond as large as a football field, its expanse of green water silent and still, with neither lotus leaves nor weeds on its surface.

Many green trees stood around it. In a city like Deer Peace City, this counted as an