Fengxiang Town was unusually silent under the Level One Alert across the entire city. The once bustling Adventurer’s Guild at the heart of town was now deserted, and all the shops had closed their doors.
Herkate carried a small figure completely cloaked in a black cloak, deftly avoiding the Black Knights who thundered past on horseback, their hooves clattering loudly on the broad avenue.
“Don’t think about such nonsense.” Herkate frowned. “Your Majesty the Demon King, I’m going to transform into a black cat. You hold onto me, and follow my instructions, alright? Meow?”
“How rude, meow!” The pitch-black cat reached out a paw and tapped the head of the black cloak. “Don’t say sorry. Also, head into the city first. The rich people here all flee by boat from Town Lower Port to other cities.”
“Fool, they stay behind to protect their homes, meow!” The cat squinted in the little girl’s arms and continued, “Enough chatter, keep moving, don’t stop.”
On the desolate, chilly streets, the small girl wearing shabby black clothes limped forward, clutching a glossy black cat in her arms, heading toward the Knight Checkpoint at the street’s edge.
The Demon Hunter Knight on duty furrowed her brows slightly, puzzled why such a ragged little girl would appear on these thoroughly cleared city streets.
“Hello.” The female knight Fino greeted her companion, then slowly approached the girl, sword on her back, trying to use a gentle tone: “Are you lost?”
The girl tightened her grip on the cat, hesitant. She didn’t know what to say. Since being driven out of Demon King City, she had nowhere to go, wandering aimlessly with the cat, unaware of her destination.
Fino awkwardly tried to withdraw her hand, but halfway back it froze, her embarrassed expression shifting into something unreadable, her voice trembling slightly:
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I just… didn’t stand properly…” The girl hugged the cat with one arm and tried to pull her clothes down with the other to hide the deformities.
An inexplicable frustration welled up inside Fino’s heart, but then she realized the girl’s parents might already be lost to tragedy. That frustration turned into useless venting, leaking slowly from her body through invisible cracks.
Fino sighed deeply and scanned the desolate, dilapidated street. Softly, she said, “It’s not safe for a little girl like you to wander alone. Come with me. It’s still relatively safe here.”