At this thought, Ileya instinctively glanced backward.
Even though there was a curtain blocking her view, her red eyes seemed able to see right through it to Arthur, who was driving the carriage behind her.
After leaving the Golden Apple Circus, Arthur didn’t seem as dazed and foolish as before, but had become somewhat withdrawn and quiet.
It was as if he was always pondering something.
Faced with this, the young lady didn’t try to force him to recall anything, simply letting him clear his thoughts naturally.
He could report to her when he was ready.
But for over ten days straight, he remained silent, with a thoughtful air tinged with sorrow.
And after leaving a certain small town, there was a wooden lute in his hands.
Whenever they walked along lonely paths, music would drift from behind.
At first, the sound of the lute was hesitant and clumsy, sometimes even stopping abruptly halfway.
Arthur would then fall into a deep contemplation.
But as time passed, gradually… the music became melodious and sorrowful.
Most importantly…
The tune stirred a sense of déjà vu in Ileya, as if this wasn’t her first time hearing it.
And accompanied by the strains of that melody, the group arrived at the last city of their journey.
The Kingdom’s easternmost great city—Gillris Eastern City Gate.
The biggest difference between this place and the other cities was…
“Huh!? Is… is that a Black person?!”
The apprentice of the pair responsible for shopping—the Holy Sword Bearer—pointed blankly at a dark-skinned foreigner in a nearby shop.
Then she saw, off to the side… a strange person covered in scales, with a forked tongue darting in and out.
Are… are these even humans?!
“That’s a No-Nation… and a Divine Kin. Gillris doesn’t really have any special local products; its specialty is… you, me, and all of them.”
Amisa strolled forward slowly, admiring the variety of people around them.
“Here, Outlanders from outside the Kingdom and intelligent Divine Kin are allowed to do business, trade goods—basically, it’s… all about inclusiveness.”
This was a sight you would never see inside the Kingdom.
Because within the Kingdom, these “unstable elements” either appeared behind the bars of the Slave Caravan or were listed on the Adventurers Guild’s bounty list.
And once you walked out the eastern gate of Gillris, you’d leave the Kingdom’s jurisdiction and enter the lands of the Outlanders.
The goal of their journey also lay near this region.
“I see.”
This was the first time Holly had heard that people outside the Kingdom were called Outlanders, and that there were all sorts of Divine Kin, similar to beastfolk.
She shifted her gaze to the side… and suddenly, beneath a tree, she saw a little child.
It was a cute little girl wearing a somewhat ragged hemp dress, her hair tied in twin tails, looking no older than five or six.
Most importantly… on each side of her head, there was a pair of adorable cat ears!
And behind her, a yellow-and-black spotted tail was swishing non-stop…
Ah… so cute!
She wanted to pet that tail…
It was Holly’s first time seeing a living Catgirl! She had always loved cats, and now she couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
However… this Catgirl seemed rather anxious, looking up and occasionally jumping in place.
Holly’s gaze followed upward…
She soon spotted a small wooden bird-like object hanging from the tree.
So that was it!
After a month of practice, Holly might not be good at much else, but when it came to running and climbing trees, she was an absolute pro!
Just as she was about to step forward and help the Catgirl—and maybe sneak a few pets in the process…
A figure in a white hooded cloak trimmed with red, a strange emblem engraved on the back, walked up to the tree.
“Ugh… drat…” Holly stopped just as she was about to move.
She couldn’t believe someone else beat her to it…
The white-cloaked figure said something to the Catgirl, then looked up at the tree branch above.
After that, she reached out…
Holly noticed that, though this person wore gauntlets, her fingers were quite slender… she seemed to be a girl as well…?
But… in the next second, Holly’s thoughts were shattered!
Because… boom!!
That slender hand “lightly” pushed the huge tree before her—thick enough for two people to encircle—and the whole tree visibly leaned over!
Crash! A shower of leaves came tumbling down.
And the wooden bird… at that moment, dropped from the tree and—thud!—landed right on the white-cloaked girl’s head.
However… it clearly didn’t hurt her; she just bent down, picked up the wooden bird, and handed it to the Catgirl beside her.
However…
The display of strength had clearly frightened the Catgirl, as evidenced by how she clamped her big tail tight under her chin.
Seeing the girl trembling as she took the wooden bird, the white-cloaked girl seemed to want to reach out and pat the Catgirl’s head.
But as soon as her hand stretched out, the Catgirl bolted in fear.
The white-cloaked girl hesitated, reaching out in the direction the Catgirl ran, then slowly lowered her hand, looking somewhat lost and disappointed…
Being afraid… was only natural, right?!
What a person so bad at dealing with others…
“Holly? What are you staring at… hmm?” Holly’s motionless stance caught Amisa’s attention.
But unlike Holly, when Amisa saw the white-cloaked girl’s back, her brow furrowed sharply.
“That person is…”
“Huh? Master, do you… know her?” Holly looked at Amisa in confusion.
Amisa only shook her head slightly.
“I don’t know her, but the symbol on her back… it’s very conspicuous.”
Symbol?
Holly blinked and looked at the red emblem on the white-cloaked girl’s back…
It seemed to be a pair of simplified hands, holding something, with rays spreading out… as if it were… light?
Ah… now that she thought about it, the symbol did seem familiar.
Where had she seen it before…
“That’s the symbol of the Church.” Amisa said as she withdrew her gaze.
The only orthodox faith in this Kingdom, the one that granted the Golden Apple Adventurer Party power, the Supreme God that allowed humans to establish the Kingdom.
The Supreme God Church, with power second only to the Royal Family.
With Amisa’s reminder, Holly immediately remembered!
There was a church on the outskirts of their previous town, and this same symbol hung above it! Only that one was silver…
“The Church symbols you’ve seen were probably silver or gold… that’s the mark of a Prophet, but red…”
Amisa narrowed her eyes slightly.
“That’s the Heretic Inquisition… all those people are lunatics, best stay far away from them.”
Is… that so?
Listening to her master, Holly subconsciously looked toward the white-cloaked girl under the tree.
At that moment, she was struggling to push the tree she had tilted back into place.
And around her… there wasn’t a single person left; it seemed everyone had been scared off.
“Holly, stop staring… let’s go back.” Amisa said as she began walking back to the inn where the group was staying.
“Huh? Oh… alright!”