“Guest, where are you headed at this hour?”
The night-shift innkeeper spotted Via coming down the stairs, yawned, and asked in a tired voice.
“I have an urgent matter that just came up. I need to head out for a bit.”
Via tugged her hood lower.
“Is the carriage parked out back, boss?”
“Yes. After your girlfriend returned, it stayed parked there the whole time.”
“Good, thanks.”
After confirming, Via headed to the rear courtyard. Sure enough, the carriage was right where it had been left.
She placed her hand on the door, about to open it, when she sensed the magical lock.
It was the artifact on the carriage.
Without the corresponding key, not only would the door refuse to open, it would also trigger an alarm.
“Looks like I forgot the key.”
Via muttered to herself.
She didn’t need to go back for it, though. A lock of this level could be analyzed and forcibly unlocked.
She closed her eyes, released her mana, and searched for the artifact’s weak point. Sure enough, she detected a tiny crack. She channeled her mana through the fissure and began rapid analysis.
Once she had mapped out the internal structure and located the control section, she used precise mana manipulation to mimic the key’s insertion, tricking the mechanism into an incorrect judgment.
Click!
With the unlocking sound, the color of the carriage door lock changed from red to green.
“Success.”
Via climbed aboard.
Inside the carriage was a crystal orb. She placed her hand on it and took control.
“Current final destination set to Doff City.”
“Final destination must be changed. If I remember correctly, to travel from the Saint Luo Empire to the Desolate Fallen Continent, we need to cross the Yamar border.”
At the southern border of the Saint Luo Empire lay a river called Yamar that separated the human world from demonkin territory.
Other border crossings existed, but they would require a long detour. Via saw no need for that.
“Then set course for the Yamar border.”
After updating the destination, she activated the crystal orb.
The orb emitted a stimulating pulse of mana that woke the sleeping horses.
The horse with the striking fire-blue heterochromatic mane stood up immediately and let out a powerful neigh.
These carriage horses were not ordinary animals. They were half-magical beasts with demonic bloodlines mixed in—stronger and more robust than normal horses, with excellent burst strength and endurance, yet far easier to control than full magical beasts.
“I’ll be counting on you.”
Via patted the crystal orb.
Through the specific mana wave sent by the orb, the horse now knew the direction. It pulled the carriage out of the inn’s rear courtyard, onto the street, and began to accelerate.
“Normally, it would take half a month to reach the Yamar border from here. But since this horse has mixed blood, we should be faster—probably around seven days. As long as nothing unexpected happens in those seven days, we can—”
Thud!!
Before Via could finish, a strange noise came from the roof of the carriage.
She was startled.
An attack?
Judging by the sound, it wasn’t a person. It was something cat-sized, and the weight felt about right for a cat too.
Wait, that noise sounded way too much like a cat. Was it a cat?
Via froze for a second.
“Meow meow!”
“Huh?”
Moreover, the sound was oddly familiar.
“Meow meow~”
A small yellow figure squeezed through the carriage window and leaped straight into Via’s arms.
“Little Ha?”
Via stared in surprise at the little yellow cat snuggling against her chest.
How had this little rascal caught up?
She lifted Little Ha up.
“Why did you follow me again?”
“Meow~”
Little Ha looked delighted and even licked Via’s cheek.
“I give up.”
Via sighed.
She had planned to leave Little Ha with Stella and slip out of the Saint Luo Empire alone.
But this cat had apparently decided to stick with her no matter what.
Was she here to demand those dried fish?
Via felt a twinge of regret. She shouldn’t have bribed the cat with promises earlier.
“Meow meow~”
When Via noticed the fluffy yellow tail, her eyes widened in disbelief.
The cross necklace was hanging from it.
It was the exact one Sophie had given her.
She had meant to discard it by tossing it in the trash earlier. Who would have thought Little Ha would bring it along?
“Meow!”
Little Ha proudly lifted her tail as if to say, I brought the thing you forgot!
“You…”
Via truly could not tell whether Little Ha was deliberately messing with her emotions by bringing the necklace.
She picked up the cross necklace, and Sophie’s face flashed through her mind once more.
Did she really still need to keep it?
Throwing it away would probably be better. As long as she carried it, there was a chance Sophie could track her, which would make escaping the human world much harder.
She held the necklace out the window, ready to toss it again.
“Meow meow!!”
Little Ha sprang up and grabbed Via’s wrist, clearly trying to stop her.
“What are you trying to do?” Via asked. “Do you want me to keep it?”
“Fine, fine. I really don’t get why you insist I carry this thing.”
“Meow.”
Via pulled her hand back inside.
If she threw it away now, Little Ha would probably throw a fit and make a racket. That would be too noisy.
“Meow meow~”
Little Ha jumped onto Via’s lap and curled up as usual.
“You want me to take you along?” Via asked. “I’m going somewhere very far away, and it’s dangerous.”
“Meow meow meow.”
“Aren’t you scared at all? It’s nothing like the human world—there are tons of monsters there.”
“Meow!”
Ignorance is bliss.
Via thought that if she let Little Ha out now, the cat would probably just become a stray again. And with her habit of hissing at everything, she would likely end up hissing at the wrong stray dog one day and wind up dead in the street.
Although Via didn’t consider herself the type to feel sorry for a cat…
“Alright, Little Ha. Let’s head out together. We’ll leave the Saint Luo Empire and go to the Desolate Fallen Continent! The road’s going to be pretty boring anyway, so you can keep me company.”
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