Even when looking at the same scene, the feeling changes depending on whether you see it from afar, up close, or find yourself within it.
As the city drew closer, Alje seemed to have braced herself in her own way, but the reality of the city was far more brutal than what a young girl could have imagined.
“Ugh.”
There were no guards.
The moment they stepped past the meaningless city walls without any interference, the girl’s face twisted miserably.
The fact that Alje didn’t throw up was commendable.
Truly, this stench was something even Hans, who had spent years surviving in the labyrinth, struggled to get used to.
“If it’s really that bad, just empty your stomach once. It might help.”
“Mmph…!”
But even as her face turned pale, Alje shook her head violently.
That determination was so firm that Hans simply shrugged in response.
“Well, do as you like.”
Still, Alje’s adaptability was impressive.
After a short while, her complexion improved somewhat.
Though she was still holding her nose shut, she could at least breathe through her mouth.
With a nasal voice, she muttered,“Do… people really live in a place like this?”
“It’s better inside the buildings.”
Of course, the air inside was stale and musty due to poor ventilation, and the incense burned to mask the stench mixed into an even stranger smell.
But for the sake of the girl’s mental well-being, Hans decided not to mention that part.
“Ugh…”
“I know it’s hard, but just bear with it a little longer. We still have a long way to go.”
“Where are we going?”
“My house.”
Since they had lost all their supplies while escaping the corpse mound, they needed to go home and retrieve necessities.
Alje’s clothes were tattered and stained with blood, and Hans, still wearing rags from the corpse mound, looked even worse.
Perhaps the real surprise was that no one in Heimvig seemed to pay much attention to their appearance as they walked through the city.
It was almost a relief in a way.
Alje looked so ragged that people failed to notice she was a girl, drawing less attention.
Of course, whenever her clear voice rang out, some people turned to look, but a single glare from Hans was enough to make them shrink away.
Most of the figures strewn along the streets were little more than husks, after all.
“I need to grab a weapon… and change my clothes. Are you hungry?”
“I ate a lot before, so I think I’ll be fine for a while.”
“That’s good. I, on the other hand, am starving.”
Unlike monsters, which could consume an excessive amount and store energy for a long time, the human body wasn’t nearly as convenient.
On top of that, Hans had been pushing himself too hard for the past few days.
The real issue, though, was the food.
After eating nothing but monster meat drenched in witchweed for days, his mind was starting to feel worn down.
What he needed now was a proper meal to soothe his exhausted body and a stiff drink to wash away the filth clinging to his soul.
“I know you’re tired, but just hang in there a little longer. Or… do you want to stay at home?”
“N-No! I’ll go with you!”
A somewhat panicked response.
Of course, Hans had no intention of leaving Alje behind.
This was more of a test—to see how well he could control her.
To see just how much the monster girl depended on him.
And judging by her reaction, the result wasn’t bad at all.
If anything, she seemed more unsettled by the people of the labyrinth city than by the corpses piled high on the corpse mound.
Whether it was from unfamiliarity, hesitation, or fear.
“Haha. No need to be so tense. Fighting inside the city is forbidden, after all.”
“If they’re told not to… do people actually listen?”
“You’re learning quickly about how things work in the labyrinth.”
Every time the shrinking girl spoke, her voice—clear as a bell—drew unwelcome attention.
Alje had no idea what about her was drawing people in.
But she could certainly feel the emotions behind their gazes.
“If you don’t follow the rules, you get punished.”
The people of the labyrinth weren’t ones to be reasoned with.
If you extended a hand to them, they’d bite it off without hesitation.
So the only thing that could control them wasn’t kindness, but the threat of punishment.
As Hans shielded Alje and openly displayed his displeasure, the crowd of prying eyes scattered like rats.
“Punished? By who?”
“Who do you think built and manages this labyrinth?”
“Of…….”
Of course, rules were never perfect.
No matter how much people feared the witches or how closely the familiars watched over the city.
There were always those who lived only for today, reckless and careless about consequences.
The labyrinth was full of such hopeless souls.
Hans was reminded of that the moment he opened the door to his home.
“Oh… What’s this? Hey, man. I’ve already claimed this place. Go find somewhere else.”
A figure lazily crawled out, scratching his belly.
Acting as if he owned the place, the man was even more pitiful-looking than the scavenger Hans had encountered earlier.
His body was filthier than most, with scrawny limbs and a bloated belly resembling a tadpole.
His dull, unfocused eyes and the white powder crusted around his unshaven mouth told Hans everything he needed to know.
The fact that he couldn’t even recognize a high-ranking hunter and had the audacity to act so brazenly made Hans sigh.
He grabbed the man by the collar.
“Ugh?”
“Get out of my house, you bastard!”
Thud!
Fueled by rage, Hans hurled the man aside with such force that, despite his lanky frame, he was sent flying and crashed onto the ground.
The impact seemed to bring some clarity back into the man’s foggy eyes, and he opened his mouth to protest.
“Damn it, using violence inside the city walls? That’s against the rul—”
“Go on, keep talking.”
“Hurk!”
The moment he met Hans’ burning gaze, he turned tail and fled, rolling along the ground as he scrambled away.
Hans simply clicked his tongue and let him go.
If they had been outside the city, he would have chased him down and ended it properly.
But since they were inside the city, as the man had weakly pointed out, Hans decided to respect Heimvig’s rules—for now.
He’d just make sure to remember that face for later.
“Alright, you can come in now.”
“W-What was that just now…?”
“Nothing to worry about. Just another parasite, common in Heimvig.”
There was a reason why most of the city’s residents despised scavengers.
They were filthy, spent whatever money they earned on white witchweed, and, since most of them were failures who couldn’t adapt to the labyrinth, no matter how many you got rid of, more kept appearing.
Security in a place like this wasn’t exactly tight, so whenever a house was left unattended for a few days, squatters like that would crawl in and try to claim it as their own.
“T-Then, excuse me…”
“No need to be so formal. As you can see, it’s nothing fancy.”
Alje hesitantly stepped inside.
Seeing the mess, Hans clicked his tongue.
Not that he was particularly upset—sure, the squatter had trashed the place, but Hans had never been a neat person himself.
The real valuables were hidden elsewhere.
Leaving Alje to her own devices, Hans moved to a corner of the house and bit down on his finger.
“Mister?!”
Ignoring Alje’s startled reaction, he let a drop of blood fall onto a specific spot.
As if by magic, the illusion veiling a small safe in the corner melted away, revealing its presence.
After confirming that its contents were untouched, Hans turned back to Alje.
“What? If you’re worried about the wound, it’s nothing.”
“What was that just now?”
“A gift from a witch. Let’s go.”
Hans retrieved a hand axe for self-defense and a decent amount of money for supplies, then shut the safe.
As soon as he removed his hand, the illusion shrouded it once more.
Realizing that Hans had no intention of explaining further, Alje swallowed her curiosity and quietly followed him.
Everything around her was unfamiliar.
For someone who had never experienced the real world properly, let alone a place like this, the labyrinth was far too overwhelming.
She had been taught that monsters were enemies—competitors.
That belief hadn’t changed, so she never had any confusion about it.
<But what about humans?>
<“We were born with this power to help others, my daughter. My heir. Never lose your compassion for people.”>
“Grrk. Grrrr. Grrrk.”
Her mother and her “other mother” had taught her two completely opposing lessons, leaving Alje feeling lost.
She was young—eighteen years old, a half-born.
Most of her life had been spent in the safety of her home and the crevices of the rocks, sheltered from the world.
She was still too soft, too inexperienced to have formed any firm beliefs of her own.
Maybe some would think a mere touch wouldn’t leave a mark.
But to her, even the lightest touch left deep, lasting imprints.
“Okay, Mister.”
Smiling, Alje followed Hans with a light, dance-like step.
Hans never saw the expression she wore.
He had already turned his back to her, and he never looked back.