Chapter 183 – First Walk

“Wow…”

“Max should be here with us…”

“I agree, but we promised to listen to the Lord for a moment.”

Ethan’s ears perked up when he heard Syrus’s shift in tone, which made him worried but also excited.

“Woof!” Cobalt barked, liking Syrus’s plan.

[Let’s not do anything that will get us thrown in jail…] (Luna)

[Oh. Cough. Reading the list of what we have done in the past year alone, I think we would already be going to jail for our crimes.] (Syrus)

[Different people, different situations. Let’s not get in trouble in this city, please…] Luna felt like she was going to be on the losing argument.

The new day had begun, and they were free from the lord’s manor, where they had stayed the whole previous day. For the first day, they had been requested not to leave so they could prepare items and clothes for the group to use while in the city that wouldn’t cause any suspicion or worry. Walking around with weapons was certainly a lot more unusual. If they were staying here briefly, their combat gear would be fine, but it appeared everyone was going to stick around for at least a week.

Eva had trouble sleeping in the body, so she spent most of the night away in their Soul Space to think, and the others left her to her own devices.

So while Max and Mary were stuck in the manor for a while longer, everyone else had the opportunity to explore the city. Maca tried to stay behind, but Mary insisted he go and explore the city. The one who actually stayed behind was Lavender, who muttered she wasn’t feeling it today, but Syrus pegged a conversation between Lavender and Mary to be the reason.

Syrus did pick some casual clothes for them to wear, long pants and a shirt that looked comfy if a little baggy. What the group didn’t know was that her underlayer of armour was still present. It wasn’t even known by the rest of the group yet. If they had to get naked to get clean, they took turns, or Syrus found a way to sneakily hide her gear if she washed with someone. She liked keeping a few tricks up her sleeve.

[It is supposed to be a nice day out; why are we still wearing this…] (Luna)

[Do you want one of the manor’s staff to find it and begin asking questions?] (Syrus)

Luna knew Syrus was going to say that, but she was really looking for the opportunity to take a break from wearing the tight equipment. It was plenty breathable, but the feeling on their skin was distracting for Luna. Syrus and Eva had both quickly reached the stage of forgetting about it, and Luna couldn’t comprehend how even Eva had reached that state.

Maca looked over the group. “Is it really going to be okay if I go out?”

Syrus replied, “Yes, you shy man.”

“Not shy?”

“Technically correct, but worrying about the consequences of harming others is kind of its own shyness.”

“Really?”

Syrus shrugged. “Probably?”

It was no secret they were going to get stares if Maca joined them, but out of the options, it was better to accompany him through the city than leave him to his own wandering. They trusted that he would be fun, and they didn’t think the city was going to be hostile towards him, but the issue was going to be whether they had other emotions directed towards him.

With excitement in their hearts and no worry at all for the future, the trio began their journey through the city, ready to explore all the wonderful, the strange, and the ordinary sights. This trip was mostly for the boys, and Anlesa knew this was not going to be the only time they would be exploring the city, and they were already crafting personal exploration plans.

“Hmmm….” Luna hummed. “The smell of the food isn’t as strong.”

“That is your first thought?” Ethan blinked.

Maca tilted his head as he tried to focus on the smell. “I don’t notice much of a difference?”

The city was surely a place that had things, that was Syrus's opinion outside her initial reactions. She was impressed with what the city offered, but her interest in city building wasn’t really there to keep up that interest for more than a day.

The group moved through the city with ease as there were plenty of signs and maps on posts to explain where everything was. Businesses, people, and food, the three essentials of any good city.

“It… really is crazy how big this place is…” Ethan said. He chewed on a roasted potato the group had purchased.

“First massive city, though Arisea Station is a decent-sized place, if not always what some people think of as a city. Either way, enjoy the opportunity.”

“I am…” Ethan smiled, “Thank you for bringing me along.”

“All good, kid.” Syrus smiled, happy for Ethan that he was getting good experience out of this trip.

Maca, meanwhile, had been around a few cities, though he tended to be more covered up than he was now. He was still more clothed than he was in Arisea Station, but the large coat he was wearing still showed some bones visible on his chest, and his skin pigment difference could be seen by all. As expected, there were many stares and shocked expressions.

People who had only heard stories were now seeing someone with an Exotic Attribute for the first time.

[It is strange that many haven’t seen someone like Maca before. Arisea Station has a few.] (Syrus)

[It’s a curse of the culture.] (Luna)

[Not literally, I hope.] (Syrus)

[Of course not, but Lilly could elaborate as well, but like many countries, Eletscoep citizens don’t have the drive to visit other countries.] (Luna)

It was estimated that only around 30% of people in any particular country would visit other surrounding countries. This number was known to Luna from her studies at the church. Due to the immense time it would take to travel between countries, even close ones, a person had to be ready and know what was coming for them when they crossed the border. Then there were all the other issues with the law and money. There were plenty of people who only understood the law in their local area, not even the whole country, and so going to other countries had risks that people didn’t want to take.

Hunters and mercenaries either knew enough about the laws or understood by vibe what to do, which mostly meant good behaviour, don’t break anything, and do what was required to be paid. Traders and merchants were on the opposite end of the spectrum; they usually knew exactly what laws they had to face.

Money was another big issue, while countries like Nevald Kingdom, Cancole and Arisea Station were close enough that they had agreed upon exchange of the ratio of metals in the different types of coins, which of course didn’t hold true for every country. It wasn’t as if a person couldn’t use their money at all in other countries; gold was gold after all, and money from other countries was often considered less trustworthy, as only skilled merchants could tell if something was properly made of the desired metals. Either this meant that it required more coins to buy something that would normally be cheaper in a person’s home country.

Some of this was due to countries wanting to increase the value of their own currency, and at times, it was due to too many people trying to scam the economy with fake money pretending to be other countries' coins.

[Hmmm…] Eva knew all of the standards, like economy and distance as well. Eletscoep was certainly much further away than the other countries, and she had remembered the fear stories of people being unable to properly purchase supplies they needed. [Yeah… though likely a lot worse than some of those other countries. Eletscoep children were taught a lot about how life was better here than in other countries. We learned many places didn’t have proper education facilities for all children and lacked many of the amenities that we had access to.]

[I mean, based on first impressions, that opinion isn’t exactly wrong.] (Syrus)

The fact that there was a tap around most corners of the city that allowed people to refill water for their houses was shocking.

During the walk. “Um…” A nervous boy walked up to the group. “Where are you from?”

“Me?” Maca paused after he noticed Syrus give him the nod. “Arisea Station.”

“Oh! Are there more… like you around there?” The boy’s tongue twisted over his words, as he was worried about how the message would come across.

“No.” Maca was blunt.

Luna didn’t want to but felt like it was necessary to be truthful. “No one exactly looks like him, but there are a few other Exotic attribute individuals.”

“Oh.” Maca paused, realising he had misunderstood. Even after being told people here were more accepting, he still hadn’t registered that and kept with his usual attitude when he was unsure about a person’s intention.

“Wow…” The teen’s eyes widened. “Umm… if this isn’t too rude… can you explain what it is like to have such an attribute…” He waved his arms in a panic, “You don’t have to explain what your attribute is, sorry! Just… what is the feeling…”

“Normal?” Maca brought his hand to his chin. “Clothes can be a bit tight, and I don’t really tan, but I haven’t had any issues with daily life.”

Maca made a mistake answering the boy’s question that only Eva knew he had. The moment he did, many people nearby who were curious gathered around, ready to ask questions.

“Are there any side effects?”

“Do you get sick?”

“What type of Exotic Attributes are common for you to see?”

“Can you come over to our stand so we can paint a picture?!”

Maca had no clue what to do. In the past, he knocked away mad hordes, but he felt that would be inappropriate here. He tried answering questions on basic levels, but they seemed to never end.

To save the day.

Syrus quickly picked up Maca, which brought a shock to everyone. “Sorry, everyone, the question and answer event is over for today.” And quickly moved away as Ethan desperately tried to chase after them, while Maca was also so shocked about how fast he was facing the sky.

After a few more stops, shops, and coughs, the trio felt like they were done for the day.

When everyone returned, they were ready to fall down exhausted. Well, Syrus was playing up her own exhaustion to match the two tired guys of the group.

“Looks like everyone had fun.” Lavender laughed as she watched the group roll in. The staff were waiting to help take the group to the bath. Ethan and Maca allowed themselves to be taken away, while Syrus resisted, and the staff backed away. Then she pulled Lavender to the side for the moment.

Syrus asked Lavender in a quiet whisper, “Did anything unusual happen?”

“No, and we were able to make sure that Lord Hall wouldn't be announcing Mary’s return.”

“He was worried for her safety and wanted everyone to be able to keep an eye on her.”

“How did yo–never mind. Yes, but Mary wouldn’t budge from her stance, and it looks like the information hasn’t spread from the house yet. The number of staff here is tiny but loyal for one reason or another. Though some of the staff seem to work directly for Havier outside of their gig here, I’m not exactly sure about the details. I haven’t asked the man.” Lavender wasn’t surprised that Syrus somehow picked up exactly what had been happening while she was gone.

“Understood, thanks for the update.” Syrus smirked and patted Lavender’s shoulder and walked away. Lavender rolled her eyes and moved back to the lounge room where Max and Mary were waiting.

There was plenty of small chatter before the day was complete. Ethan told Max everything he had experienced throughout the day, and there was a small laugh when he reached the topic of Maca.

Back in their room, waiting for the night to pass.

[Day one over, what a day it was. Did everyone have a good time?] (Syrus)

Syrus’s words simply washed over Eva, and she automatically replied with, [Sure.] Her mind wasn’t with them right now; instead, it was picturing a false life, one where she didn’t die, one where she had stayed within the city as the changes came.

[Are you up for controlling the body tomorrow, Eva?] (Syrus)

[...] Eva was forced back and took a few minutes before answering. [Yes…]

It was a long time coming, but she needed to see what had happened to her home.