"Stop! Don't run!"

  Several demihumans shouted as they ran dowreet. Ahead of them, a person cloaked in a grey robe, their entire body cealed, was weaving through pedestrians, trying to escape.

  However, the town was still in its developmental stages, and the poputioy remained high. sequently, the streets were crowded with people. No matter how agile the figure in the grey cloak was, they couldn't avoid bumping into others.

  "...Ah!"

  Whether by ce or fate, the cloaked person collided with Veridith, who was holding a paper cup, causing a soft sound.

  Simultaneously, the paper cup slipped from Veridith' hand aowards the ground.

  However, this time, the oute was slightly different.

  Standio Veridith, Aris raised her haly. The falling cup, along with the stir-fried iside it, froze in mid-air, as if time had stopped. In the moment, the cup returo Veridith' hand.

  "...Be careful."

  "Ah, thank you, Sister Aris."

  During this brief moment, the demihumans chasing from behind had caught up.

  "Ha... Finally caught up."

  "Ugh!"

  Seeing the demihumans approach, the cloaked person, now seated on the ground, had no time to escape. They crouched, c their head, and eve out a strange noise.

  "Don't catch me! I'm not tasty, and I don't have money!"

  "..."

  The strange words from the cloaked figure caused the onlookers nearby to gre at the demihumans with disdain.

  "Wait... Wait a minute! Don't say such things!"

  One of the demihumans, notig the gres from others, hurriedly expihough to the bystanders, it seemed more like an attempt at a defence.

  It was clearly a se where several burly ruffians were intimidating a delicate young girl.

  "What's going on here?"

  "You... You’re Lady Veridith?!"

  One of the demihumans excimed in surprise upon seeing Veridith.

  As someone who had saved many demihumans women and children, Veridith’ deeds and appearance were well-known among the demihumans from the forest. Sihe focus had been on the grey-hooded figure and the other onlookers, they hadn’t immediately reised her.

  "So, what happened?"

  "Well... At first, my brothers and I were just walking casually dowreet, and then we actally bumped into this person. The rules say we should live in harmony, so I called out to apologise, and that’s when you showed up..."

  The beastman, whose ears and tail suggested he was likely from the lion tribe, had a face that was, as expected, quite fierce.

  However, to Veridith, who was a dragon, this didn't seem too ing. In fact, there was no visible mali his face—if anything, he seemed rather simple and ho, and it was hard to imagine him lying.

  Despite the demihumans's tragic pasts and their experiences of perseost of them were surprisingly straightforward. Even those who had once been sves and ter rescued, after psychological treatment, often found it easy to get along with other races, including humans. It wasn't unon to find non-demihumans among former sves.

  "I uand. This dy... you don't o be afraid."

  Veridith bent slightly to look at the person sitting on the ground. The young woman’s beauty was evident, and it was only now that Veridith realised she was indeed female.

  "You should speak now."

  "Yes. Miss, I'm sorry for bumping into you and frightening you!"

  The demihumans bowed in unison, causing the grey-hooded girl to freeze in surprise.

  "...Um... I’m sorry too."

  Realising she had misuood, the grey-hooded girl immediately stood and also bowed her head to apologise to the demihumans.

  "Alright, that’s settled."

  Veridith cpped her hands, bringing the matter to a close, and the onlookers began to disperse.

  "Thank you so much! And sain for bumping into you!"

  Ohe demihumans had left, the girl turo Veridith, both her thanks and apologies.

  "o thank me... By the way, I don't think I've seen you before...?"

  Veridith looked at the girl before her, who was at least a head taller than her. While Veridith didn’t know everyone in town, she was sure she had never seen this girl before.

  Strangely enough, though, there was a sense of déjà vu when she looked at her face.

  "...I’ll be ho. I’m from the Kingdom of Lidolu... Ah! I don’t mean to be hostile to you! I came here to meet someone high up in the Abyssal federation..."

  Suddenly, the girl’s expression shifted dramatically.

  "But... no matter how much I’ve searched in this city, I ’t find anything resembling the pace of this try..."

  "Well, that’s because it’s in the sky."

  "...Huh?"

  The girl was once again stunned by Veridith’ response, her mind momentarily bnk.

  "...Is that even possible? ...Wait, why would you know that?!"

  "Why not? And I’m not a little girl. I’m at least acquainted with Misako... the High Priestess!"

  "...Wait... Does this mean you taeone high up in this try?!"

  Without warning, the girl lunged forward and practically threw herself at Veridith. Her body, hiddeh the cloak, looked much youhan her actual age of fiftee she was already extraordinarily developed. If she tio grow, she might even rival the stature of a Farkonia, and Veridith had to brace herself as the girl got closer.

  "If that’s the case... then I... Ah!"

  "Yetting too close, sneaky cat."

  Yuriyas, who was slightly youhan the girl, grabbed the cloak and pulled her away. Though still young, Yuriyas, a special individual from the white tiger tribe, had the strength to easily pull the girl back.

  "I... I’m not a sneaky cat! More like, aren’t you the one who’s a cat?"

  "...I’m a white tiger..."

  After the forest demihumans joihe Abyssal federation, Farkonia had veyed the proper cssifications of demihumans, and Yuriyas had learhat she was, strictly speaking, from the white tiger tribe.

  Veridith sighed as she watched the two bicker, stepping forward to intervene.

  "Alright, let’s put that aside for now. So, what do you need with someone high up in this try?"

  Yuriyas, who had calmed down after being pulled away, unsciously leaned closer to Veridith, providing her with the ce to ask.

  "Well... I o deliver some important information, but..."

  The girl looked around nervously, then grabbed Veridith' hand and began running.

  "Wait, what are you doing?"

  In respoo Veridith' question, the girl didn’t answer. Veridith, along with Yuriyas, was dragged into a nearby alley.

  "This... should be fine."

  The girl gnced around to make sure no one was watg before she slowly turned and removed her hood. Her bright blue hair was now visible to them.

  "My name is Aeroxia. I am the former princess of the Kingdom of Lidolu, and I have important informatiarding my brother that I o share with you."