It was past noon, the salty breeze of the ocean brushed Leona’s bangs from her face as she stared at the vast blue expanse from the upper decks of the docks with both of her elbows touching the waist-high wooden railing. Krieg kept her company while Phoebe had gone gathering information around town, though mostly populated sailors and merchants, the streets were surprisingly lively with people of different races which made Leona a bit more at ease despite having a hunch that something was wrong around that city.

‘Ever since we’ve entered this region I can’t help but feel that something is off, but I can’t quite tell what…’

She thought while trying hard to come up with a logical explanation as to why the mana felt so stagnant in that place despite not showing any signs of death angel activity in-land which consequently made her brows furrow.

“Is anything wrong Leona?” Krieg asked her, but she kept mumbling to herself until he leaned in beside her face. “Leona?”

“Hm?” She turned her eyes and noticed standing close to her. “Yes?”

“Is everything alright? You seem troubled.”

“Oh did I let it show on my face?” He nodded once which made Leona smile bitterly. “I’m still bad at hiding my thoughts it seems.” She straightened her back and looked behind her where the main wide street cut the city in half parallel to the ocean. Humans, demi-humans, elves, beast-man, dwarves, all kinds of people seemed to be leading their lives as normal but she couldn’t shake off this ominous sensation she felt. “There is something hiding in this region. It may not be in the city but it certainly is draining away the mana in the air.”

“A death angel?”

She shook her head.

“Not this time, else we would’ve heard something about it in the city. It feels less prominent than in Londria but it’s the same as back then.” Her hand instinctively clenched around the longsword handle. “I hope it’s not someone like Jakob again.”

“With how lady Charlotte runs the city I doubt someone like Jakob could exist here.”

“That woman is surprisingly efficient, despite how she carries herself.” She folded her arms in. “I just hope she is an ally.”

“How was it that lady Ravness used to say? ‘Trust only gains value-’.”

“‘-when there is potential for treachery.’ Yes, I quite remember those words. Still, it’s not like I don’t want to trust her, I just don’t want something happening to any of you two again like in Londria.”

He nodded once.

“I understand your feelings. Rest assured I’ll do everything in my power to keep us safe.”

She smiled weakly to him.

“I’m just glad that you’re alright, Krieg.” Her eyes then slowly glanced down to the wooden floor. “I… I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you.”

He had a warm expression on his face as he patted her on the head.

“You must accomplish your dreams, Leona. I am your knight and it is my duty to keep you safe until I draw my last breath.”

She held his hand between her own, his palm was almost twice as big which made her look like a child in comparison.

“A knight you may be, but you are also the only family I have left. The end does not justify the means to achieve it. If I were to sacrifice those around me, I would be no different from Alexander.”

“Aren’t you two close eh?”

A cheerful female voice came from the street on their side. Charlotte was holding a brown leather bag on her left shoulder while her right hand rested on a curved wooden handle on her hip.

“Charlotte?” Leona gently let go of Krieg’s hand as she turned to face the young woman. “May I ask what are you doing here?”

“I figured I needed some practice so I decided to go along with you guys to the kobold nest.”

“Lady Charlotte, with all due respect.” Krieg spoke as he politely lowered his head in a bow. “It may be too dangerous for you to accompany us. It would be best to leave this matter to us and sir Murakano.”

“Murakano? He’s too busy with the paperwork to even come out of his office.” She giggled playfully. “Serves him right for not doing what the merchant’s guild asked of him.”

“Are you the guildmaster of it?” Leona curiously asked. “From your conversation with him earlier I couldn’t help but notice the way that you spoke.”

“The merchant’s guild? No, that would be my younger brother. I’m the master of the fisher’s guild.” She grabbed the side of her stained overalls. “Despite that, I’m the one responsible for the seafare trade so about half of the profits the entire guild makes falls to me. So needless to say I have some influence in this city.”

She had a carefree smile but Leona knew better. She couldn’t tell if it was just an act but that young woman about her age was just as powerful as nobles in Arcadia. Someone with so much wealth and power acting overly friendly seemed too suspicious.

“Isn’t that all the more reason for you to stay?”

She asked.

“Eh, not really. My next voyage is in two days.” She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. “Besides, I have many reliable underlings for a reason right? I can just leave the paperwork to them.”

She shrugged.

‘So she just wants to be lazy.’

Both Krieg and Leona thought at the same time.

“Stop! Thief!”

Someone shouted amongst the large crowd as a hooded figure bolted through them, pushing people out of their way. At first Leona turned with her right hand going for the weapon’s handle ready to run after the culprit but Charlotte blocked her path with the leather bag as she pulled out a long barrel revolver from the holster on the right side of her belt and took a step in front of the tactician while leaving the bag to her. She then held the firearm with both hands before taking a sharp breath, focusing on the perpetrator running away and with a loud bang she took the shot.

Leona followed with her eyes towards where the thief was running and noticed they fell on the ground screaming in pain whilst holding their left leg.

“Well, well…” Charlotte used her right thumb to cock the revolver’s hammer back as she briskly walked towards the thief. “Where are Murakano’s soldiers when we need them?”

Just as she pointed the gun towards the thief who just noticed her hoovering the weapon right above their face.

“Don’t kill me please! I just want to feed my family!”

It was a scrawny man with almost no meat in his bones, it was a wonder how he was able to run.

“Oh please.” She scoffed. “I heard many of those stories before, you’re not the only one.”

Leona saw what was going to happen and her body instinctively moved. However as Charlotte was about to pull the trigger a male shout came from amidst the crowd.

“Lady Charl, wait!” She didn’t take her eyes off the man as a tall soldier wearing heavy armor with a greatsword sheathed on his back approached her from the side. “I’ll take this man to the prison, there is no need for an execution.”

After he said so she waited for a few more seconds before holding the gun up. Her dark expression suddenly changed to a carefree smile as she looked at him.

“Rhys, I didn’t know you were assigned to take care of the business inside the city.”

“Y-yes. Lord Murakano thought it would be best to make use of my abilities here instead of outside battling the death angels.”

“I see, I see… well then, do you mind taking this scum away? It’s tarnishing the view of the city.”

The tall man nodded as a few other soldiers approached behind him. They managed to grab a hold of the thief and started to drag him away.

Some of the people in the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves.

“Is that Eclair?”

“The famous sharpshooter? No way.”

“She did hit him right in the ankle. Not many can do that.”

“She can’t be her, isn’t Eclair supposed to be a beautiful woman?”

Charlotte grabbed the purse the thief left behind and looked towards the large group of people where a silver short haired young woman dressed in drabs squeezed her way through the crowd.

“That’s… that’s my purse!”

“Is it really yours young lady?” She nodded as her golden eyes had a determined look. “Can you tell me how much you were carrying then?”

“Exactly two silvers and six coppers.”

Upon opening the purse and seeing how it was the right amount, Charlotte handed it back to the woman.

“Here you go, be more careful next time.”

“I will! Thank you so much lady Charlotte.”

After seeing the exchange of words, Leona frowned her brow a little as Krieg walked up to her.

“I think… I might have misjudged her abilities.”

The knight said.

“Yeah… me too.”

Leona walked up to her and handed her leather bag back.

“Thank you and I’m sorry you had to see that.” She opened the cylinder of her revolver and took out the spent casing before loading a new one from the satchel on her belt. “This city was originally a place of wanted men, cutthroats and all in between. Though many changed their ways after my father established the three guilds, there are still some that choose their previous way of life.”

She uncocked the hammer and holstered the gun.

“Compared to what I’ve read in history books, it seems remarkably safe here.”

“Well… it wasn’t always like this.” She glanced at the vast ocean with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “We lost many to the seas and many more on land as if the raging waters weren’t enough. That is why I regard those that chose to bring harm to others as below their right to live.”

“If a place knows no rules, one must make the rules huh? A lawless place it may have been, but don’t you find public execution a bit too extreme? Even those who have wronged in the past may yet redeem themselves and walk the right path.”

“That wishful thinking died after I spared the man that killed my mother.” Her right hand clenched into a tight fist. “From that day onwards I promised myself I wouldn’t spare another criminal if given the chance.” She adjusted the leather bag on her shoulder. “Either way, we should get going, I arranged the soldiers that’ll accompany us to the nest. Come on, let’s go.”

Leona, Krieg and Phoebe looked at each other before following the young woman to the city gates, unbeknownst to them, it was going to be a long day ahead of them.