Ever since her misadventures in the capital city Tiangjing and the warning granted to her by Titania that she should first uncover the whole truth before returning to Caelum, the situation had caused Yu to return to Myras city alongside Nyancelot in the hope of collecting her thoughts on the recent events.

Fortunately, ever since Nyancelot joined her the safety of the Fae was much more guaranteed. Despite his small stature, the feline knight was truly proficient in swordsmanship and his noble behavior made it unlikely he would ever betray her. It was for that reason she had agreed to his companionship when she had taken the job request from the adventurer's guild, a job she was familiar with.


The job was posted by the same nobleman from before, the man who despite his gaudy jewelry and extravagant style had a heart of gold and tried to help the people of the poorer districts in his own way. However, after her previous escort job Yu had stumbled onto an encounter with a hooded figure, the same one who had enthralled a crowd into nearly attacking the nobleman! She had left with a warning not to poke her nose into her business, but Yu couldn't help but find herself forced to investigate the matter now.

Not only did she need to escort the same nobleman again, but if they were going to assassinate him, then it was her duty to prevent that from happening!

WC: 245
Total WC: 24(/1600

"I have no idea why this hooded person would be targeting us." the nobleman was as usual accompanied by his female attendant.
"Well, that's not important right now." the nobleman spoke "What matters is that you're here now, and that my safety is in your hands once again."

The nobleman chuckled a bit, the last time he was nearly assaulted by the crowd, yet he had seen how Yu had skillfully convinced the crowd to back down. He still held on to the belief that the Fae had saved him, and in the end, it was the truth, even if not in the way he had expected.
"I will do my best!" Yu said with a gentle smile. "You should have told me we were going out." a familiar voice called from behind her. "Nyaaa!" Nyancelot appeared dashing between the nobleman's legs and walked past the nobleman. Once more he stood upright, hand on his sheathed sword and that same cool pose that one would expect from a knight like him.

"So, what's the deal with that?" the nobleman said as he pointed at Nyancelot. "This is Nyancelot, I was hoping he could help us keep an eye on things." Yu smiled gently as she patted the head of the little feline. "I see... I thought you had come with another companion, but that's no problem at all." the nobleman laughed.

"Then let's get going, shall we?" Yu spoke with a cheerful smile. "Very well, let's depart." the nobleman spoke as the group left the building, they were soon inside the carriage and heading toward the city's outskirts.

WC: 270
Total WC: 515/1600

"Is it wise for him to be with us, Master?" the lady spoke to the nobleman as the two sat facing each other, she was worried that Nyancelot was a spy from the crown. "You mean him?" the nobleman asked as he glanced at Nyancelot.

"He is trustworthy, right?" he asked as the Fae nodded. "Then there's nothing wrong with it, it's not like they can't send a spy to look at us." Yu merely chuckled at these words. "Nyancelot is an Exceed belonging to the Caelish order of knights, his interests don't lie in the political affairs of Fiore, and his loyalty is bound to me."

"An Exceed, is it?" the nobleman pondered a moment before glancing at the cat. "Is he really an Exceed? He looks pretty small, I would have thought a cat that size was a domestic cat." Yu could barely hold her laughter at Nyancelot being compared to a domestic cat. "Ah, it's true that he's smaller than most. But his personality and strength make him no less of a warrior, in fact, his abilities surpass most Exceed."

"Is that so?" the nobleman wondered "Then, could I ask why you brought him with you today? Are you perhaps aware of the dangers we face?" Yu smiled and nodded. "That's right. We had an encounter with a hooded woman who was controlling the mind of the citizens to attack you, I figured bringing someone as strong as him would help."
"So you knew of the danger as well." the nobleman pondered "If you want I could send you off to somewhere safer." the nobleman proposed, however, Yu shook her head.

WC: 280
Total WC: 795/1600

"I know, but I can't abandon the city. Besides, you are my client." Yu said as the nobleman could only sigh. "I suppose you have a point. Then, you know I'm going to the slums, right?"

"Yes, I've been there once. That's where the poor gather, isn't it?" Yu said as the nobleman looked away. "I'm sure you already know of my charity work." the nobleman began to speak "In reality, the reason why I'm visiting the slums today is not the charity work itself. No, the reason why I'm headed to the slums is because of a rumor."

"A rumor?" Yu tilted her head in confusion. "Yes, I received an anonymous letter saying a man would be assassinated in the slums. As an adventurer, I'm sure you know how dangerous a situation like this can be, thus, I was hoping to hire you to help me. That is, of course, if you can find the person in the letter."

"I understand. But is it alright to believe this letter? What if it was a trap." Yu asked with a frown. "That is exactly why I've asked for your help. I trust you can tell the difference between a normal person and someone who has been entranced, I'm afraid I wouldn't have a chance to notice." the nobleman said with a helpless smile.

Yu simply nodded at the words of the nobleman. Indeed, she could indeed tell whether someone was in their right state of mind or not, after all, it was her duty as a Fairy.

Soon the carriage reached the outskirts of the city, it traveled along the cobblestone roads and passed several houses on its way to the slums.
Once the carriage arrived, the doors were opened and the passengers stepped outside. The area was full of poor-looking buildings and people, but they had a sense of liveliness as if their poverty was something that didn't affect them.

WC: 335
Total WC: 1130/1600

"The person is a beggar in the area, they will have a purple scarf tied around their wrist. That's what the letter says." the nobleman spoke as the party made their way inside. The streets were full of people and beggars, some even tried approaching the nobleman. However, the moment they saw his face they turned and left without saying a word.
"Purple scarf... Purple scarf..." Yu pondered. "Is there something wrong?" the nobleman asked.

"Nothing, I just didn't think you would know so much about the slums." Yu replied. "I may have a lot of money, but that doesn't mean I didn't live a rough life once. I was born into a rich family, but I ran away at a young age." the nobleman explained. "You see, the nobles of Fiore aren't always good people. They take advantage of the common folk and only care about their status, they treat their own people like objects and abuse them, I hated that, the fact my family turned a blind eye to the suffering of the poor. So I decided to leave the house."

"So you've lived here?" Yu asked as the nobleman shook his head. "Not here specifically. When I first left my home, I wandered through the kingdom trying to find myself and figure out how to live on my own. Eventually, I learned the value of money, how to earn it and how to save it. That was when I found myself living in the slums for a long time, that was also the place where I met her, the first person to teach me the value of life."

"Who was she?" Yu asked, interested in the story of the nobleman. "A prostitute. A woman who despite her circumstances always smiled and worked hard, she would even try to teach the kids how to read. In the end, she was murdered by a rich man who got too drunk and mistook her for a thief." the nobleman's voice trembled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your business." Yu apologized as the nobleman shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I would have never met her if I didn't leave the house, nor would I be helping the people now. If you can, remember her words. She always said to me 'You should help those who cannot help themselves.'." the nobleman explained as Yu smiled. "Of course, I'll never forget her words."

As the two were speaking, Yu noticed a beggar not far from them, he had a purple scarf around his wrist. She stopped to stare at the beggar as the man looked away. "Master, is something wrong?" the female attendant asked, but the nobleman was already following Yu's line of sight.

"Do you know that beggar?" the nobleman asked, but Yu shook her head. "It's not him. I'm certain the beggar we're looking for is a man." Yu spoke as the nobleman sighed. "I see, then let's keep looking. If we can't find him then there's not much we can do." the nobleman said. "Nyancelot, would you keep an eye on that beggar?" Yu asked the feline as he nodded.

"Don't worry, he's safe." Nyancelot said as the group continued walking, they soon reached a plaza full of people. The area was bustling with activity as many merchants and street vendors did their best to sell their wares.
"It's a little crowded, isn't it?" Yu spoke. "Yes, but there should be no issue. It's better to be in a crowded place rather than an isolated one." the nobleman said. As the group walked, they noticed a group of men surrounding a beggar, they were all wearing weathered shirts and were yelling at him.

"Why won't you pay up?!" one of the men shouted. "I already told you, I don't have any money." the beggar spoke in fear.

"I see, then that makes me wonder what is that?" one of the men picked up a piece of paper. "It's a receipt for some food, isn't it? Why would you need a receipt for food, unless you were planning on eating it later. Isn't that right, scum?" the man laughed.

"Wait, wait! That's not what I meant! I bought it, it's mine, right?" the beggar said, but the men laughed. "Oh? And how do you plan on paying for it? Did you think you could just steal it? Well, that's not happening!" one of the men raised his hand and was about to strike the beggar, but a woman's voice stopped him. "Stop right there!" the woman had brown hair and had a short frame, and yet despite her small size she was standing between the man and the beggar.

"Get lost, wench!" the man raised his hand, but a second later a silver-haired girl stood in front of the woman and grabbed his arm. "Are you going to hit a woman?" the girl was none other than Yu.

"And who the hell are you?" the man shouted.

"Just a stranger passing by, I can't stand watching the poor getting beaten up by bullies." Yu said as the man scoffed. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this? Shouldn't you go back to your home and play dolls, or whatever girls your age do."

"Dolls? You really are ignorant. You seem to think that because you're a man you can act however you want, that is not how the world works." Yu said calmly.

WC: 948
Total WC:2078/1600

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" the man was infuriated, he pulled his arm away and glared at Yu. "Why you! I'll show you!" the man charged at her, but Yu calmly stepped aside.
The man fell to the ground and rolled on the ground. "W-What?!" the man was confused, he had put all his weight into his attack, yet the girl had evaded it.

"If you're going to throw a punch, make sure you have a plan for when you miss." Yu said as she glanced at the men. "Are you going to keep throwing punches? Or will you leave us alone?" the men looked at each other and nodded, they then turned to Yu. "We'll be taking our leave now. But don't get in the way next time, you hear me?" the men left the plaza grumbling in annoyance.

"They just left the beggar behind." Yu said as the female attendant shook her head. "That's probably for the best, who knows what they would have done to him if you didn't interfere." the attendant said as the beggar stood up. "T-Thank you." the beggar said as he ran away. "What a coward." the female attendant spoke. "He has no reason to fight, it's better to run away than get hurt." the nobleman replied. "Now, let's find the beggar we're looking for." Yu suggested. "Indeed, but let's hope the beggar is safe. With so many people here it's not unlikely he would be attacked again." the nobleman said.

Yet despite the events of today Yu couldn't help but notice the sky was growing darker, a sign night had come. "I'm afraid we didn't find the person you were worried about sir." Yu stated, but at the same time a feminine voice resounded from the shadows. "O~ but you did my little Fae, you're looking right at him~" the figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing her identity. "The hooded woman!" Yu exclaimed.
"Oh? You're still mad at me, aren't you?" the woman chuckled. "Don't worry, you're not here for me." the woman walked past the group and stopped in front of the nobleman. "But that's not to say you're safe, oh no~" the woman giggled and grabbed the nobleman by his neck, lifting him into the air.

"Let him go!" Yu raised her staff, but the hooded woman merely grinned. "Or else what?" the woman laughed and threw the nobleman towards her, the force of the blow sending him into Yu.
"Master!" the female attendant shouted. "Hahahaha! That's one down!" the woman raised her hand. "Now, time for the main event." the woman snapped her fingers and the people of the slums suddenly stood up.
"Ah!" the woman shouted in glee. "This is perfect! Now, everyone! Get her!" the people charged at Yu. "I'm afraid that's not going to happen." Nyancelot said as he rushed forward, the blade of his sword flashing in the air and slicing through the people. The people who were attacking him fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Nyaaa~" the little feline said with a smirk.
"What's this?!" the hooded woman screamed in anger. "Who the hell are you?!" the woman asked. "Nyancelot, the knight." the feline introduced himself. "Damnit, why is a Knight in the slums?" the hooded woman shouted in anger
.
"Why indeed. However, that's not important." the feline knight smirked.
"Then I guess I'll just have to take you down too." the woman said as the people of the slums suddenly rushed towards Nyancelot. "Nyaa~" the feline jumped into the air and dashed around the area, slashing his sword and sending the people flying away.

"What is this?!" the woman was dumbfounded by the power of the feline.
"I'm afraid I can't let you take him down." Yu said as she raised her staff, a bright light emitting from it. "You see, I can't forgive those who harm the innocent." Yu pointed the staff at the hooded woman and fired a blast of light.

"What the-?!" the woman dodged the beam of light, but at the same time Yu's magic activated, causing the hooded woman's control over the people in the slums to falter, the people collapsing onto the ground but fortunately still uninjured. Of course the hooded woman was furious. "I warned you! This time I'm not going to be so gentle!"

Yet as the woman darted toward Yu, brandishing a dagger from underneath her cloak the moment she neared Yu a sickening sight awaited the Fae. "Ah... Ah..." the hooded woman coughed, her hand shaking as she tried to stop the blood spilling from her mouth. "Wh-what the... what did you... do...?" the woman dropped to her knees as Nyancelot's blade was impaled into her back.

"I warned you evildoer: I won't let anyone harm my lady." the feline said with a smirk.

The woman fell on her side and stared at Yu with wide eyes, she wanted to say something, but before she could her body grew limp and the life faded from her eyes. The nobleman climbed onto his feet, shaking slightly from the entire ordeal. "We should leave while we can Yu..."

Yu nodded her head lightly as she watched Nyancelot sheath his sword. Indeed, it was time to go...