Chapter 2: Everyone Knows Who I Am
The flames on my wings flapped continuously behind me.
Boom, buzz, buzz—
The sound of the air rushing past my ears was like an unending freight train rumbling right next to me. Every beat crashed against my eardrums without pause.
After the initial thrill wore off, “flying” had lost its charm. It was actually quite bothersome, nothing like the carefree image I had in my head. It was akin to constantly releasing dead smoke… tiring, extremely noisy, and the wind was fierce. I couldn’t even fully open my eyes—it was downright uncomfortable.
If it weren’t for my hunger driving me to get home for dinner, a leisurely stroll would have been way more enjoyable… ah.
I could already see the Royal City.
Better fold my wings…
Whoosh—
After a couple of quick flaps to gain some momentum, I tucked my fiery wings back in, and the black flames quickly dissipated into my body. I spread my arms wide in mid-air, striking a “big” pose to maximize wind resistance, and started gliding toward the Royal City.
At this point, the sky was completely dark.
Beneath me, the vast grasslands gave way to the majestic city that had just washed away the rain. Even after losing its shell and recently enduring unimaginable disasters and conflicts, it still upheld its title as “one of the four great cities of humanity,” boasting a dazzling night scene with lights flickering on.
However, a few kilometers away to the south, the massive fire raging on the plains with thick smoke rising, and the countless torches forming a long queue, created a cacophony that cast a heavy shadow over the city’s otherwise enchanting nightscape.
The fire had started burning as soon as I left the city, and it still hadn’t been extinguished…
It was consuming the last group of soldiers’ corpses.
“…Achoo!”
My nose itched…
I could vaguely smell that charred stench.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
As I rapidly descended, approaching thirty meters above the ground, I flipped in the air and spread my palms downward, releasing several jets of ice mist with a loud “boom” to slow my fall. I wobbled a bit to maintain my balance, and with a thud, I landed on the lawn, staggering a few steps forward before finally steadying myself.
…Next time, I definitely need to make it look cooler.
“Wha… who’s there!”
Suddenly, I heard someone shout. Following the voice, I spotted several silver-armored guards standing tens of meters away atop the towering city wall, torches raised, their voices thick with tension.
I immediately shouted back, “Pope Knight, Silvya!”
These days, entry into the city had been tightly controlled, not allowing any unidentified outsiders in. After dark, they would even seal the gates. If I wanted to go in, I had to reveal my identity…
A few days ago, Victoria had given me a pass badge, which was different from the one Carlos had given me when I first entered. This badge was golden, intricately crafted, and the sword pattern engraved on it looked quite impressive this time.
I thought to myself… maybe it’s because this thing no longer had to serve as a necessity to get through the “shell.”
I remembered putting the badge in my… huh?
My dress pocket was empty.
Ah…
I seemed to have forgotten to bring it out…
“Miss Silvya… that was ice mist just now…”
“Black hair…”
“Short stature…”
“…Let her in!”
Boom, boom, boom…
The city gate up ahead opened just a crack.
“Miss Silvya, the people of the Royal City will forever remember your deeds! Welcome back!”
On the city wall, someone stomped their foot and pounded their chest in salute.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes in irritation. I heard every word they just whispered.
What do you mean ‘short stature’…
But at least they recognized me…
…………
I remember when I first entered the city; the streets near the gate were bustling with people, many clearly aristocrats from distant lands, mingling about.
Now, even though the streetlights still shone bright, there wasn’t a soul in sight. Most of the shops had closed their doors, and the few houses with lights on were mostly shut tight.
Riding in the Royal City’s exclusive silver war chariot, I asked the soldier to take me to the market near Longdoll Street and, as usual, gave him a silver coin. But the soldier, looking only a few years older than me and a bit shy the whole time, firmly refused.
“Miss Silvya, you are, you are a great hero! It’s my… my honor to serve you…”
He stuttered his words, unable to meet my gaze. As if worried I might insist, he hastily climbed aboard the chariot and sped away.
How cute…
I watched the chariot leave for a moment before finally turning to enter the market.
Unlike the deserted gate area, the heart of the Royal City was still buzzing with noise. Vendors shouted their wares in a chorus, bright lights twinkled like a galaxy, and groups of people walked about, laughter ringing out now and then. That tense atmosphere from the other day seemed to have largely dissipated by now.
“I say, have you seen the news these past few days?”
“The news… not yet. Why? Have they resolved the placement issues for those people?”
I weaved through the crowd, easily eavesdropping on their conversation.
“Oh, that? I heard they couldn’t raise a ruckus the day before yesterday… It seems Her Majesty the Queen and the Pope reached an agreement. The city isn’t short on grain anymore, and the Church is fixing up buildings… that’s the gist of it, right? But that’s not what I’m getting at…”
“Is it Miss Silvya?”
…Huh?
Are we really jumping straight to me here?
“Yes, yes! Miss Silvya! She’s practically the angel of the Royal City… her black hair shines like pearls, her portraits are gorgeous… trust me, you should definitely see her…”
“She’s so young, yet so impressive… just a little girl…”
“I really admire her…”
“The main point is she’s very beautiful! Elegant! She’s simply—”
“Hey, hey…”
“Look, that girl over there… doesn’t she have black hair? I can’t be mistaken…”
“Really…”
“No way…”
“That looks like…”
The chatter among the people on the street suddenly choked as if someone had grabbed it by the throat and silenced it. Many stopped in their tracks, some looking at me with confusion and disbelief.
No way…
My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly picked up my pace, keeping my head down as I maneuvered through the crowd.
You don’t recognize me… you can’t see me…
I’m just a passerby looking for food… my home has nothing to eat… I’m so hungry…
“Miss Silvya…”
“Is that her…?”
“Black hair and black eyes, sixteen years old…”
“Looks a bit like her…”
“Are you… Miss Silvya?!”
“I-I’m not!”
With more and more people gathering around me, I started to panic, not caring about buying anything else. I pushed past a couple of people blocking my way, hugging my head and bolting into a nearby alley.
Footsteps behind me… someone is actually chasing me!
“Miss Silvya! Please let me see you! I want to express my—”
Moon Step!
Whoosh—
In an instant, as waves of gasps filled the air, I left them all far behind.
Run…
Once I slipped into the alley, I didn’t dare to stop. I dashed toward Longdoll Street.
I’ve been nesting at home a lot lately, especially after the new news release. Other than flying out to practice my new powers, I’ve just been eating and sleeping. I never imagined that just a few days would change things so much…
What should I do?
Am I never going to be able to move about normally again…?
I haven’t even eaten yet…
I sprinted with my head down, not daring to look up, until I entered Longdoll Street and saw the big iron gates of mansion number 3. My heart finally felt a bit at ease, and I relaxed just enough to come to a stop.
“Phew—”
I let out a long breath.
Thank goodness…
Longdoll Street was still as deserted as ever, so I wouldn’t have to… wait a second.
Suddenly, I spotted a tall, slender figure lingering at my doorstep, and my heart leapt.
“Who’s there!”
“It’s me.”
That figure was leaning against the wall, dressed in a sharp white suit. The dim light made it hard to see his face, but I instantly recognized the familiar voice and my eyes lit up.
“Cambo Cheese!”
You came just in time!
