### Chapter Sixteen: Subtle Influences
The sun was a bit too bright for my liking.
In the lush northern district of the Royal City, I was surrounded by blue-and-white buildings and vibrant green foliage, with the crisp chirping of insects occasionally breaking the silence.
There weren’t many pedestrians on the streets, just a few scattered groups hurrying along. It was just about lunchtime, yet my stomach was strangely devoid of hunger. For some odd reason, I had zero desire to hunt for food. Even when passing by those tempting little snack shops on the corner, I had no urge to take a peek inside.
Regardless, I picked a shop that looked easy on the eyes, bought some delicious little pastries wrapped in brown paper, and began munching while walking.
These pastries, made from wheat flour and who-knows-what spices, had some sticky sauce mixed in, tasting sweet and sour, yet I wasn’t enjoying them at all.
The food wasn’t the issue—I was. Ever since I woke up, I hadn’t felt the usual insatiable desire to eat, the uncontrollable urge to sink my teeth into everything in sight. Though the lack of that craving was troubling, my current state was worse—much worse.
In fact, I hadn’t eaten much in three days, thanks to being in a coma. Normally, I’d be so hungry I could eat a full horned horse! But right now…
Frowning, I stopped at the street corner, gazing at the remaining half of my pastry in hand, lost in thought.
…I just don’t want to eat.
I could sense my empty stomach, but my current mood felt akin to having already devoured a lavish feast and being completely satisfied, yet still wanting to stuff more food down. My mind and body were in rebellion.
I knew the reason.
I had “overeaten” too much. There was still a massive monster waiting to be digested, so my body didn’t need any more energy for now.
“Nom!”
I forced myself to shove the half-pastry into my mouth, my cheeks stuffed and bulging. While chewing laboriously, I fished out another piece from the paper bag and resumed my walk.
I have to eat. Anything… just something.
I needed to train my body to rely on regular human food again, not the “abyssal rations.” Though thinking back, those had been incredibly delicious—perhaps the most scrumptious thing imaginable. I had even entertained the thought of devouring Victoria and everyone in the Royal City, which would have been absolutely marvelous—
…What am I thinking!!!
No, no… I won’t think of that anymore.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my frayed nerves.
I must overcome this deadly temptation, as intoxicating as poppies.
With a slightly heavier heart, I walked slowly along the gravel path, passing through alley after alley. Unintentionally, I finished the bag of pastries and stumbled upon the enormous chasm that nearly spanned Cataloma.
My stomach churned a bit.
“Burp—”
I let out a short, powerful belch as if getting a chill, then stepped up to the edge of the chasm.
“Burp!”
I patted my chest and peered down.
The cellar was buried under dirt and rocks, its original shape long gone, marked with charred remnants everywhere. I walked halfway around the chasm; I couldn’t find a single vertebra, let alone a fragment. Only dark stones lingered, yet there were signs that someone had disturbed a few spots.
“Hey! Little girl, what are you doing here?”
A loud, gruff shout behind me made me jump. I quickly turned to see several burly men with wood beams resting on their shoulders, staring at me with raised eyebrows.
“Whose little girl is this, being all mischievous? If you fall in, what will happen? Go on and move away!”
One of the big guys shouted, and another quickly slapped him.
“Keep it down! This girl is so pretty; she’s probably from a very noble family.”
“She’s definitely a lady of some high family, Pix, how could you shout before even knowing? You might have offended her…”
Their chatter faded, and the one who had shouted started to look tight-lipped and a bit panicked as he glanced at me.
They were probably just workers repairing the orphanage.
“Sorry.” I awkwardly bowed to them, “I’m leaving now, burp—”
I couldn’t hold back another burp, quickly covering my mouth, and scurried into a nearby alley, only to faintly hear their quiet conversation behind me.
“What a well-mannered lady, so different from those rude women in the taverns… Somehow, she’s rather cute? Pix, you’re lucky she didn’t take offense.”
“Such ladies are rare around here! Black hair, huh…”
At least no one commented on my burping.
But even as I slipped deeper into the alley, their whispers continued.
“Burp!”
Since it hadn’t rained in a while, the muddy path in the alley was dry now. Stepping on it didn’t feel as uncomfortable as it had that night, though the odor was still unpleasant, with occasional dog barks and glimpses of people.
Following my memory, I finally spotted the house where I had broken a hole in the wall, right next to the alley where I had fought Teresa. I could still see some remnants, though the ice had melted.
Captain Gray and the axe weren’t there; I was told the two weapons were taken by the Sword of Kanli the day before, which eased my mind.
“That scythe? Goodness! Even two people struggle to lift it; they’ll need to switch off carrying it! I heard it’s the Hero’s weapon. So impressive… Hey, miss, what do you want that for?”
Finally shaking off the persistent curiosity of an older lady, I left the alley and caught a war chariot to the area hardest hit by the disaster.
The burping gradually stopped on the way.
I got off the chariot across the street, then walked over, quickly arriving at a large circular square.
This was the edge of the disaster zone. I saw many people setting up tents in the square, densely packed and stretching far down the street.
These… must be the displaced, perhaps even those who lost their loved ones.
Days had passed, and most people had begun to step out from their respective “losses.” Some chatted happily with soldiers, while others set up stalls in the center of their tents, selling grilled sausages and jewelry… They were doing all sorts of things. The mood was generally low, but at least they had to live, and to live, they needed to eat.
Occasionally, I caught snippets of their conversations about Victoria.
“The housing reconstruction won’t cost us anything. How wonderful! All thanks to Her Majesty the Queen.”
“What a wise Queen she is! Did you all pay attention to her speech earlier? She really thinks of us common folks! Praise her…”
“Though young, Her Majesty already embodies the wisdom of King Rodney IV… I’m truly overjoyed that Ethanbel will have such a good king again…”
“And those stuck-up nobles, where are they now? Not a peep out of them…”
“Don’t even get me started on those disgusting folks… One day, I’ll smash their noses!”
From what they said, it seemed Victoria had given a speech here not long ago.
Given everything that had happened…
I didn’t linger there for long, nor did I venture deeper. I simply bought some food and perhaps some jewelry that I wouldn’t actually wear from some vendors struggling through the disaster, and then I left.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to come here. It seemed pointless. I couldn’t help everyone. The costs to rebuild the burnt houses would surely be astronomical, and I had no idea how Victoria would handle that, especially considering the Royal City owed the Saint George Currency Exchange a lot of money.
I wondered if the coins in my hand could help her…
My stomach felt a bit queasy, an old, familiar sense of indigestion coming back. I looked up at the sky, deciding to walk home.
I was now in the city center, not far from Longdoll Street. I deliberately walked slowly, and by the time I reached my doorstep, the sky had darkened towards twilight.
I could faintly hear singing coming from the courtyard.
