Chapter 34: I Recognize You
At the foot of the southern city wall, Sword Demon Anacelis was bundled up in a thick fur coat. The fluffy white fur wrapped her petite frame so snugly that only her head and hands were visible, as she huddled against the wall, cradling half a hard loaf of bread in her hands. Occasionally, she would tear off a chunk, nibbling at it daintily.
After munching for a while, she suddenly noticed that the hem of her coat had become a bit damp from being soaked in the snow for too long. The snow on the ground was rather dirty, mixed with a smattering of mud, which clung embarrassingly to her pristine white fur.
So, she paused her chewing, hurriedly yanking her coat hem up onto her lap, bread still clenched in her mouth. In an oddly comical moment, she attempted to use her hands to wipe away the dirt, exposing her bare calves to the biting cold of the winter night.
“Ah-choo—”
A moment later, she let out a tiny sneeze.
But she refused to lower the coat again, fearing it might get dirtied once more. So she simply leaned back against the city wall, took a swig from a water pouch at her feet, and resumed tearing at the bread.
This coat was a gift from a female officer at Erin Castle who had spotted her shivering in her thin clothing while wandering the town. The officer called out to her saying, “Miss Anacelis,” which made the Sword Demon a bit annoyed since she didn’t remember who that was. However, she couldn’t help but like the coat—it looked warmer than anything else she’d seen, even prettier than what the highborn ladies wore.
Of course, Anacelis wouldn’t be swayed by mere looks; the important part was that it looked very warm and, more importantly, the pure white color was perfect camouflage in the snow.
So, she took it without hesitation, casting aside the cloak that had seen better days and was riddled with battle damage. Once she slipped into the fur coat, it was certainly warmer and surprisingly more comfortable than expected.
By nightfall, she was even more attached to it.
Despite this new furry friend, her day was pretty meager. She hadn’t gleaned the information she wanted; the clergymen who’d been kicked out of the city were all the bottom feeders—just preachy types who didn’t know much else. Back when she’d confronted Anseier, she had asked him who was behind her mother’s demise, but the darn old man took the secret with him to the grave.
Maybe he didn’t even know.
Staying here didn’t seem to serve any purpose anymore.
Anacelis didn’t want to return to the bustling, noisy palace in the city. There were too many people, and she hated being in crowded places that made her feel unsafe. She preferred hiding away in unnoticed corners, even if it was a bit colder and the conditions weren’t the best. In those moments, free from prying gazes and communication efforts, she felt the most at ease.
However, hiding here wasn’t exactly comfortable either. Even if no one bothered her, the occasional passerby, often starving, would cast eyes on her, their looks mostly ill-intended—whether they were eyeing her food or that gorgeous coat of hers. Luckily, for now, they hadn’t dared to come and rob her, but who knew what might happen later at night?
Not that she was scared, but it was supremely annoying.
It seemed a commotion was brewing outside, as the torches of the Northern Army flared up everywhere. Anacelis was unsure what was happening but didn’t care much. She was just about to take another bite of her bread when she overheard voices in the darkness nearby.
“Ha, we’ve reached the foot of the wall…”
“Easier than I imagined.”
The voice belonged to a woman, but there were two sets of footsteps approaching through the snow. They hadn’t lit a torch, clearly not part of the Northern Army, but they didn’t sound like starving refugees either. Hungry people lacked that kind of confidence.
“In the eyes of the Northern Army, we’re just a couple of ragamuffins; since no one’s dead, they won’t put up too much fuss. Don’t you think these barbarians, after winning a battle, feel like anyone could stroll in without worry? Ridiculous!”
The woman’s voice was just the right volume to reach Anacelis clearly. She watched as two shadowy figures traversed the snowfield, dressed like refugees in tattered grayish-black cloaks, one taller than the other, stepping into view under the moonlight.
Anacelis tucked away her bread, curling up and staying still.
Her presence blended seamlessly with the snow, and with the dim light by the wall, it was hard to spot her tucked away here.
The duo didn’t notice a thing.
“Shh, keep your head down, don’t let them know you’re watching the wall,” one said. It was a deep, rumbling voice belonging to a man. “We’re just refugees looking for food. The wall isn’t lightly guarded; the chances of being discovered are too high. Before the Northern Army gets here, we need to find another way in.”
“Are you kidding me…”
“That breach created by the ice mound has too much chill nearby; normal people can’t get close. But we can.”
As they approached the wall, they began to walk east along it. At that moment, the moonlight was luckily concealed by clouds, casting the area in darkness. Aside from Anacelis and a couple of lingering hungry folks, no one could see these two’s movements clearly.
But by sheer coincidence, they were heading straight toward where Anacelis was hiding.
One step…
Two steps…
Anacelis, like a cat hiding in the shadows, slowly crouched and narrowed her eyes.
She understood the gist of their conversation.
They were here to cause trouble.
Though she didn’t know their exact intentions yet, after spending time with Silvya, Anacelis considered them at least allies—she had no obligation to help the Shanter Army catch thieves and was itching to ignore this mess, but this was Silvya’s father’s turf. She couldn’t just do nothing.
So she began to move, reaching for the sword tucked in her coat.
Creak—
The slight crunch of snow beneath her feet was almost entirely drowned out by the night wind.
The Sword Demon planned to stealthily follow behind them to see what they were up to. This was her specialty; generally, unless she wanted to be seen, no one would ever notice her.
Thanks to the cover of her coat, the two didn’t detect her as they drew closer, strolling past the snowy ground near her.
When all she could see was their backs, she finally lifted her head.
But just then, the man suddenly turned around.
Anacelis froze.
At this point, they were only about ten meters apart under the dark night sky, both sides unable to clearly see the other but sensing the wave of wariness radiating between them, the kind of instincts reserved for beasts. In that fleeting moment, Anacelis felt a distinct sense of danger emanating from him.
Danger…
A very dangerous feeling.
The man halted in his tracks.
“What’s up?”
His female companion noticed something off and paused too, instinctively looking back. “Ramiel, what’s wrong with you—”
That’s when she spotted Anacelis.
The three stood silently staring at each other across the distance of ten meters under the city wall, one second… two seconds passed, and none of them moved.
Like Anacelis, the man had sensed the enormous threat hidden in the shadows.
An awkward tension filled the air for a moment.
“…Let’s go.”
Finally, the man tugged at the woman, slowly breaking the stare with Anacelis as if nothing had happened, continuing to move forward.
Their steps seemed relaxed and casual, though the woman didn’t speak again.
After a couple more steps, Anacelis clapped her coat together and stood up boldly.
“Ramiel?”
Slightly surprised but mostly indifferent, the moment she called out to him from below the city wall, the man named Ramiel instantly drew a short sword from his side with a swift motion and spun to strike!
At the same time, a resounding thunder rumbled as a bolt of blue lightning shot towards him. In the blinding light, a long sword swung out, clashing with a resounding clang as the two blades met in an instant.
Ramiel heard the voice that came from the thunder light.
“I feel like I recognize you…”
