The longer that I stood before the shop, the more aware of my surroundings I seemed to become. My ears detected the distant flapping of nearby birds alongside the idle chatter from the individuals who happened to pass by. While I wouldn't consider myself a superstitious man, I did find oddity in the idea of random leers. It felt as if there was someone constantly surveilling me, but I knew that couldn't be the case. Ever since I entered this realm, I noticed my senses were on point.

  My ears flicked around like satellite dishes constantly, picking up every footstep on this street. If I focused hard enough, I could distinguish each conversation. It was an amazing upgrade, and a much-needed one considering I did not inherit a Kitsune's eyesight.

  While there are individuals who were tailing us yesterday when we were following Claire, I believe that they were there for her. Not many people in this world are even aware of our existence. Therefore, it would be both arrogant and ludicrous to believe that we were the ones being followed. In the grand scheme of things, I am of little importance to the people of this world.

  Regardless of whether that was the case or not, I noticed a lot of those people passing by watched me with suspicion. Most of these people were either wolf beastkin or beastmen. Some humans wandered by, but I noticed that they didn't pay me any attention. A few of the elves, who walked by, scowled at me, but I didn't give a damn.

  'Are any of these people aligned with Claire's hunters? The odds are low, but never zero. This is a world of magic...I can't allow myself to become relaxed in this situation.'

  Naturally, I took in their features with my sharpened focus. With my hands placed behind my back, I must've appeared to be a noble and handsome guard for this establishment. I would even say that I was akin to a rose sprouting out of the concrete. Even the smog of poverty would not dose my badassery.

  "Excuse me...Sir..."

  My body shook slightly as a voice manifested from behind me. Without looking at the individual, I could determine that the one responsible for it was young. Shifting my gaze to my right, I noticed the small, slender frame of a young boy. His ears were short and floppy, and his brown hair was disheveled like all of the other poor beastmen in this area. It didn't take a genius to determine that this youngin' was a resident.

  In comparison to my frame, the young beastman's head resided below my waist. His clothes were weathered and had indications of being crudely repaired. Despite his appearance, he wore a friendly smile as he greeted me with a bow. He was rather tiny and frail in appearance, but on his back was a medium-sized crate. Upon laying eyes on the sight, I was instantly surprised. A child of his stature shouldn't be capable of carrying a box that size strapped onto his back.

  "You're the youngin', Lannister, right?" I asked.

  The boy nodded in confirmation. Of course, I knew that, but it is always best to ask. You wouldn't want to waste time dealing with someone that I didn't have to.

  "I am sure that your grandmother has explained your job to you, but I'll explain mine. I will protect you on your trip to Oa and assist you there. Once you are finished, I will escort you back here. All things considered, I expect this to be a simple matter."

  Just as before, Lannister simply nodded his head in response. I could sense a pattern brewing, so I decided that silence would be best for our journey. While it would be normal for someone to offer to carry the item for a younger person, I am not so generous. I imagined that he would be used to carrying items of that size. From what I can tell, the only two people who operated their establishment were Lannister and his grandmother.

  It would be condescending for me to imply that he was incapable of offering my assistance. Instead, I provided him with the service that was requested of me. In a swift motion, my hand traveled into the satchel that Lannister's grandmother had gifted me and pulled out the map that I required. Upon analyzing the contents of the map, I made my decision on the route that I would take.

  "You can just follow… I know the way."

  Sensing the young Lannister's eyes, I shifted my own towards his direction. He seemed intrigued at first, but he soon looked away from me. Much like his grandmother, I assume that he was aware of the interpretation of us, lowly foxkins. Although he might've viewed it as kind to offer his assistance, I saw it differently. I could only see it as an insult to my intelligence. If I were truly an asshole, then I would have informed the peasant boy that I could read just fine.

  "Good, I'm glad one of us knows, because I have no idea what this thing says."

  There are times when one must put up a front. Although I don't appreciate it, I can only play with the cards dealt to me. With that understanding in mind, I followed the interpretation that was bestowed upon me.

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  "I have taken this trip several times… so you can count on me," Lannister says sheepishly.

  "I'll count on your experience then."

  Without hesitation, the boy initiated our journey to Oa. As I expected, he followed the route that I mentally traced during my glimpse of the map. That same map I rolled up and returned to his satchel. The droopy ears of the young beastkin flopped as he looked up at me. He seemed to be asking for my permission, so I nodded to give him confirmation.

  His tail began to sway slowly, which I found slightly depressing. The small beastkin was saddened by something, but I decided not to pry. I would imagine leaving the city wasn't as difficult as entering, and I was mostly correct. Upon arriving at the southern gate, Lannister spoke to the guardsmen who were on duty. I noticed that his tail was wagging when he spoke. He seemed genuinely excited to speak to them, and they appeared to know them.

  I wanted to approach, but I remembered the reaction of the guards at the other gate. They were hostile and prejudiced against foxkin. The last thing I need is another clash with Astana's bravest. While these guards were mostly beastkin, I did spot a few elves upon the walls.

  'I'm curious about how powerful these men are compared to the Arch-Captain Silvers' regiment. From my understanding, beastkin and beastman should be more physically capable than your average elf and human. That is a broad generalization, but an accepted truth... I wonder how magic comes into consideration.'

  My mind raced with considerations, but I quickly found out it was pointless. I do not have any experience battling another beastman or beastkin to compare. Arch-Captain Silvers is formidable, but then again, she is a trained soldier. It is possible, she'd hand me my ass on a platter more times than not as we stood now. I need to learn more about this world and compare it to what I know about Infinity Unleashed.

  "You there!"

  I was brought out of my thoughts by a gruff voice. I turned to look behind and noticed that Lannister was being escorted by two. One of them was a beastkin, whose ears were floppy, similar to those of Lannister's, and the other was an elf. The elf was shorter than the beastkin, but his gaze was significantly sharper.

  "Approach us, Foxel," the beastkin guards ordered.

  His orders surprised me at first, but I played it off. Adhering to his request, I approached the two guards, who met me halfway. The beastkin man had brown eyes with wavy black hair. He wore glasses like me, and his armor matched that of a typical guardsman of Astana. His elven companion was strikingly different. His ears were short and barely peaked from his light brown bob. Green eyes watched me with scrutiny.

  'He looks like trouble, I suppose I'll play nice... for now.'

  "Anything I can help you gentlemen with?" I asked, offering a friendly smile.

  The two guards observed me briefly before the beastkin pushed his glasses onto his nose and spoke, "Yes. I hear from this boy that you are traveling to Oa? Would that be correct?"

  I nodded, and he continued speaking.

  "There has been...trouble outside our walls recently, and I am grateful adventurers like yourself take the time to help another one of our kin in need. If you require payment for your services, I ask that you seek me out instead of charging Miss Yevetta," the beastkin said.

  I would be surprised by his offer, but looking at him, I'm not. If their hair color were similar, I would assume that this man could be related to them. It isn't completely off the table, though. I've made a few enemies in the Astanaian guard, so it wouldn't be unwise to make at least one friend.

  "No need. I have made a reasonable exchange for my services, but I applaud you for stepping up. I take it that you know the family?"

  He nodded before placing his hand on Lannister's shoulder. The young beastkin stared at the ground, which I didn't know how to interpret.

  "His father was one of us. I owe that man a lot for his service, and I would appreciate it if you keep him safe on your journey."

  "That goes without saying. Rest assured that not a single hair on his head would come to harm. I am stronger than my features showcase," I said, pointing to my wagging tail.

  "Right," he responded before ushering Lannister forward. "I am Landi. If you ever need to find me when I'm off duty, ask around the Cannal block. I frequent the establishments there."

  Landi smiled before gesturing to the elf, "This is Narron. He's a bit... cold, but he'll be helpful depending on his mood. He frequents around there as well. Search for either of us if you need anything."

  Narron's eyes widened, and a frown appeared on his face. However, I did notice that he did not deny Landi's statement. He merely stared at the taller beastkin, who coincidentally ignored his glare. I offered the beastkin a handshake, and he accepted happily.

  "My friends call me Mark, so you two may join them, Landi and Narrown," I said, nodding to each of the men. "Once everything goes well on my end, maybe we can work together to come up with ideas to better assist Miss Yevette and Lannister, too. It is the duty of young men like us to look after the elderly and the children, no matter the features, right? Beastkin or elf."

  My gaze went to Narron, searching to see if that last line resonated with him. It appeared that my calculation was correct. The elven man's gaze softened, and he too accepted my handshake. It was nice seeing that some elves are more similar to Claire than they are to Percival.

  'Perhaps, the book of Cyto has lost some of its grip on common folks in this region... I need to learn more, but for now I'll stay the course. One step at a time.'

  "I look forward to it," Landi responded before gesturing for Lannister and me to follow.

  We did so, and a few minutes of talking later, the two of us were free to exit Astana. Landi and Narron appeared to be trustworthy men and seemed very concerned for Lannister's safety. This appeared to be a great fortune for me. I don't know what I did to deserve this fortune, but I'll have to thank the Almighty when I return. As we exited the gate, I felt a cool breeze displace my hair, and the steady unease flooded through my body. The clouds began to collect, and showed signs of change.

  'I hope it doesn't rain on our journey. That would be the worst thing that could happen to me today.'

  So, with the sky becoming overcast and days after finding myself in this new world and immigrating to Astana, I found myself outside the city's walls.

  "Aight, youngin', let's get this show on the road."