We rode back to the capital the same way we had left it—with me clinging for dear life. Now unburdened, the twin stallions fed off each other's frantic energy and tore down the road at a dizzying clip.

  I had hoped to take it slow in a carriage, having never ridden one before, but the party immediately vetoed the idea. Fritz and Friedrich couldn't py well with others, much less tolerate a harness. With great reluctance, I abandoned the dream.

  Instead I chose to switch seats with Seraphine, so I could ride with Evelyn.

  Bleh. Seraphine neglected to warn me how much of Evelyn’s hair would find its way into my mouth.

  I gnced over and caught Rocher staring at me. He quickly looked away, sulking. I really couldn’t make sense of him—he'd been the one who requested distance in the first pce.

  Whatever. I jingled the tiny bell on my wrist again. It was the bell from the steeple at Castle Greymane—the same one that had amplified my Holy Light during the defense. Magic had shrunk it down and fashioned it into a cute little bracelet.

  Tradition forbade Count Greymane from lowering himself to a woman, so officially he had awarded the dainty trinket to the Hero. But his eyes, and those of his entourage, kept drifting toward me during the ceremony. In the end, Rocher knelt down and delicately tied it around my wrist, his fingers lightly brushing my hand. 'Here. You deserve something too.'

  I rolled my eyes at the charade but accepted it anyway.

  In the game, this was just solid early-game equipment, a small boost to Lumiere's holy magic. But for me, this was an incredible find. I still couldn't cast intermediate spells worth a damn, but at least my beginner spells now behaved the way a priestess's should.

  Come to think of it, the conquest of Lake Pcid should have resulted in a simir reward for Seraphine. But the fight had come to us this time, so we never got the chance to collect it. What a shame.

  The Tear of the Ocean had a pretty cerulean color—it would have gone well with Seraphine's ruby eyes.

  Just then, Fritz lurched and I tightened my hold on Evelyn. To distract myself from the nauseating ride, I silently daydreamed about a trip to Lake Pcid, and imagined that kinds of accessories that could pair with the Tear.

  We returned early enough that the Royal Road still bustled with activity. Despite the crowd, pedestrians gave Fritz and Friedrich a wide berth, their faces tight with trepidation. I smiled apologetically as we passed.

  We continued this way nearly all the way to the castle gate. The closer we got to the castle, the higher quality the goods. My mouth watered with anticipation. I would definitely find a proper reward for Seraphine here. Evelyn and Rocher helped us down, bade us farewell, and vanished in a plume of dust.

  I caught Seraphine turning to head back to the castle, grabbing hold of her hand. As we were both rather small, it was too easy to get separated.

  "Come on, Miss Seraphine. This way."

  With my free hand, I clinked my coin purse, savoring the sound. I'd managed to wring a small cash advance from Rocher. It wasn't much, but it was the most money I'd ever held in this world.

  Seraphine followed, sulking at first—but her crimson eyes brightened the instant we reached the row of accessory booths. One caught my eye immediately: a hair ornament—gold filigree, inid with emeralds.

  I held it up beside her face; the green sang against her crimson eyes and silky red hair, the gentle curve of her elven ears framing her ethereal beauty.

  "Look, Miss Seraphine! Isn't it pretty?"

  She blushed and looked at her toes. "...It's pretty."

  "Mhm—my intuition never fails me. Green and blue suit you best."

  I turned to the merchant. "How much for it?"

  "Wait, Miss Cire," Seraphine interjected, grabbing my arm.

  Ah. I'd forgotten the first rule of shopping: browse everything before buying. In my previous life, I'd too often settled for the first thing that met the need, and hurried to get out the door. I was about to fall on old habits again.

  "You're right, you're right. Let's have a look around first."

  I moved to stow away my purse when a tall boy barreled into me, nearly bowling me over.

  "Ouch!" I snapped.

  "Ouch!" he returned, sounding equally offended.

  Or so I imagined. In reality, Seraphine's hand shot out and seized his wrist, her knuckles white. With venom in her voice, she hissed.

  "Give it back."

  The coin purse that had been in my hand vanished into his palm. She lunged for it, but the boy deftly flicked it to his other hand and lobbed it over his shoulder. A hooded companion caught it and vanished into the crowd—his accomplice.

  I didn't chase. It was over in the blink of an eye.

  "What should we do, Miss Cire? Shall we turn him in?" Seraphine tightened her grip, causing the boy to whimper.

  I sighed. "If we turn him in, they might cut his hand off."

  "Sounds good to me," she replied, icy. The boy's eyes widened with terror.

  I shook my head—for me, that was a step too far. My intention wasn't to hurt him, but no bad deed should go unpunished. I pondered for a moment.

  A devilish idea came to me, tugging at the corners of my mouth.

  "Why don't we take him shopping with us?" I suggested. "It'll be fun! We'll be like his big sisters."

  Seraphine stared at me, brow knit. "If that's what you want to do..."

  And that's how we gained a new companion.

  We dragged him from stall to stall. Seraphine held firmly onto one wrist, but that minimal contact gave him purchase to twist and try to escape. So I ended up hugging his other arm tight. After a while he gave in.

  "Hey, 'boy'. What's your name?" I asked.

  He stubbornly stayed silent. I leaned close and whispered, "Come on—even if it's a fake. I don't want to keep calling you 'boy'."

  "...Rocher," he mumbled, cheeks burning.

  I had to bite my lip to keep from ughing. Slum kids adored the Hero; of course he'd pick that name.

  We wandered and window-shopped for a long while. Seraphine suggested a few items, but I could tell they were of a much lower quality than the ornament I had originally picked out. I rejected them all outright, causing her to huff.

  Eventually we made our way back to that first stall.

  Serendipitously, I'd stashed a gold coin in my pocket and was fiddling with it, practicing a coin trick I'd seen in my previous life. I apologized to the merchant for the trouble and id down a small deposit, promising to return.

  Seraphine had reached for her purse; I stopped her with a look. This is my gift to you—don't you dare think about paying for it.

  She threw her hands up, pouting. Even she was reaching the end of her rope.

  By now, the boy looked thoroughly defted. But I wasn't nearly finished with him yet.

  "Well, 'Rocher', I happen to know a cute little café over yonder," I told him. "Let your big sisters treat you to a meal."

  Seraphine frowned and gave his arm an unpleasant yank. He winced.

  I deliberately steered us into a dark alley. No sooner had we slipped into the shadows than a small voice called from behind us—the boy's partner.

  "Y-you! Where are you taking him?"

  It was a girl's voice, soft and trembling. I'd noticed she had been following us the whole time. Right into my trap.

  "We'll trade you," I offered. "Your friend for the coin purse."

  The girl nodded cautiously and reached into her pocket. With her hand outstretched, she approached, the purse dangling from her fingertips. Guilt and anxiety stiffened her shoulders; I almost felt bad for what was about to happen.

  Seraphine's crimson eyes fshed as she incanted. "Bind."

  Bands of light snapped tight around the girl's limbs, crackling with static. She fell to the cobbles with a yelp, the coin purse tumbling free.

  I casually scooped it up and emptied it. Pebbles clinked to the ground, one by one. Clever girl.

  Seraphine scoffed, her eyes narrowing, but I defused her with a light chuckle. I only cared about retrieving the purse itself. Lumiere had sewn it for me when we were kids—I could still see where she'd messed up a stitch and had to redo it.

  Crouching by the fallen girl, I gently peeled back her hood. Fluffy, puppy-like ears sprang free. My expression softened despite myself—I couldn't resist stroking her head.

  "Listen," I said gently. "You don't have to return the money. Consider it payment for a job."

  'Rocher' and the girl exchanged wary looks. My grin widened.

  "I'd like you to arrange a meeting with the Thieves' Guild."