Three days of endless, rhythmic rattling against the dirt roads finally gave way to a towering wall of polished white stone. We had arrived at Caria City. Unlike the quiet, somber valleys of Town Allure, this place was a thrumming hive of energy, bursting with massive crowds, merchant wagons, and the distant chiming of cathedral bells.
The carriage pulled to a heavy halt at the grand iron gates, the horses huffing in the midday heat. My mother looked across the seat at me, a soft, weary smile pulling at her lips.
"Darling, welcome home."
Before I could reply, the heavy leather curtain was pulled back by a guard in polished steel armor.
"Toll and status cards," the gatekeeper commanded, his voice gruff from a long shift.
Luckily, my mother, Constantine, and I had passed through Caria before, meaning our records were already registered in the central system. I reached into my coat and pulled out my official identification plate. The silver-rimmed card displayed my credentials clearly:
Name: White Flower
Rank: Silver
Magic: B-rank
Magic Mastery: C-rank
Swordsmanship: B-rank
Marksmanship: D-rank
Battle IQ: C-rank
Job: Capital Knight (C-rank)
Affiliation: CKBA (Capital Knight Bureau Association)
The gatekeeper took the stack of cards, leaning in closer to peer through the carriage window. The moment his eyes landed on my mother, his rigid posture instantly vanished, replaced by a look of profound surprise.
"Wait... you're Snow Flower, right? The previous ruler of Town Allure, I'm glad to see you here, milady. News of the raid reached the capital walls... we are deeply sorry for your loss. And who is that short-haired lady beside you? She looks exactly like you."
Snow glanced down, her eyes catching the engraved brass nametag pinned to the guard's breastplate. It read Luscious.
Before my mother could speak, I leaned forward into the light, my voice steady despite the fatigue lingering in my muscles.
"Luscious, we've met before, haven't we? I'm a capital knight."
Luscious blinked, staring at my silver hair and the sharp contours of my face before a flash of recognition crossed his features.
"Oh, right! You're one of the knights that fended off the monsters during the winter breach. As I recall, you must be White."
I gave him a single, firm nod. Satisfied and showing a newfound respect, Luscious stepped back and waved his hand to the wall sentries.
"Clear the path! Let them through!"
The wooden gates groaned open, the driver cracked the whip, and the carriage finally moved forward, rolling into the bustling, grand avenues of Caria City to begin our new life.
The carriage pressed deeper into the heart of the metropolis, navigating the grand avenues before turning toward the 3rd district, the primary residential district of Caria City. As I watched the towering stone brownstones and winding townhouses blur past the window, I tried to map the terrain in my head. As I recalled, there are nine districts in Caria, but I barely remember them because of how complex the map was, unlike back in Town Allure, which only had simple, easily navigated districts.
The silence inside the cabin was broken when Constantine interrupted my thoughts, leaning forward with an intrigued look on his face.
"You know, sister, there is a new prominent figure in Caria. I didn't catch her name, but it has been plastered all over the Caria newspapers lately."
Snow turned her head, her curiosity piqued.
"Tell me more, son."
"Well, there has been this incredible bounty hunter, she is remarkably strong, and some say she's even related to the legendary Shadow Walker. Whatever her origins, she single-handedly dismantled an entire drug empire in Sisiphon City. It was unbelievable, she managed the whole cleanup in just four days. And the best part is, she saved the country from facing a massive economic deflation by exterminating a plague of slimes that had overrun the Caria Mines. That bounty hunter is truly unbelievable." Constantine said, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and speculation.
As we began approaching the inner gates separating the districts, Constantine lowered his voice, adding one more piece of news.
"But it's not all good news. There have been strange, terrifying sightings right here in Caria. Weeks ago, a blood-sucking winged demon by the name of the Crimson Phantom came to the city. They say she is a true monster being, possessing wings the size of a devil's, entirely formed out of solidified blood. The Bureau originally proposed a bounty of a staggering 12 gold pieces, but it was just raised to 15 gold because she remains such a terrifying threat."
Hearing about a blood-manipulating monster sent a sudden, ice-cold chill straight down my spine. A phantom image of the kitchen floor, of dripping fangs, and of a violent crimson glow threatened to break through the mental wall I had built, leaving both my mother and me truly terrified. We quickly brushed the feeling off, forcing ourselves to stay calm as the carriage finally slowed to a halt at the checkpoint.
We had arrived at the 3rd district gate, where a gatekeeper named Renny was waiting. He stepped up to the carriage door, holding his hand out with a practiced, professional air.
"Toll and status card, please."
We reached out the window to present our papers, but the moment our eyes met, Renny's jaw dropped. He immediately recognized me, his eyes wide under his helmet.
"White? Is that really you?"
A faint smile touched my lips as I nodded. Renny and I had actually attended the same elite academy years ago, and like me, he too was a trained capital knight. I didn't know that he had been assigned as a gatekeeper for the residential sector, but seeing a familiar, friendly face from the academy made the daunting expanse of the capital feel just a little bit smaller.
"Good to see you, Renny," I murmured.
With the reunion acknowledged, Constantine, my mother, and I handed out our tolls and cards, ready to finally step through the threshold and see the place we would now have to call home.
The carriage rolled smoothly past Renny's checkpoint, entering the breathtaking expanse of the 3rd district. Ahead of us stretched the staggering houses of the residential district, a vast architectural marvel that was clearly split into two distinct parts: the common sector and the royal sector. The common sector was a dense, bustling grid of houses designed solely for common people, those working regular 9-to-5 jobs or running modest shops. But as our carriage pressed onward, the scenery shifted dramatically into the royal sector, the exclusive haven where the grand manors resided, and where the Calico Manor was located.
We finally arrived at the royal sector, navigating a quiet avenue lined with several magnificent estates before pulling up to the gates of the Calico Manor itself. It was entirely different from the Flower Manor, where our old home had been a sanctuary of elegant gardens and delicate flora, this estate was a fortress of imposing stone, dark wood, and old-money architecture.
As the carriage doors opened, we were met by several well-dressed maids. Unlike the tragic girls of our past, these maids belonged to the Calico household, and they efficiently stepped forward to guide us, carrying our packed bags as they ushered us inside.
The moment we stepped into the grand foyer, two figures came rushing down the hall. It was my brothers, Cassius and Calix. The exhaustion and tension seemed to melt from their faces the second they saw me standing there. Without a word, they threw their arms around me, pulling me into a fierce, protective hug.
"White, we were beginning to worry ourselves sick. We should have never left your side at the infirmary." Calix breathed, his grip tight against my shoulders.
Cassius pulled back just enough to look at me, a soft, relieved smile breaking through his usual rugged demeanor.
"You're safe. That's all that matters now, sister. Come, you must be exhausted from the trip."
They led the way deeper into the estate, guiding my mother, Constantine, and me through the towering corridors until we arrived at the dining room of the Calico Manor.
We sat down at the massive mahogany table, but instead of the grand welcoming feast I had imagined from the doorway, the platters were filled with leftovers from the previous night. At the center sat a simple, cold pot of porridge.
Calix and Cassius immediately looked down, their cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Sister, we're so sorry, with the sudden move and managing the assets, we haven't had time to properly staff the kitchen yet." Calix apologized quickly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's fine, really, Porridge is yummy. After a three-day carriage ride, this is exactly what I need." I said, offering a small, reassuring smile as I dipped a spoon into the bowl.
As I took a bite, Cassius leaned forward, his expression growing deeply serious.
"Sister, what exactly happened back in Town Allure? We haven't heard a word from you in weeks. We left the estate immediately after we were evacuated from the garden, and the rumors reaching the capital have been a total mess."
The spoon trembled slightly in my hand. The cold, heavy reality of the past week rushed back, suffocating the warmth of the room.
"The Flower Manor... it burned to the ground, and the Yellow Flower Guild... my members are all gone. The roster is destroyed. And Roxy..." I whispered, my voice thick with suppressed emotion.
I stopped, the name catching in my throat like a piece of broken glass. I couldn't bring myself to say the word dead.
"I heard the news, sister, but you're wrong. Roxy is alive." Cassius interrupted softly, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.
The shock hit me like a physical blow. I instantly spat my porridge back into the bowl, coughing as I wiped my mouth with a sleeve, my icy blue eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and anger.
"No, you're lying! The official deceased records in Town Allure, the tombstone in the cemetery... Everyone in the entire town knows Roxy is dead! She died a martyr trying to hunt down Dominik!"
Cassius didn't flinch. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a calm, steady whisper to deliver the absolute truth.
"Think about it, White. Who handles the high-level records for the capital? Our father, Roman Calico, is the Chief of the CKBA. His personal secretary at the Bureau, Nautilus Cotton, knows Roxy extremely well. He handles the classified rosters. She isn't dead. She's currently working right here in the capital as a bounty hunter. She is alive."
I froze entirely on the spot, the spoon slipping from my fingers and clattering against the porcelain. My mind scrambled, trying to process a miracle that felt entirely impossible.
Beside me, Constantine gasped, slamming his hands onto the table as the pieces suddenly clicked together in his head.
"Wait... that Roxy? The unstoppable bounty hunter I just told you about? The one who dismantled the entire drug empire in Sisiphon City all by herself? The one who saved the country from economic deflation by clearing the mines?!"
Cassius nodded solemnly, a grim but validating expression on his face.
"Yes. That's her. She is currently living right here in the 3rd district, out in the common sector. She dropped her alias and is taking her real name now: Eirene. I know she's been incredibly busy with the Bureau's top-tier contracts, so I've resisted the urge to visit her these past two weeks to give her space. But I know exactly where she is."
He looked at me, giving me the ultimate lifeline.
"She's living in the common sector. House 132."