Beyond The World Plan

"And...this is the last."

"Finally..."

"Good work everyone!"

"Good, now it's time to rest."

"Thanks everyone for helping, sorry to make you all in trouble because of me. Well, you are all me though. Whatever, I will take back all of you."

The dark fog released from them and disappeared after a moment. At that time I feel a pain headache. It is a cost for me because their memory come inside my mind at once. Normally I will collapse after that but because I already used to it, it is not a problem anymore. Still, the pain can't be avoided.

I come out from the library and heading to dining hall since it is already morning. I got many new things to learn today. The pleasant after reading books is the best.

I arrived at the dining hall and saw that everyone has gathered there. I take a seat at the remaining place for my breakfast.

"You really made it in one night." (Violet)

"I had told you, right? Wait...why do you know that I already finish it?"

"Just a hunch." (Violet)

My seat right now is between Vi and Lily, they are leaving a place for me to seat. We enjoy our breakfast peacefully like nothing happened last night.

After breakfast, we headed out from the dining hall. She guides us to take a tour around the castle because his father asked it to her.

"Vi, can you guide me around the city too? There are some places that I want to visit."

"Sure thing. By the way, is there something interisting for the training?"

I stop my feet when hear that. I not expected that she will say that.

"Yeah, there are some that I pick my interest to it but I want to take a day off. I wonder if you really want it. I mean your power already enough to protect your thing. You do not need to training again if you want."

I do not want her to get involved in my plan going to the demon's country. Everyone said that places is dangerous so I can't take a risk to bring her with me. Her position as a princess of representative human's country make her can't just leave on her own. If I remember correctly, she will be going with the Hero to go on journey around the continent for gaining allies and leveling. All I do until now is prepare her to reach the optimum power so she can help the Hero in combat.

"That's right but it's still not enough. I want to get stronger than this and grow stronger enough until I become equal to you so I can be together with you two and join your journeys." (Violet)

That eyes she gave me was an eyes that full of resolved. Seems like she has determined to following us no matter what we say.

"You can't! You have to regarding your position as a princess." (Lily)

Lily who hear that instantly respond to her. She is now not only just strong in power, but also her knowledges is grow sharper. She always watch my conversation with other people carefully and bit by bit she can following the chat. She also have a chat with Vi so much so she can understand a thing like this.

"That's right, regarding your position as a princess and a representative of human country you can't just simply decide on your own. You must have a talk first with other kings of human in this country. If you don't do that then after that you can..."

Before I finish my word, Vi cut it out and looking at us seriously.

"I don't care! If you worry about me getting hurt, I have to be strong enough to protect myself to join your journey. I know about what will you do and after thinking about it so much I know this is the best outcome we can get rather than have this meanigless war continue. So please, let me join you guys." (Violet)

She stares us full of determination. It likes it won't fade from her no matter what will happen. I let out my breath in respond to her.

"If that's what you want then do that but at least try to convince your father first. I have no right to stop you but I have to warn you that this will be so dangerous since no one ever do this. We also do not know what danger we will face on this journey."

I gave her the last warning but she immediately reject that.

"I know it and I will not take it back. No matter what will happen, I will not regret it." (Violet)

I know that is no use to try to change her mind but at least we have try. I give my hand to her for a handshake while gently welcoming her.

"Then welcome aboard, we will be in your care."

She accept my handshake with smile.

"Me too, I will be in your care from now onward." (Violet)

With this, our party member increase by one. We stop the handshake and we fell in silent for a moment.

"So, about the city tour...can we start it?" (Lily)

Lily breaks the silent and remind us about the tour that I asked to her before.

"Yeah, we can start it. Let's go!" (Violet)

She leads the way out the castle and start the tour. There is a lot of places we can find here. There are inns, restaurants, clothes shops, market. Well, it's a common for a city after all. There are also armory shops. I enter the shop to see the weapon they sold but there are nothing greater than my hand-made daggers. In the noon, we stopped at one of the restaurants that popular around the city. It serves dragon meat as a dish here. We order their special dragon steak and sit at the best place they recommend.

"This city is sure lively, right Ray?" (Lily)

"It sure lively, it's a city after all."

How can she asked something so obvious. We have our chat while eating the dragon steak in our table. I take a bite on the meal. The texture is surprisingly soft, the flavor of spice and sweet also a bit of salty mix perfectly together making this dish is the best I ever eat in my life.

"It's tastes so good. Thanks for the meal, Vi!"

Lily nodded her head in her own food fantasy she has right now.

"Yeah, thanks for the meal." (Lily)

"It's nothing much. Honestly, this is the first time I eat this too. I kinda interested in the name and it's end up very satisfying for us." (Violet)

We enjoying our meal to the fullest. Even though the meat has gone but we still sit in our place because it's still too hot out there. We still have our drink with us so we continue our conversation.

"This place so good. I can feel that this city has a bright mood." (Lily)

"I agree, I can assume this city is full of light."

"Yeah, this is the city where I born and hearing what you said make me proud that I live here." (Violet)

She smile brightly to us. This city is sure full of happiness but that is only in the outer part. And for that I took Vi with us.

"But, every time there is the light then the darkness always laid behind it."

The mood ruined when I said that. Vi turn her face to me curious with what I say.

"What do you mean?" (Violet)

I stand up from the chair and take some steps to leave.

"I will show you the other side of this city."

Since we already finish our meal, the other following me. We go through the crowdness of the city and going to the farest side of the city. The place is placed at the unstrategic area, far from the downtown and it feels like no one ever take their attention toward this place. The buildings almost collapse. Many houses from rotten woods and tents. It feels like this place is not the part of the city at all even though it is inside the wall of city.

"What is this place? I never see there is a place like this in here." (Violet)

I stopped my feet at the enterance and turn around toward them.

"This is area where poor peoples and criminals live. They are live in struggle just to continue their life. This is place where the strongest rule over the weakest. The place that always present in every city no matter how well their economy is. Welcome to the slums."

Keh!... What the hell I do right now. I just welcome them like it's my own home. I hope they not misunderstand the joke.

"Then, why you know this place?" (Lily)

It's weird for her asking it. She always following me though.

"Someone told me this area when I asked about something. He said if I want to get the best, I must come to this place."

"I don't remember someone said that." (Lily)

Now you mention it. This conversation was in the night before we went to the capital. If I remember correctly, she slept first while I am still awoke having a chat with the other adventurer that live at the same inn like us.

"You don't need to concern about it. The one you need to concern about is your own safety. Just remember to aware with your surrounding. This place is not your friendly neighboorhood at all. But before that..."

I touch the princess hand and start to imagining something.

"<Transform Art>[Shapeshift]"

The appearance of the princess Vi we know is changing. Her hair turn white and her faces change. She looks like me while her purple eyes still in it.

"It will be a problem if someone knows the princess was here. Just make sure to not going to far from us and not doing anything weird."

As I warn her, I walking to the slum. I can see that there are some peoples that want to ambush us but it is never come. Maybe because they hard life, they can tell someone is stronger than you just by looking at it.

This area not as good as the main area. It's not clean and many of the houses is nearly collapse. We pass some peoples who got sick and abandoned by the peoples here. Everyone here looks like not having a proper meal and healthy life after all.

We walk through a small alley and at the end of the road, there is a building that look completely normal at the front. But, inside this place is what I want to have whereabout. I knock the door three times and finally an old man come out from that house.

"H-Hello young man, What is the matter that brings you here?"

I take out a pouch full of gold coin from my bag and let he see it.

"I want to check it on my own, is that okay?"

Looking at the money I have, he immediately open wide his door and treat me kindly.

"Sure, you can do that. Please come in." (Old man)

We enter the house and he lead the way to a cupboard that places near a wall. There is another man that live here with this old man.

"I have a customer so I will leave this place to you." (Old man)

The man I mention before just nodded his head while the old man opening the cupboard. There is a door inside the cupboard. He opened it and there is a room behind. We entering the room and the old man closing the door.

"Please feel free to choose. There are many of them so please take your time." (Old man)

There are many cages that looks like prison here. Inside there, we can see peoples from human, beastkin, or elf races. I carefully watch their status one by one to make sure they can be my reliable ally since we lack of the rearguard. That's right, the place that I currrently in is a slave market and the reason why I choose this place because we can't find any in the downtown.

This city is a face of the largest human kingdom in the human country that they have to look friendly to other races since they are not like the concept of slave in their country. This place is not bad, in fact it feels comfortable. This place is clean and well maintained because the customer sometimes is from nobles too.

I keep looking someone that picked my interest. I keep walking and stopped at one of the corner. I approach the cage and see an elf that her body is not well and almost rotten. I already see her status and she is quite promising. I grinning while looking at her.

"I will pick this one."