The two sisters clung to each other in the quiet entryway, sobbing as the built-up terror spilled over. For a long while, neither realized they were being watched by the two travelers standing by the door.
Or rather, the older sister had simply stopped caring about anything else. Her trembling arms stayed wrapped around her younger sister, whispering whatever comforting words she could muster to soothe the frightened girl.
Listening to their tearful exchanges, Jeanne pieced together the situation. This was far from the first time local thugs had harassed them. Today, however, the predators had cast aside all subtlety, practically writing their intentions on their faces.
Jeanne suspected that even if the sisters handed over all their parents' remaining savings and signed away the deeds to the house right now, the criminals wouldn't let them walk away cleanly.
The pair had been turned into a public display for the neighborhood—a helpless target for everyone to see, kept around until it suited the thugs to crush them completely.
Look at the damage to the front entrance. The outer frame was already splintered; any cheap thief skilled with lockpicks could have bypassed the reinforced door in minutes. Once inside, throwing the children out or taking whatever else they pleased would have been child's play.
Jeanne refused to believe a crowded coastal hub lacked petty thieves. She had already encountered half a dozen cutpurses trying their luck on her coin purse since entering the city walls, so capable lockpickers were certainly around.
"I'm sorry you had to see this," the older Feline girl said, wiping her face with her sleeve after calming her sister. Her voice was still shaky, but her tone was firm. "I didn't think those bastards would strike while I was out. You... you should find somewhere else to stay."
She had given up on seeking help.
The harsh reality of their city had settled in: a child could never protect her parents' legacy, especially when chaos reigned. Staying in this house was a death sentence.
She knew having two capable guests move in might offer a brief moment of safety, but it would only delay the inevitable. Temporary peace meant nothing when the underlying threat remained.
"What about the two of you?" Skadi asked, looking down at the sisters.
"What choice do we have?" The girl's eyes were swollen red, her expression a mix of grief and helplessness. "We can't fight them. There's no law here to protect us. What else are we supposed to do?"
She knew her tears wouldn't fix anything, nor were her troubles the responsibility of the strangers before her. Yet, facing two women who treated her with genuine kindness, she couldn't stop the raw words from tumbling out, like a child complaining about bullies to an elder.
"Please, just go," she repeated, turning her eyes away. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
If they stayed any longer, she knew her resolve would crumble. The travelers had no quarrel with the local gangs and no reason to put themselves in danger for a simple roof over their heads, especially now when the thugs were ready to launch a blatant robbery in broad daylight.
Skadi shook her head softly. She turned to exchange a silent look with Jeanne.
Neither spoke, yet the unspoken understanding between them was clear. To others, this was a random domestic conflict in a plagued city, but neither woman possessed the kind of detachment that allowed them to turn a blind eye.
If they walked away now, pretending they hadn't seen a thing, it would violate everything Jeanne believed in. She couldn't accept that choice, nor would she forgive herself for choosing convenience over what was right.
"In that case..." Jeanne looked down at the small Feline girl, her tone calm and unhurried. "Our choice is to stay."
The older girl froze, her eyes widening in total disbelief. Beside her, the younger sister stared at Jeanne and Skadi, utterly unable to comprehend why two strangers would willingly step into such a messy situation.
"Why...?" the girl stammered. "You saw the state of this place. It isn't safe! If something goes wrong, I can't compensate you!"
She didn't explicitly mention it, but her hand twitched toward the street outside—hinting that there were other empty houses around where money could still buy a quiet room.
"Don't worry," Jeanne said, patting the girl's shoulder with an easy, reassuring confidence. "We have our own ways of dealing with pests."
Beside her, Skadi gave a firm nod, confirming Jeanne's words. Handling threats was, after all, their specialty.
"You... you really don't have to do this!" the child whispered. Her heart screamed at her to accept the offer, but basic decency warned her that she was dragging innocent people into danger.
Earlier, when the gang had merely been lurking and throwing subtle threats, two skilled fighters might have intimidated them into retreating. Now, the stakes had escalated.
"Relax. We know what we're doing," Jeanne said, lightly tapping the girl's head to settle the matter.
"Oh, one more thing," Jeanne added, pulling Fafnir forward by the hand. The small dragon had grown so bored during the conversation that she was quietly munching on an apple, completely tuning out the world around her. She looked up in confusion as Jeanne brought her forward. "I need you to look after this child for a bit while we step out."
"I can do that!" The older sister puffed out her chest, making a solemn pledge. "I won't let anything happen to her, even if it costs me!"
"Good. I'm leaving her in your care!" Jeanne smiled.
She wasn't worried about Fafnir's safety in the slightest. If any local thugs were foolish enough to barge in and try something, they should be thanking whatever gods they worshiped if Fafnir didn't turn them into cinders. The outcome would be so entertaining that Jeanne could only offer up a quick prayer for the unfortunate gang.
"We're going out for a short while. Keep an eye on the little dragon for us!" Jeanne took Skadi by the arm and headed out the front door, leaving the three children staring at one another in the living room.
"Hi... I'm Anne," the older sister offered, extending a small hand to Fafnir.
Her younger sister stayed timidly behind her, though seeing another child around her age helped ease her tension.
"I'm Fafnir," the dragon introduced herself casually, taking a bite of her apple. Just like that, the trio began to chat.
Out on the cobblestone street, Jeanne walked alongside Skadi under the late afternoon sun.
"The situation in this city is far deeper than it looks," Jeanne noted quietly. One reason she insisted on staying at that house was that Fafnir had picked up a faint, distinct scent earlier—the unmistakable stench of sea beasts.
Skadi's eyes narrowed, her sharp gaze sweeping across the nearby buildings. Though the street appeared empty, a strange, unnatural discord hummed just beneath the surface.
"I'm going to the local Inquisition headquarters to gather information," Jeanne said, turning to her companion. "What are your plans?"
"I'll walk around this quarter," Skadi replied, her expression serious as she surveyed the quiet alleyways. "I'll wait for you to return."
As the two separated, a pair of greedy, hidden eyes tracked Skadi's receding figure from the shadows of an upper balcony, a feverish whisper escaping the watcher's lips.
"An Abyssal Hunter... Incredible... To think an actual Abyssal Hunter would walk right into our midst at a time like this... This is a gift straight from the divine!"
The moment Skadi glanced in that direction, the watcher slipped into the darkness. Even with her heightened instincts, Skadi felt nothing more than a passing chill, unable to pinpoint the source of the hidden gaze.