Pre-War Tensions

With the strongest monsters ranging between 300~650 BP, on the high end, the journey toward Nyandoma had proceeded without incident. The only tense moment was when Asuna had to go relieve herself, forcing Vahn to stand on the opposite side of the bush with a wry smile on his face. She didn't seem to care that Arika and Fenrir were both very powerful, refusing to let him leave her sight for even a brief moment. To further exacerbate matters, it took more than ten minutes just to convince her to go while his back was turned, leaving Vahn feeling unnaturally fatigued by the time they reached the outer walls of Nyandoma...

Though humans weren't barred entry into Nyandoma, traveling without identification was a serious issue. It was hard to enter foreign nations even during times of peace, so, with war lurking just over the horizon, it was to be expected that entry was even more difficult. This was especially true for the nations closest to Megalomesembria, so, before they could even stand in line to try and gain entry, Vahn and his party were approached by a few guards wearing, of all things, samurai-like armor.

Before Arika could complicate things by revealing her actual identity, Vahn gestured for her to stay back while smiling at the approaching guards. He could see the caution in their eyes and sense the tension in their bodies, but, in spite of this, both men had relatively calm and pure auras. They were just doing their jobs, so, rather than cause a commotion, Vahn cupped his hands politely, asking, "Is there something you require of us?"

Not expecting Vahn to speak in their native dialect, both men showed surprised expressions before suddenly becoming even more alert. This left Vahn repressing a slight chuckle as he stated, "This is my first time visiting Nyandoma, but I am well versed in the language, laws, and culture. We are on a pilgrimage to visit the Nine Sacred Lands and chose Nyandoma as our first destination. I'm certain the Great Spirit of Light would not turn away those who have come to seek his wisdom..."

Though Vahn's words weren't enough to allay their concerns, neither of the men showed any overt hostility. The borders had yet to be closed so it was still possible to enter the country as long as you didn't have a warrant or a bounty. Nyon Utu, the Great Spirit of Light, was especially fond of people who came to seek his wisdom, so, if it was discovered they turned away a group on a pilgrimage, it would become a much bigger issue.

After considering the matter for a brief moment, the senior of the two guards adopted a warning tone as he said, "Stand in line. You will be required to declare yourselves once you reach the gate. As long as you aren't wanted, you will be allowed entry into the city. Tensions are pretty high these days, so try and avoid trouble once you are inside."

Without responding verbally, Vahn just gave the two another cupped salute before returning to his group and joining the rather long line. Their presence didn't go unnoticed by the various groups of Adventurers and Mercenaries trying to enter the city, but, rather than seek trouble, the majority of people minded their own business. Causing a disturbance at the gate all but guaranteed you would be denied entry so even the more nationalistic Cat People kept to themselves, albeit after glaring at Vahn's party and performing some less-than-pleasant gestures...

Rather than mind the group of bigoted individuals, Vahn just blocked Asuna's view before shaking his head at Fenrir and saying, "We're not here to stir up trouble. You can just ignore weaklings like that. That goes for you too, Arika. Remember, we are just travelers right now. They are just stressed out due to the impending war. Unless they go out of their way to seek trouble, pay them no mind."

As she was only ever taught how to converse with foreign dignitaries and politicians, Arika had no experience interacting with normal people. All she knew was that they were being disrespectful for no real reason, leaving a bad taste in her mouth that caused her expression to turn into a neutral deadpan. She wanted to force them to explain why they were so hostile, but, after hearing Vahn's words, she just gave a small nod without lowering her guard...

---

After nearly two hours of standing in line, it was finally time for Vahn's group to pass through the checkpoint. Fortunately, the guards that had stopped them previously were still present, so, after declaring their identity before a basketball-sized orb, they were allowed entry. The Hellas Empire had never officially placed a bounty on him, and, after his showy battle with Jack, they weren't in a hurry to do so. His current power was enough to deter even an Empire from seeking trouble with him, so, unless he began wreaking havoc within their borders, it was perfectly natural for them to simply pretend he didn't exist.

The only real danger with passing through a checkpoint was Arika and Asuna being recognized as the Queen and Princess of Ostia, but, even after stating their names, the guards didn't seem to care all that much. They couldn't even imagine members of the Royal Family trying to enter the country through a normal security checkpoint, so, after confirming there were no bounties on either of their heads, both were able to pass without obstruction. Afterward, they were all given a special tile that would serve as their identification for a period of three days. This was the norm for those entering on a pilgrimage, and, if they wanted to stay longer, a more thorough screening process would be required.

Once everyone had their identification tabs, Vahn allowed Arika to lead the way while letting Asuna ride on his shoulders. The amount of traffic at night was even greater than it would be throughout the day, as, unlike other countries, Nyandoma was considered a nocturnal city. Most Cat People had excellent night vision and were more active at night than during the day, so, once the gates closed for the day, the city came to life as hundreds-of-thousands of paper lanterns illuminated the entire nation. It was truly the City of Light, and, due to his fondness for eastern architecture, Vahn couldn't help but admire the nation's beauty...

Unfortunately, as was often the case when something was outwardly beautiful, the inside was less than pleasant. Nyandoma might be considered the City of Light, but that didn't mean it was lacking in Darkness. Rather, the brighter the light, the further-reaching the shadows seemed to run, and, as a result of rising tensions, quite a few people were glaring at Vahn's party. Though most businesses still tried to attract them as customers, it wasn't difficult to imagine them hiking up the prices in an effort to extort them...

Since she was a very sensitive young girl, Asuna wasn't blind to the way people were looking at her. As a result, her face was morphed into a slight frown as she lightly pulled at his hair and asked, "Do these people hate us? What did we do wrong...?"

Shaking his head, Vahn adopted a slightly apologetic smile, explaining, "It isn't that they hate us. It is more accurate to say that they simply don't know us. They allow their assumptions to guide their behavior. This is normal during tumultuous times, especially before and after a war. Don't let them get to you, okay, Asuna? Remember, these people aren't really bad and you haven't done anything wrong."

If possible, Vahn would have liked to let Asuna grow a bit more before she had to encounter things like bias and unjustified hatred. It wasn't fair for children to be burdened with such things, as, unless they had been led astray, all children were innocent. Adults who imposed their resentment onto the innocent were truly pathetic, and, despite understanding the underlying reasons, Vahn could never truly understand how any sensible person justified such behavior...

Though she didn't truly understand, Asuna nodded her head in response to Vahn's words, ignoring the hateful looks of some, and, instead, focusing on others. She noticed that only a few people were staring at them, specifically young adults and the elderly. The children and those around the age of parenthood didn't seem to mind them at all, their focus on more important things than people who had nothing to do with them...

Seeing that it was only a few people directing their hatred toward her, Asuna lost interest in trying to understand why. Instead, she began playing with Vahn's hair, wondering what he did to make it so soft. It seemed wild at a glance, but, whenever she ran her hands through it, it was similar to the finest satin. This made her feel slightly annoyed, but, knowing she could just ask him to wash her hair, Asuna decided not to let it bother her too much...

---

Fortunately, despite a number of people showing hostility, none of them actually tried to impede the group's progress. Even without any action on Vahn's part, Arika and Fenrir radiated the type of aura that made them 'very' difficult to approach, albeit for different reasons. Arika had an extremely dignified and noble bearing that unnerved anyone with a weaker will. Fenrir's, however, was even more terrifying as it caused an instinctual fear in anyone who made eye contact with her. This had been the case as far back as the Record of Danmachi, so, with a Skill like [Apex Predator], only those with supreme confidence in their abilities would dare confront her. Since it was rare for a bigot to have even a marginal amount of power, this meant they had been able to walk around with relative impunity, passing unobstructed for three hours.

Finding a rather homely inn with an attached bathhouse, Vahn set Asuna on the ground, leading the way inside after grabbing her hand. He wasn't afraid she would wander too far, but, if she saw a cute Elemental or a tiny animal, there was no way of knowing what she would do. Very few animals enjoyed having strangers harass them, so, even if she didn't mean any harm, there was a chance she could injure herself or upset someone else...

Despite noticing the peculiarities of Vahn's party in an instant, the old woman seated at the counter showed no aversion to their presence. Instead, she smiled in the kindly way that only genuinely kind elders could manage, the wrinkles on her face forming evident laugh lines that had been eternally engraved into her countenance.

A testament to her wisdom, the woman had a knowing look in her striking blue eyes as she said, "It must have been difficult for you to travel this far. It isn't much, but I can at least offer you a bowl of porridge and a hot bath as an apology. Of course, you'll have to actually rent a place to stay before I can accommodate you..."

Towards the end of her words, the woman looked between Vahn, Fenrir, and Arika before ultimately resting her gaze on Asuna. Her smiled became even more prominent when she saw the doll-like girl who shared quite a number of similarities with her cousin. This hadn't gone unnoticed by the older woman, so, as could be expected, she quickly misunderstood the relationship between Vahn, Arika, and Asuna. Though Arika was only fifteen, this was going by Mundus Magicus years, meaning she was around twenty-eight according to Earth-time. This wasn't really something Vahn accounted for, but, from the perspective of most people, Arika was more than old enough to be a mother.

Thinking she was doing the 'couple' a favor, the elderly woman smiled as she said, "It is rare to see a family traveling together during these trying times. You don't look like refugees, so I assume you are here to make an offering to the Utu-sama. Out of consideration, I'll offer you a family discount and arrange one of our larger suites for your use. There are two bedrooms, so your escort will also have a place to stay. How does 350 Drachma a night sound...?"

Hearing the old woman's words, Vahn realized she had misunderstood the group's dynamic, but, as there were already two rooms within the suite, he decided not to correct her. Instead, he pulled out a platinum coin, startling the woman slightly as he said, "Keep the change. It is refreshing to meet a kind soul after drawing the ire of so many during our travels. We will be staying for two nights and will not require meals."

As a platinum coin had a value of 10,000 Drachma, it was very rare for people to use it as a means of payment. The average person barely made more than a thousand Drachma in a month so it was a rather substantial sum to just throw around, causing the old woman's eyes to widen as she deftly slipped the coin into her sleeve. She could confirm whether or not it was real later, so, rather than risk offending her guests, she rang a small bell that was hidden under the counter.

Less than a minute after the bell had sounded out, a young Cat Person around eight years of age came scampering into the foyer. She was an adorable little girl that drew a lot of similarities with Chloe, surprising Vahn for a brief moment until she asked, "Are these our new guests, Granya~?"

While nodding her head, the elderly woman extended her hand, lightly caressing the head of her granddaughter as she explained, "These are our very important guests, Shiori. Guide them to our largest suite and make sure to explain our faculties properly, okay? You might be able to earn a bit of extra pocket money if you do well~."

Though the old woman's words were a little shameless, Vahn just lightly chuckled in response. Ana had given him a spatial artifact that contained several million Drachma before departing so he had more than enough to reward obedient bellgirls. He could also make a fortune just by creating and selling a single artifact so money didn't really have much value to him.

Hearing her Grandmother's words, the young Cat Person, Shiori, showed a gleeful expression, her ears and tail twitching excitedly as she thumped her chest and said, "Leave it to me-nya~! I'll give them the Super Shiori Special-nyahaha~!"

Laughing at her granddaughter's antic, the old woman handed over a room key and two wooden slips that served as a bath keys. Nyandoma was famous for its public bathhouses, but, unless you paid for a special service, they were still split between males and females. Children below the age of five could freely enter both sides, but, if you were caught trying to pass the barrier of the opposite gender's bath, a short stay in the local prison was the least of your worries.

With the room key in hand, Shiori raised it up high, a beaming smile on her face as she exclaimed, "Follow Shiori-nyahaha~!" while wielding the key like a marching baton.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn behaves very differently when children are present o3o...','Asuna is a very astute young girl','Arika.exe has stopped running','Shiori will guide the way~!')

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