Kaia groaned as she woke up. Pain flared across her body, but luckily, it felt much better than yesterday. Reflecting on what had happened, she realized how desperate she had been for rescue—so desperate she had almost fallen into the mimic's trap. Looking back, that creature had looked nothing like Kin.
She glanced aside to see Mia stretching. At one point, Mia raised her hand, looked up at the sky, paused, and squinted.
"What is that? A flying person?" Mia murmured.
Kaia followed her gaze. A figure was moving through the air like a piece of paper caught in the wind, until it suddenly dove directly toward them. Mia didn't waste a second and summoned her arrows. The projectiles darted toward the figure, but it dodged them effortlessly.
Mia put her hands before her face, bracing for impact... but nothing happened. When she slowly lowered her hands, a crow was flapping in the air, holding an elegantly decorated long black dress. Its gaze seemed to offer the garment as a gift.
"Uh... thanks?" she said, taking the dress.
Another piece of clothing fell onto Kaia's face. She moved it aside to see a second crow landing beside her. The outfit looked like armor designed for a girl—lightweight and easy to move in.
"I didn't expect this," Kin said as the two crows darted to him. "I thought you might take a while; I expected nothing less from you, little mafia." The two crows perched on his wrists.
"Kin?" Lex asked, a prominent bruise marking his forehead. He was holding a third crow in his hand. "Fay threw this armor at me."
"That's not Fay," Kin pointed out. The crow escaped Lex's grip and hopped onto Kin's shoulder. "Now that you mention her," Kin looked at his "crow mafia," "where is Fay?"
The birds looked toward the sky, where Fay appeared holding Kin's clothes.
"Jealous," one crow croaked, and the others laughed.
Fay handed the clothes to Kin. "Mom, did you have to do this?" he muttered.
"Mom—cares," Fay said.
Kin shook his head with a slight smile and announced, "Well, everyone, you should get dressed."
"Why?" Mia asked. "What's wrong with our clothes?"
"Dirty, old, and stained with blood," Kin answered.
Mia sighed, but her eyes widened when she spotted the half-armor Kaia was holding. She nudged her friend.
"Wanna trade?" Mia asked.
"Sure," Kaia accepted.
"Fee, privacy," Kin ordered gently.
One crow jumped between the group and released a cloud of fog, creating a perfect changing room.
"Birds can do that?!" Mia asked.
"My mom trained them," Kin explained.
"Now I want a magic bird," she replied.
They took their time changing. Mia finished first and jumped out of the cloud. She began testing her movement in the half-plate armor. It was excellent; the plates protecting her calves and arms were light and didn't interfere with her wrists.
"Whoever made this is a master craftsman," Mia commented.
"He certainly is," Kaia added. The soft sheen of her dress reflected beautifully in her wide eyes as she walked with short, careful steps. "This even came with fake nails and a folding fan. I feel like a princess," she added, eager for a certain person to see her.
"Pfft," Mia laughed. "You look like a witch with heavy pockets."
Lex stepped out of the fog holding a helmet, struggling to figure out where to put his axe with this new outfit. Kaia's heart pounded at the sight of him in shining armor; she couldn't find the words to speak. Lex turned to her and, with a soft smile, complemented her outfit. "You look nice in black."
Kaia felt as if every Cupid in existence was aiming at her. While imaginary lovebirds wrapped them together in the strings of fate, Mia's patience ran out.
She called out to Kin, "Come on, shy princess, we don't have all day!"
"Just a moment," Kin replied. "I don't wear these very often."
"While you're in there," Mia counted off, "Atnis ruins, the lost bells..." she looked up fiercely, "the thousand knights' grave. How many of those places did you plan to drag us through?"
After a long pause, Kin added, "You forgot the Envy Swamps."
"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "If you want to commit suicide, you don't need to drag us with you."
"I promise I didn't plan for such a thing," Kin answered. "I just had business there."
"Like what?!" Mia asked.
"I collected samples from the lake to ensure it's still pure. There is a group of demon cultists hiding in the swamps, the grave might have awakened again, and a demon capable of mass breeding fled to the bells," Kin replied.
"What kind of person are you to do all this?" Mia asked.
Kin finally stepped out of the fog. "It's not important anymore. We're heading through the kingdom now."
In the distance, the kingdom walls were visible. As they began the walk, Kaia used telepathy to talk to Mia about "girl stuff," giggling as Kin and Lex watched them with confused expressions. Finally, she found the courage to ask a question.
"When I was changing, I noticed my wounds were stitched. Did a medic come by while I was asleep?" Kaia asked.
"No, it was Kin," Mia answered.
"Really?" Kaia said.
"I found him hiding in a corner stitching his own thigh. I kind of forced him to bandage ours," Mia replied.
"Oh, hehe. For a moment, I thought he was being kind. You really have a grip on a person like him."
"Well," Mia hesitated, "I think he's just soft on me for some reason."
At the great gates of the kingdom, nobles passed in and out in luxury carriages. Two armored guards stood at the entrance. Kin walked in front, head down, lost in thought. His steps were so quiet he could have sneaked up on an elephant. He revealed an old golden plate bearing a tribal mark, and the guards allowed them through.
The moment they stepped inside, Kin's entire posture changed. The group felt as if they were walking with a different person. He straightened his back, holding his head high and proud. His elegant stride, accompanied by the chiming of the old medals on his chest, created a dominant melody that pushed the crowds aside.
Kaia projected a thought into Mia's mind: Was he a noble in disguise or something?
Mia answered, Maybe, but privately, she hid a chuckle; to her, Kin looked like a veteran knight forced to wear fancy clothes. Lex's eyes were fixed on Kin from beneath his helmet. He felt a familiar ghost guiding Kin's every step.
"So," Mia asked, "where are we going?"
"The supreme church," Kin answered, "and then to the north gate."
Mia looked around as they progressed, but her survival instincts were on high alert. She had walked these roads before, but something was missing. A trap? It was possible.
She looked at Kin and asked, "I expected an army of knights to surround us the moment we entered the kingdom. It's weird that no one showed up, huh?"
"Yes," Kin said. "These roads look different when the knights aren't everywhere."
They arrived at the supreme church, a towering building that silently demand attention. A man stood before the door, but he wore no armor. His clothes and soft smile made Kaia think he was a priest. Kin showed him a wooden tablet, and the man opened the door. Just then, they heard the heavy sound of armored footsteps behind them. Kin hurried them inside, and the man closed the door behind them.
"You don't have a permit," the man said in a soft tone to those outside. "I can't allow you in."
The armored figure outside stepped away.
"Close call," Kin said. "But they won't bother us here."
Kaia looked around the massive church. Bookshelves extended to the ceiling of the first floor. Books were organized alphabetically, with each sector dedicated to a different topic; the higher the shelf, the more difficult and complex the books became.
"What could Kin possibly have to do with this place?" Kaia wondered, but she was cut short when Mia grabbed her face and pointed at a specific section.
"I know your eyes are sharp. Can you read that cover?" Mia asked.
"Which one—?"
"The blue one!" Mia answered.
High up on the top shelves, white books dominated the row—white being the standard color for soul mastery. But one stood out in pale blue.
"The Ways of Archers," Kaia read.
Mia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Finally," she murmured. "I found it. The one and only soul archery book."
Mia lunged forward, heading for the long stairs that connected the floor to the top shelves. Instead of taking them normally, she began jumping from edge to edge to climb faster.
"Mia!" Kaia called out, but Mia didn't look back.
"Let her go," Kin said. "She will learn an important lesson when she reaches it."
She passed several janitors who were dusting the books; they didn't even acknowledge her. Finally, she reached the shelf. She snatched the book and stared at it; her dream was becoming a reality. She took a deep breath and opened the first page.
It was blank. "It must just be part of the cover," she told herself.
She turned to the next page... nothing. She began flipping through the pages frantically.
"You've got to be kidding me," she repeated every time she found another blank page. The entire book was empty.
"Ah, what a pain," a girl said, aggressively scratching her head nearby. She saw Mia and asked, "Did you see a book called The Ways of Archery?"
Mia handed her the book with a disappointed smile.
The girl took it, surprised. She lightly tapped the book against her own forehead in embarrassment.
"No one told me it was the blue one; I walked past it a hundred times. This day couldn't get any worse."
She took a key, inserted it into a lock on the cover, and turned it. The book glowed brightly as words became visible.
"Excuse me," Mia said, her voice an exhausted whisper. "Can I read it? Just one page?"
"Don't you have a key?" the girl asked.
Mia didn't respond, offering only a blank stare.
"I'm sorry," the girl said. "But we're not allowed to show it to anyone who doesn't have a key."
"But..." Mia tried.
"I'm sorry, I have an exam soon. Bye!" The girl walked away, dragging Mia's hopes along with her.
"Knowledge is not free." Kin said.