The First Night in Gran City

“Eh? Eh? Eh? Miss Katie, where did this little girl come from?”

“And where did your teammates go?”

On the afternoon of the third day after Daisy left the forest with Katie—the adventurer who had nearly lost her life exploring the dragon’s cave—they finally reached the carriage station Katie had mentioned.

After lunch, crossing a hill, and walking a bit further, they arrived.

Near the station—a crude structure like a temporary straw hut—they encountered the guild’s transport carriage.

It was like a public coach used for pick-ups.

The coachman, a red-nosed middle-aged man, looked at Katie in surprise.

Her four teammates were gone.

Instead, she had brought back a small white-haired girl wrapped in a gray-black fur blanket, with a large hat covering her head.

“Uu…”

Daisy shrank slightly behind Katie.

She felt uncomfortable under the coachman’s unfriendly gaze.

“Ahaha… well…”

Katie laughed awkwardly and brushed it off.

“My unreliable teammates got separated from me.”

“And on the way back, I picked up this lost kid.”

As she spoke, she pulled Daisy along and climbed into the carriage.

“Just take us back to Gran City first.”

“I have important information to report to the guild.”

The coachman didn’t look convinced.

But he didn’t press further.

With a crack of the whip, the old, skinny horse began to trot.

The wooden wheels creaked as the carriage rolled toward Gran City.

‘Oh… so this is… a carriage?’

For the first time, Daisy crouched in the back of the canvas-covered carriage.

She watched the scenery roll backward behind them with fascination.

Viola had mentioned this before.

That it was a common human mode of transport.

But experiencing it firsthand felt completely different.

While Daisy curiously examined the structure of the carriage, Katie sat nearby and pulled out a spare white shirt from her bag.

She took out a dagger and began cutting off the sleeves.

“Katie? What are you doing?”

Daisy turned around with a curious smile.

“This?”

Katie sounded slightly proud.

“I’m making clothes for you.”

She then took out a small sewing kit.

“We can’t have you walking around the city wrapped in animal fur forever.”

“One of the basic survival rules in big cities is—don’t stand out too much.”

“Oh… you can make clothes too?”

“That’s amazing!”

“Not really.”

Katie chuckled.

“I’m just cutting the sleeves shorter and sewing the edges.”

“It’ll still be loose on you.”

“But it’s better than wearing fur.”

The weather was clear.

A gentle breeze carried the scent of earth and grass across the open plains.

The carriage moved steadily forward.

Hooves clopped.

Wheels creaked.

Katie focused on sewing without looking up.

Daisy watched her with interest.

The road stretched endlessly.

Calm.

Quiet.

It really felt like a journey.

“By the way, Daisy…”

After a moment of silence, Katie suddenly spoke up.

“The fur you’re wearing…”

“Did that… guardian of yours give it to you?”

When Viola appeared before Katie’s group, she had been wearing a black dress formed from her own body.

She looked like a normal human.

But Daisy was wrapped in animal fur.

The contrast felt strange.

In reality, when Viola and Daisy were alone, they didn’t wear anything at all.

So it never felt strange in the cave.

But Daisy instinctively felt like she shouldn’t say that.

“Viola gave it to me a long time ago.”

“She said it’s from a scorpion-tailed fox.”

“Scorpion-tailed fox?!”

Katie’s reaction was huge.

Her eyes widened, and she almost pricked herself with the needle.

“That’s a rare high-level monster!”

“Fast, venomous, extremely hard to catch!”

“Its fur never decays for a thousand years!”

“It’s incredibly valuable!”

“Even the nobles in Gran City might not have something like that!”

“This could sell for over twenty gold coins!”

“……”

Daisy immediately clutched the fur tightly.

“This was given to me by Viola…”

“I can’t sell it…”

Katie froze for a moment.

Then she smiled bitterly.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m not the kind of person who tricks a kid and sells their stuff.”

“I do need money…”

“But twenty gold isn’t going to fix everything.”

Daisy remembered what Katie had said before.

Her mother had passed away.

Her father was gravely ill.

Her siblings were starving.

Daisy understood that feeling.

She also didn’t want to part with what Viola had given her.

Time passed quietly during the journey.

The sun slowly dipped westward.

The sky darkened into evening.

The coachman drove in silence.

As if he was used to this repetitive life.

At first, Daisy found the ride exciting.

But after hours of watching similar scenery, she grew a little bored.

She had spent centuries in the cave without feeling bored.

Yet now, just one afternoon was enough.

Maybe… because Viola wasn’t there.

At some point, Katie finished altering the shirt and helped Daisy put it on.

She changed out of the fur.

Now, wearing the loose white shirt, Daisy curled up.

She hugged the fur blanket in her arms.

For no clear reason, she suddenly missed it.

Even though it had only been three days.

“Daisy! Daisy! Look!”

Just as night was about to fall, Katie suddenly pointed excitedly toward the horizon.

“Gran City is almost here!”

“Look over there!”

“That glow—that’s the city lights!”

“Oh? Where?”

Daisy perked up immediately.

She leaned forward and looked into the distance.

The golden sun had almost fully set.

The red glow of dusk faded.

At the edge of the horizon—

A stretch of shimmering lights appeared.

From their elevated position, they could see past the outer walls.

Inside the city, countless lights flickered.

Smoke rose into the air.

It looked like sparkling grains scattered across a painting.

And that was only the distant view.

By the time night fully fell, the carriage arrived at Gran City.

They joined a line of travelers and caravans.

At the gate, armored guards checked each group.

One by one, people passed through the towering stone gate and iron grilles.

Daisy felt nervous.

Katie had warned her—if her dragon horns were seen, it could cause trouble.

But Katie showed her guild credentials.

She casually explained Daisy was a found child.

They passed through without issue.

After all, orphans were common.

A dragon child was not something guards would suspect.

Once inside—

Daisy forgot all her worries.

Before her stretched a dazzling world.

Tall stone buildings with pointed roofs.

Towering spires.

White churches.

Streets paved with stone.

Crowded alleys.

People everywhere.

Men and women in all kinds of clothing.

Voices filled the air.

Carriages moved back and forth.

Shops lined the streets.

Stalls displayed countless goods.

Lanterns and decorations hung above.

The city glowed brightly in the night.

It felt like a fantastical, overwhelming wonderland.

“Woooah…”

“Woooaaah…”

“Wooooaaaah!!!”

Daisy couldn’t stop exclaiming.

Her golden-red eyes sparkled with reflected lights.

Beside her, Katie remained silent.

Hidden in the shadow of the carriage canopy.

For the first time, a trace of loneliness showed on her face.

Because what awaited her…

Would not be a warm welcome.

“What kind of price is this?!”

After arriving at the guild hall, Katie slammed her hand on the counter.

The building was large but plain.

Stone walls.

Stone pillars.

Decorative empty armor stood around.

Katie stood at the exchange counter, her pack nearly empty of food.

She glared angrily at a thin, sharp-faced clerk.

Adventurers had no stable income.

They earned money through missions, treasures, and monster materials.

Inside monsters were magical cores.

Hard, nut-sized organs infused with magic.

Used for potions and other purposes.

Katie had brought back a bag full of them.

But the offered price was far too low.

“I’m not undercutting you.”

The clerk spoke lazily.

“Market prices have changed.”

He tossed a few silver coins onto the counter.

“Thirty-four low-grade cores.”

“Five silver coins is already generous.”

“Other guilds wouldn’t even offer that much.”

“I know your situation is tough.”

“But I’m just doing my job.”

“……”

Daisy stood nearby, unsure what to say.

“Katie! You’re back?!”

A rough voice suddenly rang out.

A middle-aged man approached, tapping a cane loudly.

He wore a suit and had a protruding belly.

His small eyes carried an air of authority.

“Your loan is already months overdue.”

“Forget that for now.”

“How was the dragon mission?”

“Was there a dragon?”

“Where are your teammates?”

“If you don’t repay soon, the interest will double.”

“Answer me.”

“Was there a dragon?”

Katie’s face turned pale.

She lowered her head.

“G-guild master… I…”

Daisy remembered.

Katie had borrowed money for her father’s treatment.

This man was the guild master.

Now, Katie was completely cornered.

If she said there was no dragon—

The mission would be a failure.

Her debts would worsen.

But if she said…

“Well? Speak!”

“You useless girl!”

The guild master pressed aggressively.

Katie trembled.

Sweat dripped down her face.

“Guild master… the dragon…”

Her voice shook.

Each word felt heavy.

Her eyes shifted…

Slowly…

Toward Daisy.

She hesitated.

Struggling to decide—

What she should say next.