I’m There

At the gates of Grintei, a long line stretched forward.

The soldiers guarding the entrance were conducting routine checks, determined not to let any dangerous criminals slip inside.

Lily was stunned to realize that not just the guards, but even the passersby were all girls.

She had never seen the outside world before, only caves—but she quickly pieced it together.

This world seemed to consist only of women.

No wonder women here could have children with one another.

Before entering the city, each person was required to place their hand on a crystal orb. The orb, no doubt, was a magical tool for detecting wanted criminals. A precaution to keep villains out.

Then came identity verification. One needed a travel permit issued by the Adventurer’s Guild or a merchant’s guild. At the very least, a letter of recommendation from a village would do.

For those who had nothing, there was a steep fee—twenty silver coins per adult, ten for children.

Letia had plenty of imperial gold coins, so paying was no issue.

The line shortened steadily until it was finally their turn.

The one conducting the inspection was a mature knightly woman clad in polished silver armor.

The shine of her armor caught Amy’s gaze immediately, but Lily quickly lifted Amy into her arms to prevent her from interrupting the official’s work.

“Are you a family of three?”

“That’s right,” Letia answered smoothly. “This is my little wife, and this is my daughter. We’ve come from a remote village, without any letters of introduction.”

“Then you’ll need to pay the deposit. Twenty silver coins per adult, ten for the child.”

“No problem. Here’s the fee.”

Letia handed over a small gold coin, equivalent to fifty silver coins.

The knight examined it against the sunlight, confirmed its purity, and passed it to her subordinates for safekeeping.

“Next, place your hand on the crystal orb. If you’re guilty of murder, it will glow.”

At those words, Lily’s chest tightened. She had no crimes on her hands—but Letia had killed many.

Only recently, she had slain several imperial knights.

And wasn’t this woman in front of them possibly one of their comrades?

The thought was terrifying. They could not afford to be exposed.

But her fears were unfounded. Letia touched the orb, and nothing happened.

Lily let out a quiet sigh of relief, hurriedly pressing her own hand to the orb as well.

“Good. No problem. You may pass.”

Another breath of relief escaped Lily as she followed Letia through the gates.

Grintei wasn’t the imperial capital, but as a hub of commerce it was lively and grand.

The streets were paved with stone bricks of azure hue, lined with meticulously trimmed trees.

When night fell, fireflies would flit among the branches, filling every corner of the city with a romantic glow.

Food stalls filled the air with tantalizing aromas. Street performers displayed their skills to cheering crowds.

It was Amy’s first time in a real city, and her eyes sparkled with innocence and joy.

“Lily Mama, there are so many people here!”

“Yes, lots of people—so hold on tight, don’t get lost.”

“More than our mounta—uh, more than our village!”

“Clever girl, Amy. You remembered—we came from a village.”

Fearing Amy might wander off, Lily held her little hand firmly.

The three of them strolled through the streets together, and Amy would run excitedly toward every new curiosity she saw.

“Lily Mama, look over there! What’s that?”

“Those are balloons.”

“Balloons?” Amy tilted her head in confusion.

“That’s right,” Lily explained with a smile. “They’re toys made from elastic material, filled with a gas lighter than air. That’s why they float.”

“Ooh! I don’t really get it, but Lily Mama is amazing!”

“Haha, I only know a little bit myself.”

They soon passed by a food stall.

On the grill, skewers of meat sizzled in dripping oil, releasing mouth-watering scents.

Customers lined up eagerly, and a young girl almost burned her lips biting into one too quickly.

She smiled happily at her family, and they smiled warmly back.

The simple joy of the scene made Lily smile as well.

Amy tugged at her sleeve, curious about the skewers. Lily thought she wanted one and prepared to gently refuse—it wasn’t good for such a small child to eat heavy, greasy food.

But Amy shook her head. “The smoke hurts my throat. Let’s go somewhere else!”

“Oh no—that’s not good. Let’s hurry away!”

The thick smoke wasn’t much to adults, but for a two-year-old it was harsher.

Lily quickly led Amy away, fussing over her until she seemed better.

Of course, Amy was of dragon blood. She wasn’t that fragile. In moments, she had recovered completely.

Just as Lily sighed in relief, Letia suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Lily looked at her in surprise.

Letia’s brows furrowed, her gaze sweeping behind them.

From the darkness of a narrow alley, a pale silhouette flickered past. If not for Letia, Lily would never have noticed.

“What is it? Imperial pursuers?”

“No. It wasn’t killing intent—it was hatred.”

“Hatred is no better, is it?”

“She’s gone now. Likely she thought better of it.” Letia’s voice was steady. “Don’t worry. If she dares touch Amy, I’ll be the first to end her.”

“But who was she? Why would she hate us?”

“I don’t know. Let’s find a place to stay first. Once we have a home base, we can deal with pests like her later.”

—

Not far away, a petite girl sat at a street stall, clutching a chicken skewer.

She devoured it eagerly, juice dripping down her chin.

“Mmm! So good! So, so good!”

Her fluffy ears twitched, her furry tail wagged, her legs kicked with excitement. She was the very picture of happiness.

Her name was Mira—princess of the fox tribe.

She wore a white robe, her orange eyes gleaming beneath short brown hair.

Furry fox ears sprouted atop her head, darker in shade but blending with her hair.

Her figure was slight, with some curves but nothing more than gentle hills.

But her spirit was soaring. For her mother had gone to the Dragon God’s homeland to propose on her behalf.

According to her mother, Karina had not given a direct answer, but it was almost certain. Soon, Mira would be able to wed her beloved elder sister.

“Ahh…” Mira held her cheeks, lost in daydream. “Letia-nee… I can’t wait to see you again. I want to hold your hand and pledge our love beneath the stars!”

The fox tribe was traditional—until marriage was secured, her mother forbade her from meeting Letia.

With nothing else to do, Mira often wandered the human city.

The barbecue stall’s owner liked her well enough, always offering the best skewers.

Over time, Mira would even help attract customers.

Though she hardly needed to try—her cuteness alone was enough.

Sitting there, eating happily, she was like a living signpost, drawing people in.

And then, in the middle of the crowd, Mira saw her.

At first she thought her eyes deceived her. She rubbed them, looked again.

It was real. It was her dream’s heroine—Letia.

She would never forget that dawn five hundred years ago, when Letia had tenderly nursed her wounds.

Day and night they had stayed together, gazes full of unspoken affection.

“Ahhh, Letia-nee is still so handsome… so wonderful!”

Mira pressed her face into her hands, staring at Letia’s figure.

Until her gaze shifted. Until she saw the woman standing by Letia’s side.

Until she saw Letia smiling, laughing—together with that woman.

Mira’s heart stopped. She stared at Lily in disbelief.

“Why…? Why, when you already have me… why would you take another girl?”