As the horizon began to show a faint pale light and the glow of the twin moons gradually dimmed, the outline of a town finally appeared at the edge of Luna Belle's vision.
"Finally here... I'm exhausted..."
Luna Belle wiped away sweat with her free hand. Although Ellen wasn't heavy, the trek through the wasteland had certainly taught her what true off-roading was like. Before her stood a town that seemed quite substantial, its grayish-white stone walls revealing rough and solid lines in the morning light. The walls weren't particularly high, but they were fully equipped with watchtowers and arrow towers. Repair marks on the stone surfaces silently told of the fires of war the town had endured.
As she drew closer, a dirt path formed by frequent trampling appeared beneath her feet, merging into a wider, gravel-paved main road. Pedestrians began to appear in small groups—mostly farmers or itinerant merchants pushing wooden wheelbarrows, with the occasional traveler riding a horse-like creature. Most were in a hurry, occasionally casting a curious glance at Luna Belle as she carried Ellen on her back, but no one lingered for long.
The closer they got to the city gate, the denser the crowd became, forming a slow-moving queue. The gate was a heavy, iron-bound wooden structure. It was wide open, but barricades were set up at the entrance where Soldiers in uniform leather armor and wielding spears were checking people and vehicles one by one. Their gear looked sophisticated, and they conducted their inspections with grim thoroughness.
Carrying the still soundly sleeping Ellen, Luna Belle stood in the crowd, moving forward with the line. She carefully observed the situation. The Soldiers seemed to mainly question origins and check belongings. Occasionally, disputes broke out, but they were quickly and forcefully suppressed.
"This is troublesome... we don't have any identification documents at all," Luna Belle muttered quietly, starting to feel nervous. She asked in her mind: "Fairy? Fairy, are you there? Is there a way?"
"Please just wait and see how things develop, Master," Fairy's flat voice echoed.
Luna Belle couldn't help but facepalm. "It's almost our turn... wait and see... see what?!"
Just as she was complaining, the variable Fairy mentioned occurred. A commotion suddenly broke out at the front of the line. A figure wrapped tightly in a tattered cloak, pushing a small cart piled high with hay, was stopped by several Soldiers.
"How many times do I have to say it! You must undergo inspection to enter! Take off your cloak!" a soldier who appeared to be a Squad Leader barked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
The figure pushing the cart trembled violently. Instead of obeying, they suddenly lowered their head and tried to force the cart through!
"Stop him!"
At the Squad Leader's command, two nearby soldiers crossed their spears, blocking the way. At the same time, another Soldier stepped forward and yanked off the person's hood. Revealed beneath was a face with dark green skin! Its mouth split open, letting out a threatening cry while baring sharp teeth.
"It's a Goblin!" someone in the crowd screamed.
"A filthy low-level creature! How dare it come here!" someone cursed in disgust.
"Seize it!" the Squad Leader ordered without hesitation.
Seeing its cover blown, a fierce light flashed in the Goblin's eyes. It suddenly pulled a rusty short axe from the haystack and charged the nearest Soldier with a wild cry! The people in line screamed and scattered, afraid of getting caught in the fray. The Soldiers quickly tightened their circle, spears pointing at the frenzied creature.
This sudden chaos happened right in front of Luna Belle. She was jostled by the retreating crowd and stumbled, nearly losing her footing. The commotion finally disturbed the sleeping "passenger" on her back.
"Mmm... so noisy..." Ellen's dissatisfied mutter rang out, thick with sleepiness.
She seemed extremely reluctant as she opened a sliver of her eyes, her red pupils full of displeasure. She tilted her head, her chin still resting on Luna Belle's shoulder, and lazily glanced at the shouting Goblin. Then, she very naturally fished another lollipop out of her pocket, slowly peeled the wrapper, and popped it into her mouth. Only then did she look at the scene and give a muffled evaluation.
"The public security here... why is it so terrible..."
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the sudden quiet of the city gate, it sounded exceptionally clear. The Squad Leader, who was about to subdue the creature, happened to hear this lazy critique. He snapped his head around, his gaze sweeping toward the source of the voice—a black-haired maid leaning on a blue-haired girl's back.
His gaze lingered on Ellen's lazily swaying giant shark tail, and a flash of confusion crossed his face. But he quickly suppressed it. He waved at the two girls. Perhaps because they looked young and frail, he softened his tone slightly.
"Little girl, please step back so you don't get hurt."
Just then, the Goblin forced an opening and came screeching toward Luna Belle and Ellen! Perhaps it felt that compared to the armored soldiers, these two would be easier to break through.
"Look out!" exclamations rang out. Luna Belle's heart leaped. She instinctively wanted to retreat, but with Ellen on her back, her movements were a beat too slow.
"Not good!" The Squad Leader was aghast.
In this critical moment, Ellen, still leaning on Luna Belle's back, merely furrowed her brows. She didn't even bother to get down; she just lazily raised her free hand.
In the next second, the giant Shark Pruning Shears appeared out of thin air with a heart-stopping whistle of air. The broad side of the blades, like a flyswatter hitting a fly, precisely and ruthlessly slammed into the face of the charging Goblin.
Thump!
Along with a dull thud and a cringe-inducing sound of bone cracking, the green figure flew backward even faster than it had charged. It hit the ground several meters away like a heavy rag doll, rolled, and went completely still.
The entire city gate instantly fell into a dead silence.