(42) Does Greed Rule This City

Wind howled past her ears as Nephthys soared through the sky. Normally, she would have a windshield before her, but she was not planning to reach supersonic speeds or anything close to them. This was mostly due to their proximity to Gloamview, but also to having Tara in tow.

Glancing back, she was glad to see that the girl was becoming accustomed to flight. She flew forward mostly unbothered, gazing at the landscape below. This was a dramatic improvement from the first flight, though they were not going nearly as fast, either.

Her thoughts drifted back to the Halford farm, and her mood soured. Though she was reluctant to center the situation on herself—it was obviously a tragedy for the Halfords—she could not help but be annoyed.

Of course!

Of course, things were like this. Of course, low-level food, her exact reason for coming here, was embroiled in some sort of grand conspiracy or something.

Her other purpose for being here was to find a potential caretaker for the folks sheltering in Nemesis, yet she had also found the chamberlain for the count of Gloamview in talks with some shady underworld sort, so that might rule all of Gloamview out.

Nothing could be easy, could it?

Entering the city was much easier this time, at least, only requiring a quick flash of her adventurer badge. The thing apparently had tremendous social power, from smoothing over a conversation with a noble to simply entering and exiting the city, despite the lockdown.

Thinking about Baron Buchanan lightened her mood, though only slightly. She was a product of her environment, so growing up in the world she lived in had not instilled her with a gracious attitude toward nobility. She had all kinds of heinous crimes against humanity and injustices associated with powerful nobles in her mind.

Yet, Baron Buchanan seemed an upstanding guy. True, he was still a figure of authority in an unjust system, but he seemed to genuinely care for his land and subjects. That was a good thing…though perhaps it only showed how low the bar truly was. Should she really praise the man for the bare minimum?

That said, was it unfair to be judging this world based on her own? There were thousands of years of history behind the systems of governance in her own world, and even some monarchies still lingered.

It was something to consider, but in the immediate, the Baron could be a valuable ally. This was why she had offered him her full name. If she ended up contacting him later, not as an adventurer, but as Nephthys, guild leader for Nemesis, it would avoid potential confusion.

“I saw that!” Tara suddenly shouted.

The corners of Nephthys’ mouth twitched, a column of displaced air dispersing over her head.

“Very good. I must admit, I thought that you would have dropped your circulation. You are learning quickly,” she said.

She did not have to look back to perceive the blush on Tara’s cheeks. She deserved the praise, though. Maintaining a spell, or even just circulation, was not easy. Actually, doing anything that required constant concentration was difficult.

“I have another for you to practice,” Nephthys said, flinging a diagram from her spellbook backward.

“This looks…” Tara muttered, inspecting the diagram.

She stumbled, bumping into a passerby, having finally reached her multitasking limit.

“It looks similar to your transformation, yes? It is an enhancement more than a spell. It will use your mana to strengthen your body. This is an all-purpose version that strengthens your entire body, from head to toe.

“There are more focused versions out there, but we will start with this,” Nephthys explained, grabbing Tara’s arm and helping her right herself.

“That’s…great, but I already have my transformation. Shouldn’t I be learning how to defeat people before they can get close?” she asked.

“You will, eventually. For now, your most reliable tool for self-defense is what you have been using—what you are acclimated to. In times of stress, we all tend to fall back on what we have practiced and know.

“This circulation will enhance your transformation as long as you remember to maintain it, which is why it, too, must become like breathing,” Nephthys said, rounding the bend to arrive at the market.

They approached the inn, and Tara tore her eyes away from the diagram, finally realizing where they were.

“The inn? Are we already done for the day?” she asked, confused.

“We are, yes. I have tasks that I must see to on my own. I will have you remain here,” Nephthys explained, approaching the counter.

“Greetings, Halla,” she bade.

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“Oh, hey, Nef. You’re back early,” Halla, the proprietress of the inn, greeted.

It had been a few days since she and Tara had been staying in this inn, and Nephthys had spent plenty of time watching the owners. They were good people, from what she could tell. More than that, they treated others well and looked out for their friends.

However, it was when she had witnessed Halla shepherd a distraught young woman into the kitchen, away from her irate lover, who arrived shortly after, that Nephthys truly decided they were trustworthy.

“Indeed. I have some tasks that require me. Would you be willing to look after Tara for a while? I should not be long,” Nephthys asked, gesturing to Tara behind her.

“Of course! Have you eaten, Tara? You can head back to the kitchen and have Willem fix you something, if you want,” she offered.

“Thanks,” Tara squeaked, barely audible.