It was surprisingly crowded. Elise had not expected the town of Rihona to be this alive after the unfortunate event. The town was leveled when they left it, with almost no buildings standing. She thought it would be a ghost town, but the townsfolk had returned to rebuild it from scratch.
They walked down one of the newly built streets. The town buzzed with construction everywhere as artisans and tradesmen tried to establish their businesses. Even though walking through the town again reminded Elise of the disaster she had witnessed, seeing the people patch their wounds and try to live on soothed her heart.
The sun had reached its peak. The journey from the Gate in the middle of the dense forest had taken them almost two days before, but this time, it hadn't even taken half a day. She knew her mobility had improved, but didn't think it would be by this much. The Traveler kept increasing their speed, and she played along. They almost flew through the forest, even scaring some lumberjacks on the way.
"That's why Humans are the most common species in most of the Realms." The Traveler walked next to her, looking around just like Elise.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Humans are one of the most adaptive intelligent species. They always find a way to live on." He waved off a merchant trying to sell him something on the road. "Do you remember the story I told you about the creation of Realms?"
"Yeah." How could she forget? It was the first time she had developed an interest in Energy, which changed her life completely.
"Humans are the first self-evolved intelligent species—unlike Angels, Demons, and most Dragons, which are handmade creatures. The first Humans progressed beyond everyone's imagination because they created everything they had with hardship and endurance; their 'God' didn't interfere. The other 'Gods' thought Humans were the perfect species, so they copied them to their Realms out of jealousy. That is why most species hate Humans."
He stopped for a moment to peer at a greengrocer's cabbage display, as if he saw something interesting. Elise followed him. She was no vegetable expert, but even to her, those cabbages did not look healthy. The Traveler picked one up and continued his lecture.
"But they soon found out their assumptions were wrong. The Humans they copied were not the ultimate species. Most of them went extinct almost instantly. They were adapted to their original environment and couldn't adapt fast enough to their new Realm's conditions." He turned the cabbage in his hand, pointing out the rotten spots. "Some lived on and evolved into something else. Some 'Gods' even force-evolved their Humans or readjusted their Realms to create the ultimate species. That's how the other variant Humanoids were created, like Elves and such. I don't think you have heard of them, though. Your myths are quite limited here."
He dropped the cabbage back onto the display and kept walking, ignoring the greengrocer's complaints. The creation story he just told was nowhere near what the Church of the Six—the main religion on this continent—was preaching. But she could see where it came from. Unlike her mother, she had never been a religious person, but hearing those stories from someone like the Traveler was different. He spoke of these things as if they were common knowledge and absolute truth, making her curious.
"How do you know this much? Perhaps... were you alive back then?" she asked timidly. That couldn't be the case, right? She knew he was a man surrounded by mysteries, but living that long was a different story entirely.
He stopped and looked at Elise with a disappointed expression. "Do I look that old?"
"That was not what I meant. You just... know too much, and I was just wondering where this much knowledge came from," she desperately tried to explain.
"So, you assume I am lying."
Her eyes widened when she realized how her words could easily be interpreted that way. She frantically tried to think of an apology, but then saw a wicked smile spread across his face.
"I'm just messing with you. If you weren't the questioning type, I wouldn't have taken you as an apprentice. As for your answer, some organizations study the creation of Realms, and I have friends among them. Is this satisfying enough for you?"
She wouldn't have believed it if it came from anyone else, but she had seen what he was capable of. He had no reason to lie just to boast. She once again realized she was in the right hands and happily kept walking alongside him.
The street they were walking down almost came to an end, and only then did she realize they were being watched. She sensed two presences in the alleyway they had just passed, and two more standing outside the store ahead. She had no idea how she did it, but she could pinpoint their exact locations. Was it because of her improved Energy sense?
She immediately shifted into a defensive stance, ready to take them on. "We are being watched."
"I know," the Traveler said with a careless tone. "They've been tailing us almost since we entered the main street, and we are already surrounded. Now they're going to act because you let them know they were discovered."
He was right. Elise couldn't help but react as soon as she felt threatened, and now their pursuers were closing in from all directions. She recognized the uniforms beneath their cloaks; they were from the Investigation Bureau. Why them? She thought they were only sent after those who committed serious crimes. Why were they after her?
She looked at the Traveler. He stood perfectly still without a care, as if nothing was happening. "What are you doing? We need to get rid of them before they call for backup."
"Nah. I don't beat up government officials anymore."
"What!? Whatever, let's just escape then." She prepared to vault onto a rooftop. Many buildings were under construction, and she could easily jump between them—it would be a walk in the park in her current condition. But she felt the Traveler's hand on her shoulder.
"I thought you were done running." He looked at her with his color-changing eyes, and she understood his intentions. She needed to clean up her past mistakes to secure a cleaner future. But was he really planning to surrender? Who knew what would happen if they went with them?
"Come on, don't think of it that way. They will probably just give us a ride. It's not like you committed a serious crime, right?" As he carelessly spoke, eight officers surrounded them in an instant.
"In the name of the Royal Family of the Alethani Kingdom: Elise Vandenberg, for insulting the Royal Family and the Crown Heir himself through adultery, you and your lover are under arrest and will be delivered to the Royal Court. Please do not cause any unnecessary trouble and come quietly."
She looked at the Traveler, her eyes wide. He stared back at her in visible confusion. She turned her gaze back to the commanding officer.
"My what!?"