Afternoon of December 30th, 2995.
5:30 PM.
In Pegasus City, the most extravagant among the great coastal cities.
A place where countless bays and unique architectural styles intertwined into a vast network of cultural exchange between regions. If one had to choose the most livable city in the southern continent, Pegasus would undoubtedly rank first.
Whether that remained true for someone currently on the run, however, was another matter entirely.
For the blonde girl sitting alone at a café along a crowded avenue, the answer was:
Fifty percent.
Janeus let out a quiet sigh. She gently swirled her coffee before dropping another sugar cube into the cup and stirring it absentmindedly.
After draining the drink, her eyes narrowed slightly. Apparently, even that amount of sugar wasn't sweet enough for her taste.
Calling over a waiter, Janeus casually pulled several coins from her pocket before standing to leave. The employee, completely flustered after receiving her warm smile, bowed repeatedly and politely invited her to visit again someday.
Janeus returned the smile and walked away.
Her hand slipped into the pocket of her loose black trousers, lightly weighing the coins within.
At present, she still possessed:
One banknote worth ten gold coins issued by a central bank Thirty silver coins Thirteen copper pieces
Considering the national average weekly salary was around twenty silver coins, the money would likely sustain her for roughly three weeks, including food and lodging.
At least in theory.
But if there was a chance to earn more...
Why not?
Acting on the thought immediately, she snapped her fingers.
A flock of black crows descended almost instantly from nearby rooftops, gathering around her in a storm of dark feathers.
Janeus sat down on a park bench and removed her blue outer coat, revealing a black shirt underneath.
She allowed one crow to perch upon her shoulder. The bird buried itself within her golden hair before spitting something small into her hand.
Then...
It began feeding on the flesh along her back.
The sight resembled a tumor protruding from beneath her skin.
Like that, she quietly stroked the crows while allowing them to consume the deadened flesh growing from her body. Beneath the amber glow of the setting sun, she remained perfectly calm despite the horrified stares of passing pedestrians.
Whenever someone looked at her, she calmly returned their gaze for several seconds.
Everyone eventually looked away.
Everyone except children.
Once finished feeding, the crows scattered into the sky, leaving Janeus alone once more. She calmly put her coat back on and tied her hair into a ponytail.
Several coins slipped from her sleeves and hair as she moved.
The money had come from the crows.
As a member of the royal family, Janeus had long been trained in survival techniques, including the temporary taming and coordination of carrion birds for reconnaissance purposes. Originally, the skill had been intended for scouting and aerial surveillance.
The flesh she fed them was merely discarded biological matter from her own magically altered body. Dead tissue separated from herself intentionally.
But the true trick lay elsewhere.
The meat carried mild stimulants and hallucinogenic toxins. Subtle compounds similar to diluted snake venom that distorted perception just enough to cloud judgment without fully incapacitating the target.
Using her biological mutation magic, Janeus manipulated fragments of her own body to exploit the greed and instincts of others.
And honestly?
Who cared.
She had just earned another twenty silver coins and three copper pieces.
That meant several more weeks of survival.
Without changing expression, Janeus continued walking through the city.
Night had already begun to fall, yet her golden hair remained far too conspicuous amidst the crowd.
She sighed softly before heading toward the busiest districts, where advertisers and street promoters had begun flooding the roads in preparation for New Year's festivities. Businesses were desperate to attract as many customers as possible before the year's financial closing.
Janeus paid them little attention.
With her elegant appearance and delicate features, she naturally attracted countless invitations and aggressive attempts at conversation.
She understood perfectly well that if someone like her chose to enter any establishment, the place would soon fill with men willing to buy tickets for no reason beyond the hope of flirting with her.
Unfortunately for them, she had absolutely no interest in such entertainment.
Janeus simply smiled politely and rejected them one by one.
With such an innocent and gentle face, who could possibly force her into anything?
As she walked deeper into the densely packed streets, she suddenly stopped.
Her gaze shifted toward a nearby lamppost.
Then behind herself.
"Two people...
Scouts."