Genre: Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, Slice of Life

Summary: Yujin has been travelling for months, a nomadic mage never staying in one place. A request from the mayor leads to her meeting a few interesting people, and a place she'll never forget.

Word Count: 16108

Hashtag: #JinjooFiestaS3_HomeIs

 

Home is...

 

Yujin takes off the hood of her cloak, revealing her light blue hair. She looks around the inn, the wooden interior giving off a warm and cozy feel, with the fireplace warming up the area. The place was void of people, having arrived at the wee hours of the evening.

 

She walks to the reception, knocking the table and lightly calling out for anyone to answer. A short blonde woman peeks out from the hallway on the left, the scent of savory soup drifting from the open door.

 

Thank god she ate something on the way.

 

The woman dusts her stained apron, giving a smile at Yujin, highlighting her plump cheeks. “I’m Hitomi,” she introduces herself. “ Will you be staying here? It’ll be 25 gold per night.”

 

Yujin takes out a small parchment from her knapsack, handing it over to the lady. “I’m here on the behalf of Ms. Lee,” she informs her. Hitomi reads the paper, eyes widening as she reaches the bottom of the page. She hands back the parchment.

 

“Give me a second, Minjoo!” As soon as she calls out the name, a long haired woman steps out from the door behind the desk. “Please lead her to the room upstairs, the one we reserved.”

 

“Right away!” The woman steps out from the other side and walks towards the stairs, urging her to follow. Yujin stays one step behind, carefully navigating the steps as to not trip.

 

They arrive at the upper floor, darkness consuming the area. Minjoo raised her hand, a tiny glow emanating from her palm, and the lights on the hallway lit up, revealing a row of doors.

 

“Sorry for the delay, we don’t usually expect guests this late,” she suddenly says.

 

“It’s fine,” she replies.

 

“This is your room,” she motions to the wooden door. She looks at the woman, realizing how messy her hair was, obviously just woke from her sleep with the marks on her cheek. Her moss green tunic was hastily belted from how loose it was. Yujin feels sorry for waking up the sleeping lady.

 

“I’m Minjoo, the daughter of the owner of this place,” she faces her and gives a small bow. “If you need anything, feel free to ask me. I hope you enjoy your stay,” Minjoo gives a welcoming smile. Yujin takes this as a cue to enter the room.

 

The room was no more than a few square feet. It was definitely a nice inn; an open window was facing the river, the cool breeze making the red curtains sway lightly. An oak drawer was settled beside a bed covered with a woven blanket, with two pillows laying on the headboard.

 

wasn’t exactly the most regal living space, but she preferred this over a straw bed or sleeping in the back of a wagon.

 

She placed her knapsack on the drawer and checked her belongings.

 

Seeing that she might be here a bit longer than expected, she unpacks her meager belongings into the drawer, only filling up one layer. She takes off her fingerless gloves, looking at the inked marking on the top of her hand. It was two swords crossed, and below it was a name.

 

Ahn.

 

When she was given this request, she didn’t expect to travel to an entirely different continent. Okay, it wasn’t that far away; it was a boat ride and a two day trip on a carriage. She was still within IZ*Land, but it wasn’t her typical next-village-over kind of travel.

 

Yujin knew what she was going into when she decided to run away from home, to live as a nomadic mage. She wouldn’t lie that it wasn’t tiring though. A few years of having no home does that to you.

 

For today, she settles on this temporary home, a local inn in the village of Violeta. She lays down the bed, her tired body sinking into the feather-filled mattress, the long days of travel finally taking a toll on her.

 

Laying underneath the warmth blankets, she starts to drift away, sleep overtaking her.

 

---

 

It was a busy day at the inn. The tables were filled with visitors and inn-goers getting their fill for the day.

 

From the kitchen, Hitomi was filling empty bowls with warm soup or a heaping amount of oat porridge. They floated in the air, reaching their respective customers.

 

There was also an assortment of baked goods in a basket that was being sold for a coin each. Fruits were also available for those who want something with more nutrition. She’s surprised to learn that they were for free.

 

Yujin grabs herself a serving porridge and an apple and takes a seat at the table in the corner.

 

She takes a bite of the apple, humming at how juicy and sweet it was. The remaining apple core was tossed in a nearby bin. She looks around and catches a glimpse of Minjoo, the girl clearly busy with the amount of bowls in hand as she serves the hungry masses.

 

When she entered town late at night, she recalls seeing a few stalls in the middle. Maybe there was a market? She thinks about visiting it and doing some shopping, but today she needs to talk to the person who requested her.

 

She hurriedly finished her meal, tossing the apple core with the leftovers, and left the inn.

 

After using all of her willpower to avoid the temptation of buying some snacks at the market, she finds herself in front of her was a two-story building made of red brick. The pathway was paved with stone and lined with bushes neatly trimmed. On the far right past the fruit trees were rice fields filled with golden yellow wheat ready for harvest, plus a few wooden buildings which must be for storage.

 

She knocks on the door.

 

Yujin bounces on her heels, hoping this wasn’t a scam, else she wasted money traveling all the way here. A few seconds passed before the door opened.

 

A pink-haired woman pops out of the gap, peeking at her. She steps outside to reveal her apron over her brown dress.

 

“Pardon, but I am here to talk with Ms. Lee Chaeyeon?” she asks.

 

“I’m sorry, but Ms. Lee is currently busy with a visitor. Should I inform her of your visit?”

 

“Yes please, tell her that Ahn Yujin has arrived.” Ms. Lee must be a busy person. Yujin was glad that she went here early in the morning, as opposed to her original plan of dropping by in the afternoon.

 

“I will,” she bows. “Thank you for visiting and we will wait for your return.”

 

The door closes, and that leaves her with nothing to do for the rest of the day. Then she remembers the sweet potato snack she spotted a while ago, making her salivate.

 

She finds herself in front of the kind grandma tending the stall, handing a silver coin for a snack. Yujin takes a bite and hums in delight.

 

Totally worth it.

 

It was early in the morning so the market was filled with housewives and men alike, picking up food for their family or tending to their own stalls. A few guards were stationed here and there, making sure no trouble arose. There were also kids running around the fountain, most likely playing tag or a game they invented.

 

As she thanks the kind lady, she hears a crash and a yelp from behind her. Minjoo, the daughter of the inn owner, was kneeling on the ground. Several fruits and bags of what must be flour were scattered on the ground. Yujin quickly devours the sweet potato croquette and heads towards the woman.

 

“Good morning, Ms. Ahn!” she greets with a smile despite her current predicament.

 

“Please, call me Yujin, I’m probably younger than you,” she insists. Yujin is pretty sure Minjoo was at least two years older. Of course that doesn’t mean she looked old, rather she has the beauty of a young woman.

 

“Are you implying something?” she questions, furrowing her brows. Yujin put her hands up in surrender.

 

Minju tried carrying the cloth bags filled with different ingredients, two hanging on each arm while one carried with both hands. Because of the weight, they refuse to leave the ground, making her huff in frustration.

 

“Do you need any help?”

 

She shook her head. Minjoo opens , ready to turn her down. Then the other bag she placed on the concrete fell to the ground.

 

“Who am I to reject assistance?”

 

Yujin chuckles. She helps her put the fallen fruits in their respective bags and carries three of them. She lets Minjoo hold the lighter ones filled with oranges and berries.

 

The walk to the inn was silent, save for a little bit of humming from the brown-haired woman. After a few minutes, they finally arrived. They entered and saw Hitomi in the reception, a quill in hand as she wrote on a small parchment paper.

 

“Minjoo!” Hitomi stands up and assists them in carrying the food to the kitchen. “Is this everything?”

 

“Uhuh. She gave me an extra bag for last week.” She raises the said bag, almost falling out of balance.

 

“She didn’t have to! I’ll be sure to give her some bread next time.”

 

Yujin felt a bit out of place, so she trailed behind Minjoo quietly as they chatted.

 

They arrive at the pantry. Yujin places the bags on the table. While Hitomi and Minjoo unpack the goods and sort them, the traveller stands at the side awkwardly. She looks around the room, taking in how organized and neat everything was.

 

“Minju, can you pick up the deliveries from Chaewon? Mitsu is already picking up the meat.”

 

“The vegetables?” Hitomi nods. She closes the cabinet, only the packs of berries remaining on the table. Minju hurriedly finishes placing the apples in a basket. “I left the list on the counter.”

 

“Alright, I’m going then.” She leaves the room, Yujin trailing behind.

 

“Thanks for helping me,” she lightly bows. “You were a lot of help, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!” Minjoo was about to leave, when she cut her off.

 

“Let me join you,” she calls out. There is nothing to do besides waiting anyway, might as well help. “If you don’t mind, that is,” she adds.

 

“Well, if you insist,” Minjoo smiles. She grabs the list from the desk and they head out.

 

Minju reads the list as they walk back to the market. “We need these up from Chaewon. She handles the vegetable stall here.” She points to the said stall once they arrive. “Her father grows some good lettuce.”

 

They stand in front of the stall, a sharp-eyed woman in a bun carrying a basket filled with leafy greens, their bright healthy color contrasting her pale green dress. Minju calls out, catching her attention.

 

“Minju!” She places the basket behind the stall and steps out. Minju wordlessly hands over the paper, which she scans. “Seems like Hitoma is cooking a feast, huh.”

 

“We’ve been getting more customers lately,” she replies.

 

“I see, I’ll be sure to give extra. Don’t tell her though,” she begged. Minju chuckles, like there was some underlying meaning. “Oh, I haven’t seen you around here.” Chaewon looks at her from head to toe. Yujin fixes her posture, straightening her spine and smoothening the creases on her outfit.

 

“This is Yujin, a traveller staying at our inn, she’s here to assist me with my errands.” Minju gestures to her. She curtsies, giving a courteous smile.

 

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Chaewon.”

 

“You picked up a nice one, Minjoo-ah,” she teased, nudging her. The inn owner’s daughter blushed at that, while the adventurer chuckled awkwardly.

 

“Anyway, how’s life?” The two continue to chatter on about recent happenings. Feeling a bit bored of waiting, Yujin decides to look around for a bit.

 

Yujin lightly taps Minjoo’s shoulder, grabbing her attention. “I’ll wait by the fountain,” she tells her. Minjoo replies ‘Sure!’ and continues talking with Chaewon. She leaves the two and proceeds to stroll around the market.

 

During her travels, she’s heard little about this sizable town. Surrounded by the vast plains and fertile soil, they were well known for growing quite a bit of the kingdom’s crops. Besides that, she doesn’t know much.

 

Several rows of stalls filled with necessities and products made by the locals, a few foreign merchants offering goods from elsewhere, and homegrown fresh produce in baskets. Not planning on cooking anything-- more like she can’t but we don’t talk about that-- she steps away from the main area and towards the town square.

 

At the corner of her eye, a small table catches her attention.

 

Out of sheer curiosity, she went over to the stall, coming face to face with a cloaked lady. With her eye shape and jawline, she looks eerily similar to her swordsmanship instructor back at home.

 

“Hello there young lady,” she greets. “Would you care to look at my wares?”

 

She gestured towards her ‘wares’; wooden boxes filled with bracelets, earrings placed neatly on red cloth, and necklaces laid neatly at the side. She picks up a ruby necklace, noticing the carvings on the jewel, admiring the handiwork. The other ones also had them. The woman looks at her expectantly, and she returns it back in place.

 

She brought her coin pouch with her incase she wanted anything, but jewelry wasn’t on top of her list. She pats her pockets, looking around in mock confusion. “Sorry, I didn’t bring any coins,” she lied.

 

“It’s fine, I’ll give you a discount next time you come by.” Yujin nods, leaving the weird lady alone and heads to the town square.

 

Yujin stands nearby as she watches the guard standing near the fountain, manipulating the water into ropes around her which made the kids watch in amazement. She loses control of it and gets drowned in water, her uniform drenched. The knight gives a duck-like pout and the kids laugh at her.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

Minju emerges from behind, startling her. After steadying herself, she points to the scene that happened.

 

“There she goes again,” Minju chuckles. Yujin raised a brow but before she could ask, she started walking towards the direction of the inn, leaving the unsaid question for later.

 

This time she has less bags on her arms. Yujin opted to carry all of them, after a bit of push and pull from Minju. The walk back was silent, until she remembered her morning meal.

 

“By the way, those apples tasted delicious,” she commented. Maybe the price also added to her enjoyment, but it was mostly the taste.

 

“Aren’t they?” she agreed. “Hitomi insisted on giving them away for free, since we didn’t grow them.”

 

“No one tries to take advantage?”

 

“A few have, but the local guards always make sure they don’t get off scot-free.”

 

Yujin imagines an army of armed men ready to follow the blonde woman’s orders. A shiver runs down her spine. She definitely won’t be trying to get on her bad side.

 

Their silent walk continued. Instead of filling it with chatter, Yujin observed her surroundings. They were nearing the bridge by the river, separating the town square from the local residence together with the inn. Small bushes lined the river, along with a group of kids throwing stones. Yujin feels the urge to join them, until Minju breaks the silence.

 

“What’s it like? Outside I mean.” Yujin tilts her head in confusion. “Like, outside town, the kingdom, cities.” She waves her hand around, mimicking the shape of the outside? Or maybe the continent?

 

“It’s alright,” she shrugs. “Every place is different, especially the food.” People are hard to remember when she doesn’t stay long, but the food always makes a mark. She definitely won’t forget that seasoned crab she had in a harbor town.

 

“I hope our food didn’t disappoint you then, unless you want Hitomi to kick you out,” she teased.

 

Speaking of the devil, they arrived at the inn. Hitomi was waiting for them outside. She took hold of one of the bags and they brought them to the pantry.

 

“Thanks for that Minjoo, you too Ms. Yujin.” Yujin nodded in reply. “You can go eat now Minjoo.”

 

Minjoo’s eyes widened. “But who’ll handle the floor? You can’t serve and cook, that’s a lot.”

 

“You worked hard today, me and my brother can handle it,” Hitomi gives her a pat on the back and pushes her and Yujin out of the pantry. After being forced to rest, the two are left alone in the hallway. Minju faces her, giving a small bow.

 

“Thank you for helping again, truly,” she says gratefully.

 

“It’s nothing, I’m happy to assist,” she insists, a bit bashful from receiving thanks.

 

“So, let’s eat?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Well, what better time to talk than over lunch? Of course, if it’s not a bother,” she adds shyly.

 

Finding no harm in joining her for a meal, they head to the dining area. Soon it was about to be filled with customers and villagers but for now it was empty, just them two. She takes a seat at a vacant table near the windows. Minjoo follows, and the two fall into a long conversation about her travels.

 

---

 

The following day, Yujin returns to the house.

 

The maid, who introduces herself as Miyawaki Sakura, led her to an office down the hallway. After letting her take a seat, she left the room, leaving Yujin to her own devices.

 

Her second day at the inn was probably one of her best mornings this year. Breakfast was a delicious meal of eggs and bacon plus a side of juice, courtesy of Hitomi. The cook told her it was a reward for helping Minjoo. With the fulfilling meal before talking to the mayor, it feels like that was her last supper. She was prepared to be given a tiring task-- she knows Wonyoung wouldn’t give any less.

 

She settles on the leather couch, leaning back on the rest. There weren’t any windows, so it was quite dark despite the time of the day. Yujin was content with looking at the immaculate painting of what she assumes must be the fields nearby, settled right above the opposite couch in front of her.

 

Then she feels the itch to look around.

 

Ignoring the chances of getting caught, she stands up. At the other side of the room was a desk, a four tier bookshelf Yujin takes her time to scan the titles of the books. She runs her hand through the shelves, the hardbound books not leaving a speck of dust on her fingers.

 

The desk was neat and tidy, ink and quill set aside and papers stacked up nicely. Besides the small wooden figurine and mana-powered lamp, there was a book in the middle of the table.

 

Yujin didn’t mean to snoop, really. But it couldn’t be helped when a note was obviously tucked in its pages, a small heart written in ink at the bottom corner. She takes it out, a small gasp escaping her.

 

‘Don’t overwork yourself, my lady <3’

 

The sound of the door opening makes her jump. She quickly throws the note back in the pages of the book, closing it and rushing to her seat.

 

There was Lee Chaeyeon, the mayor of the town and the owner of the land surrounding the house.

 

Dressed in a pair of slacks and a neat button up, sleeves folded up to her elbows, she enters the room with a grin. Yujin sits up straight, trying her best to look inconspicuous.

 

Ms. Lee stands in front of her. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Ahn Yujin,” she holds out her hand. Yujin grabs it, giving a light handshake. Her welcoming demeanor tells that she saw nothing and Yujin’s nerves calmed down.

 

“Likewise, Ms. Lee.”

 

“Call me Chaeyeon, please,” she insists.

 

They take a seat opposite of each other, the painting behind Chaeyeon.

 

Sakura enters the room, a tray in hand. She places a plate each in front of them and a teacup, flower patterns adorning the ceramic. The maid proceeds to pour tea in their respective cups. Yujin smells the faint scent of earl grey leaves wafting in the room.

 

“Have some apple pie. I made them with the apples from our farm, freshly grown and picked.” Grabbing the fork beside it, she takes a bite, surprised at how juicy they were. Yujin is reminded of the apple she had at the inn. Were they from here?

 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” she smiles. “You’re probably wondering what you’re here for,” she says, taking a sip from her cup.

 

“Lady Jang sent me a letter but she didn’t tell the details.” Yujin nearly ripped the paper to shreds but they both knew that she couldn’t deny a request from the princess.

 

Chaeyeon’s face turned grim, her welcoming smile nowhere to be seen. “You probably wouldn’t have heard of it, there was a case of murder from the town next over.”

 

Yujin leaned forward, listening closely.

 

“Another case happened in a town a little further from there and we were able to find out that the murderer was under a spell, most likely mind-controlled. Surprisingly, they still have memories of the incident, but they don’t remember anything before they did it." she adds. “And I have my suspicions that we might be next.”

 

“And I’m here to find the culprit?” Chaeyeon nods.

 

“Wonyoung recommended you, saying you would do anything.”

 

‘Of course Wonyoung would do that, what did I expect.’

 

“Why not hire a professional? Or an adventurer?”

 

“This person knows everyone working for the local guilds, apparently they disguised as an adventurer once,” she tells her. “And I don't want to risk accidentally hiring the culprit.” Yujin nods understandingly. "A third party is needed, and thankfully you were referred to me by Ms. Jang.”

 

"Are you sure they'll be here?"

 

“Absolutely. One thing for sure is that they definitely stay awhile, considering their effort to make a disguise and backstory.”

 

Yujin takes a sip of earl grey tea, thinking about how she should go about this.

 

“Don’t worry, it won’t be that hard. I don’t want to do anything big,” she assured. “As long as you find out who it is, we can easily capture them.”

 

“Just act like a typical traveler, and you should be fine.”

 

“What if they saw me come in here?”

 

“No need to worry, Sakura has illusion magic surrounding the perimeter.” The maid, who was standing right beside her, gave a small bow. “No one would be able to recognize any visitor I have, and that includes you.”

 

That meant that she would have to stay here indefinitely. A case of mind control is easy to solve as long as you can find a possible source, but she has no information aside from the fact that the culprit wasn’t a local, and they had the power to control someone.

 

Not much to go off.

 

“I’m sorry that we didn’t find anything else,” she apologized.

 

“It’s okay Ms. Chaeyeon, thank you for giving me this task.”

 

“No, I should be thanking you for accepting this job.”

 

More like forced by Ms. Princess, but she kept her complaints inside and gave a gracious smile to the mayor. She takes another bite from the pie, almost done.

 

“By the way, how are you liking the inn?”

 

Yujin thinks about the room prepared for her, and the delicious meal this morning. She also thinks about the inn owner’s daughter and her messy hair during the night she checked in.

 

“I’m enjoying my stay so far, and the people are definitely welcoming,” she compliments. Chaeyeon smiles at that.

 

“If you need anything, just tell Hitomi. She’d be willing to help as long as it’s for the investigation,” she mentions the blonde cook from the inn.

 

“She knows?”

 

"She's the one that informed me about the incidents,” she tells her.

 

Chaeyeon stands up, moving to the desk. She looks at the book laid on the desk, and squints her eyes, the gears in her mind working. Yujin immediately swallows the entire content of her teacup, realizing what she noticed.

 

“I’ll do my best, Ms. Lee.”

 

Walking out of the room, Yujin leaves as fast as she can despite the burning in , avoiding the eyes of the maid and not looking back.

 

---

 

Last night she thought up a plan. It was very elaborate, having used up all her brain cells for this idea. Everyday she would walk around town, and just pray that she runs into someone suspicious.

 

Okay, maybe it wasn’t exactly the smartest plan, but a walk around town should help her get a general idea of where people would go, and maybe even catch wind of some gossip related to the situation.

 

Before she goes into the main area, she takes her time to walk around the neighborhood. Whenever she goes to different villages for work, she doesn’t usually go around. She was focused on finishing her job then leaving just as quickly.

 

But it seems like she’s catching a bit of attention from the villagers, some children peeking out of the windows and wives trying to catch a sneaky glimpse of the traveller. Yujin tries to ignore their gazes by looking far away, which ends up in her bumping into someone.

 

The small kid falls on the ground, her hands stopping her fall.

 

“Are you okay?” Yujin lends her hand, which she ignores. She pushes herself up, removing the dust from her outfit.

 

“I’m alright, how about you young lady?” she asks.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“How rude of me! I’m Yabuki Nako, a traveller,” she gave a wide smile, her eyes turning to half moons.

 

Okay, so not a kid.

 

Now that she takes a closer look, the woman was carrying a heavy knapsack on her back. Her jacket had marks of wear and tear, and a sapphire necklace was hanging around her neck. And the eye-catching scabbard attached to her belt wasn’t something a young child would have.

 

“Nice meeting you Miss, but I need to go,” she sputters, immediately rushing away before Yujin could even introduce herself. She scratches her head. That was weird, she thought.

 

Yujin continues her stroll around town. It was smaller than she thought, considering how well business was in the main area. That meant it would be easier to distinguish the locals from the visitors.

 

She reaches the last street she hasn’t walked through and sees a young woman handing a paper bag from inside a basket to someone. Yujin recognizes the mop of brown hair and goes to her.

 

“Hope you enjoy it!”

 

Minju turns around, and she drops her basket from surprise. Yujin picks it up and hands it over, a sense of deja vu coming over her from the situation.

 

“Ms. Ahn! What are you doing here?” she asks.

 

“I told you, call me Yujin please.”

 

“I’ll try my best, Yujin.”

 

She points to the basket, asking her why she’s carrying it around.

 

“I have to deliver some bread. Hitomi’s family actually owns a bakery,” she informs her. “Usually her and her brother help out but they’re pretty busy so I offered to help.”

 

Yujin’s respect for the blonde woman rose. To be working at an inn slash tavern while helping out their family business was admirable. She thinks about helping her family, then shakes that thought immediately.

 

“Chaewon ordered a loaf for her family, so I’m going there again.” Yujin already explored most of the town during her hour long walk, so looking around the market might be a good idea.

 

“Let me join you then.”

 

Minjoo lets her, so they find themselves back at the market, busy as ever.

 

They greet Chaewon, who teased Minjoo again about her ‘bodyguard.’ Yujin tried her best to ignore it.

 

Staying idle wasn’t going to help in her task, so she tells Minjoo that she’ll wait for her near the fountain again.

 

Asking around would be a little suspicious, so she keeps to herself and observes instead. The smallest bit of suspicious action would help her, since she has no leads at all. But of course, a rumbling from her stomach stops her from investigating.

 

She proceeds to loiter around the food stalls, hoping to grab a snack for herself. She visits the old lady again, this time getting some baked potatoes. She takes a seat at an empty bench near the fountain, about to take a bite.

 

“That looks tasty, where did you get it?”

 

Right beside her was a long haired woman in a hooded tunic, leaned forward, as if she was about to take a bite from her snack. She can almost see the drool leaving .

 

“Would you like to see a magic trick?” she asks out of nowhere.

 

“Sure?”

 

“I can’t show this magic trick unless you offer me something,” her gaze went to her scrumptious baked potato. “Your leftovers may suffice.”

 

Yujin puts a little distance between them at the mention of her snack. She was not about to get robbed in broad daylight, especially by the creepy stranger.

 

The weird lady stares at her, not moving an inch. This would usually make her uncomfortable, but Yujin couldn’t help but stare back. The lady retains a blank expression. A few seconds pass, then she blinks, noticing that her baked potato was gone and the lady was eating one.

 

“Hey, that’s mine-”

 

She tries grabbing it back, but the stranger dodges her. She stands up, and runs away. Yujin was about to throw flames at her, but then decided against it, not wanting to draw attention.

 

“Thank you for the meal, stranger,” she faintly hears from the running figure.

 

Still reeling from the situation, she remained seated at the bench, heaving a sigh. Yujin wasn’t angry, but she was frustrated that she wasn’t able to enjoy her snack. She leans back, looking at the sky. She counts the clouds, hoping it’ll calm her down.

 

A worried face blocks her view.

 

“What’s wrong?” Minjoo asks. She takes a seat beside her, handing her bread.

 

Yujin takes it, seeing the melted cheese on top of it. She tears a piece of it and eats it. The taste makes her hum, the previous encounter forgotten. Minjoo sits beside her quietly, watching her eat.

 

Yujin finished the bread in seconds, wiping crumbs on using the sleeve of her shirt.

 

“You must’ve had a good breakfast,” she jested. Minjoo holds out her right hand, holding the basket with the other. “Shall we go?”

 

Yujin takes it, propping herself up.

 

“So, how do you like it here?”

 

“This town is pretty nice,” Yujin says earnestly. Her walk around town showed her how the villagers enjoyed each other’s presence, everyone seemed to know each other and the way they smiled at each other was warm and joyful, no trace of malice.

 

“Violeta wasn’t exactly prosperous back then, my grandparents used to starve most of the time,” she reveals. “Chae- Ms. Lee helped get everything going, providing jobs and food for everyone.”

 

That must be why the farm is next to her house, she may not be the one doing the work, but she was the one who provided the means of living for a lot of people in the village. Yujin was used to seeing land owners tax anyone who uses their land for a high fee, and based on what Minjoo said, that wasn’t the case here.

 

She just let them have it, for free. It’s something she can’t fathom, having lived in a competitive environment, with greedy people.

 

“Do you have any plans on leaving?” From their conversation before about travelling, she thought she wanted to leave, pursue her dreams.

 

Minju looks up, thinking deeply.

 

“It sounds nice, but I love it here,” she sighs. “I don’t think I can leave the inn, really.”

 

Yesterday, she learned that her mother was a tailor and her father was an adventurer. Minjoo told a lot of stories about them, it was a delight to watch her tell them. She recounted the stories with such excitement and sparkle that she couldn't help but listen.

 

“My parents worked hard to bring the inn from ground up, together with the other villagers,” she adds. “I just want to pay them back somehow, you know?”

 

She thinks her parents are lucky to have a kind daughter like her. Someone who’d keep up the family business, who’d make sure the legacy remains, albeit small.

 

Her own parents would be jealous.

 

They pass by the dubious stall she saw before, the same old lady still waiting. Yujin tries to steer away from her, but the old lady notices them.

 

“Are you here to buy anything?” she calls out. “For your lady perhaps?”

 

Her gaze goes to their hands, which were still in each other’s grasp. They immediately let go of their hold, looking away.

 

“Sorry, but I don’t think I can today.”

 

“I don’t mind if you just look at them,” she insists, the look in her eyes telling a different story.

 

She wasn’t getting robbed again, not today.

 

“Thank you, miss…?”

 

“Eunbi.”

 

“Ms. Eunbi, but we have some bread to deliver.”

 

“But that was my last delivery-”

 

“We need to hurry up,” she cuts her off. “Thank you for the offer!”

 

Yujin drags Minjoo away until they are out of sight. They were back at the bridge, continuing their walk back to the inn.

 

“You really don’t want to spend, huh?”

 

“Shut it,” she pouts angrily.

 

Minjoo just laughs at her, as they continue their walk.

 

"Maybe if you stopped looking so rich, people wouldn't bother you."

 

Minjoo looks at her from head to toe. Okay, her outfit wasn't that fancy looking, a few tears here and there. But she couldn't deny her presence and looks. Despite most of it being hidden behind her cloak, her lean figure can be made out. Her bright blue hair also attracts attention from villagers, unknown to the traveller. Yujin emits the aura of a strong mage, one of a mighty adventurer.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“Nothing~!”

 

They entered the inn. Hitomi was on the desk writing on a leather notebook. It was quite late in the afternoon, so there were a few travellers spread around the tiny foyer.

 

Hitomi raises a brow when she sees them. “You’re with her again?”

 

“I ran into her, so I accompanied her,” Minjoo explains, twiddling her fingers.

 

Hitomi nods slowly, suspicious. Minjoo hands her the empty basket and a pouch full of coins.

 

“I’ll go and prepare for dinner then,” she walks away.

 

Yujin looks at Minjoo and Hitomi, and an idea sparked inside her head.

 

“Can you let me help Minjoo from now on?” she begs. “Since I don’t have much to do besides look around.” Yujin winks to her, hoping she understands why. Chaeyeon did say she’d be willing to help.

 

“Oh, sure!” Hitomi grins with a weird look on face.

 

Yujin pays no attention to it and goes back to her lodging, taking off her cloak to feel the cold air of the early evening. With permission from Hitomi, that meant that she had an excuse to help out, which can help her talk to travellers whenever possible.

 

Of course she’ll also be doing some sneaking around by herself, but it’s a decent cover up in case someone was curious.

 

But now that she has a general idea of how she’ll do things, she relaxes on the bed, thinking about what dinner would be.

 

She hopes it has some potatoes in it.

 

---

 

When she went to greet Hitomi, she handed her a letter, the wax emblem of the kingdom's crest staring menacingly at her.

 

Yujin thinks about tossing it out the window, but then realizes that the princess would just try to send her one again until she reads it.

 

She delays no further, opening it to read what’s inside.

 

My dearest Ahn Yujin,

 

How have things been fairing? I hope you’re enjoying the task I gave you, I’m sure you would enjoy an investigation. I bet hunting and gathering materials gets very tiring after a while.

 

My dear friend Chaeyeon is so worried about the villagers, so I hope you’ll do your utmost best! No running away, or you’ll be back by my side again in no time.

 

Also, stop moving so fast! It is quite difficult figuring out where to send my messages. I'm so glad the royal mage knows how to track where you are, or else I’d be pulling threads looking for you.

 

There are many fishes in the sea! I’m sure there are a lot of tasty ones there in Violeta, so don’t be shy and catch one!

 

Your beloved princess,

Jang Wonyoung

 

Yujin crushes the paper, tossing it in her pockets. She can’t believe Wonyoung would use the royal mage to send her letters. No wonder she was able to find her in that one isolated town.

 

She can already see her smug face, it irks her.

 

Then again, she also feels thankful that she helped her in the past. It wasn’t easy getting started on her road to becoming a nomad, especially with her background.

 

Especially with her parents.

 

She wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.

 

She puts on her cloak, making sure it’s fit. Her newly sewn fingerless gloves, courtesy of Hitomi, was worn snugly on her hands. Today was another new day, but first she needs to feed herself so she heads to the dining area.

 

The two weeks of helping Minjoo around the inn consisted of her scan and talk briefly to every single visitor who has been here for more or less a week. She was surprised how often people went to the tavern-- I guess no one can refuse affordable cuisine.

 

Nobody seemed to reek of suspicion, except two people.

 

“Morning!” a woman waves from a table, patting the seat beside her.

 

First was Yabuki Nako, who she recently found out was also lodging in the same inn.

 

She takes a seat in front of her. Nako was in her typical get-up, the same brown leather jacket and necklace, except the scabbard wasn’t with her, thankfully. Yujin had a few scares from the girl waving her machete around aimlessly.

 

It surprised her when she found the girl in the foyer as herself. Yujin does not want the shapeshifter going around messing with people in her body.

 

“You’re looking a little cranky, you alright?”

 

“Just an old friend, don’t worry.”

 

“If you say so. Seems like we’re having some pasta today," she claps her hands, excited at the prospect of food.

 

Minjoo walks towards their table lowering two plates of tomato pasta and some bread. “Here’s your breakfast for today, Yujinnie,” she gives Nako a smile before leaving, “And you too Ms. Yabuki.”

 

“Don’t mind if I do,” someone said, taking the bread from her plate.

 

The second person was the travelling magician and food thief, Hyewon. Long story short, they ran into each other during lunch, and since then she takes her time to bother Yujin whenever she can, mostly by stealing her meals.

 

Shouldn’t a travelling magician have some spare cash at least? Or were they in low demand? She doesn’t know.

 

If it weren’t for the meals being paid by Chaeyeon, both her and Hyewon would’ve starved to death. Well, the latter can simply hypnotize someone to hand over their life savings and she’d be set for life.

 

How they came about to eat together every morning? She doesn’t know. But if it helps monitor them easier, she’s willing to sit through breakfast with them.

 

Honestly, it feels more like being in detention than monitoring them.

 

Nako nudges her foot from under the table. “How’s it going with Minjoo, Yujinnie?” she imitates.