I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"Good morning, Kal'tsit."

"It's not night yet, Your Highness."

Kal'tsit, who was reading a book, gently shook her head when she heard the greeting.

"Sigh, I feel like I've slept for a long time."

"You've rested for about three hours. Dinner time is in half an hour."

"Oh, well, I got up at a pretty good time."

He went to the table, poured himself a cup of tea to cleanse his mouth, and sat down in a chair, staring blankly outside.

"What would Your Highness like to eat tonight?"

"Anything is fine."

"Then... salt and pepper mashed potatoes?"

"Hmm? It doesn't sound like it's going to taste very good."

"While it's not exactly delicious, it's not bad either; it's just a very ordinary taste. However, it's a specialty of Victoria, so you might want to give it a try."

"Hmm... let's give it a try then."

As it turns out, Kal'tsit wasn't lying; the mashed potatoes were neither delicious nor bad, they were simply tasteless.

During the day, he expressionlessly scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes, put it in his mouth, chewed it dryly a few times, and then swallowed it.

"Besides being plentiful and filling, this thing doesn't have any other special features."

As she listened to Bai Zhou's complaints, Kal'tsit, who was enjoying the steak from Alta Province, smiled slightly.

"Please try this steak, Your Highness."

Kal'tsit pushed the small piece of rib towards Bai Zhou, while taking the remaining half of the mashed potatoes.

"I'm almost full, just a little more to taste. Kal'tsit, you should eat more."

During the day, he cut off one-third of the steak and pushed the rest back to Kal'tsit.

"Hmm, it's actually quite good."

After eating the meat chop in a few bites, Bai Zhou took a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, then looked at Kal'tsit with a smile.

“Let’s try the baths here tomorrow, Kal’tsit.”

"...Then everything needs to be purchased by tomorrow morning, Your Highness."

"Victoria has a poor nighttime security situation due to the proliferation of prosthetic implants."

"I'll do whatever you say, Kal'tsit."

A Few Things About Returning to Fog City (Part 2)

The foggy city was still drizzling in the early morning, but the rain did not hinder people's travel. Rather, the light drizzle added a touch of hazy beauty to people's journeys.

"Kal'tsit, how much longer...?"

During the day, carrying a pile of packages of various sizes, he called out to Kal'tsit, who was checking the shopping list in front of him.

"Your Highness, only some daily necessities remain to be purchased; we'll be done soon."

Kyle looked around, searching for a shop.

"Found it, Your Highness."

"I won't go in, Kal'tsit. I'll rest outside for a while."

"Alright, Your Highness, please wait a moment, I'll be out soon."

Kal'tsit entered the shop, while Bai Zhou stood under the eaves, leaning against the wall, surveying the city's scenery.

Around six or seven in the morning, it's the time when people are going to and from get off work, with people coming and going: factory workers heading to work, guards who have just finished their night patrols, students going to school, and so on...

The city seems very harmonious.

If we exclude the woman in thin clothes, barefoot, standing at the entrance of the alley.

It was a film with pale hair, about twenty years old, with a pretty face, but with an undeniable haggardness.

Because of the rain, his hair and the robe he was wearing were soaked, and he looked pitiful.

Were you kicked out of your home?

During the day, people speculated about her identity.

"Ok?"

Bai Zhou raised an eyebrow.

"Although Kal'tsit said that the proliferation of prosthetic implants has led to the city's poor security, it's still a problem for violence to occur in broad daylight..."

Three Rupert thugs with brightly colored hair and whose bodies had been replaced with arms or legs surrounded Felin. They seemed to be talking and wanted to do something to Felin.

But Felin didn't seem to like them. She tried to run away but was grabbed by one of the thugs, while the other two shoved and dragged her into the dark alley.

"...Surely it's not that bad. Where are the guards? Where are the passersby? Aren't they going to help?"

Bai Zhou was very dissatisfied with the evil deeds of the three thugs, but what angered him even more was the attitude of the passersby.

That look of disgust, that way of avoiding it... it was as if the film was a bedbug in the sewer.

Even the guards who should have stopped this atrocity and protected the residents turned a blind eye.

"That's outrageous."

He walked there with a frown in the daytime.

"Let go! You bastards! I'm not dealing with your business!"

Phil's rebuking voice rang out, but it was followed by the thugs' laughter and the sound of beatings.

"Stop pretending, you *Victoria swear*, what's wrong? You take jobs from those guys who work in the fields, surrounded by dung and stinking to death every day, but you don't want to take jobs from us clean guys? Are you afraid we won't pay you?"

"Hold her down! She doesn't want it, but I'll choose her anyway!"

"Let me go first!"

One thug covered her mouth, another pinned her upper body down, and the last one seemed to be taking off his pants.

Felin tried to struggle, but with her strength, how could she possibly overcome the restraint of two strong men? In the end, she could only watch helplessly as the thugs got closer and closer to her.

"What are you doing?"

The strangers who suddenly barged in startled them.

"Who goes there!"

They, especially the third guy who was holding his limp little brother, stared wide-eyed at the alley entrance.

"In broad daylight, you commit violence against the weak. Is your purpose in implanting prosthetics to unleash your pent-up desires on those weaker than yourself?"

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey!"

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey!"

The third thug, startled, pulled up his pants and shouted as he approached Bai Zhou.

"Where did this brat come from! Are you even grown up yet, meddling in other people's business!"

"I'll tell you!"

He pulled a handful of coins from his pocket.

"Dude, I'm rich! It's not like I'm not willing to give her money!"

"My buddy gave her the money, and it was a consensual relationship between them! Not even you, let alone those noble lords in the upper district, can interfere!"

"Or are you, little fledgling, trying to get a piece of the pie?"

"You've never tasted meat in your life, have you? What's wrong? You can't have meat now, but if you want to make us happy, we'll leave you some soup!"

"?"

Looking at the money in the thug's hand and listening to his words, a hint of doubt flashed in Bai Zhou's eyes.

Is he telling the truth?

He looked at Phil, who had turned his head to look at him, and asked.

"Waaaaah!"

Unable to speak with her mouth gagged, Felin shook her head desperately.

"Keep an eye on that bitch! Don't let her cause trouble!"

The thug seemed very annoyed.

"Hey kid! Don't let her fool you."

The thug looked at the unfamiliar young man in front of him. He seemed to be a student, and from out of town...

Students... no wonder they have such a strong sense of justice.

"I don't think you understand anything."

Since he suspected that Bai Zhou was a student, the thug didn't want to make a move. He wanted to explain things to the young man and let him experience the cruelty of society beforehand.

"This guy is a *Victorian swear word*, he's slept with more men every day than your classmates, the kind you can sleep with if you have money."

“She has already given up on herself. You helped her this time, but she will still do the same thing later. Your actions are meaningless.”

"...You're quite reasonable."

Bai Zhou had thought these thugs would just rush over and beat him up, but now it seemed they were much more rational than those bandits.

Since that's the case, he didn't want to bother.

"But if she disagrees, you can't force her."

Hey! Why can't you understand?!

The thug was getting annoyed.

"I can give you money, you don't need to bother her."