Crossover: The Problem Human of [Arcadia]

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The streets bustled with people coming and going. Ryo walked behind Scathach, quietly observing the Witch of Dún Scáith from behind.

Scathach wore a soft smile, a faint magical shimmer radiating from her body as she strolled effortlessly through the crowd.

Strangely, the people around didn't seem to notice her at all. It was like she didn't exist in their world, and they just let her pass without a glance.

Ryo, on the other hand, had to rely on his extraordinary speed just to keep up with her through the tide of people.

But gradually, his pace slowed. His movements unconsciously synced with Scathach's, step by step.

"Huh?"

Noticing this, Scathach glanced over her shoulder in surprise. She paused for a moment, then turned and strolled over to a nearby food stall.

"I'll take one order of mochi."

"That'll be two copper."

Lily looked up at her customer with wide eyes.

To her, Scathach just looked like a plain woman with a ponytail—nothing particularly striking.

Of course, Lily herself was just a little fox girl pretending to be a street vendor. It was part of a dual-purpose gig: earning pocket change while doing community surveillance.

If someone wanted to give her money, she wasn't about to complain.

"Two copper? That's ten times cheaper than in the upper districts. I'll take two, then."

Scathach casually placed four copper coins on the cart, grabbed two servings of mochi, gave them a quick weight check to make sure nothing was missing, then turned to Ryo.

"Hey kid, want one?"

With a flicker of movement, Ryo appeared beside her, stopping in his tracks and giving her a surprised look.

Lily blinked in confusion at first—then gasped in recognition. "Leader?!"

"Oh? One of yours?"

Scathach tilted her head toward Lily, gave her a quick once-over, and then sighed, almost disappointed.

"Too bad. Incomplete inheritance… looks like she's missing a divinity fragment."

Ryo nodded at Lily and gave her a gentle pat on the head before turning back to Scathach.

"If you happen to have an extra god fragment, I wouldn't mind buying it—even at a premium."

Scathach opened one of the packages and took a bite of the mochi before responding, her tone playful:

"Yeah, right. I do have some, but stuff like that's strictly off-limits for trading. The upper echelon doesn't allow it."

"Unless…"

She glanced over at Lily again as she chewed.

"…You're offering this little fox as a participant in my trials."

Scathach was one of the legendary heroes of the Celtic pantheon, a figure from the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology—renowned not just for her strength but for her brutal and effective training. Unlike the scholarly centaur, her methods were more... Spartan.

Definitely not the kind of training suited for someone like Lily, a spirit fox, a Kitsune. Ryo rejected the idea instantly.

"She's not built for that kind of thing."

But Scathach just smiled wider.

"That's funny. I was thinking her eyes had potential. With a bit of my training, she could probably get her arms big enough to ride a horse in six months."

"Exactly why I said no."

Just imagining his adorable spirit fox bulking up into a muscle-bound warrior sent a shiver down Ryo's spine. It wasn't just a waste of Lily's talents—it was nightmare fuel.

"Such a shame…"

Scathach looked genuinely disappointed, like she really wanted to turn Lily into her next student.

But Ryo wasn't fooled. He didn't see disappointment—only amusement and mischief in her expression.

This woman... her soul was completely opposite of her calm appearance. She clearly took joy in teasing others.

Lily, now sensing that something wasn't right, whispered softly, "I do have an inheritance."

It was true. As a spirit fox, Lily did inherit a powerful bloodline—she just couldn't fully access its potential without the corresponding god fragment.

As an Inari fox, she wasn't on the same level as born gods like Black Rabbit, but she still counted as a divine beast in the Little Garden—a race far from weak.

"Such a cute fox~"

Scathach didn't even acknowledge Lily's comment. She just muttered it like someone seeing a cute animal at a pet store.

Ryo, now thoroughly exasperated, dropped all pretense of politeness.

"Scathach... you're not seriously trying to steal my people, are you?"

"You just noticed?"

Scathach popped another mochi into her mouth, smiling with narrowed eyes.

"I couldn't get the real prize, so I figured I'd at least bring back a souvenir."

Ryo raised an eyebrow, then chuckled in resignation.

"Fair enough. As a guest, I suppose I should give you something…"

"How about this? There's a water god in my community—a five-digit. You can take them back to report your 'success.'"

Scathach froze, then burst out laughing.

"Interesting. You're offering me one of Shiroyasha's followers? You've got guts, I'll give you that."

Even if Shirayuki-hime was underperforming lately, she was still the ShiroYoruMaou's divine retainer.

If news got out that the Queen Halloween's butler had forcibly taken one of Shiroyasha's subordinates, it'd be seen as a blatant declaration of war.

Voluntarily switching factions was one thing. Kidnapping? That was an insult.

Watching her sly smile, Ryo sighed and muttered, a bit irritated. "Cut the games. I already diverted Perseus's people for you. Let's just talk straight."

Scathach dropped the playful attitude. Her smile faded just slightly as she gave Ryo an appraising look.

"You're quite the character. Way more fun than that stuffy Leticia Draculea with her head full of rules and contracts."

"I'd say thanks, but I'm too tired to fake being polite."

Ryo scoffed and gave a dry laugh.

"Since I played along with your scheme, try not to stir up too much trouble while you're here, alright?"

Scathach tilted her head in amusement.

"Aren't you at least curious why I came to the East Area in the first place?"

Ryo looked her up and down with a smirk. "Not really interested in your plans. I am interested in your body, though."

"Ara~?"

Scathach's eyes narrowed in a way that could only be described as dangerous.

"Say things like that, and I might just feel generous enough to share some intel."

"…sorry," Ryo muttered, unwrapping a mochi and biting into it.

Meanwhile, Scathach took another bite of her own and said cheerfully:

"The Queen suspects the Greek pantheon has been tampering with the outside world's major wars, like World War II. She sent me to investigate."

You upper-tier folks just can't leave things alone, can you? World War II again? 

Should I say it was me already?

Ryo chewed on the mochi, his expression twisting like he'd just bitten into the world's sourest lemon.

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