NOVEL WEB Chapter 24: Alleys (1)
Watching Georgine’s sleeping face Naru could almost forget she was such an unpleasant girl. It was smooth and lacking the haughty expression she usually carried.
Like this, Georgina looked like a normal young girl.
Suddenly, Georgine’s expression seemed to change and she grew fitful. Naru extended a hand for a moment wanting to wake the girl from what seemed to be a nightmare before she held back.
Naru wasn’t malicious but she didn’t want to be scolded by the girl for waking her up.
“Camille-ane” Georgine said softly in her sleep while clutching her fist.
[Camille? Wasn’t that the girl who used to watch over her?] Naru thought. She thought it was odd that Georgine would call out for someone other than her family while having a nightmare but Naru accepted it as a quirk of the elite.
Georgine’s eyes fluttered open. She quickly sat up looking disoriented, having woken up from a nightmare her mind was probably in a jumble. She quickly looked around and upon seeing Naru made a disappointed expression on her face.
“Oh it’s you…” She whispered.
Naru didn’t pay her any heed and politely sat in the corner waiting for her. Georgine seemed to be waiting for something, but Naru couldn’t read her mind and only continued to sit in the corner.
Eventually, Georgine turned away huffing.
“We’re going now” She said.
Naru nodded and stood up. Her legs were a little stiff but a seiza was actually quite a comfortable position for her.
They left the establishment and began walking again. The sun was approaching mid-afternoon and Naru remember that it was almost time to return to the fountain.
She was about to relay this information to Georgine but realized that Georgine seemed to know already and was walking back to the fountain by herself.
Naru diligently followed behind her. It was an odd sight to see. Naru with her disheveled outer city look next to the posh rich girl in front of her, but she didn’t mind.
The way back to the fountain was along the main road, but it was still a relatively long walk all things considered.
Georgine walked along the road without a care in the world, ignoring Naru.
Like a good attendant, Naru followed along. Despite that, she couldn’t shake an odd feeling. A feeling like something was off.
By nature, Naru was a prey animal so although Georgine didn’t feel anything was amiss. Naru could tell something was wrong. She looked around to see if there were any threats but she didn’t spot any.
Naru knew to trust her senses better than brushing the feeling off. There was something amiss and she had to figure her out.
She began to scan the crowds near them. With the multitude of heads she couldn’t spot anything out of the ordinary.
[There!] Naru spotted two brown hooded figures behind the follow them. Their heads could only be seen for a moment before they ducked into the crowd to avoid her gaze.
[Who are they?] Naru thought. She looked at the girl next to her. Georgine was plodding along, not having realized she was being followed.
She kept scanning in the crowd before she realize that they were flanked by the figures. Naru quickened her pace, and Georgine naturally increased hers as well. The two hooded figures continued to follow them quickening their pace as well.
Naru put a hand on Georgine’s shoulders.
“You!” Georgine suddenly shouted before Naru put her other hand over Georgine’s mouth.
In an instant two silvery blades flashed towards them and Naru instantly pulled Georgine out of the way.
[So they are targeting her] Naru thought.
Georgine’s eyes widened as she saw the blades. Despite the attack, the strike of the hooded figures was so fast that none of the other people on the street noticed them.
Realizing the nature of their situation Naru could feel Georgine’s body stiffen in panic.
“Tch” One of the cloaked figures said as they realized they missed their first attempt on Georgine’s life.
[This is not going to work.] Although the action of the two figures was limited by being in public Naru also couldn’t fight back without causing a scene. Even if she found some guard she wasn’t sure if the pursuers would chase her regardless, they could just be acting discreetly since it was easier.
She was still trying to stay undercover as a human after all. She couldn’t use magic here.
Naru picked up Georgine into a wife carry and sprinted away. She attracted a few looks from passersby but kept going on her way.
The fountain was too far away, and she wasn’t even sure if someone with more authority to fight the people would be there. Naru would have to deal with the assassins herself.
She dove into a nearby alleyway that seemed secluded. The alley stank of piss and trash but it would have to do. It was a dead end so the moment Naru entered inside was she cut off as the pursuers followed her inside.
She turned her back to the wooden fencing behind her. The alley was beside two bricked buildings but the reason was rather simple.
The ground was hard-packed dirt.
