Verdanis is a beautiful city.

  I can tell that much even from out here.

  There are so many colorful roofs and tall buildings.

  There's no way that the streets would look dirty.

  Even the wall is so impressive to look at.

  I’ve never seen anything as nice as this.

  Outside the walls, there are more buildings.

  Smaller places, but none look desolate.

  To me, it looks like a nice place to live.

  Even the guards at the gate we approach look orderly, dressed in clean uniforms, with a plate on their chest, but mostly free arms.

  However, just outside the gate, two groups have halted and are seemingly arguing with one another.

  The first group seems to consist of well-equipped travelers who're wearing leather armor and are armed with bows and lances.

  The other’s gear is hard to discern, with almost all of them being covered in cloaks, although the clanking I can sometimes hear when one of them shifts may mean they're wearing armor below.

  In between the two parties, the evident leaders are yelling at each other.

  "The agreement was for twice what you gave us!" (Traveller)

  "As promised, you will receive the other half after we return." (cloaked man)

  "If! If, you return. Business with you may have been good, but with the things I'm hearing from the West, who knows if you'll ever do so. So we demand the rest of our pay, now!" (Traveller)

  Immediately, both groups raise their weapons, evidently intending to fight.

  We halted some distance from them, but even from here, we might get caught up in the ensuing violence.

  Not knowing what I should do, I look about at the others.

  "Maybe we should run?" (N)

  "I’ve heard such combat is quite popular amongst humans outside their cities, yet I’ve only seen it several times. We should watch!" (A)

  What!?

  Yet before I can say anything else, Akasia gently presses me behind herself.

  "Don't worry. Stick to me if it makes you feel safer." (A)

  Well, a little.

  But that’s not the point!

  Suddenly, a row of arrows mats the earth between the angry groups.

  Everyone freezes, then looks towards the city.

  "Take your squabbles beyond our borders, or we will end them for you! There is no fighting allowed around Verdanis!" (Guard)

  "Aww!" (A)

  A few moments pass, then, to Akasia’s disappointment, the leaders sheath their arms, which is repeated by their followers.

  Appearing quite displeased, a portion of the travelers turn about and depart down the road, yet many of them also enter the city.

  As for the cloaked figures, they watch them depart, then continue on their way, apparently not intimidated by their enemies.

  Wary, we stand to the side of the path, Kyroki once again standing on her own two feet, where we are ignored entirely as they pass.

  Once they’re out of sight, Akasia excitedly urges me towards the city again.

  Well, that was a bit frightening, but at least it seems like the guards are paying attention that law and order is nicely maintained.

  Which brings us to another problem.

  We are a bunch of monsters and need to get into the well-guarded town.

  Especially, Liana is so nervous that I worry it may already fail for this reason.

  The spider monsters on the other side don't seem to really care.

  Akasia looks even excited, while Kyroki is mostly bothered.

  Though I’m worried.

  Oh damn!

  I'm a spider monster as well!

  I'm on the list!

  The guard who is controlling the entering people raises an eye at our approach.

  A stern-looking lady, who makes me scared.

  The guys seem curious as well, but at least all their gazes linger on Liana, and even more on Akasia.

  While that's unfair, it helps not to have all the attention on me.

  As Akasia is the most confident in our group, she's in front of us, ready to do the talking.

  "We are seamstresses and wish to sell some goods in the big city!" (A)

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  Seriously?

  Well, it would explain our nice clothes, but not much else.

  In particular, the irony of this statement makes it difficult to keep a straight face.

  Liana's face even visibly twitches.

  The inspector doesn't seem fully convinced.

  "Seamstresses? You don't look that way. Especially not the kids." (inspector)

  "Yes, we are. It's a family business that I do together with my sisters!" (A)

  She's so good at lying.

  The age range might be a little far and wide, but it should still work out.

  Yet then they glance right at me.

  "Sisters? Then why are those young ones so pale? You better not be dragging some plague into the city!" (inspector)

  Pale?

  Right, I am.

  Even after travelling here, beyond the forest boughs that block the warm sun, my skin is as white as ever.

  Kyroki’s too, while we're at it.

  Akasia still looks somewhat rosy, as she always does, and Liana wasn't all that bad off in the first place, but the two of us clearly stand out.

  "Oh no, what are you thinking? The two merely don't go out that often. We work our craft indoors, after all. The two are in perfect health. Isn't that so, Neri?" (A)

  Put on the spot like this, I nod and awkwardly wave at the man, trying not to look sick as I do so.

  "Sure, seamstresses... Probably better that they get some sun. I take it you are here to sell your goods?" (inspector)

  "Absolutely. Why else would we be here?" (A)

  "I'd like to know as well. So if that's your reason... Where are the goods?" (inspector)

  I knew I forgot something crucial!

  We don't have packs full of clothes!

  The only sack we have is the one Liana is carrying!

  "Oh, uh, sure. Ah, right here! In this pack is part of our merchandise. Please, take a look!" (A)

  Which Akasia grabs from her, to offer as a sample, Kyroki’s handiwork made in such a way as to not restrict the strap.

  But, I haven’t even glanced inside yet.

  Oh no, please tell me Talisa packed clothing on top!

  "Hm, strange way to keep this. So you're selling your rags?" (inspector)

  Rags?

  Then it must be clothes.

  Likely the grey dress Talisa made me.

  Yet, doesn't the inspector see this for what it is?

  It's spider silk, right?

  Not just that, but Talisa said that there’s adama... ada-something mixed in, and…

  Oh, please don’t trigger the silver patterns!

  "Excuse me, those aren't rags! We're selling whole, freshly crafted clothes! Because we're seamstresses!" (A)

  Would he truly believe this?

  "Huh, sigh. It's unusual, but with the kids, I doubt you belong to a bandit gang. Do you have the fee?" (inspector)

  "Ah, right. There was something like this." (A)

  At this, Akasia pulls out a pouch from beneath her dress.

  Wait, is that a coin purse?

  It looks full to bursting!

  "Here. Will that be enough?" (A)

  "You... are you kidding me?" (inspector)

  What is wrong?

  This doesn't sound good!

  "Ehm, no?" (A)

  "Did you clean them this time?" (K)

  "I sure did!" (A)

  So... no bloody coins?

  "This is a gold coin! The entrance fee is half a silver. You are handing me here a gold coin! Where did you even get this much? And what image is this? I don't recognize it from any known mints!" (inspector)

  "Eh? It might be a little older?" (A)

  "How, older? The forgotten period or what?!" (inspector)

  "Maybe?" (A)

  "You..." (inspector)

  This isn't going well!

  This isn't going well!

  How are we going to get out of this?

  "Ehp, may I?" (L)

  Liana?

  She asks Akasia for the pouch.

  "Sure. I'm a little overtasked here." (A)

  That's for sure!

  Liana quickly rummages through the whole thing and then pulls out some coins.

  "H-here. They should do." (L)

  The woman looks at the new coins with some scrutiny, but then takes them.

  "Just a normal day... You know, I kinda don't want to deal with whatever this is. As I have no indicators to raise the suspicion of a crime, aside from some coins that shouldn't exist, just go and get out of my hair!" (inspector)

  "I wish you many thanks, my dear lady!" (A)

  She curtseys, quite fluidly.

  Did she practice that?

  "Just, go, please." (inspector)

  "Certainly!" (A)

  With this, we can all enter the city.

  Did we seriously just make it?

  I can't believe it.

  "That was easy, wasn't it?" (A)

  Is she for real?!

  I'm surprised everyone is still alive.

  The gate guards in particular.

  "What are you talking about? What even was this about the coins?" (K)

  "Some of them were already lying pretty long in our vault. Had to dig pretty deep to find them. Anyway, I just grabbed some. How would we have known that one cannot use them?" (A)

  "You should've! It was your responsibility." (K)

  "But it worked all out." (A)

  "It was a close call. Wouldn't have wanted to deal with the aftermath." (K)

  I can tell.

  Kyroki seems at times more mature than Akasia, so I'm not sure if the latter would have been the one to manage everything if things go downhill.

  But then, I notice that Liana seems pretty still.

  Also, her thoughts feel a little troubled.

  I try not to listen in too closely, but a general sense still comes.

  "Is everything okay, Liana?" (N)

  "Huh!? Y-yeah. I’m fine… Sigh. Oh well, you get to know it anyway. I, I knew those people. Just in passing, of course, but they didn't recognize me at all." (L)

  "Naturally, they did not. I modified your features, voice, and figure. Not sure what remains that would enable them to identify you." (K)

  She's probably right.

  Yet while I get that this is a good thing right now, to Liana, it must be hard that she can't return to her old life in this place.

  "Liana, I'm sure we'll find the item you're looking for." (N)

  More I cannot promise.

  "Yes, thank you." (L)

  "Fine. Then lead the way. It's not like we know where your home lies." (K)

  "It's an adjacent building to the guild. Hopefully, my things are still there." (L)

  Liana...

  "Yay! City tour! Let's go shopping!" (A)

  This spider has really no checks for the circumstances!

  "O-okay. Let’s go." (L)

  And so we do.

  We are walking through a real, rather big, city.

  For now, fortunately, only on two of our legs.

  Oh no, I'm growing worried again.