Five days later, on the morning of March 23rd.
At a crossroads in the Joyewood District, adjacent to the North District where Saint Samuel Cathedral stood.
Tall chimneys ringed by street gardens and small squares were belching plumes of smoke. At the nearby exit, crowds surging in both directions made the space temporarily congested.
Even amid the morning rush of the steam underground, a height of around 185 centimeters made Miss Ais Fal noticeably conspicuous. The average height of a man in Ruen at this time was just over 170 centimeters.
By comparison, her remarkable appearance and figure barely registered — because from any distance, people couldn't see her face clearly. The street was blanketed in fog, visibility poor. Pedestrians and buildings alike, beyond a short radius, were reduced to vague outlines.
"Dear lord. I've heard this fog used to be pale yellow a few years ago. And they still call this the 'Land of Hope'? You people and I are simply living in different worlds."
Stepping out of the underground entrance, Ais covered her nose with her sleeve against the discomfort and complained inwardly.
Once free of the crowd, she found a garden bench and took a brief rest.
Though she'd mostly ridden in a carriage or on the steam underground since leaving the North District's Saint Samuel Cathedral, and had walked very little herself, the relentless awareness of being watched and whispered about throughout the journey had left her deeply tired and irritated.
"Comparing it to this — the Church of the Evernight Goddess clergy really do have a certain class."
Ais had never disliked her enhanced hearing quite this much. As a Sequence 7 Witch, even without making any conscious effort, the muttering and whispering of ordinary people around her was far too clear.
And people, when they believed themselves safe, tended not to conceal their true natures. On top of the admiration and envy the Witch's exceptional appearance and her own striking figure had generated on the journey, Ais had also been treated to a fair share of malicious, low remarks and biased assumptions.
The frustrating part was she could do absolutely nothing about people who said things behind her back. Even if they'd said it to her face, her options would have amounted to punching them, and not much else that would actually feel satisfying.
"God help me, I think I'm starting to understand why those Witches specifically target men and force them to drink the Witch potion."
For a man who enjoyed saying cruel things about women — what revenge could possibly be more fitting than turning him into a helpless young woman?
Just imagining the scene, Ais found herself resonating deeply with those Witches. The frustration and irritation she'd been carrying all morning cleared away at once. While she was unlikely to ever have the patience to go through all that for one person's comeuppance, at least it gave her backbone in future arguments — she'd never be thrown off balance by words like "slut" or "tramp" again.
With that thought, her mood shifted rapidly from overcast to clear. She sprang off the bench and continued on to the "Metropolitan Housing Improvement Association," which the Nighthawks had recommended for finding suitable lodgings.
The reason for choosing the Joyewood District rather than the North District was the high foot traffic that made it easy to blend in — unfamiliar faces weren't conspicuous here. Joyewood also had an abundance of residential properties and affordable rents, which mattered for someone without a steady income yet. Though she still had the three hundred pounds she'd received as a reward, she wasn't sure what Beklund's cost of living looked like.
Additionally, the Storm Church's Beklund headquarters — the Holy Wind Cathedral — was located in the Joyewood District. For someone who had become an informant for the Church of the Evernight Goddess , the security difference between Joyewood and the North District was negligible.
Most importantly: for a Witch with dramatically enhanced appearance and the gift of enchantment, the easiest and least suspicious way to establish herself in Beklund would be to attach herself to a man of power or wealth.
And for Ais, who wanted to stay out of the Witch cult's sight, keeping her distance from the upper class and the wealthy was an obvious necessity. Joyewood, full of small companies and short on rich people, was simply the best possible fit.
After enduring another twenty-plus minutes of stares and under-the-breath commentary, Ais finally stood at the door of the Metropolitan Housing Improvement Association.
Walking in, the first thing she did was draw attention — but the expression that was not quite pleasant on her face, combined with the height that was genuinely somewhat deflating to one's self-esteem, immediately led everyone in the room to look away and resort to subtle glances.
After two sweeps of the room, a young woman of about 165 centimeters finally found the nerve to approach this tall young woman who seemed to be in a slightly poor mood:
"Welcome. Are you here to rent a place, ma'am?"
Ais bent down slightly and nodded:
"Yes. I'd like to find a standalone property in the Joyewood District suitable for one person."
The young woman visibly relaxed and said at once:
"Certainly, ma'am — please follow me."
She led Ais to a desk and spread out a map of the Joyewood District, indicating the properties currently available that fit the description.
Ais looked at the Joyewood District on the map, the Tasok River — flowing down from the northwest and toward the southeast to its sea outlet — cutting it diagonally into two sections.
Transportation links across the river, besides ferry boats and the Beklund Bridge in the downstream Bridgeway District, consisted only of the steam underground, which had existed for under thirty years. So Ais naturally looked in the larger northeast portion of Joyewood, where the Holy Wind Cathedral was located.
The East District, home to poorer communities, bordered Joyewood to the east. And for the sake of easier access to the Church of the Evernight Goddess in the North District if necessary, Ais ultimately settled on a property in the northeast of Joyewood — Number 7, Burlingford Street.
The young woman saw Ais's decision and began detailing the layout:
"Ma'am, this property includes…"
What a waste. The residential portion alone has seven rooms… Ais listened with a smile while lamenting her own extravagance inwardly.
But she didn't have better options. For a newly made Witch, this was necessary. Just on today's commute alone, the unwanted interest hadn't come exclusively from men.
The young woman, finding Ais's smile growing somewhat more pointed, shook her head to focus and concluded:
"In any case, we guarantee the furniture is in full working order — you'll only need to wipe off some dust before moving in. After we sign the contract, I'll come along, and any damage found will be repaired free of charge immediately. How does that sound?"
"As long as the property matches your description, I have no objections. What are the rates?" Ais nodded.
"Including furniture usage fees, the weekly rent is one pound. A one-month deposit is required, and you must pay for at least one month in advance. How long would you like to rent for?"
Ais thought briefly:
"At least a year. I can pay six months upfront."
The young woman nodded and slid a standard contract across the table:
"Ma'am, please review this first. Oh — and do you have your identification document?"
Ais nodded, produced the identification the Nighthawks had arranged for her, and handed it over.
Confirming the contract terms were satisfactory, she signed without delay, then followed the young woman to Number 7, Burlingford Street.
After confirming everything matched the description precisely, Ais paid the thirty pounds in rent without hesitation.
By the time she'd done a rough clean-through of the entire property, it was nearly noon. Looking out at the bright, spacious sitting room, Ais wiped a hand across her forehead and couldn't help murmuring:
"Everything about this — the house, and me — is so different from what I ever imagined for myself. How did things end up like this?"