I was awoken by the sound of conversation. Lina and Dietrich were talking nonsense as far as I was concerned. Something about the validity of eating certain flowers. I cracked an eyelid open and gauged my surroundings. It was barely dawn if the morning mist that lay over me was any indication.

With a groan of effort, I sat up, feeling my back and shoulders pop as I did so. It was days like this that I missed my feather mattress.

As the other two looked at me, I massaged a particularly painful kink in my neck. Both her and Dietrich's faces were cleaner than they were yesterday. They must have taken the time to wash them in the stream. Lina looked me up and down. 

"Look who's awake. How did you sleep?"

I shot her a look, "How do you think I slept?" I twitched my neck to the left, which responded with three distinct cracks.

Dietrich smirked, "I'd say pretty well. We've been up for a while now."

"Is that right?" I said as I stood. These two must be morning people. How lovely. There was nothing worse than people with too much energy in the morning.

Lina stood up as well. "We were going to wake you, but you just looked so peaceful." She gave me a fond smile. "Honestly, it's a good look for you."

I ignored that as I brushed the dirt from my pants seat. I then looked around for anything we may leave behind before remembering that we had nothing. It was just our clothes.

I took a moment to scoop my hands into the stream and wash the filth off my own face. There was nothing to dry off with—unless I wanted to reapply the filth with my small shirt—I resigned myself to shaking my head back and forth like a dog. My usually well-kempt hair beat into my face as I did so. I could hear snorts of laughter behind me. I probably looked ridiculous, but I couldn't see any other way. I just had to grin and bear this slight humiliation. 

Sliding my hair back into place, I stood and walked past the other two without looking at them. I could hear them snickering slightly. I continued to ignore them as I said, "Well, it's time to be off. The sooner we reach Justice, the better." 

"What, right now?" asked Lina. Neither was laughing now.

"Unless you have something better to do?" I raised my eyebrow at her and Dietrich. They shook their heads. 

So, with that, I marched off, the sound of the other two following distinct as their footsteps crunched behind me.

The journey to Justice was rather uneventful, comparatively to yesterday. I'd say it was downright pleasant, as my companions seemed engrossed in conversation. Lina was explaining random basic concepts to Dietrich, such as the point of socks.

"…when a person wears shoes, their feet tend to sweat and give off heat. And that can cause a lot of different problems, least of all, smelly feet."

Dietrich looked absolutely fascinated. "Oh, so why don't animals wear socks?"

"Because they don't wear shoes."

"And why don't they wear shoes?"

Lina giggled, "Silly, because shoes are a people thing. Could you imagine if you saw a slime walking around with a pair of shoes?"

Dietrich laughed at that. I rolled my eyes. It was like listening to two children trying to explain the meaning of the universe.

"I have a question for you, Lina," said I, "What would happen if you touched a monster or an animal?"

"Hmm…" Lina poked at her chin. "I think I like the previous set of questions better."

"What, you won't tell me even that?"

She gave me a sly smile, "I think it's best to save it as a surprise."

I glanced at Dietrich, "It's probably because she doesn't know."

"I do so!" Lina puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. Dietrich smirked back at me.

"I bet they all die when she touches them."

"No, they don't! Animals can't be judged because they only work on instinct! They don't have the ability to choose good or evil."

I nodded at that, "I see, so then nothing happens?"

Lina looked proud of herself as she folded her arms. "That's right. I can't hurt the innocent."

I grinned at her, "Well, thank you for telling me. That wasn't so difficult, now, was it?"

Lina stiffened as she realized she had played right into my hands.

I suppressed a laugh as I faced forward.

"It's not funny," said she. "I asked you not to pry."

"Yes, yes," I said, "Forgive me. I was curious if you'd be of any use when we reach Justice this afternoon."

"And why is that?"

"I don't know if you are aware, but we are rather lacking in our monetary accruement."

Dietrich's head appeared in the corner of my eye, "We're what?"

I guess I had to be blunter. "In other words, we have no money. And we are ill-equipped for travel. Luckily for us, Justice is home to a few guilds from which we can freelance. Mostly odd jobs, which include monster hunting. As a prince of Cross, the skills I have acquired are rather… unsuitable for a rural lifestyle."

"In other words," said Dietrich, "You suck at life."

At the sound of Lina's laughter, I turned a sharp eye on the pair of them. "I am a trained leader. I was taught how to serve the people through my intellect and combat prowess. The great minds of the past have blessed me with a vast array of knowledge."

Dietrich fell into step beside me on my left. "Just nothing useful."

Lina appeared on my right, "That's a shame. Unless you think the ‘great minds'' knowledge can charm monsters."

I scowled. "We'll see when we get there."

It took us several more hours of walking. By the time we reached the border walls of Justice, the sun was already in the center of the sky.

I was exhausted, to say the least. More than ever, I longed for some semblance of cleanliness. Perhaps I should have indulged more in the river's cool water. No doubt, the three of us would be viewed as beggars, which wouldn't be far from the truth. Prince though I was, I was about as opulent as the lowliest goblin.

The few people we passed along the way gave us the most frightful of looks. And I didn't blame them in the slightest. If I were in their shoes—which I wished as my boots had become most uncomfortable thanks to last night's prank causing my feet to get soaked with mud and water from the stream—I would avoid us with all the strength we could muster. We were filthy, unsightly with our torn and missing clothing, and—in my case—not in the best of moods.

This was my assumption until we walked up to the stone walls that barred access to the city. The two guards stationed at either side of the entrance practically flinched as we walked up. The one on the left held up a spear, his face a mask of fear. Lina stepped back, though her eyes were not fearful as she watched the guards, who pointed their spears at Dietrich.

"What in the—a Deborn!"

With a start, I looked beside me at Dietrich. Of course. I'd forgotten that he would be perceived as a threat. Although, if they knew the truth, they would be all the more frightened.

"Don't be afraid," said I, "This Deborn no longer bears the Ashen touch. Observe." I held my hand for Dietrich to clasp, which he did. The guards pressed themselves to the wall, waiting for me to disintegrate. When I did not, the two men marveled.

"Amazing," said one, "Do my eyes deceive me, or did this wretch manage to tame a Deborn?"

Dietrich looked slightly offended. "Nobody tamed me. I was never—"

"—never happier to be in service to me." I finished quickly, "But what do you expect from a prince of Cross?"

The guards did a double take, "You? A prince of Cross?"

I nodded solemnly, "Yes. I know we look worse for wear. It has been a long and, frankly, rather strange journey. Full of trials you couldn't imagine. So, if you would kindly allow us access to your fine settlement, we'd really like to—"

As I began to walk forward, the guards crossed their spears across the entrance. They did not look impressed. "If you're a prince, as you claim to be, then show us proof."

I froze. Proof? I looked at Dietrich. The only proof I possessed was the royal crest of Cross woven into my shirt. A shirt that was now being used as Dietrich's undergarments. Any other insignias I had owned were now in the hands of the unknown thief who had robbed me blind.

I turned a grin to the guards. "Yes, well, if you want evidence of my royal status, I suggest you consult with my large companion here."

The guard on the left raised an eyebrow, "Is that a threat, my good man?"

"It is the truth. And unless you want to see a Deborn in the nude, you'd be better to heed our word. Perhaps the avouchment of my other companion would suffice? Lina?"

Lina, who'd been eyeing the guards with curiosity, jumped. "Oh, yes. This man is as he says. You've heard the news about Pleasance, right?"

The two guards nodded. "Many refugees have tried to gain access, though they, too, have been turned away. We don't need riffraff clogging up our city streets."

But Lina wasn't deterred, "Well, this is the man who saved their lives."

I puffed out my chest and grabbed the collar of my small shirt in some vain attempt to appear heroic. Once again, the guard's faces were stone. "Without proper evidence. I'm afraid you're just another dirty refugee." He laughed and elbowed his fellow guard, "Prince of Cross. This guy thinks he's Prince Claude."

Prince Muck's more like it."

I slumped. The sarcasm that dripped from the guard's mocking title was enough to wipe any other scheme from my mind. And the mention of my eldest brother did nothing to help. As the two broke out into laughter, I began to turn, resigned to sleeping in the woods or finding the other rejected people, when, to my surprise, Lina stepped forward.

"Can you please let us in? You wouldn't say no to a pretty lady's request?" She smiled and batted her eyelashes.

The guards smiled back, "Oh, we wouldn't," said one.

"When we see one, we'll be sure to let her in," said the other.

The two burst into raucous guffaws. Lina's face soured into an ugly expression as she put a hand to her chest. "Well, I never…." Then her eyes became dark, "I have half a mind to see if they stand up to my touch." She flexed her fingers threateningly.

Things were taking a turn for the worse. I was torn between stopping Lina from enacting her threat and letting her do it. I had to admit, I was curious, too. Then I shook myself at such an unprincely thought.

I was the sane one here. I had to act like it.

But before I could do anything to stop it, Dietrich marched forward, finger pointed at the guard as if it were a weapon—which, I had to remind myself, it was.

"Now, you listen here, dudes. I can tolerate you insulting the boss."

I rolled my eyes. Oh, how noble.

"But I can't stand here and let you insult Lady Lina." He shoved a finger toward the two men, who flinched as they avoided his touch. "She is the prettiest girl in…whatever you call this world. And if you can't see that, then you must be blind as a—" Dietrich cut himself off as he stiffened. It was so jarring that all of us looked at him in shock. He then turned his shaggy hair to the left. We all followed his gaze, only to find that nothing was there.

"Made you look."

What happened next, I only saw from the corner of my eye. A grinning Dietrich lunged forward, grabbed the guards' helmeted heads, and smacked them together, which rang out as they crumpled to the ground. Dietrich whirled and beckoned us. "C'mon guys, let's go in before they wake up."

Lina gave a shriek of surprise. "What did you just do?!"

Dietrich dusted his hands. "It's all good! They'll be all right. I think…"

A trickle of blood appeared from beneath one guard's helmet.

Concern grew on his split pale face as I knelt to check their vitals, "Uh…maybe I overdid it a little."

I glared up at him, "You think?!"

Lina was on my side, her cheeks puffed in indignation, "They were only doing their job! Sure they were mean, rude, and they called me ugly…. hmm..." She trailed off, her expression softening as she pressed her finger to her lip and seemed to contemplate something.

I knew exactly what she was thinking, "Lina!" I said sharply.

She blinked, "R-right." Her face hardened once more, though there was a noticeable decline in her conviction. "But that doesn't mean that you should go around and bash people's heads in. Even if they do call me ugly. I thought you were a nice Demon King."

"I am!" Dietrich raised his hand defensively, "I just thought I'd make it easier to get into the town."

I shook my head with exasperation, "And then what? You thought we'd be able to just waltz around the city without consequences?"

Dietrich rubbed his neck, "Uh… Well, yeah." He paused as he glanced down at the unconscious men. Then, his eyes returned to me with a grimace. I was not amused.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we stick out pretty much anywhere we go. Especially you."

"Yeah…" he said, "Maybe we should leave."

But he withered at the looks Lina and I gave him.

"All right, I can fix this." He crouched down beside me, pulled their dented helmets off their heads, and placed his hands on their foreheads.

I watched as the guards began to stir, their eyelids fluttering as they sat up, rubbing their skulls. "Ow… My head…"

"What happened to us?"

Dietrich stood, "You guys tripped and fell into each other. It was crazy. I…" He shot a glance at my disapproving face. "I mean, I busted your heads together so we could make a break for it. My bad." He hung his own head in shame. I gave him a slight pat on the shoulder.

The guards exchanged looks. "Wow, you really did tame a Deborn, Prince Muck. I'm impressed."

My heart swelled despite the insult, "Does this mean you'll let us into the city?"

As the guards stood, they grinned at each other. "Oh, we'll let you into the city, all right."

I was elated. That was until the gates opened, and several more guards marched out. The one in front stomped to a halt and saluted. "We saw the whole thing from the wall. The assailant and his accomplices: caught red-handed. We'll take it from here."

"Perfect." The guards' smiles turned smug as one of them gestured to me, "This one's the ringleader." The other pointed to Lina.

"And this one threatened to attack us."

"No, I didn't!"

You technically did. Though the guards shouldn't know that. They were most likely being spiteful.

The next thing we knew, the three of us were in chains, being marched down the street of Justice—or, rather, Injustice. I knew there had to be a catch to this place.

I think I hated it more than Pleasance.