Sorry about the wait, everyone. IRL has been a bitch lately, and so has mother nature. And video games. I also had to take the time to review my notes for this story in light of recent stuff in RWBY. Not anything that would warrant major changes, mind you, but suffice to say Volume 9 has given me more than a few ideas.

Anyway, this chapter and the next will be the last "slow paced". Chapter 6 will see us picking up the pace.

For now, on with the show!

-Adolescence of Innocence-
Chapter IV: Oakland City and the Runaway Princess

Day 3 of Twelfth Moon Cycle
Year 1916

Five months passed since Princess Pyrrha von Estelise's Day of Age celebration. Five months since the death of her mother Cherie, a woman she had only come to know for no less than two weeks. The mood in the palace for those first two months after the funeral was so dour it could be physically felt. Pyrrha spent much of her days in her room, trying and failing to distract her mind with as many books as she could find. King August reportedly refused to leave his chambers for days on end. When Septem entered to deliver the latest reports and documents that needed to be signed, he saw him with red eyes and tear-stricken cheeks.

While Cherie was not the queen or official consort of Maple Leaf, she was nonetheless a beloved figure for the royal family. Many in the kingdom sent their best wishes for the royal family, including those who felt similar losses in the past. It would not be until three months after Cherie's passing that Pyrrha and King August slowly began a return to normalcy.

Unfortunately for the Regent, the return to normalcy was done in a way that left him bewildered and frustrated.

"He's gone out again?"

The chamberlain sighed. "I'm afraid so, your grace. The guardsman at the front gate reported his majesty leaving in his usual garbs."

Septem ran a hand through his scarlet locks in dismay. On the one hand, he was grateful to hear that his brother was lively once more, but on the other hand, he despised King August's tendency to go out of the palace without an escort while dressed like some common beggar. He understood why his brother did so of course, but he dared not imagine the rumors and scandal of what he'd hear the next time he visited the streets of the capital city. Nothing screamed embarrassment than someone seeing the king dressed in ratty cloth and talking like some drunken loon.

He did not understand why his brother felt the need to venture out in such a manner, either. It was simpler to just send out guards to see what the mood in town was like.

Well, at least he isn't making a total fool out of himself, Septem thought with a grimace. "I suppose I'll have to deal with the paperwork yet again." He shook his head and focused his mind on other matters. "What of Pyrrha's studies as of late, do you know? Last I heard, she resumed her lessons with Meldia."

"She appears to be doing well, last I've heard," the chamberlain reported. "Lady Randell has nothing but glowing praise, although…"

"Although…?"

"Now that you mention Her Highness, I haven't seen her at all today. I presumed she might be in the library as he normally is this time of day, but when the guardsmen at the gate told me of his majesty's usual escapades, he mentioned seeing what he thought was a young servant girl with red hair accompanying him."

"A servant girl? Why would he…" It took him a full four seconds to realize the identity of the young girl before his face fell into his hands and groaned in despair. "A most unexpected betrayal, my darling niece…"

Oakland City was the capital of the Maple Leaf Kingdom and the Estelise sovereignty's seat of power. Originally beginning as a mere castle town, with Oakhaven a rather grandiose fortress built for sieges and long-term warfare, the change in monarchy and subsequent relief efforts by the Rykard Republic following the civil war saw Oakland and Oakhaven become the bustling city and majestic palace they were now.

Everywhere Pyrrha looked, she saw people walking about. She saw regular humans and Chimeran dressed in wildly different styles; nothing too outlandish and perfectly modest by Vacuoan standards, but still unlike anything she's seen compared to the fanciful dresses commonly found in court. She saw a few people in armor with weapons at their hips and back, their way of walking reminding her of Huntsmen and Huntresses.

"Quite the sight, wouldn't you agree?" King August smiled. The ruler of Maple Leaf wore no crown or cloak but instead dressed in worn-out robes and a ratty-looking cloak with dried stains and tears. A strip of patchwork cloth covered his left eye as if to sell the ruse. "Every so often, I come here to see how the people fair, to get a glimpse of their lives here in the city."

"Aren't we in times of peace?" Pyrrha questioned. To the best of her knowledge, there had been no major wars since the end of the Maple-Iron Three Century War. There had also been no internal conflicts since the war's conclusion, barring major political disputes between major noble houses, though those were settled fairly quickly.

King August's smile was dim. "Aye, perhaps. But there's always that moment in time when the peace falters. It's never noticeable, not immediately. People might smile and say everything is alright, but sometimes, they like to downplay what's really happening. I can never trust what I see on paper. It's better to just simply see for myself how my people fair."

He made a gesture, pointing to the people at the farthest end of the street. "These people lead happy, fulfilled lives," King August said. Pyrrha watched as a couple yelled and advertised their wares at a market stall. They seemed well off, but their stall was remarkably full. "But some have their own troubles. We live in times of peace, but not everyone enjoys them. Take the merchants there, for example. Every day they come to this street to sell fruit grown in their yard. Some days they sell all they have, but other days, they struggle. It's not a matter of supply and demand. It's not a matter of mood. It's a matter of the people's interaction."

"You mean…people don't have the money?"

"It is more like they cannot muster the energy to do so. People can feel something is wrong, even if they can't recognize the approaching danger. The negativity spreads." King August turned his attention to the horizon. "And the cause of that negativity is in the Isle of Waking."

"The Demi-Human Alliance…?"

The subject of the Isle of Waking was a hot topic in Oakhaven, so much so that Pyrrha rarely didn't hear someone talking about it. It was mostly idle gossip among the maids and roaming nobles in service of the court, but from what she was able to gather, there was trouble brewing in the Isles. The exact cause was unknown, though it was something quite severe judging by the harsh, dreadful looks on people's faces whenever they broached the subject. It was to great frustration that Pyrrha was still kept in the dark.

"You'll learn soon enough," King August said cryptically with a dark expression on his face. Then he lowered his voice to a whisper as if to utter words he did not want her to hear. She heard them all the same thanks to her excellent hearing. "Though I hope you never have to…"

Pyrrha frowned, wondering if she should press King August for answers. She decided against it despite the burning desire to know more. She had a feeling that even if she put on her best 'Nora' face, her father would likely refuse to answer her.

"…bah, enough of this doom and gloom!" In a complete 180, the monarch's demeanor went from bitter and dour to the hurricane Pyrrha knew him to be whenever she was in the same room as him. "I didn't come here to talk about depressing crap. Come along, little Scarlet, I have so much to show you! We'll start with the café nearby! Wait until you try the strawberry tarts! I'd make it the national food if I could!"

Pyrrha sighed and smiled, following after her father as he led her through the busy streets of the capital city. As she did, she glanced at the large structure in the distance. She could not make out much detail save that it looked to be some kind of arena or stadium. She could never mistake the roaring cheers coming from it to be anything else. It reminded her of her days as Class Valedictorian in Sanctum Combat School. Unlike other academies, Sanctum's combat arena was an open theatre available to the public since it was used in competitions.

It was odd to think about it now. Back in Remnant, Pyrrha despised her reputation as the Invincible Girl for the loneliness and pedestal everyone put her on simply because of her fighting prowess. She was nothing special, she just trained harder than most and had a handy semblance to assist her. Yet despite all that, people saw her as the next coming of the Grimm Reaper, just because she won three local championships and graduated top of her class. Here on Sileos, however, Pyrrha could not help but look back on those bitter days with strange fondness.

Part of her fond reminiscence was how her blood started to sing the second she heard the roaring cheers. Early in her career as a Huntress-in-Training, there was a time when she adored such wonderful sounds. She could remember how it felt back then after achieving her first victory. The sweat pouring down her face, the heavy weight of her weapons. The soreness of her muscles after pushing herself to the limit. Oh, how she missed those things! She could hardly wait for when she was old enough to pick up a weapon and start training again.

I wonder what's going on over there, Pyrrha thought with mild excitement. Is it some sort of sports activity, or is it a match between warriors? Oh, I'm dying to know!

She made a mental note to ask King August what the building was before their trip was over.

Kyle was no one special. He was a forgettable face, and for that he was fortunate. Average looks meant he did not have to deal with unnecessary problems like someone trying to pick a fight or asking for his hand in marriage. Some days he did curse his bland existence, if only because it meant he did not get many customers. Business was good even on the worst days, but he still had a quota to meet and his boss could be an absolute dick when he wanted to be.

He got a job at the local café because it paid well and it had glowing reviews as far as workforce treatment was concerned. Sure, his boss left much to be desired, but his coworkers were nice and he got an occasional good tip. It helped that the café he chose had killer pastries that made his mouth water. Every break he had, he paid a portion of his earnings and eat what they had.

Today looked to be an average day. There was a steady flow of customers, his boss was out for the day, so he assumed everything was good. At least until a familiar face in shabby clothes and red hair walked through the front door. The moment he saw the 'beggar', he grew tense, more so when he saw a girl with red hair following after him.

Of all the days Dickson had to play hooky, Kyle thought miserably.

Although the man looked like a beggar, Kyle was smart enough to know otherwise. No beggar walked around like he did, shoulders broad and standing tall with an air of jovial, if fiery confidence. No beggar walked around carrying a full purse either, especially one filled with gold coins. He did not know who the man was, but Kyle knew he was no beggar. His coworkers thought the same as well, and they all had differing theories. Dickson thought the man might be the illustrious Alley King, the ruler of thieves and conmen all throughout Oakland City. Kyle thought he was a nobleman who didn't want to be hassled by the common citizen.

The stranger frequented the café enough that Kyle knew to expect a generous tip. He never gave large orders and had a preference for strawberry tarts, though Kyle wasn't surprised. The tarts were the café's signature treat after all. Personally, he found it a tad too sweet.

Still, who's the child? His daughter, perhaps?

Kyle glanced at the girl following the man and knew instantly she would grow up to become quite the beauty. Her hair was long, falling down to her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes dazzled like gems. That she wore such drabby clothing barely did anything to her childish beauty.

I wonder if my daughter will look as good, the clerk thought wistfully.

"Welcome back, sir," Kyle greeted with a practiced smile. "How have you been?"

The stranger's smile was strained. "Not well, I'm afraid. My wife passed away not long ago." Kyle winced and offered the man his sympathies. He knew the pain of losing a loved one quite well. His first wife died of disease when a plague broke out in the outer edges of Kingdom territory. It did not last for long, but it claimed more than its fair share of people. It was a miracle his daughter managed to escape the whole thing while being as healthy as a horse. "My daughter and I are still grieving, but I didn't wish for her to remain cooped up forever."

"I understand, sir," Kyle said with a nod. "What would like, then? Your usual or today's special?"

The stranger's daughter peered at the glass case containing the pastries on display. Her starry eyes did not go unnoticed. "Do-do you have any strawberry cakes?"

Kyle's smile turned genuine. "I can fix one up for you right now."

"Make that two, then," the stranger told him. "Biggest you've got." He dug into his purse and set down a coin and—

HOLY SHIT!

It took years of dedication to maintaining his employee face to keep his composure. Internally, his eyes were bulging and screaming to the heavens. Really, how else was he supposed to act when the stranger gave him a platinum coin? A handful of gold coins could buy an apartment, and a bag full could get you a small manse. A single platinum coin could buy you a villa in the Royal Blocks.

Is this guy part of His Majesty's court?!

Kyle swallowed the dry lump in his throat and accepted the coin. As soon as the father-daughter duo took their seats, he whirled around and immediately got to work. The last thing he wanted was to insult someone from the royal court, much less a father looking to spoil his daughter. He forewent his confusion about the man's identity, now feeling as if he was better off not knowing who he was.

"Everyone, double time it," he shout-whispered to his colleagues in the kitchen area. "Someone just paid a platinum coin for two strawberry cakes. I got no idea who he is, and I don't wanna know."

His colleagues got the memo and started working as though the Twin Gods themselves were on their heels. Any other day, a generous tipper would have made a strawberry cake to make teeth ache and mouths water. Now they worked to make strawberry cakes that would make even the gods salivate with hunger.

"This tastes sooo goooood!" This proved to be one of the rare times Pyrrha was glad to be reincarnated in another world. As a well-known public figure, her trainers and sponsors more or less dictated her diet and eating habits up until she attended Beacon. While the food in the cafeteria was better than what she had before, she still yearned for the finer foods in life.

The strawberry cake, a thick fluffy slice of white bread with a pinkish-red tinge and light pink cream, was the sort of stuff she'd eat every day if she could. Every bite created an explosion of flavor that sent her mind over cloud nine. The strawberry flavor was extremely vivid but did not overpower the soft sponginess of the cake. If anything, the bread only seemed to enhance the flavor and texture.

King August chuckled as he watched his daughter eat the cake at a slow but enthusiastic pace. "Delicious, no? You wouldn't think Maple Ichor could be used in cooking, but am I glad it's a thing. It never fails to make stuff taste better."

The "ichor" the king spoke of was the sap from the Maple Leaf tree from which the kingdom earned its namesake. The mystical tree produced the sap periodically, bleeding it once every two months. Pyrrha once bore witness to the harvesting process, watching servants and even the knights carry buckets full of syrup-like substance. The ichor was mainly used by various mastersmiths, applying the ichor to weapons and armor during the cooling phase to enhance the metal's durability and properties. It worked extremely well with armors infused with magick.

It was not certain how someone discovered Maple Ichor could be used to improve foodstuff beyond perhaps an accident or the result of a bizarre mind, but none were willing to complain when they could get their hands on foodstuff that tasted nothing short of divine.

"It's a shame it's more of a luxury expense," King August sighed. "If only every food corner could use it. Can't be helped I suppose." Pyrrha wanted to agree. It would be amazing if everything could use Maple Ichor in their foods. She felt her mouth water at the thought of eating a three-course meal, all doused in Maple Ichor.

Pyrrha glanced out the window of the café, once more looking at the vague shape of the colosseum-looking building in the distance. Now seemed as good a time as any. "Father, I've been meaning to ask. What's that building out there? The huge one with all the people screaming."

"Ah, that would be the Vis Pacem Ampitheatre," King August told her. "The commonfolk call it the gladiator pit, though not without reason. Indentured servants battle there in the hopes of earning a fair bit of coin."

"So, it's a bloodsport?"

The monarch rapidly shook his head. "Twin Gods, no! We aren't savages. The conditions of the matches are controlled and the participants are put under strict regulations." He paused briefly, then winced. "Though this hasn't stopped some of the rather…overzealous participants from going too far."

Well, at least they aren't sending slaves to fight for the people's entertainment, Pyrrha thought with some relief. Mistral never engaged in such a barbaric pastime, though the underground fighting rings were the closest they had to such activities. She stumbled across one such operation by pure accident when she separated from her mother, not realizing the "sparring match" she happened upon was actually bloodsport hosted by the Spiders. The participants of these brutal engagements were either retired huntsmen looking to make a quick buck or unlucky sods who had the misfortune of being in debt to Lil' Miss Malachite.

As detestable as she found the underground fighting rings, Pyrrha couldn't deny the fascination of watching people fight their hardest. The sheer determination, the fight for dear life. In a strange, morbid way, horrified as she was to see people fighting for their life, she was also inspired to do the same. She fought with the intent to win when she started her training, pushing her body to the limit to achieve her goal of becoming a Huntress worthy of the name.

At least until people started calling her the Invincible Girl, at any rate. From then on, all Pyrrha wanted was companionship earned through her own merits, not that damned title.

"Actually," King August continued suddenly. "I was thinking of taking you and that friend of yours to an upcoming match at the Vis Pacem. If you want to go, I mean."

Pyrrha's eyes lit up. "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. You said you wanted to learn how to fight, didn't you? I can't think of a better way to get a head start by watching some of the fiercest warriors here in the kingdom go at it. As a matter of fact, I've heard tomorrow's match will involve the Savage Bull; a Chimeran lad if I remember right. Never seen someone fight so hard. First time I saw him, I had half a mind to recruit him into my royal guard!"

The reincarnated girl's interest grew further. She could physically hear her blood singing in anticipation. As much as she loved watching the guard spar on a daily basis to hone and refine their technique, she really wanted to see what a seasoned warrior could do when their back was up against the wall.

The Savage Bull…

An intimidating name to be sure, if perhaps menacing with dark implications, but Pyrrha hoped whoever they were, they were nothing like what their name indicated. More than that, she couldn't wait to see what they were like for herself.

Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

Next Chapter:
The Gladiator

This chapter and next will likely be much shorter compared to previous chapters, though this has less to do with me cutting down and more to due with the drafts and amount of content within said drafts. Honestly, I debated merging this chapter and next into a single chapter, but given we're going into a timeskip on Chapter 6, I thought better.

On another note, and it pains me to say this, I now have a (Pa)treon account. I have nothing up there yet, but if you're willing to shell out like, say, a dollar to help pay for groceries, that would be awesome. Alternatively, if you hate that sort of stuff, consider buying Chase Ryder and the City of Lost Memories over on Amazon. Part 2 is in the works, but due to stuff IRL, it's been a slog. My account is (Pa)treon (slash) SkyRig.

That's enough shameless plugging, though. I'll give you guys Chapter 5 in the next couple of days, and then afterward, I'll be publishing a new story since I feel comfortable enough to get it out to you guys. Keep an eye out for it!