"We're almost at the capital," said a girl of about fourteen or fifteen with pink hair and eyes, gazing thoughtfully out the small window of the carriage. She wore a raincoat the same color as her hair, neat boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. Her name was Air.

Next to her sat two other girls: Luna and Fal.

Luna, her same age, had dark blue hair that reached her shoulders and light blue eyes. She was dressed in a blue raincoat with a hood that resembled rabbit ears, and boots of the same color.

Fal, on the other hand, had golden-blonde hair of the same length as her friends. Her amber eyes scanned the world around her with curiosity. She wore an orange raincoat, matching boots, and a headband.

The clothing of all three girls, aside from the details and color schemes, was identical. And there was a reason for that. Their outfits had been sewn by Air's father, Dio—the local tailor in the village they had left.

"What do you think, Luna…" Air tilted her head, still looking out the window. "What kind of person will our master be?"

Luna turned her calm, almost indifferent gaze toward her.

"Probably an old man," she suggested in an even tone. "Or maybe he'll turn out to be a filthy animal who only wants our bodies."

Her words were cold, but the meaning was clear: Luna had always been rational. She lacked the naive optimism that her friends possessed.

"Ha!" Fal interjected, grinning. "Then we'll just kick him in the balls and run away!"

She casually leaned back against the seat, throwing her arms behind her head as if the whole situation was beneath her concern.

Air blinked, shifting her gaze to her.

"Balls?" she repeated with mild confusion.

Fal rolled her eyes and began lazily scratching her nails against the fabric of her raincoat.

"Listen, Air," she drawled, shrugging lazily. "We're not like the other village girls who get sold off to the capital."

She smirked. The Empire had long since rotted to its core, and in many villages, the only way to survive was to sell children into slavery to cover the unbearable taxes.

"We're the best," Fal declared confidently, clenching her small fist. "We were chosen as apprentices in the capital."

Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"We'll work hard, find a good person, and live like in a fairy tale!"

Luna sighed and gave her a skeptical look.

"You're too optimistic, Fal," she remarked impassively.

A little over ten minutes passed. The carriage came to a halt with a slight creak, and the coachman—a dark-haired man named Ichigo—turned to the passengers.

"Get out," he said shortly, glancing over his shoulder.

"Alright," Luna replied softly.

She picked up a small blue backpack from the floor, slung it over her shoulder, and was the first to step down onto the cobblestone street.

Fal, on the other hand, didn't bother with the stairs. With a nimble, almost silent motion, she jumped straight to the ground as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Air was about to follow her friends when they were interrupted.

"Hello."

An unfamiliar male voice instantly put the girls on edge.

Air froze, her gaze shifting toward the speaker.

A man stood before them.

He had light, slightly messy hair—not too short, but not long either. His amber eyes studied the girls carefully, and a faint smile gave his face an almost friendly expression.

He wore a white shirt with thin stripes, topped with a light red, unbuttoned jacket. A tie matched the color. Black pants with suspenders completed his casually elegant look.

"I'll be your master."

With those words, he gave a slight wave of his hand, as if greeting them, but the gesture seemed careless, as though he wasn't used to such formalities.

Air finally stepped down from the carriage and approached Luna, while Fal lingered slightly behind.

"My name is Buck," the blond man introduced himself, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.

He casually gestured toward the streets of the capital behind him.

"Now, let's go."

Fal squinted, scrutinizing the man intently. A barely noticeable drop of sweat rolled down her cheek.

"He's young…" flashed through her mind.

She had expected anyone: a gray-haired old man, a disgusting rich guy, a perverted weirdo… but certainly not a man who looked… normal.

Buck, meanwhile, turned his gaze to Air, who was standing closest.

"Your name's Air, right?" he asked, thoughtfully scratching his chin.

The pink-haired girl nodded slightly, glancing at her friends.

"Yeah," she replied quietly. "And this is Fal and Luna."

Buck smiled again, this time a little wider.

"Nice to meet you. Well, shall we go?"

After some walking, they reached the main streets of the capital.

All three girls involuntarily slowed their pace, stunned by the sight before them.

They had never seen so many people and buildings in their lives. Everywhere they looked, there were shops, stalls, cafes, tall buildings, and bustling intersections. The flow of people never ceased, and it seemed as though the entire city was boiling with life.

"Now this is a city…" Fal muttered, unable to tear her eyes away from the surroundings. "In our village, there were only two things: an inn and an antique shop."

She glanced at Buck.

"I still feel weird about what Ichigo asked us: 'Don't you even have any weapons?'"

Buck silently smirked.

"Yeah… In the capital, every other person has a revolver under their pillow. Or rather, every first…" ran through his mind.

Air laughed.

"Seems like there's a lot of unusual stuff here," she remarked, looking at the passersby.

Buck glanced at her pink eyes, squinted thoughtfully, and then, as if making a decision, said:

"Since we're here, why not take a look around the city?" he suggested. "Besides, I want to buy you some new clothes."

His voice sounded sincere, almost selfless, and his eyes shone with kindness.

"Really?!" Air exclaimed joyfully.

"Of course! I'm a kind master!" the blond declared, spreading his arms wide.

He walked ahead without looking back, and the girls hurried after him.

Air leaned closer to Luna and whispered:

"Ah… It's nice talking to him. He seems like a kind person."

Luna looked at her with an indifferent gaze.

"Don't let your guard down," she said coldly.

Unlike Air and Fal, Luna never lost her vigilance. Buck did seem kind—and that's exactly what made her wary.

"Have you forgotten that all men are like wolves?" she added, raising her index finger like a teacher.

Air glanced at Buck, her gaze sliding down to his feet.

"You're right, wolves are dangerous," the pink-haired girl clenched her fist.

"Anyway, if something happens—run," Fal interjected, clenching her fists and taking a fighting stance. "If anything, rely on me!"

Her face radiated confidence.

"I know martial arts, and I even defeated a one-horned rabbit!" she declared proudly.

"Fal, you're exaggerating!" Air blushed.

Buck, observing their conversation, scratched his cheek, and a drop of sweat rolled down.

"Uh… I feel like I'm under a microscope."

He sighed and looked away at the cobblestones.

"Honestly… I want to buy you clothes because I don't want my people to look like… well, um… from the village," he admitted.

After these words, he suddenly turned around and looked at the girls again.

"I'll give you money for personal expenses, so spend it wisely," he said with a slight smile. "It's part of the training needed for the job."

Air nodded, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Okay."

It was time for shopping. The girls, led by Buck, wandered through the numerous shops of the capital, looking around and getting used to the new, unfamiliar world.

They visited clothing stores, bookshops, and market stalls offering everything from spices to rare fabrics.

However, despite the wide selection of outfits, all three decided not to part with the clothes made by Dio. They only bought themselves new underwear, ensuring that their usual appearance remained unchanged.

After all the shopping, they stopped at a small, cozy café. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and fragrant pastries filled the air, creating a deceptive sense of comfort. Buck, taking the initiative, placed an order for the entire group.

"Now, eat up, eat up," he offered with a warm smile, gesturing for the girls to start their meal.

"O-okay," Air murmured slightly shyly, lowering her gaze to her plate.

Fal, however, had no such reservations. She immediately brought a spoonful of rice and chicken to her mouth, stuffing her cheeks and not bothering to chew quietly.

"Oh, delicious!" she exclaimed, swallowing the food and immediately shoveling in another bite.

"Fal, what kind of manners…" Luna whispered disapprovingly, glancing at her.

Buck just laughed.

"Ahahaha, I like your appetite. That's a good sign! Means the food's good."

Air, genuinely touched by his care, looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you… for everything," a shy smile flickered on her face, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

But if she had known what would happen in the next second, that smile would never have appeared.

"And now… the main course."

Buck's words sounded casual, but at the same moment, people appeared behind the girls and Buck himself.

They seemed to materialize out of nowhere—tall, burly figures dressed in strict black suits. Many of them wore dark glasses, hiding the expressions in their eyes.

Before the girls could fully grasp what was happening, three of them grabbed them, firmly gripping their arms, leaving no chance for resistance.

"What…" Air tried to break free, but the man's fingers tightened like iron vices.

"…is this?" Fal finished for her, looking over her shoulder.

No answer came. Only Buck's faint smirk, a light, almost innocent sigh, accompanied by a casual shrug.

"You bastard!" Fal hissed through her teeth, her amber eyes blazing with anger.

She immediately lunged into an attack. Despite being restrained, she twisted sharply and kicked the man holding her right in the face, aiming for his glasses.

However… nothing.

The man, a tall, bald brute with massive arms, didn't even flinch. Her kick was strong—for a child. But not for an adult thug accustomed to violence.

"Hm. What's this? Village-style fighting?" he sneered, as if he hadn't even felt the blow.

Fal didn't have time to respond. Honestly, she wasn't planning to.

The man holding her suddenly twisted and struck.

Right in the stomach.

"Kgha!" a sharp, choked cough escaped her chest.

She collapsed to the floor, instinctively curling into a ball and clutching her stomach.

"Fal!" Air's desperate cry cut through the air.

But no one paid any attention.

Buck lazily turned to the bald man in a kimono standing to the side.

"Ah… Suka-san, was it you who approved this fighting girl?"

"Yes," he replied indifferently.

Air, still not fully understanding what was happening, looked at Buck. Her eyes were filled with horror. He noticed her gaze. Smiled. And decided to explain.

"These people are the so-called maniacs of the capital. Ordinary girls don't interest them. They find pleasure in first giving their victims hope… seeing their happy smiles… and then crushing them. Just moral degenerates."

"Moral degenerates?" repeated another man standing behind Buck.

A fat, bald man dressed in a loose kimono and a wide-brimmed hat. He slowly licked his lips, his greasy fingers twitching nervously, as if from impatience.

"You're making money off us, by the way. Well, whatever."

He lazily pointed at Luna.

"That girl. I want her."

Buck nodded.

"Alright. And what's the order?"

The fat man grinned repulsively.

"Her eyes."

His voice was slimy, drawn out, filled with sadistic anticipation.

"I think her eyes. I love licking girls after that."

Buck turned to one of his men.

"He said 'eyes.'"

"Understood."

One of the thugs stepped forward. A metallic glint flashed in his hand.

An ice pick.

A cold, merciless tool, purposefully moving toward Luna's eye.

She struggled in his grip, twitched, bit her lip, tasting her own blood.

"No… p-please…"

The metal almost touched her eyelid…

And then…

A burst of air.

A sharp, invisible force swept through the café.

Silence.

And then—a splash.

The man's severed hands fell to the floor.

The ice pick, which had been gleaming in his fingers just a second ago, lay on the floor amidst pools of blood.

"Huh?" he dumbly exhaled, not yet realizing that his limbs were no longer his.

And then a voice spoke.

"Listen here… torturing for fun… don't you find this boring? You're not getting any information or money. On the contrary, you're just wasting your time and resources. It's truly a pointless activity. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging, but if you think about it logically, there's no sense in your actions. Really, isn't it just a pathetic, base desire to assert yourself at the expense of those weaker than you? How stupid… How petty… And how disgustingly boring."

He was calm. Cold. Not exactly angry… more detached. As if everyone here was nothing more than useless insects, whose cries meant nothing.

Buck slowly turned, his eyes widening.

In the doorway of the café stood a man.

A white suit, long, almost reaching his ankles. A striped shirt and a black-and-gold ribbon around his neck. White gloves, immaculately clean shoes that no dirty streets could soil.

And most importantly…

White hair and golden eyes, dull and uninterested.

"I'm the Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing Greed, Regulus Corneas" he introduced himself with absolute indifference.