KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess-Chapter 108: [] After The Tenth Bell

"I should go," he said, standing and offering her a hand. "Rachel will get suspicious if I’m gone too long."

Naomi took his hand and rose to her feet, smoothing her dress. She retrieved his coin pouch from her pocket and handed it to him. "I wasn’t actually stealing it. I just needed to get your attention." novelbuddy-cσ๓

"I know." Xavier tucked the pouch into his belt. "I dropped it on purpose."

She smiled. "Always one step ahead, aren’t you?"

"Not always." Xavier thought of Calypso, somewhere far away, possibly in danger. "But I’m trying."

Naomi reached up and straightened his collar. "You look different with dark hair. Your eyes too—they’re blue now."

"And you’re a purple-haired tavern girl."

"Hostess," she corrected. "Apparently a very expensive one."

"Tonight, then," Xavier said, reaching for the door. "After the tenth bell."

"I’ll be ready." Naomi stepped back, her expression growing serious again.

He nodded once, then slipped out of the closet and back into the hallway. The main room of The Golden Fox was even busier now, filled with the clink of glasses and bursts of laughter. No one seemed to notice as he made his way to the exit and stepped back into the cold.

Outside, Xavier paused to get his bearings. The pain in his head had lessened slightly, as if finding Naomi had somehow eased the pressure. But the persistent ache remained, pulling him in the direction he now knew led to Hearthome—to Calypso.

Snow had begun to fall, large flakes drifting lazily from the iron-gray sky. Xavier pulled his cloak tighter and started toward The Frozen Hind.

The streets of Vykengard were growing busier as the workday ended. Blacksmiths, tanners, and merchants closed their shops while taverns and food stalls opened for evening business. The smell of roasting meat and wood smoke filled the air, mingling with the ever-present scent of snow.

Xavier kept to the edges of the main thoroughfare, avoiding the armored Rimeguard who patrolled in pairs. He’d learned quickly that they took special interest in strangers, and he couldn’t afford their scrutiny now.

As he walked, he considered what he’d learned from Lukas and Naomi. Seven of them had come through the gate, taking the places of people who already existed in this world. The prophecy mentioned the Heart of Winter and a choice between ending winter or feeding "the king’s eternal wrath."

It all sounded like something from a game or story, which aligned with what he knew about narrative gates. But the danger felt real enough—the cold that bit through his clothes, the Vorthak’s claws that had torn his back, the hunger that gnawed at his stomach.

The Frozen Hind appeared ahead, its sign creaking in the rising wind. Xavier paused before entering, brushing snow from his shoulders and gathering his thoughts. He needed to keep Rachel from suspecting his plans to leave with Naomi. If she truly was a seer, she might already know, but he couldn’t take that chance.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside. The common room was filling with the evening crowd—laborers and craftsmen mostly, drinking away the day’s fatigue. Rachel sat at a small table in the corner, a steaming mug between her hands. Her pale eyes found him immediately.

Xavier made his way to her table and sat down. "Found my coin pouch," he said, patting his belt.

"Did you find anything else of interest?" Rachel asked.

"Just a crowded tavern and overpriced drinks." He signaled to a server for ale. "Nothing worth mentioning."

Rachel studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "The caravan leaves at noon," she said finally. "You should prepare your things tonight."

"I don’t have much to prepare."

"Then you should rest. The mountain pass is treacherous even with experienced guides."

Xavier nodded, accepting a mug of ale from the server. "I’ve been meaning to ask—will you be coming with me to Hearthome?"

Something flickered in Rachel’s eyes—surprise, perhaps, that he would ask. "The winds have not shown me that path," she said after a pause. "It seems like my journey with you ends when the caravan departs."

"I see." Xavier took a drink, hiding his relief behind the mug. One less complication for tomorrow. "Then I suppose I should thank you for your help so far."

"Save your thanks. You haven’t reached your destination yet." Rachel wrapped her hands tighter around her mug. "There are many dangers between here and Hearthome, Xavien. Not all of them wear fur and fangs."

"What does that mean?"

Rachel leaned forward, lowering her voice. "The Winter Court has spies everywhere. If you truly seek to challenge the Heart of Winter, as the prophecy suggests, they will try to stop you."

"I just want to find my friends," Xavier said, which was at least partially true.

"Your friends are part of something larger than themselves. As are you." Rachel’s gaze drifted to the window, where snow now fell heavily. "Winter is strengthening its hold. The passes may soon close completely."

"All the more reason to leave quickly."

Rachel nodded slowly. "Yes. Perhaps it is." She rose from her seat, leaving her half-finished drink on the table. "I have preparations of my own to make. I’ll see you in the morning."

Xavier watched her climb the stairs to the rooms above. Only when she was out of sight did he allow himself to relax slightly. There was still a few hours to fill before he could meet Naomi and finalize their escape plan.

He sipped his ale, watching the patrons of The Frozen Hind laugh and argue around him. They seemed so real, so solidly part of this world. Were they just constructs of the narrative gate, or were they people with their own lives and thoughts? And what about the bodies he and his classmates now inhabited? What had happened to their original owners?

A bell rung.

And another.

And another.

Eventually, it rang ten times.

It was time to meet up with Nessa.

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