The motel room was quiet.
Nixon sat beside the table, looking at the food Nostradamus had obtained from the merchant. Sukishi stood near the window, while Nostradamus remained seated, calmly examining his hands as if nothing unusual had happened.
Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed through the hallway.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Before anyone could respond, the motel door swung open.
A group of armored knights marched into the room. They wore steel armor and carried spears, their faces filled with anger.
One of the knights stepped forward.
"Which one of you threatened the store owner and forced him to surrender his food?"
Nostradamus slowly raised his head.
The knight pointed his spear directly at him.
"You are coming with us. Resist, and we will arrest you by force!"
Nixon immediately stood up.
"Wait! Can we talk about this? There's no need to—"
"Silence!" another guard shouted. "We are addressing the criminal!"
Sukishi placed one hand on the handle of her katana.
"Nostradamus," she warned, "don't make this worse."
But Nostradamus was already standing.
He looked at the spear pointed at his chest, then calmly reached forward and grabbed its sharp blade with his bare hand.
Nixon's eyes widened.
"NOSTRADAMUS!"
The sharp metal cut into Nostradamus's palm. Blood ran down his hand and dripped onto the floor.
Yet Nostradamus didn't release the spear.
Instead, he stared directly into the knight's eyes.
"If I am willing to hurt myself," Nostradamus said in his calm British accent, "what makes you believe I would hesitate to hurt you?"
The room fell silent.
The guards exchanged uncertain glances.
One of them slowly stepped backward.
"Is this man insane?"
Another tightened his grip on his weapon, but his confidence had already begun to disappear.
Nostradamus smiled.
"Ah. So you do understand the situation."
"Nostradamus, let go of the spear!" Nixon shouted. "You're making everything worse!"
Sukishi's expression hardened.
"He's right. Release it."
For a moment, Nostradamus remained motionless.
Then something unexpected happened.
The spear in his hand began to change.
Its metal body twisted and contracted, transforming into a slender arrow.
Before the guards could understand what was happening, Nostradamus flicked his wrist.
WHOOSH!
The arrow shot forward.
One of the knights barely had time to turn his head before the projectile struck him in the head, killing him instantly.
THUD!
The knight collapsed onto the motel floor.
Everyone froze.
Nixon stared at the fallen guard in horror.
"H-He killed him..."
The remaining knights stepped backward, their weapons trembling in their hands.
"WHAT KIND OF MONSTER IS HE?!"
"HE JUST KILLED SIR ALDRIC!"
"EVERYONE, GET BACK!"
Sukishi immediately drew her katana, watching the remaining guards carefully.
"Nostradamus!" she snapped. "You just killed one of the city's guards!"
Nostradamus glanced at the fallen knight.
Then he looked at the arrow in his hand.
"Yes. I appear to have done so."
Nixon turned toward him, his voice shaking with anger.
"APPEAR TO HAVE DONE SO?! YOU KILLED HIM!"
Nostradamus looked at Nixon.
"My dear fellow, I am perfectly aware of what happened."
"You could have talked to them! You could have explained what happened with the merchant!"
"And would they have listened?"
"You didn't even try!"
For the first time since the guards had entered, Nostradamus's smile disappeared.
He turned toward the surviving knights.
"Now, gentlemen, I suggest you reconsider your next decision."
The guards stared at their dead companion.
One of them swallowed nervously.
"You... you will pay for this. The captain will hear about it. The entire city will know what you've done!"
Nostradamus tilted his head.
"Then I suppose we shall have an interesting conversation with your captain."
Sukishi stepped between Nostradamus and the guards.
"Enough. Nobody else needs to die here."
She looked at the knights.
"We will cooperate, provided you stop pointing your weapons at us."
The guards hesitated.
They clearly wanted revenge, but the strange man standing before them had just killed one of their own without showing the slightest hesitation.
Finally, their leader pointed toward the door.
"All of you. Come with us. You'll answer to the captain."
Nostradamus casually wiped the blood from his palm.
"Very well."
Nixon stared at him in disbelief.
"You're just going to go with them?"
"Of course," Nostradamus replied. "They have requested our presence."
"You killed one of their men!"
"An observation you have repeated several times."
"Nostradamus!"
Sukishi grabbed Nixon's shoulder.
"Save your arguments for later. We need to understand what happens next."
The three of them followed the knights out of the motel.
Behind them, the dead guard remained on the floor.
And throughout the city, the peaceful atmosphere was beginning to change.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
CITY SURVIVAL: DAY 1
CRITICAL INCIDENT DETECTED.
A city guard has been killed by a player.
Local security status: ESCALATING.
Public order: UNSTABLE.
Relationship with city authorities: HOSTILE.
The consequences of this incident may affect the team's ability to survive the remaining 49 days.
Nixon stared at the notification.
His heart sank.
They had arrived in a beautiful city that appeared to have no immediate problems.
Now, before their first day was even over, they had killed a guard and turned the authorities against them.
Nixon slowly looked at Nostradamus.
"What have you done?"
Nostradamus continued walking without answering.
For once, even Sukishi had nothing to say.
The city challenge had barely begun.
And their team was already in serious trouble.