The Three-Star Pavilion stood proudly at the heart of the bustling commercial street, its towering presence dominating the surroundings. A stately building of imposing height and countless windows, it was renowned not only for its size but also for the sheer number of rooms it contained. To the casual observer, it exuded an air of affluence and authority, a testament to the wealth and ambition of its proprietors.

Mia and Carmilla paused at the entrance, gazing upward at the windows that caught the late afternoon light. The structure seemed to stretch toward the sky, each floor a silent witness to the comings and goings of countless visitors over the years.

"Let's go in," Mia said softly, stepping forward. "We'll stay here for the night."

Carmilla followed, her blonde hair catching the sunlight, as the two entered the Pavilion. The lobby greeted them with a muted elegance: polished wooden floors, intricately carved pillars, and the faint scent of refined incense drifting from an unseen corner. The front desk bore the presence of authority, though its occupant seemed less than interested in the world outside her glass counter.

The Variety Witch, who managed the Pavilion, reclined against the desk with an air of mild boredom, one hand propping her cheek. Her eyes, however, sparkled with a flicker of attention as the two newcomers approached. Most of the other shops along the street thrived with business, leaving her domain comparatively quiet, and she had grown restless from the lack of customers.

"Huh? A visitor," she muttered, straightening immediately as she spotted Mia and Carmilla. Her previous lethargy vanished, replaced with the practiced politeness of someone accustomed to attending to the wealthy or influential. "Does the guest require a room?"

"Yes," Mia replied with a slight nod, her crimson eyes glinting with quiet authority.

The Variety Witch offered a gentle smile, gesturing toward a set of neatly bound booklets on the counter. "We have three types of rooms available here at the Three-Star Pavilion. May I ask which you prefer?"

"The best!" Carmilla exclaimed without hesitation, raising her small hand with exuberance.

The witch's gaze flickered between the blonde girl and Mia, a hint of amusement in her expression. "Are you certain this is the child's choice?" she asked lightly, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"I'm not a child!" Carmilla barked indignantly, her little toes curling as her sharp, tiger-like teeth glimmered in anger. "I am older than her!"

For a moment, the Variety Witch merely blinked, caught off guard by the sudden eruption of fury. Mia's lips curved into a faint smile, crimson eyes softening as she regarded Carmilla. "Just go with her choice," she said calmly.

The witch relaxed slightly and retrieved the room rate booklet, lowering her voice as she leaned toward them. "If you please, present your Clearance Document and the room fee: ten junior high-grade beast spars."

Carmilla's eyes widened, her golden irises sparkling with astonishment. "Ten beast spars for one night? Are you certain that's correct?"

"It is," the witch replied with a faint smile, inwardly lamenting the rarity of guests who could afford such a rate. Who, she wondered silently, would ever spend so much for a single night's stay?

"Can we stay for a longer time?" Carmilla asked tentatively, her small frame radiating curiosity.

"Only one day," the witch replied, shaking her head. "Check-out will be tomorrow at this hour. Any extension will require an additional beast spar."

Carmilla's face paled at the cost, and she glanced at Mia for confirmation.

"Bring me the worst room," Mia decided, her tone firm yet calm. She, too, considered the price exorbitant. Ten junior high-grade beast spars for a single night bordered on robbery.

"Very well," the Variety Witch acquiesced, recording their names with practiced precision. "The room rate is ten elementary and medium-grade beast spars."

Carmilla's small jaw tightened. Even with Mia's decision, the expenditure gnawed at her. The two had only recently acquired a modest amount of beast spars in Amestris City, and at this rate, nights on the streets would soon become inevitable.

"Please follow me," the witch instructed, rising from her seat and leading them toward the first-floor corridor.

"Weren't we going upstairs?" Carmilla asked, glancing at the staircase.

"The upper floors contain the higher-spec rooms," the witch explained, smiling faintly. "This one should suffice." She produced a key and opened a door with meticulous care. "This is a double room, with a bed for each occupant and a private bathroom. If you wish to bathe, an additional ten elementary and medium-grade beast spars will allow you to enjoy hot water." She handed over the key. "For anything else, please return to the front desk."

Once the witch departed, Mia turned toward Carmilla. "She is quite strong," she observed softly.

Carmilla, hands pressed to her chest, nodded reluctantly. "Tier 5, I'd say," she murmured, her eyes scanning the empty hallway outside.

Stepping into the room, they were greeted with warmth and comfort. Carmilla's eyes widened as she took in the details. Wooden floors stretched beneath her feet, and red-stone walls harmonized with ceiling beams carved in elegant patterns. The bed, luxuriously soft, beckoned with its heavy quilt of fine animal skins and cloth. For two girls accustomed to nights in the wilderness, the experience was nothing short of astonishing.

"The toilet is clean—and it even flushes with fresh water?" Carmilla whispered in awe, discovering a small sign explaining the feature. She finally understood why the room commanded such a high rate.

A gentle knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" Carmilla asked.

"I've brought water," the Variety Witch's voice responded.

Opening the door, Carmilla accepted an earthen bottle and two cups. "This is complimentary," the witch said lightly before departing once more.

Carmilla set the bottle on the table and poured herself a taste. "It's safe," she said after a moment, shaking her head with mild disappointment. "Just ordinary water."

"Rest for now," Mia instructed, sinking into the quilt with her clothes still on.

Carmilla climbed onto her bed, the soft quilt enveloping her, and soon fell into a peaceful slumber. Her breathing evened, the faint gurgle of hunger quieted by the simple water she had consumed.

Mia's crimson eyes lingered on the sleeping girl. A pang of guilt flickered within her. Since bringing Carmilla into her orbit, they had been pursued and hunted relentlessly. Yet, despite the dangers, she found herself unconsciously regarding Carmilla as a little sister, protective and quietly responsible for her safety.

Time passed with deliberate slowness. Night fell, shrouding the city in shadows.

Outside, the gate of the Watch Tower closed with a resounding creak. Three orcs gathered around a fire nearby, roasting dried meat over the embers.

"Those two women didn't appear again," the lion-headed orc growled, frustration evident in his voice. "Another night in the wild for us."

"What do we do now?" the wolf-headed orc asked, unease flickering across his features.

"Should we attempt to climb?" the bear-headed orc suggested cautiously.

The lion-headed orc shook his massive head. "Impossible. The people thrown out by Black Tortoise earlier today—many of them are Tier 5. They would have killed us instantly."

He clenched his fists, irritation mingled with anxiety. "The Thunder Spirit Beast egg is about to hatch."

"If we fail to capture it, Lord Hou will punish us severely," the wolf-headed orc reminded him gravely.

The bear-headed orc nodded in agreement. "The Beastmaster values this egg highly as well. Failure is not an option."

The lion-headed orc's mind raced. He had intercepted this task from a Tier 6 orc, hoping to gain the Spirit Beast Blood Baptism and ascend to Tier 6 himself. Yet every attempt thus far to retrieve the egg had been foiled by two "slippery" thieves from Amestris City.

"Perhaps we should return and seek Lord Hou's intervention?" the bear-headed orc whispered.

"No. We must reclaim the egg ourselves," the lion-headed orc said, tone resolute. Lord Hou, a Tier 7 powerhouse of Ten Thousand Demons City, demanded respect and obedience from even the strongest of orcs. Only through success could they hope for advancement or mercy.

A faint movement caught the wolf-headed orc's attention. "Someone's up there," he murmured, nose twitching as it caught the faintest trace of foreign presence.

Several figures scaled the cliffs adjacent to the ancient beast, only to be hurled down moments later by an unseen force. Screams of terror and surprise tore through the night.

The orcs froze, eyes wide. From the cliff emerged an eight-meter-long lizard, turning its head to regard them with unblinking eyes.

"We should wait," the lion-headed orc murmured, lowering his head in caution.

The wolf-headed orc broke into a cold sweat. "I didn't expect an invisible Spirit Beast to be guarding it," he admitted.

The bear-headed orc whispered in awe, "We are fortunate the captain did not allow us to scale the ancient beast's back. This Spirit Beast must be at least Tier 5."

The three orcs remained rooted in place, their earlier ambitions and bravado diminished, as the night deepened around the Watch Tower and the hidden presence of power continued to assert itself.

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