Chapter One: Falling from the Sky

The itinerary of the Violet Iris Troupe has always been dictated by the changing weather of the Empire of Lance. Each winter, they journey from the north to the south, and when summer arrives, they make their way from the south to the north, performing along the route. Some say the life of a troupe is like that of migratory creatures, forever wandering from city to city, like snails bearing their shells, never settling in a fixed home.

Winter had already begun this year. In a few places, snow had fallen thickly, transforming the landscape into a pristine world clad in silver. Roads became muddy and nearly impassable. One carriage was stuck deep in a mire—no matter how vigorously the coachman whipped the horses, the vehicle refused to budge. Todd, ever the brute, cursed and kicked at the animals, but it was useless. Clarice herself directed several workers to gather branches and stones, laying them in the pit until at last the carriage was freed.

“Oh, why must I, as troupe leader, handle every matter myself? Can’t I find a single person who’s up to the task? My heavens, Todd, using violence on these beasts does us no good. If you injure one, prepare to get down and pull the carriage alongside them!” Clarice shouted at the thick-headed Todd, who knew nothing but brute force.

Her scolding, hands on hips, never had a trace of ladylike grace—despite her youth, barely twenty-three. Beside her, Daisy gently coughed. “Mind your image, leader.”

Clarice rolled her eyes. “Daisy! This isn’t performance time, it’s command time. On stage, I know how to conduct myself, but offstage, I need the bearing of a commander.”

“Shouting doesn’t make you a leader,” Daisy retorted.

Clarice grew irritated. “Oh, Daisy, sarcasm might cost you your place as our star.”

Daisy laughed fearlessly. “That’s not up to you, is it? The audience decides.” She slipped into the carriage with a grin.

“That little fox,” Clarice murmured, displeased.

The convoy resumed its journey, finally leaving the muddy trails for a smoother road. Clarice’s enthusiasm for command waned, and the coachmen led the troupe onward to the next stop.

No sooner had Clarice returned to the carriage’s compartment than she was surrounded by a group of girls.

“Leader Clarice, when will we reach Fragrant Leaf City?”

“Yes, leader, we’ve been traveling for three days. I can’t wait for a hot bath.”

“I’m more eager to shop in Fragrant Leaf City—it’s one of the most bustling cities in the central region.”

“Then you’ll have to find a noble willing to pay for you.”

“That’s never been a problem, has it?”

“Exactly.”

A chorus of laughter erupted among the girls.

Clarice’s expression was severe. “Ladies, mind your words and manners. Be ladylike, understand? Don’t discuss seducing nobles in public, and don’t imagine it’s an easy task. I witnessed a girl in another troupe seduce a noble, costing him a fortune. Yet, failing to satisfy his desires, her face was slashed. If you’re not willing to give, don’t expect to gain.”

One girl replied instantly, “I’m prepared for anything.”

Clarice glared at her. “Don’t indulge yourself for fleeting pleasure. You may regret it later.”

“Do you mean marriage, leader?” asked another.

“Yes, women must marry eventually, mustn’t they?”

“Perhaps marrying money is more sensible.”

“Oh, don’t say such blasphemous things about love. I like money, but I won’t reject beautiful love, though it seems love is far out of reach for women like us… We’re closer to simple, direct desires,” Daisy said.

Clarice objected. “Daisy, you shouldn’t say that. Even dancers have the right to pursue love.”

Daisy countered, “What do we have to pursue it with? We wander everywhere. Some girls willingly sleep with men for money, tarnishing our reputation. Men of good family won’t marry us—they only enjoy our company. How am I to hope for love? Should I expect a man to fall from the sky?”

Clarice was about to reply when suddenly, the ceiling of the compartment rang with a heavy thud. Amid the girls’ screams, a massive hole appeared in the roof, and a figure tumbled down into the carriage—

———

Shui Glair lay sprawled in the compartment, his body aching as if it had been dismantled.

Damn it, one-way teleportation always caused trouble—no way to pinpoint the exact location. To avoid ending up underground, he’d had to set the altitude a bit higher. Unfortunately, it was a low-lying area, and when he arrived, he found himself two hundred meters above the ground.

Had he not been well-versed in wind magic, using Wind Glide to lighten himself, slow his fall, and then shielded himself with air magic and battle aura, he’d have escaped the island’s inferno only to die here from the fall.

He’d fought so hard, slain everyone, only to leave and die for such a reason—it would have been humiliating.

Red and Green, his companions, had no such worries; they fluttered down on their wings. Little Xu nestled in his arms, and to avoid crushing the creature, he’d fallen backward, saving Xu from harm but causing his own tailbone to sting as if he were an invalid.

“Oh my heavens, a man!” a woman’s voice exclaimed nearby.

“No, more precisely, a boy.”

“Daisy, you really have a crow’s mouth—an actual man has fallen from the sky. Oh, and he’s handsome. Look at his hair, it’s black—rare, but very charming.”

“I like his puppy even more, so cute, and those two birds—is he a beast tamer?”

Clarice stared in astonishment at Shui Glair, then at the gaping hole in her carriage’s roof, through which cold wind poured.

She blinked in confusion. “Daisy, are you sure I’m not hallucinating? Since when did the heavens open a direct channel to earth?”

The troupe’s star, Daisy, was equally dumbfounded. “Oh, I hope I’m not hallucinating either. I swear I’ll never speak recklessly again—do I have the legendary power of prophecy?”

“Keep dreaming,” another girl mocked.

Women’s words were always sharp.

Shui Glair took a long breath. It seemed he had landed in just the right place—the girls had been wishing for heaven to send them a man, and here he was.

He said helplessly, “It’s just coincidence, ladies, I swear, just coincidence.”

As he spoke, all eyes turned to him.

Shui struggled to sit up, battle aura flowing through his body, rapidly healing his injuries. Fortunately, it was only a typical shock—nothing serious. A little rest would do.

He said, “I feel I owe you an apology. Clearly, my arrival wasn’t what you expected. I merely stumbled during an adventure and ended up among you. But it’s fine—I can leave now. I truly didn’t mean to disturb you. Let’s pretend none of this happened and part with a smile.”

He tried to stand, but found the carriage unsuitable for standing, so he shifted awkwardly toward the door.

Daisy’s eyes widened, gazing at her “heaven-sent man.”

He truly was handsome, though perhaps a bit young—not over sixteen, she guessed.

But she herself was only seventeen.

She asked sweetly, “How did you get here? I mean…” She pointed to the hole above. “How did you fall from the sky?”

—

“Well…” Shui scratched his head. “Actually… I didn’t fall from the sky, I fell from a tree. You happened to pass by a tree, I was up there, and then…”

Clarice cut him off. “Where are we?”

Shui was startled. “What?”

Clarice said coldly, “I’m asking which road we’re on, its name, where it leads, what city or village lies ahead.”

Damn, how was he supposed to know?

Seeing Shui’s bewildered look, Clarice smirked. “You claim you were in a tree, so you must live nearby. Yet you don’t know where you are?”

Shui sighed in resignation. He’d always thought women were expert liars, never imagining they’d also be expert lie detectors.

“If I told you I’m a mage who had an accident while testing a flying spell and fell, would you believe me?”

Clarice pursed her lips. “It’s more believable than your previous lie.”

A girl laughed. “I’ve never heard of such a young mage, and one who falls mid-flight—how amusing.”

Very well, Shui sighed inwardly. The girls were clever and not easily fooled.

But then Clarice, her tone chilling, said, “Honestly, I don’t care how you arrived. I care that you broke my carriage roof. How do you plan to compensate us? It’s winter, it’s snowing outside—if one of my troupe falls ill, how will you pay for the loss?”

At that, the girls realized the cold had breached their warm compartment. Many wore only light clothes and now shrieked.

Todd’s large head poked in from outside, shouting, “What happened? I thought I heard something hit the carriage!”

He stared, astonished, at Shui and the hole in the roof.

Clarice shouted angrily, “Oh! You slow-witted oaf. A hundred years have passed before you figured it out?” She kicked Todd out.

Then she fixed her cold gaze on Shui.

He could only sigh again. Clearly, this pretty but temperamental girl was the leader.

He said, “I can compensate you.”

“Very good.” Clarice nodded, producing pen and paper as if by magic, rapidly calculating. “Repairing a carriage roof costs at least ten gold Vith. My girls, including myself, have suffered from the cold, so I must add a fine—fifty silver Vith per girl, six girls, that’s three gold Vith. One is dressed very scantily, giving you quite the spectacle—another gold Vith added…”

“Ah!” The “scantily clad” girl realized she was in her underwear, shrieked, and wrapped herself up.

Clarice didn’t look up. “Lanty, there’s no need to be so nervous. Your actions look more like teasing than covering yourself. I’ve never seen anyone cover their whole body with just two hands. Are you not cold at all?”

Lanty sighed and threw on a garment. “Leader, didn’t you notice this is a heaven-sent man? And he’s handsome, which is important.”

“I think he’s heaven-sent money. That’ll be twenty gold Vith, sir.” Clarice looked up at Shui.

Shui frowned. “If I’m not mistaken, it should be fourteen gold Vith.”

“There’s also labor, lost time, and performance fees for my girls.” Clarice was merciless, wielding her bloodless extortion knife.

Shui nodded helplessly. “All right, I’ll compensate you.”

He tried to pull out some money.

Then he realized he didn’t have a single coin.

Damn! On the Inferno Island, there was never any need for money!