Somehow, someway… this is strangely pleasing to the eye. I tried, probably failed, hiding my amazement on my face with a blank expression. But you can’t really keep a straight face at this.

“So?” I asked, placing a hand on my jaw to stop it from dropping. “How does it feel?”

Ash walked out the doorway to my room with a very peculiar expression on her face. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, especially with that small frown.

“Drafty… mostly.” She said, swinging her arms around. “Perhaps a bit loose too… exposed, comfortable, It feels as if it does not suit me.”

I wouldn’t be saying that from where I was standing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, it suited her too well, actually.

I just smiled at her. “You’ll get used to it.”

If we were going out in public, obviously I needed her not to look like she’s heading out to a convention of some kind. So after breakfast, I fished out some clothes from my closet. My clothes. Not really nice clothes, per se, but clothes nonetheless.

At least, that’s what I thought at first.

Those jeans that made me look like a fool, fitted her slender legs like a glove. And that jacket, which according to my sister, gave her homeless beggar vibes? Yeah, Ash practically made it her own, and she radiated with a certain style I could only dream of.

Especially with her long white hair flowing down to her waist side. Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets picked up by some talent scout somewhere. There was just one problem, though.

“You know your ears?”

She looked at me and lowered her arms. “I know of them.”

“Yeah…” I shook my head. “Elves, umm… we don’t have elves around here, so… you’re going to be attracting a bit of attention if we leave them out in the open like that.”

Her ears began to droop a little. “Oh,” then she frowned. “What do you propose we do?”

“Easy fix, no worries…” I walked up to her and pulled the hood that came with the jacket over her head. “There we go, now you’re looking human. Ash of Humankind, roommate to me, and devourer of cereal brands everywhere.”

“Master, are you perhaps mocking me?”

My hands rose up in surrender. “I’d never dream of it.”

Ash drew her eyes upwards, clearly fascinated by the hoodie, her eyebrows raising under the fringes of her hair.

“I have seen our scholars and monks on occasion, and they have donned something akin to this one.” She said, her fingers pinching the end of the hood. “Were you possibly once a scholar yourself?”

“Err, no. Wouldn’t call myself that. I mean, I wasn’t exactly the brightest in school either.”

“Brightest, you say… humans can shine?”

“Metaphorically speaking, uh, sure I guess?”

“Hmm…”

Hmm indeed. I was beginning to confuse her, I knew it, It’s a clear sign now. Whenever she would furrow her eyebrows or make a small frown, or if her ears started twitching up and down, it’s a sure indication there’s something she isn’t getting.

But we’ll work on her metaphors later. For now, the afternoon sun blazed high in the sky and we have somewhere we needed to be.

So with a clap of my hands and the opening of the front door, we set off to the outside world.

It was clear from the moment we hit the sidewalk that Ash would immediately start gazing away at this new and bizarre world she somehow found herself in.

Like a curious little cat, she is. Tilting her head at a red ‘stop’ sign and freezing in place, “It said stop, Master.” she said.

“Yeah, but not for you.” and there I was, nudging her away from the sign.

Cars and motorbikes blazing on the road startled her as we walked across the zebra crossing, meanwhile, the traffic lights or as she calls it ‘red, yellow, green orbs hung high above’ captivated her to the point where she stopped moving again.

“Fascinating…” She said.

“We’re in the middle of the road,” I told her, nodding apologetically to the cars honking at us to get a move on.

Clear highlight for me was probably when she suddenly shoved into a bush while bracing herself in front of me like a shield.

“Dragon!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, her hands darting to her waist-side to brandish her sword… which she didn’t bring so it just looked like she was trying to grip the air.

Many onlookers stared at us weirdly as they passed by, but Ash’s eyes could only focus on the anomaly soaring in the sky.

I popped up out of the bush, cluttered in stray leaves. Placing my hand on her shoulder, I calmly explain to her, “No, Ash, it’s just a plane.”

She immediately eased up, breathing in relief. “Oh, just a bird, then?”

“Sure,” I said, blanking my expression. “We’ll go with that.”

“I’ve troubled you, it seems,” she said, finally taking notice of all the stares on us. “I shall refrain from acting in haste and instead await your judgment before rendering myself of use. Your land, your knowledge. I shall withdraw myself.”

Bowed her head again… I’m no king, so I don’t really need that kind of gesture.

“Okay then, let’s get going,” I said.

First things first, I went ahead and returned the suit. Left in the rush before they could ask any questions. After that, it was a straight walk into town.

On the first day of moving into the city, everything looked so normal. Then I was coerced, scammed, and placed into debt midway through my second week.

Since then I started seeing the city for what it is.

That Italian Restaurant on the left? That’s a front for the mob. The laundromat over there? Same story.

Hair salon, nightclub, and pub? Money laundering.

Every corner of the street, you can feel the mob’s influence. They controlled the town and half of the people in it. I was one of them. If they want it, they’ll get it.

Anything they want in the blink of an eye.

And there I was, about to march up to their faces and tell them ‘No’.

They don’t like that word. Learned that the hard way. Still, if the Elf-Knight from another world is confident of her chances, then…

“We’re here,” I said to Ash.

The building in front of us looked just like any you’ll find in the city. Normal, plain, like any other office building. It’s only once you get in that you’ll find it’s far from anything mundane.

“Indeed,” said Ash, knocking her knuckles on the concrete wall. “A sturdy fortress, a tall one too. A fitting structure for those that desire to perch themselves up and stand above all others.”

“How… poetic? Anyway, yeah… let’s get this over with.”

You’d think with this building being practically their headquarters, security would be beefed up at the front entrance but no, it was absolutely deserted. Anybody can just waltz in there and that’s exactly what they want to happen.

Wanna borrow some cash? Well, sure, come on in. Just make sure you’re ready to pay the price.

One very deep breath later, Ash and I finally took our step in.

Inside, well, it wasn’t very homely. Few chairs, the smell of smoke lingered the air, and it was basically empty, save for the receptionist behind the desk at the far end.

It was her that we had to talk to in order to get anything done around here, so to her, we went.

Her eyes were set on us and I began.

“Can I… uh, can I…” I trailed off. What I was supposed to say? How do I begin? Don’t think they get a lot of people opposing them… what are the right words here?

That was when, with all the boldness she could muster, Ash slammed her hand against the desk, proclaiming at once. “We wish to speak with your leader at once!”

I cringed so hard that if I cringed any harder I would have died. To try and save face, I muttered quietly a small, “please.”

For a few moments that felt like an eternity, nothing. Then the receptionist adjusted her glasses and stood up.

“One moment,” she said, walking away into another room.

While we waited, Ash whispered to me, “Fear is what they prey on the most, and your face is flushed with it. Master, ease yourself, I am here with you.”

“I’m trying,” I whispered back, wiping the droplets of sweat that had formed on my forehead.

A little while later, the receptionist emerged out of the room, and trailing behind her was a most dreaded face.

There again with his stupid bowler hat, stupid trench coat, and that stupid smile on his face.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” He said, rubbing his grimy little hands together. “To my complete surprise, you actually came. I was just on my way over to pay you a visit just in case you forgot.”

With a scowl, I nodded silently.

He lit up a cigarette and tucked it between his puffy lips. “Now what’s this I hear about you wanting to see the boss?”

“It’s my payment,” I explained. “There are some matters with it I wanna discuss with him personally, and in private.”

The stubby man chuckled and blew out a puff of smoke. “He’s busy.”

“What?”

“He ain’t got time for a dissatisfied customer. Besides, what you wish to discuss with him, you can discuss it with me. That’s what I’m here for.”

I gritted my teeth. “Tell him it’s important.”

“Oh? What could possibly be so important that I have to bother the bossman to come running your way like some kind of worker grunt?”

Ash placed a step forward, her eyes stern and grim. “That he will be paying the debt no longer.”

The man, clearly unfazed, blew out another puff. “He ain’t got a choice, lady. If anything, it’s him that came crawling to us, you know?”

“And then intend to ensnare him forever in your clutches,” Ash said. “You’ve tormented this man for long enough. You will take your deal and go, you will pester him no longer.”

“Oh yeah, and we’re just gonna pack up and go, are we?” said the man, staring at us down with contempt. “And who’s gonna stop us if we don’t?”

Ash met his eyes, and spoke boldly, “I am.”

The man snorted, his head shaking in disbelief, and drew a step back, flicking away the cigarette in his lips. His eyes kept flicking from me to Ash, which would be immediately followed by a deep heavy sigh.

“I’ll go make a call,” he said.