While Eve felt as if her nose were falling off, Ria faced her own kind of trouble.
Her destination was the slums.
It was literally right next to where Eve was—the Residential Area to the west, but slightly to the north. There, she glimpsed the "dark side" of the Empire.
Although the main roads were wide, bright, and lively, the slum area stood in stark contrast. Dark, narrow, and filled with the scent of decay, Ria frowned as she stepped into that place.
More than disgust, she felt... sadness.
She saw children about her height, but they were little more than skin and bones. Some lay by the roadside, uncertain whether they were even alive.
Before she could feel pity, one thing struck her: the absence of resignation.
