Two thugs raced past the two looking completely scared out of their minds. The mutterings of yakuza under their breath was caught by Rias.
"Jeez… what is this city coming to where some yakuza flunky thinks he can come into my territory." Rias felt another sigh coming on before suppressing it. She didn't need Akeno needling her on how sighs caused more stress.
"That's strange… one of the thugs feels like magic was used on him." Akeno tapped a finger against her lips before the light bulb flashed on.
"That's it! Quickly Akeno!" Rias raced in the direction the two had run off from.
"Rias! Wait for me!" Akeno chased after her headstrong King.
Reapplying the runes that hid his magic, Ritsuka returned to the crowd hiding amongst it. He didn't need to figure that using his magecraft like that would be like turning on a beacon for any one who set up the Bounded Field around this city. It was faint but he could feel the magic all around him seemingly acting like an advanced warning bell.
"Okay… next step… what? I need shelter. I'm good on food for now." Ritsuka looked around the avenue. There were merely commercial stops and no sign of a hotel.
The sun continued to set and his time was growing shorter each and every moment. Guessing he needed to bite the bullet and ask someone he stopped the first person who could answer him.
"Excuse me! Miss!" Ritsuka called out to the young woman with the crimson hair and deep blue eyes flagging her down.
"Ah? Oh yes? Can I help you?" The woman looked warily at him which he understood all too well.
Ritsuka wasn't wearing the most normal of clothing. They looked more for adventuring out in the cold rather than stand within the city. The Arctic combat uniform was meant exactly for what it was meant for.
"Sorry for bothering you. I was just wondering if there were any hotels in the area. I've come to the city recently and I'm still getting my bearings." Ritsuka asked as politely as he could. He didn't want to be too obvious that he wasn't from around this city.
'Damn… lost it. And who is this guy?' Rias silently looked at the new person before her.
The guy was wearing a strange black top. It looked a bit too futuristic to be modern fashion. The grey pants were nice at the very least. Still it wasn't what caught her attention much. It was his eyes… piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare straight into her soul. His gaze made her feel… heavy. A weight further than anything she bore was hidden within that gaze. It was actually intriguing. Before she could answer Akeno had decided to make her appearance.
"Ara are… Rias you sly dog you. First boy you meet and you pounce immediately on him." Akeno's comment sent her blushing.
The boy didn't react other than a gentle smile. Akeno watched him carefully. She couldn't feel any magic on him and the activation point where she felt that magic was gone.
"Akeno! Please I'm just helping this man find a place to stay!" Rias answered her friend… making her wince because she had just revealed her name. That was a blunder on her part for letting Akeno get her so riled up.
"Name's Ritsuka. Ritsuka Fujimaru. I feel that makes us even at the very least." He answered politely.
"Akeno Himejima. Pleasure." Akeno answered quietly though the sly smile on her face hid how her eyes truly felt.
"Rias Gremory. Sorry about that I wasn't trying to be rude, I was in a hurry… anyways as for your question. There is a hotel two blocks down. Just travel further west and you'll find a small hotel that's pretty affordable." Rias answered though at that point she couldn't feel where the magic was anymore leaving the two back in the dark.
"Ah thank you very much. If you'll excuse me I need to see if they have a room available." Ritsuka, as they now knew, answered.
"Ara… you meet two beautiful women and you don't immediately hit on them. How surprising." Akeno voiced out though Rias noticed what that was for. His lack of reaction had awoken a bit of her sadistic streak. It was a common reoccurrence whenever the two went out together. They would get hit on relentlessly and Akeno's sharp tongue would cut them down to size.
She was about to apologize for her Queen's demeanor but one look into his eyes made her change her mind. He wasn't put off at all by her observation. In fact he gave her an appraising look himself. It still felt weird to look him in the eyes. That heaviness was still there but it also sent a small shiver down her spine. It was as if this was a human she didn't want to piss off at all.
Akeno, on the other hand, was a bit taken aback by how deep his stare was. It matched one she had held before when she had lost everything she ever cared for. He hid it once again but that second was all she needed.
'Oh boy Ritsuka, what did you get yourself into now?' Ritsuka pondered as he glanced over the two before him. They were heavily saturated in magic. He could tell even with his shoddy magical skills. What was supposed to be a barb, he supposed, didn't really cause him much pause..
"Oh I have no problems escorting two beautiful women should they need so. I just didn't want to be too presumptuous to impose on either of your times. You both looked to be in a hurry so I didn't want to be a bother." Ritsuka answered with a clear smile.
'Thank you Gawain for showing me how to be slightly knight like when I talk to women.' Ritsuka silently thanked the Knight of the Sun. Akeno looked to be the only one caught off guard by that. Rias looked a bit more… pleased how easily the tables were turned on her friend.