Kiori sat silently and thought about what Rylee was saying. It was true, a rural village would be their best bet, but the guild had means of finding them even in such situations. Even if the villagers could be made to cooperate with them completely, it was just prolonging the inevitable event of their encounter with an assassin. Plus, there was a factor that Rylee hadn't considered. "Perhaps it's better if they don't trust us," Kiori replied. "If the guilds find any evidence that a village has been assisting fugitives, you know what will happen. By asking them for help, we'd be putting their lives in danger. I'm sure that's not something you want on your conscience." 

He wondered, though, if something like that would bother his own conscience. It wasn't an assassin's job to worry about trifling matters such as whether the target was innocent or guilty. Likewise, if his own survival was all that mattered, it shouldn't matter who he tore through to live. But no, even if his conscience had been subdued through his conditioning, it was not completely numb. Trampling the innocent was out of the question, and not just because he knew Rylee would never approve, but also because he didn't approve. Thank the gods that there was enough of himself left to make such a fundamental moral decision. However, the voice of his conscience was far too faint for him to rely on entirely. He would need someone else's. 

"Rye," he continued in a somber tone, "I can acquire supplies from one of those rural villages with or without consent, and without fear of them attempting to do me any harm. You think the way I carry myself now is intimidating? Well, perhaps I should show you the power that the guild brought out in me." He looked Rylee directly in the eyes with as gentle an expression as his stern face could muster. "What I am about to do will cause you no harm. It is simply a form of intimidation that needs to be experienced to be understood." With that, Kiori took a deep breath and called upon the magic lying dormant within his body. His muscles became tense, his teeth clenched, and immediately all the animals in the area fled in fear. An aura of pure dread emanated from Kiori's body, and to Rylee it would feel as though a pseudo-solid substance was draped over her. Terrifying and oppressive simultaneously, the aura tangled up one's fight or flight instincts so that all they could do was gape in a paralyzed panic.

After two seconds, Kiori relaxed and the aura instantly vanished; that was enough for Rylee to understand, and he did not wish to expose her to it more than he had to. He gave Rylee a moment to regain herself before continuing his explanation. "Using that, I can take whatever we need without harming anyone or risking harm to myself." That aura of intimidation would be ineffective against assassins, or even bold mercenaries, but against a town of peasants he may as well be death incarnate. "Would you approve of such a tactic?" Kiori knew it was essentially glorified banditry, but it was the only way he could think of surviving without spilling innocent blood.