“How did you find the tour of the territory?”

It was a morning like any other. For Marion, it was the start of another fulfilling day, while for Irina Agon, it had become an ordinary, yet special, morning. Marion, peeling an apple, gave a slight smile.

“It was great. The merchants were selling a lot of interesting goods, and seeing the bustling territory made me feel at ease.”

At Marion’s gentle expression, Countess Irina's stern face softened as if melting the frost. Waking up early had ceased to be a bothersome chore and had transformed into a routine filled with anticipation.

“Weren't there any disturbances due to the merchants or adventurers crowding in?”

“The guards were keeping a close watch, and the adventurers you were worried about seemed to be well under control.”

Whether it was because there was someone among the adventurers taking the lead or not, the adventurers who had come all the way from the capital to provide escort either quietly guarded the caravan or wandered around the lively streets of the territory. There had been potential for conflict with the local guards or adventurers of Myura, but as far as Marion knew, no such incidents had occurred.

“Surprising.”

Countess Irina blinked in genuine surprise, having expected at least some degree of conflict.

“It's a relief that they're behaving quietly without any clashes. I was worried that with so many rough characters around, there might be some fighting.”

Clink.

A teacup was placed on the tray, and the preparations for the Count’s breakfast were rapidly completed and placed on the plate. Marion cast a puzzled glance at Countess Irina, who seemed to be hurrying the preparations for breakfast more than usual. Sensing Marion’s gaze, Irina coughed lightly.

“Today, I’m planning to inspect whether the merchants have properly delivered the ordered goods to the territory. I apologize for rushing breakfast.”

“No, no! I was just worried that I might have been the cause for the delay...”

The Countess shook her head with a smile.

“Not at all. There was never a reason to rush in the first place, so why would I suddenly prepare in a hurry? Honestly, I prefer making breakfast while having a leisurely conversation.”

Hmm.

Countess Irina coughed lightly again. It seemed like she had something to say, so Marion paused and focused on her.

“So, why don't you come down to the territory with me today?”

Marion’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she hadn’t anticipated the Countess's offer.

“With you, my lady...?”

“You won’t be bored. In fact, I asked the Baroness to accompany me as well, but she stubbornly refused. Instead, she asked me to bring you along.”

It’s like using you as a shield. The Countess gave a playful smile.

“If you refuse after the Baroness, I might feel a little hurt.”

Marion’s fidgeting seemed to amuse the Countess. Marion still found her a bit intimidating, so she didn’t yet have the confidence to jest back, but her pure reaction was cute in its own way.

“I won’t refuse...”

“So, will you come with me?”

As the Countess intended, Marion obediently nodded. Rejoicing inwardly, Countess Irina carefully placed the completed breakfast onto the trolley and covered the dishes. Gripping the trolley’s handle, the Countess called for the servants.

“I’ll bring up the breakfast and then prepare for the outing. Please help Marion get ready. Is the carriage prepared?”

“Of course, my lady.”

The servants bowed and practically dragged Marion off to the dressing room. Her clear, blue eyes filled with questions, but before she could even voice them, she found herself seated at the vanity, her hair being combed.

“As always, your hair is so beautiful, young lady. I’m truly envious.”

“…I feel like I’ve been tricked somehow. Am I imagining it?”

Marion’s mutter was almost a soliloquy, but the maid responded with an unchanged expression.

“The lady has a knack for getting others involved in unknown matters. It's probably due to her excellent speaking skills.”

The maid’s shameless reply made Marion bite her lip instead of retorting.

“I wish you a pleasant outing again this time, my lady.”

Sure.

Frozen by the maid’s smiling reflection in the mirror, Marion responded with that single word.

==

“You acted like you wouldn’t show up until the day we left, disappearing for a whole week.”

At a restaurant near the caravan, Pierre held a beer mug in one hand, glaring incredulously at the adventurer across from him. The adventurer, clad in a black hood as always, was shamelessly ignoring Pierre’s words, clattering his fork against his plate.

“And yet here you are again after just one day?”

“I had some time to spare.”

Was it an excuse or the truth? Pierre imagined the adventurer’s expression under that hood and gulped down his beer.

“Did you finish what you were supposed to do?”

Pierre asked, trying to probe for information, but Maxim, hidden under his alias as Arsen Bern, just smirked, deflecting the question.

“No. And even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you ‘Yes, it’s done.’”

“I knew it. I was just asking. You jerk.”

Pierre responded coldly to the answer. Maxim’s smug shrug made a vein pop on Pierre’s forehead.

“And what about you? Did you find what you were looking for?”

Pierre scowled deeply, his fierce expression making a passing waitress yelp and scurry away.

“Damn it, you don’t tell me a thing about what you’re up to, but I’m supposed to report my every move to you?”

Maxim remained unfazed by Pierre’s outburst, answering in his usual calm tone.

“If you don’t want to cooperate, you don’t have to tell me. Not that it matters much to me.”

A thick vein pulsed on Pierre’s forehead again, but soon it transformed into a resigned wrinkle as he sighed deeply, rubbing his bald head.

“Fine, getting angry will only hurt me. Damn it. I’m the one who agreed to take on this mission, after all. It’s my own fault for jumping in headfirst, thinking I could deal with some suspicious characters.”

Muttering under his breath, Pierre glared at his beer mug as if it were to blame before downing it in one go.

Thud.

Burp.

Pierre let out a sigh along with a burp as he set the empty mug on the table. Deciding to change the topic, he glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping.

“There are no eyes watching us or ears listening in.”

But even that attempt was thwarted by the smug adventurer, whose mere presence seemed to mock Pierre, making him grip the handle of his mug so hard it nearly shattered.

“Damn, you’re like a damn ghost.”

“Let’s continue the conversation. You can speak freely. They won’t come anywhere near you.”

They wouldn’t want to risk being noticed by doing something unnecessary.

Maxim’s gaze drifted around the room, and Pierre brushed the wooden splinters from his hands before starting to talk.

“To cut to the chase, narrowing down the suspects wasn’t too difficult. The criteria we discussed were already solid. But—”

“But?”

Pierre clicked his tongue.

“The problem is, we ended up with more adventurers than I expected. I doubt all fifteen of them are here to sabotage the mission. It’s more likely that whoever’s trying to interfere mixed in some non-spies to throw us off.”

“What if they’re all spies?”

At Maxim’s question, Pierre shook his head firmly.

“No way. Even if they’re trying to sabotage something big, they wouldn’t send more than five percent of the total group. Any more than that would be too obvious. They’d risk confusing themselves or getting caught.”

“You seem to know quite a bit.”

“I haven’t been an adventurer for long, but I’ve done my share of unofficial missions. In fact, I’ve had a lot of experience with this.”

Pierre grumbled.

“That’s why I know that things that seem out of the ordinary often happen more frequently than you’d expect. It’s a pain, really.”

“Are you saying it’s possible all fifteen could be spies?”

“I’m saying we can’t rule it out. It’s better to consider every possibility.”

“Do you even know what they’re after?”

Pierre fell silent at Maxim’s question.

“That’s the biggest problem right now. We have no idea what the infiltrators are after. They haven’t made any moves, nor have they acted hastily. For all I know, they might not even be targeting this mission.”

Maxim narrowed his eyes under the hood.

If these spies were planted by the Benings, what were they after?

Suddenly, the king’s words about “the East, beyond the reach of Bening’s hand” came to mind.

“We’ll need to conduct a thorough check of the personnel.”

Maxim said. Pierre raised an eyebrow, questioning his meaning.

“It seems more likely that their target isn’t sabotaging this journey but something here, in the East.”

“In Myura or the wastelands? Who’s crazy enough to send people into such a dangerous area?”

“Who knows?”

Maxim gave a vague answer, staring at his glass. The foam had mostly settled, leaving only the dark liquid reflecting back at him.

“If their goal really lies in the East, it’s not my concern, is it? Shouldn’t it be something for you to deal with, since you seem to have some personal stake in this?”

“No, you should care too. Unless you want to be stuck cleaning up whatever mess they make.”

Pierre’s sarcastic question got him a sharp retort. If the spies caused trouble in the East, it would cause far more disruption than directly interfering with the trade.

“Damn it.”

Pierre cursed. Maxim silently watched Pierre stew in his thoughts before finishing his beer and standing up. Pierre’s gaze followed him as he rose.

“Where are you going?”

“To keep watch.”

“…I should go with you.”

It wouldn’t hurt to have some help in this situation. Maxim nodded at Pierre, who was now standing beside him.

This is an opportunity.

Two spies from the Bening family thought as they walked down the road. Marion Borden had come out for an outing with Countess Irina Agon. Blending into the crowd, unnoticed by their guards, they discreetly eavesdropped on Marion and Irina Agon’s conversation.

Countess Irina, who had been listening to the merchants, turned to Marion and her guards, her face filled with an apologetic expression.

“I need to stay here and keep an eye on the transactions, Marion. Could you separate from me for a bit and accompany Yvonne?”

Hearing her name, the female knight, Yvonne, furrowed her brows slightly, looking troubled.

“But, my lady…”

“It’s fine. I’ll be staying nearby, so there’s no real danger, right? And besides, it would be a shame to make you wait around while I work. It’s only fair for you to enjoy the day.”

Marion shook her head quickly.

“No, I don’t mind, really, my lady.”

Marion’s face turned slightly pink. Seeing her response, Countess Irina adopted a sterner tone.

“The conversation I’ll be having here involves the family’s affairs, so I can’t let you hear all of it. So, Yvonne?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Please take good care of Marion. Do not leave her side, and make sure you guide her properly. Understood?”

The female knight, Yvonne, let out a sigh.

“As you command.”

There was no choice but for Marion to comply with Countess Irina’s firm attitude. Her strict words were, without a doubt, spoken purely with Marion’s safety in mind.

“Well then, shall we go, miss? Is there anywhere you would like to visit?”

“I’d like to see the market…”

“Understood. I’ll guide you there.”

Yvonne took Marion’s hand and led the way. Countess Irina smiled and waved at Marion as they parted ways. Marion, still worried, glanced back at Irina, then focused on following Yvonne’s lead.

“…Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

At Marion’s question, Yvonne, walking ahead, gave a wry smile.

“My lady can be quite stubborn. If she says she’ll stay here, she’ll keep her word. Don’t worry.”

“The Countess…”

Marion’s voice carried a hint of concern, but Yvonne simply shrugged.

“She’s just doing her job. It’s better for me to stay by your side and protect you. She wouldn’t break a promise, so she’ll likely remain close by and keep an eye on things.”

As they entered the bustling market street, people moved together like water flowing into a drain. Marion closed her eyes briefly, observing the lively scene around her.

“Miss?”

Concerned, Yvonne spoke up. Marion smiled faintly in response.

“It’s fine. I’m just not used to crowds like this.”

Yvonne gently wrapped her arm around Marion. Her grip wasn’t overly strong, but it was steady enough to support Marion securely.

“Shall we head back?”

“No, let’s look around a bit longer.”

Marion shook her head, signaling that she was alright. Only then did Yvonne slowly resume walking. The further they ventured into the market, the thinner the crowd became. Marion’s eyes sparkled as she took in the unique goods that could only be found in Myura. Yvonne, noticing Marion’s interest in various items, began explaining them one by one.

“That’s an apple from the eastern region. The yellow-skinned ones are unique to Myura, and they’re quite popular even in the capital.”

It’s also the perfect season for them right now.

Yvonne added, watching Marion bite into an apple she had purchased.

Thud.

Just as they were walking through the market, someone bumped into Marion, causing her to stumble. The apple in her hand dropped to the cobbled street with a dull thud.

“What’s this? Watch where you’re going!”

A rough voice came from a man who appeared to be an adventurer or a common laborer. He glared at both Yvonne and Marion. Yvonne’s eyes grew cold.

“What’s an elegant young lady like you doing wandering around a place like this? How amusing.”

A vile smirk spread across the man’s face. Yvonne gritted her teeth.

“What’s with the mask on that lady’s face? Off to a masquerade ball or something? Well, I must admit, the other half of her face is quite the sight. But, ladies…”

The man leaned in with a lecherous grin. Yvonne could feel her killing intent rising. If he said one more word, she was ready to tear his mouth open from ear to ear.

“Why don’t you stop playing around here and come with us for a bit of fun?”

Two more rough-looking men emerged behind Marion and Yvonne, their expressions equally unpleasant. Marion’s face tensed, and Yvonne’s expression turned even darker. Even without her sword, she could snap their limbs before they even blinked.

“I’ll—”

Crack.

“Huh?”

Just before Yvonne could make a move, a sound rang out.

“What the—”

Crack.

The unmistakable sound of bones breaking filled the air. For a moment, Marion doubted her own ears.

Then, suddenly, a suffocating aura of murderous intent filled the space. The man who had been sneering was no longer standing on the ground. His shadow had lifted off the street. When Marion looked up, she saw the man, now dangling like a ragdoll, his neck gripped tightly by an unseen hand, his body limp and swaying.

“Are you out of your mind?”

A cold, low voice sliced through the air like a winter wind.

When Marion raised her head, she met the gaze of the dark-eyed adventurer clad in a black hood—the very same one she had seen from afar before.