“Wow~. This clothing store has all brand-new items; it’s amazing!”

Tina exclaimed with excitement as she admired the clothes displayed in the boutique on the street.

Even in the royal capital, whenever she came across a clothing store, Tina would rush inside. However, it was no surprise that Ryuubetto, the so-called City of Beauty, had shops displaying goods that stirred one’s desire to buy, even in ordinary places.

“Tina, you need to control yourself.”

Vanamo scolded her, but even Vanamo herself seemed to be curious about the fabric used in the clothes. She kept glancing at them while pulling Tina's arm.

“Vanamo, you’re so stubborn. It’s frustrating.”
“If you don’t behave, big sister will scold you.”
“Ugh, fine, I’ll save the fun for later.”
“We’re not here to play around, you know.”
“Master probably thinks of this as a break for us.”
“That’s not—”

Vanamo couldn’t confidently deny it. To Yu, this trip was almost like a vacation. Along the way, they had casually eliminated bandits and troublemakers without much effort. Of course, Tina and the others had also killed several people under Marifa’s orders, treating it as practice for combat against humans.

“See? So, Vanamo, relax a little bit.”
“No, absolutely not!”
“Ugh, you’re so rigid. It’s frustrating.”

Tina puffed out her cheeks, grumbling as Vanamo dragged her along, heading toward Yu.

“Master, sorry for the delay.”
“Don’t worry about it.”

Before Marifa could say anything, Yu spoke first, reassuring her. Marifa, who was about to open her mouth, slowly closed it. However, seeing Lena’s grin didn’t help her frustration.

“Lena, what is it? Do you have something to say to me?”
“...Big sister, I can see right through you.”

Marifa’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Oh really? Then, please enlighten me, Lena. What is it you think you know?”
“You actually wanted to scold us to look cool in front of Yu, but he forgave us before you could say anything.”
“Even if it’s the truth, there are things you should and shouldn’t say, Lena.”
“Even Nina agrees with me!”

Lena boasted triumphantly, as Nina’s words followed suit, adding fuel to the fire. Marifa’s body trembled slightly with anger.

“Oh no, Marifa’s mad!”
“...Running away is the best strategy!”
“I-I’m running too!”
“M-Me too!”
“Wait!”
“Ahh! Big sis, Tina and the others aren’t involved; this is unfair!”

Nina and the others hurriedly ran away, while Marifa, with an expressionless face, chased after them.

“Master, what’s the plan for later?”

Nepora, the most mature of the slave maids, who remained unaffected by the commotion, asked Yu about their schedule.

“The business meeting is tomorrow. Victor has already arranged the lodging, so you can all go and enjoy sightseeing as you please.”
“Yay!”

Melanie, the tigerman, leaped into the air at Yu’s words, thrilled with the idea of having free time.

“Melanie.”
“Ouch!”

Pokol grabbed her by the tail, pulling her down for overreacting.

“So, would it be all right if I and Pokol stayed by your side as attendants while Melanie and the others enjoy themselves? As you can see, they are too excited.”

Although silent, Graphira also seemed restless, just like Melanie. Feeling embarrassed in front of their master, Nepora slightly blushed as she made the suggestion.

“No, you can go wherever you want, too.”
“Master, you really know how to joke.”
(It’s not a joke though…)

More serious than even Vanamo, Nepora seemed to take Yu’s words as a joke. Even in previous towns or cities, when Yu had told them to go have fun, she would never leave his side.

The central plaza of Ryuubetto was always bustling with locals and tourists alike.

“Wow, this place is huge!”

Melanie, now on her own with the others, dropped her formal tone and spoke naturally. Around the fountain, street performers entertained the gathering crowd, and Melanie couldn’t hide her excitement.

“Don’t get too excited. It’s embarrassing.”
“Oh, come on, Tina, you were just as excited earlier.”
“Both of you, don’t get carried away just because Master isn’t around.”
“Vanamo, you’re so serious.”
“Graphira, I’m just stating the obvious.”

Graphira’s pet wolf, Ekaterina, rubbed its head against Vanamo’s skirt, and Vanamo petted it, saying, “You shouldn’t be doing that.”

“This place is beautiful, no matter where you look.”

The plaza was vast and impeccably maintained, reflecting how wealthy and well-loved this city was.

“Tina, is something wrong?”
“There are some dangerous-looking people around. It’s unsettling.”

At Tina’s words, Vanamo and the others subtly glanced around. Sure enough, there were individuals who clearly didn’t seem like ordinary citizens. Though they weren’t wearing armor, they had swords at their waists and carried themselves with the confidence of skilled fighters.

“Is there a large adventurer’s guild or mercenary guild here?”
“I’m not sure.”

With her feline-like eyes sharp and alert, Melanie stayed on guard, surveying their surroundings.

“We didn’t come here for a fight, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Hmph, maybe Graphira’s right… Wait, where’s Tina?”
“She’s over there.”

Following Vanamo’s finger, they saw Tina buying sherbet from a vendor.

“That’s not fair!”

Melanie dashed toward her, with Graphira and Ekaterina following behind.

“They’re such children,” Vanamo muttered in exasperation.

“Hey, look over there.”
“Huh? Did you find something interesting?”
“No, it’s a woman.”
“Tch, I’m not interested in human women.”

A beastman sitting on a bench spoke to his companion. About ten of them were gathered around, all armed with swords and spears.

“No, look over there.”
“Whoa… she’s a fine one, isn’t she?”

The beastman widened his sleepy eyes, staring at Melanie and Graphira. Nearby dwarves and halflings also watched Tina and Vanamo, laughing amongst themselves.

“Look! My sherbet is sorbet-flavored!”
“What’s that taste like?”
“Ugh… I don’t know either. It’s my first time trying it.”

Melanie was flustered when Graphira asked her about the flavor.

“You’ll know once you eat it.”
“Here, Vanamo, you should try some too. Want me to taste it for you first?”
“No thanks.”

Tina leaned in to offer Vanamo a taste of her sherbet, but Vanamo deftly dodged her and stepped away, bumping into someone.

“Pardon me.”
“No worries.”

The man she bumped into was one of the guys who had been watching them earlier.

“Hey, this must be fate. Why don’t you hang out with us?”

Tina and the others, chosen for both their abilities and their beauty, seemed unaware of how much they stood out in this city. Wandering around in maid outfits, it was no wonder they attracted attention.

“We have no interest in brats like you. Get lost.”
“Whoa, scary. Aren’t you the young one here?”
“Yeah, I like them feisty.”

Even when Melanie glared at them, the men weren’t intimidated. Instead, they found it amusing.

“We already apologized.”
“We don’t need an apology. Just hang out with us for a bit.”
“We have plans, so we’ll pass.”
“Don’t you know? We’re from a famous mercenary clan.”
“Yeah, you won’t regret it.”

The men made suggestive gestures, but Tina and the others stared at them coldly, without a hint of fear.

“Heh, I like you even more now.”
“I don’t know who you work for, but we’ll treat you better than your master does.”

Vanamo was about to snap, her fingers twitching as she prepared her thread. But Tina grabbed her wrist.

“Tina, why are you stopping— Ow!”

With a creaking sound, Tina’s grip tightened on Vanamo’s wrist, cutting off circulation.

“Look over there.”
“B-Big sister!”

Tina pointed to where Yu and the others stood.

“You guys are so lucky. It’s frustrating.”

Tina muttered in genuine disappointment. Just as they were about to leave—

“What the hell is that?”
“Don’t tell me that weird-looking brat with the creepy hair is your master?”

The men glanced back at Yu and mocked his appearance. At those words, Tina and the others didn’t turn red with anger, but rather, their faces paled.

“What are you doing over there?”

Perhaps someone had alerted them, for the city guards rushed toward Tina and the group.

“Tch, let’s go.”
“Wait, what about the women?”
“We were told not to make a scene.”
“Damn it.”

The men shoved the guards aside and left. Tina and the others thanked the guards and headed back toward Yu.

“B-Big sister…”
“What’s wrong?”

Though they were far away, and the noise of the crowd had likely drowned out what was said, Tina glanced nervously at Marifa.

Even though Marifa’s expression hadn’t changed, the fear they felt was enough to make them tremble as if they were frozen.

“Was something wrong?”
“They were just a bit harassed.”

Before Tina or the others could respond, Marifa answered Yu’s question.

“I understand it’s your first time in this city, but don’t get too carried away.”

At Marifa’s words, all Tina and the others could say in unison was, “We’re sorry.”

In the center of a room where even the ceiling, floor, and walls were unnaturally unified in pure white, a man was playing the piano.

He appeared to be in his forties or fifties. His shoulder-length silver hair was characteristic of those from the northern regions, and his beard was trimmed in the distinct style of a propeller shape. His hazel eyes radiated a strength beyond his years.

The man, wearing nothing but a gown draped over his naked body, exuded a unique atmosphere as he played the piano, which matched the peculiar decor of the room.

“Let’s hear the report.”

As the grand melody came to an abrupt halt, the man directed his words toward the servant who had remained silent until then.

“The matter is progressing as planned.”

“Hm. Did Satou take the bait?”

“He’s already on his way to Ryuubetto. He’s moving at an incredible speed, far beyond what one would expect, and should arrive in less than a week.”

The man smirked as if mocking the situation.

“And Victor is accompanying him?”

“No, Victor departed via a different route, earlier than Satou, but they are expected to arrive around the same time. Additionally, though it’s not worth mentioning, a merchant named Mago is also headed to Ryuubetto.”

“Mago? Ah, yes, I remember. He’s the merchant who’s recently gained favor with Satou and has been making a name for himself within the Udon Kingdom.”

Though the man murmured with apparent indifference, it was clear he had a firm grasp of the details as he pondered how to deal with this information.

“I’ll give further instructions regarding Mago later. Make sure the message reaches our contacts on the ground.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man, after closing the silver-decorated piano lid, slowly stood and moved toward the window. He discarded his gown and spread his arms wide, allowing the sunlight to bathe his body.

“Warren-sama… may I ask something?”

“Speak.”

Warren, one of the 'Eight Coins' of the Free State of Hameln, nodded without turning around, granting permission for the servant to continue.

“Thank you. Could you please provide instructions regarding the ‘Immortal Mercenary Corps’ and Satou?”

With only a few days remaining until Yu and his group arrived in Ryuubetto, the servant couldn’t help but feel anxious. The people deployed to handle the situation on the ground were, in the servant’s opinion, far from competent. It was baffling why Warren had entrusted such an important matter to them, especially when there were countless capable individuals at his disposal.

“Fools act without thinking. Ordinary people try to do everything, unaware of their own limitations. The capable choose wisely and act within their means.”

The servant remained silent, listening attentively.

Though many of Warren’s words were beyond the servant’s comprehension, some of them were golden insights—words that had helped him grow and reap significant benefits over time.

“And a genius like me doesn’t act at all but still gains profit.”

“So… it doesn’t matter to you who wins, Warren-sama?”

“The ideal outcome would be mutual destruction. But even if one side disappears, I still profit.”

The servant’s mind raced, trying to fully grasp the meaning behind Warren’s words.

If the ‘Immortal Mercenary Corps’ won, it would weaken Benjamin, who had been expanding into the Udon Kingdom with Satou. If the reverse happened, the massive payment owed to the mercenaries could be avoided. Even if the payment were made, the profits gained from the plains of Oor were more than enough to cover it. Still, avoiding payment would be preferable.

“And Benjamin—despite wanting a son so desperately, to name a woman ‘Benjamin’? The Gotchester family has truly fallen from grace.”

As he basked in the sunlight, Warren muttered with clear disdain.