A few days earlier.
After the Elf Slayer’s failed ambush on Morai at the Battle Festival, many Deville family guards and guests chased after the retreating assassins.
Patty was among them.
She knew exactly who these people were.
That’s precisely why she followed.
After a long chase, all the pursuers lost their targets.
Only Patty, who was familiar with their tactics, caught up to them as they rested in the shadow of an abandoned fortress.
There, she saw her old boss—the assassin master Oroi Scott.
“Long time no see, Oroi.” Patty put on a mask-like smile, but her eyes were icy cold.
“I sensed your presence the moment I entered this city, Patricia.
Didn’t expect you to answer my blood pact only now.”
Oroi spoke coldly.
He was in a foul mood.
His panty-stealing mission as an assassin master had actually been interrupted by that rookie Milora.
It was a humiliating failure, even if he’d deliberately suppressed his power to avoid the runic barrier.
“Hey, isn’t this the Flayer?”
“Long time no see, you’re still alive?”
“Enjoying your time as an Adventurer, huh?”
The other elves greeted Patty, but none of them sounded friendly.
Some looked at her with open disgust and wariness.
Aiko, Owen, Eileen, and others were among them.
“So, what brings you all here?” Patty asked.
“We’re on a mission, of course.
But you—why are you only showing up now?” Oroi demanded.
“I’m with the Deville family’s second daughter.
I can’t just leave whenever I want.”
“Whatever.
I have a new mission for you: investigate Torina Deville and find out what secrets she’s hiding.”
“…Isn’t Milora Sistema the one in your way? Why investigate Torina?”
“Milora Sistema doesn’t seem that smart.
There must be Torina Deville behind her.
That woman gives me a feeling I can’t ignore.”
“What kind of feeling?”
“Similar to ‘Her Majesty’… a little bit.”
“…Huh?”
“““““What??”””””
Not just Patty, but the other elves were shocked too.
Oroi didn’t elaborate, just assigned the mission in a cold tone:
“Patricia Tarasin, I order you to uncover Torina Deville’s secrets.
The rest of you… assist her.
Remember, this mission is extremely important.
If you succeed, your past mistakes will be forgiven and you’ll return to the inner circle.”
“…Understood.”
“““““Understood!!”””””
……
……
“By the way, Oroi, what’s with the two parrots in that birdcage…?”
“…A gift for Her Majesty.
Don’t ask.”
“??”
——————————————
Back to the present.
Dawn was just breaking.
In a dark alley in Zhiweidun City—
“That damn bitch! I knew it! She was reluctant when she took the mission—she must’ve been planning to betray us from the start!!!”
Aiko cursed as she gnawed at her fingernails, blood dripping down but instantly flowing back into the wounds she made.
“When she accepted the mission, I thought she’d finally gotten in line and wanted to prove her loyalty to the Brotherhood,” Owen muttered.
“Lord Oroi gave her a chance and she didn’t appreciate it.
If the higher-ups didn’t value her talent, she’d be dead and buried by now,” Eileen said angrily.
“Hah? ‘Talent’? That damn bitchy fish has no talent! I’m way better than her!!!” Aiko exploded with rage.
“You just got cut in half by her.
Don’t talk big,” Owen said.
“How was I supposed to know she’d go nuts all of a sudden?! I should’ve known she was never one of us! Look at her—she still refuses to use the gift of holy blood! She must’ve been—”
“If she wants to beat us efficiently, she’ll go for a sneak attack first.
We need to flush her out for a face-to-face fight—that’s our best chance.
Everyone, split up in pairs and search.
Don’t go alone.
I’ll team up with Eileen, Gail with Gado, Natalie with Portman.
Aiko, you—”
“I’ll go solo.
If any of you spot her, tell me right away! She’s dead this time!”
“…Fine, be careful.
She’s the infamous Flayer, so don’t let your guard down.”
———————
At the inn—
That night, Milora was plagued by nightmares.
She felt like something was stuck in her chest, tossing and turning in her dreams. When she suddenly woke up, it was already morning.
“…Torina?”
Milora clutched her chest and murmured, then quickly got dressed and left her room, heading downstairs—Torina wasn’t there either.
At this hour, she should’ve been having breakfast, but only Laxis was at the table, sipping milk tea.
“Um, Laxis…”
“What’s up?”
“Have you seen Torina? She hasn’t come down yet?”
“Nope.
Let me think… Not only has she not come down, Patty hasn’t shown up today either.”
Laxis said this, either by accident or on purpose, and Milora’s face twitched.
She immediately ran to Torina and Patty’s doors, ignoring the “Do Not Disturb—Sleeping” signs on the handles, and slashed the locks open with her sword—
No one inside.
Torina and Patty were both gone.
Did they not come back last night? Did they spend the night out together? To prove their relationship to the family, did they… do something they shouldn’t have?
Milora felt a sharp pain in her chest.
No matter how much she owed Patty, no matter how much of a teammate she was, this was way beyond what she could tolerate.
Is Patty really that important to Torina? Would she go this far for her? Milora thought she was special to Torina, but maybe Torina treats everyone this way? She’d give her all for anyone—call it kindness, or, less kindly, just… just…
Crack!
When she came to her senses, the gravity field had already crushed the bed.
She quickly withdrew the gravity—she couldn’t damage the inn’s property.
(No, I can’t keep thinking negatively… Ever since I got the gravity rune, my thoughts have gotten heavier… I need to adjust my mindset… Maybe they just stayed up late playing Kant cards in bed… That must be it, they’ll be back soon…)
Milora tried to shake off the negative thoughts and even tidied up the room a bit.
Just as she was about to leave—
——Mom, where are you…——
“Hm?”
She thought she heard something.
A very, very faint, thread-like voice, as if two girls’ voices overlapped, hazy and dreamlike.
She stood still for a while, listening carefully, but the sound didn’t come again.
(…Nothing.
Was it my imagination?)
She shrugged, closed the door, and left.
