Sunday

Feysac Empire, Port Endor.

On Sunday morning, in a restaurant with an Intis-style decor, Siltana, a member of the official "Demon Hunter" team of the Church of the God of Combat, stared at the menu in her hand, her heart filled with struggle.

She was a true alcoholic. Without the aid of strong liquor, even her "spiritual communication" abilities would suffer. Yet, it had been nearly a week since she last tasted her beloved drinks...

And all of this was because of the woman sitting across from her, wearing a black veil hat and an elegant white dress.

This lady was young, with a beautiful appearance and a head of stunning fiery red hair. Her demeanor was impeccable, and she looked like a painting just sitting there.

She was the youngest daughter of the Duke of Greycastle, Miss Nasali.

Since receiving the task from her captain on Monday to accompany and protect this young lady, Siltana had been inseparable from her, leaving no opportunity for her to indulge in alcohol.

Seeing Siltana practically drooling, Nasali covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister Siltana, if you want to drink, just order some brandy. The expenses will be reimbursed anyway."

After a few days of getting along, the duke's daughter had become quite familiar with the "Demon Hunter" in front of her, and her tone had become much more casual.

Siltana was tempted by the suggestion, but she resisted the urge and closed her eyes, saying, "Forget it. Although I might be more alert after a drink... if your personal maid sees me drunk, it would damage the reputation of our 'Demon Hunter' team..."

Seeing that Siltana wasn't swayed, Nasali frowned almost imperceptibly, but the expression quickly disappeared, replaced by a smile.

Then, they ordered a lavish Intis-style royal feast, costing nearly 20 gold horns.

While waiting for the food to arrive, the young lady from the Duke of Greycastle's family removed her veil hat and, while chatting with Siltana, casually asked, "I heard there are many magical legends in the waters outside Port Endor. Sister Siltana, could you tell me about them?"

Siltana's heart stirred at the question. She looked at Nasali carefully, trying to determine whether the question was truly casual or if there was an ulterior motive. However, all she saw on the other's face was a standard smile.

After some thought, she replied, "They're all far-fetched fake stories... Most of them are just nonsense made up by drunkards. Only..."

"Only what?" Nasali's face showed just the right amount of curiosity.

"Only over a decade ago, a fisherman seemed to have actually seen something and then went mad... But you should know, over a decade ago, something major did happen in Port Endor. Maybe he was unlucky enough to see something he shouldn't have." Siltana released the spirits under her control to ensure their conversation couldn't be overheard.

"That incident... I remember Lord Panin earned his merits during that event and became a contractor of the Lord's 'Sacred Artifact,'" Nasali said, seemingly enlightened. Her eyes shifted as she added, "What happened to that fisherman later?"

"He accidentally fell into the sea and drowned in the second month after going mad," Siltana sighed.

Ordinary people are so fragile when it comes to extraordinary events. Even a casual glance could lead to a tragic end.

Just as they were discussing this, Nasali seemed to sense something and suddenly turned her head to look out the window.

A few seconds later, Siltana also turned to look but only caught a glimpse of a red cloak disappearing. She couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, can't that guy take a break? Last night, he just caused a big incident in a dream to 'solve problems,' and now he's out during the day playing 'Port Endor's Good Citizen'?!"

"Is that 'Doctor Strange'? Today's newspaper headline featured his classic line, 'My eyes can see through all things in the world; your sins cannot hide from me'... Quite a dashing declaration!" Nasali blinked and said.

"But he's caused us 'Demon Hunters' a lot of trouble!

"He has some restraint in front of ordinary people, rarely using extraordinary abilities. Even his nightly 'Doctor Q&A' sessions don't cause much of a stir... But when dealing with those who harm ordinary people, he's not so gentle. He's caused quite a few big scenes, and we've had to put in a lot of effort to suppress the fallout.

"That guy also loves to show off. He could easily solve problems without being noticed, but he insists on making a grand entrance and an even grander exit...

"And it's not just him. Recently, 'Iron Man' has also been making frequent appearances, as if he's competing with 'Doctor Strange'!

"Hmph, sooner or later, we'll catch these two troublemakers."

Siltana let out a string of complaints as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Recently... have there been many Beyonders coming to Port Endor?" Nasali asked with feigned surprise.

Aren't you one of them? Pretending to know nothing, yet you were clearly drawn here by those rumors. Siltana felt she had seen through the duke's daughter's disguise but didn't expose it. After all, her job was simply to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't cause any trouble or get into any trouble herself.

At that moment, the commotion outside reached the restaurant as new guests arrived. It turned out that a man who had gone bankrupt due to the stock market had jumped from the securities building, but "Doctor Strange" had caught him with acrobatic skill.

"Recently, more and more families have been ruined by stock market bankruptcies. This financial market is truly harmful!" Siltana fell silent for a moment, feeling the urge to drink to suppress her emotions.

She had a friend whose family was destroyed because of this. After losing the protection of her parents, her friend had no choice but to go to sea at a young age to make a living and hadn't returned since, though she heard she was doing alright.

Other guests in the restaurant also shifted their conversation from Doctor Strange's miraculous feat to this topic, though most blamed the financial downturn on Loen's monopoly of raw materials and its blockade of shipping routes to the southern continent.

This is just the natural progression of the times... Nasali lowered her eyelids, hiding a trace of helplessness.

After that, neither of them seemed in the mood for conversation. They finished their lunch in silence, and only then did Nasali regain her standard smile, turning to Siltana beside her and saying, "Since we're in Endor, how can we not visit the hot springs? I heard there's a hot spring inn at Mount Tamik with a great reputation."

...

In a villa at No. 16, Harbor Avenue, Port Endor.

Ebner, who had changed his face once again, sat on the sofa, sipping black tea to calm his nerves, and said to Lady Closfia, who was lounging lazily across from him, "Thank you for your help. Otherwise, I might have been caught by that high-ranking deacon of the Church of the God of Combat just now."

"Since I was the one who asked you to take those unnecessary and dangerous actions, it's only natural that I ensure your safety," Lady Closfia waved her hand dismissively, not seeming to care much.

So you do know those actions were 'unnecessary'? Ebner muttered inwardly, but on the surface, he looked around and asked, "Where's Captain Dunn?"

"He went to investigate a case and won't be back until tonight," Lady Closfia replied with a smile, then blinked and added, "If you have something to say, go ahead. Don't worry, I won't tell him."

Madam, your words sound a bit awkward and carry quite a bit of ambiguity. Wouldn't Lord Loredo be upset if he heard this?

After mentally complaining a few times, Ebner hesitated for a moment but finally asked, "Have you heard of Lady Lamia?"

(End of Chapter)