"So, Ling, were you also stopped by them?" The man in black asked.

"No, although I encountered three people, I only fought with one of the women," Ling replied.

"So, the boy didn't make a move? It seems that the boy is just an ordinary person," the man concluded after confirming his deduction.

"In any case, what we need to pay attention to now is that group of people, including the boy, and on the side of the Furosta Kingdom, specifically, the Captain of the Special Guard, Crepes Cleia, and the 'Death Abyss,'" he continued.

"..."

Seeing no objections from the others, he suddenly brought up an enigmatic topic.

"So, do you all know about that incident? The one that wasn't reported."

However, the young girl quickly understood.

"Oh, you mean the sudden explosion at the auction house."

"Yes, although it caused quite a stir, it wasn't publicized by the Furosta Palace, so I wondered if you knew, but it seems like I was mistaken," the man remarked.

"Not knowing is impossible, after all, such a huge explosion just happened out of the blue," the woman shrugged helplessly.

But the man raised another question.

"However, do you know the reason for the explosion?"

"The reason? Wasn't it said to be caused by gas leakage?"

"It seems you don't know," the man quickly picked up on the woman's misunderstanding.

"Is there another reason?"

"Although that's what the person in charge there said, in reality, it seems not to be the case."

"Not so?"

"Furthermore, do you know why this incident wasn't reported?"

The young girl seemed to have realized something and exclaimed in surprise.

"...Could it be that the Holy Heir controlled the information and kept it under wraps."

"Yes, only the people on the side of the Furosta Palace could pull off something like that, but it doesn't mean it happened the way we think."

"Someone else did it?"

"No, not them, either."

"Then who did it?"

The young girl looked impatient.

"Well, don't fret, what I mean is, it shouldn't have been the work of just one person."

"Meaning, it involved several people, including the Holy Heir."

"Yes, that's right. Although we don't know how many were actually involved, without a doubt, the upper echelons of the Furosta Palace are aware of this incident."

"But even if they know, they chose silence, all together."

The young girl tightened her gaze involuntarily.

"But that's to be expected. It seems like a scandal for this country, no matter how you look at it, couldn't possibly be publicized. Better to say, they would go to great lengths to cover it up, as such matters should not be known to others."

The woman shook her head helplessly.

"Well, that's one reason, but there are other things they want to keep hidden."

"Other things?"

"Yes, that is, the true reason behind the explosion at the auction house."

"The true reason? Could it be..."

"Yes, in reality, it seems that it was deliberately caused."

"Man-made? But the people of this country..."

That's right, it's impossible for the people of this country to do such a thing, after all...

To this, the man in black replied calmly.

"But what if it's people from another country?"