"On the way to the hotel, Yuri glanced at the young man beside her and suddenly spoke.

'Say, kid—if I’m not mistaken, those chasing you… they belong to this country too, right?'

The knights’ insignia at the city gate felt eerily familiar. After a moment’s thought, she recalled similar patterns on the armor of the knights she’d devoured. But theirs were less prominent, with subtle differences in the details.

Zuo Yuan blinked slightly, then nodded without denial. 'Correct. My pursuers are from the Central Capital’s direct knight corps.'

'Oh?' Yuri raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning oddly speculative. 'Did you kidnap a princess or flirt with some noble lady?'

It wasn’t unreasonable—why else would the capital’s knights chase him this far? He must’ve done something huge.

But before Zuo Yuan could reply, she shook her head. 'No, if that were true, the gate guards wouldn’t have ignored you just now.'

'Kidnapping a princess?' Zuo Yuan rubbed his forehead, exasperated by her wild imagination. 'I’d have been secretly dismembered before leaving the Central Capital. Besides, the royal family has an incredibly powerful guardian. Even a single rude word in the palace could get you banished without mercy.'

A flicker of wariness darkened his eyes as he spoke.

'Is that so?' Yuri tilted her head, mildly intrigued. But seeing his closed-off expression, she didn’t press further. She’d learn what she needed in time. This street wasn’t the place for serious talk—walls had ears. More than one pair.

As she chatted idly with him, a strange glint flickered in her slightly lowered gaze. *Sure enough, trackers remained in town too…* Her eyes swept the surroundings casually. Those hiding poorly didn’t realize they’d been spotted from the start. Perhaps the forest team’s delay made them hesitant. They only followed, showing no signs of attacking. That confirmed Zuo Yuan’s trouble wasn’t something the knight corps could handle openly. Otherwise, why sneak around?

Then Yuri froze. '…Huh?' Her gaze darted around before snapping back.

'Lord Akat, what’s wrong?' Maria blinked, confused. Zuo Yuan also turned, puzzled.

Yuri paused for a breath, then shook her head. 'Nothing. Just spotted something interesting.'

*Interesting?* Zuo Yuan frowned as the girl resumed walking, baffled. Unseen by him, the corners of her mouth curled up.

*Killing intent.*

Thick, terrifying killing intent—aimed entirely at her, not at Zuo Yuan or Maria. Strangely, she sensed it but couldn’t pinpoint its source. It vanished as quickly as it came. Only her razor-sharp instincts caught it; otherwise, she might’ve dismissed it as a hallucination.

'How intriguing…' she murmured, twirling a strand of hair. Her eyes turned pitch-black. *Who targets me?* She scanned again, but the intent never returned. Whoever it was, they were skilled at hiding. They hadn’t left—still locked onto her.

'Heh…' A cold chuckle escaped her. 'This might be more fun.'

Meanwhile, atop a distant rooftop, a pair of eyes tracked their movement until buildings blocked the view. The watcher finally looked away.

'Should the plan… change?' A grating, metallic voice rasped from beneath a tattered hood. No human face showed—only a bone-white mask. Dim gray lights flickered in its eye sockets.

After a long silence: 'Un…derstood. Plan… changed.'

*Screech!* Twin bone-white daggers slid from the sleeves, grinding together in a shower of sparks. In the next instant, the figure blurred like a shadow—then vanished completely.

Darkness began to descend.

Ignoring that unknown presence, Yuri’s group soon stood before a bustling hotel. In this advanced city, finding it was easy. The architecture echoed medieval styles—though no carriages rolled here. Most passersby were burly warriors in armor, some dragging snarling beasts. Nobles in fine robes mingled with servants. Shops lined the streets, selling everything from trinkets to weapons.

The hotel’s first floor roared with noise even before they entered. For Yuri, who cherished quiet, it was far from comfortable.