In the imperial capital, an unassuming carriage stood parked. Heavy rain poured nonstop. Crowds bustled about. A man rushed onto the carriage with a hurried expression.

It was Kurt Stoudenmire. Flickering magical light from the carriage cast shadows on his aged face. His suit was soaked through with rain. Gali’s figure reflected in his eyes. Realizing they were alone, he spoke.

“Brave Sir, I have the intelligence you requested.”

“Thank you for your hard work. I apologize for troubling you all this time.”

Gali had relied on Kurt to provide intelligence. He even asked him to spread news of his outings, hoping to lure out the big players. Kevin’s attitude had been strange lately. He hadn’t expected it to actually work.

Gali clenched his fists unconsciously. Manna Suhuali’s image reflected in his eyes. His intuition couldn’t be wrong. But why didn’t she recognize him?

“It’s nothing,” Kurt replied. “Lord Kevin said any department in this country is at your disposal. Meeting the Hero is like meeting me. So, no need to thank me. I’m just following Lord Kevin’s orders.”

Kurt twisted his weary body. Bones cracked audibly. He’d been inexplicably tired these past days. Probably just old age.

“Is that so? Then please sit down, Kurt. You’ve worked hard. Tell me what you found.”

Gali gently patted the seat beside him. He hadn’t expected Kevin to be so thoughtful. Only that allowed Kurt, head of intelligence and principal of the Imperial Academy, to help.

“Alright.”

Kurt tidied his appearance slightly. He took a dry towel and wiped his damp face. Then he sat on the soft seat.

“Regarding what you mentioned, Brave Sir, about the Kaslanars—I did a bit of investigation.”

He pulled a dry document from his chest. He presented it under their direct gaze. It looked extremely old, pages yellowed with age.

With the soft rustle of turning pages, he began explaining the Kaslanar family’s history.

“It seems this family existed five hundred years ago. They stayed hidden because they bore immense power. But after the Demon King’s death, they vanished completely. This left them in an awkward position—unable to advance or retreat.”

“I see. How many members are left now? I’d like to know.”

“Well… three remain: the parents and a daughter. Recently, Lord Kevin arranged for the Kaslanar daughter to enroll in my Imperial Academy.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Gali felt puzzled. Why was Kevin pretending not to know him? Could there be another reason? He murmured softly to himself.

“Kevin, what are you really up to?”

But he had no time to dwell on Kevin’s schemes. He needed to visit the Kaslanar family next. He hadn’t expected their situation to be so unique. No wonder there’d been no news before.

“Brave Sir, I must take my leave. The Imperial Academy is about to start. I have a pile of troublesome matters to handle.” Kurt sighed, his head aching at the thought. Then he turned and left the carriage.

Only Gali remained, lost in thought. The carriage wheels rolled forward steadily. The heavy rain stopped. Their formal meeting was about to begin.

“Ahhh, I don’t want to wear this stuff! Am I supposed to seduce Gali? Isn’t there any modest dress?”

Kevin tossed aside exquisite, beautiful skirts. Anyone could see they were expensive. But they were surprisingly short, exposing his fair legs completely.

“I won’t wear them! I’ll just go down in my pajamas. I don’t care anymore, ahhh!”

In the room, a man and a woman approached to persuade Kevin. Both were stunningly beautiful, almost unreal.

They were the two magic dolls, now filled with life in their eyes. Kevin had worked hard to activate them with magic. Though dolls, they were more reliable than humans in some ways—especially their tight lips.

“Lord Kevin, you can’t do that. As a young lady now, you must follow noble customs. And you mustn’t let Lord Gali suspect anything. Otherwise, all our efforts will be wasted.”

The two dolls spoke in unison, as if sharing one soul. They fully understood the situation. High-level dolls always consider whether their master’s actions are appropriate.

“Huh? I have to wear these?”

Kevin grabbed a revealing piece of women’s clothing. His sharp gaze could kill. He couldn’t tell if he was supposed to be a noble lady or a top courtesan somewhere.

Who bought these clothes? If I find out, you’re in trouble. But what to do now?

He felt his temper rising. Normally, he wouldn’t get flustered even in emergencies. But now, he was getting irritable.

Just then, hurried footsteps broke the awkward tension. A maid entered, holding an expensive gift box. She panted as she spoke.

“The custom-made dress for the young lady has arrived. Even the shopkeeper nearly collapsed from exhaustion. But we made it in time.”

“Oh, there’s this too?”

Kevin suddenly remembered the maids mysteriously measuring him. So that’s what it was about. He didn’t know how it would look. But with no time left, it was better than nothing.

He turned to command the two dolls, but caught himself. Instead, he spoke softly.

“Well… Mother, Father…” Kevin felt a strange dissonance. He forced a delighted expression, veins bulging on his forehead.

“Please go down to greet Brave Sir. I’ll be right there.” He even smiled, the picture of a filial child.

“Alright, madam. Let’s go down first.”

“Mm.”

The two dolls left tactfully. After they were gone, a swarm of maids flooded into Kevin’s room. They began their work at top speed.

Outside, a handsome young man stepped down from a plain carriage. Gali was impeccably groomed. He wore a brand-new suit with a faint floral scent.

His clean leather shoes touched the ground before the villa’s gate. His eyes reflected the luxurious, massive villa. A metallic scraping sound filled the air.

“Brave Sir, I’ve been waiting for you. I am Carlos Kaslanar, head of the Kaslanar family.”