Larry rubbed his nose awkwardly. "That was all in a past life."

Alicia snapped indignantly, "Can you guarantee your dad won’t pull the same stunt this lifetime?!"

Larry scanned Alicia’s stunning figure. Her breathtakingly lovely face flushed crimson with anger, making her look exceptionally cute.

He blurted out instinctively, "I don’t think that’ll happen again this time."

"Huh?"

Larry quickly added after realizing his slip, "Ah, I mean—our families have a bond forged in life-and-death situations now. They’d never do something so outrageous."

"Are you sure they won’t come talk to me again?"

"Well..."

Larry turned his head away.

"You bastard! Go find a girlfriend right now!"

Alicia’s furious roar echoed across the sky.

Stunned speechless, Larry snapped back. He grabbed Alicia’s shoulders, eyes wide. "Hey, be reasonable! Don’t dump all the blame on me for not having a girlfriend! You never found one either, did you?! At least I have some dating experience. You’ve been single forever! If you had a girlfriend, my dad wouldn’t suspect anything between us!"

"Ah, well..."

Alicia stammered, flustered. "You know, starting is always the hardest. Once you get past the first time, things get easier. But that first step is super tough..."

Larry: (sigh)

"Put simply, you’re scared to approach girls, right?"

Alicia: "...Yeah! So what! I’m proud to be single forever!"

Seeing her defiant expression, Larry sneered. "Frankly, you’re just a pathetic loser. How dare you mock me?"

*This bastard!*

Alicia schemed wickedly: *Should I slip drugs into his food one day? Kidnap one of his fangirls? Toss her onto his bed? With Larry’s responsible nature, he’d have no choice but to take responsibility.*

*Brilliant idea! Why hadn’t I thought of it before?*

"Hey," Larry cut in sharply, "what filthy trick are you plotting now?"

After years as best friends, one glance at Alicia’s shifting expression told Larry exactly what she was scheming.

*His intuition’s too sharp.*

Alicia evaded, "Nothing! I was just... hehe."

Just as she frantically planned how to brush him off, a knock sounded at the door.

"Alicia, Larry, ready yet? I’ve finished packing."

Mika’s voice was a lifesaver after a long drought.

Alicia called back instantly, "All set! We’re leaving. Hurry up, Larry—stop dawdling!"

Larry: (annoyed)

*This woman definitely has something up her sleeve!*

...

Later, as planned, Larry disguised himself as Daisy to draw the Royal Army’s attention elsewhere.

Mika and Alicia waited. After he’d been gone a while, they promptly reported him.

Sure enough, the Royal Army sprang into action, searching Larry’s areas. He "accidentally" let them spot traces of his whereabouts.

Mika and Alicia smoothly collected the bounty—fifty thousand camos. To Alicia, who spent money like water, it wasn’t much. But free money always brought joy.

For the next month, they stayed at Sego Highlands, waiting patiently like hunters for prey.

News of their presence spread through the Adventurers Guild’s quest board.

To reduce uncertainty, Larry set the bounty for the black card absurdly low—just 100 camos.

The minimum required for posting a quest.

An amount even scammers wouldn’t bother with.

Alicia’s real black card was worth over a hundred times that.

This narrowed the pool drastically. Only Daisy would likely claim it.

"But why?!" Alicia cried in the Sego Highlands inn, biting her small hand in frustration. "After a whole month of waiting, still no news?!"

Mika guessed, "Daisy’s being hunted. She’d avoid the Adventurers Guild—it’s crowded and gossipy."

"I considered that," Alicia said. "I had someone spread the word. Everyone here should know about us suckers by now."

"Daisy can’t completely isolate herself," Alicia insisted. "She needs daily supplies. Sego Highlands is the only place to get them."

Mika fell silent.

As Alicia pondered her plan’s flaw, a knock interrupted.

"Excuse me—are Miss Alicia and Miss Mika here? I’m here to claim the quest bounty."

"Yes!"

After the long wait, Alicia rushed to open the door. A shabby-looking man stood there.

At the sight of her, his face lit with awe. He unconsciously licked his chapped lips, then lowered his head in shame.

"Here’s the black card you wanted. Can I have the quest token?"

*To claim the bounty at the Adventurers Guild, you need the client’s token.*

"After I verify it," Alicia said coolly. "If it’s genuine, of course."

His unpleasant smell made her frown. His timid demeanor didn’t fit Daisy’s circle.

*Even with such a low bounty, false claimants appear?*

Alicia had no hope. As expected, the "black card" was just wood painted black.

She almost shooed him away—then paused. *Could this man craft such detailed patterns and use expensive paint?*

"Have you done carpentry before?"

The man shook his head blankly. "No."

Alicia rubbed her fingers over the card. At the bottom edge, she paused. "Who gave you this?"

Flustered, he stammered, "I found it myself."

Alicia sneered. "Tell the truth, and you get the token. Otherwise..."

His face drooped. He whispered, "A cloaked man gave it. I couldn’t see his face. He said I’d get a hundred camos for handing it to you."

Alicia tossed him the token. "It’s genuine. Go claim your bounty."

The man had thought it was over—then this unexpected turn. Overjoyed, he grabbed the token and bolted, fearing she’d change her mind.

Alicia closed the door and sat down.

Mika asked eagerly, "News of Daisy?"

"Yes. And she’s calmer than I expected."

Alicia picked up the wooden card. She gently pinched it—it cracked open. A note fell out.

"After a whole month of waiting," she murmured, "we finally know their location."