*************
The Marquis frowned at Scarlette's statement.
The mention of a companion—someone who might be familiar to him—gnawed at the edges of his mind. Scarlette did not bring people along lightly. In fact, she rarely tolerated anyone close enough to share space, let alone accept them into her missions. If she was already warning him that he might recognize this person, then it meant one of two things.
For one, she had encountered this individual before.
Or the circumstances surrounding them were not ordinary.
Asterion straightened, shaking off the growing sense of unease. Whatever this "Ryan Wayne" was, jumping to conclusions would serve no one right now.
"For now," he said calmly, "since it's you handling this, I trust you can manage the situation." His tone softened slightly as he added, "But if things get out of hand, let me know. I'll step in before it becomes something worse."
Scarlette turned her head slightly toward him, the faintest acknowledgment. "I know," she replied. "That's why I'm telling you now."
She paused, then added quietly, "He shouldn't be here. He belongs at his master's side—not wandering around with fake names and half-baked excuses."
That comment made Asterion furrow his brow.
"That implies you know him well," he said. "More than just a stranger from the guild."
For a brief moment, Scarlette didn't answer.
Silence settled between them—not heavy, but thoughtful. Asterion didn't press. He was just about to change the subject when she finally spoke.
"Let's just say…" she said slowly, "…we have history. But that no longer matters."
Her voice carried finality.
Asterion studied her expression beneath the veil. He could sense the boundary clearly now—this was a line she wasn't willing to cross. If there was one thing he respected, it was boundaries forged through experience.
"I won't pry," he said after a moment. "If it's personal, I'll leave it be. Just know that if you need assistance, I'm here."
Scarlette felt a small weight lift from her chest at that. She did not enjoy explanations. Having him accept her words without further scrutiny saved both of them time and energy.
Whatever conclusions Varyn might reach about Ryan Wayne later was his own business. For now, it wasn't the priority.
Because the mission itself was already spiraling into something far more complicated.
Scarlette looked ahead as she mentally pieced together the information they now shared.
A flood a month ago.
A supposed mass grave from the war.
A village that doesn't exist in imperial records.
An absurd reward attached to a trivial‑rank mission.
This mission was never what it pretended to be.
"We need more information," Scarlette said, breaking the silence. "We'll go to the Adventurers Guild here tomorrow morning. No unnecessary disclosure. Especially not about what you told me."
Asterion nodded without hesitation. Keeping things discreet was the only sensible choice.
"I agree," he said. "If this is some sort of trap—or observation—it's better not to alert whoever set it."
Then, without thinking, Scarlette added, "It would be less suspicious if we worked together."
The words slipped out so casually that Asterion didn't immediately register them.
Then—
"What?"
He nearly tripped over his own feet.
Scarlette sighed deeply the moment she noticed his reaction.
"Are you deaf?" she asked dryly. "I said we should team up. Undercover. Less attention."
Asterion stared at her as though reality itself had glitched.
"Wait—you're asking me to join you?" he said slowly, pointing at himself in disbelief. "As in… work together? That's—Scarlette, do you realize what you just said?"
Am I dreaming? he screamed internally. Is this real?
Scarlette pinched the bridge of her nose.
"It can't be helped," she said. "This mission caught my attention on a whim. The rewards were suspicious, the contents were strange, and frankly—I need access to information you have."
She rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, I picked it up because it felt wrong. I didn't expect it to spiral this quickly."
That last statement snapped Asterion out of his disbelief.
"Wait," he said. "What do you mean?"
She reached into her coat and pulled out a folded leaflet—the mission posting itself—and handed it to him without ceremony.
"Read it," she said. "Carefully."
Asterion took it, unfolding the parchment.
The moment his eyes scanned the reward section, his brows shot up.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Scarlette crossed her arms, her expression saying exactly.
"This is a D‑Rank mission," Asterion continued in disbelief, voice rising. "With a reward of ten million Diam coins?"
He looked up at her sharply. "This has to be a mistake."
Scarlette didn't answer.
Asterion clicked his tongue and did the calculations in his head anyway.
Ten million Diam.
One Diam equaled a hundred gold.
That meant—
"Equivalent to one billion gold coins," he muttered grimly.
That number was obscene.
No ordinary noble household possessed that level of wealth.
Even the Silveria Empire—vast as it was—did not casually set aside sums like that. Merchant alliances, trade empires, even currency hubs rivaling Silveria would strain under such a burden.
And yet someone offered it casually, tied to a mission barely worthy of attention.
"This is insane," Asterion snapped. "Diam coins are used almost exclusively by high‑ranking nobles. No village—real or fake—could afford this. And if they could, they wouldn't advertise it through the guild."
"That's why I took the request immediately," Scarlette replied calmly. "Not for the money. For the intent behind it."
She fixed him with a sharp gaze.
"Someone wanted this mission taken. And they wanted someone capable to take it."
Asterion exhaled slowly.
"I have an idea who might be behind this," he admitted. "And I don't like it."
Scarlette didn't respond verbally—but her silence was confirmation enough.
The Marquis folded the leaflet and handed it back to her.
"Alright," he said. "I'm in."
Her gaze flicked toward him.
"I'll help you investigate this properly. And since you mentioned you're looking for a place to stay…"
"I've rented a house here in Mirken City," he continued. "You and your companion can stay there. It's safer—and more discreet."
Scarlette considered it for a moment.
Then nodded.
"That works."
Asterion's shoulders relaxed slightly at that.
"By the way," he said, glancing around, "where is that companion of yours?"
"I left him at the rear entrance near the city gate," Scarlette replied. "I paid for a wagon. He was injured during a… 'practice match' on the way here."
Asterion raised an eyebrow.
"Practice match," he repeated flatly. "Right."
He smirked.
"Sounds more like you beat him into pulp as a warning."
Scarlette looked away.
He sighed dramatically.
So unfair. That man got a 'lesson' from Scarlette and I didn't.
"Can you remove the barrier now, Varyn?" she asked.
Asterion blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Oh—right."
He withdrew the medallion-like artifact and pressed it once more. The emerald glow faded, and the ambient sounds of the city flooded back in.
Almost immediately, Scarlette's ears twitched.
She froze.
"…What?" Asterion asked quietly.
Voices carried through the air.
"Hey! Someone's fighting over there!"
"Near the rear entrance by the city gate!"
"Guards are trying to intervene!"
"I heard a bulky man attacked another adventurer with a hammer!"
"The wagon got destroyed!"
Scarlette inhaled sharply.
Seriously? In broad daylight?
Her gaze snapped toward the direction of the city gate.
If that's true… Ryan is already in trouble.
Without a word, she took off at full speed.
"Wait—Scarlette!" Asterion exclaimed, sprinting after her.
She's fast—damn it! he thought, pushing himself harder.
Even as a Swordmaster and Commander, he found himself lagging behind. The gap between them became apparent within moments.
So unfair…
He clenched his jaw and forced himself to keep pace.
By the time he reached the commotion, a crowd had already formed.
His eyes scanned desperately.
Swords. Shattered wood. Guards pushing civilians back.
But no sign of her.
His eyes roamed around the area to looked for a certain crimson-haired woman, but he couldn't find her within these crowded people around him.
*********