"Oh, so this is the Inselkov Kingdom. Even though we're both maritime nations, the atmosphere is completely different from our Tamora! How fascinating!"
Candice got off the boat and looked around, holding her bag in one hand and shading her face with the other.
Unlike the Republic of Tamora, which is clearly known as a "land of wizards" due to the products of magical engineering visible as soon as you step off the port, this place is the typical image that comes to mind when you think of a "port."
Fish were hanging here and there to dry, and there were also many merchants haggling loudly over the prices of their goods.
It was a very busy and lively atmosphere, yet somehow there was a sense of leisure.
"Are you really going to be okay alone? Wouldn't it be better if I helped you, too?"
Natalia asked as she got off the boat, her hands full of her sister's luggage.
Even though Candice had told her several times that she would take care of it herself if she just dropped her off at Inselkov, he couldn't help but feel worried.
"Yes, just go home. You're already late because of me. How long will your daughter and parents wait? I'm not capable of taking on anyone. What are you worried about?"
"Who cares about whom?"
Candice got off the boat and looked around, holding her bag in one hand and shading her face with the other.
Unlike the Republic of Tamora, which is clearly known as a "land of wizards" due to the products of magical engineering visible as soon as you step off the port, this place is the typical image that comes to mind when you think of a "port."
Fish were hanging here and there to dry, and there were also many merchants haggling loudly over the prices of their goods.
It was a very busy and lively atmosphere, yet somehow there was a sense of leisure.
"Are you really going to be okay alone? Wouldn't it be better if I helped you, too?"
Natalia asked as she got off the boat, her hands full of her sister's luggage.
Even though Candice had told her several times that she would take care of it herself if she just dropped her off at Inselkov, he couldn't help but feel worried.
"Yes, just go home. You're already late because of me. How long will your daughter and parents wait? I'm not capable of taking on anyone. What are you worried about?"
"Who cares about whom?"
Candice shrugged, her voice absurd.
Ophelia was so exceptional that she lived her entire life as a second-rate wizard. Candice was also a wizard known as a genius. But now that Ophelia has lost her magic, no one can match her.
“...I’d worry about that, human. I’d worry about whether you’d eat on time, and whether you’d wander around haphazardly losing something.”
Natalia shook her head and answered.
She was a very unattractive older sister who was only good at magic and was very poor at everything else.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
"I don't believe that 'you can do it on your own' thing," Natalia asked with a shrug.
“But what is the range of that tracker?”
Although they said the range was narrow, she didn't hear exactly how much.
At her sister's question, Candice glanced at her sideways.
“Huh? That’s... a 1km radius.”
“What? It’s that narrow?”
Even though the Inselkov Kingdom was small compared to the Peles Empire, it was still a nation. How could it possibly be possible to find Aila within such a narrow detection radius?
It would have been faster to look for a needle in a haystack.
“...There’s nothing I can do. It’ll be a bit difficult, but this is the limit for now.”
Candice said with a sigh, her face dead.
Ophelia had placed such thorough security magic that it took months just to break through one layer and enable tracking.
Natalia shook her head slightly, as if the mere thought of searching for Aila within that narrow detection range was daunting.
“Where do you want to start looking?”
"Hmm... First, let's check out the underworld. See if there are any hideouts where illegal immigrants might be hiding."
Natalia nodded at Candice's answer. It was a plausible approach. If she were given the same mission, she would probably investigate that first.
“Then take care.”
It was, in fact, a meaningless remark. Nothing would happen to Candice's identity if she went off to investigate dangerous places.
Rather, it would be the people in the underworld who would be in danger.
“Are you going right away?”
“The sailors need a few days off, too... and while we’re here, we should see if there’s any good stuff. After all, we’re traders.”
“Yew, then get back to me. I’ll be in touch.”
After saying goodbye to her sister, Candice took a room at an inn near the port.
She was tired today, so she thought she'd just get over the hangover and get moving early tomorrow morning.
And the next afternoon.
“Are you here?”
“Yes, sis.”
Despite all the ups and downs—including the fact that several weapons had been reduced to ashes—Candice, who had taken control of the Inselkov Kingdom's top intelligence guild in an instant, was standing in front of a bar in a back alley.
"They say all the guys who recently smuggled themselves from the Peles Empire are gathered at this bar. I'm not sure if they're the ones you're looking for, though."
One of the guys who had been laughing and teasing Candice, who had barged into the Information Guild alone until morning, rubbed his palms together and said playfully, "Sister, sister."
She didn't particularly like being called "older sister" by a dark and vicious thug, but she was happy as long as she could find Aila.
Candice pulled the tracker out of her coat pocket, just in case. But it remained silent.
'Then that's right.'
It was so easy to find, it was unbelievable.
And actually, when she thinks of Byron's image, these dirty back alleys don't come to mind.
Although their relationship wasn't particularly deep, she had been acquainted with Byron for a long time, having accompanied him to the Weishaffen estate 15 years ago when Ophelia was dispatched there on a mission for the Academy.
Byron, the 1st Prince, a scoundrel who caused an accident in the capital and was exiled to his friend Roderick's estate.
To her, who remembered that arrogant appearance, Byron was the image of someone who would live a luxurious life without being able to let go of his vanity even when being chased.
‘...But I guess I should at least go in.’
Just because the detectors weren't responding, she couldn't just turn back. They said it was a den of criminals fleeing the Pele Empire, so anyone could possibly know Byron's whereabouts.
“Go in.”
“Yes, sis!”
That damn sister's voice again. Candice shook her head slightly and went into the bar.
The dark interior of the bar was just as shabby as it looked from the outside, and it smelled musty, a mixture of dust, cigarette smoke, and the sweat of the men, making it difficult to tell whether the ventilation was working properly or not.
Candice frowned slightly at the pungent smell and took a seat at a corner table. The information dealer who followed her sat down across from her and gestured to a man.
"That's him. Whether coming from the Peles Empire or leaving here, smuggling and unauthorized passage are impossible without going through him."
The man sat in the center of the store, chattering loudly. He seemed to have leased the place.
He was the epitome of a painted-on gangster, wearing a white sleeveless top, a thick gold necklace, and a huge skull tattoo on his exposed, muscular arms.
“Wow, that’s totally amazing! I’ve never seen a thug who looks like a thug before.”
As she shouted loudly, slapping the arm of the information dealer who had come with her, all the thugs around her turned their heads to look at Candice.
“Oh, that’s right. But, Sister, could you please lower your voice a bit...?”
The information officer, sweat dripping down his face, looked around. He could see at a glance that the atmosphere was becoming tense.
“Hey, why are you so concerned? We’re respectable guests, too.”
Candice elbowed the information officer on the side. A sharp pain, like a knife stabbing her.
Even though he had already witnessed her magical abilities with his own eyes, the power of her magic made him question their necessity. Why would anyone need magic? These sharp elbows were already weapons.
“...Hey, ma’am. Do you use the store alone? That’s going to get on my ears.”
And then a group of thugs came up to pick a fight, apparently annoyed by Candice's loud voice.
She didn't like the dismissive tone of voice and the way they called her "Ma'am," but it was also unpleasant to hear someone who had been talking so loudly as if they were the only ones in the store ask her to be quiet.
Does this mean that some people can talk and others can't?
Candice smiled mischievously and raised her eyebrows slightly.
"I don't have time to deal with you guys. Why don't you just keep drinking what you're drinking?"
“This lady, does she know where this is...!”
As Candice spoke, waving her hand as if swatting away a pesky fly, the thugs, unable to contain their anger, began to approach menacingly, their knuckles cracking.
But that was only for a moment. They stood frozen in place, as if frozen together. It wasn't by choice. Candice had clicked her finger and cast a spell on them.
It was a spell that controlled the air around them, binding their bodies. It was a spell that could be broken with just enough strength, but unfortunately, the neighborhood thugs weren't very strong.
“...What, what is this?”
"What have you done to my body, you witch! Can't you untie this right now?"
Even though nothing had been done to their bodies, they were so frightened that they screamed.
'You should have kept your mouth shut.'
Candice, her ears perked up at the noise, trudged toward her target. The thug who was said to be in control of smuggling and illegal immigration to the Peles Empire.
“I have something to ask.”
As Candice spoke, her teeth bared and her mouth wide open, the thug, who was holding a beer mug the size of her face, looked at her with a bewildered expression.
“Don’t bother me, and just go. This guy is too busy drinking beer.”
He turned his head and tilted his beer glass, ignoring the strange woman who suddenly spoke to him. But no cold beer entered his throat.
He looked at his beer glass in confusion, and it was frozen in the same shape he'd tilted it. Thinking he might be dreaming, he tipped the glass over and gave it a good tap, but the frozen beer didn't turn back into liquid.
“Shall we talk now?”
Candice smiled, blowing on her index finger, which was now steaming coldly.
Ophelia was so exceptional that she lived her entire life as a second-rate wizard. Candice was also a wizard known as a genius. But now that Ophelia has lost her magic, no one can match her.
“...I’d worry about that, human. I’d worry about whether you’d eat on time, and whether you’d wander around haphazardly losing something.”
Natalia shook her head and answered.
She was a very unattractive older sister who was only good at magic and was very poor at everything else.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
"I don't believe that 'you can do it on your own' thing," Natalia asked with a shrug.
“But what is the range of that tracker?”
Although they said the range was narrow, she didn't hear exactly how much.
At her sister's question, Candice glanced at her sideways.
“Huh? That’s... a 1km radius.”
“What? It’s that narrow?”
Even though the Inselkov Kingdom was small compared to the Peles Empire, it was still a nation. How could it possibly be possible to find Aila within such a narrow detection radius?
It would have been faster to look for a needle in a haystack.
“...There’s nothing I can do. It’ll be a bit difficult, but this is the limit for now.”
Candice said with a sigh, her face dead.
Ophelia had placed such thorough security magic that it took months just to break through one layer and enable tracking.
Natalia shook her head slightly, as if the mere thought of searching for Aila within that narrow detection range was daunting.
“Where do you want to start looking?”
"Hmm... First, let's check out the underworld. See if there are any hideouts where illegal immigrants might be hiding."
Natalia nodded at Candice's answer. It was a plausible approach. If she were given the same mission, she would probably investigate that first.
“Then take care.”
It was, in fact, a meaningless remark. Nothing would happen to Candice's identity if she went off to investigate dangerous places.
Rather, it would be the people in the underworld who would be in danger.
“Are you going right away?”
“The sailors need a few days off, too... and while we’re here, we should see if there’s any good stuff. After all, we’re traders.”
“Yew, then get back to me. I’ll be in touch.”
After saying goodbye to her sister, Candice took a room at an inn near the port.
She was tired today, so she thought she'd just get over the hangover and get moving early tomorrow morning.
And the next afternoon.
“Are you here?”
“Yes, sis.”
Despite all the ups and downs—including the fact that several weapons had been reduced to ashes—Candice, who had taken control of the Inselkov Kingdom's top intelligence guild in an instant, was standing in front of a bar in a back alley.
"They say all the guys who recently smuggled themselves from the Peles Empire are gathered at this bar. I'm not sure if they're the ones you're looking for, though."
One of the guys who had been laughing and teasing Candice, who had barged into the Information Guild alone until morning, rubbed his palms together and said playfully, "Sister, sister."
She didn't particularly like being called "older sister" by a dark and vicious thug, but she was happy as long as she could find Aila.
Candice pulled the tracker out of her coat pocket, just in case. But it remained silent.
'Then that's right.'
It was so easy to find, it was unbelievable.
And actually, when she thinks of Byron's image, these dirty back alleys don't come to mind.
Although their relationship wasn't particularly deep, she had been acquainted with Byron for a long time, having accompanied him to the Weishaffen estate 15 years ago when Ophelia was dispatched there on a mission for the Academy.
Byron, the 1st Prince, a scoundrel who caused an accident in the capital and was exiled to his friend Roderick's estate.
To her, who remembered that arrogant appearance, Byron was the image of someone who would live a luxurious life without being able to let go of his vanity even when being chased.
‘...But I guess I should at least go in.’
Just because the detectors weren't responding, she couldn't just turn back. They said it was a den of criminals fleeing the Pele Empire, so anyone could possibly know Byron's whereabouts.
“Go in.”
“Yes, sis!”
That damn sister's voice again. Candice shook her head slightly and went into the bar.
The dark interior of the bar was just as shabby as it looked from the outside, and it smelled musty, a mixture of dust, cigarette smoke, and the sweat of the men, making it difficult to tell whether the ventilation was working properly or not.
Candice frowned slightly at the pungent smell and took a seat at a corner table. The information dealer who followed her sat down across from her and gestured to a man.
"That's him. Whether coming from the Peles Empire or leaving here, smuggling and unauthorized passage are impossible without going through him."
The man sat in the center of the store, chattering loudly. He seemed to have leased the place.
He was the epitome of a painted-on gangster, wearing a white sleeveless top, a thick gold necklace, and a huge skull tattoo on his exposed, muscular arms.
“Wow, that’s totally amazing! I’ve never seen a thug who looks like a thug before.”
As she shouted loudly, slapping the arm of the information dealer who had come with her, all the thugs around her turned their heads to look at Candice.
“Oh, that’s right. But, Sister, could you please lower your voice a bit...?”
The information officer, sweat dripping down his face, looked around. He could see at a glance that the atmosphere was becoming tense.
“Hey, why are you so concerned? We’re respectable guests, too.”
Candice elbowed the information officer on the side. A sharp pain, like a knife stabbing her.
Even though he had already witnessed her magical abilities with his own eyes, the power of her magic made him question their necessity. Why would anyone need magic? These sharp elbows were already weapons.
“...Hey, ma’am. Do you use the store alone? That’s going to get on my ears.”
And then a group of thugs came up to pick a fight, apparently annoyed by Candice's loud voice.
She didn't like the dismissive tone of voice and the way they called her "Ma'am," but it was also unpleasant to hear someone who had been talking so loudly as if they were the only ones in the store ask her to be quiet.
Does this mean that some people can talk and others can't?
Candice smiled mischievously and raised her eyebrows slightly.
"I don't have time to deal with you guys. Why don't you just keep drinking what you're drinking?"
“This lady, does she know where this is...!”
As Candice spoke, waving her hand as if swatting away a pesky fly, the thugs, unable to contain their anger, began to approach menacingly, their knuckles cracking.
But that was only for a moment. They stood frozen in place, as if frozen together. It wasn't by choice. Candice had clicked her finger and cast a spell on them.
It was a spell that controlled the air around them, binding their bodies. It was a spell that could be broken with just enough strength, but unfortunately, the neighborhood thugs weren't very strong.
“...What, what is this?”
"What have you done to my body, you witch! Can't you untie this right now?"
Even though nothing had been done to their bodies, they were so frightened that they screamed.
'You should have kept your mouth shut.'
Candice, her ears perked up at the noise, trudged toward her target. The thug who was said to be in control of smuggling and illegal immigration to the Peles Empire.
“I have something to ask.”
As Candice spoke, her teeth bared and her mouth wide open, the thug, who was holding a beer mug the size of her face, looked at her with a bewildered expression.
“Don’t bother me, and just go. This guy is too busy drinking beer.”
He turned his head and tilted his beer glass, ignoring the strange woman who suddenly spoke to him. But no cold beer entered his throat.
He looked at his beer glass in confusion, and it was frozen in the same shape he'd tilted it. Thinking he might be dreaming, he tipped the glass over and gave it a good tap, but the frozen beer didn't turn back into liquid.
“Shall we talk now?”
Candice smiled, blowing on her index finger, which was now steaming coldly.
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