Chapter 41: An Uninvited Encounter

The weather today was far from ideal, yet this gloom only served to aid Eileen’s movements as she ventured through the night.

Liana had already provided Eileen with the precise location of Izawa’s residence. “Once you arrive,” she had said, “you’ll instinctively know which room it is.”

However, what Eileen hadn’t anticipated was that the moment she leaped from the window, she looked up to see a golden figure.

She couldn’t tell if it was mere coincidence or if the individual had been waiting there for a long time.

It was Falute, the S-rank Dragon Slayer.

Eileen, however, simply ignored her, pretending not to notice as she walked past.

“Oh dear, ignoring people isn’t a very nice thing to do, you know.” Falute called out to Eileen, stopping her.

“What is it?” Eileen turned to the other woman, wondering what she could possibly be doing out in the middle of the night instead of sleeping.

“I should be asking you, what is it?” Falute took two steps forward. “A mere C-rank Dragon Slayer venturing out in the dead of night isn’t exactly safe, you know. Especially with such a beautiful face.”

‘No, don’t tell me she’s also…’

“It was a bit stuffy in the room, so I decided to go for a walk,” Eileen replied, using the Necromancer as a subtle warning. “Besides, my master is a Necromancer; even if something unexpected happens, she can still retrieve me.”

The title of Necromancer carried far more weight than that of an ordinary adventurer.

Yet, Falute was an S-rank Dragon Slayer, after all. While a Necromancer from an A-rank team might pose some threat, one from a C-rank team was hardly worth considering.

“She’s your master, correct?” Falute inquired.

“What about it?” Eileen felt a sense of foreboding.

“Then, if I were to kill her, would I be able to become your master?” Falute asked.

“?!” Eileen stared intently at the other woman. “You’re joking, right?”

“Perhaps?” The woman merely offered a faint smile. “In this place, it’s quite normal for a few Dragon Slayers to die. Not to mention a Necromancer, who everyone despises—the news probably wouldn’t even spread.”

The woman’s expression and tone seemed serious; she was a lunatic.

“Aren’t Dragon Slayers supposed to be comrades?” Eileen asked.

“Pfft! Hahahaha!” Falute suddenly burst into laughter. “Who would consider you a comrade? One-sided wishful thinking can hardly be called camaraderie.”

“How can you completely trust someone you’ve only just met? Just because they’re a Dragon Slayer? Oh… you’re too adorable, too naive. There’s a beauty about you that hasn’t been tainted by this world, and I’m truly becoming more and more interested in you.” Falute licked her lips.

“Come, stay by my side, and abandon your so-called master. Everything she can give you, I can give you too,” Falute declared.

‘?’ Eileen found the words eerily familiar.

Hadn’t Peroy said those very same words to her every day?

‘…’ ‘Could she be Peroy?’

However, Eileen quickly dismissed the thought. Peroy wasn’t this bored, nor did she have any interest in impersonating others.

She much preferred to poach directly or simply snatch things outright.

“I don’t need it. The Necromancer is very good to me; I would never betray her.”

“What a truly touching master-servant relationship.” Falute’s tone was light, making it difficult to discern her true intentions. “I’m a little jealous, you know.”

Her presence alone exerted immense pressure on Eileen, though this pressure didn’t stem from her S-rank strength, but rather from Setia’s vulnerability.

Even though Setia was currently in the tavern, there was no guarantee that this madwoman wouldn’t target her in the room.

“This is our first time meeting, isn’t it? What exactly do you want?”

‘Wait… first time meeting?’

Eileen suddenly recalled something Liana had mentioned today: someone had left Izawa’s adventure party, but he quickly found a replacement. This meant the unfamiliar girl before her was likely the fifth member Eileen didn’t know.

This explained everything. Why would someone who usually kept their distance from a Necromancer approach her? It was precisely because they were the ’emperors’ of this place, unwilling to see any accidents occur, especially such uncontrollable factors.

“I don’t want much; you just need to accompany me for one night,” Falute stated.

‘?’

‘This person is definitely a perverted lesbian.’

“Accompany you for one night?”

“To be precise, accompany me to a certain place,” Falute clarified.

“What place?”

“The Emperor’s residence.”

At this, Eileen was even more certain that the woman was allied with Izawa.

“I’m afraid I might not have time tonight.” Eileen had no intention of confronting them head-on.

While Eileen was confident she could defeat all of them, she wasn’t entirely sure she could break through their group of five without causing any commotion.

“That’s truly a shame, then I’ll have no choice but to…”

“However, if you go there and wait for me, perhaps I’ll have time to come by later?” Eileen suggested.

“Oh? ‘Later,’ how much later?” Falute smiled at Eileen.

“Perhaps… three hours from now?” Eileen calculated the time. Three hours should be when her current task concluded.

Eileen certainly wasn’t bored enough to give away the exact timing to her opponent.

“Three hours from now?” Falute looked up, and the moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating her golden hair. “It seems I can still catch a short nap. Don’t make me wait too long, little-maid.”

Eileen froze. Those last two words sounded as if they had been carved directly from Faltis’s mouth.

However, the other woman had already departed after speaking.

‘No, no. Faltis should have already left the Golden Dragon Territory and wouldn’t be back anytime soon.’

‘And this person is clearly a member of Izawa’s team.’

Eileen shook her head, casting off the extraneous thoughts. Now, she didn’t have much time left. Aside from dealing with them, Eileen still needed to uncover some information.

She walked towards the location Liana had indicated.

Gradually, the pedestrians and houses disappeared. Clearly, this was Izawa’s doing; he wouldn’t allow these villagers to breathe the same air as him.

So, this was what Liana had meant. If there were no other houses nearby, the remaining one had to be Izawa’s residence.

But soon, Eileen realized she was mistaken.

“The Golden Dragon Temple…?”