Chapter 30: The Silent Carriage

Eve had clearly put a lot of thought into styling Xiluo’er’s hair. She had divided Xiluo’er’s long black hair into two strands, braiding them into pigtails, with a small section near the ends left loose and secured with tiny red bows.

At a glance, the style exuded a playful and adorable charm.

Disregarding whether it would mess up her own hairstyle, Xiluo’er pulled her hood over her head, interrupting Irene’s laughter with a huff.

“Let’s go, time for business.”

“Cough, cough. Alright, let’s get going.”

Irene cleared her throat, barely suppressing her amusement, and led the way forward.

“Where’s the destination?”

Hearing Xiluo’er’s question, Irene casually pulled out a map and slipped it into Xiluo’er’s hand.

A red-marked spot on the map clearly indicated their destination for this trip.

After a quick glance, Xiluo’er tucked the map into her pocket, casually remarking, “The architecture of Kana City really is quite complex.”

“Well, that can’t be helped, can it?”

Irene, leading the way, quickly picked up the conversation. Although their purpose was an investigation, her tone was as light as if they were simply chatting while strolling.

“Kana City is located on the border and was once the last stronghold of the rebel army during the civil war. You know this, right, Cat Tail?”

“I know. Lord Serol was the one who slew the rebel leader here, wasn’t she?”

Xiluo’er nodded, recalling the conversations she’d had with Eve.

“Exactly! That’s why, right after the civil war ended, this city was in ruins. After Serol took over as Lord, Kana City was rebuilt piece by piece from the ashes of war, and then expanded little by little. That’s why the city’s architecture seems so chaotic.”

“Speaking of which, there’s also a rumor that Serol suffered a severe injury during the final battle in Kana City—one that was hard to fully recover from—but she still pulled through…”

Irene continued to chatter, all while stealthily moving through the shadows.

While Irene’s ability to gather information was indeed strong, Xiluo’er found her casual gossip less interesting.

At this moment, Xiluo’er was mentally comparing the routes on the map. The destination Irene had marked shared a section of road with the Kana City Guard’s patrol route.

She hadn’t been idle during her time in the city; she had gathered some intelligence.

“Wait.”

Just as they were about to exit the narrow alley, Xiluo’er suddenly reached out, pulling Irene back into the shadows.

Then, she cautiously poked her head out, silently observing.

As expected, under the dark cover of night, a隊 of people dressed in knight uniforms marched with synchronized steps down the street.

This was the patrolling City Guard.

Irene and Xiluo’er quietly hid in the alley’s shadows, waiting for the City Guard to pass.

However, as Xiluo’er watched the group, she noticed that the person leading the隊 was Rona.

‘Was it her turn for night patrol today?’

But just then, Rona, who was leading the隊, suddenly turned her head and looked towards the alley where they were hidden. Xiluo’er quickly retracted her gaze, retreating deeper into the shadows.

‘Had she sensed her observation? Rona’s intuition really is sharp…’

****

After the City Guard had left, it didn’t take long for the two of them to reach their destination.

This was a crossroads where two streets intersected, not far from the Lord’s Manor. Through the dark night, Xiluo’er could vaguely discern the blurred outline of the manor in the distance.

‘Would Red really choose this place to abduct someone? Logically, shouldn’t he pick a more secluded spot?’

“Don’t worry, I’m quite confident in my ability to extract information; there won’t be any problems.”

“Hurry up, or the City Guard will be patrolling through here again soon.”

Xiluo’er quickly calculated the time in her mind. Regardless, they needed to move faster.

“I know, I know~”

Irene waved her hand and began her preparations.

Xiluo’er, meanwhile, stood by with her arms crossed, observing. She was curious to see how Irene, as an assassin, would solve the problem of tracing magic.

Then, she watched as Irene pulled out something that resembled a parchment scroll from her robes.

Xiluo’er suddenly understood. If it was a magic scroll inscribed with tracing magic, it made perfect sense. After all, using a magic scroll didn’t demand much from the user.

However… magic scrolls inscribed with high-tier spells were not cheap. ‘Could Irene really be willing to use such a precious item to help her?’

“It’s about to begin, Cat Tail. Watch closely.”

Irene’s serious voice sounded at just the right moment, interrupting Xiluo’er’s thoughts.

Xiluo’er frowned, looking towards the end of the road.

Elemental energy spread as the parchment scroll unfurled. Xiluo’er keenly sensed a change in the air. Everything before her eyes became blurry, like double-layered illusions seen by a nearsighted person.

‘Is it coming?’

Then, something was captured at the edge of her vision.

Xiluo’er focused her gaze, seeing a carriage silently approaching them, concealed by the night.

The driver was a person wearing a black hood, their face hidden. Only from their build could she tell it was a man.

Xiluo’er quickly noticed something amiss. Tracing magic should perfectly restore the visuals and sounds of past scenes, yet this approaching carriage made not a single sound.

‘Could there be a problem with the inscribed magic?’

However, the overlapping whoosh of two winds in her ears soon dispelled Xiluo’er’s doubts.

Xiluo’er quickly realized that it wasn’t the tracing magic that was flawed; it was the carriage itself that was silent—it had been enchanted with a silencing spell!

In the dead of night, a carriage appearing from nowhere, enchanted with silencing magic… this seemed problematic no matter how she looked at it.

‘Could it be true, as Irene said, that Red had kidnapped the missing people and taken them away in this carriage?’

Xiluo’er stared intently at the man driving the carriage, comparing his build to Red, whom she had met once.

The carriage, moving at a steady pace, headed directly towards Xiluo’er, yet she showed no intention of dodging.

As the carriage’s phantom passed through Xiluo’er’s body, she frowned, staring in the direction it departed.

‘But, if that were truly the case…’

‘Why would the carriage be heading towards the Lord’s Manor?’

‘If they were smuggling people, shouldn’t they be going out of the city?’

‘If it continued in its current direction…’

Xiluo’er stared at the carriage’s disappearing path, a shiver running down her spine.

If this carriage continued along this road, its destination could only be one place: the Lord’s Manor!