The Black Stone City Lord’s Commission

On a street corner in Blackstone City, the two parties faced off.

The young women’s faces were grave, while the middle-aged man’s expression was calm, as if the outcome wouldn’t affect him at all.

“Why do you think we would pass through Tukulu on our way to the eastern border? The eastern border is vast; we could very well be going to other places.”

Here, Isa did not speak. Letting the more experienced Philly act as their representative was a good choice, as it could prevent the other party from extracting more information.

“We have no interest in your destination. We only hope that after you accept the payment, you can make a trip to Tukulu. That is all.”

The middle-aged man’s reply was flawless. On the surface, neither Philly nor Isa could find any fault in his words.

“What we need is sincerity. Even without a carriage, we have ways to get to the eastern border. Your payment is not that important in our eyes.”

More than the carriage, what Isa and Philly were concerned about was how the other party knew of the name Tukulu, as if he had been specifically waiting for them.

In fact, judging from the current situation, they were the ones who held the upper hand.

Since the other party wanted them to escort someone to Tukulu, it meant that the person could not move freely or leave this place at will.

Not many people were heading to the eastern border at this time, and even fewer were going to Tukulu.

It was very likely that the other party had taken the risk of approaching them because they were the only group heading to the eastern border recently.

“Alright. The moment you inquired at the rental agency about going to the eastern border, you came under our attention. The Church has ordered that anyone who wishes to travel privately to the eastern border must be reported.”

When the middle-aged man said this, the atmosphere between them did not change, but both sides knew very well that from now on, this mission was no longer just a game between the two of them.

“Is there anything else you need to remind us of?”

“Nothing.”

Philly’s voice was devoid of emotion. She accepted the money bag handed over by the man, confirmed the amount inside, and put it into her carry-on bag. Isa stood beside her without a word.

“Remember, you must deliver the person to Tukulu within the specified time. If you fail, that payment will…”

Before the man could finish his words, Isa let out a cold laugh. “That’s not something we need to worry about.”

With that, Philly said no more and turned to leave. Isa followed behind her, walking back the way they came. The man watched their backs disappear around the street corner. One of his companions asked, “Do you think they can complete the mission?”

“That will depend on them.”

“How boring. Why go to all this trouble? Couldn’t we just send the person directly?”

The man glanced at his companion and did not answer, but his inner thought was:

“No, this is what makes it interesting.”

…tightened.

This time, it wasn’t just Philly’s witch ability; even Isa’s hand reached for her ring, ready to throw out a few magic potions at any moment.

Hearing this news, Isa couldn’t help but ask, “Are you saying that our every move in Blackstone City has already attracted the attention of the Church? Are you with the Church?”

The middle-aged man shook his head. “I am not with the Church. At this point, there is no meaning in concealing it further. I am Sant, the butler of the Lord of Blackstone City. This request comes from the Lord himself. Please, come with me. We will clear up all your doubts.”

With that, Sant turned and walked straight down the road ahead.

“Well? Shall we go?”

Philly looked to Isa, seeking her opinion.

Isa was special in Lady Su Ran’s heart, so many decisions needed Isa’s approval.

“Let’s go and see. If it’s really as he says, that we’ve already attracted attention, then we can’t hide anywhere.”

Unafraid, Isa accepted Sant’s invitation and followed him.

Seeing Isa step forward, Philly also followed.

In a short while, after following Sant through the winding alleys of Blackstone City, their group arrived at what appeared to be an ordinary small house.

He pushed open the door and walked inside. Isa and the others discovered that there was an open secret passage inside the house, leading to an unknown location.

Sant took the lead, walking at the very front.

Upon exiting the passage and re-entering the light, Isa and the others found themselves inside a castle.

“This is the Lord’s castle. Please forgive me for not being able to lead you through the main entrance,” Sant apologized to the two.

“Alright, Sant. I’ll take it from here.”

…appeared, and Sant took a half-step back to give him space.

Hayden confirmed again in front of Isa and Philly, “My name is Hayden. I am the Lord of Blackstone City. Before I explain the situation, you still have a chance to leave.”

“Are you saying that after listening to your story, if we don’t agree to your request, you won’t let us leave?”

Isa and Philly’s expressions changed. According to Hayden’s words, their best choice now was to turn around and leave, to avoid getting involved in this messy situation.

“No. If you don’t agree, we will still let you leave, as long as you swear an oath to a god.”

Before Isa and the others could breathe a sigh of relief, Hayden’s next words forced them to brace themselves.

“Swear to the Primordial Witch.”

“Are you threatening us?”

Hayden’s words meant that the other party already knew their identities.

‘This is a difficult partner to work with. To still approach us after guessing our identities… it seems this Lord Hayden’s request will not be so easy to complete.’

“No, this is just a transaction. I provide you with a carriage and a travel pass to the eastern border, and you help me escort someone to Tukulu. If you are unwilling, you may leave after swearing an oath to the Primordial Witch. We will not stop you.”

Hayden shook his head, correcting Philly’s statement.

“But in our eyes, your part of the transaction is not so valuable. It is not enough to be considered an equal trade.”

Despite their identities as witches being exposed, they were not worried. Their greatest confidence was Her Highness Su Ran. So, they tried to stay, to see if there was any room for the other party to increase the reward.

“I can add a piece of intelligence about Tukulu. It’s about the Witch of the Book in the Witch’s Society. I believe you will be interested in this information.”

“Tell us the content of the request.”

With Lecy involved, Philly spoke directly, asking the other party to state the content of the request. Afterward, she cast an apologetic glance at Isa.

Regarding Philly’s preemptive decision, Isa shook her head, indicating that it didn’t matter.

They were going to Tukulu anyway; taking on one more request didn’t matter.

“I wish for you to escort my daughter, Canlisa, to Tukulu. She is a witch. If she continues to stay in Blackstone City, she will only face death.”

Hayden slowly informed Isa and Philly of Canlisa’s identity as a witch, as well as the cause and course of the events.

Canlisa’s witch talent had also awakened suddenly. Faced with a daughter who had become a witch, Hayden had gone through a painful struggle, wondering if his own faith in the gods was not pious enough to have caused such a thing to happen.

But after a series of self-doubts, he finally understood that as long as Canlisa could live, it didn’t matter whether she was a witch or not.

“I apologize. Canlisa’s life is at stake; I cannot afford any accidents.”

Perhaps because he had told them everything, he seemed to feel much better.

As a city lord in the Theocracy, to actually protect his own daughter who had become a witch… after hearing the story, a hint of envy appeared in Isa’s eyes.

But as the saying goes, you win some, you lose some. If the villagers had not been controlled by the Shadow Witch back then and had protected her like Lord Hayden, then she would not have had the chance to meet Her Highness Su Ran.