A New Mission and Lingering Shadows

Mrs. Lailila pondered for a moment, then chuckled: “Indeed. What a pity she was on the verge of success, only for her beautiful dream to be shattered by a single word from The Guardian, Sheila. And now, she’s burdened with the infamous title of ‘witch’.”

‘…Hmm.’

Iordera suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Hecate.

But then, a question occurred to her: “Since Hecate, the witch, has already escaped, what would she most desire to do?”

Mrs. Lailila considered this, then replied, “Setting aside the grievances between her and The Guardian, what Hecate would most desire is surely to reclaim her former position of power.”

Iordera nodded her small head; she had thought the same.

‘So that’s the problem. Hecate, why don’t you hurry up and figure something out? Reclaim what’s yours! What’s the point of lingering in Saroyan, wasting time with a mere security guard?’

Iordera yawned, preparing to leave work for home, and bid Mrs. Lailila farewell.

Mrs. Lailila remained cheerful, her demeanor unfailingly amiable. It was only when Iordera’s small figure descended the stairs and left the library that the smile finally faded from her face, replaced by a neutral expression.

She glanced in the direction Iordera had departed, then lifted her gaze to the very top floor of the library.

‘Power,’ she mused, ‘the most captivating thing in this world, something no one can resist. It was true for Hecate, and it is true for me as well.’

‘Though I never reached the heights of The Guardian, I once sat as the Chief of the Imperial Cabinet, second only to one, above tens of thousands.’

‘Mrs. Lailila had occupied that position for so long; how could she ever willingly relinquish it?’

****

Coincidentally, in a room on the rooftop, Hecate also cast a soft glance downstairs.

More than half a year ago, she had been a board member of the academy and naturally resided in Saroyan. She knew exactly what had transpired here in the past, and what was currently unfolding.

Returning after more than half a year, the city truly hadn’t changed a bit.

The only change was the unusual being Hecate had brought back with her.

“Hmph~”

Hecate rose, stretching her graceful form in the lingering glow of the setting sun.

‘What will happen next? I truly look forward to it.’

****

Upon returning home, Iordera informed her two maids during dinner that she planned to go out and search for work that evening, and they needn’t wait up for her return.

Her spirits were mostly settled; it was time to earn some money.

“You can do it, young miss,” Nina said earnestly. “It’s alright if it doesn’t work out this time; just get it done next time.”

Yuna, even more earnestly, added, “The method is sound. Just complete the next task. And if you can’t, it’s fine; I’ll embellish it for you in my memoirs.”

Iordera gritted her teeth. “You truly are thoughtful. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s our duty. After all, you are our young miss.”

“Yes, exactly.”

‘To be the young miss of you two truly brings blessings for eight generations.’

As night fell, Iordera returned to the market tavern, already moving with a familiar ease.

Cat Head greeted her politely as before. “Looking for work? Come, take a look.”

Before accepting a task, the specific details couldn’t be revealed, but the type of work could be disclosed. Cat Head laid out a row of cards for her to choose from.

‘Revenge on someone with a grudge, beating them half to death—that’s definitely out.’

‘Seizing territory, gang warfare, hiring a thug—those are also impossible.’

‘Escorting smuggled contraband… All these tasks were clearly beyond her capabilities at a glance, either too perilous or utterly depraved.’

Only the last one seemed somewhat reliable: it required a private investigator to infiltrate someone’s home and uncover what secret activities they were involved in.

“A reconnaissance mission, then. Indeed, it’s the only one that appears somewhat legitimate,” Cat Head remarked with a chuckle, casting a glance at the card. “Coincidentally, the Lady with the Hat was here last night. She saw this commission too and suggested we save it for you.”

“The Lady with the Hat?” Iordera paused, surprised. “The one who was with me the first time?”

“That’s right.”

‘It truly was Hecate.’

However, this revelation left Iordera feeling somewhat indignant. “Am I truly the kind of person who enjoys sneaking into other people’s homes?”

“According to the Lady with the Hat, you are, indeed,” Cat Head replied with a smile. “She mentioned you often engaged in such activities before.”

‘Nonsense! I’ve never… Well, perhaps in Juneburg, for the greater good, I did have to break in a few times.’

‘The bard’s home, the former Alchemist Guild Master’s residence, the lord’s manor.’

‘That does seem a bit excessive.’

The more Iordera dwelled on it, the more uneasy she felt, so she quickly changed the subject. “Regardless, this whole affair feels rather underhanded, not like a proper mission. What if I end up harming an innocent person?”

“Once you’ve investigated thoroughly, you can make your own judgment,” Cat Head replied. “If you discover they haven’t done anything wrong, you may choose not to report it. The mission will be considered a failure, but there will be no penalty. There’s no time limit, so you have ample time.”

Iordera considered this and conceded, “Alright, I’ll take this mission then.”

Cat Head retrieved another card, glanced at it, and then verbally relayed the details to her: “The mission location is on the west street corner, where there’s a tailor shop called Sharp’s Workshop. The old woman who runs it, Grandma Sharp, frequently buys many things outside, including fresh food, and does so through various channels, almost as if she’s deliberately avoiding attention.”

“The client stumbled upon this fact and grew curious… *Ahem*, well, let’s say they suspect her of engaging in some peculiar activities, and they need you to infiltrate the shop and investigate.”

‘Sharp’s Workshop?’

‘Isn’t that precisely where she intended to order her maid uniform?’

‘Grandma Sharp’s fierce and unapproachable demeanor was still vivid in her memory. If she were discovered during infiltration, the consequences would likely be dire, perhaps even unimaginable.’

‘But since she had already accepted, she would simply have to brave it.’

Iordera nodded in agreement, and just as she was about to leave, something suddenly occurred to her. “Cat Head, were those words you just spoke taught to you by the Lady with the Hat?”

“The part about whether it’s legitimate, and being able to judge for myself after investigating.”

“Yes, the Lady with the Hat said you would certainly find reason in those words,” Cat Head chuckled, his grin as wide as a plump orange. “Little beauty, your relationship with the Lady with the Hat is quite extraordinary, isn’t it?”

Iordera cleared her throat, not daring to respond.

‘Good heavens, was it that obvious? Even a stranger could tell.’

‘Yet, they weren’t even close yet.’

Leaving the tavern, Iordera paused for a moment in thought before heading in the direction of Sharp’s Workshop.

The workshop was situated in the west corner of the East District, a fair distance from the centrally located mission market. It wasn’t far enough to warrant a carriage, but it would still take some time to walk.

West Street was a more marginal area, filled with people stumbling out of taverns, thoroughly inebriated. Iordera pinched her small nose, avoiding the stench of alcohol, and carefully made her way to a shadowed spot directly opposite the workshop.

Grandma Sharp was still seated behind the counter, her figure almost invisible unless one approached closely to greet her.

Closing her eyes, Iordera probed her surroundings. Grandma Sharp, behind the counter, registered only a meager energy fluctuation of around ten-odd levels—quite unremarkable. Most of the people on the street were equally ordinary, none reaching level twenty.

The majority were unranked commoners, invisible to Iordera’s detection mode.