Chapter 96

While waiting for Barbara's signal, Al raised the height of the floating eye created by the floating eye spell to about thirty meters. There were no buildings in the vicinity that were this tall. From this vantage point, he could see the rooftops of the lord's mansion and the bell tower of the Sun God Pyros' church, which were a bit further away. Since the eye was now within the grounds of the Levi Trading Company, it was probably safe, but if it entered the grounds of other shops, there was a possibility that it might be detected by magic and reported to the guards, just as it would be at the Levi Trading Company. Especially the neighboring shops, which seemed to have a deep connection with the Mage Guild as they sold spell books and the like, required extra caution.

This was Al's first time using the floating eye spell to view the city in this way, and the view was spectacular. It was probably similar to the view from the top floor of the lord's mansion. The border city of Lester was built on a hill, and the First Street, where the Levi Trading Company was located, was originally in a slightly higher position. Looking around, he could see not only the nearby Holden River to the south but also the distant Glover River. To the west, the Cipri Mountains loomed, and to the north, the river with a ferry, and to the east, the sea sparkled. Although everything was a bit blurry, using a perception enhancement spell might make it look even better.

"Everyone should be in position by now. Try to dispel the spell. And if you can dispel it successfully, give me a signal."

Hearing Barbara whisper beside him, Al lowered the position of the floating eye and directed his vision downward. There was nothing unusual in the surroundings. The floating eye created by the spell, which was visible in Al's original field of view, had not changed from its previous position.

"Dispel Magic"

With Al's spell, the floating eye popped and disappeared effortlessly.

"It's gone."

After informing Barbara, Al refocused his attention on the view from his floating eye. Although he couldn't see their expressions, there was no change in the two people he had mentioned. Perhaps they weren't mages. As he was thinking this, he noticed that a black carriage that had been parked on North Avenue in front of the Levi Trading Company had started moving rather abruptly, almost hitting a pedestrian.

"There's a carriage moving strangely. It was parked about fifty meters north on North Avenue in front of us... My eye will follow it."

"Thanks."

Al's eye began to follow the carriage. It was probably a standard size, capable of seating four people. The driver was wearing a robe, and from the aerial view, it was impossible to tell if they were male or female. The carriage headed north on North Avenue and turned west at the intersection with the First Ring Road, heading into a residential area. Perhaps they thought they weren't being followed, as the carriage didn't speed up and mixed in with other carriages and pedestrians.

After a while, the carriage entered an area with many medium-sized shops and turned east at the intersection of the First Ring Road and West Avenue. If this area was their destination, it would have been much faster to head south and then west on West Avenue rather than north on North Avenue. This suggested that they had deliberately taken a detour to avoid passing in front of the Levi Trading Company, making the carriage seem quite suspicious.

The carriage stopped in front of a grand building on West Avenue. The sign read "The Golden Dragon Inn." It appeared to be an inn. Al quickly lowered the height of the floating eye. He needed to be careful not to enter the grounds of other shops, and the distance had become quite long. If he wasn't careful, his head might start to hurt again. Four people got out of the carriage: a large man in leather armor, a short man in a black robe with a deep hood, and a man and a woman, also in leather armor. The leather-armored individuals seemed skilled and were scanning their surroundings sharply.

"This one seems to be a dead end. How about yours?"

Barbara whispered beside Al. Al quickly reported that four people had gotten out of the suspicious carriage in front of the "The Golden Dragon Inn," and one of them was wearing a deep hood, making their face invisible. He then gradually moved the floating eye closer to try to see the face of the hooded man. However, the hooded man stopped and glanced in the direction of the floating eye. He might have noticed it. Al hurriedly tried to move the eye to confirm the face. He caught a glimpse of it, but the hooded man quickly cast a spell, and the floating eye's vision went dark.

"He noticed us and dispelled the magic. I only got a brief look, but I think it was an elderly man with white hair and many wrinkles."

"Since he dispelled the magic, he's probably the culprit. Good job. It's 'The Golden Dragon Inn.' Al, can you go there? Reginald, go with Al to 'The Golden Dragon Inn.' You know the faces around here. Follow Al's instructions if anything happens. And make sure Al doesn't get hurt."

The muscular man standing beside Barbara nodded seriously. He looked to be in his late twenties, with neatly combed brown hair and a handsome face. He must be Reginald. Al recognized his face; he was the man who had been beside Narish when the bloody thief leader was taken down by a spell.

"Sorry, I'd like to go, but more than half of our guards are with Lord Narish, and we're short-handed here. I can't thin out the security, so I can't leave. I'd like to find out who it is, but don't push yourself."

"It's okay. Let's go, Reginald."

Al said and started running towards "The Golden Dragon Inn."

-----

Al and Reginald arrived at "The Golden Dragon Inn," confirmed that the carriage Al had seen was not parked in front of the inn, and immediately went inside. The building was lavishly constructed, making Al feel a bit intimidated. There seemed to be a reception desk, where two people were standing.

"Welcome. Good afternoon, Lord Reginald."

The two people bowed politely upon recognizing Reginald. As Barbara had said, they seemed to know each other. Al and Reginald approached the reception desk and, in a low voice, described the men and asked if there were any guests matching their description. At first, the man at the desk was reluctant to answer, but after Reginald persuaded him, saying it was crucial for the Levi Trading Company, he reluctantly spoke.

"They were merchants from the capital, calling themselves Mr. Snowden. They paid well and brought four guards, so we thought they might be of high status, though we did collect the proper accommodation fees and did not pry further. They parked their carriage in front a while ago but quickly left in it."

Al and Reginald exchanged glances. They had escaped. It had only been about ten minutes since then, but they must have been very cautious. Of course, "Snowden" was undoubtedly a pseudonym. When they asked if the receptionists knew where they were headed, both shook their heads. Al and Reginald asked more questions and learned that Snowden and his group had arrived at the inn three days ago without a reservation, paid for a week's stay in advance, and that the carriage belonged to them, with the youngest guard also serving as the driver.

"Did they seem to be visiting for the first time?"

While Reginald asked the question politely, Al sneakily peeked inside the reception counter. There was a guest book that the receptionist had opened while answering the question. Al noted down the room Snowden had occupied.

"Yes, they said they were visiting for the first time. They asked with great interest about the city's layout, attractions, and specialties."

Al would have liked to see the room, but since there was no evidence of a crime, it would be difficult for the Levi Trading Company to bribe the staff to see the room. They decided to return to the Levi Trading Company to report what they had learned to Barbara.

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