Chapter 42

"Slater, it's been a long time since we've had a drink like this."

At the dining table, Nini Luo raised her glass and smiled at the middle-aged man across from her.

The tavern was very quiet, as there were only the two of them.

Most shops had already closed for the night, and his tavern was no exception. At this hour, however, they were drinking.

The tavern was dimly lit, with only one magic lamp illuminating the large space. Its light was not weak, but compared to the overall environment, it seemed dim.

"I have a habit of drinking the night before something important," Slater said calmly, shaking the wine bottle in his hand.

"Will you get into trouble if you drink too much?" Nini Luo asked.

"No, it will only make me more clear-headed."

After saying this, Slater tilted his head back and took a sip from the bottle, as if to prove something.

"What about you? Did you make any progress?"

Progress? Nini Luo looked at the swaying wine glass in her hand and sighed lightly. "Your information was correct."

"It seems you're disappointed."

Nini Luo nodded. "I didn't believe Livi would betray me, but the result—"

"She's just a little girl," Slater said casually. "At her age, she's bound to do things that disappoint people. You should know that."

"But that's no excuse for betrayal," Nini Luo shook her head.

"What do you plan to do after this?" Slater asked. "Will you kill her?"

"No, I'll expel her from the team."

"That will be more cruel than killing her."

"Cruel?" Nini Luo finished the wine in her glass and a bitter smile appeared on her delicate face. "I just want to tell her that this is the price of growing up."

"It's clear you still have feelings for her. Why not give her a chance?" Slater said, as if trying to persuade her.

"Children will eventually leave their parents' care. Since she has the courage to betray me, she should bear the consequences." Nini Luo picked up another bottle from the table and refilled her glass. "Our bond was severed the moment she decided to betray me. Not killing her is the chance I'm giving her."

Slater chuckled lightly. He didn't respond, as it was her internal matter, and he had no reason to meddle.

He had already thought about the fate of the little girl named Livi, but everything depended on Nini Luo's plan succeeding.

He knew a bit about Livi's background. Before she met Nini Luo, she had a happy and complete family, but a sudden fire took away all her relatives.

Nini Luo saved her, and only her.

She had a reason to save her, as the fire was related to her.

During a mission, an arson occurred, and Livi's family was an innocent victim.

Perhaps out of guilt or sympathy, when she noticed and rescued someone, only Livi survived.

In the years that followed, Nini Luo adopted her.

She educated, protected, and taught her.

Now, only a few people in the group knew the truth about this incident. They wouldn't speak, as Nini Luo hadn't, and they couldn't.

Their bond was like that of sisters, or more like mother and daughter.

It takes time to build a bond, but it can be broken in a single night.

If Alec dies, then Jolia will die too.

Livi seems to have already considered Jolia as her future partner. If Jolia dies—

It would be a truly interesting drama.

Slater thought helplessly, so he understood the pain in Nini Luo's heart.

She was human, and she had feelings.

Something might make her different, but she hadn't lost her human emotions.

He didn't know her past, just as she didn't know his.

This was their unspoken agreement.

Cooperation, utilization, alliance.

This was enough to describe their relationship.

Under the table, empty wine bottles were scattered haphazardly. On the table, there were no bottles or glasses.

Slater didn't drink much, relatively speaking, compared to Nini Luo.

He had his limit, and he couldn't drink more, as it would have the opposite effect.

She, however, had been drinking from the start. She didn't drink from the bottle like he did, but one glass at a time.

She drank slowly, very slowly, and before he realized it, she had drunk a lot.

Nini Luo leaned on the table, smiling bitterly.

"You've had too much," Slater said, shaking his head.

"I know," Nini Luo bent her arm on the table, rested her head on it, closed her eyes, and mumbled.

"It looks like you'll need to stay here for the night." Slater left his seat and walked to a corner of the bar.

"Phew—"

Nini Luo didn't respond, only a light snore was heard.

Slater took a rough leather coat from the bar and walked behind her, draping it over her.

"At this moment, you look like a woman."

Slater looked at her delicate, slightly drunk face, sighed, and turned to leave.

Dawn broke.

Xalan was getting ready in front of the mirror, preparing to go out, as he had been invited.

His face looked better than the day before, still pale but no longer sickly.

The potion given by the young alchemist had some effect. At least the slow loss of life had stopped, and there was even a slight recovery, though his legs felt a bit weak.

But for an upper-class swordsman, this weakness was not a significant obstacle.

After breakfast, Xalan led the horse brought by his attendant and left the Golden Rose Inn.

"Parau, should we follow him?"

At the entrance of the Golden Rose Inn, after Xalan left, Alrin tilted his head and asked his colleague.

"Wait a bit longer. Didn't Lord Roslin warn us yesterday? It's likely that our tracking was discovered. If we're not careful, we might lose him again," Parau shook his head and said.

At the Fourth Prince's residence, Roslin didn't scold the two investigators who had come to him. Hearing their report, his interest grew even more.

He warned them and told them to complete their mission, as he needed to observe more closely.

He might not be the murderer, but for some reason, he found him very interesting.

So, that night, Parau and Alrin checked into the Golden Rose Inn.

"The attendant heard that he was invited by two female students from the Royal Central Academy to attend the school festival. I think we won't lose him this time," Alrin said, watching Xalan's gradually disappearing figure.

Parau nodded, gestured for Alrin to follow, and said as they walked, "Don't be too hopeful, or how will we explain our failure to Lord Roslin today?"

Alrin sighed lightly. "Why does Lord Roslin make things so complicated? Why not just take him to the guard hall for questioning?"

"I've thought about that too, but what if we don't get the information we want from a sudden arrest and interrogation? Besides, his identity is still unknown. A rash move might make him more cautious, and we won't be able to investigate anything then," Parau explained slowly.

"Maybe."

This was Xalan's second visit to the Royal Central Academy. This time was different from the last. Even though it was early, the entrance to the academy was bustling with people from various social classes.

There were more guards at the gate than usual, and they were busier. The festival was their busiest time.

They had to be cautious with everyone, as you never knew who they were or who they represented. A small mistake could lead to unforeseen trouble.

Xalan found a secluded corner, stabled his horse, and walked straight into the academy.

"Brother Xalan!"

As soon as he entered the academy, he heard a familiar voice. It was Maggie's.

Xalan turned around and saw Maggie, wearing her school uniform, standing alone under a tree, waving at him.

Some passersby glanced at her, but Xalan walked towards Maggie without hesitation. When he reached her, he saw her slightly red face, looking shy and excited.

"Why are you alone?"

Out of habit, Xalan couldn't help but ask about her safety.

"I was supposed to come with Raki yesterday, but she's been acting strange since she came back last night. She wouldn't say anything, so I didn't feel right waking her up this morning," Maggie said, looking troubled.

"What happened?"

He knew the girl, as her lively and cheerful personality was unforgettable. Something that could change her so quickly was indeed strange.

"Probably had another argument with Avi," Maggie said helplessly.

"Who is Avi?"

"Don't you remember? He's the male student who brought you to see me last time," Maggie said, wide-eyed.

After a moment's thought, he remembered the boy.

He didn't like to meddle in personal matters, or perhaps he didn't have the right to.

So, he changed the subject.

"There are a lot of people today."

Walking side by side on the clean path of the academy, Xalan casually glanced around.

"Yes, the school festival is a big event every year, so many nobles from the capital participate. Even the students from the Royal Military Academy get a day off to join in the fun," Maggie said, her voice full of enthusiasm.

"Do you like it here?" Xalan asked.

"Yes, I do. I've learned a lot and made many friends," Maggie said, looking up with a smile.

"Maggie!"

Suddenly, a voice called out from a distance. Xalan looked up and saw Raki, Maggie's friend from yesterday, running towards them.

"Why didn't you wake me up this morning?"

As soon as she approached, Raki asked before Maggie could say anything.

"This—," Maggie bit her lip, looking embarrassed.

"Ah..." Seeing Maggie's expression, Raki sighed. "Don't dwell on what happened yesterday. I'm fine."

Then, she turned to Xalan and smiled brightly. "Hello, it's nice to see you again. I didn't expect you to really come."

"Yes, I'm here."

Xalan smiled back, looking at her.

Because of her eyes.

No matter how well she hid it, her eyes never lied.

He saw the deep sorrow in her eyes.