The flat road stretched out into the distance, and the black fortress of Dorey City gradually came into view.

Following behind Finniel Morton's guards, the maid, and the city lord of Dorey City, Gavin, Andrew, Karot, and the others all seemed to be refreshed, their tensions easing.

As for Duke Morton, looking in the direction of Dorey City, a faint smile of anticipation appeared at the corner of his mouth. He slowly turned his head and directed his gaze at Arya, whispering:

"The most exciting performance is about to begin."

Under Duke Morton's gaze, Arya's expression shifted slightly. First, she glanced at Karot, who was beside her, visibly excited, her eyes betraying a hint of subtle indifference and ruthlessness.

Then, Arya turned her head again, only to see the scar-faced guard, Eng, slowly riding his warhorse, approaching Finniel Morton's carriage window.

Eng gently tapped on the closed window, and after the maid inside the carriage opened it, Finniel's figure appeared in his line of sight.

Eng lowered his voice and said, "Miss Finniel, I find something strange about last night…"

Before he could finish, a figure appeared nearby—Arya, riding her warhorse.

She spoke to Finniel, saying, "Finniel, may I rest in the carriage for a while? I didn't get much rest last night and I'm feeling a bit tired."

Finniel's eyes brightened upon hearing this, and she quickly replied, "Of course, you may. We are almost at Dorey City, so there shouldn't be any danger."

"Oh, by the way, Eng, what were you about to say?"

After answering Arya, Finniel Morton turned to Eng, eager to hear what he had to share.

Eng shook his head, his gaze shifting to Arya.

Since leaving Holy City and throughout the night spent at the town where they had stopped, Arya's actions had seemed completely normal. However, the events of last night left Eng with a lingering sense of suspicion.

The broken glass on the floor was clearly shattered from the outside, but when Eng carefully inspected Finniel's room, he found no object inside that could have caused the glass to break.

Moreover, Finniel's bed had been deliberately disturbed. It seemed that Arya had stuffed a pillow into Finniel's clothing and then covered it with the blanket.

Eng could understand this action—perhaps Arya was being cautious, thinking that if anything happened, this would at least confuse any potential attackers.

But what about the object that broke the glass from the outside?

It wasn't in Finniel's room, so where could it be?

There was only one possibility—it was on Arya.

But why would she take away the object that shattered Miss Finniel's window? What could it have been?

This question had been lingering in Eng's mind, and he couldn't quite understand it. Since their departure from the town, he had been vigilantly observing Arya.

As they neared Dorey City, Eng began to have an unsettling feeling, a feeling that grew stronger with each passing moment. It became so intense that he couldn't help but approach Finniel to learn more about Arya and share the doubts he had in his heart.

But now, it was clear that Miss Finniel trusted Arya immensely. Her affectionate attitude toward her seemed even more pronounced than Duke Morton's.

And Arya was present at the scene. It would not be appropriate to voice such doubts in front of her.

After considering it for a moment, Eng decided to wait until they reached Dorey City. He would find an opportunity to speak with Miss Finniel privately.

With that thought in mind, Eng led the group forward, continuing their journey.

About an hour later, Finniel Morton and her party arrived at the ambush near the city gates of Dorey City. Many people were already waiting there, including Dorey City officials, the leaders of various Hunter associations, and a well-equipped Hunter team who would help bolster their security.

In addition to them, there were many ordinary residents dressed in clean, neat clothes, some holding flowers and flags, all with smiles on their faces.

At the back of the crowd, Ed watched these "Dorey City residents," noticing their stiff smiles, smooth skin, and clean hands—no sign of scars or calluses. He furrowed his brow slightly.

These people were clearly actors, set up by City Lord Gavin to pose as "residents." The real citizens of Dorey City wouldn't look like this.

Ed merely glanced over them, quickly spotting several inconsistencies. He wondered if Finniel Morton, who was from Holy City, would notice these flaws.

Just then, Jade, standing beside Ed, whispered, "Ed, that's Duke Morton. I've seen him once before. It looks like Finniel and the others are following your plan—trying to capture all the enemies in one fell swoop!"

Ed quickly turned his gaze to the man Jade was referring to. He was a middle-aged man in luxurious clothing, sitting calmly atop a warhorse, his gaze fixed on the crowd at the city gates.

Since Finniel Morton's group hadn't chosen to control Duke Morton, the plan must have been to eliminate all the enemies in one go.

As Ed watched, a luxurious carriage slowly approached, and a noblewoman in an extravagant gown, with exquisite features like those of a goddess, gracefully stepped down. If all went as expected, this must be the most important figure—Finniel Morton.

As expected of the young lady from the Morton Family, one of the great families of Holy City, Finniel Morton exuded an air of nobility and elegance. She had an aura that made her stand out at first glance, and one couldn't help but keep their gaze fixed on her.

However, Ed felt a bit puzzled, for at that moment, Duke Morton also dismounted from his warhorse and slowly walked towards Finniel Morton.

Yet not only did Finniel Morton show no reaction, even the guards surrounding her kept their vigilant gazes fixed on the residents at the gates of Dorey City. It seemed as though they were worried that among the residents, there might be some hidden attackers.

Ed furrowed his brow slightly. The first thought that crossed his mind was that Finniel Morton, along with her guards, were excellent actors. They had reached a level where no flaw was detectable.

This was because Ed was certain that Melissa had indeed told her that she had controlled Blue and had thrown the recording stone—containing crucial evidence—into Finniel Morton's room.

If the others discovered it was just an ordinary recording stone, they would certainly examine it carefully.

Taking a deep breath, Ed exhaled slowly. He wondered if he had been overly cautious, instinctively predicting the worst possible outcome for the situation.

At that moment, Finniel Morton, having dismounted from the carriage, walked with City Lord Gavin and Duke Morton by her side, flanked by her guards as they began to enter Dorey City.

With Finniel Morton already off the carriage, no one else remained on horseback, except for the coachman driving the carriage. Everyone else in her party, including Karot and Andrew, began to walk.

At first, Andrew was bored and looking around aimlessly, but then his eyes landed on a figure that filled him with disgust and irritation.

He quickly surveyed the officials, nobles, and powerful guards around him, and straightened his back, a haughty expression replacing his previous boredom. He then muttered toward Ed's direction:

"Hmph, just a lowly Hunter. He must have deceived Melissa with sweet words."

"Now, you, pathetic as you are, can only stand among the common folk, watching me and Miss Finniel enter Dorey City!"

Karot, who was not far behind Andrew, heard his whispered words and immediately followed his gaze. His eyes locked onto Ed in the crowd.

Karot abruptly stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes as he watched Ed, then instinctively began walking toward him.

Andrew, seeing this, found it a bit strange. Could it be that Karot, this genius Hunter, knew Ed?

Curious, he decided to follow Karot's lead.

The actions of the two men, breaking away from the group, were quickly noticed by City Lord Gavin and Duke Morton.

Gavin's expression immediately soured. At this crucial moment, his son Andrew had actually strayed from the group—what was Andrew trying to do?

The sharp glances from Gavin and Duke Morton soon made the others in the group realize something was amiss. They stopped in their tracks, curiously turning their attention toward Andrew and Karot, including Finniel Morton.

Arya, too, felt a hint of confusion in her heart. She looked toward the direction Karot was heading, but there was nothing unusual about it.

Wait, she thought she saw Blackstone Team's captain, Jade. Jade was standing beside a young man, seemingly saying something to him.

Upon closer inspection, Arya realized that the young man's face resembled Ed's from the recording stone she had seen yesterday.

It seemed that Ed was trying to confirm whether the mission from yesterday had succeeded.

What a pity. If it weren't for her, perhaps Ed's plan might have actually worked.

With that thought, Arya reached into her pocket, where the recording stone, the one that had broken the window, was tucked away.

At that moment, Karot and Andrew were unaware that their departure from the group had caused everyone to stop and focus their attention on them.

Karot, now standing in front of Ed, spoke with a highly sarcastic tone:

"Isn't this Ed, the Hunter with such poor qualifications that he could only end up as a slave? I heard you've become a Hunter now?"

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