When Justin, Alistair, and Myrelle stepped into the common room of the Golden Aurelius, everything appeared deceptively normal. Patrons sipped their drinks, a Bard tuned her flute in the corner, and the smell of baked bread wafted in from the kitchen. Business continued as if nothing had happened. Whoever had delivered the note had long since vanished.

That was when an update appeared in Justin's interface:

Quest Update: Break the Chains You have uncovered a trafficking operation connected to the Aurelians. Lady Myrelle's testimony confirms the collusion, while the letter slipped beneath your door indicates that your actions have not gone unnoticed. Allies may be scarce, and enemies are closing in. Next Objective: Evade immediate danger. Seek assistance to secure safety or diplomatic protection while ensuring Lady Myrelle is returned to the Corrin Estate.

Experience gained: 500. Your total experience is now 18,575/29,000.

Justin absorbed the information, his stomach tightening with unease. In that moment, the Entrepreneur class felt like the wrong choice. This conspiracy was the domain of the Special Agent.

No sooner had the update faded than a new notification flashed:

[Your Gentleman's Agreement with Madame Yselle has expired.]

Justin exhaled slowly. Yselle could now take violent measures against him if she chose to retaliate.

"Not the front doors," Alistair said, his voice low. He nodded toward their right, where a side hallway led to what appeared to be a servant's exit.

As they passed through, Alistair glanced both ways, one hand resting near the hilt of his longsword; his hammer was too large for these narrow confines. Myrelle remained calm, her features unreadable.

Justin swapped Affinities for Elea's Whisper.

Lila. Everything okay?

Her response was immediate. Nothing strange. We just arrived at the inn. This place is definitely a step down, but maybe that'll help us blend in. How are things there?

Justin ignored the question. Do you think you were followed?

No idea. I don't think we were. Why? Are they after us?

Justin quickly relayed to Lila what Myrelle had told them, including the details of the letter.

The plot thickens, Lila replied. So the Aurelians are onto us.

How couldn't they be? No good deed goes unpunished.

Yeah, I told you that earlier. Yet here we are.

Don't remind me. I'm almost certain we're being tailed right now, which makes going to this new inn entirely pointless...

Then don't go to the inn, Lila replied. Not yet, anyway. Take a detour, someplace unexpected. If it's just some basic lackeys after you, it should be easy to lose them.

Justin grunted. And if they're not basic lackeys?

More experience points? Win-win.

I wish I shared your confidence.

Watch your back, Justin. Update me when you can.

Got it.

He cut the connection and turned to Alistair and Myrelle. "Change of plans. If we're being tailed to the new inn, there's no point in going there directly."

"I know Belmora quite well," she said, adjusting her grip on the folds of her dress, which was surprisingly clean despite her appearance. As the fabric shifted, Justin noticed well-worn traveling boots beneath it.

"Not something you'd wear to a party," he observed.

Myrelle smiled almost apologetically. "Adventure is never far away, and I always dress for it."

She brushed back a lock of copper-brown hair. Her sharp blue eyes contrasted with her soft, freckled features.

Justin initially assumed she was in her late thirties or early forties, judging by her grimy state at the Floating Market.

But now, curiously, she looked much younger. Her skin glowed faintly, her clothes showed no signs of dirt or wear, and not a single strand of hair was out of place.

He stared for a moment too long, and she caught his gaze with a knowing smile.

"A boon of mine," she said lightly. "Immaculate Presentation. It does wonders for keeping a lady pristine, no matter the circumstances."

"I see. I'm familiar with such… abilities." He left it at that.

"What's our next move?" Alistair asked brusquely.

"As I mentioned earlier, I know Belmora quite well. Follow me, and we'll lose any pursuers."

Justin considered for a moment. There was no real reason not to trust her. Even when he intensified his Insightful Gaze to detect any potential deceit, it was clear she was in this just as much as they were. If she was hiding something from them, it wasn't out of a desire to hurt them or to work with the enemy. That said, her response about the boots had been a bit too smooth.

"Lead the way," Justin said.

"Good. And, if I may be so bold... with our enemies closing in, I can't help but feel a little helpless. If you have any sort of weapon, however basic, I would appreciate it. I prefer to fight with an enchanted umbrella or rapier, but I'll take anything."

Justin glanced around, feeling time pressing down on them. He had his Sunsting Cane, of course, still not core-bound. But with unanswered questions about Myrelle lingering, he didn't feel safe giving it to her.

He reached into his pack and handed her Eldrin's old, unenchanted dagger. It was well-made but suited only for basic defense.

She noted the weapon and holstered it at her waist. "When I return to my family, I will ensure you are properly rewarded. Not even the Aurelians can withstand the coming storm. Perhaps we should form a party? At least for now."

It was a good idea. They quickly formed a party, with Justin gaining access to Alistair's Fear immunity buff. Like Justin, Myrelle had access to Refined Aura, but it appeared that the benefits didn't stack, so they would only receive the +1 to Charisma.

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Alistair glanced at the sky; late afternoon was already fading into evening. "We're wasting time. We're right behind you, Lady Myrelle."

She nodded. "Follow me."

As they stepped into the narrow side street beyond the inn's servant exit, the city transformed. The clean cobbles and orderly avenues disappeared, replaced by cracked paving stones that twisted like broken teeth. The noise of the main thoroughfares faded into a distant murmur, giving way to the clang of washing pans and the occasional bark of a rooftop dog. The air was thick with the smell of fish brine and baking flatbread, mingled with hints of smoke from unseen chimneys.

Their route took them through a patchwork of narrow alleys, crooked stairwells, and open-air markets.

"You have a surprisingly good knowledge of Belmora's alleys, Lady Myrelle," Justin said.

She hoisted herself onto a crate and climbed through the window of a nearby tenement. Justin followed her inside; she didn't seem winded at all. "My friends and I... we weren't always attending balls at the Royal Palace, Mr. Talemaker."

"I can see that," he said, impressed. "If there's anything about our class, it's that we're often underestimated."

"In the circles I run in, that's far from the truth. Power bends steel, but charisma bends people."

"Huh. I quite like that."

"The Art of Influence. Verris. I recommend you read it."

Justin wondered if she was attempting to "bend" him. "I'll keep an eye out."

As they emerged from the other end of the hallway, Myrelle flashed him a smile and began to climb a ladder on the outside of the building. Justin was starting to wonder what her Focus was.

Once on top of the tenement, she confidently led them down the row of equally tall buildings, leaping across each narrow alleyway without hesitation.

Justin jumped after her. "There's more to you than meets the eye."

"Why's that? Do you like what your eyes see?"

Justin chuckled. "Lead on, Ms. Myrelle."

She was already concentrating on the next building, clearly familiar with the route.

Alistair huffed, his face flushed. Justin admired the view. The golden Aurelian Tower had receded in the distance, while the Royal Palace loomed above the Golden Gulf, glowing in the evening sun.

They returned to street level, navigating narrow backstreets, which Justin came to think of as the Belmora Obstacle Course. At one point, they ducked through a butcher's courtyard, climbing a crumbling ladder onto a low rooftop. From there, they crossed a series of tenement rooftops, using creaking boards as makeshift bridges.

They were hardly the only ones up there; clearly, this was a "highway" many citizens used to avoid the crowds below.

When they dropped back down into a courtyard behind a perfumery, Justin felt that something was off.

The twang of a bowstring confirmed his suspicion.

"Down!" Alistair shouted.

Justin flinched as an arrow streaked toward him. In an instant, his cane moved, deflecting the projectile.

[Gentleman's Rebuff has shielded this attack!]

Figures appeared on the rooftops: three men in dark cloaks, crossbows drawn. Two more emerged from the alley behind. Justin quickly swapped for his Cane of the Drake and unleashed a blast of Drake's Breath, forcing the crossbowmen to duck for cover.

"Keep moving!" Alistair ordered.

Myrelle darted forward, surprisingly quick on her feet. She dodged a thrown knife as she turned a corner, her move far too smooth to be anything but a System skill. Lady's Sidestep, perhaps. The dagger glinted in her hand, her expression feral.

Justin charged forward, accelerating and downing the hooded attacker with his cane before the man could recover. The attacker had no class, and went down with a single strike.

Myrelle glanced over her shoulder. "Do you have anything better than this knife, Justin?"

A couple of swordsmen appeared from a nearby doorway. Alistair charged in, easily dispatching both with his longsword.

Justin decided it was time. He seized the moment to retrieve his Sunsting Cane from his pack. Parting with it wasn't his favorite idea, but with the pressure mounting, he decided to play it safe.

Upon seeing the dark gray wood and silver tip, Myrelle's eyes widened.

"Careful with it," Justin warned. "It poisons anything it touches."

"I'll have to core it to make use of its—"

At that moment, the crossbowmen returned, setting up on the building above.

"Core it!" Justin shouted.

Myrelle dashed behind a corner as they unleashed a volley, narrowly missing her.

Alistair crouched, then leaped with remarkable power to the rooftop. Justin remembered this skill from the battle in the Guardian Pass; the crossbowmen were caught off guard.

Suddenly, several rough-looking toughs around Level 10 rushed into the courtyard. Myrelle rejoined Justin, cane in hand.

"Thanks for the cane," she said. "You won't regret it."

Justin was about to find out.

The first attacker, a Level 7 Rogue, charged forward with surprising speed, knives drawn. Justin dodged with Gentleman's Sidestep and unleashed Poison Barb.

"Really? You're charging at me with steak knives like it's your first day off probation? You're just embarrassing yourself."

The man froze, then was dispatched by a swift strike from Myrelle. It sizzled on contact, and he screamed as the poison ate into his skin.

Justin and Myrelle fought back to back as Alistair cleared the rooftops. Myrelle's cane flicked like a rapier, each slash leaving sizzling burns behind. Another thug attacked her clumsily, and Myrelle easily dodged.

"You lunge like a drunken squire at his first tourney," she said. "Come closer, and I'll carve 'failure' into your ribs, so your corpse has some kind of personality."

The man screamed in equal parts fear and rage as she jabbed him with the cane's scorpion stinger extension.

As he fell, writhing, Justin clucked his tongue. "Remind me not to spar with you."

"A lot of built-up anger, I suppose."

Alistair landed next to them with a heavy thud. "Got four of them up above. I say we clear out before more come."

"Good idea," Justin replied. "I hope it's the last of them."

He hadn't even had a chance to summon Atlas; it all happened so fast.

They made a break for it, turning a few corners before entering a covered market.

They emerged into a side street. The attackers didn't follow.

"For now," Alistair said between breaths, "it seems we've made our point."

Justin reached for Lila. Thankfully, she was still within range of Elea's Whisper.

How are things there?

Just settling in. Are you on the way?

We were attacked. About ten dead bodies in the alleys here.

Dear gods. Well, all is quiet here. You should hurry.

Lila, I don't think we can risk blowing our cover. That inn is the only safe place for those women. And Myrelle... it seems she has other plans.

He briefly told her about Myrelle's talents and his suspicions that she was more than she seemed.

I'll have to get more out of her at some point, he finished.

"This much is obvious," Alistair said, following Myrelle down yet another side street. "But we can't go to the inn."

Talk soon, Justin said, closing the connection. I'll link up with you as soon as I can.

"My family's estate isn't far," Myrelle said. "If you two can get me back there, we'll have enough ammunition to hold off the Aurelians and secure a truce."

"For you and your family, maybe," Justin replied. "Alistair and I are unknowns here, and no one will go looking for us if we die."

"That's not quite true," Alistair said carefully. "We have a powerful employer. If the Aurelians knew about it, they would back off. I'm sure of it. But they would no doubt need guarantees."

"Your employers?" Myrelle asked, arching an eyebrow. "You're a Paladin, aren't you? I thought as much, even if you aren't wearing their garb. Which means you're undercover for some reason..." She looked at Justin. "You, however... are you employed by them too?"

"I suppose there's no point in hiding it," Justin admitted.

"We need to enlist their help," Alistair said. "The Aurelians may be feared in Belmora, but the Templars are feared all over Eyrth. There's a chance for a truce of sorts, and then we can get back to business."

Myrelle pursed her lips. For her, it was clearly personal; there could be no truce after the Aurelians' betrayal. At least, not for long.

Justin grimaced. "It's our first day in Belmora, and we're already calling our bosses?"

"It's not a good look," Alistair admitted. "But if anyone can force a deal with the Aurelians and keep the peace, it's them."

Justin turned to Alistair. "So, we need to report to the nearest Templar base. Where is that?"

"I'm a little disoriented after that mad flight," he replied.

"We're just a few streets over from Mudside," Myrelle said.

"Then we're close," Alistair said. "Can you lead us to Saint Muriel?"

"I can," Myrelle replied. "Though that takes us farther from the Corrin Estate."

"Where is that?" Justin asked.

"North of town, about five miles, just outside Vexhall."

"A necessary detour," Alistair said. "Even if we went there straight away, that would take us by the tower. No, we want to head west toward Mudside."

Justin's heart sank. He was eager to be reunited with Lila. If the Aurelians found her, she would have little defense, especially while watching over the others.

But he saw no choice. He could keep tabs on her with Elea's Whisper.

"All right," Myrelle said. "Mudside it is. After that, I need to be reunited with my family immediately."

"Deal," Justin replied.

He realized this next move was probably the right one. After all, the quest objective stated to "seek assistance to secure safety or diplomatic protection." Returning Myrelle to her estate was also part of the equation, but one step at a time.

They followed Myrelle down the dark alley as evening fell over Belmora.

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