At that moment, a sharp slap drew the attention of the four men.
A fair, slender hand had come down onto their table, with a white tooth tied around the wrist.
The four followed the arm up to find a person shrouded in a hood standing beside them, their expression solemn.
A few strands of silver hair fell from the hood, and upon meeting a pair of silver eyes, the men felt their hearts tighten; one of them couldn't help but swallow hard.
Although the person before them had quite a pleasant face, her icy demeanor and aura completely overwhelmed them.
The man with the full beard was the first to react; he looked her up and down, quickly hiding his disdain and putting on a friendly smile.
"May I ask... er, Miss, is there something you need from us?"
The hooded girl glanced at him and spoke.
"Take me to Frey."
Hearing this, the men looked at each other, surprise flashing in their eyes.
At this point in time, the purpose of looking for Frey was self-evident.
The bearded man spoke up to advise her.
"Little girl, take my advice and stay put. Don't go out looking for adventure; your family will..."
He couldn't help it; the girl before him appeared to be no taller than 165 centimeters, and with her thin frame and hooded attire, it was easy to imagine a young lady from a wealthy family sneaking out for an adventure.
As for how he knew she was a wealthy young lady? It was obvious from her bearing and her clean appearance.
However, before he could finish his sentence, the silver-haired girl withdrew her hand, revealing a silver coin she had been pinning to the table.
Seeing the shiny object, the men's eyes widened, and they looked at the hooded girl in disbelief.
Was this for real? She was so generous? This single coin was worth as much as the four of them earned in half a month.
An indifferent voice reached their ears, pulling their attention back.
"How about now?"
...
"Frey! You haven't left yet, have you? Someone is looking for you!"
Outside a wooden house in a commoner district, the men shouted toward the building while the sturdy, bearded man walked to the wooden door and began to pound on it.
Thud, thud, thud—
The girl shrouded in the hood knit her brows in dissatisfaction.
"Hey."
The men turned around, confusion in their eyes.
She continued.
"Keep the noise down and be polite. Don't be so crude; we didn't come here to pick a fight."
Hearing this, the men laughed sheepishly, thinking to themselves how high-maintenance this person was.
But on the surface, they significantly softened their movements.
Just then, with a creak, the wooden door opened.
A face marked by the passage of time poked out, his dissatisfaction and annoyance plain to see.
"Get lost!"
He cursed and prepared to slam the door, but the bearded man was quick, sticking his foot into the frame to block it.
"Don't be like that, Old Frey. We're not here to make fun of you; we have actual business."
Seeing his flippant attitude, Frey glared at him fiercely.
"Speak your piece or get out!"
The bearded man stepped aside, revealing the hooded girl who was slowly stepping forward.
He jerked his chin toward the girl.
"Here, the client has arrived."
Frey was confused at first, but after she lifted her head, surprise flashed in his eyes.
He then gave the bearded man's group a strange look, unable to understand how such a beauty could be mixed up with a crowd like them.
Then, a voice as pleasant as the ring of silver bells spoke.
"Nice to meet you. Hello."
A fair palm was extended, and Frey instinctively shook it.
"He... hello."
"Can we go inside to talk?"
"Erm, alright."
Though it was a bit strange, Frey still agreed.
He pulled the door open, and the girl walked in, removing her hood to reveal silver hair that shimmered under the light.
"This..."
Frey took a step back. He was a veteran adventurer, and based on his experience, human hair did not naturally grow like that.
Therefore... this person's origins were definitely abnormal.
Before Frey could finish his thought, the bearded man and his friends tried to follow them inside, but the silver-haired girl turned back at that moment.
Meeting those indifferent silver eyes, the men felt a lump in their throats, and their footsteps instantly froze.
The bearded man scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
"Haha~ I just remembered it's my wife's due date today.
I won't disturb you. I'll be going now~"
With that, the others also found various excuses and left the area.
Once the door was closed, the girl looked at Frey and introduced herself solemnly.
"You may call me Saisa."
"Frey."
"As the host, aren't you going to invite me to sit?"
Saisa spoke casually as she began to survey her surroundings. The living space was simple, devoid of fancy decorations, and generally messy and somewhat unkempt.
Only then did Frey snap out of it, hurriedly inviting Saisa to sit in the living room.
Saisa did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
"I have looked into you. Over a decade ago, a team led by Yat traveled to the Jesup Continent under the guise of a merchant caravan, though anyone with eyes could see they were there to capture slaves."
Hearing Saisa's words, Frey's expression darkened, and fear surfaced in his eyes.
In contrast, Saisa deliberately emphasized the words "capture slaves," her eyes radiating a chill.
Frey's every subtle movement was caught by Saisa, who continued.
"However, after returning, many powerful mercenaries, adventurers, and merchants vanished without a trace.
Many people went to ask those who returned, and their stories were almost identical, even their expressions were the same.
All of them said with fear and lingering trepidation: 'When they went to the Kingdom of Whit to capture orcs, they alerted the beastmen and were hunted all the way back.'
Furthermore, the remaining survivors gather punctually every year before August to head to the Jesup Continent.
Don't you find that strange?"
At this moment, Frey was breaking out in a cold sweat. He didn't even notice that he was gripping his trousers so hard with his remaining hand that they were heavily wrinkled from tension.
Saisa curled her lips slightly and whispered.
"I want to know what exactly happened to them."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like the final straw that broke the camel's back. Frey clutched his head tightly and collapsed to his knees with a thud.
"No, no, no! No... I... I, I don't know anything! Don't... don't ask me!"
Seeing the incoherent and terrified Frey, Saisa's expression was exactly as she had expected.
"You're unwilling to speak, or perhaps you don't dare to speak, or..."
Her silver eyes narrowed slightly.
"Due to certain reasons, you cannot speak. For example... a contract of some sort?"
Having said that, she stood up and placed a small pouch on the wooden table.
"I imagine you will be setting off again soon. Take me with you. I do not lack money."
Rate on N.U.
