Viloseline came out of the rest room.
The corridor was now empty.
She casually closed the door.
The black tea in the porcelain cup had gone completely cold.
The tea bag sank to the bottom, the cotton string pressed against the cup’s wall.
She walked along the corridor towards the exit.
Her golden hair swayed gently behind her shoulders.
When she reached the corner, she stopped.
“You?”
In the corner where the corridor’s light couldn’t reach, a person stood.
White short hair, light golden pupils, dark gray attire.
A short sword in its sheath hung at the waist, with cat tribe claw mark carvings on the hilt.
A bow and arrows were on the back, the bow folded and secured in a leather buckle behind the shoulder.
Ling stepped out from the shadows one step.
“Mr. Emrick asked me to pass a message to you.”
Viloseline’s deer ears twitched.
She said nothing.
“He told me to convey that we will coordinate with your actions on the field.”
Viloseline looked at Ling.
Her light golden pupils didn’t move.
“Thank you for the cooperation.”
“I didn’t agree.”
Ling’s cat ears perked up, as if she had heard something unbelievable.
Her light golden pupils blinked once.
The two looked at each other like that.
The corridor was quiet, only the low hum of the magic lamps on the ceiling could be heard.
Ling pushed the short sword further back on her waist.
“Why.”
“No reason. Go back and tell Mr. Emrick that I appreciate his goodwill. I’ll fight my own way on the field.”
Ling didn’t move.
Her cat ears turned half a circle on top of her head.
She stared at Viloseline for a long moment.
“Then suit yourself.”
She took a step back.
The shadow at the corridor corner swallowed her.
The cat ears disappeared last, then the light golden pupils.
In the corridor only the pale blue light of the magic lamps remained, along with the cup of cold black tea in Viloseline’s hand.
She stood for a while, then continued walking.
The cotton string of the tea bag in the porcelain cup swayed gently with her steps.
The Night Shadow Guard were a group of assassins trained under the Merchant Union.
For their own contestants, they were always “agents.”
For rival knights, they were “assassins.”
Whenever a rising knight surpassed one of their own, the Night Shadow Guard would send someone to “talk.”
If the talk succeeded, there would be one less competitor on the field.
If it failed, there would still be one less opponent.
The passage below the audience stands.
Olivia walked out of the rest area.
Her silver-white hair spilled out from the edge of her hat, spreading over her shoulders.
She walked along the passage, or more accurately, groped her way…
She turned a corner.
“Little Olivia.”
Pink ponytail.
Cat ear headphones.
The cuffs of the white hoodie were rolled up to the wrists.
Zijiang stood at the passage entrance, hands on her hips.
“Where did you run off to?”
Olivia’s steps stopped.
Her silver pupils looked at Zijiang, then looked away.
“Um. I just… wanted to go take a look.”
Before she could finish, Zijiang’s hand had already reached out.
Two fingers pinched her left cheek, gently pulling it to the side.
Then pulled again.
Olivia’s face was pinched, her mouth twisted to the side, unable to form complete words.
“Mmph.”
“Forget it.”
“Next time, don’t run off on your own.”
Although the public security in Gevanitz City was decent, that was only the initial impression upon arrival.
After encountering that rogue knight that night, the illusion of “absolute safety” had been shattered into pieces.
Zijiang released her hand.
Olivia reached up and rubbed the pinched spot.
Zijiang crouched down, her light purple pupils meeting Olivia’s at eye level.
“You must be hungry.”
Olivia lowered her hand from her face.
She was indeed hungry.
After becoming Olivia, she got hungry quickly;
The food she ate at noon had somehow disappeared.
“Mm.”
“I’ll take you to get something good to eat.”