“Remember, we’re just the vanguard. Lady Cecilia has already sent someone to notify the city lord. This operation focuses on a swift search—no alarming the snakes. Half of you stay on perimeter watch; don’t let a single fly escape, no matter who it is. The rest, come with me.”
Rita and the others stood at the door, giving their final instructions.
Of course, these were taught by Cecilia herself.
Hearing such words, it seemed the only problem lay with Cecilia’s temperament.
After seeing Cecilia safe and sound, Rita temporarily pushed aside her doubts and worries.
Internal and external troubles remained unresolved, but Cecilia was not the main issue.
“The battle is nearly over. Everyone, push harder—don’t fall in the darkness before dawn,” Rita encouraged them again. But this was a spur-of-the-moment decision on her part.
Yet the effect was excellent; the soldiers’ morale soared like never before.
“Yes!”
The group made their way straight to the brothel’s entrance.
Because of the curfew, the door was tightly shut, but the sounds of revelry and music still leaked through the thick wooden door and into their ears.
Even curfew couldn’t stop people from visiting the brothel—it really was an irresistible place.
“Enter.”
At Rita’s command, the soldiers pushed the door open.
The heavy scents of alcohol and perfume in the air were instantly diluted by the iron and blood scent emanating from the soldiers.
The muffled thuds of boots on thick carpets and the clinking of armor drowned out every other sound.
Everyone present involuntarily held their breath.
Countless gazes fell upon Rita and her party bursting in.
Rita caught out of the corner of her eye that several scantily clad employees tried to step forward to say something but were quietly held back.
Then, her gaze swept the entire place.
This brothel hadn’t changed since her last visit.
The lavish decorations seemed even more tempting under the dim light.
If the employees weren’t standing there like statues, Rita might have rated the place even higher.
But, of course, there was no sign of Kros inside.
She’d settle the score with that guy later.
“Detain everyone,” Rita ordered.
“Lady Rita, what about the customers?” the squad leader asked.
“My orders are to detain everyone,” Rita replied in a low voice.
With Rita’s confirmation, the soldiers immediately sprang into action, ordering everyone to crouch down with their heads held.
Just as the soldiers moved, a sharp voice rang out.
“Let’s see who dares.”
A flamboyant woman with shiny, oily makeup strode forward.
Rita immediately noticed the wristband marking her as a customer.
“Who’s that?” Rita turned to the squad leader.
The squad leader gave Rita a meaningful look.
Alright, it seemed she was someone they knew but couldn’t openly mention—a VIP of sorts.
Rita understood why the squad leader felt the need to double-check despite the orders.
The woman caught the squad leader’s reaction, snorted arrogantly, and sized up Rita, now dressed in a military uniform, dragging her voice out.
“So, you’re the leader of these women?”
Sigh, trouble had arrived. That was why Cecilia insisted she lead the team herself instead of simply sending soldiers.
After all, the soldiers were citizens of Solus City, and aside from Cecilia, Rita could safely ignore anyone else’s orders.
Still, Rita wore a calm and friendly expression.
Without it, she wouldn’t have gained the soldiers’ trust so quickly, nor would they obey her tonight.
To borrow a soldier’s words: Lady Rita gives off the vibe of a good brother.
A no-nonsense commander who only cares about completing the mission and doesn’t fuss over anything else, always charging forward when trouble arises.
No wonder the soldiers liked her.
But Rita quietly placed a hand on her sword’s hilt and narrowed her eyes. “Temporary leader.”
“Oh? A temporary commander, huh? Do you even know who I am to say you can take everyone away like that?” The woman raised her nose high.
“And you are?”
“I’m Dansi, Chief of Financial Affairs of Solus City.”
“Oh, Chief Dansi.” Rita nodded, then ordered a nearby soldier, “Keep going, don’t stop. Quickly restrain them. Two teams upstairs! Don’t miss the guest rooms—we’re on a tight schedule.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m the Chief of Financial Affairs!” Dansi’s forehead veins bulged as the soldiers resumed their work under Rita’s orders.
“Understood, Chief of Financial Affairs,” Rita turned back with a smile. “Please come with us.”
“You—You rude brat!”
“Alright, I’ll be polite. Chief of Financial Affairs, please come with us.”
“Hey! You, a soldier of your rank, have no authority to take me!”
Tch, this woman was truly losing it. Such a nuisance.
Rita cleared her throat. “First, I’m not ‘hey.’ Second, I’m not a soldier. Third, this is Lady Cecilia’s order. Lastly, she specifically emphasized that if we encounter anyone in high office or anyone delaying, no matter who, bring them back for priority handling.”
“You dare threaten me?” Dansi’s eyes blazed.
“Lady Rita, isn’t this wrong? I thought the orders said differently,” the squad leader poked Rita’s arm and lowered his voice.
His voice wasn’t exactly quiet, and Dansi heard it too. Though embarrassed by the soldiers’ ongoing control, she didn’t dare disobey the princess’s orders.
But since Rita wielded her authority like a feather duster as a baton, Dansi was bound to vent her frustration verbally.
The squad leader continued, “The princess didn’t say ‘immediately kill,’ only that if there’s evidence linking someone in high office or anyone delaying the process to the incident, act immediately but leave them alive for investigation, right?”
“How dare anyone harm the Chief of Financial Affairs!” Rita said sharply, rubbing her hands together before turning back to Dansi. “Chief, just kidding, of course. How could I possibly harm you?”
Dansi looked at Rita’s hand still resting on her sword hilt and twitched the corner of her mouth.
Ha, you better be joking.
Before long, everyone had been restrained—including the brothel owner, who had rushed over with a group of bodyguards but immediately cowered upon seeing Dansi crouching with her hands on her head.
After counting the detainees, Rita arranged for soldiers to escort them back. She then led a few others to continue searching for the rumored secret passage.
In truth, no searching was needed. As soon as Rita neared a certain corridor, she detected a strange and intense metallic scent of blood. Others might not notice it, but for Rita, it was as obvious as ginger in a dish.
No doubt, the incubus she’d wounded was here.
Following the scent, Rita led the others straight to the room at the end of the corridor. Blood-stained bandages and herbs lay blatantly on the table.
The smell vanished from this room—the last place the creature had been.
It was the wardrobe!
Rita stepped up and yanked it open. What she saw made her cheeks flush.
Damn it, the Flower Garden Eel was still after me!
But according to the game’s setting, there were always secret doors behind wardrobes, right?
Rita didn’t have time to slowly fiddle with puzzles now, but she wasn’t a game character who could tear dragons apart but got stuck on a tiny mechanism.
She lifted her foot and kicked behind the wardrobe.
The wall gave a dull thud but didn’t budge.
Instead, Rita’s foot sank through the panel beneath the wardrobe, poking a hole.
The other soldiers had no idea what Rita was thinking. All they saw was her walk into a suspicious room and then kick open a secret chamber.
“Well done, Lady Rita! Incredible insight—doing what we couldn’t so easily!”
“Shh… Quiet,” Rita held up a finger to her lips, then pulled her foot free and kicked the panel into splinters, revealing the outline of an underground entrance.
When it came to missions, Rita was serious. She crouched and slipped inside.
“I’ll go first. Hold your positions. Don’t come down until I say it’s safe.”
As she entered the underground, a sudden chill hit her.
Instead of a basement, it was a pitch-black tunnel.
No problem for Rita—she had Night Vision. If the incubus went hunting at night and still needed a lantern, that would be laughable.
Then she caught a whiff of a foul scent mixed in the cold air.
It was the nauseating stench of blood.