The hand resting on her shoulder didn’t apply much pressure.
The temperature seeping through her clothing from the fingertips was slightly cool, but at that moment, the blood in Tia’s entire body seemed to freeze for a second.
She turned around stiffly, her face perfectly displaying a mix of surprise, as well as the bashfulness and panic of being caught in a secret by an acquaintance.
“What are you doing?”
Mephia’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it possessed a certain magic that left Tia with nowhere to hide.
As if only just snapping back from her shock, Tia blinked, her voice laced with a perfect blend of flustered intimacy.
“Me… Mephia? Why are you here?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you, Tia. What are you doing here?”
“I… I came out to buy flowers.”
“Then what were you doing just now?”
Mephia hadn’t seen it wrong earlier.
This Daughter of a Count had gestured for the flower shop owner to stay quiet, seemingly not wanting anyone else to know of her presence.
The behavior was clearly suspicious.
However, Tia had long since anticipated this question.
She pursed her lips, and a timely blush crept onto her fair cheeks.
At the same time, she lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.
Her voice dropped even lower, carrying the awkwardness of a young girl sharing a secret.
“I… I snuck out, you see. That’s why I didn’t want anyone to know. If my father or the Etiquette Tutor found out, I’d definitely be lectured again.”
Hearing this explanation, Mephia nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping across the empty space beside Tia.
“I see. No wonder you don’t even have a maid accompanying you.”
Her tone softened considerably, appearing to accept the story.
The tense atmosphere loosened with those words.
Tia silently sighed in relief, praising her own wit, and then asked in return:
“What about you? Why are you here? Did you also come to… buy flowers?”
The last three words carried a hint of playful probing, fully exhibiting the lively nature of a young noblewoman.
Unfortunately, Mephia remained indifferent in the face of such a perfect girl.
“I’m here to clean up someone’s mess.”
“Eh?”
“You’ll find out in a moment.”
Shaking her head, Mephia didn’t answer directly.
She simply retracted her gaze and looked toward the depths of the market, lost in thought.
—
Deep within the Bird and Flower Market, inside a brightly decorated flower shop.
Thinking of Mephia’s almost contemptuous suggestion during the meeting, an irrepressible rage kept surging from the depths of Raymond’s heart, causing him to grind his teeth and glare with fierce eyes.
No matter what, he had to achieve results today and crush that woman’s assertions!
Moving from the shop entrance to the counter, he slammed his Inquisitor badge heavily onto the surface before shouting to the surroundings:
“Inquisition business! Everyone else, get out of here!”
The few scattered customers in the shop shrunk their necks like frightened mice and hurriedly bowed their heads to slip out the door.
Behind the counter, a tall, thin man wearing gold-rimmed glasses slowly turned around.
He held a piece of velvet cloth and was wiping a beautiful purple plant.
Upon seeing Raymond, his lips curled into a cold, indifferent smile.
“Sir Inquisitor, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to drive away my guests the moment you enter? This is a small business; it can’t handle such a disturbance.”
Raymond waved his hand impatiently to interrupt.
His gaze swept through the shop as he sneered, “Stop talking nonsense. You aren’t just a flower shop owner, are you? According to our investigation, you’re also a famous Magical Creature Dealer in the North Black Market. Am I right?”
The man didn’t stop his wiping motion.
He only lifted his eyelids, his tone infuriatingly flat. “And? I pay my taxes.”
He emphasized the word ‘taxes’ slightly, as if implying something else.
Raymond didn’t care to think that much.
Enraged by the man’s attitude, he slammed a palm heavily onto the counter and roared:
“Don’t play word games with me! Hand over the list of customers you’ve traded with! Especially the recent ones! Otherwise, I don’t think you’ll be able to continue living peacefully in Hela City!”
Hearing this, the man finally put down the plant.
He looked up, his eyes circling Raymond and the Inquisitors behind him.
The faint smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by something dark.
“Over the years, the tributes I’ve given the Inquisition haven’t been small, right? Are you planning to kill the donkey once it’s finished the work, or are you just trying to make an example of me? Or has the Inquisition finally decided to seize the business here?”
“Tributes? Hmph, preposterous! I’m warning you, don’t try to slander the Inquisition!”
His eyes flickering, Raymond didn’t want to linger on that dangerous topic.
He drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at the man’s face.
“Hand over the transaction list quickly! Otherwise, you can just obediently come back to the Inquisition with me! The torture devices there haven’t been used in a long time; I’m sure they would be very happy to pry your mouth open!”
“Is this the attitude you use to negotiate a deal?”
Shaking his head, the man looked at Raymond with a hint of pity.
“The customer is God; that is the foundation of doing business. I will not betray my customers’ information no matter what. Besides, out of ten customers who come to trade with me, nine and a half of them won’t use their real identities.”
“Even if you use torture on me, even if you kill me, I cannot say who they are or what they want with my monsters. So, please go back, gentlemen. Why waste time here?”
The man spread his hands, looking helpless.
This caused Raymond to lose his patience completely.
“Move! Take him down! Also, seal the shop; not a single item is to be missed!”
The moment the order was given, the Inquisitors behind him immediately channeled their Magic Power, casting Binding Magic toward the man.
However, the last trace of feigned helplessness vanished from the owner’s face, replaced by a chilling mockery.
He shook his head and muttered to himself, but his voice clearly reached everyone’s ears:
“Tsk… I’m really being looked down upon.”
He waved his hand, and the two incoming spells quietly shattered.
Immediately after, he gave a light chuckle and turned to walk toward the back room of the flower shop, leaving only one sentence floating in the air.
“I’ll let you keep yourselves busy for a while. Come out, my pets.”
*Boom — !*
In an instant, the walls and floor around the shop were covered in cracks.
Raging Magic Power surged from beneath the earth.
Before Raymond could react, a giant spider leg broke through the floorboards and slammed down violently in front of him.
The Magic Power contained within it was comparable to the Silver Grade among humans.
Outside the flower shop, the entire Bird and Flower Market shuddered.
Following that, screams from the crowd began to rise one after another.
Countless Monsters crawled out from nowhere, swarming toward the people like a tide.