Three days after the Grey Cat was captured, Tia instructed Viola and Lily to continue taking missions at the Stardew Church to earn Faith Gold.
Meanwhile, she quietly left Harris Manor and headed toward the Inquisition.
When she arrived at Mephia’s residence, Mephia closed the book in her hands before Tia could even speak.
She said calmly, “It’s time you fulfilled your promise.”
Indeed, seeking Mephia’s protection did not come without a price.
They had made an agreement long ago: Mephia would help her deal with the Grey Cat, and in exchange, Tia would unconditionally grant Mephia one request.
At those words, Tia’s heart skipped a beat.
Her long eyelashes fluttered twice in quick succession, like the wings of a startled butterfly.
A faint blush crept up quietly from behind her ears.
She turned her head slightly, as if trying to avoid Mephia’s direct gaze, yet she could not help but steal a glance through the corner of her eye.
Her voice became light and soft, carrying the reserved hesitation of a noble young lady.
“Tell me, what do you want me to do?”
Her two small hands toyed gently with the hem of her skirt.
Her demeanor was a mixture of shyness, expectation, and a faint hint of playing hard to get.
She seemed to be expecting the other woman to make a more intimate request.
Anyone who saw her in this state would feel a sense of guilt rising in their heart, followed by a desire to consume the girl before them — let alone the fact that this was a promise the girl had made herself.
However, Mephia’s next words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the rising spark of ambiguity.
“I suspect that the Western Commander of the Hela City Guard is in league with certain underground organizations, but the Inquisition does not have the authority to investigate the City Guard.”
She paused, her gaze lingering on Tia’s face.
“So, I can only entrust this to you.”
The carefully nurtured blush on Tia’s face froze instantly before receding like the tide.
She blinked, seemingly needing a moment to process a request that was completely different from what she had anticipated.
Then, she asked with a look of slight confusion, “What do you mean…?”
“Under the pretext of inspecting the city’s defenses, you can inspect the Western City Guard. When the time comes, I will go with you and investigate that commander.”
As the daughter of Earl Harris, Tia naturally possessed the right to inspect the city’s defenses.
However…
Tia stared at the silver ring on Mephia’s finger and fell into silence.
After a long while, she looked up and asked in a near whisper, “Just this?”
There was a tiny, subtle hint of disappointment hidden in her voice.
Mephia was stunned for a moment, then frowned slightly as she asked back, “Otherwise, what?”
Her eyes were clear and frank, filled with pure confusion, as if she truly did not understand what else Tia could possibly be expecting.
Tia quickly averted her gaze, looking out the window at the sunlit sky.
By the time she turned back, her face was once again wearing the gentle smile of a noble young lady.
“Alright,” she replied softly.
Immediately after, she let out a light sigh as if talking to herself.
She lowered her eyes, letting her thick lashes cast small shadows on her fair cheeks, revealing a trace of faint disappointment.
Her posture was exactly like that of a noble girl who harbored secret feelings only to realize she had misunderstood the situation.
She quietly tucked away that ill-timed expectation, replacing it with a level of obedience befitting her status.
Tia performed that disappointment so naturally, fitting the character setting of a ‘noble girl who liked Mephia’ so perfectly.
It was so convincing that even she almost believed the turbulence that had just crossed her heart was merely due to her expectations falling through, rather than any other reason.
***
In the afternoon, Tia brought Mephia to the western district of Hela City, where the City Guard was stationed.
After revealing her identity, the guards at the entrance of the barracks stepped aside, allowing Tia and Mephia to enter and leave as they pleased.
Upon a simple inspection, they discovered that the barracks here were very clean.
The dormitories were spotless, the weapons were maintained as if they were new, and there was not even a foul smell coming from the stables.
Everything was as tidy as the exhibits in a museum.
The soldiers’ training was the same.
Not only were their formations precise down to the millimeter, but even the expressions on every soldier’s face were highly consistent.
That resolute and focused look was enough to broaden Mephia’s horizons.
However, when the soldiers were changing shifts, Tia accidentally noticed that they all performed a strange movement of touching their left chest, like some sort of bizarre ritual.
To investigate further, every time Tia tried to strike up a conversation with a soldier, an officer standing nearby would walk up to her and stop her with a formulaic smile.
“The soldier is currently on duty; it is not appropriate to disturb him.”
Aside from these areas, the rear of the barracks was strictly off-limits to everyone, including Tia.
It was not until the Western Commander of the City Guard, Zane, arrived that she was permitted to enter.
Naturally, the subsequent investigation of those areas yielded no results.
With Zane’s arrival, Tia and Mephia soon stopped their investigation and were invited into the guest room.
Commander Zane personally poured tea for them.
“I wonder how the Young Lady feels about her inspection of the city defenses this time?”
Zane sat down opposite them, his voice loud and carrying the straightforwardness unique to a soldier.
Tia picked up a delicate white porcelain teacup, her fingertips feeling the warmth of the cup’s wall.
A flawless aristocratic smile was on her face, and her voice was soft yet clear.
“With you here, I presume the western gate of Hela City must be as solid as a fortress.”
“Of course!”
Zane straightened his back, a look of pride appearing on his face, but he soon waved his hand modestly.
“However, this is also thanks to the Earl. It is because of his governance that there are no bandit groups near Hela City. Otherwise, even if we in the City Guard held the walls, the residents would be constantly worried when entering or leaving the town or traveling the trade routes. That could hardly be called true peace.”
Then, his gaze turned toward Mephia, who had been sitting quietly beside Tia.
A dark light flashed in his eyes as he laughed heartily.
“This lady… must be Miss Mephia from the Inquisition, right?”
Mephia lifted her eyes slightly, appearing somewhat confused. “Hmm?”
Zane laughed and explained, “No need to be surprised. The Inquisition’s capture of the Witch Grey Cat has recently spread throughout Hela City. As the City Guard Commander, I naturally pay a bit more attention, so I recognize you.”
After saying this, he leaned forward a bit and lowered his voice, putting on an act of being confidential.
“I heard that the Inquisition seems to have quite a headache regarding that Witch codenamed Nightingale.”
“She is indeed cunning enough,” Mephia nodded.
For some reason, Tia puffed out her chest a little at this moment, appearing somewhat proud.
Hearing this, Zane took a sip of tea.
After a moment of silence, he smiled and said, “As it happens, while I was traveling across the Empire in my earlier years, I became acquainted with a very powerful Witch Hunter.”
“They hunt those dangerous Witches year-round and are rich in experience. Their methods are, well, also quite special. I wonder if your Inquisition requires any assistance in this area?”
What?!
A Witch Hunter?!
Tia was startled inwardly, but she maintained an expressionless face as she took a sip of her tea.
‘Zane, was it? The Western Commander of the City Guard?’
‘Hmph, I see you have already found the path to your grave!’
As for Mephia, her gaze slowly moved from Zane’s face and finally landed on Tia.
“Miss Tia seems particularly concerned about this topic?”