?”I didn’t directly engage with anyone, so it’s not necessary,” Howard responded.

He had watched Vivia examining Greg.

Although she hadn’t looked at private areas, she had inspected almost everywhere else…

While such thoroughness was acceptable for a physician, Howard felt somewhat uneasy at the prospect of undergoing the same examination.

“No…”

Vivia was about to speak when another voice came from the direction of the door, interrupting her.

“No, you must be checked too!”

“Shopkeeper!”

“Shopkeeper Antalya.”

Their gazes shifted towards the door, where they saw Antalya standing at the entrance!

“Shopkeeper… weren’t you supposed to ensure Harry’s safety? How come you’re back already?” Howard asked, observing Antalya’s composed face.

“We’re under suspicion. Harry believes someone leaked information, allowing Red Eye to make such targeted arrangements,” Antalya explained calmly.

“We’re also suspected of being spies… or rather, that there is a spy among us.”

Although Harry hadn’t explicitly said so, his implications were clear.

Without waiting for anyone to speak, Antalya continued, “Given what’s happened, it’s not unreasonable for Harry to suspect us. But we can’t let that disrupt our focus. I’ve come back to organize our next course of action!”

“This time, we’ll operate independently from Harry.”

“Our mission is no longer to act as bodyguards, but to rescue Lilianne! Let me make it clear, this quest comes without reward, as it’s a corrective action for our mistake! Moreover, we can’t afford another failure!”

“Vivia, how’s Greg? Can he continue with the quest?”

After explaining her presence at the inn, Antalya’s gaze shifted to Vivia. .𝒎

Greg was one of their main forces; if he could join the mission, their chances of success would significantly increase.

However, Antalya didn’t receive the response she hoped for. .𝒎

Vivia shook her head, “I’m afraid not… He’s still unconscious. Although there’s no immediate danger, it seems only the divine magi from Breeze City could help. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility of Greg waking up on his own. Matters of the soul are unpredictable.”

It wasn’t good news, but it wasn’t entirely bad either.

At least Greg himself wasn’t in grave danger.

Antalya nodded, indicating she understood the situation, then turned her attention back to Howard and Ali.

“So, now we only have the three of us available for combat. Prepare to face death, rookies; being an adventurer is not all fun and games.”

Antalya pulled out a pocket watch to check the time.

“In about fifteen minutes, it’ll be five o’clock. The three of us will take turns on watch, four hours each, ensuring two people are always on duty. We need to monitor the personnel around Harry’s home and Harry’s movements around the clock, catching the moment Red Eye contacts Harry!”

“Yes!”

Without any hesitation, Howard and Ali immediately affirmed their agreement.

Although waiting for the enemy to make a move might seem like a simple strategy, it often proves to be the most effective.

Antalya was certain that Red Eye must have an operational base in Lorinda, but without any clues, it was impossible to start searching.

However, as soon as he contacts Harry, he will undoubtedly leave a trail.

Following these traces, they might be able to locate that base and, consequently, find Lilianne.

Antalya nodded, “I’ll take the first shift with Ali, Howard, you’ll relieve us. Make sure to rest well in the meantime. We can’t afford any mistakes this time!”

As night deepened, the sun silently set, and the moon took its place.

The cloudy weather made the night sky appear hazy, a veil-like layer of clouds obscuring the stars, blurring the moonlight.

The scattered moonlight added a serene quietude to the world, as if everything were in peaceful slumber.

Yet, there are always some who find themselves especially invigorated at such times.

“Do you think… Red Eye will make a move today?”

Nibbling cautiously on a piece of freeze-hardened ration, Howard scanned the direction of Harry’s building, checking for any suspicious figures.

At this hour, anyone on the streets could be deemed suspicious, let alone someone with dubious intent.

In the depths of the New World, where magic techniques are widespread, life rhythms are entirely different from those in the Oli Kingdom.

However, such advancements haven’t reached this small locale, where people still adhere to the traditional schedule of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

Any fuel is precious here.

Aside from some essential work and life consumption, there’s no surplus energy wasted on lighting, much less on such luxuries as street lamps.

In the night, a dim, flickering light shines through the window on the second floor of the building, corresponding to the study’s location.

The unstable light, casting a yellowish hue, likely comes from an old kerosene lamp.

Harry hasn’t gone to bed; perhaps he’s reading, maybe sorting through his accounts, but more importantly, he’s waiting for a message from Red Eye.

Four days have passed since Lilianne was abducted, with less than a week left until the negotiated negotiation time.

Yet, Red Eye has released no news nor made any attempt to contact Harry.

Antalya can’t discern Red Eye’s intentions.

From what is known, controlling Lorinda appears to be Red Eye’s most coveted goal, the very reason he abducted Lilianne

—to use her as leverage to threaten Harry into cooperation.

From any perspective, this is a reasonable conjecture.

Red Eye could never personally manage Lorinda without drawing the frenzied assault of Breeze City’s army.

Thus, even if he were to take control of Lorinda from its current four stewards, he would need a puppet to stand in the forefront.

Harry is an excellent choice for this role.

Among Lorinda’s four stewards, Harry might not be the most powerful, but he is the smartest.

While everyone else hoped to satisfy Red Eye’s demands to preserve their own interests, he was the first to suggest seeking aid from Breeze City.

He saw through Red Eye’s true intentions.

If a bandit could be more easily satisfied than those nobles in Breeze City, he wouldn’t have become a criminal with a bounty of thousands of gold coins on his head.

Seeking help from Breeze City indeed requires sacrificing significant benefits, but without taking this step, they would end up losing everything.

A wolf will not spare the sheep, especially when the shepherd is away.

Since Red Eye wishes to prop up Harry as a puppet, he must control Harry’s Achilles’ heel.

Such as his only kin, his daughter Lilianne.

That’s why Red Eye abducted Lilianne.

Up to this point, Antalya’s conjecture seemed flawless.

Then, Red Eye should logically contact Harry next; otherwise, abducting Lilianne would seem superfluous.

Red Eye is not one to make meaningless moves.

“I don’t know… But, as the negotiation date draws closer, the likelihood of Red Eye appearing increases,” Antalya stated confidently.

The so-called negotiation was the time Red Eye had allotted for Lorinda’s four leaders to deliberate.

Antalya didn’t grasp Red Eye’s intention with this move, but this buffer period had significantly aided them.

Without it, Lorinda might already have fallen into Red Eye’s hands by now.

She didn’t believe that the nobles of Breeze City would engage in a direct confrontation with Red Eye for Lorinda’s sake.

Although Red Eye was merely a bandit, his strength and influence exceeded that of many Breeze City nobles.

If a real clash were to occur between the two sides, it wouldn’t be a matter that could be simply summarized as a bruise or a scrape.

Breeze City itself might even face a complete upheaval.

There’s another possibility Antalya hadn’t voiced: Red Eye had already contacted Harry, but they hadn’t noticed.

While Harry’s explanation was that there had been no contact yet, it didn’t rule out the possibility of coercion by Red Eye.

This speculation had crossed everyone’s minds to some extent, but no one had actually articulated it.

It was like Pandora’s box; once opened, only the shadow named “suspicion” would loom over the relationship between Antalya’s group and Harry.

For now, all they could do was wait and stay vigilant until Red Eye appeared, or until the negotiation ended and Lilianne’s value dissipated.

In the not-so-spacious study, Harry was hunched over, engrossed in his accounts.

He oversaw several storefronts, some located in Lorinda, others in Breeze City, or elsewhere, making regular visits to ensure business was running smoothly.

His ventures extended beyond the Lorinda mushroom trade, which constituted only a small portion of his income.

More often, these businesses served as conduits for forging new acquaintances.

Like Antalya.

Limited items always piqued people’s interest, serving not only as tokens of recognition but also elevating their status.

Harry excelled at making people happy, not through jests or clownish antics, but through his keen ability to understand the human heart.

Yet, at present, he found no reason for joy.

There had been no word from Lilianne.

He had commanded the militia to scour Lorinda for any unfamiliar faces or suspicious characters, but so far, their efforts had yielded no results.

He had been somewhat prepared for this; Red Eye was cunning, not likely to easily reveal his tracks.

Harry’s intention with this move was to signal to Red Eye how crucial Lilianne was to him, suggesting any demands be made directly.

.