Going out in secret

Eliz strangely felt a certain satisfaction in spending, not that she didn't buy anything for herself. She also needed a few things but spent the most on her new employees. So, with folded arms and a satisfied expression, she watched her newly equipped people, all in awe of the things she had bought for them.

Raiana had received new armor that fit snugly and didn't restrict her movement in any way, which she needed as a Duelant. It was dark brown armor with dark green patterns and a dark green cloak tempered with mana. She had a helmet to go with it, which had to be adjusted a bit to accommodate her horns, but this way, it covered her forehead and temples. Naturally, she also got a new weapon more suited to her level.

Equipment was tricky in this case. The stronger you were, the better and more powerful your equipment had to be. Otherwise, the power of your mana could destroy it. Her original weapon was suitable for someone at Rank 1 but less for Rank 2. Over time, cracks would appear due to her mana usage, and eventually, the weapon or armor would shatter. If she were Rank 3 and using a Rank 1 weapon, she would use it once, and that would be the end of it if it even lasted at all.

Eliz wanted to learn more about crafting from Kuron later.

Alarr was given the same full-body armor, which was more robust than Raiana's. His armor was black, which definitely suited his character. He looked rather content, or at least Eliz thought so. He looked like some dark knight now.

The armor was scaled, and according to the merchant, it was made from the skin of Basilisk Rank 3. Eliz could only believe this, as she knew nothing about it. But since this was the main merchant class, no merchant would dare to cheat their customers.

Alarr, however, refused the new weapon. He just had the pommel of his greatsword replaced and had it repaired. Eliz assumed he must have some emotional attachment to it. Still, just in case, she bought the weapon for him without his knowledge and stored it in her ring, just in case.

Holm was the biggest problem. Being a defender, he needed his armor to be both strong and flexible so that it wouldn't fall apart when he transformed. Eliz ended up spending five thousand gold on Holm alone to acquire armor made from a monster called the Slime Emperor. Eliz didn't even attempt to imagine what such a creature looked like.

Nevertheless, she found solace in the armor being sturdy and flexible, providing protection and the ability to stretch when Holm transformed. The armor was expected to last him until Rank 4. Additionally, Holm didn't require a weapon since his entire body served as a formidable weapon, bringing further relief to Eliz.

Haidi, on the other hand, posed less of a challenge. Eliz provided her with scout armor, primarily composed of cloth, which offered a degree of concealment. Eliz didn't anticipate Haidi engaging in combat; instead, she required her to hide in case of a fight. However, Eliz did provide her with two daggers as a precautionary measure.

Eliz spent a total of fifteen thousand gold pieces on all the equipment. At least she felt like the money had been well-spent.

Raiana and Haidi were ecstatic, chatting animatedly about their new equipment. Holm remained quiet, but his confident demeanor indicated that he felt pretty good. As for Alarr, he was the only one who still appeared unchanged, although Eliz could have sworn she noticed him frowning less.

To say that the carriage was tighter than before was an understatement, though not for Eliz. She had plenty of room around her. Fortunately, the shopping was done, and now they would check into the hotel.

Eliz had chosen the fifth-best hotel, further from the center. She definitely didn't want to go to the most famous hotel, the Royal Cloud. The Royal Cloud Hotel was where important people from other countries stayed. And with the Festival of Lights coming up soon, it was likely that many people had already stayed there.

Eliz suspected that there would be a lot of nobles or even someone from the royal families present now. The Festival of Lights wasn't just an event for commoners but also a great place to make connections. However, Eliz wasn't going to involve herself in politics, nor did she need to increase her influence. At most, the only benefit it would bring her was the opportunity to raise more money somehow.

Some might think that once she acquired the Crystal Mine, she would have more than enough funds for her plans. Eliz didn't think so. There was never enough money in this case.

So they stayed at one of the top five hotels, which was further away from the center and thus reduced the chance of her meeting anyone important there. Eliz rented the three best rooms: one for herself and the girls, one for Alarr and Holm, and the third for her Guardian.

It was slowly approaching five o'clock in the afternoon, and Eliz was running out of time. She wanted to set the plan in motion no later than seven in the evening. So she decided it was time for dinner, then planned to retreat to her room, pretending to 'rest.'

They all dined sumptuously, and Eliz looked curiously at the Boulder team, who were gobbling up so much food that it disgusted even her guardian. The other people in the hotel restaurant openly stared and whispered, but Eliz didn't mind. Holm, being the biggest eater, required extra orders.

It was only when they began to slow down their eating that she had to ask, "You act like you haven't eaten in ages."

Alarr froze for a moment, staring at his plate. "We've been going through a... bit of a lean period," he said, looking down. Eliz wondered if he avoided looking at her to prevent spoiling his taste or if he was ashamed of displaying such greed in front of her.

"I see. So, it has nothing to do with you being infamous and no one wanting to hire you," Eliz couldn't help but want to twist the knife in the wound and turn it slowly.

Alarr finally looked up at her, piercing her with an angry look. "If you already know that, why do you ask?"

Eliz picked up her wine glass and slowly swirled the red liquid before taking a sip. "I was just surprised it was so bad that you couldn't even afford a proper meal. You may have a bad reputation, but you're not incompetent. And... you're not even insufferable. So, I wonder what the problem was?"

Alarr shook his head. "That's not important."

Eliz sighed at his reluctance and glanced at Holm and Raiana, but they said nothing and focused on their plates. She wasn't getting anything out of them today. So instead, she turned her attention to Haidi. "What about you, Haidi? Why were you so desperate for me to hire you anyway? And please, leave out the nonsense about the sick family."

Haidi looked up in alarm and rolled her eyes. "Th-that... you know..." She began to stutter.

"Relax. I've known it was a lie from the start. I'm not going to fire you," Eliz reassured her.

Haidi remained silent, eyes downcast, and Eliz sighed. She couldn't be mad at her, knowing she had Trail timid. But she wasn't thrilled about it either. Eliz was beginning to wonder if these things could be removed. Humans were malleable. Plus, she was young. Eliz estimated she was about fifteen. Sixteen? Still young enough to develop further.

"That... our family... didn't do so well in... business. So, to... help my family, I started working for the Mercenary Guild. To... support the family," Haidi finally gathered her courage and told her story. Eliz paid attention to her again. "Well, then everywhere... I heard that you came... that you came to the Guild and... well... you want to hire... um..." She looked hesitantly at the others. "Not exactly a good team. So I... thought... maybe... since I'm not quite good either... well, that's a chance. For... a better job."

Eliz glared at her but said nothing further. Was that all? No tortured past? Just wanting to help the family with the money?

"Of course..." She sighed. It might not seem like it, but Eliz still liked a good story with depth. She'd probably have to wait for them for now. She believed Team Boulders had a fascinating story. "Well... I have to congratulate you. You achieved your goal. For someone who can't even talk straight, you're pretty... annoyi... insistent."

Haidi smiled a little, probably mishearing her exaggeration. "I had to hold my breath... to force myself. And then I just panicked," she admitted. Eliz smiled at that. Haidi's only luck was that she didn't wipe her snot on Eliz's dress. Eliz had to correct herself. Haidi was easily startled, but she still seemed to have courage. "If you continue to show such determination, you'll do well," she assessed, which made Haidi's whole face light up.

Alarr listened to their conversation and raised an eyebrow at that.

*****

After the meal, they went to their rooms. Eliz turned to her guard. "Get some rest," she said and handed him the key.

"My lady, I must protect you," the older guard objected.

Eliz shook her head and pointed at Raiana and Haidi. "They will be in the room with me. I will have more than enough protection; you have also suffered today. Follow me everywhere. It's useless for you to stand outside my room." The guard hesitated, and Eliz sighed. "It is an order. Get some rest. Everything will be fine."

The guard looked at Raiana and Haidi before nodding and bowing. "As you command, my lady," he said and went to his room.

Eliz nodded in satisfaction, and when the guard was far enough away, she turned to Holm and Alarr. "Forty minutes. Then quietly leave your room and wait for us in the lobby," she said, then turned to her room. She noticed the guard still hadn't entered his room and was checking to see if Eliz would enter.

Raiana and Haidi followed her. "Raiana, rest briefly, but we're leaving in forty minutes. Haidi, you stay here as a backup in case my guard comes to check. You'll tell him we're asleep and that you have the first watch. Don't let him in, but I doubt he'll try to come in. I trust you can handle it, right?" she looked at the raccoon girl.

"Yes. Yes! I can do it," she nodded eagerly in agreement.

"Good." Eliz was satisfied with her answer and went into the bathroom. There she began to change. In truth, this was the second thing she was most looking forward to. She got out of her clothes and started putting on what she had bought today.

"Ah, yes!" she groaned in pleasure. "Finally, pants!" Eliz really hated all the dresses.

Sure, And she looked really amazing in them, and Eliz liked wearing them if it was just for an occasion, but she had to wear them all the time! The only exception was when she wore her riding clothes and trained with Alobela. Eliz had bought plain pants, a shirt, and high boots with stiff soles. All those heels were destroying her ankles! It all looked pretty normal, but up close, you could see that it was premium fabric.

Eliz ran her hands over her hips and then turned to look behind her. "Looks good. It's really too bad no one wears pants except the warrior women," Eliz commented, satisfied. She braided her hair into a simple braid and left the bathroom.

Raiana and Haidi looked at her in surprise, but Eliz lay back in bed and closed her eyes. It had been quite an exhausting day, and it wasn't over for her yet. She felt a little tired but couldn't deny that she had also enjoyed it.

Eliz had enjoyed planning, making arrangements, doing things... she had liked being so busy. Especially when she had had the opportunity actually to do those things; if Eliz had been at home, she would probably still have been at work at this time. At most, Eliz would have been making plans for the weekend, which would have basically consisted of staying home and recovering from dealing with people.

Eliz found this world much more interesting. Some things hadn't made sense, people had been strange too, and some situations she had found herself in had been entirely unexpected for her. But Eliz had to admit that she had experienced more things in her time here than in several years of her life. Eliz wondered if she would actually start to get homesick if she wasn't so busy.

Eliz began to feel like she might fall asleep, so she opened her eyes and sat up. Meanwhile, Raiana was admiring her new weapon, which resembled a thin rapier with a slightly wider blade. The crystals were sharpened and recessed into the handle, making mana channeling three times faster and easier.

Eliz felt a slight pang of jealousy. She wished she could still use mana properly or at least fight. Now she regretted not having learned how to use any weapons besides basic self-defense moves. The most she could do was expertly slice an onion without crying.

Meanwhile, Haidi was bouncing on the bed, her weight barely making a sound, smiling as if she were in some happy place.

Eliz shook her head and stood up, immediately capturing the attention of both girls. However, Eliz walked over to a large window that overlooked the hotel's inner courtyard, which had been transformed into an elegant garden. Of course, it didn't compare to the Roseblood garden, but it was still a pleasant sight nonetheless.

She could see a few guests walking or sitting around. Eliz grew impatient and started tapping her foot.

"What do you think of the war I told you about?" Eliz suddenly asked.

The two women were quiet for a moment, so Eliz spoke again. "Feel free to share your thoughts. I won't mind if you speak your mind."

Raiana hesitated. After all, Eliz was a noblewoman and her employer to boot. She had only been in her service for a few hours and was already having the time of her life, so naturally, she was apprehensive about speaking directly, even if she was allowed to.

But Haidi was a more honest and innocent soul who saw no hidden agenda behind Eliz's words and took things as Eliz said them.

"It's weird," Haidi said honestly. "I mean... I don't doubt... that you think so, but it's strange that... well... no one else knows."

Raiana cleared her throat upon hearing Haidi, and Eliz nodded in response, not acting offended that Haidi doubted her words.

"The thing is, it's hard to believe. You may be part of the Duke's family, my lady, but everyone knows the royal family has the best spy network. So...." Raiana hesitated.

Eliz smiled and looked back at them. "So you don't trust me, I see. Well... not that I expected anything different." Eliz really didn't expect it, and even if they didn't believe her, it didn't matter. After all, they were going with her for the money, which was a strong argument.

"Still, in theory, if you believed it and were in my shoes, what would you have done?" she wondered.

Haidi pondered. "Making a safe place for myself is a good move, I think."

Raiana looked at Eliz and wondered why she was asking them this. "Gaining personal power for resistance is also a good step." Eliz simply nodded again.

"And then I would help strengthen the kingdom," Raiana added.

Eliz turned her head thoughtfully and pondered; then she looked at Raiana. "Strengthen the kingdom? Can you elaborate?"

Raiana stood up and walked over to the window next to Eliz. "If the enemy actually has Mana cannons, it would be a disaster for our troops. In a case like yours, where you can't announce everything, I would look for ways to reduce the damage they cause. Or I would sabotage their progress."

Eliz listened to her, and suddenly something occurred to her. Her eyes lit up. "Haha! That's a good idea!" she exclaimed, slapping Raiana's shoulder in satisfaction, who looked at her in confusion.

"I'll just kidnap their scientists along with the research!" Eliz said out loud, smiling. "Hmm... first, I have to take care of things here. Luckily, there's still time." Eliz began to rub her chin thoughtfully. How great would having such mana cannons mounted on the fortress walls be?

Eliz finished the story only at the war's end when Gray, Selene, and their companions emerged victorious, conquering everything. However, the story continued, with more chapters stretching over the following eight hundred pages.

Eliz did not doubt that more trouble would follow. This ongoing war was just a side event where the heroes were meant to acquire additional abilities and connections. It would also serve to eliminate characters who were no longer relevant to the author's narrative. Eliz assumed the final conflict would be with the Demon Race and their Demon King.

Shaking her head, Eliz dismissed the idea of strengthening the kingdom as too strenuous. Stealing something sounded much more appealing to her.

She turned to Raiana and said, "Let's go."

*****

Four people dressed in dark cloaks walked out of the hotel door and down the alley. They walked for some time before one of the figures separated from the group, and soon a public carriage pulled up at their location. The sky was slowly darkening, but there was still enough light for the cloaked figures to attract attention.

The carriage began heading towards the slums.

Eliz pulled her hood back to avoid obstructing her view and looked at her three guards. "We're going to catch some street rats, but they won't give up easily. Feel free to give them a little beating, but no crippling or killing," she told them.

The others nodded to indicate their understanding. Eliz smiled and said nothing more.

Tyler may have been a Hybrid, but he was still part wolf. Eliz wasn't a delicate flower; she couldn't feign a sweet demeanor like Selene to win him over. So she chose the second option.

For a half-wolf, only complete dominance would work.