Disappearances at the Port City

Luke stared at Chalice's side profile. How can someone as sheltered as her be able to discern such a situation when she had never encountered them before? He had already heard some rumors about the unusual events at Wyndham City. It was one of his concerns in this inspection. But Luke had never mentioned it to the Lady before. She has deduced this much merely by observation?

There was a nagging suspicion in Luke's mind. Had he been away from the capital for too long? Or is it that he just never realized Lady Chalice's abilities? Luke decided to not dwell on it. It was not such a matter that he cared much about. To him, Chalice was just Chalice.

"My lady is quite receptive. There have been rumors going around about Wyndham City. Despite how bustling it may seem, their population has actually dwindled."

Chalice paused and looked up at him. Her face slowly turning icy. For all the days, Luke has been observing her, he only came to a single conclusion. Chalice has become unfathomable. He couldn't figure out what she was thinking at all, much less what she's about to do next. Sometimes, she even makes him feel intimidated. Just like this time.

"Dwindled? How? Due to deaths or disappearances?"

Luke was surprised at her question. Has she figured something out already?

"Disappearances, my lady. People have continuously gone missing in Wyndham."

The air around her seemed to grow colder right after Luke replied. Her back tensed up. Her emerald eyes carried a glint of danger as she looked up at him.

"Those people who went missing, do they have similarities? Or any point of connection?"

He furrowed his brows. Even he didn't think of that particular detail.

"Apologies, my lady. I can't answer your question for I have yet to investigate these disappearances. However, I do know that they have put up a board which had listed down the names and a few information about the missing people."

Chalice waved her hand dismissively before answering.

"It's fine. Let's go check out that board. Let us just hope that I am mistaken, Luke. Or else we will be in a huge predicament."

As they were tied up together, Luke had no choice but to suck up being mercilessly dragged by the unusually grim Chalice. They arrived at the city square where a large board about eight feet tall was hung in a pillar by the city hall.

Luke watched as Chalice fervently went from one posted missing person to another. After going through every single poster, she cussed loudly while clenching her dainty fists. He didn't try reprimanding her this time. He could feel a sense of foreboding from her actions.

"Luke, we have a crisis in our hands. Damn it! I cannot believe that we have something like this in our territory. Really, what do these people take my Amaranth House for? A dead cat? Oh, I'm going to freaking exterminate these rats."

Chalice was huffing in anger as she lambasted whatever it was that caused her frustrations. Luke sighed and tried to calm her down. She seemed to have forgotten that they were in public. Her image of a lady is going to be totally ruined if Luke let her continue being this shrewish. Not that he minded, of course. Still, she was his priority. That includes her public image.

"My lady, I would be able to symphatize with your sentiment more if you explained what you have just found out."

She breathed in and out for a few moments before turning to him. Her gaze solemn.

"All of the missing persons were either teenagers or children. Their ages ranging from 8-16. Most of them were young women. Some were male children who were described to be frail-looking and effeminate. This not a simple case of mere disappearances, Luke. Someone is behind all of it. They didn't disappear. They were abducted."

Luke was dumbfounded. She figured all of that by just looking at the posters? He haven't gotten a word in before Chalice started to talk again.

"If my hunch about their circumstances is correct then most probably, these pitiful children were already sold off by now. Still, we need to investigate the manner of their disappearances to make sure of it. I might just be mistaken. After all, the details in these posters aren't sufficient enough for any conclusive judgement. Even though, I can't stand it if this goes on. If it is really a trafficking syndicate behind all of these disappearance, then as the Proxy Fief Lord I will take the necessary actions to eradicate them. If it wasn't, Wyndham is within my jurisdiction. In the end, I still need to deal with it no matter what."

He held her shoulders down and had her face him. Luke lowered his head near hers, their foreheads touching each other. His brows furrowed together. He knew what he was supposed to do. Why was she still so worried? It's enough for her to figure things out. If she even took it upon herself to make actions regarding this issue, what use was he as her right-hand man? Seriously, no matter how smart she was she would always slip into being a blockhead.

"My lady, please get a hold of yourself. We have people to handle this. Why are you so agitated? You have me to take actions for you. You only need ask."

Luke smiled when Chalice finally stopped her tirade. She looked at him dumbly for a long while before she brutally smacked his face. Luke was shocked and was about to retort kindly. However, he was stunned silly instead when she saw the redness of her cheeks. It was only then that he realized what he did.

Luke felt his cheeks reddening as well. What was she embarrassed for? Now even he was feeling embarrassed. He was totally innocent alright?

"Stupid Luke. Let's go already. Make sure to deal with this. Report to me of any information you come across."

Chalice harrumphed before turning away and once again dragging him with her.

---

"..."

A certain knight who was overlooked by two tied-up people who were caught up in their own world.

'The hell princess! Just because you have Luke with you now, you have forgotten about your cute knight. You're a traitor, Chalice! Traitor!"

Levi stared after them blankly as he robotically followed their steps. The two really have forgotten that he was with them all this time.

Levi looked up at the sky and lamented his wretched fate.