Odd (2)

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Jeffrey looked at Scarlette as the man looked around the area and he just finally noticed that they were at a place few people would come by and then, when he thinks that no one would meddle with their conversation, the Marquis took something on his sleeves, and he pulled out an artifact item.

Scarlette, on the other hand, recognized the item within Jeffrey's hands and just waited for him to activate the item.

Jeffrey pressed the center on the medallion-like artifact item and afterwards, an emerald magic circle activated beneath them and the crimson-haired woman knew that Jeffrey activated a sound barrier that would block any voices from the outside and no one would eavesdrop to their conversation during this time.

'It seems like this mission that I took is something out of ordinary based on Zenon's expression earlier. He knows something about this particular mission that I had with me.'

Scarlette thought and when the barrier has been activated, the Marquis looked at the crimson-haired woman as he starts to explain.

"The reason that I'm here at Mirken city in the first place is because of the Fordel Village. I am here to investigate and find additional information that I already have in my office back at the Capital city."

Scarlette looked at him with wide eyes because she didn't expect that this mission would reach the Marquis' ears, and she felt that something wasn't right either.

"The information on your part, may I know?"

The crimson-haired woman asked him, and Jeffrey could only sigh in defeat as he nodded.

"I shouldn't disclose this matter to anyone, even to you, Scarlette. However, that would no longer be the case since you're now involved with in and also, I'll be needing your help as well, so I'll tell you."

The Marquis said and Scarlette crossed her arms around as she waited for the Marquis to continue.

At that point, he sighed once more as he continued; "A report came to my office regarding the Fordel Village. According to the statement reports that I received, the Fordel Village was far away from the borders of the Empire—"

"What? Far away from the borders of the Empire? I thought it's in the mid-border? What's going on?"

Scarlette cut him off when she heard something that caught her attention.

At that point, Jeffrey looked at her with perplexed expression and frowns because of what she said and ask; "What are you talking about?"

Both of them looked at each other with the same perplexed expression on their faces and the crimson-haired woman clicked her tongue in annoyance under her veil because of this situation.

"Does the information you had is a reliable one? Where did that report come from anyway?"

She asked the Marquis to re-confirm those reports that he had within him and Jeffrey answered without hesitation.

"I have some of my men that were stationed within the borders of this Empire since those became under my jurisdiction as per His Majesty's orders when I became the Marquis."

He paused for a moment before he continued; "I have received tons of reports every day, and most are could only solve for trivial matters but what caught my attention is about the report regarding the Fordel Village."

After that, the Marquis sigh and then looked at the crimson-haired woman and ask; "How about you? Do you have something to share about this matter, Scarlette?"

Scarlette, who was thinking about the information that the Marquis shared with her, heard what he said and nodded as she speaks; "Back in the guild at Crown Capital city, the information that was given to me was about the location of Fordel Village and it was stated there that it's within the mid-borders of the Empire and just crossing two cities from Mirken city that we would reach that village."

After that, the crimson-haired woman suddenly remember a certain sketch from the archive reports from the guild that was provided for her and then she took it out from her pocket and then show it to the Marquis.

When Jeffrey saw the sketch report from the crimson-haired woman's hand, he took it and observed the almost blurred sketch report.

"This is the sketch report from the guild and although it wasn't that clear but upon inspecting that sketch report, there is truly something beneath that village and that's why I personally took this mission."

After she explained her part, for some reason, Jeffrey looked at her with a more perplexed expression on his face and then looked back at the sketch report within his hands.

For that moment, the Marquis sighed as he held his temple to massage his forehead as he frowned once more because of this unexpected additional information that Scarlette provided.

"This doesn't make any sense, Scarlette. I've been here in Mirken city for days now and according to my investigation, there is no record about the Fordel Village within the Empire."

As soon as Jeffrey said those words, the crimson-haired woman's eyes widened in shock, and looked at him as if he said something that was out of the line.

"W-what? A-are you… H-hold on the second!"

The crimson-haired woman couldn't find her words because of the new information provided by the Marquis, and she almost lost her composure because of that but after that, she managed to calm down for a moment and asked him once more.

"… So, you're saying that…. There is no record of that village in the Empire? Is that it?"

Scarlette asked him and Jeffrey nodded with a grim expression on his face and said; "Yes. There is none. That's why I was shocked upon learning that you took a mission regarding that village."

After the Marquis said that the crimson-haired woman didn't know what to think anymore because for her, things got pretty messy because of this kind of mission and this wasn't the first time she received this kind of complicated mission but rather, she truly find it odd about this matter.

"If that is the case then, someone posted this request on the mission board with a purpose, and I don't believe this is a mistake that our receptionists had done in our guild."

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