I looked at Elric in earnest and waited for his reply. He was thinking about it, I can almost see the gears turning inside his head. I waited patiently and hoped that for some miracle, he would accept the request.

"Wisteria Kingdom is just at the borders of the empire. It's far away but it's not impossible," he mumbled.

I suddenly found a glimmer of hope after hearing him.

"Though this is the first time to get such a request but... It could work," he added, making me more hopeful than I already was.

"Really? How much would it be?" I uttered in a much higher pitch due to excitement.

You can't blame me here guys, okay?

Elric smiled in response, "The lady doesn't have to worry. You already paid us a lot last time."

My brows furrowed because of that. How much did I give them last time anyway? I just casually threw a bag of gold coins and I don't even know how much was in it.

"Is it enough? It's quite far, you know. What about the resources?" I voiced out my concerns.

They have to travel there so they need a carriage. Who knows how many days it would take until they reach their destination? Then there's food and lodgings and more stuff. They really won't ask me for more money?

"As I've said. The lady doesn't have to worry about it," Elric insisted.

,

Well, okay. If you say so, Mr. Elric.

Elric whipped out a parchment and a pen before placing it in front of him. He then looked at me expectantly.

"Let's talk about the mission in more detail..."

We then proceeded to dive more into it, pointing out the things I wanted them to look into specifically and etcetera. I just said the most basic thing that I know about those people or lack thereof that is the kingdom they are living in and their family name. That's it.

Seriously, that is it. Well, I did tell him about their food business so they can pick out who they are quick and won't have to spend more time looking for them.

Basically, I asked them to look into their family history but to focus more on the current breathing Castello members. I told them to just investigate the person who had put out the idea about the food thing and to pay more attention to that person. I don't need anything except for whoever that was. That's what I repeatedly said and I hope he got that part.

Elric was busy writing on the parchment while I busied myself looking around the room again. It's a small room but it could certainly accommodate five people easily. Any more than that though, it would get too cramped.

There is decent furniture, one long wooden sofa on the wall side, a table, and two chairs. Aside from that, the room is technically stripped off.

My eyes wandered to the door and thought to myself. The last time I came here, Lukas had seen me. That meant he was present at that time or maybe someone told him, who knows. But it makes me wonder if he's also here?

Is he here somewhere? In one of the rooms? Or in a separate room reserved for him? Does he know I visited again?

Wait... Why am I worrying about that?

I bit my lower lip and immediately cleared my mind. Why am I thinking about that perverted guy?

Elric finished what he was writing and went over all my demands to me again, confirming the mission. After that negotiation, Elric escorted us out.

–**

Elric watched the carriage leave the premises and when it's no longer in his line of sight, whirled around and returned to the guild. When he walked in, Roy immediately ran to his side to inquire about the woman just now. He looked like an excited child, brimming with curiosity.

Not just him either, the people who recognized her were also very curious.

The others who weren't present at that time had heard the tale from the mouths of one of them and we're also genuinely interested. Given the fact that it was literally a well-known topic within them because apparently, that woman shut the infamous mercenaries up. She stood up against Shun and Seis, who are both elites, and was just generally a badass woman, that's what Oli and Roy said.

"Hey, hey! That's the lady from before right? Why is she here again? Does she have another mission for our guild? Hey!" Roy chattered up, his blond hair had been pulled back and revealed a fair face that resembled more like a girl.

He hates being called out for his face and gets really mad when someone does. Not to be deceived by his appearance. He may look like that but he's actually a very competent assassin. So if you want to get mashed like a potato, tell him he looked pretty and your wish is his command.

Elric clicked his tongue and stared him down. He's taller than Roy, which is also one of his pet peeves. So if you're looking for a sure way to die, tell him he looks really pretty and that his height is cute. Call him a girl, go on.

"Why are you being so fussy?" Elric frowned.

"Come on! Tell us!" Roy grinned cheekily.

When he first saw the woman come in with her bodyguard, he immediately recognized who she was. She wasn't wearing a cloak this time, so as soon as her face was seen, he knew her right away. She's also still wearing a fancy dress that caught their attention because it looked really conspicuous. Actually, not only the dress but her in general.

Who wouldn't? A beautiful woman just walked right in front of them, any man would obviously turn to look at her.

Just like before, her presence seemed out of place within the room full of hot-blooded men like them. They have women in their group but they are all as rough as the rest, not really behaving like how a dainty lady would.

'There's nothing dainty about her though...' Roy thought to himself.

"She wants us to go to Wisteria and investigate a family. Who among you would like to take this mission?" Elric informed the rest in a clear voice.

There was a collective of responses from the mercenaries.

"Haah? The Wisteria Kingdom?"

"Isn't that far?"

"Investigating you say? That's not how we do business... right?"

"Didn't you hear? Last time she came here to investigate someone too."

"But Wisteria..."

Elric watched everyone's reaction and noted it down. It's expected that there would be unwillingness because their mercenaries are honed to take down people or do risky tasks. Investigating wasn't really their forte. Some people do menial labor such as that but only the direct subordinates of their guild master.

In all honesty, he only accepted her mission because he remembered how the master acted after hearing what she had for them last time. He actually took the mission himself.

He did it or maybe the Greywolf twins did. But the fact that the master took it upon himself to have it done, it's probably not just on a whim. There could be a reason. After all, the master is not a person who would do something that would only waste his time.

"Nevermind it. I will tell the master about this and see what he thinks," Elric brushed it off.

Roy blinked and nodded gravely, "Ahh... The master huh... He did THAT after all."

"That's right..." Elric seconded.

One of the few mercenaries got curious, it was Oli.

"What? What did the master do?"

Neither of them answered, ignoring him.

"Hey!" Oli exclaimed and pestered Roy afterward.

With that, Elric made up his mind and went to the other room to write a letter so he could then send it to the master.