Vanessa noticed the odd expression on Hilia's face and a thought popped into her mind; she lowered her voice and asked, "Hilia, that strange magic puppet, does it have anything to do with you?"
Faced with something she'd done herself, Hilia decided to come clean.
"Yes, that strange magic puppet was indeed brought here by me."
Although it was under the guidance of a god, it was ultimately carried out by Hilia, so what she said wasn't exactly a lie.
Vanessa was taken aback, about to say something when City Lord Puniel burst out laughing, saying, "This matter has nothing to do with Miss Hilia—it was our oversight and nearly got Miss Hilia hurt. It's our fault, really."
Vanessa recalled Hilia's explanation at the inn earlier and said, "That shadow mage is an expert at assassinations—even I might fall for it if I'm not careful. If you were the one who attracted him, why didn't he just come for you directly?"
