"Well then, miss…" I casually spun the sapphire between my fingers. "How about a million Stellars?"
Shoot for the stars, they say.
"A million?" she repeated softly.
Then she nodded.
"...Okay. I can do that. Follow me."
Wait.
What?
No negotiation?
Is this what doing business with rich people feels like?
I narrowed my eyes slightly before following after her.
"So, miss," I said casually, "what exactly do you want with this dusty sapphire anyway?"
"U-Um… my father really likes gemstones like this one," she answered quickly. "I came to buy it for him."
What an unbelievably bad lie.
First, she instantly agreed to a million Stellars.
Second, her expression screamed desperation.
And third…
Nobody chases after a random sapphire like this unless it's important.
This girl was a big shot.
Possibly a very dangerous one.
Maybe this deal carried more risk than it was worth.
"Boss," Alice whispered quietly beside me, "the knights are watching us."
I glanced toward a nearby shop window.
In the reflection, several Imperial Knights were subtly following behind us.
Yeah.
That's definitely not suspicious at all.
"Lily," I muttered quietly.
"Mm."
That single sound was enough.
Her Phenomena was active.
Meaning she'd already confirmed they were targeting us specifically.
Not good.
BANG!
A gunshot suddenly echoed through the street.
People screamed.
Crowds scattered instantly.
I turned sharply.
Lily stood several meters back with her rifle raised, smoke drifting from the barrel.
"Sniper," she said calmly.
Great.
Even better.
"Alice!" I shouted immediately. "Grab the girl and run!"
Without waiting for a response, I dashed straight into the crowd, weaving between panicked civilians while searching for an escape route.
Behind me, I caught another glimpse of polished silver armor.
Imperial Knights.
Why the hell were these assholes chasing us?
I shoved through a narrow side street before slipping into a butcher shop near the corner.
The smell of raw meat hit instantly.
Perfect hiding place.
I approached the counter quickly.
"Oye, jefe, ¿puedo usar la puerta trasera?"
I slid several coins across the counter.
The butcher stared at me for a moment before silently pocketing the money.
Then he jerked his thumb toward the back.
Good enough for me.
I moved through the rear exit and entered an abandoned building connected to the alleyways beyond.
One of our fallback meetup spots.
The others should already—
"Boss, you're here."
Right on time.
I looked around the room.
Alice.
Roy.
Lily.
And the blue-haired girl.
Everyone seemed fine.
Good.
I leaned against the wall before turning my attention toward the girl.
"Now," I said calmly, "how about you tell me who you really are?"
She visibly flinched.
"M-My name is Ovanyie…"
I stared at her silently.
"You know that's not what I'm asking."
She looked genuinely nervous.
Honestly, I wasn't even trying to be intimidating.
"What's your real identity, princess?"
"…Princess?" she repeated weakly.
The reaction was immediate.
Too immediate.
Wait.
Don't tell me—
"You're actually a princess?"
Her expression froze completely.
Like I'd just exposed the single biggest secret in the kingdom.
"…For real?"