The pedestrians in the southern capital of Schwarz all had their eyes stolen by a sight on the street walks. On the sidewalks of the busiest road next to the Daiban Camno palace, a banner fluttered on the sides. A grand shop had opened up its gates for the people.
With mannequins laid outside the doors, a minimalist logo on the banner above, the shop dab in the middle of the poshest street left behind the sense of richness that rest exuded. If complex and intricate architecture signified the way the rest of the city had been laid out, then this place alone could be called minimalist.
Only the lighting and the spacey layout were enough to make one attracted to the place. For ones who had been living in complexity to fight against their normalcy, something different existed yet in this shop. Beauty in pure simplicity.
The ones around hesitated to step inside, but there was yet another grabber for them to stop and stare.
Items made of pure leather tightened around the few mannequins, in flashy and bold yet classy and cold poses, the mannequins pulled the people in that had never seen anything so.
Some with different bags and plans in hand stopped and neared the mannequins outside the door. It was at that moment, the mannequins suddenly moved.
"Woah!"
"The heck!?"
The mannequin, clad tight in leather, invitingly waved its hands toward the shop and performed a short bow toward the customers.
"I-is it asking us in?"
"What is this… magic? Like this?"
"Maybe a golem? Why would a mage open a shop though?"
The sight that had been not seen before by the people had still led them toward correct assumptions. It indeed was a magic spell moving the mannequins. Psychokinesis, top of its class that no one but the person gazing at the store from the floor above could mimic.
"It seems people are starting to come in," sipping on her coffee while peering down the frosted windows of the second floor, Lady Sophia Mirxa spoke to Albert. Down below, the people of Dark Moon along with the manpower that remained for him had started to serve the customers.
Albert stepped toward the window too. People had started to flock in already.
A grand success.
But, he wasn't planning to make it last.
A twisted smile appeared on his face as thoughts of what came next filled his mind. Ah, to raise people and drop them down. What was a better fate for anyone?
None.
His eyes peered outside and he noticed someone in a long trench coat walking toward the shop, a small hat on his head.
"The Dark Moon's flyers worked…" he muttered. Once again in awe at the competency Eugene's cronies held. "The second business' first customers are here."
Pulling out a golden mask, Albert covered his face and stepped away.
It was time to greet a criminal.
"Lord Albert, if I may. That mask? Super pretentious. It honestly, and I mean you no offense, sucks."
Albert ditched the mask.
He'll just let the veiled one who looked cool like that handle it.
***
"Jackpot."
"Hey, sir. Are you done checking?"
Inside the carriage that I had invaded, posing as a guard, were hundreds of leaves of a herb that grew in the west near the Ediab forest. The herb itself was used in a concoction for the common cold, but here, demonic energy loomed all over it.
This was likely not grown normally, but through special means in the Mirxa territory.
"Sir? It's just the same herb as always. There's just been more of your people growing it so we have more."
The dots started to connect in my mind on their own.
I would definitely move similarly. The Fonias were planning to suck Mirxa dry for all they are worth, and once they would be done playing with Mirxa and reaping their benefits, they would use these demonic plants to frame them by claiming demon on them.
Intriguing.
I backed away from the carriage and nodded at Miss Irina.
"Good to go. Just checking if you guys got any drinks in here."
"Haha!" The coachman laughed. "If you want we can share one any day, sir. I'll buy wine from the north for you next time."
Albert was currently in the South. The Fonias' drugs and main family were in their ducal territory up north.
"You better," I said and waved the man away. The coachman shared a few more greetings before getting in with his comrades and whipping the horses to a strut out the city walls.
Irina walked over to me at that moment.
"Is that the one?"
I nodded and pushed her along, ignoring the other merchants for now by claiming a break. Irina and I rushed to the back of the gates and then hid into the woods once more.
"Move fast, we better catch up to them," I said, kicking off the stolen armor. I quickly put them back on the guards we had knocked out while Irina changed too and then, I made some water and doused the knights' face before dashing away.
For them, it would likely be a short dream as per Irina.
The two of us left the knights behind and dashed through the forest. It was a little annoying to see her struggle while running as she resisted using more of her sorcery, so I swooped us both on a shield and followed behind the carriage that had made its run.
Before I could even notice, three of the spirits from back there had also climbed on and were enjoying the ride.
"It's like a spy mission, huh?"
"Spy… I like that."
With the carriage ahead and us behind, the spy recon began.
And continued for two days.
I was once again reminded how slow carriages truly were.
It broke off the path heading up north after crossing into the North's ducal territory. On the borders, and then at almost every big city, the drivers and the exterior of the carriage changed, and with them, so increased their strength.
With the strongest of the drivers yet. The carriage entered a forest dense forest before arriving at a cave.
