In the Intis Consulate in Bayam, the City of Generosity.

Elaine sat in front of the dressing table, looking at her beautiful but slightly haggard self in the mirror, lost in thought for several minutes.

The time she spent escaping from the Black Death was filled with both anticipation and torment. She was afraid that she would be discovered by pirates and adventurers, captured by "Vice Admiral Disease" Tracy, and completely lose her freedom, never be able to return to her hometown and resume her original life.

It was not until she used her family's remaining connections to hide in her motherland's consulate and got a boat ticket to leave the sea that she relaxed a little.

But this was still not enough to make her feel at ease. She believed that only when she truly reached the Northern Continent would everything end.

Thinking of this, Elaine couldn't help but raise her right hand and stroke the skin on her cheek, which was not too white but healthy enough. She found that its fineness had improved a lot compared to the time when she was a maritime merchant. She had the illusion of turning back time and returning to her girlhood.

In fact, after entering the Intis Consulate, she had another option besides escaping from the sea, which was to cooperate with the Storm Church, the Loen military, and some spies from the Consulate, using herself as bait to capture "Vice Admiral of Disease" Tracy.

But she thought about it for a long time and finally gave up the plan. She even asked her family elder and friend who served as the military attaché of the consulate not to tell others that she was hiding here.

No matter what, she never caused me any substantial harm. Instead, she indulged me and satisfied me in many ways... except every night, every night... that was just on the surface... Elaine's cheeks suddenly turned red as she recalled.

Those intoxicating nights, the fiery entanglement of bodies, and the unimaginable joy, all flashed through her mind, so briefly that it was difficult to calm down.

Elaine took a slow breath and let it out.

She shook her head, letting the yearning for freedom, the nostalgia for her hometown and the longing for her loved ones occupy her heart again.

She looked at herself in the mirror again and rolled up her red hair into circles.

She then thickened and straightened her brows, intensifying the shadow to make them look more defined and deeply defined.

After this makeup, Elaine looked a little more neutral and very heroic.

She undressed, flattened her chest with strips of cloth, and put on a white shirt, black waistcoat, men's trousers and a frock coat.

Finally, she took off her silk hat and put it on top of her head, covering her red hair completely.

At this moment, she in the mirror looked more like a handsome young man than a woman, especially her emerald green eyes, which seemed particularly suitable for such a look, with a charming depth.

Elaine waited patiently for a while until someone knocked on the door.

She picked up her luggage, opened the door and went out, following the friend of the family elder all the way to the side door of the consulate garden.

A carriage was parked there, which would take her to the port, where she would board a passenger ship and head to Priz Port in the Kingdom of Loen, and from there she would take a detour back to Intis.

Elaine had extraordinary anti-tracking skills and carefully looked around, including the coachman.

The local native was skinny and strong, and didn't like to wear a hat. His facial features hadn't changed much from the last time I saw him. His expression was a little nervous, which was normal... After Elaine made the confirmation, she thanked the friend of the family elder, picked up her luggage, and got on the carriage.

As the wheels rolled, she pursed her lips and looked out the window, only to see the Intis sycamore trees flying backwards at a rapid speed.

This gave her the illusion of being back in Trier.

It is a sunny metropolis located in the area between the River Rhine and the River Serenzo. It has beautiful scenery, many varieties of roses, and developed humanities and arts. It is a holy place for painters, musicians, and families.

That was the capital of Intis, the first truly world-class metropolis after the reconstruction by Emperor Roselle. It was also Elaine’s hometown, where she grew up, and the city she often saw in her dreams and shed tears for.

After an unknown amount of time, Elaine suddenly felt something was wrong because the surrounding streets were becoming increasingly deserted and remote.

Although she had been a merchant for a long time and was not familiar with Bayam in the Sonia Sea, the Sequence 9 Hunter could give her enough alertness.

"Is this route correct?" Elaine moved and asked the driver cautiously.

She was ready to jump out of the car and condense a fireball at any time.

The driver did not look back, but looked at the road ahead and said with a flattering smile:

“My dear lady, this way is shorter and less likely to be congested.

"You know, Bayam was built many years ago. At that time, there were not so many people and carriages. Many streets were very narrow. Around noon and dusk, they were easily blocked. Walking was faster than riding in a carriage."

Is that so? Elaine thought about it and believed this statement because she had encountered similar situations in many cities.

Trier is still better. When Emperor Roselle renovated the old city, he had the foresight to expand the roads. Even today, they are still sufficient for use... Just as this thought flashed through Elaine's mind, she suddenly heard the stallion pulling the cart neigh, as if in pain.

"Wait a moment, it seems to have stepped on something." The coachman stopped the carriage to the side and jumped out himself.

Elaine didn't think there was anything wrong with this at first, but when she glanced out of the corner of her eye, she saw that it was a quiet alley with no one in it.

Her heartstrings suddenly tightened, and she was about to break through the carriage and roll out without hesitation.

Whether or not this was an overreaction, she felt it had to be done.

At this moment, a strong fear suddenly emerged from deep in her heart, as if she was being stared at by an extremely hungry monster.

The spiritual pressure made her hesitate and afraid to act rashly.

Then, she heard a deep voice:

“I won’t hurt you.

"I'll ask some questions."

Elaine's mind was full of thoughts, and she quickly weighed the various options available to her.

In the end, she did not flee blindly. Under the huge and terrifying pressure, she sat back in her original position.

She planned to adjust her action plan little by little depending on the situation.

The carriage door opened, and the skinny and sturdy native driver came up and sat opposite Elaine. It was the Faceless Man Klein.

——In order to play the role of the coachman, he practiced how to control the horse and the vehicle, which was a skill he had not yet mastered in the Tingen Night Squad. Given the tight time, he did not fully master it, so he had to use the breath of "creeping hunger" to successfully make the horse obedient.

At the same time, Danitz, who was hiding nearby, ran over, sat in the driver's seat, and started driving the vehicle.

He had his round-brimmed felt hat pulled low on his head and was dressed like a real coachman.

Elaine bent her back slightly in alertness, ready to pounce like a cheetah at any time.

She felt the man's eyes opposite her slowly sweeping over her forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, neck, chest, waist, abdomen and legs, making her extremely uncomfortable.

She had seen similar looks and similar ways of looking in Intis, in Trier, and in the days when she was traveling on the sea. They belonged to hooligans, disgusting guys, and full of lust.

But this time, she strangely didn't feel insulted, nor did she think that the other party wanted to tear off her clothes or was fantasizing about some abnormal scene.

Instead, it was more like studying food... It was as if a cold and slippery snake was crawling against my skin... Elaine finally couldn't bear it anymore and took the initiative to speak:

"What do you want to ask?"

Klein, who had fully grasped the other person's physical features, leaned forward, rested his arms naturally on his thighs, and clasped his hands together half-real and half-virtual:

"Have you heard of Jimmy Neck?"

Elaine recalled for a few seconds and shook her head firmly in denial.

She frowned slightly and asked in confusion:

"Did you find the wrong person?"

"He's a wealthy businessman who likes collecting. Have you heard of someone like him from Tracy?" Klein asked again.

Tracy... Elaine sighed secretly and responded seriously:

"No, she never mentioned any wealthy businessman who liked collecting."

Klein looked into the red-haired girl's eyes and said in a moderate tone:

"Then are there any ancient documents from the Balam Empire in the southern continent in her room?"

"No, she is not someone who likes to read these materials. She hates reading so much that she even has to ask me to read to her." As she spoke, Elaine smiled bitterly.

"What does she watch?" Klein asked without changing his tone.

"Roselle's classics, and the love stories that are popular nowadays." Elaine answered frankly.

Klein nodded:

"Does she have a collection room?"

"Yes, but except for her and a few mysterious visitors, no one else could enter, including me," Elaine recalled.

Klein was silent for a few seconds, and said without changing his posture:

"Tell me your story."

"Mine?" Elaine pointed at herself in surprise.

Klein nodded slightly and didn't repeat himself.

Elaine was stunned for a while and said:

“My story is simple.

“My father was a member of the former royal family of Intis, the Soren family, and he received a considerable amount of wealth, but he became addicted to alcohol, mistresses, marijuana, and gambling, and eventually went bankrupt.

"In order to repay my debts, I chose to accept some of the conditions of my family, became a Beyonder, and went out to sea to become a maritime merchant."

PS: I have finally recovered today. I think I have recovered. Because I don’t have any drafts saved, this chapter has a few words and it has not been revised yet. I have to make up for it in the next two days.