Since the Harin Family brought back the Dragon Egg of the Illusory Realm, four factions at Watchfort have been trying to seize it by taking advantage of the situation.
As a result, the Harin Family’s defenses have been extremely tight.
They even spent a huge sum to have Reg and Anderson locked up within the military barracks instead of the ordinary Watchfort dungeon.
If a student died inside the Watchfort, there would definitely be an investigation, but if someone died inside the military, it would be a completely different matter.
Any questioning would just be brushed off as a spy crime punishable by instant death.
Unfortunately for them, Truth happened to meet Reg and Anderson, so she couldn’t let the Harin Family bribe the interrogators to simply kill the two in the interrogation room.
“So tonight they’re holding a secret meeting at the Underground Exchange in the West District Market, and only the big shots with influence are invited. The Harin Family wants to use the Dragon Egg of the Illusory Realm to ally with a faction in the capital and stabilize their position at Watchfort, right?”
“Yes. Two of the factions eyeing the Dragon Egg will be attending as well, but no one knows when they’ll make a move.”
Reg and the others continued briefing Truth on the details.
It wasn’t until they reached the bustling West District Market that Truth waved her hand, signaling the two men behind her to stop.
“That’s enough. I know what I need to. You wait nearby for my orders. I’ll enter the Underground Exchange alone and get the Dragon Egg back.”
With that, Truth disappeared into the crowd.
There was no curfew in Watchfort like in Deya City, so even at night, the streets were brightly lit and lively.
“Reg, how do you think the Priestess will retrieve the Dragon Egg? Will she gather a group of Demon Hunters to storm the place, or offer a price even the Harin Family can’t refuse?”
Anderson watched the direction Truth vanished into and asked.
“I guess she’ll just kill everyone in the Underground Exchange,” Reg replied.
“Ah, that’s a bit extreme, don’t you think? Who do you think the Priestess is?!” Anderson gave Reg a disdainful glance. Oh, there was no point arguing with such a violent-minded old-timer.
In the market, Truth casually picked up a broom leaning against a shop and dismantled it until only a smooth wooden stick remained.
Good. Temporary Magic Staff in hand.
She waved it a few times—it felt surprisingly natural.
Following the route Anderson marked, Truth arrived at the underground district and, as expected, was stopped by two burly men blocking her path.
“Stop. Who are you?”
“I’m the Priest Mr. Evans called. He told me to find him in Room No. 1,” Truth replied, pretending as she waved her “Magic Staff” and casually healed a scrape on one of the men’s hands.
“You really are a Priest, but why aren’t you wearing a Priest robe? And Evans didn’t send anyone to escort you?”
The two men whispered among themselves.
Usually, only those with membership passes could enter, and those without needed a member to vouch for them.
They quickly aligned their story.
“Ahem, we know Priests like you aren’t dangerous and can easily be overlooked, so some people use you to deliver messages.”
“What do you mean?”
Truth looked genuinely confused and innocent.
The man on the left instinctively poked his hand.
“Heh, what I mean is, for safety, we need to conduct a thorough body check.”
“Huh? Body check… here?!” Truth covered her chest with both hands, clearly embarrassed.
“That’s right. Otherwise, we can’t let you in. Please cooperate.”
“Th-then… can we go somewhere more private?”
Truth lowered her head, clutching her “Magic Staff,” and hesitated slightly. Then she subtly pointed to a remote corner nearby.
The two men almost couldn’t hold back their smirks.
So obedient?
They immediately followed Truth to the secluded spot.
This little Priestess really was well-behaved.
Though small and probably not able to use much power, her mouth could still do some work—heh heh heh.
Besides, if they later refused to let her in, there’d be no risk. She didn’t have a membership pass, so letting her in would be like sinking into the sewers at the boss’s order.
What could a Priest do to them anyway?
The three—two big men and one small girl—ventured deeper into the corner.
Soon, the crisp sound of breaking bones came from inside.
Then Truth emerged alone, looking perfectly normal.
Tired of negotiating with horny fools, she twisted the heads of the two men without shedding a drop of blood and walked straight into the Exchange.
No one would find the two men’s bodies for a while.
Inside the Underground Exchange, richly dressed wealthy men filled the hall.
Some wore masks.
Whenever they passed by Truth, they gave her a puzzled glance.
Whose child is this?
“Uh… I didn’t even hide my face entering here. Will the news spread ‘Shocking! The new Holy Maiden actually shows up in a filthy underground exchange!’ or something like that?”
Truth touched her delicate face.
Forget it; let the rumors fly.
Time was tight, and the mission was important.
Truth pressed deeper into the Exchange, reaching the main hall where she quietly sat down.
She then activated [Enhanced Hearing].
The sounds of the entire Exchange poured into her ears.
“The noise is so messy and annoying…”
Before transmigration, the Assassin Panel skill would organize useful information into a neat display right before her eyes.
After transmigrating, she had to rely on her own ears and couldn’t filter out useless noise.
Even the sound of waste dripping into a puddle was crystal clear.
But to find useful info, she had to endure it.
“The meeting in Room No. 1 is about to start. Hurry up and gather the personnel to protect it… Where the hell are Zoltan and Rogers? Weren’t they guarding the door?!”
The Exchange’s boss was scrambling to prepare security.
One by one, the big shots from Watchfort entered the room, including Evans, who worked for the Harin Family.
“Are all hands on deck? If that pharmaceutical dealer dares to make a move, we’ll ambush them. The Dragon Egg cannot fall into the hands of the capital’s people. If the Harin Family backs them, our lives will be hell!”
A sharp female voice echoed from the room above Room No. 1.
It seemed one of the Harin Family’s rival factions was ready for a fight.
Was the ‘pharmaceutical dealer’ she mentioned Wells?
Anderson had told Truth that the Harin Family’s number one competitor at Watchfort was the black market dealer Wells, known for selling fake drugs.
His dosages were huge, acting fast but causing problems for users.
Rumor had it that over a dozen mentally handicapped adventurers at the West Street Charity Hospital were victims of his fake drugs.
After searching around, Truth finally found Wells at the Exchange’s entrance.
He had just arrived, accompanied by several muscle-bound bodyguards who looked somewhat dull.
“Listen carefully. When the handle points at someone, that person’s the target. Tapping the cup means get ready. Two cups stacked mean wait for others to act first. Cup upside down means cancel the action. Breaking the cup means we act ourselves. Got it?!”
Wells repeated his instructions.
“You idiots!”
Clearly, Wells’ men weren’t very bright.
Probably had to trade intelligence for brute force after too many fake drugs.
After grumbling and teaching the signals at the door, Wells and his entourage stormed into Room No. 1.
Truth followed close behind.
Good.
She had already figured out how to retrieve the Dragon Egg without getting a scratch.
Inside Room No. 1, Evans was discussing the Dragon Egg with his boss from the Harin Family.
They planned to publicly hand over the Dragon Egg to the capital’s faction to gain their support.
That way, they could intimidate all the underground forces at Watchfort while staying alert for attacks from rival factions.
Ha. Bring it on.
Don’t think I’m a fool who’ll host this gathering without any defenses!
Seeing his old acquaintance Wells enter, Evans immediately had them seated in the very center.
This spot was prominent, perfect for watching them make a fool of themselves.
Because the capital promised to secretly send two Intermediate Rank experts to protect the Dragon Egg and maintain order, Evans was so ostentatious.
He wanted to use this opportunity to wipe out all opponents at once!
This was a grand Hegemony Banquet involving multiple factions.
Everyone knew there would be deceit, but no one could afford to skip it.
“Yo, you even brought a kid. What’s that about?”
Evans noticed the little girl following Wells and thought she was cute.
Then he saw Wells say something to her.
She nodded, stepped back, and tiptoed to lock the entrance door.
Lock it?
The capital’s people hadn’t arrived yet.
Evans was puzzled by Wells’ logic.
Was he planning to release poison gas?
He quickly sent someone to unlock the door again.
Actually, the door was closed by Truth herself.
Wells just told her, “Get lost.”
Wells sat at the front round table and openly exchanged sharp glances with Evans.
His bulky bodyguards sat behind him, quietly murmuring Wells’ signals.
Humph! The Harin Family really has guts.
The Dragon Egg was discovered by five families together in the ancient ruins, yet this one family tried to monopolize it.
Now they even want to hand it over to outsiders for profit!
Just thinking about it angered Wells.
The other families felt the same.
That’s why they cooperated to attend Evans’ meeting.
Once everyone was present, then…
“Clatter!”
Suddenly, the crisp sound of a ceramic cup breaking rang out.
Everyone turned to the source and saw a little girl near Wells’ bodyguards accidentally drop a cup.
Nothing special.
But who brings a child to this kind of meeting anyway?
Wells was drenched in cold sweat.
The Exchange’s waitstaff were usually professional, and such low-level mistakes hardly ever happened.
He never expected someone to bring a child.
Luckily, his dumb bodyguards hadn’t noticed, or everything would be ruined…
No, whoever the kid belonged to, she had to be tossed out now.
What if she turned out to be an exception?
Thinking this, Wells immediately stood and tried to pull Truth out.
Meanwhile, Truth looked at the dull bodyguards with a puzzled expression.
Why no reaction?
Did they not hear?
She decided to break another cup to test them.
This time, she poked one of the burly guards’ arms.
He looked at her with a slightly open mouth and lowered his head.
“Ah?”
“Watch carefully,” Truth said, holding a cup.
Then she slammed it on the ground.
“Clatter!”