"Blaine, there you are."

The sharp click of angry heels echoed across the corridor. Turning his head, he saw a striking woman approaching, her expression clouded with irritation—the grand master of the Delberg Merchant Group.

She marched over briskly, brushing her hair back, her face set in clear frustration. Her eyes burned with accusation as she glared at him.

"I told you provoking the count would get you nowhere. Why do you keep getting under his skin? Do you know how much trouble you’ve «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» caused me?"

"Hah, and it’s fine for that old geezer to get under my skin?"

"The count is my business partner. I’d appreciate it if you kept those remarks to yourself."

At her sharp words, Blaine scoffed and turned his head dismissively. The grand master studied his face for a moment, then crossed her arms and leaned slightly, looking him over with suspicion.

"And one more thing..."

Her eyes narrowed, sharp with scrutiny.

"The fire in the neighboring town—are you certain that wasn’t your doing?"

Blaine’s expression twisted for an instant, but instead of confessing, he lashed out defensively.

"Oh, come on! I already told you it wasn’t me! Listen, grand master of the Merchant Group, the count’s not your only business partner—I am too. If you’re going to keep doubting me, how are we supposed to work together?"

His voice rose, tinged with anger. The grand master stood silent, watching him with calculating eyes, as if dissecting every reaction. Blaine gulped—her sharp instincts were infamous.

He’s lying.

Just as he feared, the grand master instantly saw through him. She knew his tell—whenever he lied under pressure, his voice would rise or his face would betray him. Predictably, the fire last night had been his doing.

Though she had hoped to use him a while longer, lying to her left no room for trust. Yet, for now, she decided to let the matter slide, smoothly shifting her expression to a smile.

"Alright, I apologize for doubting you. If you say it wasn’t you, I’ll take your word for it. But the Council’s here now—lay low for a while. Keep your movements minimal."

"I already know that, no need to remind me. And please, you really think I’m scared of the Council? I could wipe them out if I had to."

Watching him boast so shamelessly, the grand master barely suppressed a laugh. It reminded her of the first time he introduced himself as ‘Leonardo Blaine.’

"Either way, stay put. If anything happens, it’ll only make things worse. I’ll have the others monitor the situation and report back."

"Suit yourself."

Blaine shrugged nonchalantly. With that, the grand master turned and walked away, her face—now hidden from him—as cold as ice.

Is it time to get rid of him?

She had hoped to use him a little longer, but in the end, a fake was still a fake.

****

For the past few months, the grand master of the Delberg Merchant Group had been partnering with the man who introduced himself as Leonardo Blaine.

It all started when she was searching for a capable fire mage for an upcoming job, and an unfamiliar man approached, insisting she hire him. He even claimed to be Leonardo Blaine, as justification for his high price.

The name Leonardo Blaine was whispered in secret circles—among monster hunters, mercenaries, or those who needed personal protection when their lives were on the line.

As someone involved in trade, the grand master often heard rumors. Blaine's name surfaced occasionally—his mission success rate was nearly flawless, he worked fast, discreetly, and delivered results.

It would’ve been ideal if the real Leonardo Blaine approached her—but luck wasn’t on her side. Still, needing a fire mage, she reluctantly hired the impostor, paying him a little extra, even knowing he was a fraud.

For one, he wasn’t entirely useless as a fire mage. And more importantly, his stolen name allowed her to seal a contract with the lord of Frost.

The Delberg Merchant Group had plans to expand into Frost territory, and securing the count’s cooperation was essential. But the greedy, cowardly count was proving difficult.

That changed instantly when she brought along ‘Leonardo Blaine.’ The count’s attitude shifted overnight. It seemed the notorious name gave him the confidence to act boldly along the edges of the law.

From her perspective, it was simpler to employ someone already masquerading as Blaine, rather than hire another mage and pressure them to adopt the role.

No need to worry about silencing someone unwilling to play along—if things went south, she could claim she was also deceived.

Few dared impersonate Blaine. Without both the nerve to defy the Council’s surveillance and the skill to back it up, only fools attempted such a stunt.

In that sense, this man was both impressive and foolish—clearly experienced in deception, yet reckless enough to be predictable.

As she recalled his clumsy lies, her thoughts drifted to a peculiar encounter from the previous night.

An unfamiliar man, claiming to be a low-ranking member of the merchant group, had secretly sought her out.

She had hastily assembled the merchant group’s personnel before arriving here, so there were plenty of unverified recruits. She kept her distance from them as much as possible.

Low-level members were assigned to menial tasks in nearby towns, far from the count's residence or the fake Blaine. Yet, somehow, this man bypassed the chain of command, found her, and calmly stated:

"Two outsiders in the neighboring town are looking for Leonardo Blaine."

She almost screamed upon finding an unknown man in her room but quickly masked her shock.

"...Leonardo Blaine? Why tell me that?"

"Isn’t the fire mage you hired going by that name, grand master?"

A chill ran down her spine. That was confidential. How did a mere recruit know?

Feeling threatened, she moved to call her trusted aides, but the man pressed a finger to his lips.

"You know your executives can’t be trusted."

His words made her freeze. She eyed him warily, questioning his identity.

"Who are you?"

"I can’t say. Let’s just say I’m here to offer you an opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

She let out a hollow laugh. Tension coiled between them. Without warning, she drew the dagger strapped to her thigh, pressing it to his neck.

"Who do you think you are, offering me opportunities? Identify yourself."

The man glanced at the blade but remained unfazed. Gently pushing it aside, he met her gaze with a sly smile.

"...The man you hired as Blaine knows about this situation too."

Before she could even process his dodge, his words caught her off guard.

"...He knows?"

"Watch his actions. Decide for yourself what comes next. That’s all I can say. Don’t waste time."

"You—!"

Before she could react, the man knocked her dagger aside, opened the window, and leapt out.

She almost screamed but quickly silenced herself, rushing to the window.

It was the fifth floor—a jump from that height should break both legs. Yet, when she looked, the man had vanished.

She rushed to the door, intent on finding him, but was intercepted by the merchant group’s higher-ups stationed outside.

"Where are you going?"

Her senior aides carefully controlled her movements—almost like they were monitoring her. Seeing them approach, she hesitated to mention the man.

Countless calculations flickered through her mind. After a brief pause, she stepped back into the room.

"It’s nothing."

The unexpected midnight visitor left her unsettled.

He spoke of an ‘opportunity’ and clearly knew far more than he should. Though she couldn’t decipher his meaning, it was a perfect chance to test her business partner.

The fire mage performed adequately but was as unpredictable as the count. He was a constant source of unease.

If he intended to keep impersonating Blaine, she needed to see how he handled being hunted in that name. His recklessness with the alias could endanger them all.

And predictably, he disappointed her.

Setting fire to the town.

To make it worse, he lied—badly—and kept secrets from her, his employer. After their brief exchange, she left the count’s residence, heading out.

She needed more details about the arson—and to track down the mysterious recruit from last night.

She could’ve sent others, but frankly, she trusted no one in the merchant group.

The recruit knew about Blaine, and about the fractures between her and her executives—a low-ranking member shouldn't know such things.

****

Shortly after she left the count's residence, Hugo and Flynn arrived at Servia County.

Hugo furrowed his brows, sensing the tense atmosphere within the mansion. Soon, they passed through the grand front gates.

When the guards moved to stop them, Flynn produced a badge. At the sight of the Council's emblem, the hesitant guards immediately stepped aside.

One of them quickly dashed into the mansion to alert the count of their arrival.