"You are almost unrecognizable," Maurice remarked as he studied Damian closely.

Damian stood before a mirror, examining the disguise carefully. A thick fake mustache and beard now covered the lower half of his face, while a small dark mole had been placed on his right cheek. The sharp, noble features that usually made him easy to recognize were now hidden beneath the rough appearance of a hardened man.

He tilted his head slightly, observing his reflection from different angles.

"That woman must not recognize me under any circumstances," Damian said as his eyes remained fixed on the mirror.

After a moment, he lowered his gaze and turned toward the middle-aged man standing behind them in the small shop.

"Do I need more makeup?" Damian asked.

The man shook his head thoughtfully as he inspected Damian’s face once more.

"No, Your Grace," he replied. "The disguise is convincing enough."

He then reached for a small flask from the table and held it out toward Damian.

"But you should keep this with you," the man added. "It contains a special glue that is safe to use on the skin. If the adhesive from the mustache or beard begins to loosen, you can apply this to secure it again."

Damian accepted the flask.

"Thank you," he said, slipping it into the inner pocket of his coat.

Meanwhile, Maurice picked up a dagger from the table and handed it to Damian.

Damian weighed it in his hand, briefly running his thumb along the edge to test its sharpness. Satisfied, he slid the blade into a hidden sheath inside his coat near his waist.

"Let’s go," Damian said as he rose to his feet. "If we need anything further, we will return."

Before leaving, Maurice tossed a small pouch filled with coins toward the man.

The middle-aged shopkeeper caught it swiftly and gave a respectful nod.

Without another word, Damian and Maurice stepped out of the dimly lit shop and into the street.

Their destination lay deeper within the district, toward the grim building where their dangerous mission was about to begin.

As they entered the building, they found a chaotic atmosphere inside the main courtyard. Maurice stopped a worker and asked, "What is going on?"

"Assistant Zinov is found dead in a room," the worker replied. "Are you two here for business?"

"Yes," Maurice replied.

Just then, Zinov’s body was brought out by four men on a wooden stretcher, his face covered with a white cloth. The same lady with whom Damian and Eilika met a few days ago was at the front with two inspectors.

’So, his name was Zinov,’ Damian thought, recalling the man he had killed that very day.

"Do you suspect anyone in this case?" one of the inspectors asked, his tone firm as he studied the woman standing before him.

"No," the lady replied calmly. "Zinov had no enemies. At least none that I know of."

A few steps behind the inspectors, Damian and Maurice stood quietly, pretending to observe the scene like any other bystanders. Damian’s eyes moved carefully around the room, noting every detail, the tense atmosphere, the hurried whispers among the staff, and the strange calmness that surrounded the investigation.

Maurice leaned slightly closer to him and whispered under his breath, "The district inspectors clearly know about this place. Yet they have never bothered to investigate what really happens here. And look at them now, they are not even searching the building."

Damian’s expression remained unreadable as he watched the exchange ahead of them.

"Because someone told them not to," he murmured back quietly. "Which means someone powerful is protecting this business."

For a brief moment, the lady’s sharp eyes flickered toward Damian as if she had sensed the conversation. She stared at him carefully, her gaze lingering for a second before she turned back to the inspectors.

Once the officials finally left the building, the tense atmosphere eased slightly.

The woman turned to one of her assistants and instructed him to prepare the proper rites for Zinov’s body. Soon afterward, the place began returning to its usual activity as if nothing unusual had happened. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Not long after, a group of rough-looking men walked in. Their clothes were worn, their expressions hardened, and their presence immediately caught attention.

"Minerva," one of them called out, "did you arrange the girls for us?"

The question made Damian and Maurice exchange a quick glance before both of them turned toward the group.

"Lower your voice," Minerva instructed sharply. She motioned for them to follow her. Then her gaze shifted to Damian and Maurice. "And who are you two? I don’t recall seeing either of you here before."

Maurice stepped forward before Damian could answer. He raised his arm slightly and revealed the tattoo on his forearm.

"We belong to a brigand group," he said.

The men in front of them immediately stepped closer, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Which group?" one of them demanded.

Damian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he met the man’s gaze without hesitation.

"And why should we tell you?" he replied coldly.

The man opposite him chuckled at the bold response. Before the situation could escalate, Minerva stepped between them.

"You two will wait in the other room," she said firmly, cutting off the tension before it turned into a fight. Minerva gestured toward one of the employees standing nearby. "Take them to one of the rooms upstairs," she instructed.

The young man nodded and motioned for Damian and Maurice to follow him. Without arguing, the two men walked behind him toward the staircase that led to the first floor. The corridor above was dimly lit and quiet, far removed from the noise below.

The employee stopped in front of a wooden door and pushed it open. "Wait here," he said shortly.

Damian and Maurice stepped inside. The moment they crossed the threshold, the young man pulled the door shut and locked it from the outside.

Maurice immediately walked to the door and pressed his ear against it, listening carefully for any movement in the corridor. After a few moments, he glanced around the room and then nodded slightly.

"No one’s outside," he whispered.

Only then did he turn toward Damian.

"We need to save the girls," Maurice said under his breath.

Damian stood near the window, his eyes scanning outside as he considered their options. After a moment, he spoke.

"We need to go with those brigands," he said calmly. "If we can enter their group, it will be easier to get inside their circle."

Maurice frowned, folding his arms as he thought about it. "And why would they accept us?" he asked.

Damian finally turned to face him, his expression firm.

"They will... once we defeat one of their men," he replied. "Their leader will have no choice but to acknowledge us."

Maurice understood immediately what Damian was suggesting.

"That is the only way we can stay close to them," Damian continued. "And it may be our only chance to rescue those children."

His voice hardened slightly as the reality of the situation settled in.

"We cannot waste time. There are many young girls trapped in this place, and the longer we wait, the worse it will become."