The capital of Targia was a city named Nea, after the kingdom's goddess. As one of the wealthiest kingdoms, Nea City was a place full of gold and roses.

  Not a single alley had trash, and not a single wall was dirty. Each building was designed like an architect's dream, and no one was dressed like a beggar.

  That is, unless they weren't from the city.

  Today, under the smiling sun and the cloud-free skies, a group of travelers walked through the heavily armed city gates.

  “Mind your steps. Do not cause trouble,” the guard gave the group a look, his eyes glowing ever so slightly of orange.

  “Aii~ don't you worry, we are men you can trust!” Someone from the group said, the ends of his hair dyed in purple similar to his lavender-like eyes.

  The group of travelers consisted of four men, and all of them were wearing cloaks. Although, the hoods of their cloaks had been lowered, lest they'd be denied entrance.

  “Make sure of that,” the guard nodded, before walking back to his post. From beginning to end, his face remained stoic.

  “Tsk, lads these days. They don't know how to have fun!” The man shook his head. “Come on, let's go. We have quite the story to tell!” He grinned, winking to his companions.

  Zethir's eyes couldn't help twitching.

  He, along with Hans, Earleon, and Julien, the man leading them, had traveled for a week before they reached Nea City. They were here as scouts.

  Hans and Julien were both spearmen, and their job was to run around the entire city. They'd find a suitable spot to breach the city walls and plant the explosive runes.

  They'd also act as a distraction for when Zethir and Earleon did their job—infiltrating the royal palace.

  The royalty of Targia was scattered thin across the entire kingdom, but the king remained in one place. Along with his queen and other wives, they stayed at the royal palace all year long.

  It wasn't due to a preference either. The king, his wives, and the queen seemed to be unable to leave the palace.

  “Zeze, Zeze! What's with the long face?” Zethir nearly stumbled when a hand slammed hard on his back. Glaring at Hans, he raised his hand to hold the hilt of his sword.

  However, he only swiped air.

  Naturally, Hans noticed this, causing him to roar with laughter. “Zeze! Smile, smiiiile! No one likes a frown!” He then “patted” Zethir's back a little “firmer.”

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Zethir smiled with all his teeth showing. Then, he moved his foot in front of Han's foot just as the latter lifted it.

  “Ah—”

  “Ah! Don't worry, Hannie. I'll do a great job!” Zethir forced three laughs, and then a thud was heard.

  Julian looked down at Hans, who kissed the road. “Tsk, what the hell are you two doing…”

  “Juju, help…”

  Julian's face darkened. Then, walking behind Hans, he jumped onto the man’s back.

  “Argh?! What the f—”

  “Wow! What a lovely morning everyone!” He bowed to the pedestrians walking by them. “What a lovely day indeed. Lookie beneath me, I present to you a way to increase your height…”

  Meanwhile, Earleon was standing a few feet away from the trio, his face blank.

  “What is happening…”

  “YOU THREE!” Suddenly, a stern voice entered the scene.

  “What are you doing?! You're disturbing the peace!” A city guard came rushing over, his face twisted like an oni.

  Earleon facepalmed, letting out a lengthy groan.

  ~~~

  After being scolded by the city guards, the four of them entered an inn to rest. It was already past noon. As soon as lunch was served, all of them dug into the steak.

  “Where can we set up our gear?” Hans asked, chewing on a mouthful of overcooked meat.

  It was like chewing rubber, with the taste of wood. Thankfully, his taste buds were long dead.

  Julian sliced a thin piece of the meat, before putting it in his mouth. Then, he gulped down, refusing to taste the abomination.

  “We should play our songs near the temple,” he replied.

  In other words, they'd scout the temple first.

  “Good idea,” Hans nodded, grabbing a mug of beer and gulping it down. Afterward, he grabbed the last chunk of his steak and threw it all in his mouth.

  Zethir grimaced, but said nothing. ‘Barbarians,’ he thought, stabbing a slice of steak with his fork. Unlike the two, he personally cooked his steak. After slicing it into bite-sized pieces, he seared the slices again to disguise it.

  He didn't want to share.

  ‘Not bad,’ he thought, tasting his own creation. Although he wasn't the greatest cook, what he came up with was certainly better than the overcooked slabs of steak the inn served.

  “Me and Earl will go to the bar, do you want to join?” He asked after some thought. Earleon raised a brow, but said nothing.

  On his plate were apples, and his mug was full of apple juice.

  “The bar…?” Hans looked at Zethir, before his gaze went down to the latter's plate. He didn't know why, but it smelled a bit fragrant…

  “We're not going,” Julian answered, kicking Han's leg below the table.

  “Hiss…”

  “Suit yourselves,” Zethir shrugged, as if he was helpless.

  After eating lunch, they left the inn and separated. Hans and Zethir went toward the center of the city, where the temple was at.

  Meanwhile, Zethir and Earleon headed for the nearest bar.

  “Say, when's the last time you went here?” Zethir asked as they reached the bar's entrance.

  Opening the door, Earleon answered with a hum. “About a few months ago. I don't go here that often.”

  Zethir nodded. “Me neither.”

  Inside the bar was surprisingly clean, with a gentle violin tune playing in the background. And although the place was full of drunkards and was a bit noisy, there wasn't a nasty smell nor was it deafening.

  As they searched for an empty seat, Zethir spoke. “Do you know any markets here?”

  Earleon glanced around, before lowering his voice. “Actually, I'm not feeling so good. Why don't we go back to the inn…”

  Zethir shook his head. “No, give this place a chance. I promise, it's worth the trip,” he glanced at the door, before looking ahead. Finally, they found an empty seat.

  Just as they sat, Earleon spoke with furrowed brows. “Look, I know you want to… clean things up, but we just arrived. Let's not visit the markets yet, why not relax a bit?”

  Zethir smiled. “You'll see,” he said, calling for the waitress.

  However, just as the waitress reached them, the entrance door opened. No one gave it a glance, except for Zethir and Earleon.

  Walking through, a bulky man entered, his face paired with a big frown. However, he was wearing a clean and proper suit, his gait crisp and refined. Behind him, four more men entered, wearing suits just like the bulky man.

  However, they were carrying two cabinets nearly as tall as a man. It was made with fine planks of wood, and its surface was glossy like marble, with some sort of flower carved on the doors.

  The bulky man turned to whisper something to the four men, before walking toward one of the seats. A lanky man was already occupying the spot, but he didn't seem to mind the bulky man joining him.

  Meanwhile, the four men carried the cabinets to a room where only employees were allowed.

  After the door closed behind the four men, Zethir averted his eyes, focusing back on Earleon. Earleon had already sent the waitress away after ordering a random drink.

  “Did you see?” Zethir asked in a hushed voice.

  Earleon nodded with a sigh. “Yes. You were right. The things they offer here are…”

  He tightened his lips.

  As soon as the four men carried those cabinets inside, he already had a guess in his mind as to what was inside.

  Or rather, who was inside.