“Yeah, I can,” he confirmed.

“But you said you’re a healer? How does that work?”

“Hmm? Oh, I can use protective and healing magic.”

“Really? You can do that?”

“Yeah. Someone taught me once that both types of magic work by enhancing bodily functions, so...”

“Hmm...” It was true that during the attack at the festival, Gaion had thrown a Bomb manastone, and Zenos had caught it with his bare hands. So his focus had to be on protective spells, with healing spells being something he used on the side.

“Anyway, shall we head back for now, Liz?”

“Um... I think I’d like to stay here a bit longer and see what else I can remember. You two go on ahead without me.”

“Oh? And are you gonna be okay on your own?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I just want to be alone with my thoughts for a bit.”

“All right. Just don’t overdo it, yeah?” With that, Zenos and the elf girl disappeared down the street.

Liz stood there for a moment as though fully drained of her strength. With the situation being what it was, there was no point in sticking with Zenos anymore. She needed to rethink everything, including her own course of action. “I need results,” she muttered, biting her nail.

“Lady Liz?” came a voice from behind one of the crumbling walls lining both sides of the street. Peeking through a crack was Gaion, her lackey.

Liz looked around before stepping behind the wall too. “Were you following us?”

“Y-Yeah. Just to check on the situation...”

“And what happened to your face?” she asked, looking over Gaion, whose face and body were covered in bruises.

“U-Uh, I kinda took a beating from the top?”

Liz fell silent.

Gaion opened his mouth to speak, a somewhat frightened look on his face. His lips were split in several places. “Lady Liz, the top’s getting antsy, asking when we’ll have control of the slums.”

“Well, I can’t do much about that,” Liz lamented. Her plan had been to proceed as quickly and cautiously as possible, but... “Besides, he’s not actually their ruler.”

“Huh? He isn’t?”

“You were following us, weren’t you? Didn’t you hear?”

“Oh, uh, no, your voices were too quiet, so I didn’t catch any of that.”

“Then what’s the point of tailing someone?! Do better!”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Anyway, given the circumstances, I can’t easily just—”

“Lady Liz,” Gaion cut in. “It’s an order from the top. It’s not gonna change.”

Liz fell silent again. Gaion was right. Excuses wouldn’t work; she knew that. Still, the reminder in the form of her lackey’s wounded figure sent a cold chill of realization down her spine. The Black Guild didn’t forgive; merely saying she’d made a mistake wouldn’t cut it.

Just what do I do now?

As Liz agonized over this, a loud shout echoed from further down the street. “Someone stabbed him!”

“We have a slasher!”

Liz cast a glare at Gaion. “What did you do?”

“W-Wasn’t me! But, maybe...”

Leaving her lackey behind, Liz took off running toward the commotion. Demi-humans were gathered in a circle around a lizardman lying on his back, clutching his side.

“Hey! You okay?!” someone asked.

“Where’d the attacker go?”

“I-I dunno!”

“Sounds like someone stabbed him from behind outta nowhere.”

Amid the chaotic scene, Liz noticed a small scrap of paper next to the fallen lizardman. She picked it up, and saw a few lines drawn on it that looked almost like a childish scrawl—a code for Black Guild members meaning, “Hurry up.” A message from the top, telling her to get things done quickly, even if it meant using force. This was how the Black Guild operated. A chilling shudder coursed through her.

Soon after, the crowd parted to the sides. From behind everyone emerged a man in a pitch-black cloak and a young elven girl.

“Where’s the victim?” the man asked.

“Over here, Dr. Zenos,” someone replied. The crowd gathered around the healer.

Liz pocketed the scrap of paper. “Zenos?”

“Huh?” Zenos said. “Liz, you’re here too?”

“Y-Yes, I heard a commotion.”

Zenos knelt behind the injured lizardman. The victim was pale, with blood pouring from his flank, suggesting a major artery had been pierced. Liz had seen enough death during her time with the Black Guild to know this man was beyond saving.

But, well...

“Man, how lucky is it that the doctor was passing through?”

“I know, right? Coulda been bad.”

Despite their comrade’s imminent death, the onlookers exuded an oddly relaxed atmosphere. Even the injured victim wore a somewhat unconcerned expression.