"Sis Renya, see you again!!" called Liora, her face beaming with joy as she waved both arms high in the air, left and right, toward Renya, who sat poised inside a noble's horse-drawn carriage.
From her seat, Renya looked at Liora through the open carriage door, her expression gentle.
"Yes… see you again..." she replied in a soft but clear voice that carried across the distance, waving back with a faint smile.
Just then, one of the guards standing near Liora hesitantly said,
"Miss..."
Liora turned to him with a slight pout.
"I know..." she replied curtly before turning back to wave once more at Renya with a cheerful smile. Then, with a light step, she walked back toward the castle gate.
Renya watched her until she disappeared beyond the archway. Once Liora was out of sight, Renya let out a long sigh, her expression shifting into one of exhaustion.
"Finally..." she muttered. Then, turning her gaze to Gunther, who stood beside the carriage door, she said in a composed tone,
"Gunther… let's go to the inn."
Gunther sighed deeply, his expression a mix of weariness and regret.
"I should've just stayed and trained them..." he mumbled, looking up at the sky as though pleading for patience.
Renya, who clearly heard his remark, let out a deliberate, dry " Cough, cough " Her tone was unmistakable: Hurry up.
Hearing that, Gunther gave up with a defeated look.
"Okay, okay…" he muttered, pulling the carriage door shut with a soft thud. He climbed onto the driver's seat, clicked his tongue to signal the horses, and with another sigh said,
"Let's go, friend..." as the carriage rolled toward the inn.
Arriving in front of the inn, Renya and Gunther stepped down from the carriage and headed straight inside, making their way to the room that had already been reserved.
As they passed near the reception desk, Eldrin, who happened to be on duty at the time, noticed them approaching. With an elegant butler's salute and a composed smile, he greeted them,
"Miss Renya, welcome."
Renya, still walking, gave a small nod in acknowledgment but paused briefly. Turning her gaze to Eldrin, she said in a relaxed tone,
"Tidy up my horse carriage in front... I'm heading straight to my room."
Eldrin bowed respectfully.
"As you wish."
With a final nod, Renya turned and continued toward the stairs, Gunther trailing behind her without a word.
A few minutes later, Renya had already changed into her assassin's uniform when a knock came from the door.
She glanced over at Gunther, who was lounging lazily in the chair. Catching her look, Gunther let out a soft groan and slowly stood up.
"Yes, yes… I understand," he muttered, ruffling the back of his hair with one hand as he casually made his way toward the door.
After opening the door, Gunther gave his usual lazy grin and said,
"Yes, yes… what's up, ladies?"
His eyes scanned over Ursula, Anna, and Hilda, each of them standing in front of him with large bags slung over their shoulders, their expressions clearly fatigued from travel.
But the moment he spoke, their tired faces hardened into blank, disciplined masks. Hilda, standing at the front, responded curtly,
"Stop wasting time, Gunther. We're here because the Prince asked us to assist Miss Renya."
Her tone was cold and sharp, her gaze cutting straight through him with visible annoyance.
Gunther's smile faltered. His body instinctively straightened as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"Alright, alright... Please, come in."
He stepped aside quickly, holding the door open wide with a sheepish grin.
The three nodded slightly and stepped inside.
The moment their eyes met Renya's, the tone shifted.
In perfect sync, Ursula, Anna, and Hilda stood at attention, raised their hands in a crisp military salute, and said in unison,
"Maid unit reporting. Ready to assist in aerial reconnaissance."
Their expressions were firm, their eyes focused directly on Renya—awaiting orders.
Hearing that, Renya nodded, her eyes narrowing with curiosity as she glanced at the bags on their backs.
"Is that the tool?" she asked, her tone calm but intrigued.
Hilda gave a firm nod, her expression serious.
"Yes. The Prince prepared these to support your mission."
She gently set her bag down on the desk, carefully pulling out the equipment piece by piece. Ursula and Anna followed suit, each unloading their bags with practiced efficiency. The surface was soon covered with drone controllers, compact visors, spare batteries, and three folded drones—each with a compact coilgun module mounted underneath.
Renya crossed her arms, eyes scanning the setup, visibly impressed.
"Ho… So you three can pilot drones?"
She looked at Hilda, Ursula, and Anna in turn, her voice laced with a hint of admiration.
All three nodded silently, small confident smiles tugging at their lips.
Noting how the sun had dipped below the horizon and the sky was now painted in deep violet, Renya's face grew a touch more serious.
"Then I'll go first. Launch your drones as soon as possible."
Without another word, she turned and strode toward the window.
"Understood."
The three responded in unison, saluting sharply as she passed.
Renya returned a slight nod and gave a faint smile—then leapt out through the window with graceful ease, landing atop the roof tiles without a sound.
Minutes passed.
From the window, the trio began launching the drones—one every minute. Silent and agile, each unit lifted into the air with a faint hum, swiftly ascending into the night sky. From her perch on the rooftops, Renya watched the drones scatter and maneuver with smooth, calculated movements.
A smirk tugged at the edge of her lips.
"You guys are good too…" she murmured, eyes following the synchronized patterns of the flying machines.
Then, pulling her night vision telescope from her side, she turned her attention back to the Adventurer Guild Building, slowly scanning across the windows and entrances.
"Still quite a few people…" she whispered under her breath.
She exhaled quietly—calmly, patiently—waiting for her moment.