A carriage rolled through the bustling streets of Gravenhurst, making its modest journey toward the easternmost edge of the district.
It would take about two hours to walk from the center of the district to its edge, though a carriage could cut that time down to an hour.
Lady Evelyn sat inside, glaring at the putrid scenery before her — at the miserable humans who crossed her view.
She let out a quiet sigh and, with a blink of an eye, was lost in her musings.
"The ground on which this carriage rides has existed since the dawn of man…"
"There was a time when humanity was tolerable…" she murmured, until the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
A man entered her carriage, dressed in a beige trench coat and hat. He tipped the brim politely upon meeting the lady.
"My Lady, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said before taking a seat across from her.
"Afternoon, Hans. Tell me everything I need to know," she commanded, crossing her legs with a faint smile upon her lips.
"Of course, My Lady…" Hans replied, pulling a folded note from the pocket of his suit.
He was an informant for the Malefactors, going by the alias Sir Hansel. Before he could continue, a voice came from the front of the carriage — the driver's.
The man called out that it would take another twenty minutes before they arrived at the Blacked Mire Bridge.
Lady Evelyn waited for Hans to deliver his report — one of considerable interest, demanding the full attention of the Lady of Velvet.
"My Lady—" he began.
"During the auction, as we watched Karlen Magnus, I believe it was reasonable to assume that the vial he held in his hands…"
"Was a high-grade elixir, containing dragon's blood…"
Evelyn's eyes gleamed; she gave that information an amused expression.
"Who is the pitiful merchant who sold him such a thing?" she asked directly, with unbroken eye contact.
Suffice to say, Sir Hans was nervous.
"My Lady, with Lady Reyna's eyes, we were able to identify the merchant in question. It was Sir Spendsalot, and we have traced the source of the elixir back to the Mireline District."
It was where Mireline researchers crafted a variety of elixirs, all legal under the careful supervision of the Green Stripes, GPA.
However, some corrupt researchers sold authentically brewed elixirs to black market merchants. It seems that corruption also ran through the GPA itself.
Lady Evelyn maintained her amused smile. The Lady of Velvet remembered well those who had once stood in opposition to her.
"Sir Spendsalot… what a repulsive name," Lady Evelyn murmured, her tone laced with quiet disdain.
Although the Malefactors could not touch the researchers directly, they could interfere with the merchants, especially those who were selling to the wrong hands, such as Karlen Magnus.
"I must say, this is rather troublesome. We have Mireline researchers willing to sell elixirs to merchants, and those merchants, in turn, distribute them among the nobility — and, worse still, into unworthy hands," the lady mused.
It was not favorable to have yet another merchant supplying high-grade elixirs to the enemies of the Malefactors.
Sir Hans then spoke. "Under Umbridge law, it is strictly forbidden to possess elixirs without a license issued by Crownhurst, or express permission from higher nobility such as Victorian or Her Imperial Majesty, the Emp—"
However, Hans found himself pausing at his own remarks.
His eyes glanced toward Lady Evelyn's gaze; for a moment, he forgot that she harbored utter hatred toward the Empress — so much so that even the mention of her name would stir Evelyn's anger.
But as he observed further, it seemed he was safe.
His mishap appeared to be ignored, for Lady Evelyn merely tilted her head slightly, maintaining that same amused expression.
Ahem—
"My apologies…" he said. Yet he received no reply from Lady Evelyn.
Regardless, he continued, "I believe such conduct would see Magnus severely punished."
"Yet, he isn't… Why is that?" asked the lady, with a soft yet indescribable undertone.
Sir Hans took a deep sigh, looking at the paper in his hand. He explained what he had learned, "My Lady, during the auction, Magnus was with a Victorian…"
As Hans revealed that information, the lady's eyes darkened.
"The blond man beside Karlen was Lord Percival Victoria, eldest son of the Victorian family…"
"My Lady, despite him not being present in the war against the Black Sea, he was still indeed a… Scripter…"
"Of the Seventh Degree…" Hans murmured slowly.
Yet Lady Evelyn laughed. Hans could only sit and listen to her soft chuckling. After a few seconds, she finally regained her composure.
"Forgive me, Hans, but why in heaven's name would you deliver it as if he were a powerful scripter?" she said.
Hans, however, didn't quite know how to explain himself. The only reason he had spoken that way was a mix of dramatic effect and a touch of nervousness.
"My Apologies, My Lady," he said softly.
"Let's carry on," Lady Evelyn replied. Oddly enough, her mood had lifted after that exchange.
"Say, Percival is a headache, but we cannot alert him. I don't wish the eyes of the Victorian family upon me just yet. However, there's one thing I must know…"
"Has that embarrassing Karlen drunk the elixir?" the lady asked, her demeanor more relaxed, less pressing than before.
Should Magnus manifest a threatening script, he would prove a formidable and troublesome adversary.
He would likely target Lady Evelyn's servant, though that was unlikely to be his primary reason for acquiring such an elixir.
"My Lady, it is believed that Magnus has not yet ingested the elixir. Given its high concentration, the risk of death is substantial without proper preparation. For now, we believe Magnus remains hesitant, holding onto it."
The Lady speculated that Karlen was holding onto the elixir because he was building his resistance to ink, much like Silvie had. Yet that process was dangerous even for him, as the scrutiny of the GPA could bring severe consequences.
Unless the scumbag noble had found a way to bribe even the Red GPA officers tasked with hunting scripters and punishing crimes, the consequences would be catastrophic for his noble name.
If that were the case, the Lady would be even more profoundly disappointed, for it would imply that many in positions of such power were utterly and irredeemably corrupted.
Chapter End.