Golden's heart sank like a stone, but in moments like these, his mind raced faster than ever.
Wait… a carriage… a carriage? The carriage!
At one of yesterday's battle sites, a carriage had appeared, only to vanish without a trace. Could it be the same one the merchant claimed was stolen last night?
The realization hit him like a bolt, and his soul felt like it was fleeing his body. Beads of sweat dripped from his face, but he didn't dare wipe them away.
"Sir…" he said, lowering his head to avoid looking at her, unsure if it would help. "I don't know anything, I swear…"
"I'm not here about that," Night Star interrupted. "I just happened to see it and didn't like that merchant."
Golden froze, then a grin he couldn't suppress spread across his face. "G-Good, good! Whatever you need, sir, I'll handle it right away!"
"Hm. The carriage is a small matter," Night Star said with a nod. "Do this job well, and I'll reward you."
"T-Thank you, sir!" Golden stammered, wishing he could bury his head under the desk to avoid seeing her face.
He'd already seen it, but that didn't stop him from trying to deceive himself.
"It's simple," Night Star said, twirling her dagger in elegant arcs. "I need you to find someone. Her name is Aina Lockhart, an astrologer affiliated with the Stargazers' Guild."
"Got it, got it!" Golden leapt from his chair, bowing repeatedly. "I'll have my boys look into it. Give me three days—no, two! I'll bring her to you."
"Why so long?" Night Star said, her tone laced with displeasure. "Are you trying to play me, Golden?"
"Uh…" Golden pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "Finding someone takes time, and my men have been working all night. They need rest… Okay, fine! One day! I'll have her in front of you by tomorrow!"
"Pfft," Night Star let out a mocking chuckle. "Golden, are you pretending to be clueless, or are you really that dense? Don't you know the name of the girl you've hidden in this very room?"
Golden's hand froze mid-wipe, but he quickly recovered, his expression unchanged. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir. What girl? What name? Hidden in my room? Impossible."
"If you don't know, then your usefulness ends here," Night Star said, her patience gone. She gripped her dagger and lunged at him.
"Wait! Wait! I know!" Golden threw his hands up, raising them above his head as the blade's cold edge grazed his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, shouting frantically, "I know, I know everything! I'll hand her over right now, just spare my life!"
"Good," Night Star said, retracting her dagger with a swift motion. "Give her to me, and I'll let you live."
"Okay, okay, I'm not lying, I swear I'm not!" Golden shuffled slowly from behind his desk, moving toward a framed painting on the wall. He carefully removed it, revealing a hidden compartment.
Inside was a box. Golden avoided touching it, reaching behind to toggle a switch.
A narrow passage opened before them. He glanced back at Night Star and stepped inside first.
"Come in, but don't touch the box—it's a trap."
Night Star followed, watching him struggle through the tight passage while she moved with ease.
"In your perception, what tier Duty Wielder am I?" she asked suddenly.
"Uh… maybe Tier Seven, or Eight?" Golden hesitated. "Definitely stronger than me, a mere Tier Five… Where are you from, sir? I've been in the capital for years and never heard of someone like you…"
"Trying to dig into my identity?" Night Star asked with a teasing smile.
"No, no way!" Golden swallowed hard, shaking his head vehemently. "I just…"
"Just what?"
"Just… thank you for walking so easily into my trap, hahaha!" Golden spun around, laughing wildly. "Wondering why I dared to provoke you? Go ahead, try to touch me."
He raised an arm, pressing it forward as if stopped by an invisible barrier between him and Night Star.
"I forgot to mention," he said, grinning smugly. "Only one person can enter this place. More importantly, aside from me, no one else can get in."
"Of course, an unconscious person can still enter. Feel free to knock yourself out, and I'll invite you in. Whether you wake up afterward… well, that's up to your luck, hahaha!"
His unrestrained laughter echoed through the passage. Seeing no reaction from Night Star, Golden's grin faded into a scowl. He preferred seeing despair on a young woman's face. "What, reluctant to leave? No worries. When my team notices I'm gone, they'll come looking. Will you kill them all, or surrender?"
"You could flee now, but I've seen your face. Soon, you'll be branded the mastermind behind the Little Princess's assassination. Wanted posters will plaster every alley in the kingdom. You'll have nowhere to run!"
Golden's face flushed with excitement, his fear and despair swept away by the thrill of turning the tables. Adrenaline surged, as if to mask his earlier humiliation.
As the captain of the city guard, when had he ever endured such indignity?
But he'd never imagined a Tier Seven or even Eight Duty Wielder would come for him. Normally, such a figure would summon him, and he'd scramble to obey. Being connected to such power was an honor.
Yet he never expected someone like this to seek him out and expose his greatest secret.
She wasn't here with good intentions.
If this got out, he'd be ruined. But surviving a Tier Seven or Eight Duty Wielder was enough to make him ecstatic.
"Or you could try breaking this barrier!" Golden taunted. "Even a Tier Nine Duty Wielder would need half an hour to crack it!"
"Go on, give it a shot! Let's see if you're faster—or if my men get here first!"