After Ryan stepped out of the ostentatious building, the bald guard at the main entrance gave a deep bow, seeing him off in an extremely polite manner.

Being backed by a figure with as much weight as Edwin, the outsider’s status had skyrocketed through the roof in a matter of an hour.

Ryan took his leave with few words, nodding slightly, and walked straight to the agreed-upon meeting point with Karol and Beatrice.

He didn’t have to search too hard. Both of them were sitting together on a white stone bench, very close to the decorative wall where they had separated earlier, stealthily observing the flow of the crowd.

"Krai!" Karol pointed out upon seeing him approach.

He adjusted his stride until he reached where they were. They did not stand up from the bench so as not to draw any attention, but Beatrice, maintaining her usual vigilance, spoke up first when Ryan planted himself in front of them.

"We heard a part of your conversation at the entrance. That conceited man covered for you so you could get inside, but did he want something from you?" the demon asked with evident curiosity.

And before Ryan could even articulate an answer, she went ahead with a spark of determination in her eyes. "Do you want me to investigate him thoroughly?"

’I hadn’t considered investigating him on my own and focused on the deal, but it is definitely a good idea to have his background.’ Ryan thought, analyzing the strategic value of the proposal.

"Yes, I am counting on you." Ryan replied. "I know it goes without saying, but be very careful when doing it. Those people have lethal bodyguards, don’t expose yourself too much."

"Alright." She said with a confident smile, adjusting her scarf. "Count on me to do a good job."

"You are very confident, little one." Karol said suddenly, reaching out her hand and poking Beatrice’s cheek with her index finger.

Beatrice immediately furrowed her brow and swatted her finger away with a gentle but firm slap.

"Don’t call me little one. You are the least qualified person in this entire group to say that."

"It was just a joke." Karol laughed, unfazed by the rejection.

"I remembered that Demon Queen Ophelia called you that during our first meeting. Besides, I only get my tiny appearance when I run completely out of mana, it’s not my fault." Karol said, sticking her tongue out at her childishly.

Beatrice averted her gaze, slightly embarrassed by the reminder of her interaction with Ophelia, and decided to change the subject quickly.

"And I ask again... so what did that man want from you, Krai?"

"Nothing important for now, but we made a deal for future exchanges and resource sales." Ryan explained, resting a hand on the backrest of the stone bench.

"That person is the leader of one of the largest merchant guilds in the city. There is a lot you will have to investigate regarding his routes and his warehouses."

Then, Ryan shifted his gaze toward the mage, changing his tone to a much more directive one.

"As for you, Rose, do not neglect the main mission. For now, stay in the city and stick to the original plan. I will return to the dungeon in a moment. I want Runa and Mika to initiate a new batch of relic creations for us."

"You’re going to ask them for impossible things again, huh?" Karol questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Naturally." Ryan responded with total calmness. "It would be a complete waste not to take advantage of the combined talent that a blacksmith and an alchemist of their level possess."

Karol let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head.

"I can already imagine what awaits them in the forge. I pity them."

’Even though you say that with so much pity,’ Ryan thought, observing the mage’s mischievous smile.

’You two had to do the exact same thing back at the inn to boost my stats, albeit in other, much more exhausting ways.’

But Ryan kept that comment to himself.

"Alright, it’s time for me to go."

After saying goodbye to the two girls with a simple nod, Ryan slightly bent his legs.

With his Agility stats surpassing the ten thousand point barrier, he jumped and disappeared from their sight in a fraction of a second, moving at a speed that the human eye was incapable of tracking.

He landed without making the slightest noise on top of one of the marble buildings far away from the main avenue, ending up roughly in the middle of the commercial plaza.

From the heights, he advanced by leaping from roof to roof, evading the gazes of the pedestrians and the guards, until he was positioned near the great wall that marked the entrance and exit of Wind Valley.

From his elevated vantage point, Ryan noticed how the security had changed. The soldiers guarding the immense stone gates were not only interrogating those who entered, but those leaving the city were also being rigorously inspected.

The guards held magical scrolls in their hands and compared them against the faces of the travelers. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Ryan jumped down from the building to the ground, landing nimbly in a dead-end alleyway where there was absolutely no one.

When he straightened up and looked at the stone wall beside him, his eyes ran directly into a ’Wanted’ poster.

The drawing depicted on the paper was exact. It showed his original face, his black hair, and his name in large letters, offering an absurd reward for his capture due to the incidents with the holy knights.

"It seems that at the end of the day, I won’t be able to pass through there peacefully without being discovered." Ryan muttered with total resignation in his voice.

With calm movements, he took off the heavy dark coat that covered him and stored it directly into his spatial inventory.

Next, he removed his chimera sword, storing it away as well so he could have his hands free.

"Since I lost the relic that hides my stats last night, if they stop me and use one of those detection scrolls on me, my SS-Rank aura will be exposed. There is no point in hiding now. Anyway... I’ll get out of here quickly."

With absolute coldness, Ryan brought his hands to his head and removed the relic that altered his appearance.

The intense red color of his hair disappeared in an instant, returning to its natural black hue. His eyes also recovered their characteristic coldness. The facade of Krai had ended.

Then, he took the divided boomerang out of his inventory, connecting the two halves with a metallic click and keeping it secured on his back, ready to be unsheathed at any moment.

He approached the alley wall, ripped off the ’Wanted’ poster bearing his own image, folded it, and tucked it into his pocket as if it were a simple tourist brochure.

Not caring in the absolute slightest about being surrounded by the armed forces of a hostile nation that considered him public enemy number one, Ryan stepped out of the alleyway.

He walked with a crushing slowness and tranquility, heading directly toward the heavily guarded gates that led to the city’s exit.