At first, he thought it was a joke.
Otherwise, why would a high-nosed noblewoman travel with a man of lower status than herself?
Jis: "But… wasn't he your partner? It's a couple's trip, right? My eyes don't lie."
Amy laughed hollowly.
Amy: "Yes, he's my partner. The partner who left me on an island across the sea and disappeared somewhere."
Though she was smiling, Jis could read the complex emotions in her eyes.
'This is insane.'
He should've just taken the gold coin and left. None of this would've happened then.
'She's risking danger for a stranger like me? Does she even know what danger is?'
When Jis was younger, the island's commerce was managed by multiple organizations. Though there were frequent power struggles, the balance of power had never been completely broken.
But five years ago, when the Freeman organization entered Galliant Island, the situation changed drastically.
They expanded their influence at an incredible speed and wiped out all other organizations in just a month.
'They're not like us thugs. I don't know who they are, but they're a trained combat group.'
Jis clenched his fist.
Should he come clean now? But if Amy left because of it, what would happen to him and his sister?
'What do you expect me to do?'
Unable to decide, the carriage sped toward its destination.
After parting with Marsha, Shirone caught a carriage back to the lodging without even thinking about shopping again.
Since the sun had already set, Rian and Tess's cooking should've been finished long ago.
If Amy was waiting, he'd have to pay the price for losing the shopping bag.
'Either way, I'm dead.'
Taking a deep breath in front of the lodging door, Shirone knocked and said,
Shirone: "I'm back. Open the door… Yikes!"
The door opened immediately, and Shirone stumbled inside. The reaction was too quick.
Tess: "Shirone! Where have you been all this time? Do you know how long Amy waited?"
Shirone: "Sorry, really sorry. There were circumstances. Let's talk inside."
There was no smell of food. Shirone felt even more guilty, wishing they had eaten without him.
Shirone: "You waited a long time, huh? Where's Amy?"
Tess: "Well…"
Tess didn't know how to explain.
Should she say Amy got tired of waiting and went out to play? Or that she was disappointed in Shirone and left with Jis?
Shirone: "What's wrong? You look upset. Did something happen?"
Tess: "Well… Ugh, this is awkward."
Tess hesitated, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings between them.
Meanwhile, Rian got straight to the point.
Rian: "She left with that guy Jis we met at the port."
Shirone: "Huh? Jis? The guy who overcharged us? Why would Amy go with him?"
Rian: "Don't know. He showed up while we were waiting for you. Said he wanted to repay us for what happened earlier. Then he took her somewhere in a carriage."
Shirone rested his chin on his hand.
Shirone: "Hmm, so Amy just went along without a reason?"
Tess interjected.
Tess: "There was a reason! It's all because you were late. Amy was so lonely. Tell me, what happened?"
Shirone delayed his answer. It didn't seem like the time to explain.
Shirone: "Let's go. Do you know where they went?"
Tess: "How would we know? Why are you so worried? If you cared, you should've been better from the start."
Shirone: "It's not about me."
Tess: "What do you mean? Amy was so angry."
Shirone: "Amy may be hot-tempered, but she doesn't act on emotion. Even if she was mad at me, she wouldn't do something to make me worry. She'd rather wait for me and beat me to death."
Tess: "Huh?"
Tess's face went blank.
Since Shirone knew Amy best, he was probably right. But now Tess also felt something was off.
'Yeah, definitely…'
Amy got angry easily, but she was soft-hearted. She seemed prickly, but wasn't she actually considerate?
Tess: "Surely nothing's wrong, right? At most, it's just local thugs. Amy's top of her class at school, isn't she?"
Shirone didn't doubt Amy's abilities.
But having just heard about the island's unique dangers from Marsha, he felt uneasy.
Shirone: "I was told to be careful of people like Jis. Even if it's nothing serious, the island is closed-off and dangerous. Things that are unimaginable on the mainland can be easily handled here. I think we should step in."
Rian was already armed with his sword.
Rian: "No need to explain. We'll find out when we see Amy. I'll handle anyone who gets in the way."
Shirone: "Sorry. It's my fault for being late."
Rian: "You must've had your reasons. We'll hear about it later. Let's find Amy first."
Tess realized something from Rian's readiness.
He wasn't just a friend—he was bound by his knight's oath.
Tess: "Wait, I'm coming too. I'm worried about Amy as much as you are."
The three of them left the lodging with determination.
But they had no idea where to start looking, and the sound of waves beyond the white sand beach only added to their frustration.
Tess: "Where do we look? At this hour, the only place Jis would take her is the commercial district. Should we split up there?"
Shirone: "That doesn't sound like a good plan. We can't cover the entire commercial district with just three people. Besides, we don't know the area well."
Tess: "Then what? There's no way to find her. Might as well look for a needle in this beach."
Shirone: "Let's go to the port instead. They said there's an organization there, so if we ask the members, we might find out where Amy is."
Tess: "The port? That's to the south. Wouldn't it be faster to go to the commercial district? Amy wouldn't be at the port anyway. It's not a tourist spot."
Shirone: "No, we should go to the port. There are two possibilities for Amy's situation. First, she's safe. Second, she's not safe. If she's safe, going to the port won't hurt. But if she's not safe, we must go to the port. The only way she's in danger is if she clashes with Jis's organization. So in any case, we should go to the port and contact the organization."
Tess: "Oh, I see."
Though Shirone spoke quickly, Tess found herself nodding along.
Rian didn't argue. The moment Shirone suggested the port, he was already looking for a carriage.
After paying the coachman, Rian gestured for them to get in, and Shirone and Tess hurried over.
As they boarded the speeding carriage, the coachman chuckled.
Coachman: "Ah, youth is wonderful. Heading to the port at this hour? Must be something urgent."
Shirone: "Yes. Please hurry!"
Coachman: "Alright! Let's give the horses some exercise then! Giddy up! Giddy up!"
The roads were quiet at night, and with gold coins as motivation, the carriage reached the port in 20 minutes.
Leaving behind the coachman, who was loudly boasting about a five-year record, the three of them ran toward the docks.
Most of the ships were docked, and light leaked out from a few vessels where people were still aboard. The crew was probably playing card games.
Shirone and his group focused their search on bars that stayed open late.
Most of the people looked like gang members, but in reality, many of them were sailors.
Shirone: "Can we really find her like this?"
Rian: "We'll find her. At least one of them should know something."
Persistently questioning the bars, Shirone finally ran into someone he knew at a small tavern.
At first, he didn't recognize the man because his face was swollen, but it was Jis, sitting with a group of rowdy drinkers.
Shirone: "Hey, those two! They're the ones, right?"
Rian: "Got it. Leave this to me now."
Rian walked forward, cracking his knuckles.
In situations like this, intimidation worked better than skill.
Rian: "Hey, you guys. Remember me?"
Drunk Boy: "What? You picking a fight? I'm in a really bad mood right now… Huh?!"
The boy, who had been slurring his words, suddenly stood up when he recognized Rian.
Rian's imposing figure was intimidating, but what truly scared them was something else.
They knew what Jis had gone through after being harassed by Falcoa.
Drunk Boy: "Uh, uh… I mean…"
Their panicked expressions were proof enough.
Clearly, something was going on, but Rian didn't show any reaction.
Rian: "I know. I know everything. So let's talk somewhere quiet. I'm the type to get violent in public and calm in private. What do you say?"
Jis's friend glanced at his companion.
The moment their eyes met, they bolted for the exit without a second thought.
Drunk Boy: "Damn it! Run!"
They ran like madmen.
But no matter how fast they ran, their feet didn't seem to move.
'What's going on? Why is this happening? Am I drunk?'
It wasn't until they realized their feet were dangling in midair that they understood.
Rian: "I'll give you one last chance. Will you come quietly, or should I plant you upside down right here?"
Holding one man in each hand, Rian fully extended his arms to show off his strength.
Drunk Boy: "Gah!"
The sheer force, bordering on superhuman, made Jis's friends tremble.
Drunk Boy: "We'll go! We'll go, so please don't hurt us!"
From there, things went smoothly.
Rian took them to the breakwater and listened to their story.
Rian: "So, this guy Falcoa ordered you to bring Amy, huh?"
Drunk Boy: "Yes! Jis got beaten up really badly! We almost died too. You shouldn't mess with Falcoa. That guy's a complete lunatic."
Rian: "Every lunatic who's faced my fists has come to their senses. Where did you take Amy?"
Drunk Boy: "I really don't know the exact location! Please believe me!"
Rian: "Oh? Then I'll ask your friend. You're giving up the chance for both of you to live and choosing to let only one survive, huh?"
Using interrogation techniques he learned at the swordsmanship school, Rian pressured them, and Jis's friends began to tremble.
Drunk Boy: "I really don't know! But I have a guess!"
Shirone and Tess approached. Rian stopped his amateur detective act and grabbed the boy by the collar.
Rian: "Where is it? Spit it out!"
Drunk Boy: "The… the Palace."
Rian: "The Palace? What nonsense is that?"
Drunk Boy: "It's the name of a bar! The biggest bar in Galliant! Any carriage will take you there. Just don't tell them we told you! We'll die if you do!"
Without waiting for a response, Rian turned around. Shirone and Tess were already running.
As they left the port, they spotted a carriage. Coincidentally, it was the same one that had brought them here.
Shirone: "Hey, coachman!"
The coachman, sitting in the cargo area and smoking a pipe, turned his head.
Coachman: "Hey, done sightseeing already? You run fast, and you sightsee fast too, huh? Hahaha!"
Shirone: "We need to leave now! It's urgent!"
Coachman: "Ah, urgent, huh? Youth is always in a hurry! Come on, hop in!"
The coachman moved to the driver's seat and started the horses, then looked back.
His voice naturally grew louder because of the wind.
Coachman: "So, where to this time?"
Shirone, Rian, and Tess shouted in unison.
All: "The Palace!"