The masked woman standing across from her tilted her head faintly beneath the shadow of her dark cloak.
Steam drifted heavily between the elevated support structures, curling through the cold night air like restless spirits.
Then—
a soft chuckle escaped from beneath the mask.
"Don't you think you're asking a bit much?"
A brief pause followed.
"Nothing comes free in Blackwater."
One of the hidden figures beneath the lower support beams let out a quiet laugh.
Another remained completely silent.
Watching.
Observing everything.
The masked woman lazily spread one gloved hand.
"So if you want more information…"
Her voice remained smooth and composed.
"…you'll need to pay for it."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then—
something flickered through the air.
A metallic blur cut cleanly through the drifting steam between the steel frameworks overhead.
A silver coin spun once beneath the lantern light.
Then—
the masked woman caught it effortlessly between two fingers without even looking.
Faint reflections shimmered across the coin's surface while steam rolled through the industrial district around them.
She glanced down at it briefly.
"…A silver coin."
A pause.
Then another amused laugh escaped beneath the mask.
"How pitiful of you."
Syrian's expression remained perfectly flat.
"That was all I had on me."
"Tragic."
Despite the mockery, the masked woman casually slipped the coin somewhere into her cloak anyway.
Business was business.
Then her gaze shifted toward the distant figures of Draven and Aldric, who continued moving steadily deeper toward the imperial district platforms.
"They entered the city only a few hours ago."
Her voice remained calm.
Measured.
"Their ship arrived heavily damaged and docked for emergency repairs."
One of the hidden Crossfall members quietly added from a lower support beam—
"Expensive ship too."
Another voice drifted through the steam.
"Very expensive."
"Maybe not excessively so," the masked woman continued.
"They spent more than five hundred gold within minutes of entering Blackwater."
Syrian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Five hundred?"
Even most high-ranking adventurers wouldn't casually spend that much in a single day.
The masked woman tilted her head faintly.
"Equipment."
"Repairs."
"Supplies."
A short pause followed.
"Quite the shopping trip."
Far ahead—
Aldric and Draven continued moving across the military support structures without slowing even once.
The distance between them and the others gradually widened.
But nobody took their eyes off them.
The masked woman's voice lowered slightly.
"More interestingly…"
"The ship they arrived on has already departed the city."
Syrian blinked once.
"…What?"
"The vessel left less than thirty minutes ago."
Another pause.
"Without them onboard."
Silence settled across the steel frameworks.
Even the hidden Crossfall members seemed noticeably more attentive now.
Syrian's brows furrowed immediately.
"That doesn't make sense."
"No," the masked woman agreed calmly.
"It doesn't."
Her gaze shifted once more toward the distant figures of Draven and Aldric.
"Which means one of two things is happening."
A pause.
"Either they were abandoned…"
"…or they intentionally stayed behind."
The second possibility felt far worse.
Syrian's grip tightened slightly around the saber resting at her waist.
"…And Crossfall cares because?"
The masked woman gave another soft laugh.
"You ask a lot of questions for someone who only paid a silver coin."
Then—
her tone cooled slightly.
"But if you want the simple answer…"
Her gaze remained fixed ahead toward the military district.
"…people like them appearing in Blackwater at the same time the empire arrives makes everyone nervous."
Another pause followed.
"Especially when one of them leaks killing intent strong enough to freeze an entire guild hall."
One of the hidden figures muttered quietly beneath the lower beams.
"…Yeah. Heard about that."
Syrian's eyes shifted once more toward the distant silhouettes ahead.
Draven.
Aldric.
Still walking calmly toward the imperial district as though heavily armed military territory meant absolutely nothing.
The masked woman folded her arms beneath the cloak.
"And now…"
A faint smile touched her voice beneath the mask.
"…they're walking directly toward the empire's warships."
Silence.
Wind swept sharply through the steel structures overhead.
Then one of the hidden followers finally muttered,
"…This is going to become a disaster, isn't it?"
The masked woman's gaze remained fixed on the distant figures moving deeper into the military district.
Steam drifted slowly between the elevated structures while imperial searchlights swept across the smoky skyline overhead.
Then quietly—
"They're either very confident…"
A brief pause.
"…or unbelievably stupid."
One of the hidden Crossfall members snorted softly beneath the lower support beams.
"In Blackwater, those are usually the same thing."
Honestly—
that was a fair observation.
The masked woman ignored the comment entirely.
Her eyes never left the figures ahead.
"But that isn't our place to interfere."
Another pause.
"We watch."
"We gather information."
"And we see what happens."
Syrian's expression remained tense.
Because whatever was unfolding ahead already felt wrong.
Draven and Aldric had crossed completely beyond the outer industrial boundary now.
No more civilian infrastructure.
No more crowded market districts.
Only military territory remained.
Massive armored platforms stretched across the eastern skyline beneath rotating searchlights and humming defensive arrays.
Heavy artillery cannons lined reinforced towers.
Layered mana barriers pulsed faintly through the smoke-filled air.
Imperial banners hung from towering steel support structures above the docking lanes where enormous warships floated silently against the dark sky.
And somehow—
the two idiots ahead kept walking directly toward it.
Syrian narrowed her eyes.
"…They're seriously going in."
The masked woman gave a soft hum beneath her cloak.
"It appears so."
Far ahead—
Aldric rolled one shoulder loosely as he stepped off the final industrial support beam and onto one of the outer military transit platforms.
Heavy steel echoed beneath his boots.
"…Crossfall Guild, huh."
A lazy grin spread across his face.
"So those creepy stalkers belonged to Blackwater's underground club."
Beside him—
Draven remained silent beneath the dark cloak.
The faint crimson glow beneath his hood still lingered.
Compressed.
Cold.
Aldric glanced sideways at him briefly.
"…You know."
A pause.
"It feels kinda rude getting stalked by criminals."
No response.
Only silence.
The black cat resting against Draven's shoulder slowly opened its purple eyes once more.
Ahead—
the imperial military grounds stretched endlessly beneath layers of reinforced aerial platforms and heavily armed docking structures.
The atmosphere changed the moment they entered.
Disciplined.
Controlled.
Every movement felt watched.
Imperial soldiers patrolled the platforms in full armor while combat mages stood stationed near defensive towers glowing with layered formation arrays.
Searchlights swept methodically through the haze overhead.
And far above all of it—
the warships loomed silently against the night sky.
Massive.
Steel-armored.
Covered in glowing mana cannons and layered hull plating.
One enormous vessel slowly shifted position overhead with a deep mechanical groan that echoed across the district.
Aldric looked upward.
"…Damn."
A pause.
"The empire really likes oversized flying fortresses."
Draven continued walking forward without slowing.
Toward the central docking platforms.
Toward the largest warship suspended above the district.
Toward the very center of imperial authority within Blackwater.
And almost immediately—
movement answered.
Several imperial soldiers stationed along the outer platform noticed the pair approaching.
Armor shifted.
Hands moved toward weapons.
One soldier stepped forward sharply.
"Halt."
The command echoed crisply across the steel platform.
Aldric stopped walking.
Mostly because Draven did.
Imperial soldiers spread outward with practiced efficiency.
Disciplined.
Organized.
Not panicked like the guild adventurers earlier.
But cautious.
Very cautious.
The leading officer's eyes narrowed beneath his helmet as he studied the pair carefully.
Dark cloaks.
Hidden faces.
Weapons at their sides.
And the pressure surrounding them—
subtle.
But deeply wrong.
"…State your identities and purpose for entering restricted imperial territory."
Silence lingered beneath the sweeping military searchlights.
Then—
Aldric grinned.
"Oh, good."
A pause.
"People here actually ask questions before attacking."