A few moments ago, on the first floor of Eralio's residence, two men were walking side by side.
There was absolutely nothing strange or conspicuous about the appearance or gestures of the two men. They looked perfectly normal, just like any of the other security guards Eralio had hired at his residence.
The two of them walked at a leisurely pace toward the stairs leading directly to the second floor, where Calian and the others were waiting.
As their shoes began to ascend the steps, one of the men glanced at his colleague walking right on his left. His eyes moved warily, sweeping the area around the hallway and pillars to ensure there were no other workers or head butlers around them at the moment.
"Hey, Dio." the man whispered in a very low voice, calling his comrade in a hushed tone. "Are you really sure we both need to take the step of submitting our resignations to Mr. Eralio this morning?"
"Yes, I am absolutely sure!" replied the man named Dio without the slightest hesitation in his eyes. His footsteps continued up the stairs at a constant rhythm. "If we keep making up false excuses to him like we have done so often before, sooner or later, Mr. Eralio is bound to get suspicious of us. Besides, I am also completely sick and tired of having to travel back and forth to Wollen City when our work shift arrives."
"Yes, I agree with you. Maintaining these two identities is getting riskier by the day." the man answered in a whisper.
However, a few seconds later, the man glanced back at Dio, wanting to confirm something.
"But... Dio, if I recall correctly, the group from this city lord's residence should have made their move and sent the newly captured additional 'stock' to Woolen City last night, right?"
"That is exactly how the schedule was set." Dio whispered back, his eyes staring straight at the top of the stairs on the second floor. "If they fail to send that 'stock' there on time... I am absolutely certain Mr. Veldan will be furious with Mr. Thomas over the delay."
"Damn it! Just hearing you mentioning that man's name gives me goosebumps." his colleague whispered softly, reflexively rubbing both of his arms as he imagined the cruelty of their leader in Wollen City.
Meanwhile, on the second floor, a completely different atmosphere was taking place inside Eralio's private room.
Calian, Wolvin, and Eralio were already on high alert, anticipating the arrival of the two men.
As for Arlen, under Calian's strict orders, the brown-haired boy was currently hiding behind Eralio's wooden desk for his own safety.
Calian did not want to take even the slightest risk. He did not want the two men to discover Arlen's true identity, even though the Alchemist's physical form was currently that of a six-year-old little boy.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound of knocking could be heard clearly from outside the door of the private room.
"Come in!" Eralio called out from inside.
Right after the master of the house gave permission to enter, the iron hinges creaked softly as the door opened.
From the outside, the two men stepped into the room with measured paces. They then walked closer and stood in a perfect stance of respect, right next to the sofa Wolvin was currently sitting on.
Across the table, Eralio looked intently at his two workers with a very calm and professional expression, acting just like an employer taking the time to listen to his employees' grievances. He played his part impeccably, pretending to know absolutely nothing about their involvement with the slave-trading syndicate that Wolvin had mentioned earlier.
"What brings the two of you to see me together so suddenly, this early in the morning?" Mr. Eralio asked in a casual tone.
"Forgive our presumption for interrupting your time and suddenly coming to see you this early, Mr. Eralio." Dio answered with a very polite and respectful bow. "There is an important matter we wish to discuss with you."
"What is it? Just say it, there is no need to hesitate around me."
Even though Eralio acted very relaxed and calm in front of the two men, deep in his heart, the middle-aged man was truly quite taken aback.
The professional attitude, convincing body language, and polite choice of words from the two men were absolutely perfect. They played the roles of obedient workers exceptionally well, showing no suspicious signs whatsoever to indicate that they were accomplices of the kidnappers and slave traders.
"Mr. Eralio, the two of us have agreed that we want to resign from our jobs at this residence and return to our hometown as soon as possible." Dio said, stating his primary intention in a tone deliberately made to sound slightly heavy and full of regret.
"What?" Eralio replied, feigning surprise at the sudden news. "Why do you both suddenly want to resign at the same time? Is the work environment uncomfortable? Or... is the salary I have been giving you all this time still considered insufficient for the two of you?"
Dio quickly shook his head, dismissing his employer's assumptions.
"No, that is not it, Mr. Eralio." the man answered in a highly convincing tone with a sincere face. "The salary I have received while working here is more than enough to support my life in Gias City, as well as to send back to my family in my hometown. You are a very good employer."
Dio paused his sentence for a moment, taking a slow breath before continuing his lie.
"But... after thinking it through, I have decided I want to go back to just farming in the village, so I can be close to my family and my aging parents."
Eralio nodded in understanding, putting on an expression as if he deeply sympathized and understood the noble, emotional reason. "I see, I can understand that."
He then slowly turned his head toward the man standing right next to Dio. "And what about you?"
Right after the host threw the question to the man, on the sofa, Calian, who had been sitting quietly listening the entire time, immediately tapped the back of Wolvin's hand gently with his index finger.
"You kill the man Mr. Eralio is looking at!" Calian whispered in a voice so low it could only be heard by Wolvin. "And I will stop the movements of the other man so he has no chance to escape from this room!"
Hearing the clear instruction from his husband, the Night Wolf youth simply wiggled his little finger to show that he understood.
After getting a signal from the movement of Wolvin's little finger, Calian looked up and turned his head. He stared at the man currently standing right next to his spouse.
Next to his husband, Wolvin, with a very natural and slow motion, began to raise and direct his right hand toward the dimensional storage necklace hanging around his neck.
As for the two men, they remained standing calmly, looking at Eralio without either of them realizing that their lives were being targeted.
"Actually, my reason is—"
Right as the man standing next to Dio began to answer Eralio's question, Calian did not give him a chance to finish his sentence.
"Do it!" Calian cut in suddenly, giving the signal for his spouse to act immediately.
Hearing the cue coming from his husband's mouth, Wolvin instantly pulled out his favorite black dagger from his dimensional storage necklace.
The moment the dagger's hilt was in his grasp, the Night Wolf youth moved with incredible speed, completely uncatchable by the naked eyes of the two men.
His movements were incredibly fast, silent, and undetected.
In just the blink of an eye, Wolvin had shifted positions and was standing right behind the man's back.