Shadowless Squad

The autumn sun hung high at noon, bright but no longer harsh, carrying a hint of crispness as it fell upon the archway of Rose Town, built from massive grey stones, warming the rock.

This is Rose Town, a gathering place for Adventurers counted among the most prominent in the Dusk Duchy and even the entire Emerald Federation.

The town gate, like a tireless giant's maw, continuously swallowed and disgorged streams of people of all kinds.

Lone travelers with huge packs on their backs; Adventurer teams in groups of three or five; hurried merchants; and even a few small Goblins, urging along carts pulled by mountain lizards, laden with strange ores and autumn harvested root vegetables, slowly inching into town.

Above the archway hung the crest of the Night Thorn Family—a rose blooming amidst thorns.

The guards at the gate wore chainmail, their eyes sharp.

Though they were long accustomed to the daily chaos and potential dangers at the Rose Town gate, today they seemed exceptionally vigilant—their hands always resting on the hilts of their spears, their gazes meticulously scanning everyone entering and leaving the gate.

Not far outside the archway, by the stone-paved road, six burly men in matching azure blue jackets were clearing the road.

A middle-aged man, dressed in a silk long coat with a wave pattern, his hair impeccably combed, stood at the forefront. He appeared somewhat nervous, repeatedly adjusting his collar and cuffs, trying to make every fold look perfect.

Behind him, two young men dressed as assistants stood just as straight, gazing fixedly into the distance.

This display attracted the attention of many passersby.

Dimi, blending into the crowd, tightened his somewhat ill-fitting jacket.

He tiptoed to get a better look at the unusual scene, then nudged the man in the worn black leather armor beside him with his elbow.

This man had the overall demeanor of a seasoned adventurer from the lower rungs of society, his eyes shrewd with a hint of slyness, a well-maintained saber hanging from his waist.

"Boss Wilson," Dimi whispered, asking curiously, "What are these people doing? Such a grand display?"

The man called Wilson, arms crossed, adopting the air of a "Rose Town know-it-all," replied in a low voice, "That's Mr. Ford, the acting manager for 'Four Seas General Goods.'

'Four Seas General Goods' is the biggest shop in our Rose Town; you might not know it since you just arrived. But you must have heard of the 'Tidal Trade Union,' right?"

Dimi nodded repeatedly like a pecking chicken, a look of reverence on his face, "I know, I know! A big trade union! Anyway... they're super rich!"

"Exactly!" Wilson puffed out his chin proudly, as if the trade union were his family's business. "'Four Seas General Goods' is the shop opened by the Tidal Trade Union in Rose Town!

I just found out, they say Boss Ford himself came out today to welcome the young lady of the Tidal Trade Union."

He patted Dimi's shoulder, boasting, "That's why I told you, you two brothers coming to Rose Town and joining our 'Shadowless Squad' was definitely the right choice!

See? Even an organization as big as the Tidal Trade Union sent their young lady here, which means there are plenty of opportunities here!"

Upon hearing the words "young lady of the Tidal Trade Union," Dimi immediately became somewhat nervous and timid. He tugged at Wilson's sleeve, "Boss Wilson, with such a big commotion at the gate today... then... then maybe we should just forget it?

My brother and I didn't lose that much, my dagger was junk I got from a street stall, and my brother's money pouch only had a few dozen Copper Nails..."

Wilson's eyes widened, and he whispered irritably, "Forget it, my ass! What are you afraid of? They're waiting for the young lady, what does that have to do with us? Is she going to care if you lost a dagger?"

Dimi's face fell, and he mumbled, "I'm usually very brave... But Boss Wilson, you didn't experience what happened last night... It was really too scary, my legs are still a bit shaky..."

Wilson recalled the scene from last night and felt both annoyed and amused.

Dimi and his companion, those two idiots, had promised to join him during the day, but instead, they showed up at midnight, stark naked, clutching their crotches, found the address he'd left for his residence and office, banging on his door and shouting about talking undead dogs...

He lowered his voice and cursed, "You two idiots! Use your brains! How many Mages are there in this big Rose Town? Which decent Mage would stay in a dump like the 'Roadside Inn'? And Necromancers? Would Necromancers care about your little bit of junk?"

"Rupert just rushed back to report! He saw the carriage from a distance, there were no undead dogs at all! There was just a brown and white mutt dozing in the carriage!

You two were definitely tricked! The people in that carriage were most likely swindlers who specialize in this kind of 'playing god' trick!

Don't worry, Rupert saw them heading towards Rose Town too!

I'll personally help you get your stuff back later, and I'll squeeze them for some extra cash!"

Dimi was skeptical, "Boss... can... can we really get it back? What if they..."

Wilson patted the saber at his waist, then glanced at the guards standing nearby, saying with full confidence, "What's there to fear! The guards are right here! If they dare not give it back, we'll make a scene and have the guards arrest them as swindlers! Let's see if they're scared!"

As they spoke, Dimi's eyes lit up. He pointed at a carriage slowly approaching in the distance and excitedly whispered, "Boss! They're here, they're here! It's that carriage! That Black Horse! I won't mistake it!"

Just then, Mr. Ford, the manager from "Four Seas General Goods," put on a serious expression and turned to the assistants behind him, ordering, "Raise the banners!"

The six burly men in the azure blue wave-patterned coats immediately and neatly grabbed the ropes of the flagpoles prepared on both sides of the road and pulled hard!

Swish—

Six large trade union banners, each about ten feet high, unfurled instantly.

The azure blue silk fabric shimmered with its characteristic luster under the midday sun. The surging giant wave pattern, meticulously embroidered with gold thread, fluttered in the breeze, as if about to surge forth from the banners.

This sudden, magnificent display drew low gasps and murmurs from the surrounding crowd.

However, Dimi, Wilson, and the other two members of their "Shadowless Squad" paid no attention to the commotion behind them.

They moved along the shade of the roadside trees, like hyenas stalking prey, silently creeping forward.

Inside the carriage.

He Xi looked helplessly at the empty corner.

The clothes "confiscated" last night had all been ordered thrown away by the young lady along the way, citing their nauseating smell and air of poverty.

What a shame, he thought they might have been worth at least one Silver Scale.