My Lord, Rose Town Can't Do Without Us

The carriage rolled slowly onward.

Just then, several figures suddenly darted out from the shade of the trees beside the road.

Leading them was Wilson, wearing that old black leather armor.

He rushed in front of the carriage in a single stride, gripping a curved saber. With a menacing look, he spread his arms and blocked the middle of the road.

"Stop! I said stop!"

Fred, the coachman, jumped in surprise and immediately tightened the reins.

"Whoa—!"

The tall black horse, "Night," snorted in displeasure, and the carriage came to a halt.

Inside the carriage, He Xi immediately recognized the unfortunate fellow cowering at the back—Dimi.

So he really did find some backup? He Xi thought. He turned to Annis and whispered, "The one at the very back is the guy who lost all his money at the inn last night and tried to steal our carriage."

"Oh?" Annis didn't look frightened at all. Instead, a glint of interest flashed in her eyes. "He's the one who tried to steal my Night?"

He Xi nodded. His hand was already on the carriage-door handle, ready to get out and deal with the situation.

But Annis gently wagged her index finger, stopping him.

"Relax, Galen. Someone else will take care of this little nuisance for us. Just watch."

Following her gaze, He Xi noticed the blue-coated Strongmen at the town gate closing in on them. He immediately understood.

But his hand remained on the door handle.

Annis saw what he was thinking and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Don't worry. I won't short you by a single copper nail."

At those words, He Xi's worries immediately melted away, and he settled back into his seat.

What could he say? That was thirty thousand bucks—er, one Gold Shield!

Outside, Wilson grew even more brazen when he saw the carriage stop.

He pointed his curved saber at Fred and shouted, "So you're the Undead Mage who's been pulling all those tricks, huh? Come on, get down here and fight me!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he sensed that something was wrong behind him.

He turned around, his eyes nearly popping out of his head—

Dimi and their two other companions had already been effortlessly subdued by the burly blue-coated Strongmen, who had pinned them to the ground like a bunch of chicks.

Nearby, Mr. Ford, the local manager of Four Seas General Goods, whom Wilson knew, was watching him with a dark expression.

Wilson's mind went blank. Thinking he must have blocked some important person's way, he hurriedly put on a fawning smile. "Ah, sorry, Mr. Ford! I didn't mean to get in the way of you welcoming your distinguished guest. I'll move this junky carriage right away!"

Then, his expression changed in an instant. He turned and snarled at Fred, "You heard me! Pull over! Get everyone in the carriage out! And that damn dog, too! I'm confiscating the carriage and the horse!"

Before he could finish, two blue-coated Strongmen loomed over him like iron towers and seized him from both sides, pinning him in place.

The curved saber in his hand clattered to the ground.

"Mr... Mr. Ford? Wh-what are you doing?"

As Wilson stared in disbelief, the Mr. Ford he had addressed completely ignored him and hurried over to the carriage. He straightened his collar once more, then bowed slightly toward the window, his face wreathed in an incredibly respectful smile.

"Good day, esteemed Miss Anise. I'm Ford, the manager of Four Seas General Goods in Rose Town. I welcome you on your arrival! Welcome to Rose Town!"

A slender, fair hand lifted the carriage curtain a crack, revealing half of Annis's pretty face, tinged with impatience.

She glanced at the chaotic scene outside and the men pinned to the ground, then pursed her lips.

"Manager Ford, Rose Town's 'welcoming ceremony' is certainly... unique. I've only just arrived at the town gate, and someone's already eager to confiscate my carriage and Night?"

Cold sweat instantly broke out across Manager Ford's forehead, and he bowed even lower. "Miss, Rose Town is home to all sorts of people, but things aren't usually this lawless. These idiots must have crawled out of some dark corner. Please forgive us!"

At that moment, several guards from the town gate ran over.

The guard captain, Andre, asked, "Mr. Ford, what's going on here? Do you need help?"

Ford hurriedly pointed at Wilson and the others. "Captain Andre, these thieves were extorting people at the town gate and even tried to rob them!"

Captain Andre's expression turned stern. He nodded firmly. "Understood! To commit such a crime right at the town gate! Leave it to us, Mr. Ford!"

Wilson's face had gone as pale as paper, and cold sweat soaked his back.

Even an idiot like him could see that he'd kicked a steel wall this time—one that was enchanted, no less.

His mind was in chaos. Only one absurd thought remained: What kind of magic does that shabby roadside inn have? How did the young lady of the Tidal Trade Union end up staying there, too?!

Dimi and the other two members of the Shadowless Squad were even more terrified. When the Strongmen handed them over to the guards, their legs were so weak they could barely stand, and the guards had to drag them along.

"M-misunderstanding! My lord! Sirs!" Wilson struggled desperately, trying one last time to talk his way out of it. "It's all a misunderstanding! We... we mistook your carriage for someone else's! We'll leave right away! Right away!"

The Strongman holding him down gave a cold snort and tightened his grip, making Wilson grimace in pain.

Captain Andre drew his sword with a sharp shing, its gleaming blade pointed at Wilson.

Wilson shuddered with fright and hurriedly called out to Andre, "Captain Andre! Captain Andre! We've met before! I'm Wilson, the leader of the Shadowless Squad!

"Don't you remember? Our squad found your pocket watch in the sewers last time! Rose Town can't do without the Shadowless Squad!"

At the name "Shadowless Squad," Andre first furrowed his brow, seeming to search his memory for it.

A few seconds later, he remembered. But instead of showing the relief Wilson had hoped for, a look of disgust crossed his face.

"So it's you lot! Tie them up tight! Take them all back and question them thoroughly!"

Wilson and the other three were trussed up with thick ropes like dead dogs and dragged toward the side of the road by several guards.

Manager Ford went over to Captain Andre and asked quietly, "Captain Andre, what kind of outfit is this 'Shadowless Squad'? Could they cause trouble?"

Captain Andre sheathed his sword and snorted disdainfully. "Don't worry, Mr. Ford.

"They're just a registered team with the Adventurers' Guild. The members are all second-rate Rogue Apprentices, and they take on jobs like finding lost cats and dogs, picking locks, and clearing out sewers."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Come to think of it, the Adventurers' Guild has been complaining lately that there've been a strange number of reports about missing items and lock-picking jobs around town... We've privately suspected that these people might be staging the whole thing themselves—stealing things first, then 'helping' to find them and making money both ways!"