The Strange Pair

Not long after Edward and Princess Andrea turned away from the dock, a passenger ship from Middle Earth arrived in port.

A gangplank was lowered onto the deck, and passengers began disembarking one after another.

The bearded captain still stood at the foot of the gangplank, bidding each passenger farewell. When two people passed by, he turned to the chief steward beside him and asked:

"Those two just now weren't trying to sneak off without paying, were they? I don't think I've seen them before. Why are they dressed so strangely?"

The chief steward leaned close to the captain's ear and whispered:

"They were in the first-class cabin, room one. They haven't come out once since boarding; they've had all their meals brought to their room. And those two were especially demanding. They called on every one of those 'flowers' aboard our ship. Apparently, the flowers were pretty worn out whenever they came out in the morning..."

Miss Harris was on duty at the VIP passage again today. She yawned boredly and said to the tall security guard beside her, John:

"Immigration from Middle Earth has dropped a lot lately. There are even fewer VIPs coming through."

John replied:

"Even nobles fleeing Middle Earth wouldn't choose a place with such a harsh climate as the White Hawk Duchy. The Myriad Islands in the south are their first choice. It's summer there all year round. Apart from the heat and frequent storms, everything else is great."

"What's so great about it? Tell me."

"I've heard the sailors at the tavern say the land there is fertile. You can just scatter seeds and crops will grow. It's also relatively safe. Once you clear the monsters off a small island, you can live there without worrying about a monster attack on your town. A lot of mercenary groups have already started doing 'island clearing.' They wipe out every monster on an island, then sell it directly to nobles fleeing with their whole families. Those nobles often bring their serfs with them, and if they're thrifty, they can build a decent manor again in just a few years."

What he didn't mention was that the sailors bragged most about how passionate and fiery the women of the islands were—so passionate they could take a man straight to heaven...

"You make it sound so wonderful, I'm starting to want to go south myself..." Miss Harris said wistfully.

"But our place has its advantages, too. The winters are cold, but there aren't many epidemics. In the south, especially places like Rainforest Country, you can catch some disease if you're not careful. Malaria is spreading on some islands now. One careless mistake and the whole island..."

John cut himself off and snapped to attention, chest out, eyes fixed straight ahead, turning himself into a human statue. Miss Harris knew a "VIP" had just come through, and put on her own practiced smile.

Two strangely dressed people approached. Both wore black tailcoats with elaborate cuts and shirts with frilly ruffles. Gold pocket-watch chains hung from their breast pockets, and each held a slender walking stick.

They both wore tall black top hats, their brims pulled so low that not even their sideburns showed. Large, round sunglasses sat on their noses. Their faces were gaunt, their skin frighteningly pale, as if covered in a thick coat of white paint. Their lips were painted bright red, making them look extremely bizarre—almost like circus clowns.

The pair walked up to Miss Harris's window, and one of them handed her two passports. Miss Harris glanced down and read:

"You're Count Jacob and Count Frian of the Duchy of Transylvania? Oh, this is the first time I've received two counts at once. What an honor." In Miss Harris's many years of experience, the two men's makeup was bizarre, but their passports were genuine.

The two men outside the window nodded without a word.

"Are you here on official business or for a visit? Would you like me to notify City Hall to receive you?"

Miss Harris found it odd that the two counts were traveling without any attendants. These days, even a baron from Middle Earth arrived at White Eagle Port surrounded by a retinue. Even when speaking to her, it was an attendant who did the talking.

One of the men shook his head, the skin on his face twitching unnaturally. He seemed impatient.

Miss Harris quickly stamped their passports with the blue entry seal and watched them leave. Then she turned to the tall security guard beside her, puzzled.

"John, do you smell something strange?"

"It's perfume. Very strong perfume," John replied.

"I know men in Middle Earth have started wearing perfume like women. But do you smell something foul, too? Like... like mutton that's gone bad in summer?"

"I don't smell anything. Maybe it's because I smoke. My nose isn't as sharp as yours." John shook his head.

The two strange men left Customs and didn't go far. They stood in the shadow of the Customs Building, as if they hated the sunlight. One of them said to the other:

"Jacob, be careful! You nearly lost control back there. You have to keep it together and not give yourself away."

"That's right, Frian. I was about to lose control. The scent of a young woman from the New Continent! Her blood must be full of health and sunshine. Tsk, tsk. Jiejiejie..." The strange man named Jacob grinned wickedly.

"You'd better keep yourself in check. Remember why we came to the New Continent. If you weren't such a pervert with a nose sharper than the rest of ours, I never would've brought you along, you troublemaker." The other strange man gritted his teeth.

"I know, I know. It's the Pureblood we're after. I can just barely smell her. That woman's awfully cautious, though. We followed her all the way from Transylvania, across Middle Earth, and haven't even seen her shadow."

"We'll pursue her to the ends of the earth if we have to. You know how important the Pureblood is to us! If His Excellency the Grand Duke were still here, those countries wouldn't dare trample all over us! Now all of Transylvania has become a battlefield. I don't even dare sleep, in case I get turned into meat paste by a falling shell!" The strange man named Frian continued, gritting his teeth.

Just then, a black carriage rolled up slowly behind them. Yellow lettering on its side read Delton Carriage Company.

But the driver wasn't Old Delton, the red-haired man, or Harry, with his freckled face. Harry was still tending Edward's shop.

The driver was a thin young man wearing jeans and a padded coat. His complexion was fair, and the cold had reddened the tip of his nose. Seeing the two men's backs, he called out cautiously:

"Would you two gentlemen like a ride?"

At the sound of his voice, the two strange men turned around, revealing their faces to the young coachman. His face instantly went pale, as if he'd seen the most terrifying thing in the world. After freezing for a second, he immediately flicked the reins and shouted, "Giddyap!" The two Quarter Horses broke into a trot, and the carriage sped past the strange men toward the city gate.

"Jacob, looks like we've run into an old acquaintance," one of the strange men said.

"Then let's go take a look."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the two men vanished. At the same moment, they appeared beside the young coachman, one on either side.

The carriage slowed to a stop. The young coachman shrank back, not daring to move.

The strange man called Jacob sniffed all over the coachman, who was rigid with fear and cowering into a ball. Grinning wickedly, he said:

"Who would've thought we'd run into a countryman after crossing an ocean? You escaped from that bitch Gianna's place, didn't you? What's your name?"

"L-Lobby, sir. W-what do you want me to d-do?" the young coachman stammered.

"Relax. We won't be staying here long. If you do as you're told, we might even give you something when we leave." Jacob grinned wickedly and patted the trembling coachman's cheek, as if inspecting livestock. "Now take us to the best inn in this town. Move!"

As soon as the two strange men finished speaking, they vanished from beside the coachman. As if they'd appeared there at the exact same instant, they were now inside the carriage behind him.

The young coachman drove through the city gate, trembling.

"Stop for a moment." As they passed the entrance to City Gate Street, the strange man called Jacob stopped the young coachman, Lobby. He stared toward the far end of the street and asked:

"What's that little white building? Do you know?"

"I-I do, sir. It's the Alchemy Shop in town. I think it's also a branch of the Alchemist Association now. My cousin works there as a shop assistant."

The young coachman didn't dare lie. It was as if he feared the two strange men in the carriage deep in his bones, like a mouse facing its natural predator.

The two strange men began whispering to each other.

"Frian, looks like that's the place."

"Are you sure?" The strange man named Frian couldn't believe they'd been handed such an opportunity on a silver platter.

Jacob sniffed the air again and said:

"It should be. The scent is strongest there. And I caught the scent of another Pureblood there, too. Looks like that woman has an accomplice. This time we've really hit the jackpot—twice over. What do you say? Shall we go now?" As he spoke, he started to get up and open the carriage door.

Frian grabbed Jacob and said:

"That woman's pretty strong. If there's an Alchemist with her, we may not have the advantage. Don't forget the old saying: you'd sooner break into a knight's manor than an Alchemist's home. We'll come back tonight. The dark is our territory. Better still if we can lure them out."

Then he turned to the coachman, who was driving, and said:

"Keep going, Lobby. You said your cousin works there? When we get where we're going, don't you dare leave. We'll have a nice, long chat." A low, sinister laugh came from inside the carriage...

### P.S. Thank you all for your continued support. I'm shamelessly asking for votes and follows again! Also, just four more people need to invest for us to reach 100. This is my first novel, but I promise I'll keep working hard on it.