Pursuit

Gilan remained calm, showing no panic even while surrounded on all sides.

With a flick of his hand, he swung the Flower Basket Cross Sword. With a clang, it transformed back into the shape of a cane.

"It seems you have the wrong target."

Leaning on his cane, Gilan adjusted the top hat that had been knocked crooked during the fight and spoke calmly to the black-armored warriors.

"While taking a nighttime stroll earlier, I was attacked by an unknown force. If I had not been strong enough, I would most likely have died at their hands."

"That person was a veteran Tier 5 'Illusion.' During our fight, he relied on his powerful hypnotic abilities to influence the surrounding residents and escape."

"Furthermore, he had a grasp of all my movements... I suspect your royal court has already been infiltrated, resulting in the Bremen delegation's information being leaked. Someone with ulterior motives is attempting to sabotage relations between our two nations by assassinating me."

At those words, the black-armored warriors fell silent.

Gilan swept his gaze around, listening to the increasingly noisy commotion before turning toward the low wall where Winter Snake had vanished.

"The corpses of the two assassins I killed should still be at the entrance of that building... You would be wise to examine them before the bodies decompose. You will most likely find residual hypnotic magnetic fields on them."

"That is merely your side of the story."

Though the leading black-armored warrior said this, he still followed Gilan's suggestion. With a wave of his hand, two black-armored warriors swiftly departed behind him.

It seemed they had gone to inspect the two headless corpses.

"Mr. Gilan Iros, please rest assured. Regardless of the truth, we will never wrong you... You need only come back with us to