The child shook his head. "I don't know. A man in black told me to come. He said he'd give me candy if I delivered the letter to you."
Asuma took the envelope from the child and inspected it carefully. Only after finding no traps did he hand it to Aoba.
Aoba opened the envelope. Inside was only a slip of paper, bearing a scrawled message: "If you want to know the secret of the amulet, come to the abandoned warehouse west of town at midnight tonight.
"Come alone. Otherwise, you'll never learn the truth."
After reading the note, Aoba's expression changed instantly. He looked up at Asuma and handed it over. "They're after me."
Asuma read the note, his brows furrowing tightly. "It's a trap. They know you're interested in the amulet and want to lure you over."
Mikazuki Rukuu struggled to sit up, saying urgently, "You can't go! Aoba, they definitely mean you harm. Maybe they're after the amulet in your possession."
Aoba pinched the note between his fingers, which trembled slightly. He truly wanted to know the amulet's secret, and he was curious about those people's identities as well, but he also knew how dangerous this was.
Seeing his expression, Asuma knew he was hesitating. "You want to go?"
Aoba looked up at him and nodded. "I want to know what they're really after. Maybe I can pry some clues about the mission out of them, too."
Asuma fell silent for a moment. "Fine, I'll go with you."
"But we need to prepare. If anything goes wrong, we retreat immediately. Yuto, stay here and look after Rukuu. Keep an eye on the inn's surroundings as well. If you notice anything unusual, contact us with the signal."
Yamano Yuto nodded. "Don't worry. You two be careful."
Aoba tucked