Gale Sword De'erqiao and his party emerged from the smoke rings beneath the Beach in the Harbor District.
Torches and braziers bathed the underground area in light.
Uls, another of Malinda's trusted subordinates, immediately bowed when he saw her emerge-
"My lady!"
As he spoke, Uls looked toward Gale Sword De'erqiao.
His eyes held resentment and defiance.
But more than anything, there was helplessness.
Uls had already spent three months here.
Seven of his men had died clearing out the undead and Construct Monsters.
Yet when they reached the deepest section, there was no way forward, only a spacious hall.
There were some things in it, but none were what his lady needed.
While Uls studied Gale Sword's party, Gale Sword De'erqiao studied this subordinate of Miss Caesar's in turn. He had short hair, deep-set eyes, a scar at the corner of his mouth, and a lean build. Clearly defined muscles showed on his bare arms. The webs between his thumbs and forefingers were callused, as were the areas between his right thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Two swords, one long and one short, hung on his left hip, while two rows of Throwing Daggers hung on his right.
Dual wielding, Throwing Daggers, and proficiency with a bow...
A Hunter?
Gale Sword De'erqiao assessed the man's role.
At the same time, he became even more certain of his lord's "love" for this lady.
Clearly, this lady's people fell somewhere between greenhorns and novices. People like these could never have discovered these ruins. His lord must have learned of her interest in ruins, deliberately guided her to this place, and quietly watched her progress.
Once he saw that she had gotten "stuck," he had unobtrusively sent them in to help resolve the trouble.
That was even the reason they had