Xio Derecha stood before the full-length mirror, getting herself ready to go out.
For the two days since returning from the Beyonder gathering hosted by Mr. A, she had been on edge.
Although everything had remained peaceful, and that so-called "evil god" really did seem to have been driven away by the mysterious purifier, what he had said before leaving still made her uncomfortable. Honestly, she had no desire to go out at all these past few days. But the masked man who had approached her at the gathering had given her a new assignment.
He wanted her to investigate some unusual developments in the East Borough lately, and to keep an eye on the Truth Society's recent activities while she was at it.
Considering that he had the potion formulas for the later stages of the Arbiter pathway, and that this was her first official assignment, too-
Refusing outright really wouldn't look good. So, however reluctant she felt, Xio had to force herself to go out.
"Xio, are you going out?"
Seeing her friend preparing to leave, Fors, who had been sitting in a daze on the sofa, asked with some concern.
"It's fine," Xio turned around and reassured her. "I'm just going to have a look around the East Borough. Don't worry about me."
Looking at Fors's somewhat haggard face, she couldn't resist teasing her. "You, on the other hand, should stop looking so gloomy. You've been thinking about that Pen Friend you've never met every single day lately. You haven't looked well once."
"Xio! What are you talking about!" Fors's cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
"All right, I'm off."
After Xio left, Fors was alone in the room. Gazing at the gray sky outside, she sighed softly. Aside from her worries about that Pen Friend, something else had