Gazing back at the year of Flowers and Summer Leaves, it was the early morning of June 2nd.
Led by Su, the daughter of a tavern owner, Frey quickly arrived at No. 51 Bonuan Market. She glanced outside and saw that even at this hour, Ridenburg’s largest market still had quite a few people; distant and nearby fires were lit, and the bright light somewhat comforted those there—
She took a step forward, but the girl named Su grabbed her hand: "Don’t go, there are people hiding in the alley."
The girl with the braided hair stood at the edge where light and darkness mingled, one hand on the wall, vigilantly watching outside.
"Are they guards?" Frey was startled.
"I don’t know, but there are two unfamiliar faces there. They are definitely not from this district," Su shook her head, answering quietly.
Frey pressed the hilt of her sword against her lips, hesitating nervously. At this hour, those appearing in Bonuan Market were likely soldiers of the White Mane Legion. He had expected this, those people had indeed found Hude. But she didn’t know if they had met? Should she go up and knock on the door?
The future Valkyrie frowned, suddenly recalling Brand’s words to her:
"If you discover signs of the army, don’t worry. Before figuring out our relationship, they won’t act rashly. They, too, want a chance to capture us all in one go."
With this thought, Frey took a deep breath. She turned back and asked, "Su, can you answer some questions for me?"
"I want to know, how do you tell if someone is lying?"
The dark-skinned girl smiled: "Is it because I often help out at the tavern that you’re asking?"
Seeing through her thoughts, Frey blushed. She indeed valued Su’s much richer experience and knowledge. In their previous conversation, she and the others naively thought that the nobles would save them, but Su pointed out the essence of things with just a few words.
So, in her mind, this somewhat cold girl was an extremely sharp and assertive individual.
"It’s okay; I occasionally help others too," Su smiled. "Frey, look at me."
"Your friend who said Ridenburg would be breached, what’s his name?"
Frey was stunned, not understanding why the girl suddenly brought this up. Her heart panicked, and her eyes flickered: "Br-Brand."
Su’s eyes flickered: "You like him, don’t you?"
"No, I don’t, Brand he, he likes Romantic."
"Eyes, look at me, Frey," Su met Frey’s eyes, her deep brown eyes as calm as a still pool: "Who is Romantic?"
Frey’s face ignited with fire; she did not dare to look at Su, her eyes wandered, trying to explain but didn’t know where to start. She felt like the world’s biggest fool, not even remotely clever, and for a moment, wished she could crawl into a hole to hide.
"Yes, I understand." Frey lowered her head and nodded hard.
She took a deep breath, gripped her sword, and was about to walk out but quickly turned back, grabbing Su’s arm: "Su, can you wait here for me?"
Su was stunned but nodded. Frey suddenly felt somewhat inexplicable, but having Su beside her felt like having Brand, giving her some confidence.
Then she walked out of the alley, pretending to ignore the subtle glances around her, and went directly to No. 51 Bonuan Market. She raised her hand—hesitated for a moment, at least feeling two sharp sights fall on her back, but ultimately knocked resolutely.
Bang, bang, bang, the knocking echoed in her heart. After a short wait, the door creaked open. A hunched man appeared, balding, almost ageless. He obviously froze seeing Frey, his eyes subconsciously shifting uneasily.
"After finding the woolen goods merchant named Hude, don’t reveal yourself. Give him some time and arrange to meet at the tavern. Watch his reaction, and you’ll know if he’s trustworthy."
Frey instantly caught this subtle change, Brand and Su’s words echoing in her mind, making her heart cold.