As Nine had feared, assassinating the Duke of Bloodust without a trace while all fifth-stage extraordinary beings were on high alert proved exceedingly challenging.
Yet even as fate's relentless march thundered like a tempest, granting Ansel no respite, he managed to uncover a sliver of opportunity amidst the chaos.
And this time, the pivotal point would be...
"Crow's... Nest."
Nine softly uttered the tavern's name as she accompanied Ansel to its entrance.
Crow's Nest, or Fafnir's Nest, stood as one of the Western land's premier adventurer guilds.
Guildmaster Fafnir's reputation resonated far and wide. Though now allied with the Duke of Wyvern, their dependence was not absolute. Fafnir's current power and status were not bestowed by the Duke, but rather forged through sheer determination, rising from nothing to become a fifth-stage extraordinary being.