The party was now sailing on the small boat. The man with the white bandana was steering the boat. The sail was being dragged by a slightly strong wind. His face was bruised and his right eye was swollen.

"I'm really sorry. I just wanted to have some fun…"

The man wearing the white bandana looked toward the island. He was standing at the back of the boat, while everyone else was hunched down on the base of the boat.

They were also hiding under individual cloths to avoid being seen by prying eyes. Leonze was at the front of the boat, followed by Jaegar and Brittanya on the second row, and then Kryllo and Syrenne on the last row.

"You better not pull off another prank like that, or you won't get off with just a beating from this esteemed knight here."

Leonze shook his head as he looked ahead.

"Yeah. Do you know that I can sink this boat with my Flood Magic?!"

Brittanya turned her head to glare at the boatman.

"Hey. We're also riding on this boat. Don't punch a hole in it or something."

Jaegar glanced sideways at her.

"I've wanted to ask earlier. How does the kingdom prevent people from going to the island?"

Syrenne called out toward Leonze. She didn't have to shout since the waters were calm during that time.

"Well, the Merchant Union issues permits for all boats and ships that docks at and leaves the port of Siyetekos. They have some men who check those permits. Also, the knights assigned here also help in watching the activities at the port. No vessel is allowed to head toward the island. If one was spotted or even just suspected to go there, that person will never be issued a permit again and thus they wouldn't be able to do business anymore. No sane merchant or boat owner would dare risk that."

Leonze explained as he kept on the lookout.

"I see. That does make sense… Though, I'm getting disheartened by all these underhanded methods just to get what we want… Is this really what a merchant should be doing…?"

Syrenne hung her head and stared at the water.

"That's just how it is. Either you bear it and prosper or go against it and then be crushed by reality."

Leonze furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at his open palm.

"You know what? You're more like a merchant than a thief."

Jaegar scratched his cheek as he looked at Leonze's back. Leonze didn't react immediately and was quiet for a while.

"I just happen to know the right people who are willing to turn a blind eye. Doesn't mean anything, really."

Leonze finally responded with a deflection.

"Sure. It's still impressive. For a scammer, that is."

Jaegar smirked and then looked away.

After a few more minutes, they finally saw the island up ahead. From a distance, the island seemed to be covered by thick forests with a mountain in the middle.

Once they arrived at the shore, the five of them got off the boat and used the cloth they had as cloaks. The boatman then gave Leonze a small wooden box with holes on it. Inside was a small blue bird. The boatman instructed Leonze to release the bird once the party wanted to be picked up and return to Siyetekos.

After giving the instructions, the man with the white bandana set sailed and returned to the city. The party watched him leave before turning around and looking at what the island had to offer. True from what they saw earlier, it was covered in a lush forest full of trees and tall grass.

"Well, let's kill that strong monster, then!"

Jaegar covered one of his fists with his other open palm.

"And find that rare mineral for Syrenne!"

Brittanya fixed the position of her hat that was on her head.

"Most importantly, get information on the Legendary Artifacts."

Leonze smirked as he stared at the large forest before him.

"How about… some sleep…?"

Kryllo stood still behind everyone else.

"Um, Kryllo… You've been asleep throughout this time…"

Syrenne looked at Kryllo and forced a smile.

---

Somewhere far away, the woman with long purple hair and a mask was kneeling on the floor on one leg. She had her head bowed down toward someone who was seated in a large chair. They were inside a dark room, with only the light coming from the moon illuminating the purple-haired woman's masked visage.

"Master, I have returned."

The woman kept her head bowed down. The person she was talking to was a male. His figure was hidden in the shadows. He had his back turned on the woman.

"Xerilka. How was the task I gave you? Are there any important details you should report?"

The man stared outside of the window that allowed the moonlight to enter the room.

"Yes, Master. The lead was false, as we did not find any trace of the item in question."

"I see. How unfortunate. And what about the other matter at hand?"

The man shifted in his seat.

"It was there, as you have hoped. I believe it was able to do its purpose and killed off the party that went into the fortress."

The woman raised her head and looked at the chair the man was sitting on.

"A party? What were they doing there?"

His voice was slightly raised.

"According to our observation, they must have been hired for treasure hunting. They were led by a swordless knight—"

"A knight, you say? Hmm…"

The man went deep into thought.

"Is something the matter, Master?"

"Does this knight have a mage and an archer with him?"

The man clasped his hands together.

"Uh, yes… they were with the knight."

The woman's eyebrows furrowed under her mask. The man then laughed loudly.

"I'd appreciate it if you told me the truth. I wouldn't consider it a failure on your part. I know for a fact that party you saw in the fortress is still alive."

The man smirked.

"Please forgive my impertinence! I just thought they were of no significance and would be dead either way sooner or later…"

Xerilka raised her voice unknowingly.

"According to our… information, that party encountered yet another most interesting monster. And they yet lived to tell the tale. This knight really has me intrigued… This… Jaegar."

The man then grinned.

"Jaegar…"

Xerilka stared at the floor. The man then heard her mutter the knight's name.

"What's the matter? Do you know something about him?"

"No, Master… It's just that he seemed strange to me."

She shook her head and then bowed again.

"Oh. That means you're intrigued as well. Have your men watch their every move from now on. Find out where they are right now. I believe he and his party will bring us more unexpected events in the future."

The man stood up from his chair and walked past Xerilka.

"As you wish, Master."

---

"Um… was it really a good idea to enter this forest during the night…? We can hardly see where we are going…"

Syrenne was walking behind Leonze, Jaegar and Brittanya. Kryllo was walking behind her.

"We… should have… slept first…"

Kryllo had his shoulders slumped while walking.

"It was dangerous to stay at the shore. We don't know if anyone else is at the island right now. We'd also be easier targets for the monster if we stayed in that open space."

Leonze was leading everyone. He occasionally removed a hanging vine or low branch to clear their way.

"Anyway, what does this Diamede even look like?"

Brittanya was turning her head in every direction while walking.

"It's supposed to be a clear mineral with edges on it. They should be sprouting out of the ground near the base of the mountain. I haven't seen a real one myself, though."

Leonze looked up as he searched his memory.

"We should hunt that monster first. Since people haven’t been able to get that damn mineral due to the strong monster hanging around it, right?"

Jaegar looked at Leonze.

"Honestly, I just want to get some information about the Legendary Artifacts. Any small lead will do."

Leonze spoke without turning around at everyone.

"And how do you even plan to get that sort of information here, anyway?"

Jaegar raised his eyebrow at Leonze.

"There are supposed to be traces here—"

Before Leonze could finish talking, the branches above them made sudden noises.

Kryllo then suddenly grabbed Syrenne from the waist and carried her on his shoulders. He then ran behind Brittanya. Leonze instinctly crouched down on the ground and covered his head with his hands. Brittanya then kicked the ground and a thick wall of earth rose up in front of her, covering her and everyone behind her.

Arrows came flying from above. But before the arrows reached the party, some of those arrows disappeared midflight. Other arrows hit the earthen shield that Brittanya brought forth. Then, Jaegar appeared and stood behind Brittanya with a bundle of arrows in his hand.

Jaegar looked up at the branches of the trees and then shouted.

"What's the big deal? Who are you guys?!"

He then glared at the shadowy figures that stood on top of the branches. There were about ten figures looking down at the party.

"Oh. That is a rare sight."

One of the shadowy figures spoke, his voice echoed inside the quiet forest.