Ultimately, Lucia had no choice but to wait in line to buy ferry tickets.

She felt deeply wronged — wasn't this blackmailing the Duke?

Moreover, hadn't she been blackmailed herself? Lucia was pretty sure that if she didn't complete the task that A.M.B. had assigned to her, she was pretty much asking for a dose of poison to be added in her coffee. The Black Butterflies of the Adventurer's Guild were genuinely scary, and Lucia suspected that they were involved in a variety of different assassination and extortion quests.

Contrary to popular belief, entities like a hypothetical 'Assassins Guild' never existed in plain view. It was pretty much impossible to walk in through the front door, in large part because these secret organizations were generally illegal and never endorsed by any nation or government. Sky Archipelago — contrarily — was a safe haven for all forms of mercenary activity.

In the Old World, it was well known that nearly anything could be purchased in the markets of Sky Harbor. Foreigners hired armies, scientists, narcotics, weapons, powerful airships, and rare exotic monsters for colosseums. Adventurers were especially skilled at acquiring and accomplishing all manners of activities, and some of them were probably illegal.

In many ways, Lucia was afraid of her organization.

How many adventurers were trained killers or swords for hire?

Some of them certainly looked friendly at the reception desk, but when she read their quest reports...

.....perhaps it was better not to say.

+ + +

Lucia was in too deep.

It was too late to back out.

The 27-year-old receptionist sighed as she leaned against the railing. Her ferry was slowly making its way to Senzawa Island, and she stared silently at the clouds that drifted by in the sky.

These floating isles were such a beautiful place.

However, the darkness that laid underneath... it was an endless pit. Lucia had barely scratched the surface, yet she was 100% sure that darker shadows lurked behind the face of the Adventurer's Guild. Perhaps even the elusive Queen was involved.

But what could she do? Lucia was just an ordinary person. She didn't have friends or family on the Archipelago, and she was sure that the Black Butterflies had approached her because nobody would miss her if something went wrong. They obviously wanted to recruit her into their secretive organization, and A.M.B. had already hinted casually at it several times before.

Of course, Lucia had rejected the invitation each time.

Nonetheless, this was the first time they had directly shoved an assignment onto her...

...and Lucia really didn't want to do it.

But she didn't have a choice, did she?

+ + +

Several hours later, Senzawa Island gradually appeared on the horizon.

Lucia's expression was blank as she stared at it.

Senzawa Island was the home of Duke Grogar. It was a beautiful island that was famous for its Great Waterfall, which is a massive stream of water that pours over the western edge and plummets into the lower world. Supposedly there is a holy spring at the center of the island that supplies the endless stream of water, and for centuries Senzawa provided fresh water to the entirety of the Archipelago.

Despite its majestic appearance, the island also has a tragic story.

Specifically, Senzawa Island has been sinking for the past six centuries.

Each year, the altitude of Senzawa Island drops by several hundred feet, and it is already one of the lowest floating islands in the entire Archipelago. Many people say that Senzawa Island is losing its magic, and before long it will crumble to pieces and crash to the ground.

Large sections of land break off from Senzawa Island periodically, and even though it used to be one of the largest islands, it is steadily getting smaller and smaller. Many Senzawa farmers lose their land every year, and a couple decades ago an entire city crumbled into nothingness. The future is certainly very bleak, and the local economy has been in shambles.

Duke Grogar, however, is incredibly popular among the citizens of Senzawa.

By promising his people more land and giving unemployed farmers well-paying jobs in the military, one could say that the House of Grogar was singlehandedly responsible for preventing Senzawa Island from falling into total economic disaster.

However, the infamous duke was also a controversial personality with many powerful enemies.

Lucia knew that there were assassins coming for the duke.

What was the right thing for her to do?