It was a late night, and Aren was given a guest room, but he hadn't bothered to sleep, as he was busy staring out of the window.

This mission was bothering him.

'I suppose I need to skip this week's meeting in the Realm Between. I don't really have time for that either now.'

Aren had been thinking about what he saw in the baron's daughter's room.

'…I asked the head butler, and apparently, the night that she was taken, the annual Black Moon festival was happening in Lanternford Market.

'There was music. Fireworks. And so many people in the streets, which is why the kidnappers managed to take the daughter before anyone noticed a thing.

'She was apparently still in the castle and not in the festival, as she was going to get ready for her performance—changing clothes, et cetera.

'They quickly noticed her disappearance when she never went to do her performance and noticed the mess in her room.

'Baron immediately sent his men to search for her.

'One thing I cannot fathom.

'How did they manage to take her away in a town full of people? Surely people would've noticed them carrying a heavy bag shaped like a human.

'Unless…'

Aren looked down at the street.

There was a manhole cover. It took to sewers. They must have taken her through the sewer system.

Lanternford Market's sewer system wasn't big. It wasn't that complicated either, and they've also been thoroughly searched.

The head butler handed Aren a map of the surrounding area of the Lanternford Market, and he realized that there must've only been one place that they could've exited the sewer from.

Aren glanced at the map, tapping at the west side of the town, and after that, there was nothing except for the sprawling forest that stretched on for miles.

'…I'll take a visit at the Peeking Mirror once the Society of Knowers meeting is over. I'd rather keep it secret about what I am doing.'

He thought.

…

Realm Between, Shattered Peninsula, the ruined town.

"…He is not coming."

Alec said.

"I knew he shouldn't have gone to Black Market. Why did you even suggest that?"

Melia asked angrily at Eron.

"It was his decision, in the end. Maybe it's just a long way there for him, and he is currently unavailable to do the Realm Between ritual. You're panicking too early, Doll."

Eron said.

"…Tch. Am I the only one worried that something might've happened to the Lord? He is the Lord of the Realm Between, after all, and don't any of you know the prophecy?

"The child of reincarnation will slay the Wretched One and bring an end to Her!"

Melia asked angrily.

"Honestly, that prophecy is bullshit. There is no such thing as predetermined destiny, and well, if he went and died in the Black Market, that proves that the prophecy is bullshit, right?"

Rune said.

"…All of you… I am disappointed."

Melia said, stood up from the stone throne, and started heading back to the graveyard.

"Doll, where are you going? What about the meeting?"

Morgana asked.

"…We will not have another meeting without Lord present. We will wait for him to return before continuing."

Melia said with a serious look.

The rest of the Society of Knowers exchanged glances. Sighed. Then they followed her back to the graveyard.

…

At night between Sunday, and Monday.

Through the stone gateway, Aren arrived back in the graveyard of the damned and saw the fog shrouding the surroundings like it had always been.

He went straight over to the Peeking Mirror and saw that there was no one around.

'…Now. With Peeking Mirror, I should check out any place where she might've been taken, and I just have to hope that she wasn't taken somewhere like to Black Market.

'…However, this kidnapping doesn't seem random. It was intended. However, they haven't asked any ransom from the baron, so who knows what they want from her.

'Sure, she is a beautiful one, but… To go this far for just pleasure of the flesh? I don't know.'

Aren thought with a frown.

He remembered the photograph—the young woman was innocent-looking, with blond hair that reached her shoulders and ocean blue eyes.

A petite girl with a delicate smile that made her look even more innocent than she already was.

"Let's see."

Aren tapped on the Peeking Mirror. The fog cleared up. Lanternford Market showed up.

With his hand, he moved the mirror scene elsewhere. To the west part of the town. He then started moving through the forest.

The forest was just too big for him to explore in one night.

When he made past the forest, he came across a town tucked away in the valley. It was surrounded by forest on all sides, making it feel isolated from the rest of the world.

It was a town called Brackenford Cross.

It was also shown in the map, but according to the head butler, the baron's men had already searched it.

They didn't find anyone there who was able to tell anything about the missing daughter.

However, just to be sure, Aren searched every house in Brackenford Cross without caring about people's privacy.

In one house, a father was reading a bedtime story to his children. In another, a man and a woman were trying to make a baby. In another, a man was drinking alone.

After searching every house, Aren didn't find anything else but then saw men stumble down the street.

They climbed onto a wagon—there were about fifteen men—and it looked like they came over to Brackenford Cross to have a party.

'They look like guardsmen. Is there a family in charge of Brackenford Cross, maybe? I don't see any castles or places like that, though.

'With so many guards, there must be a bigger place elsewhere. Might as well keep my eye on them, I have zero other clues.'

Aren followed the wagon.

He didn't expect to find anything.

The wagon rolled down a forest path. It almost got stuck a couple of times but managed to push through the muddy terrain.

In the end, they arrived at a place—a large estate, surrounded by a tall iron fance—it was neatly tucked in the forest.

There were guards posted at the gate, watching carefully for any intruders. There were also guards walking down the lawn, guarding the perimeter.

The lawn alone stretched far. The estate was a sight to behold with its grandeur and elegance. It was big enough to house everyone over in Brackenford Cross.

'The map didn't show this place. Does even the baron know of this place? It is about thirty minutes away from Brackenford Cross.'

Aren thought with interest.