The four of them, hiding their appearances, came out of the cottage house, heading toward Madira House. On the way, Angela began to say,"If we're going to fall into their trap, we should go in with a plan."Laila and Gia agreed with her.All three of them looked toward Duke...Up until now, everything they had heard about Duke was completely different from what he seemed now — they were starting to understand.The same Duke ignored them, lost in his own thoughts, walking ahead.
Angela:"Duke, don't you think we should make some kind of plan? How to deal with the people inside, what kind of people will be there, what should we do if there's a problem?"
Duke:"Oh no, there's no need for that… The Madira House people hire Mercenary Killers from nearby tribes for exactly these kinds of situations. These people attack without thinking. In such matters, Madira House people don't dirty their own hands — for them, these are small issues. We just don't know about the person who planned all this… the one who used their mid-department manager to bring you here."
Angela:"What do you mean… there's someone else behind this?"
Duke:"Information House people usually don't interfere in anyone's work or cause trouble on purpose… they only care about their work and payment. They have nothing to do with worldly matters. If someone managed to get their mid-manager's batch to you, that means they also have a blue batch like ours. Without this blue batch, they would never agree at any cost. I'm sure he used it… we just have to find him."
Gia, Laila, and Angela listened carefully. Gia and Laila thought to themselves that this man was famous throughout the North-side for being "Useless" — how did he know so much? Angela then asked Duke:
Angela:"Duke, how do you know all this?"
Duke (laughing):"Oh, before joining the academy, I used to spend all my time in Madira House and Gambling House."
Angela:"Ohhh… still, you know so much, it's almost like you're one of them."
Duke just smiled. Angela looked at him closely, from top to bottom, but found nothing — Noob 2nd grade.
Laila:"So the Falcon House's 'Useless' has been hiding a lot, huh? The kind of key you have, you must have made it deliberately, right Duke?"
Even Gia started to doubt Duke — he no longer seemed like the person the rumors described. Angela had also heard about Falcon's "Useless," but now it all seemed like rumors.
Laila:"So Duke, what did you do for them to give you this Blue Batch? With your kind of power, you couldn't have been useful to them."
Duke (looking at Laila):"Laila, you're very sharp-minded…" — and ignored telling her more.
Angela:"Duke, if we just walk inside like this, won't they attack us directly?"
Duke:"Oh no, they won't do anything until they get a signal. Their manager is the one in a black coat sitting in a corner, collecting information. He notes down important details, and if something needs to be done, he signals others."
Angela:"Oh, okay… so how should we deal with him?"
Duke:"Leave all that to me, I'll handle everything. Just don't make any moves. Let them follow their plan. We'll play our card at the end."
Saying this, all four took the main alley and reached Madira House, which was built right behind Information House.
There was more rush than usual in Madira House today — every table was full, except for one in the middle that was left empty, as if for a formation, so that once the order was given, they could surround them from all sides.
As they entered, Duke noticed it and pointed them toward the empty table to sit.
Duke (thinking):"Silver-level Mercenary Killers… Madira House people have spent quite a lot… and even a half-gold is here. Looks like someone high-level wants Angela dead."
They all sat at the middle table. The atmosphere was like any other Madira House.
Duke (looking at Angela):"Looks like you're special, Angela — they've even hired a half-gold for you."
The three were shocked. They had activated all their senses upon entering, but felt no unusual energy — everyone seemed the same.But Duke — the so-called "Noob" — gauged the levels in an instant.
Duke (quietly telling them):"They've placed one silver-level (1st silver) at each of the last four tables. And when we entered, the man pretending to be drunk at the entry table is the half-gold."
Hearing this shocked and scared them — these levels were above theirs. It didn't seem like they could escape alive.
Duke (to Angela):"The Madira House beggars wouldn't spend this much… so Angela, who exactly are you that they've gone to all this trouble to bring you here? Was this mission taken from the Mission Hall in the academy… or did you come here on your own… Royal Family's Princess?"
Angela (hiding):"How did you find out… that I'm a Princess?"
Laila and Gia, who were with her in the academy, also didn't know. Apart from the Headmaster, no one knew. They were shocked — even after so many years together, they knew nothing about her family. Whenever they asked, Angela would say she was from the Headmaster's family. That's what everyone at the academy believed.
Duke (with a slight smile):"My eyes are open — I don't see the world with closed eyes like others. Forget how I figured it out… you tell me — did the Royal Family give you this mission or did you take it from the academy's Mission Hall?"
Angela:"Well… I heard from my sources… so I came to investigate myself."
Duke:"So your sources… are they Royal Family sources? And where did they get this information?"
Angela:"Oh no, I got it from some south-side 'B Side' family students at the academy."
Duke (thinking):"I see… so the person who brought you here doesn't know about your family… they're after something else."
By then, a waiter came to take their order. Without ordering, Duke handed him a Black Batch and told him to give it to the black-robe man sitting in the corner.The waiter, seeing the batch and the person it was meant for, was stunned. He didn't know what to do next.
Suddenly, everyone at the tables stood up together and started moving toward them. Their bodies released energy from their levels — Madira House felt less like a place of business and more like a battlefield.
Seeing this, Gia, Laila, and Angela were scared. So many vampires, including Alphas and Silvers, approaching them made their bodies go numb. They didn't know what to do — then Duke spoke:
Duke:"Do you really want to do this, Manager Tom?"
As soon as this voice rang out, the black-robe man raised his hand, and everyone stopped. He told them all to leave.Then he walked over to Duke's table and asked:
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"