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When they have finally arrived at the destination they were going for, the group of freedom fighters and Arteria Blaze all went down to unpack their luggage and settle down on the place they will be staying for the time being.
Meanwhile, Arty looked around discreetly as she tries to memorize the new surroundings and figure out where she is. Something about this place seemed a bit familiar to her and she's trying to remember or figure out what it is.
She wasn't that distracted too much on her deep thoughts as she was thinking and pondering this as she helped out the others into sorting out their stuff and going to settle in to stay in a small apartment-like building where they will all be staying.
By the time they finished settling in, Arty noticed the leader quietly sneaking out so that he would be meeting the very person who is the real leader of the freedom-fighting group. She wondered what that person is like and was thinking about it, but she still didn't put into much effort to wanting to know about it so that she wouldn't show herself to the others of her nervousness and anxiety to it.
She shouldn't show her expressions on how she feels about it right now too much so that they wouldn't think that she has ulterior bad motives for being with them on this trip. By the time the leader had come back, Arty was relieved that none of the others had noticed this so that the leader wouldn't know and then the leader approached and told her that she'll be meeting the 'real' leader very soon for he is interested to meet her.
It made her more nervous when he told her about it and she tried to calm herself down and maintain a cool composure when she's about to meet whoever is the true leader of the freedom fighters so fast or something. She'll need to be physically and mentally prepared to face whoever it is and try to have a good friendly approach towards him so that he wouldn't suspect that she's a bad person trying to sneak into their ranks.
Anyway, she'll also need to be prepared on looking good but not too much so that she wouldn't make so much of an impression like she's dressing up for a party or something extravagant like that. After the leader had left her a bit so that she'll change her traveling clothes, she was relaxing a bit even though she was in hurry to change into different types of clothing so that she'll meet with the real leader.
By the time she was finished, dressed in simple and humbly modest black fitted pants, shoes, and a white shirt with tunic, the leader came to fetch her and he didn't comment or say any other word about her choice of clothing as they walked together to go to a private room somewhere in the upper floors of the apartment building they're staying in.
The leader knocked on the door and Arty quickly squared herself ready as a voice inside gently said to come in and the two of them did. She looked around quickly with a glance that the room they're in looked to be an office room of sorts with two bookshelves in each side of the room, filled with books.
When she found that the voice she heard came from what appeared to be a high-ranking butler, Arty knew instantly that he couldn't be the leader for he looked to be that he's faithful and loyal to whoever it is he is serving to. The servant went to kindly offer them their seats and let them wait for the one person to arrive as he served them tea and few snacks, and it was a bit nerve-wracking for Arty to wait for whoever it is that will come.
It didn't take long for that very person who they were waiting for to arrive and come in through another door in the room, and needless to say, Arty was very shocked upon seeing who it is and recognizing instantly from first sight as he came inside and greeted them.
Arty never considered such a shocking meeting she'll have when she meets another one of the characters of her story so soon and early, like before with Prince Adrian, the Mad-King's unfavored son. And that person of a character she's meeting truly is known as Lord Eric Dark-grip, also known by his true identity which many others do not know of, as Lady Eris Dark-grip. The character who plays the role as the true leader of the freedom fighters, an undercover slave-trader, and a noble-in-disguise of the high society to make connections and all of those sorts.
In any case, it looks like that she'll have to quickly makeup plans and come up with some ideas on how to confront him in the future and also consider trying a friendly approach so that they'll easily bond like that. Arty didn't want to make an enemy already from one of the characters of her story, and somehow make a very bad mess out of it.
And hopefully, the writer and future heroine of the story will be able to succeed that and get a great alliance with this character of the story. It looks like Arteria Blaze is thinking that the task she'll be taking on will be slightly difficult to accomplish that and work on, but she's determined to see this through to the end so that she'll find a way to get back home into her real world.
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