I was unsure how the crystals would withstand the journey through the portals, so we set out on foot, with the three capitals remaining our main destination. Within just two days, we could commence our investigation.
"Seleria, who are those acquaintances you mentioned?" I inquired.
"Assassins, of course. Who else could it be?" she replied.
"Oh, so we're heading to the lair of killers?" Rizel nervously clutched her silvery staff.
"Don't exaggerate it all. They are not just killers but rather... the king's clandestine service for delicate matters," Seleria playfully placed her finger on her lower lip.
"Ah, yes, extremely delicate matters," my remark only earned an impish grin from the princess.
It was this morning that we reached the capital, and now we leisurely wandered through the port district where the main trade rows of small entrepreneurs were located.
"So, we're heading to the headquarters of the most dangerous organization on the continent? Are we going to be all right?" Rizel inquired.
"With me, yes. But we'll go there closer to evening; first, we need to prepare," Seleria replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you wouldn't show up there in that attire, would you?" Seleria disgustedly pointed at our clothes.
I was wearing the regular black attire of the Academy, with the mantle of the magical faculty. Rizel was in her "elegant" outfit, concealing the necromancer's mantle. Rumy was dressed in a simple dark gray dress, and Miriam wore the gray Academy uniform with a light leather armor.
"What's wrong with our clothes?" Rizel asked.
"You stand out too much," Seleria pointed at me. "Even if you're dressed all in black, it's clear that it's high-quality clothing, and descending into the company of respectable thieves dressed like that, you're practically asking to be robbed. At best, they'll mistake you for a waitress."
Seleria then gestured towards Rumy. "Only Miriam has somewhat suitable clothing, just needs to change the cloak. But the rest of you will need to dress up."
"And this comes from a girl wearing a bright red dress, am I mistaken?" Rumy clarified our stance.
"Don't you know? Red is the most inconspicuous color. And if anyone starts to nitpick, we'll throw her into the fire and pretend nothing happened. The flames won't harm her anyway."
"Haha! Don't worry about me. I have something to change into for such situations," the princess said, stopping in front of a modest door in one of the alleys. "Well, here we are."
"Are you sure?" I skeptically surveyed the surroundings. It was an unremarkable house with a sagging roof, and the nearest trade rows and actual shops were at least two blocks away.
"Yes, this is where the most experienced mercenaries in the city usually trade," she affirmed.
Seleria confidently stepped through the low door, and we timidly followed her. It's not to say that the interior differed significantly from the exterior. It was a small stuffy place with basic clothes hanging on the walls, and the counter displayed household items and various trinkets.
"I'm out of here," I turned towards the exit, but the princess rudely stopped me.
"Where do you think you're going? Did you think we'd walk in, and a ton of illegal goods would fall on us?" Seleria snorted and approached the old man sitting behind the counter. "Hello, elder Farid. Wouldn't you help my friends find some good equipment?"
"Hmm? Of course, my dear. Why not assist young adventurers?" The old man struggled to get up and shuffled towards a more inconspicuous door in the far corner of the room.
Seleria, fully confident in her infallibility, followed him, and though not very willingly, we had to follow as well. The back room was much larger than the main one, and the selection here was more interesting. Lightweight armor, leather clothing, and thin chainmail adorned the walls, while exotic weapons and various vials were neatly arranged on shelves. Everything was kept in dark gray and black tones.
"Who is he, anyway?" I whispered to Seleria, but she didn't have a chance to answer.
"In my youth, I also loved nighttime adventures," the old man unexpectedly appeared between us, answering instead of the stammering princess. "So, in retirement, I decided to help the young ones. Hence, this shop. No one dares to touch it since I used to be a highly respected member of the Thieves' Guild. Not many from that society live to a ripe old age."
He quietly moved away to adjust the shelves.
"Earlier, he was a highly respected member of the Thieves' Guild, you know. Not many from that society live to a ripe old age. But he is still respected, so nobody dares to harm his shop. You can even order some very specific weapons here," Seleria explained.
"So, what did you want?" I asked.
"I need to dress my friends appropriately, so they can pass in the guild," Seleria leaned towards the merchant and whispered a couple of phrases to him so we couldn't hear.
"Hmm, yes, I already have a couple of ideas," he replied.
There were even a few fitting rooms in the room, quickly occupied by the girls, while I had to change right in the hall. The dark brown leather jacket and black trousers looked quite modest compared to the silky uniform shirt. The owner also offered me a cloak with an extended collar for my swords. While the girls were changing, he repeatedly suggested hidden blades and poisoning my swords, all at a significant discount. He did it so persuasively that I began to doubt whether he was a former thief or a seasoned merchant.
"Hmm-hmm, not bad at all," Miriam came out of the fitting room in her new outfit. She took off the gray dress and replaced it with a lightweight blouse under the leather armor. Tight leather pants and soft-soled boots completed the image of a silent sniper. "And I even have this," she showed a small fastener on her cloak to which her bow was attached. "Maybe I should wear it instead of the Academy's mantle; it makes me quite uncomfortable sometimes."
"Hmm, simple and unpretentious," Rumy emerged from behind the screen in plain leather clothes not much different from mine, except for two belts to which the sheaths of her daggers were attached. "Now, only Rizel is left."
We looked at the third curtain. Seleria impatiently stood nearby, trying to coax the necromancer to show herself to the public.
"I can't do it!" Rizel exclaimed.
"Oh, come on, many people dress like that," Seleria replied.
"I know who dresses like that! I won't fall for it."
"Oh, come on, many thieves dress like that," Seleria forcibly pulled the sorceress out from behind the curtain. "Well, mostly those targeting SPECIFIC types of theft."
Rizel stepped into the hall and appeared quite intriguing. Thin black boots playfully rose just above her knees, miniature shorts barely covered the girl's hips, and an even more miniature piece of fabric covered her chest.
"Mmm, the day wasn't wasted," the old pervert smirked.
"No... well, it's acceptable, you can dress like that too," I tried to look away, but I couldn't help but steal a few glances at Rizel's revealing outfit.
"See, everything's fine," Seleria said.
"Leave me alone! Give me proper clothes!" Rizel pushed the princess away and disappeared behind the curtain again.
"Hahaha, it suited her so well," the old man sighed.
"Yeah? Her fair skin combined with the tight black clothing looked really beautiful," I said.
"Oh, you understand me, young man. But alas, modern girls are so uptight; I'll have to give her something more modest."
The merchant handed Rizel another set, and a couple of minutes later, she came out on her own. I expected to see something unremarkable like ours, but her clothes were noticeably more elegant. Thin black boots adorned with dark silver reached the middle of her thighs, above them were dark purple slim leggings that merged into a black top. The top snugly fit the girl's slender figure, leaving a narrow neckline. Black and purple gloves completed the look, and on the dark silver belt at the back, there was a holder for her staff. There was something unusual about this outfit, something greater than just regular thief's attire.
"I knew it would suit her," the old man smiled.
"Hmm? Isn't there something suspicious about it?" I asked.
"No, come on, it's just regular clothing that female assassins wear," the merchant circled around the girl, evaluating how the suit fit her. "Actually, I didn't expect that someone would fit into it anytime soon."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this is a very old set, and its previous owner was the first female assassin. They say she enchanted this clothing with magic to make it last forever."
"And no one else bought it before? It must be a valuable item for collectors."
"I wouldn't sell it to anyone who would just hang it on the wall. But, alas, no girl from the guild has managed to fit into it," the old man smirked. "Female warriors naturally develop quite a bit of muscle, but the owner of this armor had an extraordinary slenderness for her profession."
"But we probably don't have enough money for such a rarity."
"Oh, don't worry, consider it my gift. After all, even this young lady tried to buy the suit from me," the merchant lecherously glanced at Seleria's chest. "But she quickly outgrew it, hehe."
"Hmph, give me my set already. We have to meet with the guild leader in the evening," Seleria grumbled discontentedly and walked behind the curtain.
"Ah, girls, you're so difficult to deal with."
After a couple of minutes, Seleria returned in her new attire. The sturdy leather jacket, pants, and cloak snugly embraced the girl's body, concealing her curves.
"Whoa, isn't it too tight for you?" surprisingly, the princess's chest almost disappeared.
"It's all good; I'm more comfortable this way," the girl pulled the hood over her head, leaving only her fiery red eyes visible.
"Princess?" Victoria hurriedly came out to meet the arriving travelers. "It's too dangerous to travel without guards. If you had informed us, we would have sent a detachment of guards to accompany you."
"It's all good," Katrina looked at her companions, "I'm with those whom I can trust, and they are capable of dealing with any threat."
"Have you come to the trial?"
"That too, but I want to see how they treat my comrade. Could you take us to the prison?"
"Of course," Victoria led them into the castle, with the others following behind. "Princess, are you sure of this girl's innocence?"
"Of course, she has saved my life multiple times, and if she were involved in a conspiracy, she wouldn't have helped me when I was in danger."
"Hmm," Victoria pondered for a moment but agreed with Katrina, "I trust your judgment, and I also had a chance to talk to the girl before this. It's unlikely she would have participated in a murder."
"Now we just need to convince her father."
"I'm afraid your opinion will be met with much skepticism. The trial will be judged by several high-ranking nobles from Verania and a couple of representatives from Leran and Nordrune. Lately, they haven't spoken favorably about you."
"But why? My actions are known throughout the country, with the help of some, of course," the princess glanced at Vina.
"Don't look at me like that, but I can understand them too. The nobles hold on to their positions and titles; of course, they fear a princess who is close to the people. After all, she might decide to refresh the court's composition."
"What nonsense."
"But unfortunately, they will be the ones deciding your comrade's fate," Victoria led them down to the castle's underground, brushing off the guards, "we have arrived."
At the end of the corridor, two guards were guarding a massive iron door, more fitting for a pen for a dangerous monster.
"Lady Victoria, the prisoner is under tight security," one of the guards saluted but visibly tensed upon seeing them, "I'm sorry, but visiting the prisoner is prohibited."
"It's all right; they are allowed," Victoria said.
"But, Captain..."
"And you should show more respect in the presence of the princess."
"Uh... Princess," the guard nervously swallowed and exchanged glances with his partner, "I think we can make an exception."
Turning two keys, the guards opened the massive door. At the far end of the dark room, the captive was sitting, or rather not sitting, but bound to the wall by her hands and waist.
"What is this? I told you to leave only the handcuffs on her. Why did you chain her to the wall?"
"Um... the prisoner attempted to escape, and we had to take measures."
"Oh, now it's called that," the engineer's voice echoed in a mocking tone from the room, "I thought some overly eager guards wanted to show a prisoner her place and got what they deserved."
Katrina extended her hand and conjured a small ball of lightning. The room was illuminated with golden light, revealing the bound prisoner. Bruises and fresh marks were visible on the girl's hands, and one of the guards had a broken nose.
"And what were you trying to do?" Katrina clenched her fist with anger, and the ball of lightning hit the floor in front of the guards.
"W-well, we heard that the Imperians are skilled with various clever devices, so we decided to search her, just in case."
"So that you wouldn't dare to touch her again," the princess threw another lightning bolt, and the guards were thrown out of the chamber, "Victoria, I hope there won't be a problem if my people take care of her security from now on?"
"I'll arrange everything, and I think it will be even better."
Katrina picked up the key from the floor and freed Aileen.
"Don't worry, Krito and the others are already searching for the culprits; we'll get you out of here."