Of course, there was no doubt about Amy's ability. However, Shirone thought differently. It had been only 30 minutes since he had heard from Marsha about how dangerous the island was.
Port Tout has its own organization. In particular, it was said that street vendors were the lower subordinates of a powerful organization.
"She warned me to be careful with people like Jiss. Even if it's not true, the island is closed off and dangerous. They can easily deal with things that are hard to imagine on the mainland. Many nobles also disappear on the island. We can't just assume that Amy is safe."
Rian sheathed his straight sword in a leather scabbard.
"You don't need to explain every word. Come on, Shirone. Lead the way anywhere. I'll take care of anyone who gets in our way."
"Thank you. It's actually my fault because I arrived late."
"You must have had your own circumstances. First, let's make sure Amy is safe."
Tess observed the two boys. It was a conversation between those bound by the oath of a knight. Although it remained an imitation, it was an enviable sight for her, who dreamed of becoming a knight.
"Wait a moment. I will go with you too. It's not just you guys who are worried about Amy."
The three left the villa and headed to the beach. However, they had no idea where to start searching.
In front of the vast white sand, Tess's confidence dwindled.
"Where do we find Amy? Right now, the only place Jiss would take her is to the commercial district. Should we split up and go there?"
"That doesn't seem like a good idea. After all, we can't cover the entire commercial district with just the three of us. Plus, we're not familiar with the geography here."
"So what? There's no way to find her. I'd rather find a needle in this sandy beach."
Shirone rested his hand on his chin and lost himself in thought.
"Let's not do that and head to the port instead. They definitely said there's an organization there. So, we could find Amy's whereabouts by asking a member of the organization."
"The port? That's in the south, right? Wouldn't it be quicker to search here by the time we get there? Amy probably won't be at the port anyway. It's not a touristy place."
"No, we must go to the port. If we simplify Amy's situation, there are two possibilities. First, Amy is safe. Second, Amy is not safe. If she's safe, there's no loss for us going to the port. But if she's not safe, we absolutely must go to the port. The only reason Amy is not safe is because she clashed with Jiss's organization. Therefore, no matter the situation, we must first go to the port and make contact with the organization."
"That... yes, that makes sense."
Tess nodded as if hypnotized. It was the first time she felt like someone was speaking faster than she could think.
Rian didn't hesitate. The moment Shirone said to go to the port, he was already hiring a carriage.
When Rian, who had paid the coachman, gestured for them to get in, Shirone and Tess rushed over. They threw themselves into the carriage compartment at a gallop.
The coachman burst into cheerful laughter and sped up.
"Ah, youth is great. You seem to be in a hurry at this hour?"
"Yes. Please go fast!"
"Alright! Then let's put our horses to work for the first time in a long while! Let's go!"
It was nighttime, so the road was quiet. By offering gold coins, the coachman drove his horse so hard that the carriage rattled.
The carriage arrived at the port in 20 minutes, and the coachman boasted that it was a record for the last five years.
The three hurried toward the port.
"Most of the boats were moored at the dock, and light filtered through the window cracks as if to indicate people were aboard. Perhaps the sailors were playing cards.
The ship floating in the nearby sea was also suspicious, but it was already too late to search every corner.
Shirone focused on searching the harbor bar. Most seemed like gang members, but in reality, many were sailors.
"What do we do? Can we find her like this?"
"We can find her. There should be at least one."
Shirone patiently asked around in the bars. Finally, he found a lead in a small tavern.
At first, they didn't notice because they had swollen eyes, but the dealers who had been with Jiss during the day were definitely drinking there.
"Look, those two! They were with Jiss, right?"
"That's right. Leave it to me from now on."
Rian thumped his fist and walked away. He knew that in these situations, it's more about the impression you make than your actual skills.
"Hey, do you guys remember me?"
"What? You wanna fight? 'Cause I feel like crap right now... Hey!"
The boy, who had been cursing with a twisted tongue, recognized Rian and stood up.
Rian's size was also intimidating, but the reason he was truly surprised was different. It was because he knew where Jiss, who had been captured by Falkoa, had gone.
"T-That... Um."
"I know, I know everything. So, let's talk in a quiet place. I'm the kind of person who gets violent around people and nice in quiet places. Which do you prefer?"
The collector looked at his friend in the seat. The moment their gazes briefly met, they started running towards the door without any argument.
"Damn it! Run!"
They pounded their feet madly. But no matter how much they ran, the door wouldn't close.
'What's happening? Why is this happening? Is this a dream?'
It wasn't until the tension from the race disappeared that they realized both of their legs were floating in the air.
"I'll give you one last chance. Do you want to come with me nicely, or should I plant you face down right here?"
Lifting the boys one by one in each hand, Rian extended his arms to showcase his strength.
The boys were astonished. The man was holding the weight of two adult men with his arms extended. It was beyond strength; it was close to superhuman.
"I-It's okay, we won't escape. Please stop exerting so much force."
From there, things were easy. Rian led the duo to the shores, where he could hear the overall situation.
"So, this Falkoa guy is the one who ordered to bring Amy, right?"
"Yes. Jiss was beaten to death. We almost died too. It's better if you don't mess with Falkoa. He's completely insane."
"It doesn't matter. There isn't a single crazy person who's recovered after being beaten by me. Where did they take Amy? You know the place, right?"
"We really don't know the exact location! Please believe us!"
"Is that so? Then I'll ask your friend. You're choosing to give up the chance for both of you to survive and choosing for only one of you to live."
The two boys looked at each other fearfully. To be honest, they didn't have the mental strength to withstand torture. But Rian was only overpowering them with words. It was thanks to his interrogation techniques learned at the Swordsman Academy. T/N: It will be referred to as the "Swordsman Academy" from now on instead of fencing.
"We really don't know. But there's a place we can guess."
Shirone and Tess approached. Rian also stopped pretending to be a clumsy investigator and shook the vendor by the collar.
"Where is it? Speak!"
"I-It's the Royal Palace."
"Royal Palace? What nonsense are you talking about?"
"It's the name of the bar. The biggest bar in all of Galliant! Take any carriage, and they'll take you there! But you must never tell them we told you! They'll kill us!"
Rian turned away without even having time to respond. Shirone and Tess were already gearing up to go.
As they exited the port, they saw a cart waiting. Coincidentally, it was the carriage that had brought them here.
"Sir! Sir coachman!"
The coachman, who was sitting in the driver's seat smoking, turned his head. The customers who had enjoyed the fantastic gallop of his horse were running toward him in a hurry.
"Hey, finished sightseeing already? You're as quick with sightseeing as you are with running. Haha!"
"Sir, we have to leave now! It's urgent!"
"Ah, it's always urgent with you youngsters! Come on in!"
With fervent passion, the coachman leaped from the driver's seat.
Once the coachman had set the horse in motion, he turned around and shouted. His voice naturally became louder due to the sound of the wind.
"Alright, where to this time?"
Shirone, Rian, and Tess shouted simultaneously.
"The Royal Palace!"
***
Tavern, Royal Palace.
The grand tavern, proudly displaying a sign that read 'Royal Palace,' could arguably be the most glamorous place on the island.
The 4-story building perfectly demonstrated what a waste of money was. All kinds of gold and silver treasures decorated it, reflecting light, and magical crystal lamps that ordinary people couldn't even see emitted light.
Shirone and the others were overwhelmed by the wealth radiating from the building. It felt as if they had arrived at a place where they weren't supposed to be.
As Shirone walked towards the tavern, as expected, a guard standing at the entrance blocked their path.
"Hey, weapons are not allowed here...!"
Rian didn't even listen and pushed him by the neck. He was similar in size to Rian, but the guard couldn't match Rian's strength.
When the guard, who had been gasping and struggling, regained his senses, Shirone and the others had already entered the establishment.
The tavern was filled with the voices of people.
Scantily dressed women danced around, and obscenities, insults, and all sorts of indecent conversations flew around.
Tess frowned. Despite being a calm place on the surface, Galliant turned into a place full of dirty desires after sunset.
"Do you really think Amy would be in a place like this? There are so many people, and what about those women? Aren't they ashamed?"
"Indeed, it's definitely not a place Amy would like. But since she came voluntarily, she might have resigned herself. And be careful. Even if something happens here, the guards won't intervene."
After learning about the situation on the island from Marsha, Shirone was convinced. Although the method of use is different, this place was probably one of the places where some kind of deal had been made with the government.
When they couldn't find Amy on the first floor, they climbed the stairs. A fierce gambling scene was taking place.
The third floor had rooms lined along a cross-shaped corridor with iron doors, and the fourth floor was a VIP room where the high nobility stayed.
After searching on each floor, Rian let out a sigh of regret.
"It's going to be difficult to find her like this. She's not in the hallway or the gaming room. We have to search every room on the third floor, and the fourth floor is packed with bodyguards."
It was time to make a choice. Either ask for permission and search like a meticulous investigator or cause a big commotion.
"Of course, the decision of the three was the latter. Now that they knew Amy had been dragged into a malicious conspiracy, they had no intention of gracefully stepping back.
"There! Those damn kids!"
The guard, who had been hit at the entrance, pointed at Shirone's group. Then, a man from the back rolled up his sleeves and approached.
Rian had to tilt his head to make eye contact with the man. He was so tall that his head reached the ceiling.
"Are you a gorilla?"
In a shop where the back alley was seedy, being picky with customers was normal. Most were screened by guards, but there were quite a few who barged in and caused a mess. The doorman's job was to control those people forcefully.
"What's this, huh? These are just wet-behind-the-ears kids, right? No, now that I see, this girl is not just a child."
The gorilla looked at Tess, grinning through his snub nose. Unlike ordinary people, his high viewpoint allowed him to observe Tess's rich qualities better than anyone else.
"Hehehe, someone like you is the perfect customer for this shop. Let's see, will this guy give you an evaluation?"
The doorman's hand reached out to Tess. Just by opening the palms of his hands, it felt as if a net had spread out before her eyes.
Tess firmly grasped the doorman's middle finger. And then, with all her might, she bent it backward.
"Aaaah!"
The giant's body twisted comically. His arm was fully extended, and the middle finger was bent enough to touch the back of his hand.
"It hurts! It hurts!"
"Hmph! You should have been careful. Even though I'm a woman, the strength in my arm is stronger than your middle finger, you know? This is what happens when you rely on your size and act recklessly."
"Argh! You damn!"
Unable to endure the pain, the doorman swung his other fist. At that moment, Tess released the finger she was holding and, like lightning, twisted her body and swung her elbow.
A single swift strike hit the edge of the gorilla's chin and passed by. It was so perfectly synchronized that it felt as if the opponent had intentionally moved closer to be hit.
The doorman's consciousness was cut off as his brain vibrated. As Tess stepped aside, the giant's body fell with a dull thud, like an old tree.