The dark silver wagon rolled steadily into Silver Maple Town, a place entirely surrounded by towering Silver Maple Leaf trees. It was these unique trees that gave the town its name, their shimmering silver leaves catching the light. The town sat 100 miles outside the Darkmoon Forest, its reputation known far and wide.
Lady Fray's wagon slowly approached the best inn in town, The Silver Maple Inn. As it passed, townsfolk on the road watched with a mixture of respect and fear, whispering in hushed tones about the mysterious occupants.
Amid the onlookers, a young blonde man with golden eyes eyed the wagon with curiosity. He muttered under his breath, "There's a powerful aura inside that wagon."
He glanced at the old man standing beside him. "Old man, who owns that wagon?"
The elder scratched his chin, staring at the ornate vehicle before answering. "I'm not sure, but I remember it from three months ago. A bloody incident followed its last visit."
"A bloody incident?" The blonde man's brow furrowed in interest.
The old man nodded solemnly. "Yes, the Dark Snake Gang—biggest gang in Silver Maple Town—crossed paths with that wagon. The very next day, the gang vanished, and their territory was drenched in blood."
The old man gave a final look at the wagon before scurrying off, clearly wanting no part of what was to come.
The blonde man, however, smiled sinisterly. "Interesting." His golden eyes gleamed with anticipation, locking onto the mysterious wagon.
The doors of the wagon opened, and a woman stepped out, dressed in elegant pink clothes with her face concealed behind a pink mask. Despite the mask, her beauty was undeniable, though her presence evoked more fear than admiration from the crowd.
In her arms was a small boy, similarly dressed in white with a matching mask. The mysterious duo, Lady Fray and Leon, stepped into the town unnoticed by most, their true identities concealed as per the strict rules of the Darkmoon family.
Lady Fray paid no mind to the curious eyes following them as she strode confidently into the inn. The bald innkeeper greeted her with a deep bow, a nervous smile on his face.
"Greetings, noble lady."
Lady Fray gave him a curt nod and spoke in a low, mysterious tone. "Prepare the same room as last time."
The innkeeper quickly nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow as he guided her toward the VIP suite. Memories of the last bloody incident haunted his thoughts. "I just hope no fool stirs trouble this time," he muttered under his breath.
Not long after, the blonde man entered the inn with a confident stride. The innkeeper spotted him and inwardly sighed. "Here comes the idiot," he thought to himself.
With a warm smile, the blonde man greeted the innkeeper. "I'd like a room next to the noble lady's," he said, tossing a low-grade magic stone onto the counter.
The innkeeper, swallowing his concern, forced a smile. "That will be 12 low-grade magic stones per night, sir."
The blonde man smiled casually, handing over the payment. "Arrange it," he said smoothly, leaning in. "By the way, what do you know about that lady?"
The innkeeper shook his head, speaking cautiously. "I advise you, sir, not to disturb her. The consequences could be... unfortunate."
The blonde man laughed, brushing off the warning. "Caius Solaries does not disturb beautiful women. They willingly obey me."
With that, Caius took his room key and moved toward the suite next to Lady Fray's. His golden eyes glowed with excitement, clearly eager to confront the mysterious woman.
The innkeeper watched him go with a grim expression. "Caius Solaries... traitor of the Solaries family, now a young master of the Red Moon Pavilion... This is bad," he thought. "I better pack up and leave town tonight. Something terrible is going to happen."
In the VIP room, Leon inspected the furnishings. "Aunt, why are we stopping here again?" he asked, turning toward Lady Fray.
Lady Fray smiled mysteriously but said nothing. Leon narrowed his eyes, sensing something off. "You're not planning anything dangerous, are you?"
Her smile widened mischievously. "Well, nothing major. But I did feel someone spying on us with a strong ocular technique. I want to see who has the guts to watch us."
Leon sighed, shaking his head. "It was the blonde guy with the enchanted sword in the crowd."
Lady Fray raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You saw him?"
Leon nodded. "His ocular technique was powerful. If I hadn't awakened the second stage of my Eye of Darkmoon, I wouldn't have noticed. Wait—he's in the room next to us now."
His silver eyes with the dark crescent moon gleamed as they activated. "He's got bad intentions."
Lady Fray's sinister smile returned. "Well then, let's go introduce ourselves."
Leon sighed again, silently praying for the poor fool.
Lady Fray knocked on the door of the neighboring room. The door creaked open, revealing Caius Solaries. Before he could react, a powerful fist collided with his chest.
Boom!
Caius, a young master of the Red Moon Pavilion, crumpled like a rag doll, unconscious from a single strike.
Lady Fray dragged him into the room like a lifeless corpse, tying him to a pillar. Leon observed with mild interest, noting the strange energy in Caius' eyes. "His disguise is impressive," Leon commented.
Lady Fray nodded. "Indeed. Karen, deal with him."
Karen, dressed in her assassin's garb, materialized in the room from the shadows. She eyed Caius, her expression unreadable.
"Yes, Lady Fray." Without hesitation, Karen began her interrogation, her methods cold and efficient.
Back in their room, Lady Fray threw Leon onto the bed, hugging him like a teddy bear as she drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Caius Solaries' room, screams filled the night, echoing through the inn.