I landed not far behind, hiding among the bushes and trees. From here, I could see Sarah's hands tightly clenched, ready to turn them into a pile of fresh meat.

I hurriedly emerged, not forgetting to turn my hair white, then laughed as part of a charade and draped my arm around the surprised Sarah, narrowly avoiding being hit. "I'm sorry, my friends, but she belongs to me," I cheerfully exclaimed, pretending to be slightly intoxicated to lighten the mood.

"I know she looks amazing. I myself have struggled to win over her frozen heart, like a fire that persists in the midst of a winter storm. So, can I request the understanding of you honorable guardians?"

I observed their attire, searching for something I could use as a distraction, and unexpectedly found that one of the five guards was wearing an Avalone glove.

"Wait, is that an Avalone glove? Are you a member of their organization?" I asked, genuinely curious. I didn't expect Avalone to spread its wings this far.

After the Heretics attacked every world, the name Avalone began to rise, and their influence spread until they were able to establish headquarters in three cities. The main headquarters in Alfcity, as it is the largest city, the second in Elecya due to the heaviest damage, and finally in the united city of each race, not far from Alfcity.

Heavenfield.

Clockheart is located at the edge of the continent, far from the influence of Avalon. This city should have been the main base for the Heretics if they wanted to distance themselves from Avalone after being defeated by them.

Magic is completely useless against those gloves, and most of the Heretics rely on magic as their primary attack. Using physical weapons is also futile since they can disintegrate matter.

Ah, that's right, I almost forgot.

Sarah is the name of the woman who became my opponent in Alfcity. She is a figure who is both unfamiliar and familiar, and I still haven't found the answer as to why.

One thing is certain, she continues to follow me like a shadow and rarely shows any expression, except on certain occasions. I even feel that she is more suited to be called an AI (Artificial Intelligence) rather than a living being.

"Ohh! You know about them?" the guard asked, appearing proud and raising both hands in front of his chest. "I got this from them. They asked me to come to Fortzeit for training as a new member."

"Fortzeit? Do you mean the old empty building in District Three?" I asked again, feeling suspicious about the request because Avalone never uses empty buildings as their hiding places, especially buildings that are easily recognizable by the public.

They prefer to ask you to come using intricate instructions to prove whether you have the necessary abilities.

I suspect this is not Avalone, but rather the Heretics using the name Avalone to recruit new members. But why are they doing it in Clockheart, a city that is not under their influence at all?

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Are they playing it safe?

"Wow! I never expected you to be recruited by such a powerful group. I'm sure you're exceptional in carrying out tasks!" I exaggerated to boost his ego. "But as a tip, you should quickly return to your respective posts because they have eyes everywhere. You wouldn't want your friends to miss out on opportunities, right?"

They quickly looked around, trying to see if they could spot those 'eyes,' which made me sigh softly.

I had suspected it. It wasn't Avalone recruiting them. Ren is far better than them, and he is younger than them by a few years.

So now I wonder, should I investigate this or not?

If this is the work of the Heretics, then Clockheart will be their next target. But if it turns out to be something insignificant like a prank, it's better for me to leave this city now.

"It's better for you to leave immediately rather than searching for where they are. You don't want to be caught while looking for them, do you? What do you think Avalone would say if they found out you were searching for them?" I said, trying to scare the five guards, who instantly became tense.

They quickly bid farewell and apologized to Hannah before returning to their respective posts. Luckily, I had already changed my clothes and hair color, as they briefly turned around while holding a poster of me.

A sigh of relief escaped me.

I could finally breathe easy. I thought there would be a massacre that could tarnish our name as legendary thieves.

Thank you, Lady Fortuna! You have helped me!

I turned to face Sarah, who now averted her gaze while hiding her hair behind her ear. Her face was slightly flushed, and she stole glances while murmuring, "Thank you."

That was strange.

Because Sarah always turns as cold as ice every time she's approached by Kyle, as if her hatred is ingrained in her. Yet Kyle has never caused any problems for Sarah, in fact, he may have treated her like a queen.

Yes, that's right. He has become a slave to love. A big mistake.

I've grown tired of explaining this to him.

He remains stubborn, saying that one day Sarah's heart will melt because of his actions, and once he's gone, Sarah will feel lost. I wonder how many romance anime he has watched to have such delusions.

Oh, coincidentally.

He emerged from the ground, right behind the bushes.

"What are you doing, Zent? You're jeopardizing our position!" he angrily retorted, walking closer and briefly struggling against the bushes because his clothes got caught there.

"And you're just going to let Sarah be bothered by some insignificant men? No thank you. She's a team member. It's my duty to ensure her safety."

"It's precisely because of your nature that Sarah fell in love with you," Z replied. "Don't you see how she immediately lowers her head, trying to hide the blush on her face?"

But, I'm not wrong right?

"You're not wrong, but... Ah, forget it."

Kyle immediately ran towards Sarah, circling her to find any injuries, even using Glory to heal her, even though it was clear that it couldn't be done because it was part of magic.

Sarah sighed deeply, walking away from us towards the horse carriage, which was not far ahead, prepared with supplies for a long journey.

However, as soon as she got on, I got off again. Sarah and Kyle looked confused, wondering if I had gone insane.

I myself didn't know.

But one thing is certain, my heart felt something strange about the recruitment of the guards earlier. Somehow, I felt that I had to see this with my own eyes.

"Hey, Zent! What are you doing this time?" Kyle asked, his tone rising.

"You two go ahead, I'll catch up!" I quickly replied, utilizing my ability to run fast and leap over the wall, reentering the city.

Kyle grumbled in frustration, folding his arms and shouting, "He's always like this! Leaving us without an explanation and showing up the next day covered in injuries! Does he think we're not helpful? A burden?!"

Sarah sighed again, leaping down and walking towards the wall. "He has his own reasons for not telling us. It's irritating, but I believe it's for our own good because Zent is not a bad person," she explained, her voice sounding gentle (at least to Kyle, but to others it was normal).

"Ugh! You're always on his side. Besides, why do you trust him so much?" he asked irritably.

"Because I trust him," Sarah answered before disappearing behind the wall, leaving Kyle alone on the carriage, which was now lying comfortably there.

"Whatever. I'd rather relax here," he muttered.