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Damn it! Just when I thought I could take a break!

The soldier's shout had already alerted the captain, who rushed over with his men. Without delay, Mengdie charged at the soldier. She stepped on a nearby trash can to leap up, aiming for his head with both feet, using her entire body's force. The soldier was knocked out before he could even groan.

"The damn bitch, still running!!!" The captain and three of his men were already in pursuit. Mengdie glanced back and hurried towards the end of the alley. It led to a bustling street, where she hoped to blend into the crowd and escape their pursuit.

There she was, out of the alley! But just as Mengdie felt relieved about her escape, a horse's neigh startled her, and she saw a luxurious carriage pulled by two horses heading straight for her. In a split second, she stood straight, squeezed between the horses, and when the carriage itself was about to hit her, she used it as a springboard to leap onto the horses' backs. The startled horses reared up, and Mengdie seized the moment to jump onto the carriage's roof.

"Hey? Where did that bitch go?!"

Surprisingly, the roof of the carriage was spacious enough to completely hide Mengdie. She laid flat on the roof, staying motionless, waiting for the carriage to carry her away from the infuriating pursuers.

However, to her annoyance and regret, the carriage stopped.

"Oh! Ah—!!!" The coachman screamed.

"What's going on? Why did we stop, Dobson?" A young male voice from inside the carriage spoke to the coachman.

"No... I don't know, young master. A... it looked like a... girl...!!"

"A girl???"

"Yes! A... beautiful girl like I've never seen in my life, like a goddess... flew over!"

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"Haha, Dobson, you might have seen an angel."

"Yes... yes, young master. I... I must have been seeing things..." The coachman looked apologetic, hat in hand. Meanwhile, the knights had emerged from the alley, looking around.

"Damn it, she vanished into thin air?... Ah!"

Suddenly, the vulgar captain let out a surprised yelp. Just as Mengdie was wondering what happened, she heard the sound of three or four armored people kneeling on one side of the carriage.

"This is not a formal occasion, you don't need to do that. Stand up, Captain Saren."

The captain meekly complied, standing up with his men.

"Damn, all together? Did I get on the wrong carriage? Ah... it's so uncomfortable. It's unbearable to have my chest pressed down like this."

Mengdie bit her lip, remaining still. The pressure on her chest made her feel almost suffocated!

"What exactly happened?" The young voice from inside the carriage continued.

"This... um..." The captain hesitated. He really didn't want to admit that so many men had been beaten by a teenage girl.

"What is it?" The voice asked again.

Perhaps fearing deception more than admitting the truth, the captain finally decided to confess.

"We are pursuing a contemptible female slave who dared to insult the honor of our Paladin Order..."

"Insult?"

"Yes! To insult the Paladins is to insult His Majesty's wisdom! It's not just about our Order's honor, it's about the entire Silvermoon Kingdom being trampled by a wild girl!"

The voice inside fell silent. Mengdie's heart raced, sweating profusely, and the pressure on her chest was unbearable!

"How did you get blood on your sword?" The person inside spoke again after a pause.

"Ah... this! This is...!!"

"You injured her?... Did she have weapons? How many people were with her?"

The captain kneeled again, his lips white and sweat pouring from his forehead.

Seeing his state, the person inside became stern, "Captain Saren of the third Paladin squadron's sixth squad!"

"Yes... yes!" The captain trembled in fear.

"To pursue a defenseless, lone woman with the Paladin Order, and even to injure her?! Do you have any dignity left as a knight!!!"

(Oh—! This guy seems sensible! Good scolding! But I'd prefer if you could send this guy away faster. I need to check on Aiya.)

As if reading Mengdie's thoughts, the person inside impatiently waved the captain away, "Enough, go back. Don't forget you have more important tasks to attend to. Is the mercenary group ready? It doesn't seem like a time for you to wander the streets."

The captain quickly agreed and, relieved, took his sword and retreated with his men. They indeed had more important tasks than chasing Mengdie or catching a diamond thief, with the prince's ball approaching in a month.

The person inside sighed and instructed the coachman to move on. After a long thought, he sighed again, muttering, "The situation in the Paladin Order is getting worse... There seems to be more dissatisfaction among the people."

The carriage started moving again. The coachman reassured, "Young master, don't worry. With the steward here, any problem can be easily resolved."

"Yes, I trust the steward's abilities. By the way, I've felt something on the roof since earlier. Dobson, could you check..."

Before he could finish, a petite figure leaped from the roof like a swallow. The person inside, startled, quickly opened the curtain to look. A girl with long hair tied with a white ribbon entered his view. The girl, adjusting her clothes and walking calmly into the alley, left an indelible image in his mind...

"Ah! Stop..."

"What? Young master?"

His gaze was vacant as the girl's figure vanished from his sight. He let go of the curtain and shook his head slowly—

"No... nothing. Dobson, I must have been seeing things too... I thought I saw an angel..."

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