"...I don't know."
The bearded man hesitated for a long time, only to finally tell me he didn't know. Did I really look that easy to fool?
"You people don't investigate your clients at all? Or are you trying to lie to me?"
"N-No! I really don't know! I just followed orders to capture the target. The one who accepted the job from the client was our boss."
So the bearded man was just a grunt. That meant I'd have to get answers from his boss instead.
"Where is your boss?"
"Th-That…"
He hesitated again, clearly trying to stall. He wasn't sure if I would let him go, so he didn't dare to speak.
At that moment, his eyes shifted behind me. I turned to look as well—and froze.
The scrawny man was holding a knife to Grace's throat, taking her hostage.
What happened?
I was sure I had knocked him out earlier. He woke up that fast? The only reason I didn't kill him back then was because Licia was just an ordinary person—I didn't think she could handle seeing that.
Jacob and Alice had followed the scrawny man, moving closer with worried expressions. Then the man shouted at me.
"Hey, bastard! Your companion is in my hands—let the boss go now!"
"Idiot! Don't provoke him!"
The bearded man quickly tried to stop him.
He could have taken advantage of the moment I turned around to stab me or escape, but he didn't. It seemed Ethefelis's presence had terrified him completely.
The thought must have taken root in his mind—if he disobeyed me, he would die. That was how strong his survival instinct was.
I stood up and stretched my legs. Squatting for too long had made them numb. Then I gave an order.
"Ethefelis, put the blade to his neck."
"Eek—!!!"
Ethefelis immediately pressed her blade against the bearded man's throat, and he let out a high-pitched scream at the cold touch of steel.
I then walked toward Grace. The scrawny man tensed and shouted loudly.
"Don't come any closer! If you don't want me to kill her, release the boss!"
I stopped at a distance where my voice would carry clearly.
This was an opportunity for Grace to grow. She had to save herself.
To be honest, I didn't understand why the scrawny man, despite moving sideways to guard against attacks from behind, hadn't forced Grace to drop the sword in her hand.
But the reason was obvious—he had realized that Grace couldn't bring herself to kill. To him, even if she held a sword, she posed no real threat.
Now that I had taken the bearded man hostage as well, the scrawny man didn't dare act recklessly. He had moved into an empty seating area to avoid attacks from behind. If he made a move now, he would lose his only leverage.
As long as Grace resisted with all her strength, the outcome wouldn't be fatal. At worst, she might get injured—but she would survive.
Still, I didn't recommend that approach.
There wouldn't always be someone around to heal her. What I needed was for Grace to break free—and kill the scrawny man herself.
Once everything was clear, I ignored the scrawny man and focused only on Grace.
"Grace, is the sword in your hand just a toy?"
"Karen, what are you saying?! Hurry and save Grace!"
Jacob shouted at me in anger. It was natural—seeing someone you love being held hostage would make anyone panic, unless they had absolute confidence in the situation.
I raised a hand toward him, signaling him to stop and calm down.
"Damn it, didn't you hear me?! Let the boss go now!"
The scrawny man kept yelling at me, but I ignored him completely and continued speaking to Grace.
"Grace, don't forget your original goal. Don't be afraid. You already have experience—you're just lacking resolve."
"Mr. Karen, I…"
Grace hesitated, her face filled with fear. Her breathing grew uneven.
The situation was pressing in on her. She had no choice but to make a decision.
"Stop ignoring me! Don't you care about your companion's life?!"
"Do you want to keep waiting for someone else to save you every time?"
"You bastard! If you don't listen to me, I'll really do it!"
I threw out every word I could, pushing Grace to make up her mind.
Meanwhile, the scrawny man remained trapped in a loop of shouting at someone who wouldn't even acknowledge him.
My name is Lixia Ethe. Together with my childhood friend Shien, and our classmates Hera and Shishilia, we were watching from a distance as Mr. Karen tried to save that beautiful and striking swordswoman.
Right now, one of the Black Sun criminals had a knife pressed against the swordswoman's throat, holding her hostage to threaten Mr. Karen. Even though I couldn't hear what they were saying, the scene alone made my heart race uncontrollably.
Facing a blade at someone's neck—even for Mr. Karen, who had managed to hunt down Samidoride, it didn't look like an easy situation.
But I believed in him.
I believed that Mr. Karen would definitely find a way to save the swordswoman.
"Shien, hurry and think of a way to save her."
"Yes, Shien, only you can do it."
At that moment, Hera and Sicilia each grabbed one of Shien's arms, urging him forward. With how kind and helpful he was, there was no way he would refuse.
"Alright. I'll save her."
Just as expected, Shien agreed.
He was strong, but compared to Mr. Karen, stepping in now would only make him a nuisance.
Worse, it might even anger Mr. Karen.
I quickly spread my arms to block his path.
"No! Mr. Karen will save her. Shien, don't interfere!"
"Lixia, your Mr. Karen clearly has no intention of saving her. He's only provoking him."
"Exactly. He hasn't even drawn her sword."
Hera and Shishilia's words sounded like slander to me, and I couldn't help but shout back in anger.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Mr. Karen simply had his own plan. There was no way she would abandon the swordswoman.
Then Shien looked at me with a firm expression.
"Lixia, Hera and Sicilia are right. He has no intention of saving her. Since I have the ability, I'll be the one to save her."
The moment he finished speaking, he ran past me.
I didn't stop him this time.
Because once Shien made up his mind like that… there was no stopping him.
So I let him go.