6- Royal Street
The leaves of the jarul tree outside swayed gently in the morning breeze. On a nearby branch, a lone dove peered down at the pigeon feed scattered on the ground, as if calculating how it could steal a share.
Sherloc awoke slowly. A throbbing ache ran through his head the moment he sat up.
"Huh… should I say something…?"
His voice came out in a whisper, barely audible even to himself.
The door opened, and a middle-aged woman entered, carrying a tray of food.
"Master, Miss Elinaz has gone to the Governor's Office," she said softly.
Sherloc turned his eyes toward her.
"The Governor's Office…?"
"Yes, Master," she replied before leaving the room.
The door closed. Sherloc remained silent for a long moment.
Elinaz… Is she Iffy?
Everyone called her Niko Iffy, yet Elinaz felt like her true name—refined, elegant, fitting.
A woman who visited the Governor's Office must have a solid background.
"Then… does Ben—the one whose life I am in—also come from a good background?"
He exhaled.
"I don't know… but I'll have to find out."
Then he made up his mind.
"From today, I will show myself to everyone only as Ben. No more Sherloc. Only… Ben."
---
78 Seon Vermis Street
Yinia lay on her single-bed, staring out the window at the bustling street below.
Their home was located at the very end of Vermis, near the main highway. Traffic never stopped here.
No engines, no machines—only horse-drawn carriages, government cargo wagons, and public transports. Some government trucks used elephants or steam engines, and a few reportedly ran on coal.
Though Yinia had never seen a coal-powered vehicle in her life.
Just as she was about to turn away, her eyes fell on a familiar figure below.
Jenan.
Her eyebrows drew together.
"What is he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to go to Espenas? Did he not go…?"
But she dismissed the thought with a quiet sigh.
"Whether he did or didn't, it doesn't matter to me. I need Mr. A. That's what matters."
Her voice lowered into a determined whisper.
"My first goal is to eat a Power Fruit. But where do I even find one? I've never seen any Power Fruit user in my life…"
Though she had heard stories—stories that her grandmother had once been a Power Fruit user.
But all the years she saw her grandmother… she never sensed anything unusual.
Grandmother was gone. Asking her was no longer possible.
Lord Zero was not an option either.
"Only Mr. A might know something," Yinia murmured.
"If a Power Fruit can be bought, I'll buy it. I have 29k hook saved up."
29,000 Hook.
1 Hook = 100 Copper
1 Copper = 2 Silver
On the international scale:
10,000 = 1 International Currency 'Fuo'.
And Dollar equals 1000—mostly used in the Western regions.
"With this much hook, I can at least get one fruit," she told herself.
"I have to power up."
Her grip tightened. The determination in her eyes hardened.
---
Sea Shell Hotel, 56 Goerge Council
The entire hotel was built with polished wood, decorated with intricate carvings and pieces of natural scenery.
At the far end of the left row, Table No. 4 sat beneath a flickering gas lamp.
A man wearing a long black leather coat—reaching almost to his feet—and a magician-style hat sat quietly, sipping tea from a ceramic cup.
A soft female voice called from behind him.
"Assassin Palmer, any news? Anything new?"
Palmer slowly turned his eyes toward her.
"No."
The girl sat down opposite him.
Her shoulder-length hair was dyed in striking streaks of red and black, with two thick locks falling on each side of her face.
The style gave her an alluring, almost dangerous charm.
She opened a bottle of water, took a sip, then asked—
"Did Jennifer kill Frost Bennox?"
The gas lamp overhead flickered weakly, though it still lit the table well enough.
Palmer leaned forward slightly.
"Nina… are you feeling bad about your failure? Or are you angry at Jennifer?"
Nina looked away, her eyes following the passing carriages outside the window.
"No. But… you know very well that our fathers are watching us."
Palmer rested his chin on his hands, elbows forming a sharp angle on the table.
"Why do assassins marry, Nina? What's the point?
Our fathers—my father, your father—they only care about one thing: the next heir. Whether we like each other or not, whether there is anything between us or not… none of that matters to them."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Tell me something, Nina. Do you… like me?"
Nina froze for a moment.
Then she stood up abruptly.
"How can I say that out loud? I'm a girl! Have some shame."
She turned away.
"If I didn't like you, I would've broken the marriage long ago."
With that, she walked out of the hotel.
Palmer didn't watch her leave. He simply leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.
"This marriage… is my fear," he whispered inwardly.
---
01 Emperor Residence
The most crowded, powerful point of the entire capital—where four major roads intersected.
A traffic guard was yelling at the top of his lungs—
"Hey! Does your horse not eat?! Why isn't it moving?!"
Carriages filled the road. Royal transports, merchant wagons, couriers—everyone rushed across the intersection of:
Emperor Residence
Empress Borough
King Lelouk Road
Queens Memorial
The first building on Emperor Residence Road was enormous—spanning nearly 2 to 3 acres.
This was the Governor's Office.
The structure resembled a massive church, with four domed pillars at each corner—each adorned with sculpted figures.
Its height reached nearly 45 meters.
Flags of the Empire fluttered proudly alongside those of the three kingdoms under its rule.
A line of exquisite royal carriages stood outside, guarded by soldiers and attendants.
Down the wide stone staircase descended Iffy—dressed in a long black-sleeved gown, wrapped in a deep blue shawl.
A voice called from behind—
"Miss Elinaz, how is your husband?"
Iffy turned with a polite smile.
"Your Highness. Ben is doing well. And how is Miss Ewanaka?"
The old man before her smiled warmly.
"She is fine. I heard about Ben… and it saddened me. Didn't his parents come?"
Iffy lowered her gaze, her face dimming.
"Our background is very low, Your Highness. They are not worthy to step foot here… and they have already cast us out of their lives."
The man was Alex Wilmas—around seventy to eighty years old, short white hair, trimmed beard, thick round glasses, dark heavy suit.
One of the most powerful figures of the Empire.
A high-ranking court judge, influential in law, policy, and administration.
Alex stepped back slightly, softening his tone.
"Don't be sad, child. Bring Ben to my home someday, if possible."
"I'll try," Iffy replied.
She stepped into a black carriage. Once inside, the driver urged the horses forward, and the carriage rolled into the traffic.
Iffy picked up a folded newspaper lying beside her.
The headline read:
"Severe shortage of Guilam Oil in the market. Major collapse expected in exports and imports."
Iffy sighed.
"With Guilams being slaughtered this way… where will the oil come from anymore?"
She flipped to the next headline:
"Mark Jenon—infamous pirate—threatens to abduct Princess Kiera and overthrow King Kaisel's crown."
A soft laugh escaped her.
"Mark Jenon… a pirate. Foolish man.
If you aim to kill—kill. Why issue threats?
And with that—only a lightning-type user… dreaming so big?"
She shook her head slightly.
"What a fool."