‘The woman riding the Ptero must be Yerena―.’

Of course, Benjamin also thought there was a very high possibility this speculation could be wrong.

Still, he couldn’t shake off that feeling.

Benjamin connected all the facts he had discovered so far.

Duncan had deep connections with the Hot Potato Guild, and thus used it to hide Yerena, and Yerena must be related to Jinjijo Transportation.

And Jinjijo Transportation recently established its first branch in the Philia Islands.

‘Philia Islands.’

Benjamin found the Philia Islands very suspicious.

He felt certain that Yerena was hiding there like a rat.

Of course, Benjamin had never visited the Philia Islands as he had no connections there.

Some nobles visited it as a resort, but Benjamin had no such romantic notions.

Resort? Rather than enjoying such things, he’d prefer to honor Diana. He thought that would be better.

But as soon as he thought Yerena might be hiding there, Benjamin became interested in the Philia Islands.

It didn’t matter if Yerena wasn’t there.

Benjamin simply wanted to verify the suspicious facts with his own eyes.

For that purpose, he first tied down Duncan, who had been interfering with him at every turn.

He bought C-rank monsters from the black market and made them attack Chelsea Center.

When Duncan’s attention was focused on the damaged Chelsea Center, he planned to head to the Philia Islands.

Benjamin could quickly reach the Philia Islands with just a few leaps, without riding primitive monsters like Pteros.

Excited at the thought of possibly meeting Yerena, he could leap much further than usual.

Though he hadn’t killed any monsters, the purple light in his eyes didn’t fade.

What would he do if he met her?

Would he make sure she never puts on such an act again?

Would he lock her up in the Duke’s mansion with her hands and feet bound?

How nice would it be to keep her in a pretty cage and make her guide only him?

Just imagining it seemed to quench the thirst he’d felt since Yerena disappeared.

Benjamin’s footsteps toward the Philia Islands quickened.

As the dim sky brightened and the world became clear, a cobalt sea came into Benjamin’s view.

The Philia Islands were right before him.

***

In the end, even by nightfall, there was still no contact from the Guildmaster.

I couldn’t sleep because I was worried about him.

‘Surely Empress Patricia hasn’t dragged the Guildmaster to the Imperial Palace?’

I seemed more worried because I knew his true identity.

This won’t do. I’ll try contacting him as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow.

If I still couldn’t reach him after that, I planned to send a letter.

‘Are you feeling down because you can’t contact the Guildmaster?’

Bless whispered softly in my ear as I lay listlessly on the bed.

“Yes. Nothing bad has happened, right?”

―Kyuuuu!

‘That guy handles everything well, so don’t worry!’

“That’s true. He is a very capable person.”

That’s also why I can’t help but like him.

Bless kept comforting me, saying nothing would happen. At times like this, he felt more like an older brother than a bird.

But even as dawn approached, and even after Bless, who had been comforting me fell asleep, I couldn’t sleep.

I finally quietly left the inn.

Light was flickering beyond the sea’s horizon, suggesting dawn would break soon.

It wasn’t too dark around, making it perfect for a light walk.

I sat on a bench near the shore where the horizon was clearly visible.

The humid, warm air, the splashing sounds of waves, the gradually brightening sky. Everything was so perfect that I wished time would stop for a moment.

While appreciating this beautiful scenery, the sun rose completely in the blink of an eye.

Only then did I yawn widely.

It felt like I could fall asleep if I lay down in bed now.

Just as I was about to get up, brushing back my hair that felt damp with salt, I sensed a chilling gaze from somewhere.

It was such an intense gaze that it made my spine tingle with goosebumps.

“……”

I instinctively pulled up my hood and slowly looked around.

But besides a few early-rising fishermen, I couldn’t see anyone else around. There were only two or three fishermen.

I couldn’t see anyone who might be giving me such a chilling gaze.

“What was that? Did I imagine it?”

I quickly left the beach while remaining vigilant of my surroundings.

But even when I returned to the inn, I didn’t see anyone suspicious. And that chilling gaze was no longer felt.

‘Maybe I’m seeing things because I haven’t slept.’

Still, it seemed wise to remain cautious for a while.

I hung the dress I wore to the Count’s mansion deep in the closet.

Though regrettable, it seemed I wouldn’t be able to get out of my robed attire for a while.

After returning, I slept for about an hour or two.

I woke up startled by the vibration of the clock I’d placed at my bedside. The person contacting me was the Guildmaster who had made me worry.

[I apologize for the late contact. I was busy dealing with a sudden matter. To think I even forgot about my darling….. I must be crazy.]

At any other time, I would have bantered back, asking if he really was crazy, but I was genuinely worried about the Guildmaster.

“It’s nothing serious, right? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

[No. It’s nothing serious, and I’m not hurt. However, I won’t be able to come down to the Philia Islands for a while.]

“Why?”

[The house got a bit damaged.]

“…What? How is that not serious?”

[I’m worried about the night wind getting in, but it’s fine. I’m healthy after all.]

What kind of answer is that?

Anyway, it must be his way of saying not to worry since it’s nothing serious.

If I lived in the capital, I could have helped the Guildmaster, which was unfortunate.

I suddenly realized how far apart we were.

If another difficulty arose for him, and if I couldn’t be by his side then too…

I thought about how I couldn’t be his support because we weren’t together.

When would we be able to be together again?

[You’re in more trouble than me. My darling can’t function without me.]

“N-no way! Look how well I’m handling things by myself right now.”

I told him about visiting the Count’s mansion, meeting the cats, and hiring Bonnie, who knew Pandora Forest well.

After listening calmly to my story, the Guildmaster spoke in a somewhat deflated voice.

[…You should be feeling how precious I am. Don’t become too capable.]

“But the business can’t fail, right?”

[The business should succeed, but I must always ensure there’s room for me to help my darling….]

“S-stop! That’s too difficult a request.”

The Guildmaster said goodbye while chuckling.

[I need to go now. Even if you miss me, please endure for a few days.]

“Yes, I’ll contact you if anything comes up!”

[Contact me even if nothing comes up. Even if I can’t answer right away, I’ll definitely respond later.]

“Alright. Then goodbye…”

I regretted ending the communication while still half-asleep. The word goodbye felt heavy.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the clock where the connection had been cut for a while.

***

Today was Bless’s official day out. He went to meet his friends in the forest.

He was planning to return before evening.

Going to work alone for the first time in a while, I greeted Marco and Bonnie, who were already there.

“Hello, my pretties!”

Then Marco, Bonnie, and even Nero, who had been there since who knows when, responded.

“Yes, Master!”

―Myaaaiong

‘Yeeees.’

No sooner had I sat at my desk than Bonnie placed documents on it.

“I found the optimal route based on what you mentioned yesterday.”

“You finished that already?!”

Yesterday, I asked Bonnie to find a safe and fast route from the Philia Islands to the capital.

Along with a promise to pay properly for the information.

I thought it would take a few days, but she had already completed it.

“Yes. As I told you, I know Pandora Forest better than anyone.”

“Amazing. Thank you!”

I quickly examined the documents.

The map had the optimal route marked in detail. Even the cats could understand it.

At that moment, Nero used my thigh as a stepping stone to climb onto the desk.

While stroking Nero’s luxurious black fur, I explained the cats’ tasks.

“You’ll use this route to quickly travel between the capital and Philia Islands, transporting small items and things that need swift delivery. Understand?”

Let’s start by hiring cats to deliver small items first.

If the cats do well with this job and Jinjijo Transportation’s reputation rises, then it wouldn’t be too late to look for other animals to expand the business.