Lord: I can see loyalty.

Name: Albert Lovia

Race: Human

Age: 39

[Faction: King of Rovia]

[Hobbies: Thinking, good food, fine wine, exercise, reading books]

【Features: King, blessed by the Church, intermediate basic swordsmanship, beginner level Royal Swordsmanship of Rovia】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

[Status: Drowsy, Exhausted, Alert]

On his way back to the inn, Vio recalled the panel of King Albert that he had seen.

As the monarch who rules the kingdom, Albert's profile is quite plain. He is not remarkable in terms of military prowess or special talents, and even bears an undeniable air of fatigue.

"My lord, we've arrived."

As soon as Vio returned to the front of the inn, Cohen, who was in charge of gathering information in the capital, came to greet him, his expression more somber than usual.

He leaned closer to Vio and lowered his voice: "Our men reported that all the militiamen who went out this afternoon, no matter which street or tavern they went to, were all being watched from behind. Moreover, they moved very stealthily, and it took the Brotherhood a lot of effort to find their tracks."

Vio didn't stop walking, continuing upstairs to the room: "Still royalty?"

“No, not like that.” Cohen shook his head beside him. “We’ve met those royal spies before, and they weren’t worried about being discovered… These trackers are more discreet and well-trained, and they don’t seem like street gangs either.”

Back in his room, Vio pondered for a moment, then said, "Have Gina and Jimmy get ready. I'm going out for a walk."

"My lord, this..."

"Don't worry, I have my own plans." Vio's tone was calm. As long as he could meet him, he might be able to glean something from the [Power] section.

Wangdu Street, afternoon.

Vio changed into casual clothes and rode slowly with Gina and Jimmy, just like a typical foreign nobleman full of curiosity about the capital.

He deliberately avoided the bustling King's Road and instead turned into an area where merchants and minor nobles gathered.

Its streets were still bustling, lined with shops selling all sorts of goods and guild halls with different signs, and the air was filled with the scents of leather, spices and metal.

He stopped in front of a popular weapons shop, pretending to admire the exquisite armor in the window, but his eyes had already caught sight of a vendor pretending to rest at the alley entrance diagonally opposite, his actions slightly deliberate.

Vio understood, got up and left the bookstore, pretending to suddenly remember something, and walked straight to a relatively quiet small square nearby, where there were benches for people to rest.

He walked to the fountain, seemingly attracted by something left at the bottom of the pool. He bent down to take a closer look, and this posture gave him an excellent, seemingly unintentional angle of observation.

Just as he bent down, another figure, who had been reading a book under a tree at the edge of the square and was wearing a plain-colored academic robe, seemed to raise his head, naturally stretched his neck, and his gaze swept across the square before landing very briefly on Vio's back.

Vio sneered inwardly as a simple panel of information flashed across his vision:

Name: Raymond Hatcheo

Race: Human

Age: 24

[Faction: Eldest daughter of the Golden-Maned Griffin Clan]

[Hobbies: Observation, spying, learning, money]

[Strengths: Reconnaissance, intelligence analysis, and exceptional swordsmanship]

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

[Status: Focused]

Golden-maned griffin family...?

Vio quickly retrieved his memories and realized that he was indeed from the family of Lionel Rovia Villar, King Albert's half-brother.

His territory was rich and powerful. This grand duke was known throughout the kingdom for his tough methods, and his eldest daughter was the king's niece.

Vio straightened up, dusted off his hands (which weren't actually dust), and without further hesitation, headed straight back towards the Oak Shield Inn.

He could feel that gaze was still following him at a distance, but it was only following and had no intention of getting closer or taking any action.

Back at the inn, he shook his head at Cohen and Jimmy who were surrounding him: "They should be from the Golden Griffin family. For now, we're just watching; there's no sign of them taking any further action."

"The Duke's family? What do they want?" Jimmy frowned slightly, not understanding when they had been targeted.

"Perhaps they want to test the new count's capabilities, or perhaps they want to see what my relationship with the king is really like..." Vio's gaze turned slightly cold. "There's no need to worry too much. Just do as usual. However, we can remind them that we have already discovered this."

Over the next few days, Vio and his team completed the remaining procedures step by step. The trackers remained, but both sides maintained a subtle tacit understanding—they both knew the other had discovered them, but neither of them said anything.

After staying in the capital for some time and with all the trivial matters temporarily settled, Vio no longer delayed and ordered the troops to prepare for battle.

In the morning light, Count Vio's party once again passed through the heavy gates of Augustus, leaving the great city behind.

Vio sped south along the road he had come from, toward his homeland, the village of Bordeaux.

……

In the royal capital, at the mansion of the Golden Griffin family, there is a study overlooking half of the capital.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto the thick cashmere carpet, and the air was filled with the scent of ancient books and a faint aroma of wood.

The girl, dressed in a long, glossy black satin dress, stood with her back to the door, looking out the window. Her dress was adorned with delicate gold embroidery, and her somewhat pale face was partially hidden between her high collar and her hair.

"Miss, he's gone." Raymond Hatchet, the tracker, stood at the edge of the doorway, his voice low. "He left through the Augustus Gate this morning, escorted by knights the entire way."

The girl turned around, her gloved fingertips brushing across the map of the Kingdom of Rovia spread out on the long table in front of her, leaving a faint trace of the location of Bordeaux Village in the south.

"He found you?" Her voice was calm but certain.

"Yes." Raymond lowered his head. "At the edge of the Royal Square, when he bent down... that must have been when he noticed me."

"Ha." The girl finally raised her head, the candlelight flickering in her deep purple, almost black eyes: "A baron's son, able to discern every gaze the moment he steps into the capital..."

She turned slowly, her skirt flowing in the shadows, a thin chain around her waist adorned with a few tiny silver ornaments that jingled almost inaudibly with her movements.

"Vio Bordeaux..." she murmured the name. "Perhaps he can help us."

"So, Miss, what's our next step...?"

The girl raised her hand, her black glove blocking the flickering candlelight and silencing the other person.

"We don't need to take the initiative." She turned and disappeared into the shadows again. "The capital has only just stabilized. Let this poor place rest a little longer."