"Are you Janrys?" As the person approached, Meredith retrieved the personâs identity from the depths of her memory.
"Janrys, why are you in Eres?" Meredith exclaimed in surprise.
She wasnât particularly familiar with the female Drow in front of her, but she was once a friend from Belendaan. However, it was logical to assume she would be active around Belendaan.
"I followed my uncle here. By the way, Meredith, itâs been a long time, want to grab a drink in a nearby tavern?" The female Drow Elf named Janrys said with a bright smile.
"Um... no, I have some things to attend to right now."
"Alright then! What a pity."
Janrys nodded, glanced at Meredith, and then at Raine in his Lunen disguise, smiled again, and continued:
"We havenât met in years. So, if itâs not good today, how long will you be staying in Eres? Have you decided on an inn? Perhaps, I could find you after youâre done in a couple of days?"
"Um... Janrys, if itâs convenient, could you give me your address? I havenât settled on an inn yet, so if I have time, Iâll come find you."
"That works too, no problem! I live at 320 Luminescent Mushroom Street in the civilian district."
Raine kept a smile on beside them without speaking.
But he couldnât shake the feeling that Janrysâ initial gaze at Meredith didnât seem purely innocent.
After the farewell.
Raine, who had just walked a few steps forward, discreetly glanced behind him from the corner of his eye. He realized that the other was also looking at Meredith, which made a bad thought arise in his mind.
He promptly decided to use the Shapeshifterâs Surface Mind Reading Spell.
"Meredith... wanted... Belendaanâs Eres office... bounty..."
Instantly, partial information surfaced in Raineâs mind of what this female Drow Elf Janrys was contemplating.
Though incomplete, it was sufficient for Raine to judge her purpose.
Clearly, despite her warm outward demeanor, her heart had already decided to report Meredithâs whereabouts.
At the same time, Janrys suddenly felt a chill in her heartâa sensation like her mind had been seen through.
âWhy did Meredithâs companionâs eyes suddenly flash blue?â
This startled her, but she quickly comforted herself.
âImpossible, it must be an illusion.â
Nevertheless, Janrys didnât dare to be careless and immediately decided to report this matter to Belendaanâs Eres office.
âGet the bounty first.â
She quickly summoned some Drow Elf children, handed them a bunch of candies, pointed towards Meredithâs direction, and arranged for them to deliver a message, while she trailed behind the kids.
Raine, while maintaining his composure, covertly transmitted to Meredith: "Your companion is heading to Belendaanâs Eres office to report your whereabouts for a bounty."
"Huh?"
Meredith was stunned!
She didnât doubt the authenticity of Raineâs words, but if this was true, the situation would become very unfavorable for them.
She hadnât expected such an improbable event.
After all, a long-lost friend from Belendaan found in Eres with malicious intent.
According to their plan, she and Raine were to enter the Hernet family residence under the guise of visiting friends, but once reported, they could fall into a trap.
"Sorry Raine, letâs shake them off and meet at Weaverâs Bar."
"No, you should leave Eres and wait for me at that Luminescent Mushroom Woodland outside the city."
"Huh? But Raine, according to the plan, I still need to help you scout the map inside the Hernet family residence."
"Itâs not a big issue, once inside Iâll find a way. Anyway, even if they lose us in pursuit, theyâll surely search inns and taverns afterward."
"That... indeed." Meredith nodded, "Be cautious, and if thereâs no chance, give up."
Since Raine could portray her father so vividly, he certainly could impersonate others.
Meredith wasnât worried that Raine would be detected by outsiders, but was concerned about Raine being overly fixated on another Warhammer, unwilling to abandon it despite danger.
"Yeah, thanks!"
Raine and Meredith briskly dashed into a nearby alley, suddenly throwing a handful of Gold Coins into the air. The street instantly became lively as Drow civilians scrambled to grab them, while Raine and Meredith donned cloaks, merged into the crowd, and swiftly disappeared.
Next, the two separated swiftly on the avenue, one heading left and the other right.
This left Janrys bewildered, but she quickly thought of something, and promptly turned to leave.
...
Raine soon alone followed the avenue, traversing through the noble district, arriving at the grand gates of the Hernet family residence.
"Hold!" The leader of the four Drow Guards stepped forward.
"Please notify Master Zaryan, tell him old friend Lunen is here."
"Master Zaryan? Wait a moment." The guardsâ attitude visibly improved upon hearing Raine was looking for Zaryan.
This was expected by Raine all along, as Zaryan, though male, was a leading figure among the forging masters within the Hernet family, even holding a middle-tier status in the entire family.