The Water Magician

Ryo entered the capital of the Mafalda Republic, Mussolente, two days after crossing the border.

The capital, Mussolente, is a trade city facing the sea and is bustling with activity.

Ryo nodded repeatedly as he gazed out of the carriage window at the lively scene.

“It’s very vibrant, isn’t it?”

It felt somewhat pompous.

The carriage stopped in front of a visibly luxurious inn, located near the city center yet occupying a spacious area.

“Thank you very much.”

Ryo said this as he handed the driver a tip, of course, with some extra cash added.

Since he received funding from the delegation, he had plenty of travel expenses.

In the meantime, employees from the inn came out to carry the luggage from the carriage into the inn.

Everything was smooth.

There was not a moment of delay, nor did he feel a shred of stress.

That is what top-notch service is all about.

In a good mood, Ryo stepped through the inn's door.

Inside was a huge lobby.

With three stories and ample glass used throughout, it was very bright.

Even Ryo was overwhelmed.

Until now, the best inn he had stayed at while working for Fai was the one he had stayed in during the delegation to the Marquisate of Heinlein in Twilight Land.

Being directly managed by the great noble house of Heinlein, it was perfect in every aspect.

However, this inn seemed just as good, if not better.

“Welcome to Doge Pietro.”

The receptionist had a lovely smile.

“Hello. For now, I would like to stay for three nights, please.”

Ryo's job was simply to deliver a letter directly to the recipient.

Since it was already three o'clock in the afternoon, he wouldn't be going out today...

Huh? Once it reaches three o'clock, it’s time to unwind for the day, right?

It’s not good to visit someone without an appointment at this hour, no, it’s definitely not good.

Well, anyway, since he was just delivering a letter, it should be done quickly... but Ryo seemed to be planning to stay for three nights.

In Ryo’s mind, a plan for a city tour was already forming.

The source material was, of course, the “Travel Itinerary.”

He had borrowed an extra copy when leaving the lodging…

Surprisingly, the “Travel Itinerary” contained quite detailed information about the only republic in the Western Nations and its capital… although he wasn't supposed to be going to the republic this time.

Yet, it was included.

The depth of the “Travel Itinerary” remains unmeasured, how terrifying.

The room Ryo was shown to was on the top floor, the eighth.

The room easily exceeded one hundred square meters and, as expected, had a guest room open-air bath...

Is it standard for luxurious inns in not only the Central Nations but also the Western Nations to have guest room open-air baths...?

Well, it’s best if he can spend his time comfortably.

However, there were those who had been monitoring him since crossing the border.

They were from the Republic Intelligence Agency.

They were not only engaged in intelligence activities but also possessed skills in close combat that surpassed ordinary knights, making it no exaggeration to say they were the elite supporting the republic's independence from the shadows.

However, even these elites had faced a pressing situation in recent days.

“Is there still no replacement coming?”

“Yes. The main office has insisted that we continue monitoring as is.”

“Damn… the church’s people are infiltrating too much… we don’t have enough personnel.”

Indeed, in recent days, many associates from the Western Church had entered the republic, and a significant number of personnel had been mobilized for monitoring.

Of course, many of those who entered had gone through regular procedures, so they couldn’t be imprisoned...

However, there was a possibility that those engaged in sabotage might have entered.

They couldn’t let their guard down.

As a result, Ryo was being monitored by the same individuals constantly.

Team Leader: Bangaan.

Deputy Leader: Amaria.

Member: Shuri.

These three.

Normally, the regulation called for a five-person system, with the five alternating every twenty-four hours for monitoring, but… due to the aforementioned reasons, they were severely understaffed.