The elf's body simply froze in place.
Then collapsed.
The elegant figure crumbled apart instantly into shattered pieces of carved wood and scattered threads.
A puppet.
Aldric stared downward flatly.
"…It's a damn puppet."
Draven remained crouched beside the remains while holding the detached wooden head in one hand.
Smooth.
Hollow.
Formation lines carved across the inner surface.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Looks like someone already knows we're here."
Silence immediately filled the private room.
Nia stood quietly near the doorway, observing the shattered remains without expression.
The black cat's purple eyes narrowed faintly beneath Draven's cloak.
Aldric slowly turned toward the cultist.
"…That's a little too much of a coincidence."
The cultist stared back at him in disbelief.
"…What the hell are you looking at me for?"
Aldric raised a brow.
"You brought us here."
"What?!"
The cultist looked genuinely offended now.
"I have no idea what just happened!"
Draven stood slowly while still holding the puppet head.
"It isn't her."
The room quieted slightly.
Draven glanced toward the shattered remains scattered across the floor.
"This was the only puppet I detected."
A brief pause followed.
"If there were more nearby…"
His gaze shifted calmly toward the walls.
"They would've already moved."
Aldric stared at the cultist for another second.
Then shrugged lightly.
"…Yeah."
A faint smirk appeared afterward.
"I know the rat doesn't have the guts to stage something like this."
The cultist's eye twitched instantly.
"…Stop calling me a rat."
Aldric ignored her completely.
Instead, his crimson eyes narrowed slightly toward the broken puppet remains scattered across the room.
"…Question is…"
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Who exactly is stupid enough to send toys after us?"
Draven released the wooden head.
*Tok.*
It rolled once across the polished floor before stopping beside the shattered puppet remains.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Nia."
Without hesitation, Nia stepped forward from the doorway.
Quiet.
Obedient.
Draven walked past the broken puppet pieces entirely, as though they had already stopped mattering the moment they failed.
He took a seat near the center table.
Aldric followed shortly afterward, dropping lazily into the seat opposite him while resting the stolen sword beside the wall.
"…Oh well."
He leaned back slightly.
"Guess we won't know."
The cultist stared at him in disbelief.
"…That's it?"
Her hand gestured vaguely toward the shattered remains scattered across the floor.
"Someone clearly tracked us here."
"And?"
Aldric raised a brow.
"We should investigate."
"No," Aldric replied immediately.
A faint grin spread across his face afterward.
"That's exactly the point."
The cultist frowned.
"…What point?"
Aldric lazily tilted the bottle in his hand.
"Now whoever sent the puppet knows we noticed them."
A brief pause followed.
"And once they come here personally…"
His smile widened slightly.
"We can end it once and for all."
The room quieted briefly.
Honestly—
not entirely unreasonable logic.
Still deeply concerning.
The cultist stared at him for several long seconds before finally exhaling through her nose.
"…You people solve problems in deeply unhealthy ways."
Aldric pointed toward her lazily.
"See? You're learning."
"…That was not a compliment."
A brief pause.
"Though I do understand the idea."
Ignoring her entirely, Aldric leaned farther back into the chair.
The cultist gave one final glance toward the broken puppet remains scattered across the polished floor.
Then she slowly walked over and sat down as well.
The atmosphere settled slightly afterward.
Draven's hand moved toward a small triangular object resting at the center of the table.
The moment his fingers brushed against it—
HUMMM—
A pale projection expanded upward instantly.
Lines of glowing text and images unfolded into the air above the table like a floating holographic manual.
A menu.
Apparently, Blackwater believed equally in luxury and excessive mana usage.
Aldric stared at it for a second.
Then grinned.
"…Alright."
He immediately leaned forward.
"Now *this* is important."
His fingers moved lazily through the floating projections while scrolling through pages of food and drink.
Draven silently did the same beside him.
The cultist blinked faintly while watching both of them focus more seriously on the menu than the assassination attempt.
Honestly insulting.
Aldric narrowed his eyes slightly at one section.
"…What the hell is smoked magma eel?"
The cultist answered automatically.
"A lower volcanic river species."
Aldric slowly looked up.
"…Why do you know that?"
She paused briefly.
"…I read."
"Disturbing."
He resumed scrolling through the menu afterward.
A brief silence passed.
Then—
"…Oh."
Aldric's eyes narrowed with genuine interest.
"They have roasted wyvern ribs."
The cultist immediately looked horrified.
"Those are expensive."
Aldric stared at her flatly.
"We literally robbed people fifteen minutes ago."
"…That does not suddenly make us wealthy."
A pause.
"And you're the only one who actually did that."
"It absolutely does."
"…And again, you're the only one who did that."
Draven finally spoke calmly while continuing to browse the menu.
"Order whatever you want."
Silence.
The cultist blinked once.
"…Really?"
Draven nodded once.
Aldric immediately pointed toward him.
"See?"
Then he turned back toward the floating menu with renewed enthusiasm.
"Now we're speaking my language."
Aldric immediately began selecting items without the slightest restraint.
"Wyvern ribs."
Tap.
"Fire-salt beast steak."
Tap.
"Oh, and whatever this thing is."
He squinted slightly at the glowing text.
"…Blackwater abyss chowder."
The cultist looked increasingly concerned with every selection.
"…Do you even know what half of those are?"
Aldric shrugged lazily.
"If it survives being cooked, I'll eat it."
Honestly consistent logic.
Nia sat quietly beside Draven, silently studying the floating menu with curiosity.
Draven glanced toward her briefly.
"What do you want?"
Nia stared at the projection for several long seconds.
Then quietly pointed toward one item near the bottom.
"…Bread."
Aldric immediately looked over.
"That's the safest thing here."
Nia nodded once.
"Mm."
Reasonable survival instincts.
Aldric looked toward her again after hearing the quiet response leave her mouth.
"…Huh."
A brief pause.
"That's the first time I've heard you speak."
Nia looked back at him silently.
Aldric leaned lazily against the chair.
"I honestly thought you couldn't."
The cultist glanced sideways at him immediately.
"That is a terrible assumption."
"Yeah, well." Aldric shrugged. "Most people around me never shut the hell up."
His crimson eyes drifted toward the cultist afterward.
"Present company included."
Her eye twitched instantly.
"I barely speak."
"You speak *enough.*"
Then Aldric looked back toward Nia again.
A faint grin appeared across his face.
"…Still."
He tilted the bottle slightly.
"Kinda like you more now."
A brief pause followed.
"Quiet people are peaceful."
The cultist stared at him flatly.
"You are literally one of the loudest people I've ever met."
Aldric ignored her completely.