Hearing this, Ankh finally understood why the commission required a male and female pair—they wanted them to pose as a couple and infiltrate the place.
But this only confused Ankh further.
He asked, "Since you know the location, why not just send the military in directly?"
Carteus's smile faded as he explained, "The Fireworks Hotel has a complex mix of guests, including important figures like nobles and royalty from various countries. If we were to surround the place rashly, I'm afraid the culprits might become desperate and resort to extreme measures..."
Ankh curled his lip.
To put it bluntly, the Fiore royalty simply couldn't find a Mage capable of handling such a task.
Otherwise, why would they need to commission Ankh and the others?
Carteus reached into his suit's inner pocket, pulled out a photograph, and placed it on the table.
"The blueprint is with this person."
The photo was clearly taken secretly.
The person was dressed head to toe in concealing clothing, but from the half of his face visible, he appeared to be an average-looking man with a somewhat gloomy demeanor.
Ankh picked up the photo, glanced at it a couple of times, then handed it to Mirajane.
He summarized carefully, "Infiltrate the hotel, find him, and steal back the blueprint. That's it, right?"
Carteus nodded, a hint of worry in his expression.
"This person is very cunning. We're concerned he might have accomplices ready to help him sneak the blueprint out. So, please act quickly."
Ankh stood up from the sofa and said, "Understood. We'll set off immediately."
Carteus bowed respectfully to the two.
Only then did Ankh lead Mirajane away from the general's villa.
.....
After leaving Carteus's place, Mirajane let out a sigh of relief and looked at Ankh curiously.
"What should we do now? Head straight to Hargeon?"
Ankh nodded, but his peripheral vision suddenly shifted to the side.
Then he immediately noticed Mirajane's striking curves boldly challenging him.
Ankh frowned with slight discomfort.
Mirajane was supposed to pretend to be his girlfriend.
But her fashion sense... Even with her pretty face, she shouldn't be sabotaging herself like this...
Mirajane seemed to sense something.
When she noticed where Ankh's gaze had landed, she quickly crossed her arms over her chest and snapped.
"What are you looking at?"
Ankh's mesmerizing crimson eyes were unfathomable as he quietly assessed Mirajane before letting out a long sigh.
Huh? Why did she feel like she was being looked down upon?!
Blushing with embarrassment and irritation, Mirajane put her hands on her hips and exclaimed.
"You... What's with that sigh? are you looking down on me?! I'm plenty well-endowed, you know!"
She wasn't wrong about that.
Though still young, Mirajane's figure already possessed a voluptuous allure.
However...
Ankh helplessly patted her head and said quietly, "I was looking at your clothes. What you're wearing isn't suitable for a high-end hotel like this."
Mirajane stood frozen in place.
Huh?
Was that it?
"Let's go, I'll take you clothes shopping." Ankh said as he walked ahead, leaving a thoroughly confused Mirajane to her wild imagination.
Was he really just looking at her clothes? How could that be? Then what was she yelling at him about earlier...
Mirajane felt her cheeks growing increasingly warm and quickly covered her face as she hurried to catch up with Ankh who was already walking ahead.
...
As evening fell, Hargeon - a port city engaged in overseas trade - donned its night attire like a lady dressed in fine garments revealed under the lights, appearing exceptionally charming and captivating.
In Hargeon's bustling entertainment district stood a hotel whose scale far surpassed that of the Fairy Tail guild, thriving with business and attracting wave after wave of visitors drawn by its reputation.
The doorman greeting guests at the entrance maintained a genuinely sincere smile, not daring to relax for a moment lest he accidentally offend someone in a moment of carelessness.
Just as the doorman's expression was beginning to stiffen and his nerves were growing numb, an exceptionally dazzling presence suddenly appeared before him, almost overshadowing all the other couples in the vicinity.
There stood a man who seemed like an immortal banished from heaven, with facial features so perfect they appeared carefully carved by a god.
The men around who considered themselves handsome couldn't even muster the courage to look directly at him.
His slightly crimson eyes held a gentle smile, while his sharply arched eyebrows contrasted with an icy, proud coldness in his gaze, as if no one but the beauty beside him was worthy of his attention.
The woman with elegantly stunning features smiled charmingly, dressed in a graceful and luxurious snow-white gown as she affectionately held the man's arm.
With bright eyes and white teeth, her fair skin glowing with a faint rosy hue and revealing shallow dimples, anyone who saw her would sigh at her absolute beauty...
As the pair walked hand-in-hand to the entrance, the doorman finally snapped out of his daze, his smile growing more sincere and respectful as he bowed deeply to welcome them.
The people around looked at this celestial couple with envy and jealousy in their eyes.
After the doorman ushered the two inside, he glanced at the other guests coming and going before him and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
After working here for so long, he finally witnessed a genuinely lovely couple.
In the past, the "couples" he'd seen were either greasy old men clinging to heavily made-up women of questionable character, or obese wealthy ladies dragging along fair-skinned, effeminate young men...
It's truly wonderful that such a couple exists in this world.
The doorman felt an inexplicable joy in his heart, once again believing in the existence of true love.
Amidst the admiring and envious gazes from both inside and outside the hotel, Ankh and Mirajane, who had come to fulfill a commission, successfully checked in.
The "young couple" slipped into their luxurious suite together.
With the soft click of the door closing and the gentle glow of the lights turning on...
"Damn, we finally made it inside!"
Mira kicked off her high heels, uncomfortably tugged at the straps of her elegant dress on her fragrant shoulders, completely disregarding ladylike manners as she jumped onto the bed and crossed her legs.
Ankh also loosened his suit tie, his previously affectionate expression reverting to his usual indifference, before rather irritably tossing his clothes aside.
This "couple," perceived as a perfect match by outsiders, had discovered a serious problem just before entering the hotel.
The Hotel had surprisingly strict requirements for attire and etiquette at the entrance, forcing Ankh to acquire expensive outfits for both Mirajane and himself and learn a set of aristocratic manners...
What's more troublesome was that Ankh had to use Magic to make both their physiques and appearances more mature.
After all, no matter how strong their Magic Power was, they were still just a youthful boy and girl—checking into a hotel wasn't exactly encouraged...
Later, these clothes meant for young nobles turned out to be not only ridiculously expensive but also incredibly uncomfortable to wear.
Making two rough "country bumpkins" pretend to be refined individuals was nothing short of agonizing.
Once inside the suite, they were finally free from others' observation and scrutiny.
In the room, Mirajane didn't treat Ankh as an outsider, casually starting to remove her branded evening dress without any reservations.
She kept only the form-fitting undergarments beneath the dress.
Freed from the dress's constraints, Mirajane immediately felt a wave of relief all over.
Then, her eyes lit up, and with a sway of her hips, she hurriedly fetched a plate of complimentary fruits from the room, tossing an apple to Ankh before taking a big bite herself.
"So, how do we find that person?" Mirajane asked vaguely, her mouth full of fruit.
Ankh caught the apple, gazing thoughtfully at the night sky where the moonlight was deepening outside the window.
"This place is crowded and full of prying eyes. It's best to observe for a while longer."