After dinner, they were served Shooting Star Ice Cream. The extra creamy treat came with a topping of chocolate sauce and nuts cut into tiny star shapes. The nuts had a fragrant flavor, and when paired with the sweet chocolate, the rich taste of the ice cream was brought to life.
Ulgus had intended to leave early, but in the end, he sat and enjoyed himself for the entire meal.
“Thank you for showing us this wonderful restaurant, Ulgus,” Mell said.
“Let’s come here with the others sometime, okay, June?” Zara added.
“Of course.”
He ended up accepting yet another group invitation. Ulgus deeply felt just how kind these people really were.
The next day, Ulgus went into work and announced his failure.
“I’m sorry… I had so much fun…”
“There’s nothing you can do about it now. Don’t let it get you down.”
Velrey was lenient in the face of Ulgus’ failure. Garr patted him on the shoulder to cheer him up. Sly shrugged in resignation.
“This time, I’ll try to play matchmaker myself.”
It sounded like Velrey had some sort of plan of her own. But before she could implement it, they received word that they were going on a mission.
Their task was to investigate claims about an accused swindler in a certain harbor town. This person was offering work referrals to youngsters coming from rural areas in exchange for one gold coin. However, those referrals never came, and the suspect ran off with their gold coins instead.
All members of the Second Expeditionary Squadron donned disguises, making themselves look like unsophisticated young men and women who didn’t come from a big city.
Ludtink dressed as a man from a farming town looking for work. He pulled his hat down low enough to shroud his eyes, but was otherwise wearing a worn-out shirt with his sleeves rolled up, a pair of frayed trousers, and a large bag on his back.
“Well? Don’t I look the part?!” Ludtink sounded very confident, but it was impossible not to stare at the massive muscles of his arms.
Ulgus murmured under his breath, “I’d never try anything with you if I was a swindler…”
“Why the hell not?!” He glared at Ulgus and squeezed his fists.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s a bad idea to proposition anyone who could fight back.”
Ludtink turned his eyes away and gazed out the window, perhaps agreeing with Ulgus’ argument.
Velrey debuted her outfit next. She had on the usual shirt and vest she’d worn hundreds of times before, pairing them with faded trousers and boots. These were men’s clothes, not women’s. But strangely, they suited her perfectly.
“Ah, I get it. You’re dressed up like a boy.”
“Right.”
“That looks great. You’re exactly the kind of frail-looking boy a swindler would want to approach.”
Ludtink glared at Ulgus for his approval of Velrey. On the inside, he wished Ulgus would give his outfit a second look.
Garr and Sly emerged next. Garr wore a ragged overcoat with the hood pulled down tightly, so you couldn’t tell he was beastfolk. The rope wrapped around his waist was, in fact, Sly in disguise.
“Oh, you look good too, Garr.”
“You can never underestimate Garr! He’s hunched over too, so he doesn’t look as large.”
Garr and Sly had teamed up to create the perfect costume.
Zara came out next. His face was hidden by a large straw hat. For clothes, he was dressed in a commoner’s shirt and trousers. He was still Zara, even with his face mostly obscured, but for some strange reason, he really looked like any normal person you might see walking around.
“That looks nice. It’s so normal, which might make you easy to approach in the harbor town.”
“Thanks, June.”
Ludtink didn’t hold back his retort. “Make sure no one can see your face, Zara. Got it?”
“Oh? Whatever for?”
“……”
Ludtink definitely didn’t expect a response to that. He furrowed his brow, clenched his jaw, and got a stern look on his face. But he had no choice but to answer the question. The captain’s voice came out loud and full of anger.
“Because your face makes you look like a stage actor. They’ll think you’re there preparin’ for a role!”
“Oh my, really? I never expected to hear you praising my looks, Crow.”
“It wasn’t praise!”
“Heehee! Thank you. I’ll make sure to take your advice.”
Zara was much more skilled at this sort of thing than Ludtink. Ulgus made a quiet note that he needed to learn from Zara, the master.
After Zara came Mell. Her long Fore Elf ears would stand out in the harbor town, so she kept her head covered with a large bonnet. She also wore a yellow-brown overcoat and a bag strapped to her back.
Ludtink whistled when he laid eyes on her. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Great work, Risurisu. You look exactly like a girl who came from nowhere and is frettin’ that she won’t be able to find herself a job.”
“Yes, that comes from experience.”
“Oh yeah. Now that I think of it, you’re an actual country bumpkin, aren’t ya?”
Mell didn’t seem bothered by that rude remark. But Zara silently stomped down hard on Ludtink’s foot.
“Ow!”
“Oh dear. Whatever is the matter? Did you step on a thorn?”
“Zara, you little…!”
Since Ludtink was clearly in the wrong, no one tried to help him out.
Finally, Liselotte emerged with a displeased look. “I really hate this sort of thing…!”
Her long hair was in braids, and her glasses were purposefully fogged up. She wore a wrinkled dress and shoes with holes in the bottom. No one expected this look for her. All of her beauty and elegance was gone, replaced by a plain, unsophisticated young woman.
“I tried my best,” she said. “How did I do?”
“Sorcerer Lichtenberger…what a wonderful disguise! You get an ‘A+!’”
“Oh my. Is that so?” Liselotte’s mood improved a bit thanks to Ulgus’ praise.
“Although, you should never let Lord Lichtenberger see you like this…”
“Oh, did you say something else?”
“No, it was nothing.”
“Hey, Ulgus, those are the clothes you came to work in,” Ludtink pointed out. “Where’s your disguise?”
“Ah, the people from the Covert Squadron said I could walk around in my usual clothes and I’d probably be approached by the swindler.”
Ulgus had on the worn-out jacket and pants he had left for work in. The disguise was completed with a large pack strapped to his back. The young man looked no different than his usual appearance. He was born and raised in the royal capital, yet for some reason, he was told not to wear a disguise.
Ulgus didn’t know what that meant, but he had no choice but to accept it.
“Well, whatever. Let’s get to that town and catch our swindler.”
“Yes, Captain!”
The expedition had begun. Amelia and Rih would stay behind with Charlotte this time.
“Be safe, everyone!”
“Kreh kreeeh!”
“Kreh!”
The members said goodbye before finally departing.
They traveled to the harbor town in a carriage this time and were even given a driver from the Royal Order, allowing the Second Expeditionary Squadron members to all ride inside.
“We hardly ever get to be in the carriage all together like this.”
In fact, perhaps it was the very first time. But there was a reason for this. They’d received new instructions that they needed to implement on the mission.
“They say most people approached by the swindler are comin’ off boats. So we’re gonna get carried onto a ship in wooden crates, then walk off lookin’ none the wiser.”
Once ships arrived in the harbor, items for delivery to the royal family were hauled off before passengers could disembark. The knights would use that brief window to be stowed away on the ship.
“They say it might be a little hard to breathe, but that we’ve just gotta tough it out.”
“I’m sure the Covert Squadron have to hide in crates all the time…”
Ulgus suddenly realized how difficult their job must be.
Each member would generally operate independently on this mission. However, someone had to be close by as a lookout in case anyone was propositioned by the swindler.
“We’ll all pair up. I’m with Risurisu, Velrey’s with Ulgus, Garr’s with Lichtenberger, and sorry, Zara, but you’re on your own.”
“Understood.”
Ulgus, dressed in his everyday attire, just hoped that it wouldn’t make him a target for the swindler. He also vowed to buy new clothes next time he was paid.
“Would you care to eat something before the mission starts, everyone?”
Mell reached into her bag and pulled out a sweet called “chocolate salami.” It was made from crushed biscuits mixed with melted chocolate. Then she handed normal salami to Ludtink, since he hated sweets. She’d made this one herself too.
“Damn it! This is stuff you eat with booze! Someone get me some booze!”
“Why would we have any booze with us?!” Mell snapped at Ludtink’s question. He didn’t say anything out loud, but Ulgus thought it was a very cool retort of hers.