The restaurant’s lively atmosphere grew quiet upon entry, replaced with a low iridescent light, guiding them forward through a dark hallway. 

Naturally, as the author, Zhen Xue was already familiar with this place. He had to actually pretend not to know where he was going and follow Aelius instead. 

They passed through another doorway covered with shimmering curtains. The hallway opened up to a lounge with a minibar vacant of people, but was otherwise a perfect, cozy little hideout.

He’d seen the Intelligence Guild in action before, while passing through the city with Ming Yi. Although they were under a different name, one they were most known for... the Unruly, a church organization known for protecting the peace.

During the day, they would save lives in the Under City, serving food in the Upper side, and at night, they’d run the Intelligence Guild to handle their dirty work. This dual setup allowed them to avoid the public and deal with unconventional cases, much like Zhen Xue’s own reasons for coming here. Of course, there were limits to what they would accept, but not when innocent lives were in danger. Sometimes, they would even ally themselves with criminals to achieve their goals.

It was only natural for them to hide their second identity. People deeply loved the Unruly. Not only were they admired for handling even the toughest of mysteries, but more importantly, for bringing hope during a critical time when there was a witch hunt against the gods’ gifted children. Aelius was there too as a member of the church.

Some might say the royal families acted from fear, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They acted to regain control of their lost power. 

They felt threatened by the sudden appearance of those blessed by the gods and wanted to push them out of existence.

While this war wasn’t the bloodiest in history, people feared the gods would retaliate and spite them for destroying their gifted children, which is why the people placed all their hope in the churches to resolve the fight. No matter the deity they worshiped, every church throughout the land united to protect the gods’ will, but ultimately, they failed.

It was a horrible time that even Zhen Xue could recall, during when he entered this world, but he knew not everything would fall in the war. Matter of fact, one of those priestesses, which the gods blessed, was likely behind the door they were approaching right now.

“Why aren’t you taking me seriously?!” a young man burst out saying, his voice strained with frustration, muffled behind the door. “We need to stop him! Don’t you understand what’s at stake if we leave the future of our kingdom to someone like him? The crown prince will kill us all!”

Another voice spoke up, speaking more calmly. “Really? You mean the quiet one we never see? The quiet ones are always the scariest.”

“How are you just hearing about this? Do you live under a rock?”

Another person joined the conversation just before Aelius and he reached their destination. “For the last time, we don’t handle assassinations. That’s only on Tuesdays,” a tired female voice explained. “We have declined your request. Now get the hell out of my office.”

Not waiting around for an invitation, Aelius pushed open the door, revealing a dimly lit room with the three individuals. At the same moment, Zhen Xue lowered his hood with a smile. “Surprise! It’s your worst nightmare.”

The priestess watched them enter, her eyebrows raising at the sight. With her feet propped on the desk behind her, she kept them there. The two men standing before her turned around in an instant, becoming white from shock. The first man shouted, “You... You bastard! How dare show your face after what you’ve done?!” He pulled out a knife from his pocket, taking a stance to fight anything that came his way.

“Yeah, I know. I’m so evil.”

Aelius walked over unhurriedly, both tall and imposing compared to their scrawny forms. He reached them before the first man could make another move, grabbing them both by the scruff and hauling them outside with their bare ass planted in the dirt, much like he promised earlier. For extra measure, Zhen Xue waved a cheerful farewell to them as Aelius kicked the door shut.

“Alright, I won’t waste anyone’s time here.” Zhen Xue took a seat in front of Zenith, crossing his legs. Her blue eyes perceptively watched his every move. Only now that he sat before her did he take in her silver hair, despite her youth. “I’m looking for information on someone... a woman named Calisaya. I just need a summary of what her life has been like, and maybe her routine.”

She listened the whole time with a completely serious look. “Can you pay?”

As he expected, money motivated Zenith. The moment she learned of his wealth, he won her over. “Of course I can pay,” he scoffed, saying with ease. “What would be the point of coming here empty-handed?” 

She removes her feet from the desk, appearing to hear all she needed. “Alright then. Don’t worry about contacting us. We’ll reach out when we have what you're looking for. You’ll pay once we’ve done the job.”

“Zenith!” Aelius exclaimed, expressing his concerns.

“What?” she demanded. “We need to pay the rent.”

“Is that why our funds go missing every week?”

From being seen through, she stubbornly adverts her gaze. “The boss said I can take what I need.”

There was definitely something Zhen Xue was forgetting about her, but it’s been such a long time since he wrote her character. It was easy to get lost in the weeds of the details. He swiped the bridge of his nose at his own embarrassment as a forgetful author. “You might find this hard to believe, but I can see glimpses of the future. What I said was true,” he added, glancing at Aelius. “The safety of Cassanova depends on her intervention in future affairs, including the rebellion. I just want to know why things aren’t going as planned. My predictions have been reliable so far, so you can imagine her divergence has brought me concern.”

The two of them listened with darkening expressions as he continued. When he finished, Zenith sighed with reluctance. “Based on your recent events,” she said, taking a moment to choose how to explain. “The odds don’t look in your favor right now, but tell you what... If we find evidence that what you're saying is true, we’ll let you know and discontinue your payment. Our company policy doesn’t allow for us to charge clients who are acting for the good of others.”

“Zenith, you almost sound disappointed,” Aelius remarked with an amused smile. “Anyway, she’s right,” he continued, turning back to Zhen Xue. “Give us some time and we’ll have what you're looking for within a few hours.”

Only a few hours? Going to them was certainly the right choice. With their business concluded, Zhen Xue got up and offered them a smile. “I’ll leave it in your capable hands, then.”