Watching Ounes get into his carriage and leave, several bounty hunters hidden nearby immediately sprang out. Some, not begrudging the initial expense, stopped a passing hired carriage; others memorized the characteristics of the target carriage and tried to cut ahead through narrow, secluded alleys; still others mounted their pre-prepared bicycles and, amidst the clatter, wove through gaps between carriages and pedestrians, following with ease.
Among them, only Xio remained unhurried, still staying put as she watched Ounes and several colleagues disappear into the distance.
This vehicle, also called a bicycle, is more useful than I imagined. No wonder so many bounty hunters save up to buy one—it saves on carriage fees or walking time... If there are often tracking missions like this, the money saved could buy a new bicycle... The only problem is that there are still few models, all of the high-seat type... Xio felt a surge of desire.
Just then, a tram from the intersection came to a stop in front of her.
Xio happened to be right at a stop.
Glancing at the double-decker carriage on steel tracks, Xio took out a few one-penny copper coins, boarded, and found a seat by the window.
This tram could hold nearly fifty people on two levels, but it wasn’t crowded now, allowing Xio to take in the view outside without obstruction.
But she wasn’t admiring the scenery. In her mind, she quickly sketched the target’s appearance: Brown hair, bright red eyes, sharply defined features, a nose bridge so high it seemed almost deformed, and in his hand a painting sketchbook.
Thanks to the «Bailiff’s» supernatural sense in this area and the fact that the distance hadn’t widened, Xio vaguely grasped the target’s current location and intended direction.
Thus, she remained calm, even using the window glass to take off her peaked cap and tidy her slightly frizzy and unruly golden hair.
After who knows how many stops, Xio suddenly stood up and got off when the tram paused again.
This was the
Xio immediately walked briskly, planning to turn at the next corner into another street and board a tram heading for the south bank of the Tussock River.
She was lucky: just as she reached the stop, the tram pulled up.
Xio let out a silent breath of relief, took out another few pence she had prepared, and became even more determined to buy a bicycle.
This tram was quite crowded, but relying on the authority of the «Arbiter,» Xio managed to push through the crowd relatively easily, climb to the upper deck, and find a seat.
The tram started slowly. Xio glanced out the window casually, and her gaze suddenly froze.
She saw Sherman, whom she had been unable to find earlier!
This young man who identified as female was holding a paper bag containing several long loaves of bread and a stack of newspapers, entering a narrow alley.
His shoulder-length brown hair had grown longer, and his gray striped trousers were quite tight.
Though his figure flashed by and an ordinary person couldn’t be sure, as a «Bailiff,» Xio easily made a positive identification.
Sherman gave up his rented room in East Borough and moved here? Seeing that he was fine and that she was still tracking her target, Xio suppressed her impulse to jump off the tram, catch up with him, and ask about recent events.
............
Carrying the paper bag with several long loaves of bread and a stack of newspapers, Sherman crossed alleys and streets, made a big detour, and finally entered an apartment building. He climbed the narrow stairs to the third floor, took out his key, and opened the door to his dwelling.
He seemed to have developed decent anti-surveillance skills.
With a creak, the door swung open. Sherman’s eyes suddenly brightened as he saw a girl in a black dress.
The girl had a sweet, gentle face and an indescribably graceful figure. Even standing at the window, blocking the sunlight and casting her surroundings in shadow, she seemed gilded, becoming even more holy and beautiful.
«Why are you here?» Sherman stared at her in surprise, then couldn’t help glancing up and down.
His barely noticeable
The next second, he abruptly turned his head aside, as if afraid to look directly.
«M-Miss Triss…» Sherman muttered hesitantly.
Triss’s smile slowly bloomed, making the dim room seem noticeably brighter. Then, in a slightly teasing tone, she asked: «Why won’t you look at me?»
«I—I don’t know. I like, I clearly like men, so why, why do I still have all these strange thoughts when I see you…» Sherman still stared at the floor to the side, stammering.
Triss’s expression turned complex for a moment, then she smiled as if nothing had happened: «Women can also appreciate beautiful and attractive members of their own sex.»
She paused, then added: «I came today to give you a task. You were making fast progress at first, and I was very pleased. But recently you seem to have stalled.»
Sherman’s face showed a trace of fear. He instinctively stepped back and said: «I—I don’t think it’s necessary to do that…»
Seeing that Triss didn’t retort, Sherman’s words gradually became smoother.