Chapter 549: Chapter 551: Safe And Close "The search only confirmed one thing — the unknown intruder is dead, leaving no remains, and that concludes my report." A harpy woman bowed as she completed her report. The lady she was facing was a woman of breathtaking beauty, long dark hair cascading down her back, and deep red eyes that seemed to shimmer. She narrowed her eyes. "Search again..." It was the fifth time she had repeated that order to her subordinates. She was unsure why, but she had a feeling the man she had seen would not die easily — especially not so quietly. The knight outside the carriage bowed slowly. "Prin—general, I believe the target is dead. However, I dare not question your judgment. That said, with all due respect, we are behind schedule... the emperor is losing patience with each passing day." The woman bit her lip when the emperor was mentioned. She closed the flap to the carriage, shutting out the knight. "Very well then... we can proceed. However, if you find him, I want him alive. If that’s not possible, kill him." The knight’s voice acknowledged her order. "As you wish, my lady..." The harpy woman sat quietly, observing the change in her lady, the deep creases forming on her beautiful brows. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶 As the carriages began to move, the black-haired lady turned her gaze to a cage beside her. Inside was a raven and a squirrel quietly watching her. These had been in her quarters when the mysterious man had left. She had captured them. "Who was he..." she asked no one in particular. However, the harpy attendant still answered. "We are unable to determine his identity at the moment. We are still working on a sketch..." She picked up the cage, holding it up as she examined the two animals. "This is a three-eyed raven — they are rare, and in their youth, they look indistinguishable from normal ravens. They are said to be messengers of death and harbingers of darkness... quite rare..." Her eyes narrowed when she looked at the squirrel. "As for this, it should be a scarlet flying squirrel, a species unique to the Evil Forest, known for their extreme speed, sharp claws, and fangs... and a little quirk — a love for male genitalia, specifically their testicles..." The attendant was once again in awe of her lady’s knowledge. "From that, I can deduce he is from Soltheon... because these two are creatures native to the Evil Forest. From his accent, I can deduce he’s from Valtheron... there was also the way he was holding the wine cup — something native to a noble of this empire. It’s subtle but noticeable. But..." She narrowed her eyes. "What I can’t place is his face. If he were a noble of Valtheron, I would know about him... especially if he is high-ranked enough to wear something like a crown." She placed a hand on her chin. "He’s not a member of the ducal households. Nothing about them would fly under my radar..." The attendant frowned. "Could he be a foreign noble who stayed in Valtheron?" She smiled, shaking her head. "No, Lita... I don’t think so. His etiquette is something pounded into his very essence the kind you get taught as a child until it becomes a habit." "Understood..." Lita replied. "Tell me, Lita... why do you think he was in my quarters? If he was there to kill me, he was certainly too bold... there’s also the fact he didn’t have any hostility..." Lita smirked, looking at the beautiful woman. "Could he be one of your countless suitors, looking for new ways to impress you?" The woman frowned, remembering that Damon had seen her naked. That wretch... "If he was, he is going about it in all the worst ways..." She smiled lightly. "But I do commend his audacity. I’ll keep his head and use his skull to drink from as a way to remember such boldness... when I find him." Damon sneered, watching the woman from an unexpected place. ’If you find me...’ Seriously, what was wrong with this woman? Was she a stalker? What did he even do to her? Damon didn’t sigh — because he couldn’t. How could a shadow sigh? Which made him wonder... how was he even breathing? For the most part, he was safe. However, as the old saying goes — the most dangerous places were often the safest. His danger sense was going crazy the longer he stayed there, but Damon also couldn’t leave. The farther they traveled, the greater the feeling grew. He knew he would not be able to escape their detection, so he took the only viable option hiding right under their nose. Well, in this case, it would be hiding under her skirt... or close to that. Damon was naturally in the convoy’s main carriage, hiding right under the woman’s carriage seat... as a harmless-looking shadow. Of all the places to search, they would never have guessed he chose to hide inside the carriage of their lady. It wasn’t just audacious, it was suicidal. And that was why it was the best option. No... it was the only option. And thus, Damon just went along for the ride. His evil familiars were here too since they had been captured. He honestly expected them to rat him out, but it seemed they were content to stay quiet. The woman seemed to have taken an interest in them — and in him — but wanting to drink from his skull? For what? Because he saw her naked? And that one time, he didn’t even look that much. The urge to poke himself out from under the seat and tell her off was strong in his heart, but he let it go... Just as he was starting to relax in this dangerous place, taking in her pleasant fragrance... The ground shook. There were loud growls that echoed through the forest, as well as the voices of knights. "Ambush! Battle stations! Protect the general! Protect the general!" Damon didn’t spread his shadow perception to avoid detection — although he wished he had — because he heard a low crack as the world spun on its head, flipping and crashing, shattering upon the hard trees and earth. Wood and leaves poured in with the outside sunlight. Something had thrown the carriage aside. The woman and her attendant jumped out, weapons appearing in their hands. With them gone, Damon grabbed the cage with his squeaking pets inside. As the sounds of battle grew intense, Damon slipped out as a shadow. What he saw made him freeze.