"Did you find anything useful?"

Marla asked her teammates the next day when they met up. She wasn't expecting any result from her last recon either. But surprisingly Eren came forward before reporting:

"Master Marla, I might have found something. I had discovered a presence last night with Agatha's help so I followed it up as per your instructions. The chase lasted for about two hours before my cover was blown.

I tried chasing that person but he just disappeared out of the blue. I can give you the details of my pursuit and show you the place on the map where I lost track of him."

Marla raised her eyebrows before nodding at Eren. She pulled a map scroll from her storage and laid it in front of him. The latter didn't waste time and gave her the "exact" details of his chase.

Marla immediately contacted a few personnel and arranged another squad of E-Rankers with the city administration's help. She was made to believe that Eren was in the proximity of the cultist hideout. Hence the preparations.

Eren knew that the place was going to get found out sooner or later. The city's hotshot captain Arizihana Agnoth was playing on the enemy's side. She would find out something was wrong with her contact in a few days. So there was no merit in keeping the crime scene a secret.

By becoming the information provider, Eren would have a valid reason for traces of his presence near the crime scene. And anything unexplainable would get chalked under the anomaly created by Reen with her mana collusion.

Eren also wanted some form of reward from the city administration for his hard work, even when it wasn't done for his employer. He would never say no to free money and resources.

Plus, the butcher had again struck rich with the hideout's treasury!

And he also had a lot of study material, scrolls, books, and research papers regarding therianthropy and other miscellaneous information about the lost paths of magic. That alone would get sold for a fortune in the black market.

But Eren hadn't robbed these study materials to make bucks off of them. He genuinely wanted to study and learn this path and see if he could make better use of it using his demon beast.

Marla left the inn right after she told the teammates to disperse. She was going to lead the team of E-Rankers. She would eventually find out the crime scene Eren had left for her to find. And then they'd return to LA.

It was going to take another day for that to happen. During this day, Lensa came to meet the team members again. She wanted to talk with Eren more. But the butcher made some excuse and left the inn faster than he left his crime scene.

*******************************

"Ken, what did your family decide about Lensa?"

Almera asked Ken while they were making their way back to LA. They had completed their mission and found the cultists' burned-to-cinders hideout.

Ken sighed before replying:

"My family only sees profit in the mess I didn't even create willingly. They are more than happy for me to tie the knots with Lensa. Someone from my family will meet with the Carrens and come to a formal arrangement.

For now, Lensa and I have both told our families that we'll be focusing on our studies. But if all goes well according to our families' plans, then an engagement will take place within a year.

We are both helpless. For now, we've decided to become friends. And deal with the issue of the engagement a year after that."

Ken replied with stoic expressions. His face looked perfect when the energising rays of the dawn kissed his skin. It was as if a prince was riding to unknown lands with a cause greater than him and everyone he cared about.

"Isn't it great, Ken? I mean you got an elf for a fiance now. Well, almost a fiance. But she is pretty and seems cool to hang out with too. You have the luck of a protagonist my friend. Makes me envious. Hehe!"

Eren said while guiding his colt. Agatha was right behind him whereas Ken and Almera were on either side. This time, Marla was leading them from the front.

Ken seemed to be touched by his friend's words. He gave his signature smile to the one who had brought that mess on him before replying:

"You are right as always, Eren. And Lensa intends to make friends with you too, you know. She told me that you were all praises for me that day when she asked you about me.

Thanks, man. I now know that you have my back. Oh yeah, Lensa told me that she'd come to meet us in LA sometime. We can find a nice girl for you too by then and go on double dates. That'd be fun. Haha!"

Ken offered to be Eren's wingman magnanimously. Eren could only smile mirthlessly at that. He didn't know what to say to the guy who he had cucked. Without the intention to do so in the beginning.

"Hehe! I hope you guys haven't bought those strange elven ales in stock. Otherwise, things might go wilder than they did last time."

Almera's taunt landed right on Ken who immediately had a sullen face hearing that. It seemed that he would not even go within a mile's range of someone drinking the debuff potion of an ale.

Eren and Marla laughed heartily at Almera's timely punch.

But soon the atmosphere became serious when Almera asked the D-Ranker about their mission's details.

"Adept Marla, what happened to the cultist hideout? And what did you find there?"

Marla furrowed her eyebrows after hearing the question directed at her. Then she took a deep breath before slowing down the speed of her colt.

Marla had told her teammates that they'll talk about the mission's results after they left the city of Silvermoon. And it was now time to fulfil that promise:

AN: Thanks aidan_chambers and TrafalgarLaws for your gifts. Also, VEH will have two today for scoring 286+ GTs in such a small time. Hoping we would meet the coin target as well and have another bonus chapter release. ;)