Chapter 106

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"Did you bribe the guards?" Ann asked with widened eyes.

There were only two cases under which special treatment will be provided.

It was either if the person traveling was a high-ranking noble with zero patience to wait or if it was due to the power of money. Since the border guards are less likely to be under the influence of nobles, the latter proved to be the most convincing one.

There was a brief pause before Kalan answered,

"No"

"Really? Then how did you get us a free pass to the gates?"

"I have my ways"

"Wha.."

'Is he affiliated with a powerful noble by chance? Or is he a powerful underworld in disguise?'

Ann shook her head to stop herself from spewing more conspiracy theories.

'Now that's just stupid'

But for some reason, her intuition was telling her that something was not right. Although she couldn't put her finger on it, it felt as if she was being led by the nose.

To rid herself of any doubts, Ann decided to place an additional request to the information guild, along with the one to collect intel regarding the whereabouts of the protagonists.

The new request would be to gather information about Kalan and the Orion merchants since there was nothing known about them other than the information provided by Elijah. 

It would be well within professional ethics to know about the employer and their backgrounds in order to provide a satisfying service.

'I'm not doing it because I'm suspicious of him. It is important to have mutual trust between employee and employer. So what I'm gonna do is well within professional boundaries'

Ann tried to pacify her guilty conscience for digging information about Kalan behind his back.

Even though Kalan's background was guaranteed by Elijah, Ann had to be cautious of anyone or anything from Orion.

It has been three years since the incident, she only had to wait for two more for the set five years to be over before she could go home. It would be a waste if her cover gets blown when she was close to victory.

'I'm being a professional here. Nothing out of the ordinary. It's totally normal to be curious'

"The guards are aware of our arrival since we are transporting a relic"

Kalan's calm voice brought Ann back to her senses from inner rambling.

"Huh?"

"Orion's legal procedures for transporting relics take hours to process. So it's better if we go early and wait for the rest of the day. Than to wait all day in a queue only to stay for hours till the procedure is complete"

"Is that so?"

Ann smiled awkwardly. Her guilty conscience for suspecting Kalan of having ulterior motives was prickling her like thorns.

From her observations for the past few days, Ann knew that Kalan may not be the friendliest person in the world. But he was comfortable to be around. It took more than an average person to be around two people constantly picking fights as a source of entertainment.

So from her point of view, he was a good guy.

Still, it was better to be safe than to feel regret later.

'Sorry Kalan. I'm still going to place the request. It's a matter of life or death for me'

Around noon, the entourage successfully crossed the gates and into Orion led by border security.

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