One New Moon night...
　Two mercenaries were walking through Rezad.

　Since it was after a military coup, the number of guards was more than three times that of normal times.
　The air was tense.

　It's a pain in the ass. I'd rather have a drink.

　The large man sighed unwillingly.
　The smaller man countered.

　'I'd love to have some of that Rosais spirit.
　I mean, you could get a little bit of booze, but we'd stop the trade, wouldn't we?

　The price of spirits from Lossies continued to soar.
　Although trade had not officially stopped, the great merchants who had been trading with King Losais' country had been arrested and trade had begun to slow down.

　In addition, will Rezad and the country of King Losais cut off diplomatic relations?　The rumors kept spreading, and merchants from other countries who heard about it were buying up the spirits.

　''Oh, did I put it on wrong?''
　I didn't expect this.

　The two men sigh.
　They were mercenaries hired by an anti-Rosaisian senator.

　They were hired for money, so they do their jobs well.
　Even if the work is not to your liking.

　With work and spirits, it's the work that counts.
　These two men are not sincerely regretting it because they are talking badly about their employers at all times.

　'Actually, you know, I'm getting married when I'm done with this job.
　....
　Hey, you listening to me?

　The large man turned around and looked at the smaller man who was walking a step behind him.
　The man had fallen.

　''...What?''
　'Don't worry. I just knocked him out.

　Something caught in the man's throat.
　The man's neck was tightened by something he couldn't see.

　'!!!!!

　After a few seconds, the man let go of his consciousness.






　'Looks like Miss Alice finished him off.

　A woman checks the brewery from the roof, where no one is on guard.

　This is where the two men who were strangled by Alice were originally supposed to come.

　The brewery is guarded by twelve mercenaries who work in two-hour shifts.
　Therefore, there would normally be no situation where there were no mercenaries to protect the brewery.

　However, the mercenaries who were originally here are not.
　Because they are lying on the side of the road.

　The mercenaries who were here before had long since left.
　The mercenaries will do their duty as long as they are paid, but not as long as they are not doing their duty.

　The concept of service overtime does not exist in their minds.

　They are mercenaries after all.

　Well.....

　The woman opens the door to the brewery.
　Inside was a large number of barrels of liquor.

　They were spirits imported from the country of King Rosais.
　It had been sitting here until the price had risen to the point where it could be sold out.

　The woman scattered the oil and set fire to it.
　The fires ignited one by one, igniting the liquor into a blaze.

　Well, let's not forget...

　The woman doused the fire with a large amount of poppy grass and cast a spell.

　In an instant, the flames were extinguished.
　But the fire was not extinguished.

　It just disappeared.

　Cover-up time is thirty minutes. Now ... how is everyone else progressing?

　The woman hurriedly left the scene as she said this.







　'Operation complete, sir.'
　Also, the arson attack on the brewery is over.
　The arson attack on the home of an absent first class citizen is over.
　The arson attack on the oil cellar is over.

　I'm done with arson, too. Thank you for your efforts.

　Sojung, who was in command of the arson squad, worked his subordinate spellcasters.

　The outline of this operation went like this.

　First, Alice would invade the city and check out the location of the warehouses and the soldiers' patrol routes and times.
　Then she would send the sorcerers from King Rosais' country to break in at midnight.

　Alice will then decide when to change the guards and stun or kill the soldiers.

　Even if the replacement mercenaries don't arrive, the mercenaries on guard will abide by the contract, which will create a hole in some of the guards.
　In the meantime, they will set fire to the ground.

　The fires they set will be smeared with poppy and a spell will be cast, making the flames invisible.

　Of course, if you get close enough, they'll know....
　The only people hanging around at this time of day are the mercenaries on guard.

　And it stretches into the road where they were supposed to be watching the place.

　By the time they regained consciousness and arrived at the workplace, the spell would be broken just in time to see the building that was in great flames.

　'Our task is now over. .........Now, let's take off. Alice, could you please?
　Okay. Okay, Mr. So Yeon, you go first.

　Alice said and carried Sojourn on her back.
　Then she ran through the roof in one go and jumped over the city walls, using the thread as her master.


　Just as Alice let the fifth sorcerer escape outside the city walls........
　The streets of Rezad began to get noisy.

　'Well I guess it's time for me to get to work.

　Alice licked her tongue.






　'Fire!　Fire!
　What were the guards doing?
　'How come no one noticed it in the first place!
　Who did it?　Get the killer!
　Fool!　We have to put out the fire first. Put it out before it gets out of hand!
　Run!　We're in the fire!　Ouch!　What the hell are you doing?
　You!　Don't run in the dark!
　You two, doke!　You can't get through!　If we don't, my furniture is going to burn!
　'Hey!　You!　Put that stuff down!　You're blocking the evacuation!

　The city of Rezad was in a state of panic.
　So much so that a fire is a terrible disaster.

　In fact, the only thing burning is the building where the fire started and the surrounding area.
　It's a fire that can be adequately dealt with.

　But because it happened in five different places at the same time, and in the middle of the night, it's causing chaos.

　'What the hell are you doing?!

　One man has lumped the chaotic scene together.
　A key figure in the anti-Lossaean faction that now controls the council in Rezad.

　Calm down!　Women and children, evacuate. Men, bring water from the well quickly!　Scramble the mercenaries. We'll destroy the building before the fire spreads!

　The man flies in one direction after another, curing the chaos on the scene.

　''Mr. Chairman. There's a lot of commotion.

　Alexios rushed to the scene and spoke to the man.
　The man looked back at Alexios.

　'Ah, Lord Alexios. I need you to help me with this.
　'I thought you would say that, so I brought some slaves with me. ........By the way, are you sure you want me to scrounge up a bunch of mercenaries?　If you ask me, they're also gathering troops from jail. I don't think this is just a case of arson. Could someone be helping them escape?

　But the chairman laughed it off.

　'You worry too much, my lord. We have left a minimum number of men in your prison. ...How can I escape from this Rezad if someone is trying to help me escape?　The gates are sealed tight.

　As long as the walls are in place, escape is impossible.
　The first priority now is to put out the fire.

　If left unattended, the fire will swallow Rezad.

　'But it cannot be a coincidence. If this is some kind of conspiracy...''
　Huh you're a worrier too. I understand. I'll give you five cavalrymen, just go and make sure.






　Meanwhile, after prematurely killing all the prison guards and soldiers on guard, Alice freed the criminals one by one.

　'Alright. From here, go straight north and turn right at the third corner. After that, take the second corner to the left, then the seventh corner to the right. Then go straight ahead and you will see the gate. It is now thinned out by the fire. If we push in with this number of people, we'll be sure to get away.

　The sinners thank Alice and run out with great joy.
　The destination, of course, was the northern gate that Alice had told them about.

　After finishing freeing almost all the sinners, Alice finally destroyed the pro-Rosaisian prison.

　''I am a vassal of His Majesty Almus. Everyone, please remain calm. Don't run away yet.''

　Opening one prison after another, Alice frees the senators and their families.

　The pro-Rosaisian senators, seven in total. A total of thirty people, including their families.
　All have been freed.

　''Thank you........Alice, was it?''

　Ains thanked Alice for untying him from his chains.
　Ains had heard a few things about Alice, but he had never met her directly.

　Deep down, he had looked down on her as a Germanic barbarian, but now she saved his life.
　It was a heartfelt thank you.

　'Don't feel at ease yet. With the sinners pouring into the north gate, there should be a lot of vigilance in the north.''

　There are four gates in Rezad.　
　The four are: east, west, north, south and west.

　The prison is in the northwest and the nearest gate is in the north.
　And the second closest gate is in the west.

　Alice used the sinners as a diversion.

　'But ... but still the security is tight. Are you sure you're okay?'

　Alice laughs and answers Ains' question.

　''It's all right. There are at most thirty or so soldiers on guard.......it's night now. I'm on my own.''






　It's a noisy north gate. What's going on here?
　I heard the criminals broke out of prison over this arson fiasco and they're pouring in. I heard the captain and his 20 men have come to support them.
　'Seriously?　Then there are only ........fifteen people here. Are you okay?
　'We'll be fine. Most of the sinners seem to be heading north, and if they're here, just a little bit, ugh!

　The man blew blood out of his mouth and fell to the ground.

　'What?　What, what happened...
　You don't need to know that.

　Alice tightened the man's neck with a thread from behind.
　The thread, hard as steel, tightens around the man's neck and cuts it off.

　'Well, that's fifteen. That's all of you.

　Alice put her hand on the bolt of the empty castle gate.
　The bolt is so heavy that it can only be removed by a couple of adults, but Alice nimbly lifts the bolt.

　I'm sure it will be a bit difficult for me to open the gate by myself, so please help me.
　...a little...

　Ains and the others smiled bitterly and pushed the gates of the castle with Alice.
　Mainly due to Alice's power, the gates slowly opened.

　''Come on, let's get away. The cavalry will be waiting a short distance away. If we can escape to that point, we'll be safe for now.

　Thus, the first phase of the operation was a success.