The moment Kevin Ashton's name left Rubia's lips, Marquis Ivote became visibly guarded. He had felt like a soft, slightly disheveled yellow hue until now, but in that instant, he revealed the cold gray of a sharpened blade.0

Seeing that shift naturally made me tense up as well. Until now, only one person had reacted meaningfully to the name Kevin Ashton, and that was Isaac. He'd suddenly taken off, claiming he wanted to tour the capital. Now, Marquis Ivote made two.0

If Isaac was any example, then this marquis definitely wasn't an ordinary man. I examined him again and found that he did not carry any weapons, not even a dagger for self-defense. Still, it didn't seem like he was someone who didn't need a weapon due to skill. There was none of the pressure I felt from the swordmasters like Marquis Leandro or Duke Tartier. I recalled the two mages Gith-Za-Rai had assassinated. This man didn't match them at all. He probably wasn't a mage either.0

It hit me then just how much I'd been through. I'd fought swordmasters head-on and died to their blades more than once. I'd witnessed the deaths of high-level mages in all-out battles. Now,...0