75. Not at home.
When we arrived at the bar, the crowd was noticeably larger than the last time we had been here. Just to be safe, I activated Detection before stepping inside and swept my gaze across the surrounding area.
Yeah… they seemed different from normal drunken thugs.
"Do you require anything else?" Kaspar, the shop owner, immediately noticed our presence—or perhaps he recognized Xio the very moment we walked through the door. The human-like zombie's gaze also lingered on us, unblinking and unsettling.
"Nothing much. I just wanted an update on the recent uproar," she said. The uproar she referred to was the assassination of Intis's ambassador.
"You brought the baby again?" Kaspar remarked, his tone laced with intrigue as his eyes flicked toward me. Then, with a shrug, he continued, "It's the usual—shifts in power, some falling, others rising. The black markets are running wild. Certain families don't want to miss the opportunity, and… well, you know how it goes."
His reply carried nothing of real value—just the kind of surface-level information everyone already knew.
Xio tossed a few soli onto the counter in gratitude. "Has anyone mentioned Lavenus?" she asked, following up with another question.
"Lavenus? Back to business already, huh?" Kaspar smirked knowingly. After all, Xio was well-known as a bounty hunter.
"I need to make a living too," Xio replied flatly, refusing to let the conversation wander further down that path.
"Regrettably, I don't have any information on him." Kaspar slid the coins back across the counter toward her. It was evident he hadn't even known that Lavenus was in Backlund at all.
"Keep it. I still have another matter," Xio said, refusing to take the soli back. "Have you heard of the popular gems?"
"Gems?" Kaspar let out a hearty laugh. "You must've walked into the wrong shop, little miss… or so I'd usually say. But yes, I've heard of them." He sighed, his expression shifting to mild annoyance. "One pound," he added flatly.
I tossed the pound onto the counter as he spoke.
"There've been plenty asking about them," Kaspar continued. "They just appeared out of nowhere in society—no one knows their true origin. Rumor has it they came from the slums or the harbor, smuggled in from outside Backlund. But from what I've heard, those who tried to trace the source either went missing… or ended up dead in some bizarre fashion."
"Bizarre?" I echoed, the word lingering in my mind.
"Stuffed himself until his stomach literally burst… another found trampled by a horse, pants missing. And there are others." Kaspar grimaced as he spoke, his expression twisted with disgust. Who could say whether he had actually witnessed such sights or was merely repeating rumors?
"It's cursed. Best not to get involved," he sighed. Easy coin was always welcome for him, but if too many of his customers ended up dead because of this business, it would only mean fewer profits in the long run.
Hearing his story, paired with my own experience, a thought escaped my lips. "Is it… desire?"
Cluck!
A loud sound cut through the air. I turned toward it and saw one of Kaspar's zombie-like patrons slam his mug against the table. One after another, those who had emptied their drinks followed suit, the sharp thuds echoing in unison before they all raised their mugs toward Kaspar, demanding a refill.
"That's all," Kaspar said curtly before turning away to pour more alcohol for the zombie-like patrons.
Xio and I lingered in silence for a brief moment, each lost in thought, before finally stepping out of the bar in search of other leads.
...
After checking a few more places, the results were the same—harbor or slum that's all they knew. Still whether the harbor or the East Borough. It might not sound like much, but even a single East Borough alone was larger than Tingen City.
"I guess our only option is to go straight to the source," Xio said, having finished meeting with every information broker she knew.
I nodded in agreement. "Then should we start with the harbor?" Backlund, as the capital city, had a wide and busy harbor—but even so, it was still smaller than the eastern borough. If we truly wanted to search every nook and cranny, a year or two wouldn't even scratch the surface.
"Mhm. I think that's the better choice. And just in case, we should bring Fors along next time," Xio replied.
"I guess it's better to have her. Besides, we need to let it simmer before they catch on," I said. Xio nodded in agreement, and we went our separate ways for the day.
This time, we boldly sought information from every broker we could find. Just as we could extract their intelligence, the reverse was also true—others could just as easily gather information about us through them.
What we did today was simply poke at the grass to see what would emerge. Naturally, we did so in moderation—if what appeared was a dragon instead of a rabbit, no number of lives we had would be enough to survive it.
After parting ways with Xio, I didn't head straight home. Instead, I hitched a carriage. "Cherwood Borough," I told the driver, keeping my destination concise. Avoiding the main protagonist—a magnet for trouble—was wise, but it would be foolish to suffer just to steer clear of him.
Minutes later, I arrived in Cherwood Borough. Wasting no time, I made my way toward 15 Mink Street, where Klein resided—the cheater seer.
I stood in front of the door, pressing the bell. On the way here, I had run through countless scenarios in my head—how to approach him, what questions to ask, and how to steer the conversation to get the information I needed. I was even prepared to get tangled in his problems; it was a risk I had to accept if I wanted his help.
Knock… knock… knock…
…
No one answered.
Of course—Klein wasn't home.
Well, I did show up abruptly without any prior plan, but still… give me back my determination. I sighed, having waited about ten minutes in front of his house.
"Good evening. If you're looking for the detective, he isn't home right now," someone interrupted my solemn mood.
I turned to see a woman—clearly above average in appearance. "Good evening, Mrs. Sammer," I greeted her politely.
"You… know me?" she asked, her expression a mixture of confusion and a faint guilt at not remembering me.
"It's Chris Diffodil, son of the Diffodil couple," I replied.
It was as if a pom had rung in her mind. Stelyn Sammer—Mrs. Sammer—gave a slight bow, small but sincere, like a quiet apology. "Please forgive my lapse. I'm not sure when the detective will return. Would you care to wait in our home? My husband would be delighted by your company."
"Thank you for your kind invitation. I apologize for not being able to meet your expectations. I'll simply return at another time," I declined politely. Since I couldn't meet Klein, there was no reason to linger—who knew when he would be back?
"I understand. Then, good evening, and may the goddess bless you," she said, before retreating back into her house.
***
"Wake up!"
The voice echoed softly, just enough to wake me—but then it sent a jolt through my skull. The sharp intensity wiped away the last traces of sleepiness, a sensation I knew all too well.
I opened my eyes and glanced around—my usual room.
Even without hearing clearly, I could more or less guess who would be capable of waking me like this.
"Welcome—" I was about to greet her, the one who had been away for a while, when a message suddenly appeared before me.
'The Demon-like Judge of Fire asked you to be careful of the intruder.'
Her warning instantly heightened my vigilance. I activated Detection at once—but found nothing, apart from the servant and my parents.
That at least eased my nerves slightly, knowing everyone else was safe. Then… from the wall, it appeared.
"!?" I nearly screamed as a ghostly figure emerged from the wall of my room.