14th Winter Moon, 907

With the group situating themselves into Echo Bell's capital, they went about their stay routinely. Melissa and Klaus had gone to the capital's local library to do some research on the city, such as history and architecture. The twins went off on their own, very likely doing the exact opposite. Fabrice, aside from monitoring the city and keeping an eye out for potential danger, did some sightseeing and shopping. Melissa distinctly remembered him mentioning gift searching for Enora, which she found super sweet.

When Melissa and Klaus arrived at the library, they got as many books as they could and sat down at a table in the corner. Klaus felt it was safe to pull his hood down, though Melissa kept hers up, along with another peculiar disguise.

Klaus pulled a book off the stack and smirked at her. "You know, if it weren't for the fact we were in the Echo Bell Kingdom, you'd look pretty suspicious right now."

Melissa played around with the purple and gold mask strapped over her eyes. "Heh," she mumbled shyly.

"Why are you even wearing that? The only people that'll recognize you is the royal family, and I doubt they're lurking the streets every day."

Melissa sighed and slumped forward. "Maybe if we were in some other part of the kingdom, but not the capital. I cannot risk letting my identity slip here. If any of the Visconti family realized I was here, my tail will be sent straight back home."

Klaus waved it off. "Please, you've got nothing to worry about."

"Even if no one recognizes me as you-know-who, my alternate identity will cause a big stir."

"Ah yeah, I guess that's a problem." Klaus shrugged. "Meh. Just try not to draw any unnecessary attention to yourself. You know, like, don't do anything stupid like you usually do."

Melissa pouted. "Hurtful."

"I call it as I see it." Klaus leaned back and opened up his book. "So, have you given any thought to what you want to do?"

Melissa crossed her arms and hummed. "I do not want to steal something super plain and common, but I do not want it to be too distinct that it might be traced back. Stealing a painting from the art gallery may not be a good idea, but stealing money is too simple. And I want to make it memorable and grand."

Klaus pulled out some parchment and a set of quills. "Don't forget, you need to prove your leadership status. Jason's probably going to assign a couple of newbies under your care, so you need to prove to them that you are a capable leader. That means working with their strengths and weaknesses, gaining their trust, and assuring them you know what you're doing. You can't be lazy with this assignment, or they won't trust your judgment."

"Right." Melissa rested her arms on the table. "Do you know what rookies you are working with?"

"Jason assigns them once you've decided on your final exam." Klaus pointed his quill at her. "Though, I'd be careful. I heard they purposefully make it difficult."

"How so?"

"I was talking to Fabrice last night. He mentioned that, when he did his test, Jason assigned a pair of rookies that caused him some friction. Fabrice is typically a mellow dude, so a pair of firecrackers who'll go off on their own and cause trouble is exactly the thing that would push his leadership qualities." Klaus smirked. "Knowing you and how panicky you get, I bet Jason's going to assign you two troublemakers as well. Or heck, maybe he'll stick you with our best rookies and see how well you deal with being overshadowed."

Melissa's smile hid her cracking ego. "Gee, thanks…"

"Point is, you need to learn to overcome adversity and opposition. You may have improved a lot, but you're still lagging behind your friends. Right now, you're just doing research to become a better leader. Most of them are either training their bodies or improving their techniques. And sometimes, you just need to roll with the punches."

Melissa shook off her gloom and leaned forward. "Klaus?"

"Hmm?"

"I am curious. How do you fight?"

Klaus tapped his quill against his parchment, then sighed. "Well, in some respects, same way as you."

"How so?"

"I'm not a strong fighter. I rely mostly on ambush tactics when I can. I use other people's strength and support them. However, I do have one ace up my sleeve: High Roller Style."

"High Roller Style?"

"Remember how I said my adopted dad said I had a lucky spirit?" Klaus smirked. "His brand of fighting, High Roller Style, is all-or-nothing gambling in a fight. Either something goes brilliantly right or horribly wrong."

"Can you show me?"

Klaus shook his head. "I rather not. I don't want to risk hurting myself even from a demonstration. Besides, I'm pretty sure your Copycat can't copy my fighting style, enhanced or not."

"Darn it."

Klaus shrugged. "Compared to everything else you can learn, though, it'd be a waste. It works for me, but probably not for you."

Melissa sighed. "I suppose that is fair." She picked up a history book and flipped through the pages. "Well, we have spent enough time chitchatting. Shall we continue looking into potential heists?"

Klaus smirked. "If you insist." He held his book up. "May I suggest looking up some maps of the modern day capital? It might be beneficial to plan an escape route."

"Am I allowed to take a map?"

Klaus shrugged. "The city's big. They had disposable ones sitting up front."

Melissa rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then stood up. "That would be useful, yes. I may need to ask Jet for more environment navigation training. I wonder if there is an urban setting we could practice on. Oh, I wonder if I will need any specialized gear. No, no, I should decide on that until I decided on the location, then I can…"

Klaus smiled to himself as the muttering rabbit left the table. He shook his head and turned back to his book. "You're a loveable dork, princess, I'll give you that."

"(Ah, my bagel! Where'd it go?)"

"(My sunhat is missing!)"

"(My bongos! Nnnnnooooo!)"

"(Who stole my toupee?!)"

The Thievery Twins watched the civilians run around in a frenzy, laughing amongst themselves. Jewel adjusted her new sunhat and purred. "Do I look divine, dear brother?"

Gold munched on his bagel while drumming on his new bongos. "Simply amazing, my dear sister. You look good in everything."

"Why, you flatterer!"

"Though, I do ask, why did you steal a toupee? It's not even shiny."

Jewel spun the false hair around on her digit. "Oh, I'm aware, but I did that Aggron a favor. This does not go well with the armored look." She tossed the toupee aside.

"Why would an Aggron even need a toupee?" Gold wondered.

"Fashion? Envy towards luscious manes and furs? An unfortunate spot on his armored head? The list goes on." Jewel crossed her arms behind her head and lay back. "Do you suppose we forgot something?"

"Such as the reason we came here in the first place?"

Jewel snapped her digits. "Right, right, Greenwood research thingy. Totally remember now." She yawned. "So lame. You think we could get points just for stealing everything?"

Gold waggled his finger. "No, no. If we said we were going to steal everything, they'd dock us for false claims. What defines as everything, you may ask? A house is something. A spoon is something. I dare say a baby is something, and I dare not steal a baby. No value and far too noisy."

Jewel tapped her chin. "Ah, there's that old idea: stealing a house." She sat up. "Remind me, are we still going along with that plan or stealing every spoon in the capital?"

"While I would enjoy the chaos of the Echo Bell citizens waking up to a spoonless morning, unable to enjoy their soups and cereals, I fear it's far too tame for us."

"Stealing every spoon is too tame for us?"

"While certainly impressive, we can go beyond that." Gold poked her cheek. "Stealing a house is something we've never done before. It would solidify our position and prove we are the superior thieves. We can steal a whole building undetected—"

"Then what can't we steal?" Jewel finished, rubbing her paws together.

"Exactly my point!" Gold sighed and slapped himself. "Alas, we run into the same roadblock we discussed upon arrival: how does one steal a house undetected?"

"Would we get extra points if we did it with the occupant unawares?" Jewel wondered.

"While they're awake?"

"In the middle of the day?"

"With tons of people to bamboozle with such an obvious scene?!" they exclaimed, high-fiving each other.

"You're a genius as ever, Brother!"

"Not as much as you, Sister! But back to the matter at hand—"

"Stealing a house requires coordination, something we excel at—"

"But it's too grand for us two." Gold sighed. "Sadly, that means we do need to work with whatever rookies Jason gives us. And knowing him—"

"He'll stick us with a couple of buzzkills to ruin the fun," Jewel groaned. "I foresee this terrible outcome, and I already hate it."

Gold played on his bongos for a moment, rattling through his brain for ideas, then perked up as one came to mind. "Fabrice!"

"I don't think he's allowed to help us—"

"No, no, not that. We need something like Fabrice has."

Jewel slid closer and grinned. "I'm listening."

"Fabrice trained with Sidney and learned her mud-terrain fighting style, yes? Fabrice can soften the earth much like her." Gold poked Jewel in the forehead. "What if we found a way to do the same thing?"

Jewel poked him back. "But Brother, neither of us can naturally soften earth to that degree. Plus, we don't even know who our team will be comprised of yet."

"We just need to coordinate a team. That doesn't mean we can't acquire other manpower."

Jewel smirked. "Do go on?"

"You recall how Basil famously bamboozled land deeds during his test? We'll do the same thing. We'll trick the people of Echo Bell to help us sink a house without them even realizing it."

Jewel's smirk grew wider. "The ultimate ploy combined with deception, superior intellect, and master-level manipulation—"

"Makes for the greatest theft in all of history!" Gold exclaimed.

"My dear brother, you are a true genius!" Jewel stood up and threw her sunhat away. "Let us not delay! We must scout out the people of this fair city and see what we have to work with!"

"Occupations for construction, gullible peddlers, and the cries of the concerned dedicating their time to help us without even seeing through the façade!"

They high-fived each other and laughed. "Time to make a name for ourselves and bamboozle this good-for-nothing city!" Gold kicked his bongos off the room before the twins scampered off.

"(Ow! Where'd that—hey, my bongos!)"

Melissa skimmed through her book while simultaneously dotting out potential escape paths on her map. She grabbed a few copies in case it became too clutter or if she needed to revise exit strategies. Klaus rested in his seat, jotting down some notes. He sniffled and blew his nose into the inside of his uniform.

"Ugh," he groaned.

Melissa frowned at him. "You look terrible."

"Gee, thanks." He set his book down and massaged his temples. "I already went through half the tissues I brought. Never a break. Winter, terrible. Spring, hell. Summer, meh. Autumn, the least hellish."

Melissa pitied the Morgrem. She looked at her arm, then sighed. "Well, never thought I would see myself doing this." She rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm to him.

Klaus blinked at him. "Huh?"

"You said using Leech Life clears you up, right? You can take some of my energy."

Klaus frowned. "You sure? You'll feel woozy afterwards."

"I do not want to see you suffer all day."

Klaus narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Thanks, Hars." He extended his prehensile hair and gently jabbed into her arm. Melissa shivered as she felt her energy being gradually sucked away. It was so weird to watch, too. His hair moved the same way a Beautifly would sip liquids through their proboscis. Though he wasn't drawing any blood from her body, the similarities made her feel uneasy. Either that, or it was because she was feeling weaker all of a sudden.

Klaus removed his hair, then took a few breaths. After four rounds, he inhaled and felt his nostril clearing up. He sighed and broke out into a grin. "Oh yeah, that feels amazing!" He rubbed his eyes. "My eyes are feeling better. Head's cleared up, too. Thanks a bunch!"

"Hehe, sure…no problem," Melissa said weakly, massaging her arm.

Klaus frowned. "You okay?"

"Oh, I am fine. This is nothing compared to the training Jet put me through."

"If you say so." Klaus picked up his book. He inhaled a few more times, enjoying the fresh air, then asked, "Have you found anything interesting in your research?"

"Not especially." Melissa picked her book up. "I have been mapping out useful routes I can take throughout the city. The shortest path possible from one location to the capital gate."

"Might want to revise that," Klaus suggested. "Close the gate would be the first thing they do if you're found out."

"I want to save that for when I meet the rookies I will be working with, in case they have any skills we could exploit."

"Fair enough."

Melissa showed him a page she was on. "Did you know some of the old buildings include secret trapdoors that lead to the underground catacombs? I did not know the capital even had catacombs."

Klaus smirked. "Yeah, that's why those old buildings have either been turned into mini museums or art galleries. We don't use them any more to bury the dead, but they're an interesting sight."

"Have you ever been down there?"

"Down in the dusty catacombs that could exasperate my allergies? Hmm, nope, can't say I have." He raised his finger. "Though, I have heard they're quite fascinating. My adoptive father visited them a handful of times to pay respect to his ancestors back when they were still using the catacombs. A lot of his success is owed to their wise business decisions in the markets."

Melissa frowned. "It is so odd you are a noble, yet you wish to go against them."

"I told you, I have my secrets."

"Still…"

Klaus looked up from his book, then sighed. "Look, I'll admit I take certain issues with the whole robbing nobles blind shtick going on with the Foresters. I know what I'm getting myself into with this stuff, so I'd be a hypocrite for trying so hard to join in, but…there are some things I'm fighting for that our beyond the divide between classes. I've met plenty of morons who coast on by with old money, but I've met some remarkable people who do want to change the system."

"What is stopping them?"

"Stubbornness from everyone else, for starters." Klaus sighed. "Some people don't believe in change, but my old man proved that a sickly brat like me can change."

"I see…" Melissa smiled down at her book. "You really are an amazing person, Klaus."

He waved it off. "Alright, don't get all mushy with me."

"Hehe, sorry, sor…hoo boy," Melissa groaned, holding her head suddenly.

Klaus raised his brow. "You good?"

"Dizzy spell."

"Guess Leech Life's finally catching up with you." He pointed over his shoulder. "Why don't you take a break and get something to eat? That should get your strength back up."

"You are not joining?"

"I want to keep reading. Go ahead, it'll make you feel better."

Melissa wanted to protest, but felt the lingering dizziness say otherwise. She set her book down and hobbled out of her chair. "I will be back in half an hour, okay?"

"Take your time," Klaus said, waving her along. "If you get into trouble, just holler."

"I will just be across the street." Melissa rubbed her head and shuffled out of the library.

"(Thank you very much, signora! Have a lovely day!)"

"(You as well, young man.)"

Armant exited the small shop and took a seat on the bench outside. He held up the candy apple between his fingers and twirled it gently, admiring the vibrant red coloring. Though the Machamp enjoyed a helping of ale and various meats, he was drawn to a single confectionary item: a delicious candy apple. He didn't even know they made them in the Echo Bell capital, so he lucked out.

He leaned back and brought the apple up to his lips, wondering where his theatrical companion ran off to. He hadn't seen him since the little guy first showed up. One would think someone that showy and self-centered would be easier to find. Not that Armant cared too much, especially if or not the Foresters or that runaway gang ever show their faces.

Armant was here for one reason only: the Festival della Festa. So many wonderful foods being prepared by all the best chefs and hobbyists of the Echo Bell capital. He made the effort to intend it every year. He had an appetite that couldn't be challenged, though he did recall rumors of a Cutiefly one year eating out a handful of stalls. How he missed that was beyond him.

He tore a bite out of the candy apple and slowly munched on it, savoring the taste. He shivered with delight and relaxed into the bench.

"Now this is living." He pulled his bag off and rummaged around for some ale. "Something to complement the taste. Perhaps a—"

He looked up and saw a Buneary hobbling out of the library and towards the shop. She dragged her feet behind her, looking sluggish. He watched her reach the door and accidentally slammed her head into it, toppling onto her back.

"Why does the library have a no food policy?" she groaned. "I could have brought a sandwich with me."

Armant blinked at her, then looked back into his bag. He wasn't exactly flowing with funds, but would it hurt to spare some food? Plus, with the festival next week…

He reached in and pulled out a wrapped sandwich. He just got them yesterday, so they should still be fresh. "Hey, Buneary girl!"

She flinched and cautiously looked up at him. She happened to be wearing a mask over her eyes, but he didn't question it. Who was he to judge a person's fashion sense, right? She gulped and responded, "Y-Yeah?"

Armant held the sandwich up and shook it a bit. "Hungry?"

"Hmm…" Fabrice hummed, staring at the shelf filled with knickknacks, accessories, and other artsy items of varying designs and colors. Around and before him were fanciful quilts, beaded bracelets, ceiling decorations, paintings, and much more. "So many choices."

Fabrice was in a craft store, pacing around and observing each individual item. He lingered on some bracelets with cute designs, but nothing really spoke to him. Nothing he saw felt like the perfect gift.

"I want to get Enora something nice, something meaningful," he muttered under his breath. "Oh, but is a bracelet really the best I can do? I don't want to get anything outlandishly expensive, but something that shows I care." He sighed. "Thanks a lot, Marie. Things were much simpler when we kept our relationship to ourselves." He shook his head. "But I'm sure Enora would want to get something nice for me if the roles were reversed."

He wandered over to a rack that held cloaks with unique patches and colored designs. He felt the fabric between his fingers, then sighed. "Looks nice, but it stands out too much. She wouldn't have much use for it during her shifts. I guess she could wear it around the base," he muttered. "I wonder if she likes hats. Hats are pretty cool."

He continued wandering, ignoring the front door as someone came through. He went up to the paintings again and stopped to admire them. He stroked his chin and hummed quietly.

"She does like art. I could buy her a painting. Oh, but do I really want to get her any old painting? What if she has a certain preference? What if she doesn't like the one I pick out? I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't hate it, but…" He shook his head. "No, something more personal than that. So, artsy and personal. Maybe I could make something."

He paused on the idea, then shook his head. "No way! I'll stick to playing the lute." He crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "Maybe a song. Oh, but I always serenade to her. She loves it, but it's expected. Maybe I could get her something from the festival. How can she say no to fancy chocolates?"

"Broke your chisel again, Angelo?" Fabrice perked up and looked over to the main counter.

He hid behind the cloak rack and saw the Solrock owner talking to the Raboot that came in. Fabrice noticed the stark white bracers on his wrists and ankles, as well as the emblem sewn into the back of his vest: a silver bell.

Echo Bell knight. Fabrice pulled back behind the rack. Better be careful.

The Raboot, Angelo, sighed. "I accidentally chiseled a bit too much out of my newest sculpture and got a little…ticked off. Again." Angelo sighed and covered his face. "I've been in a rut lately."

"Creative block?" the Solrock asked, levitating a broken chisel off the counter.

"Between watching over the royal twins and my rounds, I barely have time to sit down and think my piece through. Become a knight, my father said. Much more fulfilling than becoming a sculptor. What a load."

"But you have the good graces of the royal family, at least."

Angelo sighed. "I suppose that's the upside to the job. I don't think my parents ever expected me to be the royal bodyguard to the twins. Can't say if it was my grit or dumb luck, but here I am."

"So, I'm guessing the new chisel is going on the prince's tab again?"

"He doesn't mind. He says he owes me. Like, a lot. Perhaps too much."

Solrock chuckled. "You two must have a splendid friendship."

"I guess." Angelo sighed and scratched behind his head. "I might have to take a break from sculpting for a while, at least until I find some inspiration. But that's going to suck. Ever had that feeling you just need to something productive with your hands?"

Solrock stared silently at the fire rabbit for a moment while glancing over himself. "…Not especially."

"You know what I mean."

Fabrice crossed his arms and sighed. Poor guy. I kind of get what he means, just like how I'm unnecessarily driving myself nuts looking for a…gift. Fabrice blinked twice. Wait. Artsy gift that's personal…sculptor with free time…hold the quill!

Solrock turned away from the counter. "I will try and find you an extra strong chisel. Hopefully, you don't break this one." He floated into the back.

Angelo rolled his eyes. "Uh huh, sure." He turned away and started pacing, but only got three steps in when Fabrice jumped out of nowhere and grabbed his shoulders. "What the—"

"You're a sculptor, right?"

Angelo had one leg raised ready to kick Fabrice across the shop, but stopped and held on his question. "Pardon?"

Fabrice let go and stepped back. "You said you're a sculptor, right?"

Angelo blinked, then lowered his foot. "Yeah?"

Fabrice grinned and pressed his hands together pleadingly. "Could I perhaps pay you to make something for me? Like a small statue?"

Angelo tilted his head. "Any…particular reason?"

"Well, I'm from out of town, and I'm gift searching for my girlfriend. Something nice, something cute, something she'll love. I was stuck on ideas, but when I heard you sculpt, I thought I could surprise her with a mini sculpture of something she likes."

Angelo blinked again, then scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, wow."

Fabrice frowned. "Is that weird?"

"N-No, no, nothing like that. It's a good idea for a gift. I just, uh…wow, this is the first time someone asked me to actually make them something. It's kind of shocking."

Fabrice raised his brow. "That so?"

"I'm not a professional. I just do it as a hobby. You could probably ask any other professional around here. Comparatively, my work's rubbish."

Fabrice shook his head. "Oh, you're just being modest. Plus, you did say you would go mad if you didn't work on something. I'm providing the idea, you have something to do. Plus, I'm willing to pay."

Angelo scratched his cheek. "You raise a good point."

"Plus, I'm not going to ask for anything too complicated, so I doubt your rubbish skills are beyond the simplest craftsmanship."

Angelo chuckled. "I suppose not."

The Solrock returned with a new chisel flowing beside him. "Here you go, Angelo." He telekinetically tossed it over to the rabbit. "Be careful this time."

Angelo caught it and stashed it inside his vest. "Thanks." He turned back to Fabrice and smiled. "Well, I guess I have no reason to object. What's your name?"

"It's…Ferdinand. And you?" Fabrice asked, extending his hand.

"Michelangelo," he replied, shaking Fabrice's hand. "But most folks just call me Angelo."

"Pleased to meet you, Angelo. Perhaps I can treat you to lunch and we can talk business?"

Angelo shook his head. "I need to get back to the castle, actually. But, if you have time in the morning, we can talk then. We can meet outside this shop and go from there."

Fabrice grinned. "Perfect! Thank you so much!"

Angelo shrugged. "I should be thanking you. Who knows? Might help with my creative block. Take care." He gave a short wave before leaving the shop.

Fabrice clapped his hands together and beamed. Enora's going to love it, I just know it!

Melissa nibbled through half her sandwich quickly, then leaned back against the shop wall with a sigh of content. "Oh, that hit the spot~!"

Armant chugged back on his gourd and wiped his lips. "Glad you enjoyed."

Melissa smiled apologetically. "I am terribly sorry to inconvenience you. If you want, I can pay you back for the sandwich."

Armant shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I'm planning to stock up during the festival next week. I'm going to be loaded with delicious meals for weeks! Gahahahahahaha!"

Melissa giggled. "Fair enough."

"So, did you skip breakfast or something? You looked pretty woozy a moment ago."

Melissa blushed and turned away, laughing awkwardly. "Heh, you could say that. My friend, uh…needed something to eat, so I gave him…my breakfast. Heh."

"Understandable." Armant corked his drink and set it aside. "Can't say I'm the most generous fellow around these parts, but that's mostly when I'm on the road."

"Oh? You travel?"

"I have to, I'm homeless."

"Eh?!" Melissa looked him up and down. "You…do not look homeless."

Armant smirked. "Nah, this is by choice. I like sleeping outside. It feels nice, plus it's the perfect training for the elements. I've conquered storms, blizzards, oppressive heat, and more. I pretty much go as I please. Naturally, I take very good care of myself. I make money off bounty hunting."

"Oh. That is…nice," Melissa mumbled, suddenly pulling more of her hood over her face.

"Yeah, it gets me by no problem. I eat, I sleep, I go to work, I spend the night at a tavern and meet some fine ladies, sleep some more, and the cycle continues." Armant sighed. "Sadly, the actual bounty hunting is so…boring."

Melissa peeked from behind her hood. "Boring how?"

"It's too easy! Every bounty hunter I met said how difficult it is sometimes to find their targets. And even if they do, they have to fight, sometimes they don't win, and…well, another cycle continues." Armant crossed both sets of arms and leaned back. "Me, however? It's not all that fun. They go down way too easily."

Melissa gulped. "Explain?"

"Let's see, who's the toughest guy I hunted down?" Armant tapped under his chin, then snapped his fingers. "Right, that Steelix. Oh, that guy sure proved his mettle. I was particularly bored that day, so I let him get a few hits on me just to see if I wanted to actually have fun for once. Oh, he tried, even managed to push me back some with that Iron Tail. I actually got kind of excited, wondering if this was my day."

"And then…"

Armant covered his face and groaned. "The bastard went down in one strike. I even used the weakest move I had for him. Some Steelix he was. Couldn't even handle a single Giga Impact."

That was your weakest move?! Melissa internally shrieked.

Armant shook his head. "It lost its luster. I only became a bounty hunter hoping someone would make an honest attempt to kick my ass. Chumps these days. Not as strong as I hoped. Aside from the festival, I came here to see if I could find one of the Top 3 criminals here, among other priorities."

Melissa frowned. "You mean…Grim Deadlock."

"Ah, you're familiar with him?" Armant sighed. "I'm just curious. He's the third most wanted man in Virdis. If I could face him myself and get some kind of challenge out of it, that would be the greatest day of my life."

Melissa looked away. "I…heard he goes after anyone that starts trouble. Why not do that to get his attention?"

Armant smirked. "What am I, crazy? I might end up missing the festival. I've been saving up as much as I can to stockpile food. Greatest thrill or not, I'm not passing up the opportunity for Echo Bell's finest cuisine." He waved it off. "I'll worry about getting Grim's attention after the festival."

"Are you not worried you might die?"

"Trust me, a lot things should have killed me by now. Honestly, if he does land a lethal strike on me, that would be a blessing. I can hardly recall what pain feels like."

"Uh…" Melissa chuckled awkwardly. "You are a strange guy, uh…"

"Armant. Rush Force Armant."

"Pleasure to meet you, Armant. I'm H—" Melissa caught her tongue and squeaked. Wait, I can't use my real name or my fake name! Both would get me into serious trouble! Oh no, what do I say?!

Armant tilted his head. "Uh, Buneary girl?"

She stared helplessly at the Machamp, racking her brain for a name. Okay Melissa, just play it cool. Do not say anything dumb.

"Bob!"

Too dumb!

Armant blinked. "…Bob?"

"I m-mean…!" Melissa scratched her head and shuffled through a jumble of letters. "Uh…Helena?" she squeaked, red-faced.

Armant blinked again, then threw his head back in laughter. "Gahahahaha! Okay, I see what's going on here."

Melissa's mind erupted with terrified screams. I am going to die!

She froze as Armant lay his heavy hand on top of her head and ruffled her fur. "Though I appreciate you taking in my charming good looks, I'm way too old for you, kid."

"…Wait, what?"

Armant shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I do like younger women, but you're too much of a shrimp. What are you, fifteen?"

Melissa switched from terrified to offended. "I'm eighteen! I turn nineteen in a few months!"

"Gahahahahaha!" Armant slapped her across the back. She could feel the force being restrained behind it. He could've easily punted her across the street…and through the library and whatever buildings were behind it. "Still too young for me."

"I'm not interested in you!" she barked back. "I just don't like giving my name out, that's all!"

Armant wiped a tear from his eye and chuckled. "Alright, fair enough. I won't pry."

Melissa blinked in surprise. "You won't?"

"It's none of my business, not even why you're wearing that mask." Armant sighed. "Honestly, that's how I miss out on some bounties. I never really take a moment to see if they're my target until they make it painfully obvious. But I just want to live my best life stress free. If I miss out on a target, so what? I've gotten by just fine doing what I do. I prefer not to make a fuss and just…be a decent person until it's time to work."

Melissa's mouth hung open in awe. "Oh…wow." Melissa looked down at her feet. "Honestly, sometimes I feel like I get too stressed about little details. Sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough to be someone important."

Armant scratched his stomach. "Let me give you some advice my old man told me: when life punches you down, don't let it rule you. Just take it on the chin and get stronger."

"Take it on the chin?"

"Endure the misfortune with enthusiasm. If you let fear of failure or fear of something out of your control bring you down, you'll never live your happiest life." Armant sighed. "That advice has helped me get by some rough patches in my life. I can't say it's help with my lack of enjoyment bounty hunting, but I won't let it get me down.

"Oh…" Melissa looked up at him and smiled. "Your dad must have been very wise."

"You think so? He was drunk off his ass when he told me that!" Armant slapped his knee and boomed with laughter. "Oh, that old bastard could only give profound encouragement when he was wasted! Gahahahahaha!"

"Heh…funny." Melissa nibbled through the last of her sandwich and stood up. "I should get back to my friend now. I do not want to keep him waiting."

"Oh, of course, don't let me hold you up." Armant packed his belongings and stood up. "I'm going to get some sightseeing in. I wanted to check out the capital's belltower."

"Oh, that sounds nice." Melissa curtsied. "Thank you very much, Armant."

"Anytime, shrimp." Armant turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh, before I forget…" He reached into his bag and pulled out a wrapped candy apple. "Here, one for the road." He knelt down and handed it to her.

Melissa held the treat up and admired it. "Ooooh~. It looks delicious!"

"I know, right? It's one of my favorite treats. Hope you like it." He got up and walked off. "Maybe I'll see you around later, shrimp. We should hit up the festival together."

Melissa giggled and waved to him. "I will think about it! Have a wonderful day, Armant!" She sighed and twirled the candy between her fingers. "Well, he was sweet. Kind of scary, but sweet." She tucked the treat inside her cloak and walked back to the library.

"Phew," Luna sighed, putting away another scroll into the drawer. "Got those sorted out." She scratched her head and looked around the archives. Over a week's worth of hard labor and the archives were halfway cleared up. There were still several stacks to get through, but the burden seemed less daunting now that she could see the floor more clearly.

For all her efforts, however, didn't lead her to Sir Gerard's location any sooner. She knew for a fact his information had to be in the archives. Being a former knight of the Verde Kingdom wouldn't slip under the notice of the king. Alliances aside, they had to keep tabs on Gerard just in case. A part of her wondered if that information existed in the archives. Could it be somewhere else?

She pulled up a chair and sat down, massaging her weary face. "I brought this upon myself, volunteering to look into the princess' disappearance. If someone told me I would have to reorganize another kingdom's archives, I might have passed the assignment onto someone else." She sighed and leaned her head back. "I need a break."

"Way ahead of you, Moon Lady!" Luna gasped and slipped out of her chair. Monica poked her head out from the staircase and waved to her. "How's the organizing going?"

Luna stood up and groaned. "Swimmingly."

"Wonderful!" The Alcremie hopped down and slid over to her. "You said you needed a break, right?"

"Well, I didn't mean that literally, but—"

"Fantastic!" Monica grabbed Luna's cheeks and pulled her close. "Because I get to finally repay my debt to you."

"Debt?"

"For helping clean up the archives, of course."

Luna sighed. "Right, that debt. Monica, I told you, you don't need to—"

"Too late, we're already in the motion." Monica pulled away, spun around, and flicked two slips of paper out of her sleeve. "Check it! My gift to you!"

Luna blinked, then squinted at the rectangular sheets. They had words on them, but they were in the kingdom's native tongue. "Monica, I have no idea what I'm looking at. Are those tickets?"

Monica nodded. "Specially ordered tickets from Prince Asterio himself."

Luna's eyes widened. "The prince?"

"I asked for a favor. He was surprisingly chill about it, too. Everyone keeps tell me how crabby he is, but he's always been nice to me." Monica shook her head. "Oh, but that's not important. The point is, we're going to an opera this Friday!"

Luna's face fell. "An…opera?"

"Uh huh! Trust me, you'll love it. They put on some of the best performances at the Royal Opera House. Only the best for the richest and noblest of folk. People like you and me couldn't even imagine getting into a fancy place like that."

Luna raised her hand. "Actually, I'm part of a no—"

"But that doesn't matter now. Not only did good ol' Star Prince hook us up with these awesome tickets, but we got some of the best seats in the house, too. Opera box seats near the front of the stage." Monica squealed. "So exciting! We need to go shopping this week, because we are going in style."

Luna frowned. "I'm…not really one for operas."

Monica inched closer and wiggled her brows. "Have you been to one?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then consider this your first!" Monica grabbed her hands and spun her around. "I never been to one before, but I always adore when the prince narrates the performance for me when the family gets home. I want to see one in person I can soak in the magic he felt!"

Luna pulled her hands free and wiped the cream off her hands. "Then why invite me?"

"Well, I can't go with Asterio because regulations and junk, and you're pretty much the only friend I have around here." Monica closed her eyes and beamed brightly. "And I did say I would repay that debt. So, how about it? You want to come?"

Luna wanted to say no and get back to work, but her stern-faced expression crumbled to the pure joy radiating off Monica's face. She didn't want to ruin Monica's fun, and she did get the prince to acquire the tickets for her, too. Perhaps she had been too fixated on finding Gerard's address. She didn't have much left to do, too.

When was the last time Luna had a night out? Not since forever, probably. Working as a knight demanded a lot of time from her. She could work for the next few days, then just take one night off to have some fun. It wouldn't hurt, right?

Luna sighed, then smiled. "Alright, you win. I'll come along."

Monica squealed and threw her arms around Luna. "Great! Oh, you are going to love it!" She pulled away and handed Luna her ticket. "Let's head out tomorrow so we can try on some dresses. I bet you'll be quite the catch."

Luna blushed and hid her face. "J-Just help me with the other piles."

"Can do!" Monica bounded over to a nearby stack and pulled a few scrolls off.

Luna sighed, then looked down at her ticket. It had the name of the opera written out.

"La caduta dei grandi cavalieri, eh? Heh, kind of fun to say. Maybe it's a comedy." She stashed the ticket away and headed over to another stack of scrolls. Yeah, maybe a night out would do me some good.