Chapter 16
The next day, Camryn met up with the party and thanked them for their help.
"I'll be studying at the enchanter's here in the meantime to understand the more local techniques," he informed them, "If you wish my help, you only need to ask."
After saying their good days, the party headed for the school.
"Wonderful!" exclaimed Rushia with a smile, "I'm impressed. You actually got all my books."
"It was sort of difficult, but we made it through," Nene reported as she mirrored the smile.
"We fought more undead there, including a wight," spoke up Lamy, "Did you put them there?"
"No. As much as I'd like to raise my fandead, I know well enough how bad it would look if word got out I went overboard to do such things," the teacher rebutted, "I think it's more likely that my… teacher's influence over the area still remained. As for the wight, more likely its eternal hate made use of the lingering energies to return to life… as much as I dislike doing so, I may need to ask someone to go and purify the place."
"But that means they have to go through all those gnolls again..." muttered Botan.
"So that means we have to take them out," stated Aloe as she brandished her clawed hand.
"Hng, the last time we got into a fight, Nene almost took it," interjected Polka, "I don't want that to happen."
"...Well, I suppose I'll have to rely on you to get it done then," replied the necromancer, who then clapped once and said, "Anyway, I believe you deserve a reward for your troubles... Would you like something unique for each of you or something all of you can use?"
They looked at each other and proceeded to huddle together. "What do we do?" asked the bard.
"Maybe we'd get some nice unique stuff," said the fennec fox girl.
"I am not sure of this… that would mean trusting her… gold is preferable though," mused the half-snow elf, "We could use more to buy improvements for our equipment."
"No preference," quipped the succubus, "I think anything we get would be good."
"...I want a special item," said the lion girl hesitantly.
"Trophy?" asked the former.
"Umm… yes?" replied the latter with a blush.
Giggling, the rest of the party turned to the teacher and asked for the unique items she talked about. She giggled in return and said, "I never said it had to be items, now did I?"
Taken aback and wondering what they got into, they nervously awaited what she would give them.
First, she handed a pouch to the cleric. "There is enough diamond dust in here for three diamonds," she informed the half-snow elf, "I believe you can make good use out of it as it is a precious reagent for certain spells."
To the bard, she handed over a book. "I believe bards like you take inspiration from others to weave magic into words and songs," she stated with a smile, "In here lists some basic spells that anyone with the capability to manage the arcane can use."
With the archer, she just said, "I sense something about you. Perhaps, if you wish, I can help you to manipulate necromancy around your arrows."
Then, she handed a piece of paper with a list of things to the monk. "I heard that you like drinking. This should be a very interesting recipe for you to try out," she told her, "The ingredients are easy to get but you will have to wait for a time to have it ready."
To the succubus, she said with a frown, "As for you, I have no idea. I've fought a few devils and demons before but never rewarded any."
Aloe shrugged and replied, "Eh, it would've been nice but I don't mind not getting anything."
""Hmm, they may not see it the same way," she stated as she motioned to the rest of the party.
"Ah, well..."
"In that case, I shall try and see if I can find something for you in my spare time," she continued, making up her mind, "Now, do clear out. My next class is coming in soon."
"Eh, where did Polka run off to?" asked Nene in surprise. After meeting with the teacher, they went back to the guild house.
"Un… she said something about buying supplies and ran to the market," replied Botan with a shrug.
"I am surprised that she would do that," stated Lamy as the party went to the side room, "She must be eager to brew that… what kind of recipe did she get?"
"Alcohol probably?" chipped in Aloe, "Not sure if it's dangerous or not though. We should've looked at it first."
"Heh, at least she has her own gold," snarked the cleric, causing the archer to pout at her.
"Let's ask if the guild has a kitchen anywhere for brewing stuff," grumbled out the lion girl as she headed to the counter, leaving the giggling behind.
"Mister Miyabi? Is there a kitchen in the guild house or do we need to go to Robel's?" she asked the guild clerk.
"Huh, I'm afraid there isn't," he answered as he tidied up the sheath of papers, "Why do you ask?"
"Just something for Polka," she replied as she smiled, "Thank you anyway." She quickly made her way across the street and into the tavern. "Roberu? I need to talk to Kiara," she requested as she entered.
"She's behind," he said as he wiped down the bar.
Saying her thanks, she headed to the kitchen. "Kiara!" she called out as she entered.
"Hello! Hello!" replied the excitable chef as she halted her chicken preparation, "Do you need anything?"
"Are you done?" asked the chef.
The monk had come running into the bar accompanied by the rest of the party. The whole party worked together to wash the ingredients. After drying, water was heated to a boil to cook the grains, then transfer them to a copper pot with all the other ingredients slowly being added in. After that, they filtered out the solids and poured the fresh batch into a glass jug. The whole time, they made sure to stay out of the way of the chef and her helpers.
"It took a long time but we did it!" declared the fennec fox girl cheerfully, "Now we just need to wait!"
"How long?"
"Eh, a few weeks? Maybe more, if the recipe is right," she replied to the half-snow elf. Turning to the chef, she asked, "Can we keep it here for that time?"
"Well… after it cooled down, I'll pass it on to Roberu," the chef told them after thinking for a moment, "Let him know when you leave and everything'll be fine."
"Hmm, I don't think you ever told us you knew how to make… wine? Ale?" asked Nene after they left the bar.
"Well... when the circus my parents were in disbanded, most of them settled down in the same village," Polka explained, looking a little wistful, "The strong man of the circus, a half-orc named Harvog, always made these tasty drinks which he shared with everyone after finishing a show. After retiring, he set up a bar of his own. I liked to play around there and so picked up a few things."
"Have you ever sampled any of his stuff?" asked Lamy as they went into the guild house.
"Um… yes?"
"Hi, hi, should've expected that," chuckled Botan. Turning to Aloe, she addressed her, "Right, let's try and get you some practice time with some daggers."
"Right, we can do this in the alley behind the house," quipped the bard.
"...If you're sure..." muttered the succubus.
"Very well, if you are going to do that for the rest of the day, I shall visit the temple," stated the cleric, "It has been a while."
"What will you be doing then, Polka?" asked the lion girl.
"Eh, I'll figure something out. Maybe get to know a few people here," the fennec fox girl replied as she shrugged.
For the rest of the day, Nene and Botan did their best to teach Aloe. They then visited the blacksmith to get a set of daggers and a bandolier for her. Lamy visited the healing temple. Mostly dedicated to the life domain, all others are welcome as long as they respect the rules as it is neutral ground, welcoming to all. The shrine outside the city is said to operate the same way but she had never been there before. As for Polka, she bumped into a senior team while she was juggling with her darts in the side room. A team of two; Temma Kishido and Leda Astel. She was a little surprised that a noble knight would be willing to contract himself to the guild.
"It isn't so surprising," the knight informed her, "After the dragon attack, much of the nobility was imprisoned for collaborating with it. My father was among them."
"Ah… I'm sorry-"
"You do not have to apologize. I have already come to terms with it," he assured her, "As to why I'm with the guild, I would say I wish to regain the honor of my family that was stained by the actions of my father. I will show my resolve through my actions and hopefully, the people will see that."
"Oh, I guess… good luck with that," she said encouragingly. Turning to his teammate, she asked, "What about you?"
"Ah, well… I've lost my memories and I seek to remember who I was," the lightning genasi stated, "Still… I didn't forget everything. I still remember how to fight and cast spells… which doesn't really explain much. And, I have been seeing a priestess about my condition."
"Oh? For your memories?" she asked.
"Yes. my priestess has been very accommodating," he confirmed.
"That is good to hear, my friend," stated the knight with a smile.
"Yeah, I wish you the best too, Leda," added the monk.
It was then the door swung open and a breathless Artia looked around the room frantically. Rushing up to her, the ice genasi asked, "Where are your friends!? Please, I need help!"
"Eh, what's this?" asked Botan as she picked up the piece of paper. "I will be taking your jewel for myself. Signed, Spade Echo," she read aloud. Looking up to the others, she asked, "Anyone know who's that?"
The rest of the party shrugged but the wizard said, "She's a thief. I'm sure of it."
"Did you tell the guards?" she asked further.
"...No?" was the hesitant reply, "I came straight to find you all. I mean, it hasn't happened yet and I doubt they would want to take action on just a piece of paper."
"Hmm, true. I might do the same," muttered Lamy.
"But how do we catch a thief?" asked Polka, clearly puzzled, "Has anyone caught any thieves before?" They shook their heads.
"Maybe… you stay with us for the night?" suggested Nene, "Maybe we could confuse this Spade Echo person."
"That does sound like a good idea..." mused the ice genasi, "Who do I stay with?"
"I would not mind hosting you for the night," offered the cleric, "Do you have anything you want to bring along with you?"
"Hmm, I'll have to go back to my dorm to look," she replied with relief written on her face, "So, I'll be seeing you after dinner."
When Artia left, the party talked about it further and decided to visit the nearest guardhouse to ask about any thefts happening in the city.
"Hmm, well, if the guild is interested in helping, I guess I can pass on some info," mused the lead guard.
"Well, I'm not sure if I can say this but one of our own has been declared a target," revealed the bard hesitantly.
"You don't say… There have been a few thefts happening too," he informed them, "I can't tell you what was found but the days leading up to the thefts, the owners have been given messages that declared the robbery as well."
"Is anyone looking into this?" queried the cleric.
"Yes. There was this lady investigator they contracted. Moved in a year ago, she did," he replied, "Clever sort. Took a bit of burden off Okayu's hands when she solved a few cases a few months ago."
"Ah, can you direct us to her house? The investigator? I think we'd like to visit tomorrow," requested the bard.
"Sure, sure. If the guild wants to follow up on this, I'll be happy to help," he agreed amicably.
The party went to the bar to have their dinner and met up with the wizard afterward. They had no idea how effective their plan was but it was the best they could do. Lamy slept in the bed while Artia slept in her bedroll, keeping her jewel close to her person instead of in her backpack. Night turned to day and the wizard groaned as she was shaken awake by the cleric.
"Umu… good morning," she murmured as she yawned.
"Good morning," replied the half-snow elf as she took a look around, "Well, it doesn't seem to be broken into."
The ice genasi pat herself down, getting more frantic with each second. "Where is it!? It's gone!" she shrieked.
The cleric hurried over and knelt down to her level, asking, "What? Are you alright?"
The wizard just looked at her and began tearing up, "I… it's not here..." She began bawling her eyes out as she received a comforting hug.
As Lamy tucked her in the bed in Nene's room, the bard quickly got the party together and headed to the investigator's house. It was in the area between the noble district and the more well-off civilians. A small house at the corner of a street, with the other corner on the other side of the street having a guardhouse. A knock on the door brought a shuffling sound coming from inside. The door creaked open and a smartly dressed lady, wearing a plain white shirt and brown pants, greeted them, "Hello, there. Amelia Watson, detective, at your service. How may I help you, ladies?"
"Umm, we need your help," stated the bard, "We know you have been helping the guard with a thief. We need help with that too."
"Oh? Interesting," she mused as she stepped aside and motioned to them, "Please, come inside. Tell me more."
The party filed in and sat down in the small living room off the side. The investigator sat in an armchair while the party filled a couch, a second chair, and a stool brought out from the kitchen.
"Well then, now that we're sitting comfortably, tell me your troubles," requested Amelia as she leaned back in the armchair. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knee.
And so, Nene told her what had happened, from the previous night until that morning. All the while, the investigator was listening intently and in deep thought. After hearing her out, she stated, "Interesting. Do you have the message with you?"
"Indeed we do. Here it is," stated Lamy as she took out the message and handed it over.
"Much obliged," thanked the detective, taking the message and scrutinizing it. She then got up and moved to her desk where she pulled out a magnifying glass and examined it further. She then picked up another piece of paper and looked at it as well.
"I see," she muttered, "The curves of certain letters are very similar. This is definitely the same thief. Not to mention the particular smell on each message. All the same smell one could get from a perfumer. The one at the eastern side of the city would have the most similar smell. However, it is most likely that the thief would house his or herself at the inn there as a temporary base and thus, probably irrelevant."
She then turned to the amazed party and said, "Please, take me to the scene of the crime. I must examine the place for clues if we are to catch the thief. If not, it is possible that the stolen goods might be sold and we will lose track of the thief."
"Yes! Of course!" exclaimed the bard, with everyone getting to their feet.
Only pausing to don an Inverness cape and a deerstalker hat with a mechanical arm sticking out of it, she declared, "Very well, let us be off. We have a case to solve. Lead the way."
AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. The party receives their rewards and have a bit of fun in the process. However, things take a troubling turn when Artia's Alexandrite gem gets stolen. And who do we turn to? This one!
Amelia Watson
Human Artificer/Fighter
Alchemist/Gunslinger
Alright, our local detective will be helping our party find and retrieve Alexandrite. Alchemist for her concoctions a.k.a. experimental elixirs. Gunslinger for Apex. Also proficient in thieve's tools, tinker's tools, and calligraphy. Roudinging up with Investigator and Observant feats.
And thus, it is time to hunt a criminal. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.