Chapter 2: Town of Bensalem

I woke up early in the morning to see a cute sleeping Olive. The sun was starting to rise and filled the room with its dim light. I tried turning but it seems someone's tail had a good grip on my waist.

Olive mumbled, "Don't leave yet."

I guess I can spare a few more minutes. So I cuddled with her. She looked comfortable when she buried into my chest. As the sunlight breaks through the window, the two of us got dressed and packed our bags. After double checking if we had left anything behind, we left the room.

When we walked down the stairs, the room felt empty. It wasn't as lively as last night. The two of us walked up to the innkeeper.

"Are you two checking out?" The innkeeper asked.

I nodded and returned the keys to her.

She smiled, "Thank you. Please visit us again."

She waved goodbye when we started to head out. Out of courtesy we waved back.

"So where to?" Olive asked.

"Well, if I know my friend well enough, he'll probably be at some dust lab."

"I'm not sure if this place has a dust lab."

"Most places should. Even if it isn't an official dust lab, there are substitutes we call clinics."

"I heard of those. Basically an in home dust lab."

"Precisely. Problem is, where to start asking."

Olive gave me with a curious look, "You can't just ask anyone?"

"Not really. Clinics are basically treated similarly like homebrewed drug synthesis lab. Very looked down upon."

"Why?"

"Our laws and enforcements are business company controlled. So if any of the dust enforcers hear about this, it's basically a crime."

"Wouldn't it be less profitable if it takes that much effort to conceal a clinic?"

"At first glance, yes. However, the main customers of these clinics are local citizens. And the main profit comes from customer loyalty to convenience."

"So you're saying clinics get their sales from local citizens for convenience. But I am asking wouldn't it drive the cost of dust higher if the maintenance cost is higher in order to deal with the dust enforcers?"

"Ah. Here is the kicker, it is much cheaper."

"How?! Why?!"

"Shhhh. Keep it down." I looked around to check if anyone was listening in to our conversation. Luckily the town is empty.

I began to explain again, "Clinics vary in prices from place to place. However, they try their best to make their price cheaper and make a good profit. If your price is cheaper, the more people will buy; therefore, your loss in price will balance out with higher profit margin. One of the basic business philosophy."

"Things aren't clicking."

"Alright. I'd only given the pieces. So let me give you the whole entire puzzle. Clinics make their money by appealing to their demographics, specifically local people in towns and villages where a dust shop isn't a convenient store. In order to appeal to these customers, they drop their prices. As the price for these clinic dust are cheaper and more convenient, the customers that would have shopped at the official dust shops will start to buy at the clinics. This would make a lot of people to buy at the clinics. If enough people buy at the clinics, they'll start making a profit."

"Alright. I get it. So how cheap are we talking about?"

"Regular value for fire dust is 200 lien for 10 mL. For a clinic, they average about 50 to 100 lien for 10 mL."

"That's really cheap!"

"Exactly. As a chemical engineer with a dust proficiency, dust is what I need to try out new methods of synthesis and reactors. That would require alot of dust."

We stopped in front of the church.

"It's just scary how religion can be taken so seriously."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oops my bad."

"I'm only joshing yah. I understand. Hardcore followers is what most religions are judged on."

"Still. This is where we are going to start."

"WHAT?!"

"You seem surprised."

"Why would a church go against the law?"

"Ah. But the church has a history of deals from sketchy sources. And in this town, the church seem to be the de facto building of this town."

"Wouldn't that create more suspicions?"

"If you play your cards right, nope." I smiled.

"Ton' whatever you do, please be careful."

"I'll be fine. Just one question. How well can you act like a christian girl?"

"Obvious christian? Or low key I know my stuff as a christian?"

"Low key."

"Low key, pretty well."

"..."

"Hm?..."

"Alright. Let's head inside. Follow my lead."

As we went inside, we were welcomed by the extravagant murals and beautiful stained glass windows. The church looked bigger inside than outside. There was a priest who was teaching altar boys about procedures in the front of the church.

"Olive, we gotta wait until he's done with the kids."

"I guess you're right."

So we waited. And waited. And waited, until we fell asleep. We were woken up by the priest.

"I'm sorry my child, but may I ask what is your purpose for visiting us today?" The priest asked.

I realized that I woken up in a church from my groggy state, "Oh! Father, forgive me. I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't want to interrupt you."

"You are forgiven. Now speak my child."

"I would like to defend myself."

"Ah but my child, God will protect you."

"I mean personal arms. I am a wanderer and I fear of grimm. My weapon use dust and there is no dust shop in this town. Is there anyway to get dust in this town?"

"Have you repented?"

"Father, I wander to atone for my sins."

"And what sins have you committed?"

I looked at the priest, "Would father really want to know? I had confessed and my penance is to wander until my calling is clear."

He nodded, "Fine. I'll cut you some slack. You know your way around the catholic faith. Just know that some people around these parts hate people like you."

"I understand."

"Specifically, like your companion there."

Olive's ears twitched and she woke up.

"They don't like faunus like me?" She asked.

"Yes. It seems an old perspective still lives on around these parts." The priest sadly explained.

The priest coughed, "Well. If you want to see a clinic, then go to Giuliano's. Code phrase is 'Red was cheap.'"

I nodded, "Thank you. But where is Giuliano's?"

"You can't miss it. It's the tavern inside of Inn Convenient in this town."

"Oh." Olive and I said in unison.

"The Lord be with you." The priest blessed us.

"And also with you." I responded. Olive repeated what I did.

"Aha. You aren't with the times."

"Is it now 'And with your spirit?'" I asked.

"Yes my child. But I see you grown up with that old habit. Now go."

The two of us left to walk back to the inn.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Other than your horrible understanding of the catholic religion, I can tell that he is lying from his voice."

"I feel insulted, but how can you tell?"

"Wolf ears. I also have a natural instinct to sense evil and malice. There was some malice in him. But not the evil I sensed earlier."

"Oh yeah. The bad feeling."

"I can also tell that you didn't trust his words as well. When did you figure out it was a lie?"

"'Red was cheap.' is what tipped me off."

"How so?"

"Red can refer to fire dust. Fire dust is pretty cheap. However, in some cases the phrase can pin a person to be an ally or enemy. There are multiple ways to set the difference. One way is to have two different phrases. Although there is an innate flaw. Do you know what it is?"

"Not really, other than people can easily find out the correct phrase."

"Exactly. But the main flaw is that people are social animals. So one can exchange a phrase with a different people. With two different phrases, it can easily break."

"So do you think there is a different phrase?"

"There is, but not a completely different. This is a pretty serious business, so clinics wanted their security on lockdown. So instead of different phrases, they play with the words a bit."

"Really? But how would that be different."

"A subtle difference can mean life or death. Take this phrase, 'Green with jealousy.' Now the second phrase is 'Green is jealousy.' The difference is subtle, but only the inside people will know about the true phrase. Now there could be other phrases to weed out the unwanted people like, 'Yellow is fear.' The people within the circle knows the true phrase but outside will have a rookie phrase."

"So what you are saying is that a subtle difference like that determines how much trust you get."

"Precisely. Now we have to find out how much security clearance does this phrase give us."

"So how would we do that?"

"Well, we ask the next logical person about the clinic. We go ask a doctor."

We searched around and found a medical clinic.

"So why a doctor?"

"Doctors are the closest thing to a chemist in a small town. A chemist would generally deal with dust. Doctors do have to deal with dust to a certain degree, specifically to counteract wounds caused by dust."

I was about to walk in but Olive grabbed my sleeve.

"I sense great evil."

"How evil?"

"Do you remember reading on someone called Hitler?"

"Nope. I don't ever recall anyone called Hitler."

"Oops, wrong universe. Well I can't compare it to anyone else except for Marco Baleno. But Marco ranks much higher."

"That name just reminds me of horrible things. Specifically, your role to Marco."

"I'm a celestial envoy. I just make contracts."

I sighed, "You know what I mean."

She looked down, "I do."

"Whatever. If there is evil, we'll probably stop it."

I walked in and was greeted by the receptionist.

"Hello! Do you have an appointment?" She asked us.

"Uhm no. Is this walk in hours?" I asked.

"Yes. Please sign in and he'll be with you shortly."

I wrote down fake information so that we won't be tracked.

Olive glanced over, "Smart."

"Thanks."

After I signed in, we waited for a long while.

"Did you actually read what was on the sign in sheet?" Olive worried.

"Not really. I just checked off the 'no' side of the check boxes. Then signed."

"Alright. Just a little concerned since you signed in pretty quickly. I thought you actually didn't read what it said."

"What do you take me as? An illiterate person?!"

"From the way you write, might as well be illiterate. You can't grammar for shit."

That hurt me as I keep typing this story out to all of you. I can't argue back, so we waited again. It was so boring. So boring that Olive and I started to play rock paper scissors. I kept losing.

"Why do I always lose?"

She groaned, "You keep choosing rock."

"I know if I keep at it, you'll eventually choose scissors!"

"But if you yell out I am going to choose rock every single time, I am going to choose paper every single time because I know you."

"Zack Hu." The receptionist called out.

"Yes" I responded and walked to the reception counter.

"Alright, Mr. Hu, please go to room 215 and the doctor will be with you shortly."

I nodded and gestured Olive to follow me.

"Zack Hu?" Olive whispered. I nodded and walked to room 215.

We waited for the doctor for a good 15 minute until he finally showed up.

"So Mr. Hu. Mrs. Hu. What brings you here today?"

"Dust." I responded.

"I see. Huntsman?"

"Tourist that need ammunition for self defense."

The doctor nodded, "Alright. Did you ask anyone?"

"Nope. I figured you can help the most because I was a chemical engineer." I flashed my university staff ID covering my name of course.

"Ah, so you know about clinics already. Alright. Did you visit the inn?"

"Yes."

"Go to the inn, tell the bartender 'Red is cheap'."

"Can I have a doctors note?"

He sighed as he wrote down on a prescription pad, "Here. Get what you need and leave this place."

I grabbed the note, "Between you and me, how trustworthy is religion?"

Without hesitation the doctor responded, "As much as I trust you."

"Thank you, can I get a name?"

"Put it under as Lovecraft."

The two of left after the exchange and walked over to the inn.

"Was the doctor evil?" I asked Olive.

She shook her head no, "It's not the doctor. It's the receptionist."

"And you didn't tell me then?"

"She didn't attack didn't she?"

"No...but what if she did?"

"You're fine. It seems my senses picked up her specifically because she might have used her position as an advantage."

"How so?"

"Probably by choosing which doctor for us to see."

"You could be right. But you sense no evil in the doctor."

"The doctor doesn't have to be evil in order to be used by an evil person."

"Well don't worry. The doctor is good on his word. He'll make a profit if we show this note when we goto the clinic."

"I don't understand half of the conversations you had with people of this town. So please, explain what happened."

"So during the exchange I needed the pass phrase. Once he gave me a phrase, I sweetened the deal by asking a referral note. Referral notes gives doctors a good source of income. 20% of what we spend goes to the referral. It's just there to spread the word to the right people."

"Ok. While you are sweetening the deal, you'll see if he would change his mind to make a bigger profit."

"Exactly."

"What about the trusting religion?"

"Doctors are the closest to the center of the clinic. The church has the most power in the center of the ring. I asked how much can I trust the church and their phrases. He said I shouldn't trust it at all."

"But he said, 'As much as I trust you.' right?"

"Exactly, the rule of thumb is Dealer don't trust anyone. But anyone must trust the dealer."

"So does this mean the doctor is on our side?"

"If you say he isn't evil, the only reason he won't be trustworthy is the receptionist being evil."

"What do we do then?"

"Remember the phrase, 'moral is the lesser of two evils.'?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we really on the side of good moral?"

"In terms of christianity, not really."

"Then we listen to the doctor's word."

"I don't follow. Why choose the doctor?"

"The church won't let us in. They have a thing against the faunus. However, we probably should bank on the trust of the doctor, a man of science. A man of science have no discrimination against faunus unless for research."

"You make it sound like I am a lab rat."

"Lab wolf actually-ow!" I was punched in the sides by the angry wolf faunus.

"You're lucky that you still have that contract with me."

"I was expecting something else."

"Like what?"

"Hmm, like last night."

"Last night was just a simple case of my loneliness kicking in."

"That isn't what you said last night-ow!" I got punched again.

"Sh-shut up!"

"Anyways, we should be leaving by night."

"Isn't grimm supposed to be bad at night?"

"Not when you can get a ride."

"From who?!"

"Don't worry about it. We're here." I pointed at the inn.

As we walked into the inn, we were greeted by a familiar face.

"Welcome back." The innkeeper smiled.

"Hiya." I greeted back.

"You staying for a night?"

"Not tonight, we're getting a bite to eat and head off."

"Oh. You're more than welcome to enjoy yourself at the bar. If it gets to late, we still got rooms left."

"Thank you, I'll make sure to tell you."

Olive and I walked over to the bar counter.

"Well, look who came back. What can I get yahs?" The bartender greeted.

"I'm here to do business." I said bluntly.

He had a concerned face, "Really? What kind?"

"We're looking for something red. Red is cheap you know."

The bartender looked around he empty room. He walked out and moved an antique jukebox. There was a small door that led to darkness. Olive and I crawled in and the door closed behind us. We stood up in the darkness.

"Do you know the way, Ton'?"

"I can't really see. But I have an inkling that we go straight."

"This isn't a one way. We have other hallways connected as well."

"I forgotten faunases have night vision. So if what does it look like straight ahead?"

"Seems like nothing. I only see the darkness from afar."

Her ears twitched.

"People." She alerted me.

"Number? Armed?"

"Four and definitely yes with all the sounds of ammo cartridges."

"We got betrayed." As I finish the sentence, the familiar sound of a door locking echoed behind us.

"Dammit!" I cursed under my breath.

"What now?"

"Can you tell me where are the sounds coming from?"

"In this echo it's pretty hard but it seems that the sounds are coming from one of the hallways near us on the right."

I grabbed her hand.

"Oh my. How lewd." She said out of reaction.

"Not a joking time. I'm getting us out of here."

I had my other hand on the left wall and quickly find a hallway to run.

"Olive be my eyes."

"Gotcha."