Disclaimer: Monster Girl Encyclopedia belongs to Kenkou Cross. The events of this fic are purely fictional and are not at all connected to MGE canon.


Chapter 7: Eyes Wide Open

Fire, Fire, Fire.

The blazing inferno was all that I could see.

The cries of the children kept piercing my ears; their screams won't ever leave my soul.

What did they do to deserve this? Was her sin really that grave?

I never wanted this; no one wanted this.

I prayed I kept praying, but you never answered,

So please, tell me…

Was my birth truly that vile. Was my blood truly that tainted…

Was this abomination forever cursed to watch those whom she loved die?

Please, oh God… tell me where I went wrong…

-owo-

How long has it been since I last saw an elf? Not as long as one might expect. I've met a few over my tenure; they were mostly quiet, reserved, a little arrogant, and isolationist. They keep to themselves most of the time, and when they do show up, they often stay on the sidelines. This was the reason why the Inquisition and the Order as a whole didn't view the elves with any form of outright hostility. There were skirmishes here and there, disputes over land and territory, but nothing that could warrant a crusade or two.

So I wonder…

What exactly happened here?

Looking on at the elf before me, her green hair flowed through the wind, and her violet eyes pierced through my own. She was undoubtedly a beauty; most wouldn't deny that. Albeit, it was somewhat marred by the sour look on her face and the bow pointed in my direction.

"Leave this place, or else." She reiterated for a third time.

That would've been the smartest choice, to be honest. But unfortunately, I'm a bit stubborn. My curiosity was piqued by the mention of an artisan allegedly out here in the woods, and even more so once I actually saw the state of said forest.

"Look, as much as I want to leave, I need to investigate a few things that happened here. Don't worry; I'm not here to fight or burn the forest again. I just want answers."

"What answers? Looking at this place should already give you your damned answers. Now leave, or else I'm putting an arrow in between your eyes." She threatened; this time, she was a little more serious.

Well…

Isn't this troublesome? Alright, then. Time to kick it up a notch and try another angle. Judging by the remnants of whatever battle took place here, she was likely responsible or, if not a part of it. Judging by Richie's words and the scenes that I saw here, I tried to recreate the potential scene in my mind.

Simon Zinnerman, for whatever reason or another, decided to try and attack whatever was in this forest. Seeing this, the elf decided to defend her home. That was the general gist of it, but that left a few questions. Why would Simon attack this place? What was there to defend? Why was she still here after this forest was devastated? There were many more questions to ask, but I'll try to get my answers soon.

First, it was time to use what I knew to my advantage.

"That won't exactly be a good idea."

She visibly raised her brows. She said nothing, just continuing to point her bow at me.

"I was sent here by the Inquisition to investigate this place. They know where I am. If anything were to happen to me, what do you think would happen?"

A bluff, but one that she would have no choice but to listen to. If this forest was so important that she drove away anyone who entered, it was likely that she didn't know about the Inquisition's current state, seeing as how she wouldn't have had any contact with anyone from the outside. If that was the case, it's possible that she still thought that the organization was just as powerful as before.

The risk of killing me was higher for her than for me, at least in the offset. It would be better for her to keep me alive rather than to shoot me dead, especially if the possibility of retaliation was high.

"You don't think I can take you snakes on again? Look around you, every one of you sleazy bastards who tried before failed."

"True, but from what I can tell, you didn't exactly get away scot-free. Zinnerman did a number on this place, and I can tell from the pained look in your eyes and the hesitation in your aim that you don't want a repeat."

"And if I let you go, then what? If they sent you here to investigate, then that means that you'd have to report me anyway. The best thing for me to do now is to kill you; one less Inquisitor to deal with."

"That would be a mistake. While I am here to check on whether or not you're still alive, I'm also here to negotiate."

She tilted her head,

"Negotiate?"

"Yes, for a sort of peace between you and my organization."

"The only terms you need to know is this: Leave me and this forest alone, and I won't have to kill any of you. Tell that to your boss; those are the only terms I'll agree to."

Well, that's certainly an acceptable deal for the most part. But unfortunately, I couldn't exactly agree to it. The reason I was here was to see if this 'rumored' person of interest was real. With her being a part of this forest, she would have knowledge of said person if he was in any way real. If she could agree to let me see them, then I would have no problems.

"For the most part, that is acceptable. However, if that's all you're willing to accept, then I'm afraid we'd have to reject those terms."

"Then we're done here-"

"Listen to what I have to say; I said before that those terms are most acceptable. There's just one thing we need, and I promise you that we won't bother this forest for good."

I interrupted her, letting my voice cut through anu dismissals to force her to listen.

"And what exactly do you want? You already burnt everything in this place. There's nothing left here."

So why are you still here?

If there really was nothing left here, then what was the point of staying here? There was likely a sentimental value for her, and if that was the case, then it would be useless to anyone else. But even sentiments had value in their own right, and if I manage to figure out what that is, then I would be able to make use of it.

But I can't say that out loud,

"I want to see the one who's said to bring wood to life," I said,

Immediately, she froze. Her eyes widened, pupils dilated, and there was a slight shift in her posture. So she knew about this, huh? Let's see what route she takes. Would she drive me out, listen to my deal, or…

"I don't know what you're talking about,"

Pleading ignorance, it is.

This made things marginally harder. I need to choose the right move here; failure could mean me leaving this forest with nothing. Or worse, not leaving it at all. Confronting her directly about this would just push her further and further into a corner. The things I would do for a simple table, maybe she's right.

What a fool you are, Ciel…

"Then just let me wander around the forest, then. It'll let me investigate it a little more before I leave." I said,

She hesitated, another sign that she knew something. She stood there, silent, her bow pointed straight at me. From what I can remember, woodworking is a lot more complicated than it would seem. It requires a lot of tools, a lot of spare wood, and a relatively large space. Those things were, as one would guess, difficult to hide.

If I wander around in a calculated route, I'll eventually come across a sign of their existence. Judging by old maps of this place, it wouldn't take more than 40 minutes to do so. The forest here used to be thickly wooded and hard to spot through. If it remained that way, doing so might not have been as fruitful. But thanks to Zinnerman's actions, it wasn't as thick anymore. I could see further into the forest than normal, a natural consequence of having all the trees burnt.

"For an apparent peace broker, you're really good at pissing me off." The elf said out loud, her tone far from friendly.

Yeah, I have a talent for that.

Regardless, she didn't answer my alternate proposal. The existence of this guy is becoming more and more likely. No, it'd be safe to assume that they do exist in some shape or form. Whether as a concrete person or as an abstract idea. Regardless of what this woodworker is, they're obviously important to the elf.

Let's go over what we know so far, shall we?

The Elf was skilled, just as skilled as the other elves I know. She didn't at all like my kind, that being anyone from the Inquisition. That is an understandable sentiment, though hers is a little more personal. While she hated my kind, she loved whatever was in this forest more. Whatever it was, it was worth negotiating with me for.

In that case…

"Then how about this? I will come there on my own, and you can stand and watch over me. I'm unarmed, and in terms of skill, I fall behind you." I said, placing my hands in my pockets and emptying them to show that I had no weapons.

"I just want to talk to this person. Don't worry; I swear on the Chief God that I won't harm anyone here."

"'Swear on the Chief God'… like that's ever stopped any of you before." She hissed out,

"I'm not just offering you my faith as reassurance. I'm giving you full power over me. I'm unarmed and alone; if I do anything, then you could easily kill me."

"That's not enough. Do you think I'm stupid? Just because you don't have a weapon doesn't mean I can trust you. Coming into an old warzone without a weapon… No Inquisitor is that idiotic; what are you playing at?"

You'd be surprised…

Well, she caught me there. If my deceit isn't enough to convince her, then I'll sprinkle a bit of truth into this little conversation.

"Okay, you caught me," I said, raising my hands up before I shook my head.

The elf kept her bow trained on me, not budging for even a second. I took a step forward, sighing lightly as I placed my hand on the side of my cheek and bit my tongue a little. A frustrated-sounding sigh escaped my mouth.

"The truth here is that we ourselves aren't exactly in the best position. There's a classified incident that needs to be dealt with, so all they can do right now is to send me." I said,

"Due to reasons I'm not allowed to state, I need to talk to this person. So please, just this once, can I meet with them?"

She stood there silent, thinking it through. It wasn't a bad deal, all things considered. It was either she did this or risked another 'repeat' of that incident. It took only a few seconds, but she eventually found her answer. She looked me straight in the eyes, her eyelids narrowing before she spoke.

And with her words, she spoke…

"What makes you think that I'd let someone like you meet with him? Get out of here,"

Ouch…

Well, that was quite the firm rejection…

And expected, to be honest. I was never going to get through to her like that. She had already shown her disdain when she called us all snakes. An apt term, commonly within Order nations, it's used to refer to 'Liars.' Those who hide and writhe in the ground, hunting for prey. Those who hide within plain sight, shedding their current skin when useful. Trying to appeal to her emotions and kindness won't work, not when she's far more aware than the rest of the peasantry.

But that at least confirmed to me that this man did exist. And honestly speaking, that was more than enough for me to know. I could inform her of her blunder, but I decided to keep quiet. It was only a matter of time before she realized her mistake; I better use this to my advantage.

"Then how about a compromise? If you don't let me see him, then at least act as my messenger?" I said, placing my hands in my pockets. The elf looked on at me, head tilting before she spoke up.

"Fine, if it gets you to leave." She relented,

"Tell him this, 'An Inquisitor named Ciel wishes to speak to him; I will be unarmed and alone, so I will not have the opportunity to harm anyone within this forest. I'll be waiting for your response in two days.'" I said,

"Is that a deal? Ms…" I trailed off, waiting to see if she'd give me a name. It was highly unlikely that she would, but if she didn't, then I'd be forced to call her elf every time I wanted to talk to her. That could get annoying quickly, so I wanted to avoid that as much as possible.

"I said I'd take your deal; I don't have to give you my name." She sharply said,

Rude, even after I told you mine. Though, that was understandable. I could already formulate the general gist of what happened here. All that was left was for me to iron out the details. This could be useful in the long term.

"Then I'll tell my superiors about this; it would be best for you if you fulfilled your end of the bargain." I finalized,

Whatever the case, the elf had already verbally agreed to the deal. With that in mind, my job here was done.

She looked at me with scrutiny in her eyes, clicking her tongue before I decided to speak.

"I'll be back in around 4 days' time, in this exact spot. Tell me his answer then, and I'd trust you'd give it to me ."

With that done, I turned to leave. Whether or not she'll heed my words is still being determined. But ultimately, this entire endeavor was merely to satiate my curiosity. Whether or not I get to meet with this man is irrelevant. I would still learn something. She agreed to a deal, and while it wasn't written, it would give me insight into who she was, depending on how she tackled it. There were a total of three outcomes regarding this whole thing.

Outcome one: she doesn't show up on the designated day.

That would tell me a few things. For one, she either doesn't think that the organization was in any way a threat to her, a fact that I can disprove by the fact that she bothered to have a conversation with me in the first place. Or, the more likely reason, she'd find the prospect of meeting with me too risky.

Either way, it did not at all seem like her. If there was one thing I could tell from our conversation, she was still somewhat stubborn and reckless. She refused to hear me out until I forced her to listen with bluffs, and she was dead set on having me leave. She wasn't afraid to face the situation head-on, especially since she decided to show her face to me instead of conversing in the shadows. If she doesn't show up, it's more likely to assume that something more important came up and that she couldn't meet with me.

Outcome two: She shows up and says that the alleged artisan said no. Whether or not she's being truthful is irrelevant. The results would have been the same regardless, and I would have no way of confirming or denying it. However, if she did say that, then it would at least give me a bit more insight into her character. I've already somewhat figured her out, but there are still some things I need to know.

The final outcome is that she shows up and says yes. That opens up a whole new can of worms. It could be for an ambush, but as established, she had more to lose from killing me than letting me live. Or at least that's what she would think. The more likely outcome was that she reluctantly agreed to the man's answer. Because from what I could tell, this outcome is something she would never come to on her own. This is the ideal scenario; not only would I get to meet the artisan, but I would learn something very important…

It's that this person matters a lot to that elf. If she could push her own pride and decisions away from him, then it would tell me that she valued his decisions more than her own. After all, meeting with me could be risky for them.

Regardless of that fact, I'll get my answers in around 4 days…

There are still a few things I have to do…

But for now, I needed to get some sleep. It was late, after all… I'll continue this tomorrow.

-owo-

The dawn of the next day, and I've decided to cross one thing off my agenda. I had plans for today, things crucial for funding this little organization.

Looking into my situation, I had a week to do my current assignment. It was my punishment for 'defying' Vania's orders… except I hadn't done that, I did exactly what she ordered me to. To use my time as I pleased, and I did. Was I a smartass for doing that? Maybe, but it still fell within what I was expected to do. I'm not the type to defy a direct order unless it is absolutely necessary. I just saw Rena's mission as a good way to potentially get into contact with someone from the nobility. It didn't really matter who; knowing just one would give me a gateway into the upper echelons of Lescatie's society.

And with all the information I received with the documents, I formulated a strategy that would allow me to get closer to a member of said family. Them being part of the same family as the one I came into contact with earlier when I first entered the city was purely coincidental. But it was convenient; I wasn't going to let this opportunity go.

As such, the day after I talked with the elf, I decided to use some of my newly found spare time to go and observe Adrian and Lars… I think those are their names? They were so forgettable that I can't remember them.

In any case…

I had a few problems to deal with and a few situations to deal with. The monetary issue, the artisan in the woods, gaining a foothold into the Lescatian upper class, and Vittorio Salia…

Out of all the problems, Salia was the second most urgent. The first one was the monetary issue we were currently facing. Continued cooperation with Salia would only ruin us further. Unfortunately, from the looks of it, he was the only real source of revenue we had. And because of that, we're forced to play as his lap dogs doing whatever he pleases.

For the time being, I need to make it look like Salia's still in control…

So that means trying to do things as subtly as possible… a pain, but what can you really do?

In any case, I finally saw the gate where I met both Larry and Ryan; as usual, it was just as smelly, disgusting, and depressing as last time. In order to come here, I decided to change out of my uniform into something more casual. Being an Inquisitor in these parts could be dangerous, and it was possible that the two guards kept their mouths shut about me. After all, if they reported that they got into a scuffle with an Inquisitor, it could potentially mean a loss of their occupation.

I looked at them from a distance, watching as they stopped a wagon before they demanded an 'entry fee.' Even after our little scuffle, they haven't stopped. I could sit here and speculate, but there was a much more concrete way I could do this. Looking around, I tried to look for a spot before I eventually found one. Just above one of the rustic and abandoned buildings, there was a spot that was approximately away from the view of the gate. With its high elevation, I should have a clear view of the road.

With that in mind, I made my move. I moved out of view, walking around and making my way there. Once there, I climbed up the stone and through the wood before making my way to the spot. It was a small corner, the flooring was rotting, and every step I made threatened to break the whole thing. But somehow, this depressing floor was way sturdier than the one back in HQ.

Wasn't that just depressing

Nevertheless, my experience with the run-down flooring of the HQ made settling into this spot easier than I expected. Coupled with the training I received during my upbringing, I found myself staring down at the gate where I watched Laure and Fabian work.

Oh, I think I remembered their names that time. Let's see if it'll last…

In any case, now that I was here, I spent the next few hours just observing…

Wagon after wagon moved through this specific gate, but as the day went by, I noticed a pattern. As I expected, wagons from the Roulle family were being let in without issue. Commoners were stopped and forced to pay a fee before even entering Lescatie. That much I already deduced from when I first entered, but some new bits of information came up…

It turns out that even noble wagons weren't safe from the 'fee.' Minor nobility potentially lower in the hierarchy than the Roulles were stopped for inspections and ultimately forced to pay a fee as well. But such wagons were rare, especially considering how I've only witnessed two throughout the hours I spent here. But that wasn't all; it turned out that not every 'common' wagon was stopped either. They didn't have crests, they didn't look to be of any nobility, and they didn't have the necessary papers, yet they were let in without issue…

Interesting…

It could've been for any reason, to be honest. But from what I could infer, it was likely contraband goods. Before, no sane nobleman would try to smuggle such things so blatantly. But that was when the Inquisition's power was still prominent. As of right now, there was little we could really do if that was the case.

They're certainly quite bold…

Was this true for the other gates? The West adhered to the usual process, but other factions and nobles likely had other gates in their payrolls.

But that information was irrelevant for now…

Interestingly, other noble wagons were passing through here with little to no issue. I looked on at their crests and compared them to the ones I knew.

If there was one thing I could thank the nobility's unnecessary decorations for, it's that it made it really easy to figure out which was which. Still, looking on at the wagons entering through and from here made the situation a little clearer. Every single noble wagon that entered without issue was affiliated with the Noscrims. If I had to put it into numbers, this is what I've seen so far…

8 wagons bearing the Roulle's crest, 12 wagons that were seemingly unaffiliated, 2 from the Amaltias, and a single wagon from the Alberets.

All of which were let in without issue. That was quite telling; it implied that the Roulle family was in line with the Noscrims. A fact that contradicted what I heard before…

"Someone from the Noscrim Faction?"

"It's the Amaltias, those backstabbers."

If they really were from the Noscrim Faction, then what were these comments about? They were likely a part of that faction, and yet they pointed their fingers toward them when they saw the trap I laid for the Roulles.

Odd…

You would think they would point to the bandits or maybe even accuse me, which would've made sense as well. But no, they accused their own apparent allies. Something deeper was going on here, and unfortunately, I won't be able to come up with anything concrete with this much. I overheard somewhere that Mia's family might be in a bit of trouble, but as of right now, I can't tell what that is.

The information I received here could be useful, but it isn't too concrete yet. Considering how the Roulle's wagons passed by here four times more than the second place for nobles, that being the Amaltias, I can deduce that these men were likely in the Roulle family's payroll.

To confirm this, I needed to observe this further… but unfortunately, I had my own plans during this interval.

In that case…

I got up from my spot, stretching a bit as the sun moved down. Looking on at the two, I watched as their shifts ended and they entered the walls. Possibly to change out of their armor. I looked back at where the sun was, noting the time and position before I went back down. This could be useful later on, but right now, I need to write down my findings.

I could remember it easily, to be honest, but this could help me relay what I've found should the need arise. It'll save me the trouble of having to explain. I needed to observe them more, but I had other plans that I needed to attend to. As much as I wanted to sit there and observe, I figured that it was time I asked for a little assistance.

-owo-

Evening, I had around 6 days left to get a table. 3 days left before I get my answer from that Elf. Most of the Inquisitors should still be awake, and as I expected, I found a few just moving to and fro, reading books, or either trying to make the most of this admittedly run-down place. I made my way through the halls, each step being careful to not have my leg sink into the flooring. Eventually, I made my way to the lounge where lo and behold, Rena was there.

She seemed to just be sitting down, just wasting her time doing nothing before she noticed me. She gave a small grin, waving before she spoke.

"Heya Ci!"

Again with that nickname…

"Do you really have to shorten my 2 syllable name into that?" I asked, walking towards one of the seats before I sat on it.

Rena shrugged in response, leaning her back onto the cushioned couch. "Well, if you don't like it so much, I can just call you Ciel… unless you want me to call you El instea-"

"Don't call me that."

"Eh!?"

I seem to have startled her with that…

I'd rather not have her call me that… not anytime soon, at least.

"Sorry… just a personal preference. You can keep calling me Ci if you want." I said,

"..." She stood there, silently trying to understand my words. In the end, she just nodded dumbly.

"Okay… Well, alright then." She added, slightly put off by my sudden change in behavior. But ultimately, she just shrugged it off.

Sorry Rena, but that's going into personal territory…

"So, what have you been up to," I decided to ask, mainly to move the conversation along. I'd rather not have it linger there, especially considering the context… even if Rena had no idea what it was.

"The usual stuff, kicking criminal ass, sleeping, reading sometimes…." She trailed off, her tone somewhat unsatisfied.

Out of everything she stated, I noticed that there was one thing missing…

"I guess you haven't been drinking,"

"Yeah, I've used up most of my money earlier…" She added, a pout forming on her face.

That was essentially the root of her current frustrations, her inability to drink. It was understandable, but you do go overboard at times. Taking the drink I received from Richie, I tossed it to her. She widened her eyes, stumbling a bit before she caught it. The woman held it in her hands, moving it closer before she processed what I just tossed her.

"Woah, this is from Richie's, right?"

"Yeah, I got it from him as a sort of token for helping him a few days ago," I answered,

"Nice; I'll save this for later, though." She said, pocketing the drink. That's one drink down; I think three more to go? I still owed her one for running off and two more for that mission. Regardless, it doesn't look like she remembers it. That gave me a bit of time.

"Anyways, there's something I wanted to ask you," I said, turning to her.

"Oh? Yeah, sure. Ask away." She said, slouching on her couch as she placed both her hands behind her head.

Looking on at her, I thought of what to ask. There were many things I wanted to ask her, actually. What happened in that forest? Who is Simon Zinnerman? What was her role in said raid…

But if Richie's words were anything to go by, it's likely that she wouldn't share. It wouldn't really hurt to ask, though…

But there was a more important question in my mind as of now.

"Have you seen Rollo anywhere? I need to ask him something." I asked,

She perked her head lightly, cupping her chin as she thought. "Rollo, right… he should be in our archives… our somewhat empty archives, that is. Just organizing things since no one seems to bother with it at this point."

She looked to the side, shrugging a bit. "Not that I blame them; there's barely anything there to organize."

I see…

I guess that made sense; it fell in line with what I currently knew about Rollo's character. As much as I wanted to ask about Zinnerman, there was a more important matter that I needed to ask him about. I'll shelf Zinnerman for later and ask about him once it becomes more relevant or in a better situation. Rena was in a somewhat good mood; I wouldn't ruin that over something that was insignificant for the time being.

And I could always ask Vania…

"That's all I really wanted to ask; I'll see you later."

"Alright, see ya! Thanks for the beer!"

With that final greeting, I took off.

-owo-

The Inquisitorial Archives,

It was a local record of almost every bit of information we've compiled on various individuals, events, reports, and way more. Under normal circumstances, this place would be bustling with activity. Scribes would encode and copy the information written down to preserve it; Inquisitors would come and go here to gather information needed for a case or to report on information to be added. A constant organization of the files would be done, with every new bit of information being added and organized into an ever-expanding compendium of knowledge and reports…

That's what it should be, but as expected, the archives here were…

Well… an old dusty library with just 5 books would look way more sophisticated than this.

Where do I begin…

Firstly, the archive room of our HQ isn't even an archive. It was a makeshift one that was fashioned from an old and dusty wine cellar. Cobwebs covered every corner; the mere act of breathing threatened to expose my lungs to severe amounts of dust. It was ridiculous; how old was this damned mansion? There didn't seem to be any wine here. It was either empty when the organization first came here, the wine was sold off for money, or Rena drank all of it.

Whatever the case, it didn't matter to me at the moment.

Walking through the dusty and cramped room, I looked over to the makeshift shelves we fashioned from the wine holders on the side. There weren't even a lot of files there, just a few pieces of paper that were, for some reason, organized even though there was only a handful of them. If I gathered every bit of document we had here and placed it on my palm, I'd probably still feel the heat of my hand if I pressed my finger on it.

Regardless, Rena was probably right when she said that there was no point in organizing these.

If I could remember correctly, Vania had more files up in her office. She was probably making use of it for as much as she could, but that fire hazard of a room can't be in any way safe.

In any case, walking through the dark room, I tried to find the target of my search. After I turned a corner, I found him standing there near a shelf with a piece of paper in hand. There was a broom somewhere near him; the area here looked considerably more tidy than the one before. There was less dust, the papers were more organized and placed in stacks, and the shelves themselves looked cleaner.

The man himself wasn't wearing the coat, his hair was less combed, and his sleeves were rolled up. Dirt and dust could be found on his hands, his eyes staring deeply into the file before him.

Looks like he's been busy, and if the uncharacteristic slouch was any indication, then he must have been exhausted. Usually, this task would've been relegated to servants or the like, but we don't have that luxury right now.

Now how to best approach him.

He hasn't noticed my presence yet… there's only one thing to do….

"Yo Rollo!" I yelled out,

As expected, he yelped, turned, and swung at me with a broom. I promptly dodged, but his momentum didn't stop. He swung it so hard that he accidentally hit the shelf, which promptly caused him to lose balance and fall down onto the ground.

"Gakh! Don't do that, you idiot!" Rollo cried out,

Sorry,

"My apologies, Rollo. I guess I wanted to get your attention somehow." I said with a small awkward smile, scratching my left cheek lightly.

"Then just call me normally, don't yell out my name." He grumbled, getting up as he patted the dust off himself. He looked around, checking the place he had struck before he walked over and moved the shelf back to its original position, as in its exact original position to the point where it wasn't even a single millimeter away from where it was. Rollo's eye for organizing was top-notch; that much could be said. Not a single detail was wasted from his observations.

Did he have hyperthymesia? Wouldn't be the first person I know who had it. Likely not, but that's certainly quite an eye for detail.

"Sorry, it was a little hard to see in the dark, so I called you out to make sure you were here. Seemed like the most efficient way."

"You couldn't see me when I was right before you?"

"My father always said that I somewhat lacked vision."

"Did he also tell you that you're lacking a brain?"

"Rude, all I did was yell,"

"You could have called me normally,"

"Wouldn't have been as effective, you know?"

He sighed, fixing his glasses before he shook his head. He turned to me, placing the file down before he spoke up.

"In any case, what do you want from me, Ciel? I'm a little busy if you can't tell." He said,

He seems a little upset about my stunt from before, it may have made convincing him a little harder but it also proved to me how useful he'd be. Rollo had an eye for details, to the point where something like the position of a shelf was something he somehow observed and remembered down to a T. It was possible that he was simply lucky, but with how organized he made this rundown broken room, I had no doubt in his mind that this observational prowess is what I needed.

"I need your help with something,"

"Later, I'm a little busy with organizing."

"Believe me, I do believe that organizing the few files we have isn't something trivial, but what I'm requesting from you is a little more important."

"You're not my superior, Ciel; you can't tell me what to do."

"Even if it's for possibly stopping Salia?"

"..."

There it is; if Rena's hook was alcohol, then Rollo's was Vittorio Salia. Not that I'd blame him; any chance of potentially putting him down was welcome in my book. But what I'm asking from Rollo won't lead to that, at least not yet. Vittorio Salia was a dangerous man, but unfortunately, one that's needed to ensure that we even have enough to stay afloat. If we cut him off too early, then we would be left with nothing.

So in a way, what I'm telling Rollo now isn't a lie. His doing this would be a natural domino in Salia's downfall; it's just not something so direct. I still need to find us a new source of income, after all.

"And pray tell me how you're going to do that?"

"Tell me about Salia's smuggling operations first. If I can remember, that was one of the crimes he committed that he wanted to have pardoned."

"I suppose that's true. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to monitor his smuggling ever since our downfall. But I'd assume that he does it through proxies and by bribing the city guard."

"In that case…" I said, cupping my chin in thought.

I thought back to what I've found today, what I've seen. The wagons were such a blatant attempt at smuggling that most people would have found it laughable. More competent smugglers would have at least used fake payments for the fines; that way, it'd appear as though the wagons entering had paid their due and would be crossed off even if they were technically just paying themselves. But I guess the organization's downfall had made them complacent; that or they even managed to fool me.

If that was the case, then kudos to them. I'll still prepare for that possibility. It was unlikely that Vittorio Salia had that much sway to the point where he could do something so blatant. His methods would obviously be far more subtle…

But this wasn't us plotting to interfere with his smuggling ring; it was my plan to get us all out of his pay.

"How about a little surveillance job?" I asked,

Let's see how much I can learn,


Author's Notes:

I don't really have much to say, but I'll keep this brief. Sorry that it took a little longer than usual, but here it is! The newest chapter of Red Inquisitor.

First things first, I wonder who that elf could be? Surely it isn't one of the canon characters in- Okay, I'm not doing that again. So yeah, Primera finally showed up, and let's just say she'd be playing a more prominent role now that she's been introduced. If you're wondering why Ciel didn't know who she was despite the fact that he studied the different heroes here, there's a reason for that.

For one thing… she isn't one in this AU. Red Inquisitor is an Alternate Universe, so there are things that are different compared to canon. As for why that is, the hint lies in her profile.

Writing Ciel maneuvering around, plotting, and scheming is fun. I'm not sure how I'm doing it, but I feel like I'm doing an okay job at it. Still needs a little work, though, I'll admit.

Hyperthymesia is an actual condition; it refers to a special condition that allows people to perfectly remember events in their life down to the last detail.

In any case, that should be everything I wanted to say. As always, leave your reviews, reactions, comments, etc!

Every bit of feedback helps!

Have a nice day,

Whamo out!

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