Summary: Takes place after Part 3 and around Part 5. The Dukes of Buzzard successfully find somewhere to lay low. Now they just need to raise money to afford a doctor for Terrick. It will not be fun.

1st Red Ash Moon, 908

"Alright, rent's due at the end of every two weeks, so don't be late."

"Thank you for your help, sir."

The door shut to the one-story home, the new accommodations for the wandering travelers known only as the Dukes of Buzzard. Having escaped the wretched claws and gunfire of the justice-obsessed hound known only as The Ghost, they managed to escape into the Echo Bell Kingdom and found seclusion in the town of Avestoia.

As Althalos finished locking the door, Marsaili and Rogier entered the living room, having put Terrick's comatose body to bed. Hapi sat on the ragged couch that came with the house, coughing as a puff of dust erupted from the cushions just from shifting her weight.

"Uuuugh, was this seriously the best we could get?" Hapi whined.

Althalos glared. "With how low our funds are, this was the cheapest house we could rent. It's cheaper than renting a room at a tavern. Be grateful we're not sleeping in some old shack."

Marsaili stretched her arms. "Well, we've got a couple weeks, so what's the plan?"

Althalos sighed. "The plan is to raise money."

Rogier cracked his knuckles. "Way ahead of you. I'll check out the public bulletin boards and look for wanted posters—" Althalos raised his hand, silencing the Poliwrath.

"That will take too long, and none of us are in the best condition to go looking for wanted criminals. We need to stay here in Avestoia and lay low for a while. Besides, our main priority is working up enough money to pay for psychic surgery on Terrick. He's been in that state for months now, and I'm worried we'll lose our chance of saving him if we let him persist longer like this."

Marsaili raised her brow. "And how are we going to make up that much money? Between rent and saving up, that might cost us over a thousand bits, and that's depending on how long the surgery will take."

Althalos glared. "If we want to save Terrick, all of us will need to get jobs."

Their eyes widened. "Jobs?!"

"You heard me."

Marsaili whined. "You can't be serious! We became criminals to avoid pedestrian work like that!"

Hapi shuddered. "I can barely function around you people! You expect me to interact with strangers?!"

Rogier groaned. "Can't we just steal from someone?"

Althalos growled. "What part of laying low isn't clicking with you morons?" He sighed and shook his head. "Look, our gang is relatively unknown outside of the Outlands, so no one here should recognize us. We just need to stay here for the time being and work up enough money to pay off Terrick's surgery and recovery expenses. After that, we can focus on where to go from here. Between the four of us, we should be able to get by."

Hapi glanced back at the hallway leading to the bedrooms. "So, who's going to take care of Terrick while we're gone?"

"We can't risk paying a nurse or something, so we'll just have to come check up on him in-between breaks."

Marsaili groaned. "This is so stupid."

"Ainsley and Frank gave their lives to get us this far, and Amos might still be out there. We won't let their sacrifices be in vain. We're going to survive this, I promise."

"…" The trio shared unsure looks with each other before ultimately sighing in defeat.

"Alright, we'll check out the job offers tomorrow," Marsaili said.

Althalos nodded. "Good." He floated over to the rundown kitchen. "I'm going to make a list for groceries. We'll have to budget for food, too. Ah, and we may need new clothes and bath goods…"

Rogier glared. "Something tells me it's going to be awhile before we get to Terrick's surgery."

"Here, here," Hapi grumbled.

"Smartest thing you've said, big guy," Marsaili groaned.

"Order up!"

Through her brief dip into the wanted ads, Marsaili managed to find an open position as a night shift waitress at the local tavern. Dressed in a black dress with a white apron, she navigated around the tables and handed out drinks to the eager patrons. Though she didn't care for the late hours, it paid decently enough.

She finished handing out drinks before returning to the Galvantula manager of the joint. He nodded approvingly. "Excellent work, Ms. Marsaili. You're taking to the job quicker than I thought."

She flicked her ear and laughed haughtily. "What can I say? I'm a pretty talented gal. I'm just glad I was able to get the job." She grimaced off to the side. Because there was no way I was taking up garbage collecting.

The Galvantula nodded. "I am most grateful, not to mention relieved. Our last waitress quit on us days ago, so I have been a little understaffed."

Marsaili raised her brow. "Oh? Why'd she quit—"

"(Hey, hey! Party time!)" Marsaili spun around with a start as a trio of Pokémon marched through the doors, consisting of a Primeape, Kadabra, and Krokorok. "(Hey, check out the new girl over there!)" the Primeape exclaimed.

Krokorok whistled. "(Fine looking woman, she is! Set us up with some drinks, lady! We promise we don't bite!)"

Kadabra laughed. "(And if you want, you can hang out at our table! We'll keep you company through the night!)"

Marsaili, though unable to understand them, sensed their tone of voice and leering gazes. She felt an uncomfortable shiver run up her spine while the Galvantula manager awkwardly tapped his front legs together. "Ahem, uh…well, we get some rowdy regulars at this time. Try not to start a fight, alright? I'll have someone throw them out if they cause you too much grief."

Marsaili clenched her teeth, her eye twitching as the perverted trio of men sat themselves down. "Greeeeeat."

Rogier proudly patrolled through the streets of Avestoia, waving his standard-issued baton and flashing his badge in the glimmering sunlight. Taking up the role as the town's newest officer brought back memories of his time in the Algus Knighthood. It was the right place to be for someone of his skill and background.

The Poliwrath casually whistled as he went along his assigned route, spinning the baton by its strap and looking out for any trouble. The first three hours weren't anything too special. For the most part, the town was fairly peaceful during the day. However, with Echo Bell's crime problem, even the sunlight couldn't ward off mischief forever.

The vigilant officer stopped when he saw a Sneasel bumping into a passing Jynx. As the Sneasel apologized for his rudeness, he swiped the Jynx's bits right out from her purse. He went about his walk with the lady completely oblivious to the theft.

Crime!

With his knightly instincts kicking in, Rogier rushed into action. He stopped before the Sneasel, startling the young man as he aimed his baton at his face. "Halt, in the name of the law!"

Sneasel gulped. "Uh, something wrong, officer?"

Rogier glared. "Your criminal actions will not be rewarded! I witnessed that disgraceful act of pickpocketing, and for that you will be swiftly punished!"

"…" The Sneasel rolled his eyes and attempted to walk around Rogier. "Lighten up. I just needed some bits for a drink."

Rogier stuck his arm out to prevent the young man's escape. "Crime, no matter how small, will not go unpunished!"

Sneasel smirked. "Go bug someone else." He activated his Knock Off and slapped the baton out of Rogier's hand. "So long, officer—" However, right as he tried to run, Rogier reacted quicker and grabbed him by the wrist with a powerful grip.

"In the name of the law, you shall be—" Rogier started to shout until the Sneasel started screaming in agony.

In his haste, Rogier accidentally used more force than intended with his grip. He awkwardly let the Sneasel go, who collapsed to the floor quivering in pain and cradling his nearly broken arm. A horrified crowd gathered around the scene, murmurs echoing around Rogier and his frightening act of brutality.

The simple-minded Poliwrath could only respond one way.

"…That won't reflect well on my paycheck."

"Glad to see we have a genuine mapmaker around these parts," said the elderly Clefable as he led Hapi to the back of his shop. "Job's pretty simple. Town maps need to be updated every few months when new construction projects come up. Things like new town buildings or roads leading into town. Stuff like that."

The teenage Pignite smiled. "Don't worry, sir. I hope to be a valued addition to the work force. So, what's my first assignment?"

"We just need you to update Avestoia's town map and have it sent off to make copies."

"Oh, that doesn't sound so bad—" Right as she said that, the Clefable mapmaker dropped a stack of papers that caused the old withered table in front of her to bend. "…What?"

The Clefable laughed. "This is a list of all the new additions to town. I need you to go on site and get an exact measurement of everything you see. We here at the Happy Map Makers Union of Avestoia, we strive for nothing short of perfection! So, it'll be your job to investigate all the new sites and make an exact scale of town."

Hapi's eye twitched. "That seems…mildly excessive."

Clefable leaned down and gave her the stink eye. "You disrespecting the art of mapmaking, lass?"

"Please don't get so close to me…"

The terrified Dubwool merchant quaked under Althalos' imposing stature and aura that seemed to radiate in an endless dread. The poor sheep gulped and managed to say, "S-S-Sorry, I-I'm not…h-hiring today…"

"…" Althalos groaned and floated away from the stall. Okay. Seventh time's the charm, right?

One Week Later…

"Twentieth time's the…oh, forget it."

Althalos fell back into the ragged armchair, nursing the small headache that was buzzing in his mind. After feeding the catatonic Sawsbuck and working out his leg muscles to keep them healthy, he needed to take a breather from the unfulfilling week he had. As it turned out, he was a natural at scaring people with his hulking physique and intimidating stare. The hook hand probably didn't do him too many favors.

"This isn't working," he grumbled.

Just then the door to the house flew open, and his subordinates pushed their way through. After Hapi kicked the door shut behind them, the trio collapsed face first onto the ground and let out a chorus of exhausted groans.

"This isn't working!" they yelled.

Althalos glared. "Rough day at work?"

Marsaili sat up. "I'm just on my break! Why is every night-dwelling moron a lecherous creep?! One of them slapped my butt! I would've throttled his neck if I didn't think he'd be into it!"

Rogier stood up. "Turns out some of the laws written in the law book aren't…enforced nowadays. I arrested an old woman for wearing a sunhat on Thursdays."

"Today's Monday," Althalos said.

Rogier looked away and cried softly. "I haven't slept in days…"

Hapi jumped up and growled. "My boss is a maniac! Turns out the reason maps here need to be updated so much is because he makes maps that shows you everything! Even where the rubbish bins are! Do you know how much parchment is slapped together just to make one map?!"

"That explains why it looked like he was selling miniature books," Althalos muttered. He shook his head and pulled himself out of his chair. "Well, at least you three have jobs. I don't think anyone in this town trusts me."

"You do have a certain aura about you," Marsaili admitted.

Rogier dusted himself off. "Well, on the plus side, I just got paid."

"Same," the girls groaned.

Walking over to a few jars on the kitchen counter, they divided up their money for rent, food, and Terrick's operation. Annnd…

Yeah, there wasn't much.

Althalos stared listlessly at the pitiful collection of coins they amassed. "Well…that's wonderful," he grumbled.

Marsaili sneered at their rent jar. "At this rate, that's not going to be enough to pay off the landlord."

Hapi grabbed Terrick's jar and silently counted up the coins. She frowned. "Well, if we dump some of the coins for the surgery into our rent, that would cover the difference."

Rogier groaned. "We can't just split his operation money."

"Do you want to use the food budget instead?"

A painful memory of the prison break and the tainted food situation entered his mind. He groaned wearily. "Sorry, Terrick."

Althalos groaned and poured two-thirds of the operation money into the rent jar. "He would've agreed it's for the best, but we can't keep doing this. Every second we wait, the less likely we'll be able to help him."

Marsaili growled. "This wouldn't be impossible if we weren't trying to feed four people and a comatose deer on minimum wage on top of renting this dumpster!"

Althalos shook his head. "It's going to be rough, but we've persevered through worse. We managed to get out of prison…mostly unscathed. We can survive taking on some demanding jobs. We can make this work. For our sake, and for Terrick's."

The trio looked at each other unsurely before groaning in agreement. "I guess…"

"That's…the spirit, I guess." Althalos closed the lid on Terrick's operation jar and set it on a high shelf with Poltergeist. "We'll find a way through this. The Dukes of Buzzard can survive any ordeal."

…And then New Chariot came along.

Not even a month settling into their new life, the Dukes of Buzzard found themselves facing the tail end of what could be described as certain disaster. Slowly adjusting to their new jobs, they found themselves being suffocated by the alarming arrival of the east's strongest military force as waves upon waves of soldiers crossed the western border.

And Echo Bell was perhaps one of the worst kingdoms to be lobbed into a war.

An emergency alert was launched across the kingdom, issuing various business and companies to aid in the war efforts. Taverns started selling their food supply to feed the knights defending the kingdom borders, local officers volunteered to take up the frontlines, and the Happy Map Makers Union closed their doors to volunteer their services.

And, to add insult to injury, whatever competent surgeon available in town was no longer available.

Althalos, Rogier, and Hapi sat slumped on the couch, forlorn and distraught. On top of Althalos still failing to procure a job, Rogier and Hapi ended up getting fired…though, Rogier's case was less to do with the war and more due to the fact he was a liability as an officer.

Only Marsaili was able to keep her job, though her pay was cut. With three out of four of them jobless, their budget suddenly took a sharp nosedive. They only had enough left to pay one more week of rent. After that, it was either sacrificing the food budget or Terrick's operation money.

Rogier covered his face and sunk deeper into the ragged couch. "Why? Just why? Of all the times they could've invaded the west…! Can't they have the decency to invade next year? Is that too much to ask?!"

Hapi groaned. "I thought I was done with those guys years ago. On the run for six years, and now this is happening. Oh, why…? Just why?"

Althalos glared. "If you're worried they're still after you, we won't let them lay a finger on you."

"That would be preferable, yes. Um…thanks." Hapi shuffled awkwardly into the couch. "So, what's the plan now?"

"I'm slowly considering threatening the landlord."

"I can help with that," Rogier mumbled.

Althalos groaned. "Things were a lot easier when they were done illegally. Playing by the book, running and hiding…I'm not used to doing things the hard way."

"What other choice do we have?" Hapi asked. "I'm not the first to suggest we murder a guy and steal his house, but…we really are desperate at this point. Really, this Terrick guy is perhaps the biggest deadweight of the whole situation! Dumping him would be easier!"

Althalos chuckled bitterly. "As simple as that is, I'm not letting another of my team die on me. Even if it is a lost cause."

Hapi frowned, looking away shamefully. "I…didn't mean to suggest—"

"We're hungry and frustrated. It's fine. I understand." Althalos breathed a sigh and pulled himself up. "I need to check on Terrick. I'll go out and do the shopping afterwards." He floated over to the lone room housing the catatonic deer.

Hapi threw her head back and groaned. "I feel awful for saying that."

Rogier reached over to pat her. "There, there—" She instantly recoiled from his reach. "Ah, right. No touching. Forgot." He sighed. "Look, we say awful shit about each other all the time. If anything, that's one of the nicer things said in our group. You should hear some of the screaming matches Amos and Marsaili used to get into. I think he kind of enjoyed it, but he wouldn't admit it."

Hapi chuckled softly. "You guys really are a chaotic group." She hugged her legs against her chest and sighed. "One big crazy family."

"…Do you remember your parents?"

"I just know they were cartographers. I took an interest while I was imprisoned in New Chariot." She looked at her hand. "That ghost guy called me Solberg. He looked at me like I was special or something. I don't feel special. I just get so…heated when I get scared."

"Althalos did say you had some insane firepower from what little he saw."

"It's more of a curse if you ask me."

"…What happened after you escaped New Chariot? How did you escape exactly?"

She laughed bitterly. "This one Charizard commander made me super nervous. He kept taunting me in my cell. He ended up fanning his flames at me, and…I guess that triggered whatever I have inside me. I ended up melting my way to freedom and just…ran. No one could get close to me because of how hot I was getting. I escaped and ran straight to Algus."

"Oh."

"I eventually met this nice family. Worked atop the mountains. Blacksmiths. They were kind enough to let me stay with them. I…stayed away from the forge. I tried not to expose myself to fire. They were super nice to me. Didn't really care about where I came from. They just knew I needed help." She hugged her legs tighter. "And I ended up screwing everything up."

"Kid…"

She clenched her eyes shut. "I had a nightmare New Chariot found me. I knew, sooner or later, they would. I had to run away for their protection. They tried to stop me. I couldn't. I just couldn't put them at risk, but they kept refusing. I was screaming and crying and…" She shuddered. "I learned my own rising body temperature was enough to set off those uncontrollable flames."

Rogier's eyes widened. "What?"

"I got so hot that I…" She held her face and shuddered. "I burned poor Thyra. And Benny! Oh god, I just…I can't forgive myself after what I did to him. When I realized what was happening, I ran away in the chaos and dove through the snow to cool myself down. I just kept running and running for years, hiding from everyone."

"That's why you're so afraid of being touched."

She grimaced. "When people get too close, they get burned. Badly. I can't live with that kind of fear. No one wants to be near me. I'm cursed." She covered her face and wept. "The only people in the world who gave me a chance, and I returned their kindness by nearly killing them. Maybe I did kill them. They'll never forgive me!"

"…" Rogier looked at the ceiling. "I ain't that smart, but…we Algusians don't take things personally. I once saw two guys beat the shit out of each other while they were drunk. Got into an argument over who had the manlier physique. Next thing I know, a week later, the assailant invites him to his wedding as his best man."

"…" Hapi blinked twice. "…What?"

"Typical Tuesday in Algus."

"…I'm starting to think you Algusians don't know what mountain sickness is."

Rogier bellowed with laughter. "We're all crazy up there! You think scarring us with burns is going to make us hate each other? You could stab a man with a knife, and he'll responded, Aw, you shouldn't have, thank you! We're a tough people!"

Hapi frowned. "Do you…really think it's that simple?"

He shrugged. "Wouldn't know unless you tried, right?"

"…" She wiped her tears and looked aside. "I guess…"

Meanwhile…

"(Hey, hot stuff! How about some service over here, eh?)"

Marsaili's eye twitched, finding herself once again within the targeted range of her nighttime fan club, as she bitterly refers to them as. She glared briefly over her shoulder as the Primeape, Krokorok, and Kadabra waved her over with eyes that were no doubt undressing her. The thought made her skin crawl.

As much as she was slowly reconsidering trash duty, her current job unfortunately paid more despite the pay cut, and she was the only one currently making money. She had to take up two shifts these days, one in the morning and one at night, leaving her to only sleep in the afternoon. How, oh how, she wished for any other time without the nighttime perverts.

She approached their table, forcing a smile onto her face. "(Hello. How serve tonight?)"

The Primeape chuckled. "(You know, if you need help with your Fiorian, I could give you some private lessons~. Wouldn't be much trouble at all.)"

Marsaili didn't need to understand them to hear the lecherous thoughts brewing behind those words. Keeping her composure, she asked again, "(How serve tonight?)"

"(How serve, eh? I can think of some ideas,)" the Krokorok teased.

Marsaili's eye twitched. They pull this shit every other night. Just order something and leave. Now.

The Kadabra set his menu down. "(The fried potato special with an ale. Oh, and I'll take some Wigglytuff pie~.)"

"…" Marsaili pulled her apron to her face, turned away, and screamed into it. After regaining her composure, she turned back and smiled. "(Very good. And—) Hey!" She was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled onto the Primeape's lap.

"(Aww, don't get so wound up, babe. Live a little! The night's young. Why not hang out with us for a moment?)"

Marsaili reared her hand back, readying Focus Punch. "If you don't get your hands off of me in the next three seconds, I'll—"

"Ah, there you are, dear!" She and the men froze as someone walked up to the table. A large Pangoro dressed in a dusty brown jacket, white linen shirt, and black trousers. He wore a black-stringed necklace with a wooden medallion depicting the sun and the moon. He gnawed on a piece of wheat as he opened his arms to them. "How's my beautiful wife doing?"

Marsaili's eyes widened. "W-Wife?!"

"(Wife?!)" the men gasped.

The Pangoro grinned. "I got off work early tonight and thought I'd keep you company. Come and give me a hug, sweetie!"

"…" Marsaili's mind suddenly clicked with realization. She sprung to freedom and threw herself into the Pangoro's arms. "Heyyyyy, babe! Aww, how sweet of you~. You should've told me sooner. I would've put out some coffee for you~."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." He (albeit awkwardly) hugged her before glaring at the men. "(You three weren't bothering her. Right?)"

The men suddenly sprung from their chairs. "(Ah, we just remembered we had a…thing to do! BYE!)" The men scrambled out the door in a flash, knocking chairs and tables out of their way.

Once they were gone, the Pangoro let go of Marsaili and shuddered. "Ugh, that was uncomfortable."

Marsaili groaned. "Tell me about it." She smiled wearily. "Thanks for the save."

He laughed sheepishly. "Sorry for putting you on the spot like that. I didn't want you getting fired for retaliating."

"Believe me, I think my boss would've welcomed it. I just rather not get the knights involved for…certain reasons." She sighed and straightened up. "Well, I suppose I do owe you a coffee now."

"With cream, please."

"You seem like the type." She walked over to the bar counter and started digging around for the coffee grounds. "For the record, I didn't need saving, but thanks regardless."

He sat down at the counter and laughed. "A little help from time to time doesn't hurt. Besides, with how overworked you must be, one less issue on your plate must be welcomed."

"Overworked—oh, for the love of…!" She glared over her shoulder. "Don't tell me you're a stalker."

He raised his hands defensively. "N-Nothing like that, honest! No, I just…couldn't help noticing you working so many shifts recently. I saw you working the morning shifts before I headed to my shop."

"…" Marsaili groaned. "Right. Sorry, I…it's been stressful lately."

"I take it the war has been getting to you."

"Something like that. Things are…complicated over at my place."

"Care to talk about it?"

"Ehhhh…"

He smiled. "I promise I won't judge."

"…" Marsaili groaned. Screw it.

"…And that's pretty much the size of it."

Barring any damning details about her criminal activities, Marsaili gave a general overview of the last several weeks to the Pangoro, who listened attentively while sipping on his coffee. He nodded along as one does, making her wonder if he ended up nodding off halfway through. You can never tell with Pangoro, what with their eyes barely visible.

"Huh. So, your group managed to survive that crazy train heist that happened a couple months ago. Crazy."

"Yep."

"Sounds rough."

"Oh yeah."

"Really rough."

"You don't interact with people much, do you?"

"I'm improving."

Marsaili groaned. "We're hanging by the last bit of our rent money. That's why I've been running so many shifts lately. We're kind of struggling. I've been eating stale bread the last couple of days."

"I see."

"So, we're just…you know, seeing what happens until we're forced to, I don't know, rob someone to stay afloat."

The Pangoro smirked. "You could always rob those jerks from earlier."

She smirked back. "Tempting. Really tempting." She groaned. "But it wouldn't be a good idea."

"Yeah, I suppose inciting more panic wouldn't do any favors."

Marsaili glared off to the side. "The worst part is helping our friend."

"You said his mind was psychically damaged?"

"Ran into some trouble with this jerk who gave his brain a good ol' scramble. We're worried the damage will become irreversible or have long term consequences. We've been feeding him and exercising his muscles so they don't deteriorate. Either way, we can't do much without the money."

"I'd hate to be in your predicament."

Marsaili sighed. "Can't be helped. We've been tapping into his surgery funds little by little just to get by on rent. We're never going to make enough to help him, much less take care of ourselves."

"…" Thinking it over for a moment, the Pangoro asked, "What if you and your friends had somewhere to stay where you didn't have to worry about all that?"

She laughed bitterly. "I've had that delusion once or twice. Someone coming to our aid with a sack load of coins to make our troubles disappear."

"Well, I can't offer that, but I can certainly offer room and board."

"…" Her eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Heh. I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Inigo, and I actually have my own private villa on the outskirts of town. Sitting just by the river. And I happen to own a shop in town. You could say I'm, how you would say, loaded."

"…Wait, what?"

He picked at his teeth. "I'll cut to the chase. I've heard how you and your friends have been struggling to get by, so I want to lend a hand. My villa has plenty of space to spare. Free place to live and free meals. In addition, I'll help cover the expenses for your friend's psychic surgery."

"…Wait, wha—" Marsaili slapped herself and glared suspiciously. "Okay, what's the catch here? I've only known you for like…twenty minutes?"

He laughed. "What, I can't be nice?"

"Hmmmm…"

"Heh, alright. Nothing's totally free. So, here's the deal: my shop needs a few new employees since they left to assist in the Echo Bell army, annnnd taking care of some extra people in my villa would require extra housework. So, in exchange for my offer, you'd have to work at my shop and assist with the housework."

"…Annnnd that's it?"

"That's it. You wouldn't get paid as much since I need to make some budget adjustments to the shop, but you are getting a free place to stay and free meals."

"…"

"I don't trust it."

Marsaili set her apron on the counter and glared back at Althalos. "Look, I agree it's pretty shifty, but we're desperate here. The guy walked up to me and offered us a job and place to stay."

Rogier scratched his chin. "And he did say he would pay for Terrick's surgery. That would save us a lot of trouble."

Hapi nodded. "And a villa outside town would give us somewhere to lay low from the knights if they ever get suspicious."

Althalos shook his head. "I still think it's suspicious. He could know who we are and be setting us up for a trap. No one's that generous."

"…" Marsaili sighed. "Or maybe we've been at this life for too long."

"What do you mean?"

"Al, let's be honest with ourselves: a stranger offers to make our troubles go away, and the first thing we discuss is his seedy intentions."

"Nothing good in life comes for free."

"I agree, but…do you think we're so used to thinking that way that we've stopped thinking like normal people? What if Inigo does want to help us? Our activities have been kept mostly contained, so no one should know about the Dukes of Buzzard. And he didn't seem like the type to deceive. I don't know. Maybe this time we should…take a chance."

"…" Althalos looked aside unsurely. "I don't know."

She sighed. "Let's really consider our options here. We can't afford to live here for another week, and drawing any unnecessary attention will certainly put us under investigation. We may or may not be on a deadline with helping Terrick. Even if it's a trap, we need to take that risk. Ainsley took a risk fighting off Cain and his goons, and Frank sacrificed himself knowing he might die fighting The Ghost. And even though I rag on him, Amos…Amos did stay behind to give us time to escape."

"…" Althalos closed his eye.

Rogier glared. "I'll go with whatever you deem is right, boss."

Hapi groaned. "I'm…pushing towards living in a villa, but it's your call, boss man."

"…" Althalos took a deep breath and stood up. "For Terrick's sake, I'm willing to take that risk. We'll meet with this Inigo fellow and agree to his terms."

"HUZZAH!" the trio exclaimed.

"No more stale bread!" Rogier cried.

"No more crazy bosses!" Hapi cheered.

"No more perverts making sexist remarks in my face!" Marsaili exclaimed.

Althalos rolled his eye, laughing softly. "Alright, alright, settle down." Once the trio calmed themselves, he gestured to Marsaili. "Now, did he happen to mention anything about what we would be doing? What kind of shop does he own, anyway?"

Marsaili scratched her chin. "Oh right, uh…"

Inigo's Puzzles and Games Shoppe

"(And a marvelous day to you! Thank you for shopping at Inigo's!)"

It was a different setting to what the Dukes were expecting. Entering the little shop felt like stepping into a miniature wonderland. A colorful selection of entertainment from the expected to the unique. Board games along the walls, puzzle contraptions, a selection of knickknacks, and toys. It was a child's paradise by the looks of it.

Marsaili, Rogier, and Hapi were given their assignments as the week went by. Marsaili was tasked with managing the front counter and handling transactions. Inigo even gave her a list of phrases of typical Fiorian phrases to say when interacting with non-English speakers. Rogier worked the back and restocked the shelves.

As for Hapi, she was tasked with advertising the shop around town. Since the war had riled up everyone's nerves as of late, Inigo wanted to give the people some degree of hope and joy to take their minds off the doom and gloom. Thus, he was promoting a big sale to draw in a larger crowd, knowing the children of Avestoia would be the most impacted by this shift in times.

A young Charcadet fiddled with a puzzle cube had plucked off the shelf. "(Erm, how does this…oh, it's too hard!)"

Inigo walked up behind the fire spirit and gently took the puzzle from him. "(It may seem difficult at first, but enough time and patience does wonders.)" He fiddled with the contraption, pressing hidden buttons and shifting plates until it split open, revealing a tiny figurine inside.

"(Coooool!)" the Charcadet gasped.

Inigo closed the cube and shifted some plates to reset it before handing it back. "(I'm sure a young lad like yourself can figure this simply puzzle out.)"

"(Thanks, mister!)" He ran around the shelves. "(Mom, can I buy this?)"

Inigo stood up and laughed softly. Rogier finished placing some puzzle games on the shelf before commenting, "You sure get along well with children."

He smiled. "The world can look so cruel and confusing from their perspective. Even if for a moment, I want them to cherish their childhood. Those are the best times of a child's life." He frowned. "After all, to have something taint those good memories, it can be…difficult to recover."

Rogier tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"…" The burly panda spun around and laughed. "Sorry, thinking out loud. I'm glad to see you all are adjusting to your assignments."

Marsaili smirked as she finished with another customer. "Well, it's nice not having to worry about rent or starving to death."

Inigo bellowed with laughter. "Is that right? Good to know!"

She frowned. "Still, this big sale and paying for us? This isn't going to cause you any financial trouble, right?"

"Don't you worry about me. I do a bunch of side projects on the weekends, and I have quite the fortune to keep me steady."

"Heh." She relaxed and smiled. "Well, thanks for taking pity on a bunch of losers like us."

Inigo snickered. "Any time."

Inigo's Villa – Later that night…

Althalos sat by the door, watching as the Malamar doctor loomed over Terrick's bedside, injecting his psychic energy through the catatonic deer. It had been a couple weeks since they moved into Inigo's villa, and life was starting to look better. Per his word, Inigo had pulled some favors and managed to get a doctor directly from the capital to lend a hand.

After about an hour with Terrick, the doctor stood up and grabbed his bag. "Alright, that should do for the time being."

Althalos glared. "What's the prognosis, doc?"

"You should patting yourself on the back, my good man. His mind is weak, but not beyond repair. Thankfully, you've been giving him enough nutrition to keep the brain healthy. Within a couple of months, I'll be able to untangle that mess of psionic discord. Just keep feeding him and maintaining his exercises. That should limit the time he'll need for physical therapy when he wakes up."

"When…" Althalos mumbled, the word quivering on his voice. "So, he will wake up?"

The doctor smiled. "In due time, yes. Again, you should be thankful to yourself. You kept him alive thanks to your determination. I'm sure he'll be grateful for your dedication."

"…" Althalos looked down at the floor, his eye shimmering with tears. "He's going to be okay…"

The doctor patted Althalos' shoulder. "I'll come back tomorrow to provide vitamins he'll need to take for what nutrients he's lacking. I'm glad Inigo reached out to me. Seems he's something of a guardian angel for you all." With that, the doctor exited the room.

Althalos floated over to Terrick's bedside, taking the deer's hoof in his hand. He massaged it gently with tears running down his face.

"I failed to protect Ainsley and Frank. I failed to protect Amos. I failed to protect my family. I…" He closed his eye, dropping before the bed, and shuddered with relief. "I'm so glad…I'm so glad I don't have to mourn for another. I promise, Terrick. I will protect you and the others. I will never fail you all again."

"Dig in, everyone!"

After setting up the table with dinner, the Dukes immediately gorged on their meals. Though it wasn't anything too special, just sandwiches and fruits, it was a godly harvest after what they've been eating for so long. Even after two weeks with the affluent Pangoro, they wept at the sight of such mundane meals like it was the divine nectar of the gods.

"Oooohhhhh, this is…oh, this is wonderful," Marsaili said tearily.

Hapi grinned. "Thank you for the meal, Mr. Inigo!"

Inigo sat himself at the end of the dining table and laughed. "I didn't think I'd get such reactions from my cooking. Maybe I'll try my hand at experimenting tomorrow. Stir fry sound good?"

"Yes, please!" all but Althalos cheered.

Althalos nibbled lightly on his sandwich before nodding at the Pangoro. "We…can't thank you enough for helping us in our time of need. We owe you a great debt."

Inigo smiled. "Nah. I'm just doing what comes naturally. I've always been taught to lend a hand in need. You should be thanking my sister for passing on those beliefs in me."

Rogier raised his glass. "To Mr. Inigio's sister, then!" He leaned back and guzzled down his drink, bursting with laughter. "Woo! That's the kind of buzz I needed!"

"…That's just plain drinking water."

"And it tastes better than whatever we were drinking from the water pump at our last place!"

Inigo smirked. "Maybe that'll be my next side project: buying out your old place and doing some renovations?"

Marsaili smirked back. "How many side projects do you have?"

"Whatever keeps the mind preoccupied. I just like working. I have an idea, and I just…run with it or something. I used to be a traveling salesman before I settled down here."

Hapi tilted her head. "Did you ever visit your family?"

"Sometimes, though…I didn't have the best relationship with my mother. And I kind of just stopped going home once things got…complicated." He shook his head. "It's, uh…all in the past. I miss seeing my niece. Cutest little creature in the world, I tell you. Hope she's doing better these days."

"What do you mean?" Marsaili asked.

"Well, there was that whole, uh…y-you know what? That's not important right now. She's safe and sound now, and that's all that matters." Inigo grinned at Althalos. "And how's your friend, Terrick, doing? What did the doctor say?"

"Ah shit, that's right!" Marsaili stood up in her seat. "Spill it, Al, what's the news!"

Althalos shied away from the excited stares he was getting. He set his sandwich down and sighed. "Well, I regret to inform all of you…" He saw their faces shift into horrified expressions for a moment until he chuckled. "I regret to inform all of you that we'll be hearing Terrick's germaphobic rants in about two to three months."

Their faces flipped around, and they leapt from their seats with joy. "HUZZAH!"

"Terrick's coming home!" Marsaili cheered.

"I knew that string bean would pull through!" Rogier cheered.

"I can't wait to finally introduce myself!" Hapi exclaimed.

Inigo chuckled through their laughter and mirth, smiling in Althalos' direction. "You have quite the lively team."

Althalos stared softly at his rambunctious team, for once in what felt like a long time a sense of relief and pride in himself. "Yeah. Yeah, they really are."

Laughter and merriment continued within the villa, as the Dukes and Inigo carried through the night with stories and quips that would surely carry them through this depressing point in West Virdis history. Whatever came their way, they'll persevere through the worst of the war.

However, the war may end up being the least of their concerns.

Hovering outside the windows and staying in the shadows of the night sky, Ignacia Desierto spied on the Dukes as per her instructions from Cain Underhill. Having recovered from her battle with Skill Hunter Harlow sometime ago, she was sent out to carry out The Ghost's previous assignment while he was assigned to a new task.

For now, her job was to monitor the Dukes and the Descendant of Solberg until further notice. For what reason, she'll never know.

"They seem…happy," she mumbled.

The Flygon turned and flew off into the night to report back to Last Autumn, leaving the Dukes oblivious to the danger lurking in their future.