Published: February 1, 2026
After finishing lunch outside the inn.
Rizel, walking back toward the inn, spotted a familiar back and quickened her pace. Like Rizel, this figure wore no equipment, dressed in the usual all-black, slightly casual attire.
Noticing Rizel approaching, he slowed his steps and looked back, a small smile playing on his lips as he called out.
“Jill.”
“Yeah.”
Confirming Rizel had fallen in beside him, Jill resumed walking.
“Finished lunch?”
“Yeah.”
“What are the plans from here?”
Rizel glanced sideways, watching him ask.
Did she have somewhere she wanted to go? Something she wanted to do? Either way, since Rizel tended to wander alone when free, and wanted to check with him if it wouldn't be a problem, her intentions were limited.
If she wasn’t wearing equipment, it wasn’t related to adventuring. So if Jill was needed, it had to be something else.
“I want to go to the black market.”
“Looking for something in particular?”
Correct, Jill murmured to himself.
“You know, your usual spot.”
“Yeah, you mentioned something about that.”
“Right, I thought it might be time.”
They had met a pair of twin beauties at a lavish brothel.
That was before heading to Astarnia. When they met and gained permission, Rizel had visited the small shop they ran. Following the life granted by their delicate lips, she had begged Jill for the right to visit. A successful plea.
At that time, Rizel had picked up a single book left in the store, but it turned out to be one half of a two-volume set.
“Do you have the other volume?”
“No, we don’t.”
“Didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, the two make one.”
“Separated like this is sad.”
Then they said only, “Come back again after a while.”
They hadn’t said they’d search for it or sell it, but probably they would complete the set. Not for Rizel’s sake, but just so the two volumes could be together. That was probably all.
That’s why Rizel only hoped to see the two volumes together, even if she couldn’t get them herself.
“After returning from Astarnia, I thought about going a few times.”
“Wasn’t open?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
The shop opened depending on the mood of the beautiful twin owners. They’d never managed to catch it open.
By the way, Rizel had asked the elite to check whether the shop was open. She didn’t know how they checked, but they probably hadn’t entered the store.
“The elite seem to be disliked by them.”
“Well, that figures.”
“Once they declared the shop closed the moment they walked in.”
“Really can’t go today, huh.”
Changing course from the inn into an alley, they disappeared into the slightly chilly air.
They passed through several narrow alleys, sometimes ducking under hanging cloths that blocked the way, and arrived at a small plaza with a dry fountain.
During the day, the eerie nighttime vibe was absent. Scattered carpeted stalls could be seen, but the shopkeepers looked lifeless—some sitting, some lying down, motionless.
With each passing, what would they demand? Faces lifted only to meet Jill’s glance, resigning to a defeated air. They couldn’t survive long in the shadows without measuring the difference in strength.
“It’s been a while since we took a job.”
“Ah... was that when a woman was killed?”
“I didn’t see it.”
They’d taken a request to find the daughter of a certain noble family. Since Rizel wanted to explore the back alleys, she accepted, but the search target had been brutally murdered.
Still, neither Rizel nor Jill made a fuss. Eleven had caught the scent of blood first, sneaked ahead, and just shook his head saying “Ah, too bad.”
“Did they ever catch the culprit?”
“Impossible.”
“Yeah, probably.”
They reported the truth to the guild, which passed it on to the constables who briefly questioned them. But the military police probably wouldn’t act.
Such incidents were not uncommon in the shadows. Plus, the murdered young woman’s parents wanted to cover it up, so the truth would likely never come out.
“It’s dangerous that stuff like this happens daily.”