The interior had a saloon-like layout, with chairs and tables actually standing upright and a counter tending to people lined up to order at the far back of the room. On the wall to the right, there was a blackboard. Chockfull of red-marked sheets that were beginning to turn a light brown color, presumably with age, but were at least arranged in neat rows and columns. In the seats, there were adventurers: some quietly eating food, several demurely conversing, and many, surprisingly, who were cleaning up their own tables.

So baffling was the sight that Kirin had to gasp, cover his mouth, and whisper, "Isn't it kind of embarrassing that the people here appear to be more disciplined than those at home?"

Alia was unable to respond.

"Woohoo. You guys are here!" exclaimed a four-foot-tall girl climbing down a staircase. Her braided blue hair bounced as she jumped to the floor, and a metal, horned cap she had worn nearly slid off before she could get a hold of it. "You're the people from headquarters, right? Of course, you are. I'd recognize that crystal blue armor, dark blue armor, and red-blue-mixed dress anywhere! But... who are you?" A brown eye under her raised brow inquisitioned Kirin.

"Oh! Hello!" The trap waved in a panic. "Kirin Torisetti! Fable Eclipse's new member."

"Mhmm. Then you must be pretty powerful too." The girl squinted at the gemstone in Kirin's chest. "Cool, cool! Well! My name's Pani Ganaheim. The outpost's quest master. I've been told you're here to pick up quests. Lucky for you, we have tons!" She leaped and threw her hands to present the board. "Just pick any of these you want."

"You're awfully energetic." Onyx proceeded to read the quests available. "We're here to deposit too. We've killed the repter in the request."

"What?! No way!"

"Uhh." Faolan moved to make his way back out of the room. "Let me get the head. I'll be back."

"Whaaaaat?! Seriously?!" Pani's eyebags twitched as her fingers squeezed air. "But we've spent nearly three weeks hunting that thing down! Damn! People from headquarters really are on another level."

Kirin walked by the giddy quest master to join Onyx.

"You know what? Take multiple! Take as many as you want!" Pani sniggered under rapid breaths. "We've seriously been overwhelmed by Cernunnos creatures lately. Many of them seem to have been modified to be even stronger. If you could kindly get rid of as many of them as you can, I would seriously be eternally grateful to all of you guys!"

"Whoa." Kirin leaned towards the board, resting his hands on his knees. "These requests all sound really intense!"

Hunt Deadly Poison-Fanged Hellbirds Until Extinct.

Annihilate Colony of God Stingers.

Clear Latesi Lake of Dragon-blooded Swans.

"Can we--"

"No," Onyx whispered.

Kirin plunged to his knees and wrapped his arms around the blue knight's legs. "Please!!! Let's do all of them!!! All of them!!!"

"Idiot! We're not gonna have enough time."

"Pleeeeeaase!"

***

After selecting quests, the party retired to a tavern to rest. Downstairs, they first had dinner. Then they all climbed up to each of their own rooms to sleep.

They had all agreed to wake up early so they could head off before sunrise. But by 10:30 PM, Kirin hasn't even slept, secretly having his own scheme to play...

Dark it was, in the hallway, when the trap fluttered in the form of a bat past Alia's room, Onyx's, and then Faolan's. Kirin's wings were little. Yet he still was careful not to make sounds, flapping and then gliding instead of batting his wings too many times. Though there was probably no need, as... if his party mates had indeed followed the agreement, the three of them should have definitely been asleep by that time. Kirin was likely just being anxious. Of course, seeing as the trap himself wasn't exactly too deep in a nap, he just couldn't be too sure.

"Yes!" He squeaked, flying down the stairs, growing more confident after passing the most dangerous eighteen meters he had ever crossed.

But when a deep voice hissed and asked, "What do you want to do?" all of that confidence he had built up suddenly evaporated.

Kirin's wings condensed and left him to fall on a step.

Wait. But why?

Albeit that certainly was a man's voice, it was neither Faolan's nor Onyx's.

It was just leaking from a crack left by an unclosed door of one of that floor's rooms. Continuing, it told, "Your ultra-powerful monster isn't ultra-powerful enough after all."

"I know! I know, damn it," responded one more. Another that was more croaky than the first. "I added everything I could. I really never imagined anyone would be able to take it down."

"This is what happens when you don't listen to me."

"Fine! What do you suggest?!"

A cough boomed. "Well... I heard The Dragonlaird's on his way back to the kingdom. You know what genes he has?"

Silence lingered for a few seconds.

"If you could get a hold of that, you'd be able to make any creature as powerful as gods. Then you'll be unstoppable."

"I can finally prove myself to the king."

"Exactly."

"You're right."

"Muaha."

"Muahaha."

"MUAHAHA!"

"Hey, what are you doing there, Kirin?" a third voice asked. This time, it was right above him.

"Kyaaa! N-Nothing! I'm not doing anything! Totally not!"

"I see." Ely bent over to pick up the bat from the step. "Careful now. I almost stepped on you."

"Oh. Phew! Thank goodness it's just you--Wait. Why didn't you step on me?!"

"I could've pulped your organs out. Jeez." The man continued down the stairs. "Are you comfortable in my palms? You might wanna turn back human."

Kirin did, but only when they've reached the main hall where they occupied a table and sat facing each other. As Ely chowed on sauced pasta, Kirin glanced every so often at the stairs, expecting at least one of the other fables to come and catch him at any moment.

Well, if any of them did happen to, Kirin could just say he went down for a midnight snack with Ely, right?. That'd excuse him.

"So!" Ely picked up a napkin from a tray. "What was your business there sneaking around as a bat?"

Oh no. Why would Ely ask that of all things? There's no way Kirin was gonna be answering! What if Ely snitched? What if... what if!

Nope! Nada!

Better change the topic.

"Hold on a second." Kirin squinted. "How'd you know I was the bat?"

Ely used the napkin to wipe some red paste from his lips. "There's no way a real bat could ever survive Latesi. I supposed it was a transfigurer. Like someone whose title was The Vampire Paladin, for instance."

Oh. That deduction was actually quite simple.

"Alright." The man folded the napkin. "I've held on. What was your business--"

No, no! Bad! Really bad!

Ely answered so quickly, he's off to ask the same thing again!

Kirin's really seriously gotta derail that conversation. Better counter with more!

"Wait, wait! Wait one more second. What was your business sneaking up to me up there? Hmm? What are you doing in this tavern? What are you doing in Latesi? How'd you know we were going to Cernunnos? Now that I think about it, you were never able to tell us that. Tell me now! Spill it. Go on."

Hah! This time for sure, Kirin's gonna be able to divert the topic.

Ely put down the napkin, blinked once, and played with his tongue in his mouth as he answered, "Just happened to pass by. Latesi's a pretty small town, not that many inns. I'm here for the same reason you guys are going to the Kingdom of Beasts. What was your busi--"

"Shh!" Kirin bit his lip and checked the staircase one more time. "You can't tell my friends, okay? I was going out to fight monsters."

"Why wouldn't you want them to know that?"

"Because they've forbidden me to--Did... you say the same reason we're going to the Kingdom of Beasts? You know what that reason is?"1

Ely wiggled his eyebrows as he twirled a fork to collect pasta. "Something tells me you don't."

Kirin gave a blank stare.

Ely? Ely was the key to solving Faolan's mystery?