[ ––––––––– ֎ Days 44 - 58 ––––––––– ]

Just as promised, Augmi took Arath as an apprentice. Meanwhile, Noemi continued her training with Ghatash. As for the quests, new tasks solely for members of Cartographers became scarce and the girl learned enough of dungeon layouts, flora, and monsters to change her vocation to a better paying one – she joined Serpent Sorority and became a bodyguard for escort missions.

Dekhan's business grew, two more booths with street foods were opened and establishments of competitors started losing a lot of clients. Even the members of Silver Sinners stopped dining at their guild restaurant and frequented Dekhan's Inn or bar at the fountain district.

In these fifteen days, Arath and Noemi made respectively seventy-three silver coins and one gold coin plus fourteen silver coins.

[ ––––––––– ֎ Day 59 ––––––––– ]

It was two hours after midnight. Noemi was sleeping in her room at Dekhan's Inn. Her eyes opened and she immediately jumped out of her bed. She could hear and smell it, there were three rat-men running at the roof.

Noemi didn't waste any time, she grabbed a spear and a shield, left the room, and followed. Her predator's eyes were well accustomed to the dark. Those unknown people were heading in the direction of Dekhan's chamber, but she was faster.

The door was locked, so Noemi broke it down with her leg, waking Dekhan at the same time. Right as she did it, a fuming bomb fell to the room through a hole in a roof. The smoke was mixed with irritants. Noemi's eyes got slightly red and her vision became blurry, so she hastily equipped her goggles to prevent further effects. The girl could barely see and breathe, but she still could hear. There was a single rat outside, it tried to unlock the wooden window. Two other rats took a roundabout route and were near the door.

“Stay... (cough) ...close to (cough) me.” - Noemi called Dekhan, who listened in an instant.

Noemi stormed outside and evaded the first attack directed at her throat, then smashed the skull of a hostile rat with a blunt section of her spear. At the same time, she attempted to block an attack of the second rat with her shield. The enemy's deflected dagger slipped and scratched Noemi in the inner, unprotected part of her thigh.

Noemi swept her spear at enormous speed and knocked the second attacked off his feet. The collapsed rat turned and began to crawl away, but he was stopped with a kick to the face by another awakened adventurer.

The third rat unlocked the window, but couldn't see anything through the dense smoke, so he aimed blindly. A bolt struck Dekhan in the back and Innkeeper cried in pain. Hearing this, the last rat escaped.

Noemi began to experience a heavy migraine and started to wobble on her feet, she leaned against the wall and slipped to the floor. Her breathing became irregular and fast, the girl didn't know what's going on around her, but there were a lot of adventurers trying to help.

She whispered in a weak voice - “Call Arath.” - and waited.

[ ––––––––– Ϫ ––––––––– ]

Sweating, muscle twitching, swelling next to the wound, and irregular heart beat. There were two types of poison in Zurno. Fungi-based solutions and snake venom. Arath knew it had to be the second case due to symptoms. He took out a syringe and administered the antivenom, then ignored Noemi and moved to examine Dekhan.

The rat was in a stable state because other adventurers spared him their healing potions.

“Dekhan, we can do it the fast way or the slow, painful way. The difference is the cost of anesthetics and healing potion, which you'll have to pay. Which one do you prefer?”

“Stingy as always.” - Dekhan laughed heartily, although he squirmed in pain a second later. - “The slow way.”

Arath reached for his surgical tools. Dekhan was astounded by the quality of craft, they had to be worth a hefty sum. - “I didn't know you are a doctor.”

Arath didn't reply to the remark. - “Move on your belly.” - He requested instead, then began operating the wound. He stitched up whatever he could and poured a few drops of healing potion whenever part of the injury required more time to operate. - “Don't move, we need a stretcher.”

Arath instructed other residents to bring him a makeshift version made out of tightened bedclothes and two wooden staffs. Dekhan was carried onto his bed, and Arath turned to check Noemi's recovery.

The girl was regaining consciousness but was still in a weakened state.

Arath moved face closer and looked her straight in the eyes, then grabbed two potions out of his bags and uncorked them. - “Drink these.” - It was a stamina potion and endurance infusion.

Noemi listened, her breath became more deep and regular.

“What happened here?” - Arath asked here immediately after the girl was feeling just slightly better.

“Assassins.” - The girl replied in low voice. - “They tried... to kill Dekhan.”

Arath's suppositions were confirmed.

“Can I inspect their belongings?” - Arath asked nearby adventurers.

There was a single poisoned blade and no antidotes. Snakes weren't native to Zurno, they lived in lower layers, so only the newcomers could bring their corpses of poison by sheer chance. It was quite expensive to obtain, fortunately, the antidote was cheaper and as it was made of local ingredients. Arath had no logical reason to purchase it. It was a hunch, Lynnians who tended to overprepare lived much longer.

Arath also knew one more thing, it was forbidden to sell poisons without a permit, they could only be sold to guilds and each such sale had to be recorded.

On top of that, in one of the rats' bags, there were smoke bombs. These also weren't produced in Lynn, since they usually required bat guano and bats also weren't native to Zurno. The slight difference between Arath's bombs and these was that they weren't as dried out. They were fresh-made.

The town militia arrived. They stopped Arath from examining the equipment, but Arath already knew enough. It was an obvious struggle for power.

Someone high up had to do this, probably one of the guilds.

[ ––––––––– Ϫ ––––––––– ]

It was morning, Noemi's state was stable, but she lacked appetite or strength to get up. Dekhan was feeling better, but he couldn't leave his bed yet.

Arath knew that he was needed even more in the restaurant now, but he asked the rat innkeeper to allow him a part day off regardless and rescheduled his other working hours. Dekhan didn't object. In fact, he gave Arath access to the strongbox and asked him to invest in a few guards for the Inn. He suggested it should be some of the adventurers who helped them yesterday.

Noemi and Dekhan were under a constant watch now, so Arath assumed that they were rather safe. There was not much that he could do in case of direct danger either way.

Arath decided to visit Augmi first, he needed to replenish supplies and she could be a valuable source of information. However, her shop was closed, so he decided to visit the bazaar instead. He would get some vitamin-rich vegetables and herbs, then purchase the potions there.

While waiting in the line, Arath overheard a person behind him.

“Good morning.” - It was Augmi herself. She was carrying a bag and a sunflower-colored satchel.

“Morning.” - Arath turned and replied. - “I was actually looking for you.”

“Then it's a luck that we have met here.” - Augmi smiled lightly. - “What do you need?”

“Potions.” - It was Arath's turn at the shop, so he greeted the vendor and started pointing at the items that he wanted to purchase.

“It's my day off, but of course, I will make an exception.”

Arath didn't reply and continued his shopping.

There was an awkward pause, but Augmi was used to that, since she already knew the boy by his behavior. Instead of waiting, she asked - “How is Noemi?”

“Sick.”

The mouse was slightly concerned. - “Is it serious?”

“Not anymore.”

“What happened?”

Arath left the stall, it was Augmi's turn to buy. - “To tell the truth, we need to talk, in private.” - He responded.

Augmi's ears dropped, she had bad feelings about that.

[ ––––––––– Ϫ ––––––––– ]

Arath prepared a calming, herbal tea and poured a cup for himself and Augmi. They sat next to Augmi's collection of sketches and the boy started.

“Dekhan was attacked. Noemi stopped the attackers and got wounded.”

Augmi nervously asked. - “What's her condition?”

“Stable, but she was poisoned... by snake venom.”

“Snake venom!?” - The alchemist rose from the stool, terrified, and nearly spilled her tea. - “I need to check on her immediately!”

“Don't rush. I already told you, she is safe. We've more important things to take care of.”

Augmi sat.

Arath continued. - “Did you sell any venom lately?”

“No... but... I can check the records in Serpent Sorority and figure out who did.”

“Understood. Another question, do you know how anyone could come into possession of fresh bat guano?”

“Bat guano?” - Noemi was stupefied. - “It's less rare than snake venom... but fresh... it would have to be one of the new adventurers.”

“I will check the library archives and try to figure out who sold it.”

Augmi was contemplating. She appeared like she was withholding some information. - “There's also another option... but it makes less sense. We have a single bat-person in our town, but it's the mayor and hero of 'The Darkest Night', he wouldn't do it.”

“It could've been stolen.” - Arath responded. - “Still, another option to check.”

“I doubt it. He's a skilled adventurer. He wouldn't allow anyone to break into his house and take it, but he does share his supplies with the top members of guilds, but they can be trusted...”

“Nobody can be trusted, Augmi.” - Arath replied boldly. - “Ask yourself a few questions. Who would benefit from Dekhan's death? Who can easily afford snake venom?”

“You don't say...”

“Yes, I do. Trust no-one.”

“No, Arath. It could be a corrupted subordinate, we should consult it with the militia and they will co-operate with the guilds.”

“Militia knows as much as we do, so there's no point. If they're with the guilds, the matter will just be covered up.”

“You're being paranoid!”

“No. I know how society functions.”

“Lynn wasn't a normal society!”

“Zurno isn't either. You know that.”

Augmi couldn't refute. She knew the system wasn't fair, but Arath completely missed her point. The conversation was kind of cut short.

“I will prepare for the worst. Meanwhile, I will need your potions...”