“Where are your weapons and armor?" she asks.

"I sold it all to get here" Garvan says.

Melvina suddenly sits back in her chair. Her cloak opens slightly and Garvan catches a glimpse of what looks like fur in a large inner pocket. "Stranger, I am getting weary of lies" Noticing where his eyes have strayed, she closes her cloak.

"Lies?" he asks, doing his best to sound indignant.

"Half-truths, perhaps. I cannot say."

“Well, let me be plain. I heard you may have a job for an adventurer," he says.

She chants something in a slow, low voice and then slaps the table sharply.

"What did you say? What was that language?" Garvan asks.

Melvina studies him for a moment and then says, "I saw you like card games. How about we play a game? If you answer a question of mine truthfully, then I will answer one of yours."

"Uh... Very well," Garvan says.

She spits on her hand and holds it out to him. Garvan spits and shakes.

She chants something else again in that low voice.

"Alright, I will ask first" she says with a satisfied smile. "I do not care about your real name, but if I am to do business with a man, I want to know whom he is running from."

"I am not running--"

"Whom are you running from?"

His thoughts stop and his words begin to spill out in a torrential whisper. "I'm a skilled alchemist. I dabbled with dark arts out of curiosity. As a result, Shadow Soldiers arrived to execute me.”

He pauses as he fights his compulsion to speak. ‘Gods, she has bewitched me!’ he thinks. Pain flashes through his mind. Must finish...

"I passed out as darkness engulfed my being. When I awoke, I discovered that all the Shadow Soldiers had died. I have been on the run ever since. On the outer wheel I came to find the presence concealment item."

'Even my [Composure skill] is not working? How did her magic penetrate this skill of mine?'

Such spell will not be below 4-star magic. If Melvina's magic can breach the 'Composure Skill', then it means that she is an A rank level magician.

Garvan's physical strength is far superior to Melvina's because of the blessings of his werewolf status, but his magical abilities are less developed.

At the very least, because she didn't inquire, he revealed nothing about his abilities.

The fist around his mind loosens.

"Curse you!" he hisses at her. "You are a witch!"

He peers around the inn, afraid that his revelations will have ruined his chances to glean money here. Thankfully, no one seems to be paying attention to him.

"And you are an outlaw and a renegade." Her voice has no malice, in fact, it sounds kind.

"Now, per our agreement, you may ask a question of me."

"But you won't be forced to comply as I was, will you?" Garvan says with a glare.

"But I will" she says quickly. "That is the way of magic—sometimes. It gives and it takes." She smiles. "Now that I have answered your question, I will ask another. What value would you bring to my adventuring party?”

He’s still gaping in outrage when the words start streaming of their own accord.

" Am a good scout. I can move quietly and unseen when it pleases me. I have modest skills at alchemy. I have been trained with a few weapons and understand some battle tactics"

‘Better that time,’ he thinks. At least he did not go on and on with his blabbing; however, he is unhappy with his use of the term modest' skill. Truth is often cruel.

Melvina nods.

Hoping to avoid spilling more uncomfortable secrets, he straightens his cloak and says, "It is time for me to go."

"But you get to ask me another question," she insists. "But ask quickly, the spell lasts only so long."

Well, she already pulled his most pressing secret out of him, straightaway. Perhaps now is the time to learn something from her.

Several options come to him. His first question could find out whether or not he can trust her. He'd certainly like to know if she is an evil witch. He’s desperately curious to know whether she raised the dead as Imania claimed. It might be more practical to ask what she brings to the adventure party. Is she a powerful wizard?

What does he ask?

Raising the dead is illegal and certainly punishable by death. Melvina knows secrets about him, and so he would like to balance the scales. Aside from that, he would like to test her claim that the spell requires her to tell the truth. Certainly, she wouldn't admit to necromancy if she were not compelled to... Of course, Hele did say it was just a rumor, so if she denies it, that does not necessarily mean she is lying.

‘Not an excellent test, but it's something,’ he thinks.

He gives Melvina his most evil grin. "ls it true that you have raised the dead?"

She scowls and hesitates. She bites her lip and then finally says in a whisper, "Yes, I raised my familiar, a raven named Mighty Beak."

"A raven? Not a cat?"

She laughs uncomfortably, shifting in her seat. "I am not surprised that is what you heard. They think 'witch' and then think ‘cať. In any case, it did not work out. Once raised, he was nearly mindless and constantly hungry for flesh, far worse than when he was alive. The poor thing could not even fly anymore. I destroyed it the same night."

‘Her spell really does compel her to speak the truth,’ Garvan thinks. Unless she is being clever.

"What do you think of rats?" she asks.

"Rats?" He pauses. He feels no compulsion to answer. After a few seconds, he smiles triumphantly. "Evidently, your spell has lost its potency. I shall decline to answer your question."

Melvina frowns, opens her cloak, and digs around for a moment. She then throws a furry animal onto the table with a long, naked tail.

"Rat!" Garvan gasps as he tilts his chair away. It lies limply in front of you. Its eyes are closed. Its mouth is frozen open, revealing yellowish incisors.

"I presume that you do not care for them," says Melvina with a chuckle.

"Who-" he stutters in a whisper. "Who carries around a dead rat?"

He looks around the inn. Hele is staring at their table. Her face is contorted in disgust.

"Put it away!" Garvan hisses.

Melvina continues to smile as she carefully lifts the dead rodent off the table and stuffs it into her cloak. "Maurice was my most recent familiar." Her smile fades. "Trampled by a horse. Broke his back, the poor dear"

"I think it is time l take my leave,” Garvan says, scooting back his chair.

"And what of the Seers?" she asks. "Even if you find a concealment item by sundown tonight, what if it is too late?"

“I’ll manage," Garvan says, standing.

"They stop at no expense. They hire the best diviners in the kingdom to scry for fugitives" she says.

"They have a reputation to protect" he agrees. Just then, the door to the inn jangles open, and Garvan looks up. Imania and Hele are leaving the inn. Imania glances back at him as the door shuts behind them.

"Never mind her," says Melvina in a soft voice, nodding at the door. "She needs to get back to her wealthy husband, anyway.”

Garvan turns back to Melvina. She motions to his chair. "People like you and I must make our own way, and I have a proposition for an avaricious man such as yourself."

"Look," Garvan says. "I am not...”

She says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Everyone hash eard tales of how the Church settles performers of witchcraft."

Garvan sits.

"If you are an adventurer who hates rats, then you and I can make some coin," she says.

He is attempting to plan ahead of time what Garvan's means of earning will be after he receives the concealment artifact. He used to make money at Alchemy Workshop, but now he is in a hurry, and if he establishes an Alchemy Workshop or an Alchemy-related shop, everyone will notice it, and the administration's attention will be drawn to him.

Besides, they're undoubtedly looking into all the other alchemy stores for information on him. Furthermore, he lacks the financial means to open a new alchemy workshop.

For the time being, generating money through an adventure party appears to be a safe and low-profile option.

Garvan sighs. "Does this have to do with cleaning out the sewers?"

"It is no wonder. Rats are a problem in all cities," she says. "The mayor is offering two gold for each head-the giant ones, that is. People have been going missing.”

"People are missing?" Garvan says incredulously. "If I were the mayor, I would seek killers who walk on two legs, not four."

She laughs. "Agreed. Nevertheless, the bounty stands at two gold per head. That's a day's worth of work in the mines."

"Instead of the mines, you are telling me to go down in a sewer!”

"That is what Bendice said,” Melvina says.

"That man-of-arms I spotted you with earlier?" Garvan says.

She nods. "I cannot seem to form a party to go down there," she says. "The Captain of the Guards will not commit his own troops for the sewers, either. It's disease everyone fears, really" She frowns. "And it stinks."

"You mean to tell me that you want to slog about in the sewer? A.." Garvan lets the sentence drop.

"A woman?" she asks, her eyes narrowing.

"It's unusual, you must admit,” Garvan mutters.

"I’ll have you know that I'm a wizard who can summon death to those deserving of it" she says, her face hardening. "Like you, I could use some coin. But unlike you, I'd use it for books and instruction rather than card games, drinks, and." Her voice trails off.

Now it's Garvan’s turn to finish her sentence.

"Whores?" he suggests. "You were going to say that I desire coin for whores, weren't you?"

"I.." She blushes. "1 was not going to...I mean, I would never use that word. There are some perfectly nice ladies that I have

met..."

Garvan smiles as he watches her trip over her words.

"In any case, the Captain of the Guards for the Outer Wheel has promised me one of his guards for protection, but this guard will not get a cut of the bounty," says Melvina.

"A trained and armed guard to provide protection but without a share?"

Ignoring him, she continues, "We'd split the bounty two to one, my favor. That is... if you hold up your end."

The sewer is the last place Garvan wants to go in this city, but it might be a quick path to coin. He was taught to never accept an offer at face value. The question is, does he want to negotiate or simply decline? He would decline to get her to beg, of course.

He doesn't want to overplay his hand, but he also doesn't want to be taken advantage of and be labeled a knucklehead. On his first day in the city, he doesn’t think so.

“Why do you get two shares to my one?" Garvan asks. "Would we not equally be in the sewer?"

“Very well, you may have two shares to my five" she says.

"That is worse than your first offer!" he exclaims.

She grins. "Just testing. I would not slog through the sewer with a complete fool."

"Half each," Garvan says. "Equal risk, equal reward."

"What of my finder's fee?" She leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I found this job and negotiated the service of the duke's man. You have done nothing more than wander into this inn."

"And I say inviting me into the sewer on my first day in town is a tough sell," he says. "Unless you are equitable about it."

‘She needs me for some reason,’ he thinks. He will let this play out.

She stares at him, her arms remaining crossed. Finally, she sits forward and takes a sip from her drink. "Fine, halves it is. But you will go first. You call yourself a scout, so that's what you will do."

"And a healer if I get bit by one of those filthy vermin,"' he adds thoughtfully. "And as he said, “It's disease that is the problem. I’ll have to insist on a priest of Ohena at the temple, not a gypsy witch in a dirty alley"

"Now see here!" she says. "Such healers require much gold! You will take care to watch your step. I will not pay anything for a sloppy scout."

Garvan regards her for a moment and then suggests amenably, "Why don't we have the loaned guard go first? Let's save your coin for healers if we can."

She shrugs. "If he will do it. I do not imagine the Captain of the Guards will lend us his finest stock. Besides, no man of the duke's has pledged fealty to us."

"Well, let us go find out what is offered!" Garvan says, standing up. He grabs her ale and guzzles down what's left.

She stands up, her mouth slightly open.

Before she can even say anything, Garvan rushes his mouth quickly.

"You'll need a clear head for those spells of yours," Garvan explains. "Come. Let us smite some vermin."

"I must warn you, Goose,” she says as she stands. "I had a dream of Vidur."

"The god of glory?" Garvan says. "It is a good omen."

“Where there is glory, death stands near," she says. "We may find more than rats on this adventure. You will need all the courage and wits that you boast of."

"Courage and wits are my shadow," Garvan says, mustering his most confident smile. "Do you need to remind a shadow to follow?"

Melvina motions to the door. "Lead the way, Goose."

As the two of them emerge from the inn, Garvan notices the moon has risen very high on the horizon. "Gods, it's later than I thought"

A tingling from inner wolf shivers through his body.

“So…when will we be meeting again?” Garvan asks.

“A week later.” Says Melvina.

Melvina peers toward the moon. "Do you know where to find your concealment artifact?”

“I was told of a place in this Outer Wheel, yes" Garvan says. "That is why I had to sneak my way into this district..."

"You better attend to that business before we go to see the Captain of the Guard."

Garvan estimates Melvina has proven herself to be an A-rank level witch in all of her previous endeavors. She should be able to employ concealment magic.

“Perhaps you could help me conceal my presence?”

It is humiliating to ask for a such help from a stranger, but Melvina does not make him grovel too much. She knows what is at stake. However, she claims that her magic spell to only last for 7 hours.

[4 hours ago]

[ Nimera town, West Middle Wheel]

Meanwhile, in the west part of the Middle Wheel-

Sharp dagger knife nesting inside a soft comfy sheath. Grim mask on the face. A gray bag on the shoulder. It's like a baboon coming down the wall. Thief; Cunning like a fox. The bag that he is carrying is not an ordinary bag. It's a museum containing an item more valuable than a diamond.

It's a moonless, gloomy night.

His location is covered by the pitch black curtain of night, like a stone covered in grass.

For a brief moment, the veil of darkness tears up by a flashy, bright light. The dazzling light of destructive, blazing thunderbolt is blinding. And the ominous sound of a thunderous roar is deafening.

Sudden mighty thunderbolt strikes like an explosive bomb. It shattered the thief's bones like glasses. The heated force burns some parts of his body and sends him flying like a blow to a feather.

A mysterious man wearing a large, crimson, hooded cloak weightlessly semi-floating in the open air; slightly above the ground. Dead white eye balls. Lenses are not visible. His eye lenses are focused upwards. He is enchanting an unknown arcane language.

Faint surplus, atmospheric electricity is generating in his fists. It's there, faintly, like a falling dew. And then, slowly fades away like a cloud in the horizon.

He stops enchanting.

Normality restores in his eyes like a soul returning to its dead body. Floating stops. Slowly and steadily, he drops back to the ground like a light feather.

A deep, manly voice waves from behind "Aahad, I could have taken care of him myself. There was no need for wasting such power for a rat." Unsheathes his sword from the cave of its flexible vessel.

"Besides, something could have happened to the item."

The man is tall, wearing impenetrable armour and added with a polished shield and samurai sword.

The man in the cloak replies, "I didn’t want to take any chances. It was hard to find this sneaky little bastard. Your samurai skills are useless from long distance."

Cumulonimbus dark-clouds overcast in the sky, clapping thunders. Flashing lights and roaring loud vibrating sounds like a bloodcurdling howling of a giant dragon.

The only motion in the air was that of the dripping, microscopic particles of drizzling mist.

"It's already started to drizzle. It will rain soon. Let me get the item and then, let's leave for home. At the moment, we have a serious mission in our hands."

The armoured samurai holds his protective shield in one hand and the sharp naked sword in the other hand. He advances forward to retrieve the item from the bag.

In front of him lies a half roasted, broken man. He is lying there unconscious like dead leaves on the highway. First, the samurai gets rid of the thief's tiny deadly dagger. Then, retrieves the item from the bag.

"Let's go. We need to hurry. We must capture a dangerous criminal. A werewolf. Let's go home. And take some rest."

The samurai nods his head in agreement.

Both of them start running in high speed and vanish from the place within mere moments.

[ Ahad: S-rank Wizard]

[ Varam: S-rank Samurai ]