With time, both he and his sister dealt with more shady businesses. At first, Ban did it reluctantly but it felt like, slowly but surely, Ban started to accept things with happiness.

Dit couldn’t keep it in any longer, he questioned his sister.

“Why are you doing this Ban...? So many people... Are we any different from those people...?”

“I’m doing this for us!”, shouted Ban in return.

Dit stopped and looked right at her.

She looked back, anger fully taking over her face. She sighed and looked down.

“I’m doing this for us... Can’t you see, little brother?”

“All the people... we’re just following the laws of this place; we’re just following the laws of humanity...”, she added.

She started walking back and forth, stopped, and started to laugh.

“This is how it goes... we were too weak to protect ourselves...”

A moment of sadness passed on her face.

“Protect... who we lost...”, she murmured.

Ban shook her head and looked at Dit again.

“More importantly, I’m doing it for you.”

She placed her hands on his cheeks.

Dit held her hand and nodded.

He believed her.

Ban nodded in return.

“Let’s go! The job isn’t going to finish itself!”, said Ban, laughing again.

Which they did. Slowly earned Esting’s trust as well.

“How... is the kingdom?”, asked Esting.

Ban and Dit were both sitting around in his shop, it was a slow day.

“The kingdom?”, Dit replied

“Yes. The kingdom.”

Esting looked back at Dit.

“I’m from... there.”

Ban jumped out of her seat laughing, “You’re from the kingdom? How did we not know of this before?”

“Why are you so shocked?”, asked Esting.

“Did you think I was from Decna?”, he added.

“Yes!”, said Ban, laughing even harder.

“Is it because of the rules... I mean you aren’t half wrong.”, Esting replied.

He sighed and asked, “So... how is it?”

“Oh... Can’t say we have a good experience with it.”, Ban replied, stopping her laughter altogether.

Esting’s snickered.

“I can imagine so.”

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He picked up a vine glass and started to clean it.

“The kingdom... The kingdom... All because of the hero who hailed from there, that it can use the name.”

Ban shrugged and replied, “I guess so.”

“You don’t seem to have high opinions of the hero.”, asked Dit.

Esting’s chuckled and put the glass down. He looked at Dit before speaking, “Observant as always!”

“The hero and the mage get all glory... Did you know that there was also a sage?”

Ban and Dit looked at Esting and then back at each other.

“Yes. We’ve heard him being mentioned in the story we heard back when we were in the orphanage.”, Dit replied.

“Yes, him. He’s supposed to be my ancestor...”, said Esting.

Esting smiled and looked down, “My father was quite proud of that fact...”

He sighed and picked up another glass to clean.

“Ahh... The sage didn’t receive much. He’s forgotten by time.”

“Did you ever visit the kingdom?”, asked a curious Ban.

“No... No, I did not. I do have some associates there though.”

Ban laughed again,” What associates? “, she asked.

“There’s this person called Knave...”

Before Esting could continue, Both Ban and Dit stood up in shock and came near Esting, who got shocked.

“I assume you’ve heard of him...”, he replied while putting up his hands.

“The glass in my hand could’ve fall-”, he added before being interrupted by Ban.

“Where is that man?”, she asked with anger in her voice.

Esting couldn’t stop his smirk.

“Want Information about him? I’d be glad to help.”

Ban grabbed Esting’s collar.

“Ban! Stop”, said Dit trying to pull her away.

Esting laughed.

“What do you want... in exchange.”, replied Ban.

“Good. Good. You've learnt how merchants behave while spending time with me,” said Esting while fixing his collar.

“I believe in a fair share... and I want Knave to be removed... Just like you!”

“Why do you want him to be removed?”, asked Dit.

“He doesn’t believe in a fair share!”

“But first... I need you to do something for me.”, Esting added.

“I’m sure you have heard of the Bel Re gang in your countless expeditions to take back my goods...” said Esting.

“The ones we avoid... What about them?”, asked Ban while crossing her hands.

“Just to make sure...”, said Esting while taking out a poster from his shelf.

“... Bel Re himself doesn’t know what you look like, right?”, he added.

He came near Ban with the poster in his hand, expecting a reply.

“No... I don’t think so...”, Ban replied.

“Good. Good.”, Esting gave Ban the poster he held and continued, “This is Bel... In a few days, he’s going to bust up another merchant's... stock of goods.”

Esting clasped his hands, “I want you both to go help him!”. He then smiled.

“Help your enemies?”, Ban asked while laughing.

“No. No. They are not my enemies...”, Esting replied. He walked towards the side and looked Ban directly in the eyes and continued, “They’re... merely tools. Tools which I will utilize to get what I want.”

“I guess we won’t get to know what you want...?”, asked Ban, smiling sarcastically.

“Precisely.”, replied Esting.

“Do as I told you, and you’ll get all the information you’d want.”, he added while smiling.

Ban started to laugh again, and both Dit and Esting looked at her.

“Of course. Consider it done.”, she smiled.

Ban went near the desk Esting was sitting on and smashed her hands on it, while looking directly into Esting’s eyes.

“I hope you fulfill the end of your bargain.”

“I’m a man who believes in fair share...”, Esting replied while smiling.

Ban nodded and Esting nodded in return.

Ban took one of the many fruits on Esting’s table and bit into it.

“Let’s go Dit.”, she said while getting out of the shop.

Esting kept smiling, “Good luck!”

“For both our sakes, I hope you succeed.”, he added.

Dit looked back at Esting and saw him smiling, he nodded and went outside the shop as well.

They had an important task at hand, they were close to getting the information they needed. Which made Ban even more excited.