"Ile Arxibiela." While her presence at the gates was a bit unexpected, I didn't think of it as surprising, with such involvement of the [Hounds]. Still, I had neither the desire nor the intent to speak or even meet her, no matter how impossible it may be with all the Chubu's stuff. Thus, with a cold nod, merely acknowledging her presence, I immediately turned my attention to the other woman.
"Did Maester Zelindo send for me? I am grateful for it, especially for such a lovely reception." A light bow, a smile, a compliment, and a lightly veiled question, far different from how I met Arxibiela. On the other hand, I surely didn't expect a clerk of the [Trade Guild] to await me by the gates, and she hadn't done me anything, so why wouldn't I behave myself?
"Ah, no, the Maester expected you to arrive later and planned to send one of his aides, but as a guard approached the compound to ask about you, there was only me. I am Sanna if Maester Lindar remembers." The slightly plump, round-faced, and short-haired woman, the same that Falko had introduced me to when I requested some of Count Rien's reward, deeply bowed her face flushing red.
"Maester Lindar, welcome back to the city. As a resident, there is no toll, but..." The young guard kept silent as I greeted the women that followed him from the guardpost, but using the ensuing pause, he interjected, hinting at Dart.
"Mmm, I will ensure his status and papers are in order as soon as possible. For now, I am willing to cover the required tolls." I quickly handed four town coppers, adding, "Obviously, until all is set on paper, consider me responsible for him."
"Understood, then again, welcome back, and just please wait so I..."
"No need, register him as Dart, to my name, and that's all. As for change, if you meant that, do consider it a small remuneration for your troubles." If there was a plus of having been played with for so long, it was that I learned to act as someone of a higher position, even if I was merely copying my - to their belief, at least - puppeteers. The remuneration part, on the other hand, the three extra coins didn't affect me much, but for the guard? It was nearly his weekly income, at least if he was a new recruit, as I supposed.
"Shall we go in, then?" Continuing to ignore Arxibiela, who kept silent, I looked towards the clerk and Dart and, receiving a nod from both, started through the first gate.
***
No matter how fun it was to play with fire, a poisonous one (Arxibiela's skill considered), I knew there was no way around it but to face the [Royal Hounds] local leader, and with her receiving me at the gates, it was clear that would have to happen even before meeting with Zelindo.
I could make whatever show I wanted on the streets, Xiela keeping her image of a simple trader, but even so, I felt she was already nearing the limit of her patience. Thus, while I was absolutely unwilling to have a face-to-face conversation with her, it was clear it would happen sooner or later. So, why not now, when I still held some initiative?
"Ile Sanna, do you, perchance, know the store called [Mana's Well. Odds and Trinkets. Magic and Rare.]?" Suddenly turning towards the clerk while saying her name, the rest of the question was asked as our noses nearly touched, my head lowered enough for her to think so, at least. {Damn, what a long name for a store! But now, let's see if she will react the same as before.}
And as I anticipated, with our eyes locked and so close to each other, the woman - when considering how she blushed when I complimented her - stuttered as she responded, her head bouncing up and down, "Y...yes, I do."
"Could I ask you for a favor, then?" Her head still bobbing up and down, I assumed her response as a yes and continued right away, not giving her a chance to interject, "I will need to talk with Ile Arxibiela before meeting Maester Zelindo, so could you please bring my employee there?"
The favor I asked of her wasn't much, but it went against Zelindo's orders, as I was sure he said something along the lines of, "Receive him and bring him to me." So, to deny her any possibility of rejecting what I asked her for, I quickly added some explanations, white lies if I had to describe them, "The business I just finished is somewhat connected with the clothing trade, so Ile Arxibiela and I have some shared interest."
And then, preempting any questions raised by my explanation, added, "It will also benefit the Guild, and I will specifically mention you, Sanna; Can I call you like that?-" As she nodded again, still blushing from our so-close contact, I continued, "And I will definitively tell him how I asked you for a favor, and if needed, explain why I didn't arrive right away. Don't worry. I am sure he will not say anything to you. If not, even reward you."
***
Now after explaining and being left alone just half a street from [Xiela's Fabrics], it wasn't strange for the store's owner and, by a weird, coincidence leader of the local [Hounds], to invite me there. And while she continued playing her role to the last, until we crossed the heavy iron door, her modest and respectful speech already had some acidic notes.
"I see that you returned in good health. Indeed, just from the road and already flirting!" Already inside, Xiela hissed, her black eyes promising me no good.
"I am truly sorry." Bowing as if I was ashamed, I straightened a moment later, continuing in the same solemn tone, "I am grateful for the instruction. Next time I will be sure to rush at you while shouting something about a report for the [Hounds]."
Maybe I went overboard with how I behaved, but even now, I feel that there was no other possible reaction. And indeed, what I assumed to be a simple under-the-table deal turned out to be some ploy of the very high and mighty, but if that wasn't all, the [Hounds] were the ones to involve me in something that I was definitively not planning to do.
Granted, I did wish for something very harmful to happen to the ones paying for girls like Kierra or Angelique, and Master Renrith's death wasn't something I would cry about... But everything else?!
"Haaa..." Initially, Xiela was about to rebuke or even worse, but she forced herself to calm down, slowly exhaled, and only then asked, "You done?"
I followed her actions and, this time, with some degree of genuine shame, responded, "Yes."
Then, she motioned me to follow her into the store's office, where we would talk. {What a lovely smell!} Guilty as I am, I can only say that the thought was nothing but an observation of the sweet aroma of Xiela's perfume that entered my nostrils as she suddenly stopped at the doors of the office, nearly making me crash into her.
***
I would spend about an hour in [Xiela's Fabrics], inside the same cabinet she had received me for the first time. As a [Fang] and someone involved, Arxibiela did not need a report. Hell, she even probably knew far more than I did. Still, she did ask me a few questions. And mainly the ones that I somehow had managed to avoid before.
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Things like my arrangements with Gudea or who was the mysterious patron who paid me to check on him, and this time, my half-truths wouldn't work. Especially the latter one, as while I somehow managed to make Aison believe that the Baroness of [Lake Anear] was the one, the clash with her sister and subsequent talks hinted that it wasn't so. No one had paid or contacted me at any moment either, as since I left Gudea's mansion and up to now, I had been under constant watch.
Yet, if before, I could fail to respond, by now, three days later? I had already prepared an answer. And the [Royal Hounds] would definitively not like or could confirm, "I can't say, but I initially supposed it was the Baroness, only then connecting the dots and reaching the conclusion it was someone sent by someone from the [Royal Council]." At this point, I smirked as I continued, "Especially as no one attempted to contact me or approached to pay me, with the Baron dead." Thanks to this, Xiela herself judged it as a provocation, and with the [Council] being so quick to wash their hands out of the matter? It could be very close to the truth, indeed.
She was also very interested in how I dealt with an actual certified mage, a true cloak. Thankfully for this, I had already been interrogated several times, and I merely replied the same as I did to Aison and the others, just adding one or two details. Not many, and obviously not the entire truth, but I didn't lie. Indeed, Renrith would have been an impossible opponent. If not for a long streak of luck, like him not expecting me or my unexpected state allowing me to act even while wounded.
By the end, her last questions had been an attempt to learn about my stay with the dwarves. And while very feeble, the questions were directed to find out if I had something else but the agreed cargo among the things I would be bringing to Zelindo. For the former, I only shrugged, revealing everything but the magic stuff I managed to learn. But for the latter? Here I could only lie. And still, I did everything I could to avoid a direct lie, going with the explanation that I had no idea, but the number of things given to me, and now held in my [Storage], seemed correct.
"As you understand, I never attempted or will attempt, to open or touch that. Not when told about the magic traps and seals the [Sharagzian Kingdom] merchant use." The veritable truth, even if the only actually trapped boxes were the extras Xiela had attempted to uncover.
***
Having finished discussing our matters, or in reality, after I responded to all of Xiela's questions, I left the store. Not before asking myself why the girls weren't present, as from Kierra's words, she should be working at this hour. As for Angelique, I doubted she would stay alone at home, so I asked about both of them.
"I didn't expect you to rush so much, so I told them you would be arriving by night and asked them to deal with a small matter in my stead-" Noticing how my face changed, as no matter what, I would never allow the girls to be involved with the actual business, or at least do whatever I could for it to not happen, Xiela quickly shook her head, adding, "It's just a cloth shipment, on the other side of the city, by the eastern gate."
"Understood. Then, I will move to the Guild and meet with Zelindo. And I hope-" I briefly paused before continuing, "-really hope that OUR cooperation has concluded."
***
Leaving the store and having made about half the distance to the Guild's compound, I exhaled in relief, {It worked out well.}. And indeed, she accepted all my explanations and answers, and how could she not? Especially with;
Afflictions: Lodarr's Blessing (Mist), Poison, Resisted.
{But to use such as perfume? A very unexpected way, especially after the hour-long explanation by Lelani about their 'only' possible use, via adding the extract to a drink!} I even allowed myself to smile, having, for the first time, actually outplayed my so-called companions.
Indeed, I had no doubt that every word I would say to Xiela would be tested, examined, and questioned. The only question that had been around in my mind for the last few days had been the how. Thus, I even prepared a more truthful and extended explanation, only omitting what I could in the case of a test via [Truth Orb]. But! The [Hounds] outsmarted themselves, recurring to something that, in their minds, would not be detected and couldn't be countered by me.
-*-*-
Unexpectedly, my meeting with Zelindo would be far less stressful than the one I had been preparing for, at least mentally. I don't even feel like to [Record] it entirely, especially as nothing new would be said or revealed.
In any case, leaving Xiela's shop, I would reach the Guild compound's walls without any issue, and seeing a known face on the gate, the poorly shaven guy who had helped me with the ores and metals, I didn't need to identify myself, immediately being allowed inside, and escorted to Zelindo's office, on the second floor of the main building.
The spacious room received me with the same sunbathed carpeted floor, the leather sofas by the window, and Zelindo sitting behind his work table. Seeing me, he motioned for the guard to leave, stood up from his seat, and nodded towards the sofas, nearly as he had done on my previous visit.
"Lindar, I am glad to see that you returned safely-" As he spoke, Zelindo's hand clenched into a fist, and a moment later, my [Mana Sense] detected how some magical effect filled up the room, but Zelindo didn't show that he noticed my surprised glance, continuing as if nothing happened, "-especially after EVERYTHING that you were involved in Chubu. And that even after I nearly pleaded with you to stay as far as possible from the local branch or the [Hounds] matters!"
"I had no chance to avoid some events. Unexpected and unwanted events, I should add." I shrugged, quickly confirming via [Status Screen] that the effect had nothing to do with me, as it didn't even appear in it.
"You can speak openly. What you just sensed is nothing else but a muffling enchantment. No one but us two should know what will be said here." Taking my vague answer as a precaution, Zelindo explained as he sat facing me.
"I see. Then I suppose I should first report?-" After waiting for Zelindo to nod, I would continue, retelling the same version of events as the ones I shared in Bigradh, "-it all started with..."
The report, which took me half an hour, done; Zelindo would spend about the same time in silence as if thinking about everything I reported.
It was after he arrived or feigned to arrive at some conclusion of his own that he broke the silence, "I understand that there are probably details that you had to omit-" Not waiting for me to confirm or deny, Zelindo continued, "-but I am sure that, at some point, the official report will be made, and contain even less. Thus, I am grateful for you to bring the news, even if it was Gudea who asked you to do so."
"I was working for the [Trade Guild], so how could I not?" I shrugged again, for who knows what time today.
"Indeed. Now! Before we proceed to the basement for you to unload the agreed cargo, let's utilize this moment while we are ALONE to complete the other part." Zelindo specifically mentioned the part about being alone, but before I summoned anything, to his surprise, I made a quick [Life Radar] check around.
"Your own instructions, Maester." Only having confirmed that there was absolutely no one but us two in the room, I summoned the three sealed crates and the small lockbox given to me with such care by Weral.
***
"I suppose I am now free to go?" Finishing my work as a cargo mule, even if a magical one, I asked directly, wishing nothing but to avoid meeting the one to receive the goods. The Viscount himself in the branch! Now that was something I didn't want to have anything to do with!
"Indeed, you are. Nothing happened while you were away, but you did spend more days out than expected, so I am sorry for taking so much of your time." Zelindo smiled, hinting at the girls.
But as I turned around, moving towards the basement's exit, "Your status, officially, has not changed, so do visit me in three days. After resting from the journey."
While I managed to reduce all my inner desire to swear and curse to a simple question like, "Hmm?" my face probably revealed something of my actual thoughts, to which Zelindo nearly raised his hands as he added, "You are to receive a reward for this trip, aren't you? And I would also have you return to what we agreed at the start, some revisions of our branch businesses."
{Damn, and here I thought I could find a way to send all of them and their games to hell.} But regretfully, it seemed that I could not, at least not instantly, so I only nodded in response while a small part of my mind wondered, {A reward? Considering he is definitively aware that I didn't leave Chubu empty-handed?}
***
"Home at last!" Opening the door with the same [Earth Blood], or [Magic Clay] as I called it myself, key, I exclaimed, only slightly disappointed about the girls not being present.
After all, that two were definitively ones I wanted to see!