In front of The Safe. the people around watching the lesser elementals doing nothing, became more crowded. That makes Jack attempt a little harder to put Lyla and Greg back. After letting Greg and Lyla ‘bewitched’ by whatever their cuteness was, Jack starts dragging them both after ten minutes with non responsive and just intangible ‘aww’ or ‘look at the paws Jack’ or ‘look how she played with the tail’ and Jack decides that was enough.

“Heh! What a very perfect day for me by watching you drag those useless lots. Let me tell you, it makes me not envy your situation Jack.” Jack heard the Old Billy chuckling and booming comments. With some effort, Jack finally ‘deposited’ his burden into the table.

The two just make some pitiful noise that makes Old Billy chuckling become more intense. It's kind of a mix between growl and giggle. Quite terrifying actually.

“Well neither I, Billy. Believe me. So! Where was our order?” Jack asked him while looking around the table. Not seeing any packages. Until Greg, the sulking adult eyes lit up.

“What? It's not ready yet? Then perhaps we should wait in The Safe. Right Lyla?”

“Why, Greg, my friends, had such marvelous ideas! Let's go! Call us if it's done Jack, thanks!” Lyla prepared to dash with Greg.

Jack just resigned with his responsibilities to drag them back for another second round. Until he hears squeaking toddlers' noise.

“Gleg’s! You chose those smelly things lather than…me?! then I would play with Jack instead, lathel than you! Hump.” With that, the three paused. Greg spun and looked shocked. Because standing there while holding the smirking Old Billy’s hand was Fred, his little wolf-kin friend.

After he said that, Fred shot in front of Jack and started hugging his leg, demanding that Jack pick him up with the puppy eyes.

“What! …why are you here Fred?!'' What made Greg and Jack not reacting to any of Fred's remarks and demands was because they both were so shocked. Fred should not be here, in Symara. Because right now he should be in B’azin. That’s practically one week of travel at the latest.

Then Fred’s parents come out from behind Old Billy laughing like it's some hilarious prank. Alric and Vana, Billy’s old regulars.

“Now, now. Don’t look that shocked. It's because they just canceled the trip. Because of the weather, the tide was unpredictable. Here, your usual orders.” Old Billy helpfully said while placing their lunch box on the table, but watching Greg and Jack’s reaction, the bear-kin appeared a little bit guilty.

“That makes sense,” She said, so while Greg and Jack reunited with Fred and his parents, Lyla approached to pay the orders. But freezing in place after sensing her flat vest.

“Where’s my…but I'm sure I grab and put it in here…am I going to the bathroom? no, i’m sure to put it here even before…” Panicked, she began checking every pocket in her jacket. After not finding it, she finally relented and asked.

“Uh, guys. Have any of you ever seen my wallet?” Lyla, already pale faced, asked her friends. Her hand was shaking quite hard in the process. Old Billy and the wolf-kin started sniffing her, hoping to find the smell or any trace of her wallets. Before they move out from the restaurants, Fred throws something in her direction.

“Lyla, Catch!” Gregs suggested, stuttered, she tried to catch the object. After checking what she caught—

“Remember that man you bumping into before we arrived at The Safe? He tried to steal your wallet and bracelet. Fortunately, I saw and was able to catch his grabby hand. So before he ran away, I stole his wallet back, that makes us even, right? Heh.” Greg nonchalantly said while tossing giggling Fred into the air.

They were all eyeing Greg like he had grown another head. Except Jack, he just grabbed something from his pants pocket and showed them by sliding it on the table.

“Don’t look at me like that. I was just as confused as you all. Greg tosses that wallet to me first, you know. So it's normal if I asked, didn't i?” Jack pretends he isn't afraid of the consequences of Greg’s actions.

“Well, that could complicate the problems.Why did you have to steal his wallets Greg, isn’t it enough to just, I don't know, do the other people normally do? You can just shout to the Watch right?” Frowning, Old Billy tried to find reasoning in Greg’s bold act. Also smelling the potential trouble from the wallets, if the Watch knew, then he could get fined heavily for letting the stolen goods lay in his table like that.

But what they all didn't expect was Greg’s giggle with Fred after Old Billy’s asked. That makes Jack and Lyla very alarmed. they glanced at each other, then by the reaction of Old Billy’s face, the situation could be worse.

“Boy! What are you laughing at? Are you taking me for granted? Finally, was this your nature boy?” Old Billy began taking a step and looming, closing into giggling Greg. Jack accidentally moves, intercepting Billy’s path. Jack looked up, then the two watched each other's eyes. ‘Wonderful’, Lyla exhaled.

“Greg must have a reason, Billy, he never intended to insult you. In fact, he admired you. I guarantee it, just, please listen to what he would say, yeah?” Jack countered, his back was sweating heavily. Well, that was very intimidating. Please Greg, please don’t make it worse.

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“Whoa! Don’t be mad dude!” Greg lightly chimed in.

“Dude!” Fred approved solemnly.

Now, Lyla could even smell Billy and Fred’s parents' wrath. Fortunately, before they could snap, Greg finally explained.

“Think about it, since when do pickpockets carry wallets while they operate? Right Dude?” Solemnly, while looking at Fred in his lap as if Fred's have been conspiring with him or copying Fred or…perhaps to distract them from the heart of problems—that he was stealing. or both. But his analysis was still on point, while the others were just in a state of panic or emotional, Greg’s words functioned like cold waters in the head.

“If you put it like that, It actually doesn’t make any sense. Alric, you’re the most known that have interacted with or works. Was the pickpocket behavior make sense to yo—”

“No. That’s not make any sense at all. Hrrmm, yes, now I'm certain, that’s not the work of a or .” Alric answered. And somehow that was not making the situation any better, rather it makes it more dire.

“My assumption at that time was, first! he stole it from his other victims.” Greg started walking around while showing his index fingers like some professors in class. But his tone was so light that Lyla guessed, he already knew the answers and was now likely trying to set his other goals. Yet she never knew what until it's too late. To know when Greg attempted to set the board was always easy if you lived around him long enough, but to actually look at his goals? That's an entirely different story.

“Second! He was not a , what do you think the likely scenario is, Alric?” Switching his persona, now as if he was some in a closed case, while pointing gun-fingers to Alric. Still wandering around them. Fred tried to follow his every antiques and movement but failed because stuck between Jack and Billy’s feet. Struggling while the two not budging their feet to let him pass, Fred thought the game was over, and walking back to his mother.

“Vana, could you find my pipe, please? Likely in Billy’s office. Oh, and take Fred with you too. Hun? Thank you. Ah, related to your questions, Greg, I think the most likely is your second assumption like I said after Billy asked. Why—”

“No, the reason I asked was just to confirm something and perhaps you have any new points to the case. You know, the important side of perspectives.” Now Greg’s start roaming around the tables and chairs. Even sliding his index finger on the table and rubbing it to his thumb like a checking the quality of his work. Somehow that gesture made Billy quite annoyed.

“So? What is the likely scenario then? What is the entire point? Just tell us already.” Billy remarked, hiding his pitiful annoyance with impatience.

“Yeah, just out already man! I’m hungry.” Jack unhelpfully made them remember the state why they went to Billy’s in the first place. There were three rumbling noises, Lyla's cheeks started turning red.

Greg’s persona deflates a little, with a calculating look, he then makes a swift, and decisive delivery.

“The third and my strongest assumption was that he has an aim, and to cover that, the most rational and efficient way was to steal her wallets too. So it looks as if it's any other ordinary pickpocketing case. Isn’t that right? It must be it, because your objective was her bracelet.” Now Greg is talking while looking straight at Lyla…No. Not her, but behind her. Catching up, Lyla moved her awareness and got some tingling from her back. Goosebumped, summoning her entire will, she tried to act, but instead her body just stood still, paralyzed.

As for Billy and Alric, their thoughts eventually clicked in the middle of Gregs explanations and were already sniffing and twitching their ears, while still looking casual. As to not alarm the intruders, they begin exerting their senses to the max, until they feel strained, but still they get nothing, not from the smell or the sound.

It happens so quickly that by the time Billy and Alric tensed, ready to intercept the intruders—

Thud

They heard the sound of a puppet whose strings had been cut. What Billy, Alric and Jack thought was, no, it's too late. With frantic movement, they started to act but instead, halted. The reason was because the body that was lying on the floor was not Lyla but a man with a suit. And beside the unconscious man was Greg. Grinning at them like a fool.

“I got him first, it's my win. Hah!” He began doing a really silly dance. As if their situation before was a game. Then, Alric rushed checking the man, and explaining the likely scenario if they’re late with a grim expression, Alric said bluntly.

“We would never be able to help Lyla, our intervention will certainly be late. The reason we don’t stand a chance against this man, because he's awakened. That's why despite Billy and my sense, we can’t find any trace of him. So, if you’re not acting precisely in the right moments and time like before, Greg. Then perhaps, perhaps it's Lyla’s rather than this man that is lying on the floor. So, would you kindly explain to us, why you can knock an armed awakened without difficulties?”

That sent chills to their bones, especially Lyla. Only then Greg’s stopped dancing and looked, really looked into them.

“Believe me, I have no idea either.” They wait for another half beat, expecting Greg to do another silly dance or guffawing or—but what makes Alric hesitate was that Greg is serious about what he said. He apparently has no idea why he could knock an awakened man without a sweat, and also doing some silly dance after that.

Alric and Billy began swearing while Jack was unfazed by whatever Greg’s doing, helping the shaking Lyla, so she could get back her bearings and still paying attention to their talk at the same time.

“Perhaps we need to haste and start looking after your ‘situations’ this morning, Greg. Let’s go to the healers or to the library. Of course after Lyla got better and of course, lunch. Billy, Alric could the two of you help with the Watch problems? Or perhaps with the Delvers guilds? We really need lunch right now.” Jack chose to ask the two. Afraid if they just back, they could encounter another unfortunate problems

“Without you suggesting it, we would be just doing that. At least, that's all we could do.” Alric said while looking slightly downcast.

“You all should rest in my office. The place was heavily guarded. it's the best place for Lyla, and whatever Greg was.” Billy helpfully suggested.

That makes Jack really grateful for the two, because right now he really is alone handling his friends. While usually the formation was always two people handling one trouble. but right now Jack is alone. What a day, he thought.