Érnico had been devoted to his fabric and textile business for over two decades. His fine silks, warm wools, soft linens, and exquisite lace, imported from the four corners of the Kingdom, were famous among the best dressmakers, the most renowned tailors, and the seamstresses of the wealthiest families in the city.

Despite this, his establishment was not particularly large or ostentatious. Above the entrance hung a wrought iron sign that imitated a pair of large open scissors over a board reading, "The Ancient Silk Shop." Once across the threshold, one encountered a rather austere reception, with a simple table for displaying fabric, which also separated the reception from the warehouse. Behind it, a series of shelves covered the entire length of the shop, reaching up to the ceiling, crammed with rolls of fabrics of all kinds, of different qualities and countless colors. On the sides, large cabinets lined the walls, filled with drawers of various sizes where he kept lace strips, balls of wool, spools of thread, buttons made of horn, mother-of-pearl, bone, and metal. He even stocked some essential tools such as needles, scissors, chalks, and blades for forgetful tailors who realized they were missing a tool at the last moment.

The respectable business ran quite well, and Érnico was a reputable merchant, compliant with taxes, and a good citizen overall. Nothing would have hinted at the mechanism hidden in a false bottom of one of the cabinets, which led to an underground storage. There, Érnico conducted his more lucrative transactions—the buying and selling of expensive goods of dubious provenance. Or as he preferred to call it, "value transactions on unregistered equipment."

This part of his business opened only at certain hours, when Sunno no longer illuminated the streets, and the Ladies rose dominantly in the high sky. It was accessed through a small door in the narrow, long side alley, rather than the main entrance.

That night, he had followed the same routine as other days. After closing the shop, he settled in the back to have a bit of dinner. There he was, relaxed in his rocking chair, reading a book by the light of an oil lamp, with a loaded crossbow at hand, when there was a knock at the alley door. The combination was correct: two knocks, a pause, three knocks, another pause, and finally, a single knock. Érnico took off the glasses he used for close work, and triggered the mechanism that opened the small door remotely, placing the crossbow on his knees, just in case.

"If that thing goes off, I swear I'll make you eat it," said the figure struggling to get through the door, forced to bend like an eel due to his height.

"Well, Master Toothpick. And company. Master Crab and Master Wart. It's been a while since your last visit."

"Damn door. When will you make it a bit bigger?" grumbled Crab, whose bulk forced him to squeeze through sideways.

"It's designed that way on purpose, so you come in one by one. And to keep you from getting too fat," replied Érnico, smiling. "Learn from Wart, see how easily the lad slips in."

He stood up, and after closing the door, triggered the mechanism that opened the trapdoor in the floor, leading to the hidden storage. Then, he leaned the crossbow against the wall and accompanied the other three men down the steep ladder to the dark basement, lighting the wall lamps as they descended. The light revealed a spacious basement, full of closed barrels, piled wooden crates, and the occasional chest wedged between stone columns supporting the building's weight. The scent of the place was a mix of dampness and spices, though not unpleasant. Once they reached the bottom, he tossed some rags aside and moved some junk to free up a few stools, seating his guests. Then he took a small bottle of liquor from a shelf, along with some slightly dusty glasses.

"So, what brings you on this unexpected visit?" he asked, while pouring a bit into each glass.

"I could tell you we came out of courtesy, my dear Ears, but I'd be lying. What brings us here is business, as always," said the man known as Toothpick.

He didn't like being called by his nickname in this world, "Ears." Anyone would think it was due to having exaggeratedly large ones, but that wasn't the case. He was called that because he often got wind of many rumors and gossip. He would've preferred to be called "Hawk" or "Hound"… but not "Ears." However, that was the nature of this business. He imagined that "Toothpick," "Crab," and "Wart" weren't too fond of their nicknames either.

"I'm not surprised at all, Master Toothpick. However, before we get down to business, let's enjoy a bit of company. Tell me, do you have any interesting news?" said Érnico, settling into an old chair buried under cushions.

"I heard the Duchess of Marcalmada is getting married in a couple of weeks…" said Wart, cheerfully.

"I said interesting news, boy," Érnico laughed. "Everyone knows that already. What fewer people know is that she's rushing to get married because she has a bun in the oven."

"Oh, really?" Wart responded with interest.

"And even more. They say it's not even the future husband's, but rather that of a sergeant of the guard who supposedly set sail for Valponiente a few days ago, to get away as quickly as possible."

"By the devils, Ears. How do you find out all these stories?" grumbled Crab.

"It's part of my trade. So, do you have anything interesting to share?" said Érnico, smiling proudly and crossing his arms over his belly.

"Have you heard about a certain robbery at Brademond Palace?" Toothpick asked, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Ahhh… Well, well. I had my suspicions, but now they've turned into certainties. So, it was you..."

"I see news travels faster than our horses," said Crab, downing his drink in one gulp.

"Well, I haven't heard anything about the loot yet. There's talk of a robbery, yes, and that there were three thieves. I'd advise you to travel separately for a while at least. Or find some company to change your number and avoid suspicion."

"Well, here's some fresh news for you. The loot," said Toothpick, bringing a golden medallion to light.

"Seriously? Is that all? From the uproar, I thought you would have plucked the Count bare," Érnico said, reaching for the medallion to examine it closely. "The jewel is good, but it's not worth all this commotion."

Stolen novel; please report.

Suddenly, there were knocks at the door above. Just three. They fell silent, and then the knocking was repeated. Three more knocks. Érnico gestured for silence with a finger to his lips, while he went up and closed the trapdoor behind him.

"Who knocks at this hour of the night? The shop is closed, come back tomorrow," he said, without opening.

"We have a business proposition for you, something we want to get rid of at a good price," responded a man's serious voice through the door.

"Sorry, you must be mistaken, this is an honorable shop of fabrics and remnants. You'd better take your business elsewhere," he said, while grabbing his crossbow and hiding behind the rocking chair.

There were murmurs outside, at least two men. Then, there was a sound like metal scraping. They were definitely trying to pick the lock. It was futile. Unless the inner mechanism was triggered, there was no way to open it. Érnico aimed carefully at the narrow opening, just in case. Suddenly, more voices were heard outside. These last ones were clearly female. It seemed they were arguing, although he couldn't make out the words because the thick wood muffled the sound. The tone of the conversation escalated, until a flash of light came through the gap under the door, and there were screams. Then, silence. Moments later, the latch on the door released on its own, as if the mechanism had been triggered by itself.

First, a slender woman entered, covered by a black cloak. She removed her hood, revealing her long brown hair, and behind her entered a young girl, shorter and blonde.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" the woman asked.

Érnico stood up, crossbow in hand, his mouth agape. He didn't understand what had just happened, nor did he know how to react. "Uh... Yes, hello. The shop is closed, my lady. What... What happened out there?"

"I think some thieves were trying to break in, and when we reproached them, they weren't particularly kind to us. They even threatened us with daggers!" she responded calmly, while looking around curiously.

"Uh... And where are they? I mean, are you all right? And they... where are they?" Érnico asked hurriedly. Then he noticed the young blonde. "Excuse me, miss, be careful with that, it's Pan-Kay silk, very expensive."

The young girl dropped the piece of fabric she was touching and smiled innocently, clasping her hands behind her back.

"It's a very beautiful fabric, sir. But you should be careful with that crossbow; you wouldn't want it to go off, would you?" the young girl replied.

"Uh... Ah, no. Of course," he said, realizing the weapon he had in his hands, which he carefully placed on the rocking chair. He continued, trying to think clearly, "So, what do you want? And the thieves?"

"They're out there, but you don't need to worry about them anymore. And as for our needs, good man, we believe you have acquired a certain amulet, and we would like to know what interest you have in it," the woman responded in a tone that was kind but slightly threatening.

"Uh... Actually, I...," Érnico was completely astonished and struggled to put his thoughts together. "But... please, come in and close the door."

Just as they turned towards the door, two shadows burst through it, one pushing the other and stumbling, shouting:

"Damn witches! What have you done to our companions?!"

At that moment, chaos erupted. The two mercenaries entered, swords in hand, heading towards the women, who screamed more in surprise than in fear. Immediately, the trapdoor in the floor burst open with a loud crash, and three men jumped out, shouting a fearsome battle cry. The first was tall and lanky, with his sword ready for combat. Behind him was a young man with a dagger in each hand, and right after him, a huge guy who didn't seem to need any weapon to defend himself. Érnico lunged for his crossbow and made a move to aim, though he wasn't quite sure at whom. Everyone, including the mercenaries, paused for a moment, perplexed.

"You!" said Toothpick, looking astonished when he saw the woman.

"No, you!" she replied with an angry expression.

"You..." continued the young man, smiling as he noticed the young girl.

"And you..." the girl responded, blushing and looking away shyly.

"Stop all this 'you' nonsense and let's finish this!" roared the bald giant, who swung a punch at the nearest mercenary. He struck the man's head with his metal claw, with such force that where there was once a face, now there was a bloody pulp that staggered back towards the door, more by instinct than conscious will, collapsing to the ground after two steps.

The other mercenary reacted after the initial shock, trying to thrust his sword at the tall guy who had approached him, but the latter skillfully deflected the blade with a feint, ending up with his own sword plunged into the enemy's chest. The mercenary stood for a moment, staring in astonishment at the blade, then fell to the ground, lifeless.

For a moment, it seemed everything was over, but suddenly, strong arms that seemed to come from nowhere grabbed Toothpick, dragging him outside. Wart and Crab rushed after him at full speed, and the two women, after hesitating for a moment, did too.

In an instant, Érnico was left alone in his shop, with two bodies on the floor, and a lot of chaotic noises coming from outside. He mustered his courage, secured his crossbow, and exited through the small door into the narrow alley.

There, he encountered a hellish scene: Toothpick was engaged in a deadly duel with a large bearded mercenary wielding a long curved sword. Crab was gripping the handle of an enemy's axe with his claw, while pounding the man's face with his free hand. Wart had agilely leaped onto a ledge and was about to throw a dagger at the back of Toothpick's opponent. Behind him, the young girl held a dagger, drawn from somewhere. And at the end of the alley, two more mercenaries were running towards them.

And in the midst of all that chaos, he started to hear a voice. He focused on the woman who had stayed right next to the small door. She was moving her lips, and without a doubt, the voice he heard was hers, but it didn't seem to come from her mouth; instead, it echoed inside his head. She continued chanting the spell, rolling her eyes back. As she raised her hands, the voice started to vibrate in his head, with an increasingly high pitch. She silently screamed. The huge mercenary dropped his weapon and clutched his ears in a gesture of agonizing pain, surprising Toothpick, who didn't hesitate to take advantage and plunged his sword into the man's heart. The two approaching mercenaries also tried to cover their ears with their hands, writhing in pain and vomiting. They turned around and fled at full speed.

The woman closed her eyes and leaned exhausted against the wall.

"Are you alright, sister?" asked the young girl, running to her to support her.

"Yes, I just need to recover a bit," the other replied with a tired smile.

"We must leave right now!" Toothpick ordered his companions, looking them over from head to toe to ensure they were okay. "Ears, can you take care of cleaning all this up? Keep the medallion for now as payment, and we'll settle accounts when we return."

"Don't even bring it near me!" Érnico replied, gesturing with his hand to stop him. "Look, don't worry about this, I'll handle it. It's not the first time I've had to clean up this kind of mess. Let's just say you owe me one. Another one, actually."

"Another of so many!" Toothpick responded, smiling.

Érnico tried to return the smile. But still trembling, and with the crossbow in hand, he approached and grabbed Toothpick by the shoulders to make him bend down a bit, so he could whisper in his ear.

"I don't know what that medallion is, but the fact that all these mercenaries came for it tells me you don't know what you're dealing with," he said, frightened. "It's dangerous. If I were you, I'd get rid of it and stay away for a good while."

"Thank you, and you're absolutely right. I don't know what this pendant is," Toothpick said aloud, staring intently at the sisters. "And I think certain ladies need to clarify a few things."