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Divine Blessing
Chapter 38 - Mouse in the House

Chapter 38 - Mouse in the House

There were many kinds of adventuring teams in the Kingdom of Flynnette. Some were successful. Some were unsuccessful. Many found a niche that they were reasonably good at and stuck to it. It was normal for a team to rise in the ranks until they found their particular niche and, at that point, their rank no longer mattered. What was slightly less normal was for a team to drop a rank.

The first three ranks of the adventurers guild were copper, bronze, and silver with copper being the lowest of the three and silver being the highest. These were ranks where power was tangential to the growth the guild expected. It was assumed that one would gain levels by doing guild work. It was also assumed that individuals would pick the skills that suited their chosen occupation. Silver rank adventurers were far more powerful than their bronze and copper rank counterparts by virtue of having longer careers. While power was a factor in rank, it was judgment and experience that were measured most significantly.

Going from copper to bronze rank meant someone understood the basic rules of the guild. The novice adventurer could strap on a pair of boots, camp in the woods without starving, and maybe, just maybe, accomplish something. If they accomplished enough somethings then the guild would reward them for showing up with a promotion to bronze rank.

Going from bronze to silver was a distinctly harder promotion. Many adventurers and teams reached bronze rank and that was where their journey ended regardless of how many levels they gained. They would cull seasonal monsters, moonlight as guards or mercenaries, and otherwise take jobs that, while being useful and sometimes well-paid, did not demonstrate what the guild looked for. If they were feeling bold, or foolish, they would even delve a weak dungeon. None of this would advance them.

Those who made it to silver rank did so because they pushed their limits and left their comfort zones. They took on a variety of requests but each request was researched before being taken. They fought dangerous monsters but came to the situation with a plan, backup plan, and backup, backup plan. Through their deeds they chased not simply coin but recognition. They forged themselves into the type of adventurers that would be recognized as knowledgeable and reliable. In a way, one had to be silver rank before they were granted the promotion to silver rank.

For a team to drop a rank, to devolve to such a point as the guild itself would intervene to punish them, they had to demonstrate a stunning lack of judgment and common sense. In colloquial Zlithian terms, they had to royally fuck up. Few teams in the history of Flynnette did that as well as the Seasoned Steel.

The Seasoned Steel were an up and coming adventuring team from the Morgstrom region of Flynnette. They were a balanced team with a warrior, scoundrel, and two mages. It took them only a month to go from copper to bronze rank and within two years they made the transition to silver. They were everything the adventurers guild wanted in a team. They were punctual, reliable, and easy to work with. A solid reputation earned them favor among the nobility and mercantile circles. It was a mundane request in Trabatha that would see everything they built come crashing down upon them.

The adventurers were sent in to handle a roving pack of Marrow Wolves—beasts that resembled normal wolves with protrusions of bone that functioned as armor. During the course of chasing the roving pack of wolves, the adventurers stumbled upon a nest of Frostweaver Spiders. These supernatural spiders preferred to lair in warm environments where their prey lacked resistance to their freezing webs and venom. The spiders were classified as a gold rank threat.

Upon being confronted with such a formidable adversary, the Seasoned Steel attempted to exterminate them as evidence of their growing skill. This did not go well. After several near death confrontations, the Seasoned Steel were forced to make a drastic decision. They found a magical dam in the forest which was holding a river at bay. These old magic structures were sometimes found in remote corners of the wilderness though rarely intact. In a decision that would be remembered in the years to come for all the wrong reasons, they elected to open the dam.

The spiders were eradicated by the subsequent flood which was the first and only good outcome from the decision. The shape of the land was such that the river redirected toward the nearby settlement of Ismay. Ismay, like the spider nest, was wiped out by the flood. All homes were destroyed. All regional farms were rendered unusable. Only the people and animals survived.

The act also lowered the river level to briefly unusable levels in some regions leaving boats stranded or even running aground in places where the river was already shallow. In total, a whole village was destroyed and towns for miles in either direction suffered tremendous economic damage. The pièce de résistance was the fact that the mages guild later investigated the magical dam and declared that the Seasoned Steel had destroyed a priceless magical work which the guild was unable to repair or salvage.

The only reason the adventurers weren’t jailed or worse was the team immediately fled the region. Trabatha was far too poor to post a bounty capable of enticing bounty hunters to go after a silver rank adventuring team let alone enacting the manhunt themselves. Instead they did the only thing they could do—they petitioned the adventurers guild to sanction the guilty team.

The adventurers guild did not often acquiesce to outside pressure. If the guild allowed themselves to become a tool for various countries and regions to wield against their members then every country and region would soon be lobbying for sanctions against one team or another for every reason under the sun. They could not and would not allow this however there was one comically ironic aspect of the entire affair that they could act upon.

The Marrow Wolves were never culled. Somehow the torrential flood and proceeding devastation did not catch the roving pack of monstrous wolves. In fact, they were a worse problem in the aftermath than they’d been at the start of the entire chain of events. So it was that the Seasoned Steel were demoted not for flooding an entire village, destroying the economies of part of Trabatha, and depriving the world of a mystical relic but, instead, for failing to complete their assigned request.

This was how the Seasoned Steel ended up in the region of Velk, far from Trabatha, working for the local nobility. The fact that they’d created such widespread chaos and devastation was, strangely enough, a net positive in some peoples’ opinion. Less strangely, they were now being directly requested by potential employers who were looking to get a silver rank team without a silver rank price. In perhaps the biggest twist of irony after the whole affair was said and done they were in higher demand now than they’d ever been before.

So it was that two members of the team were watching the Westlake estate in the city of Barton. The Seasoned Steel were hired by the local count to investigate a series of odd disappearances in the last couple of months. The city didn’t have a criminal underbelly to speak of or, at least, not one the team was aware of. It made sense to their leader to keep an eye on the nobles to see if anything was obviously amiss. If someone was arranging for multiple disappearances then it was more likely that someone was in a position of power or authority than otherwise.

That was why Lucian and Isolde were on spy duty. Of the Seasoned Steel, they were the best at covert operations. Lucian was the team scoundrel so he possessed all the stealth skills that one expected from a mid-level rogue. Meanwhile, Isolde was not a rogue but she had two points in her favor. The first was that she was a lephori where Lucian was human. Her tall, rabbit ears and high awareness made her ideal for eavesdropping across long distances. Even better, Isolde was a summoner who could see and listen through her summoned creatures. Their skills combined frequently saw them paired together for jobs like this one.

“Whoa, check that out,” Lucian said as a three people and a dog approached the gate to the Westlake manor. Isolde turned to look toward the gate. The two were under the shade of a tree whose leaves were just starting to turn colors. Lucian’s Casual Bystander skill made both of them almost unnoticeable. It wasn’t invisibility but it was the next best thing. They were hard to notice and easily forgotten, practically part of the scenery rather than things to pay attention to.

“What’s she doing here?” Isolde asked. Both ears stood up as she stared at the people in the distance.

“I don’t know but I think I’d like to,” Lucian looked to his partner and Isolde nodded. Lephori were terrible with magic but there were a few types of magic where one’s mana pool was more important than their arcane attribute. Summoning, Isolde’s chosen discipline of magic, was one such type.

“Let’s see if we can find out,” the rabbit girl answered. She put her hand out with the palm facing the ground then began a small chant. Tiny motes of energy streamed from her outstretched hand toward the ground and began to coalesce. They came together into a tiny shape then there was a flash of light and the two adventurers were suddenly looking at a small mouse. Isolde touched the summoned mouse causing it to glow briefly then scurry off.

“And people are worried about the likes of me spying on them. If summoners weren’t so damn rare then I’d be out of a job,” the rogue added with a bit of friendly sass. Isolde gave him a good-natured smile but she could sense the kernel of true resentment beneath the playful observation. She quickly turned her attention to hearing what the mouse heard and seeing what the mouse saw. Her little spy was on the move.

Brivaria had regrown her wings to full size to rise into the sky and have a look around. There weren’t that many large estates enclosed in wrought iron fences. They located the nearest one and were promptly told the Westlake estate was further north toward the castle. Oops. They still arrived pretty quick as while there were many seeking audiences with the nobility most of those making entreaties did so via letters and formal requests. Almost none had the clout and standing to drop by unannounced and actually get an audience.

“We’d like to speak with the baroness or the head of the estate,” Brivaria said politely but firmly to the guards at the gate. Kseniya had told the angel what to say and how to say it. They were definitely not getting an audience with lady of the house but that was fine. It was the steward or majordomo they were hoping to speak to anyway.

“Of course, ma’am. Right away,” the first of the two gate guards said as soon as Brivaria was finished speaking. All three girls were confused at the immediate reply and even more confused as they were ushered into the expansive manor house. The trio and dog were lead to a plush drawing room then offered tea and other refreshments while they awaited the lady’s presence.

“Is this normal?” Brivaria asked quietly. Trixie was meandering around the room sniffing the rug, the furniture, and anything else that caught the dog’s attention. The butler, an older gentlemen in a black uniform, stood near the entrance to the room and eyed the golden hound with apprehension.

“No, this is absolutely not normal,” the lamia clarified in a whisper. The snake woman was mildly concerned about the oddly warm welcome.

Meanwhile Nyx was boggling at the decorations. There was actual art here. Good paintings depicting far off lands crafted by skilled artisans and painters hung on the walls. Any single work of art in this room was worth more than everything she owned. Heck, even the thick red carpet beneath their feet was likely worth a small fortune.

A human maid in a pristine white uniform rolled a small cart into the room and offered each girl a cup of tea while they waited. Everyone accepted. The room’s furniture was arranged in a U-shape with the opening facing the main entrance to the room the group came through. One particular piece of furniture was an ornate settee with crimson fabric. The lamia steered everyone away from sitting on that one deeming it likely the place their hostess would prefer to sit. Instead, she put herself and Brivaria on the divan across from it with Nyx seated on a chair to the side. The cat girl wasn’t sure what the cushion she was sitting on was made from or filled with but it was the single most comfortable piece of furniture she’d ever sat on.

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They were still waiting for their tea to cool down enough to drink when the lady of the manor arrived. Baroness Cordelia Westlake was a human woman in her thirties with long, cherry blonde hair, delicate features, and a smile that could light up a room. She swept into the room in a form-fitting, sky blue gown with white trim and floral patterns embroidered into the material. She moved with grace and poise only someone born of nobility could manage. Kseniya was almost certain the woman had either the lady or baroness class, if the latter existed.

“Miss Penrose, welcome to my estate. I had not expected you to call upon me or I would have had a proper reception at the door. My deepest apologies for keeping you and your associates waiting,” the lady said with the utmost sincerity in her voice. She took her seat on the settee Kseniya had pointed out and then a maid offered the lady a teacup and saucer which was promptly accepted.

Everyone was taken aback by the greeting save Trixie who took one sniff in the direction of the baroness then turned her head toward something else. No one was paying attention to the dog save the butler and that was likely for the best. The golden sunchaser spotted a tiny mouse on the carpet and her tail started wagging. She had a playmate! Trixie padded toward the mouse and it scurried off. The dog gave chase.

“Your ladyship? My apologies for the misunderstanding but my name is Brivaria and I don’t believe we’ve met.” The angel was the one to reply as their hostess was looking directly at her upon giving the greeting.

“Truly? You mean to tell me that you are not Zenith Penrose and that my staff failed to properly identify you before allowing you into my home?” the noblewoman asked mock horror. The old butler near the entrance stepped forward and coughed politely before speaking.

“Apologies madam. I will have words with the estate security personnel,” he said in a civil, if clipped, tone. Lady Westlake heaved a dramatic sigh then offered the trio a smile that was somehow a touch more authentic than the one she’d entered the room with.

“No, I’m not her and I don’t believe this is the first time someone has made that mistake. This Penrose woman seems quite well-known. Would it be rude to ask who she is?” Brivaria asked, uncertain how to proceed.

“Oh gods above…” The baroness laughed. She couldn’t help herself. She found the whole situation tremendously funny for reasons no one before her fully understood. She dabbed a bit of moisture from the corners of her eyes with a tissue before speaking.

“And you’re new the city because of course you are. No dear, it would not be rude to ask who you are accidentally impersonating. Zenith Penrose is a famed zephyri mercenary captain who leads an equally famous company named the Zenith Marauders. They’ve been hired by Count Dancarlo to guard the western forest and you, my dear, are the spitting image of the woman from your white wings to your blonde hair and even to your rather athletic physique. I might even think you were actually Zenith and this was some sort of prank if not for one thing,” the noble said at length.

“One thing?” Brivaria asked, still trying to take it all in.

“Yes, my dear. Zenith Penrose would sooner die than apologize for something. I don’t think she’s even physically capable of speaking the words to do so. I’m surprised that I’m the first one to tell you about this but their loss is my gain.” Baroness Westlake seemed to drink in their surprise, enjoying it far more than her tea.

“That’s what the people at the adventurers guild were going on about,” Nyx said quietly. “They were confused about why Brivaria was in the guild.”

“Yes, I can imagine that adventurers would not be particularly happy to see a mercenary captain in their midst. There’s a bit of bad blood between those who earn their living by killing people and those who only sometimes earn their living by killing people though that’s none of my business.” She raised the teacup to her lips and, upon judging it cool enough to drink, sipped.

“That does explain a few things,” the lamia agreed though her thoughts were turned more toward their mysterious assailant. Could the attack have been a case of mistaken identity? Was the would-be assassin trying to kill the real Zenith Penrose? The lamia’s thoughts were disturbed by the feeling of little feet on her tail as a tiny mouse ran into the drawing room followed by Trixie. The dog was having a great time chasing the little creature. Thankfully the two went behind the noblewoman rather than in front of her and the baroness paid them no heed.

“So I take it you’re adventurers? Mistaken identity aside, did you have business with my family or estate? I don’t believe my family has any outstanding guild requests in the region,” the baroness’ words jolted everyone back to the present.

“Oh yes, we were wondering what you could tell us about a man named Terrance Grand. He is or was an employee of your household,” Brivaria explained. Cordelia’s amber eyes went to her butler who stepped forward to speak.

“I believe that is the man contracted to perform pest exterminations for the household, my lady,” the butler clarified. At that exact moment, the little mouse finally ran into the center of the room. All eyes found their way to the small rodent then the golden hound chasing it.

“Speaking of which, there is a rat in my house,” the baroness said, pronouncing each word harshly. She took a deep breath calming breath while the butler paled.

“I’m sorry, my lady. He missed his most recently scheduled appointment,” the butler tried frantically to explain but Brivaria could see he was now sweating bullets.

“Did he now?” the baroness asked, her tone suddenly frosty. “What are you standing there for? Get that rat!” The butler scrambled to obey and Trixie soon had competition on her merry mouse chase. What a fun game! The golden was having a great time.

“So if he never showed up here then he went missing just before his appointment here,” Kseniya said quietly.

“Missing?” Cordelia asked, turning away from the door to rejoin the conversation.

“Yes. A friend of his asked us to look into it. It’s not an official guild request but we thought we’d check on him. We investigated his home but it didn’t look like anyone had been there for a while. The last note in his journal said he was coming here,” Brivaria replied while producing the notebook from her inventory. The baroness wore a complex look as she regarded the sudden appearance of the notebook.

“Well, it’s clear that he never arrived and definitely did not fulfill his task. I wouldn’t be surprised if the cult got him,” Cordelia said dismissively.

“Cult?” all three adventurers asked at once.

“Oh you haven’t heard? Right, new to Barton and whatnot. Yes, we have a cult. Well, supposedly we have a cult. There have been stories about a bunch of madmen going off into the woods to play cultist dress-up and do whatever cultists do in the woods. The rumors have existed for years and, outside the disappearance of a peasant or two, nothing has ever come of them.” At that moment the mouse, dog, and butler reentered the room. The tiny rodent was still evading capture but Trixie was finally ready to make her move.

“Oh, I bet we have cultist wear already,” the catfolk girl realized. She gestured to Brivaria and the angel realized what Nyx was referring to a second later. She produced the robe-turned-table cloth they’d found at Mr. Grand’s house and showed the noblewoman.

Before anyone could comment further, Trixie leaped across the room and landed on the mouse with her paws. She’d intended to gently catch the mouse but it disappeared with a magical pop leaving the dog confused and empty-pawed. The butler almost tripped over the hound then stopped and looked at the dog in confusion. He’d not seen where the mouse went. Baroness Westlake just sighed at the commotion and made a shooing gesture. Trixie went over to Brivaria, happy to have won the game, while the butler resumed his previous position near the entryway of the room.

“What a day. I suppose that could be a cultist robe. I’m not certain what they’re supposed to look like. Did that come from the missing man’s home?” the baroness asked, cautiously hoping there would be no more interruptions.

“Yes,” Kseniya replied. “You know, what if he was a member of cult and that’s why he disappeared? We’ve been thinking someone kidnapped him but what if he met with his associates and never returned?”

“That sounds plausible. I’m no expert in cults though I seem to be missing a pest control expert as a result of whatever this is,” baroness Cordelia gestured vaguely at the group before her and the robe they held. “You know, I’ve heard word that the Count is concerned about such things as the date of the hunt draws nearer. If you were to apprehend or break up the cult before the hunt began then I think it would put the Count and everyone else at ease.”

“That sounds like a very good idea but this could be dangerous. It would greatly benefit the city and this count but I am not seeing our benefit, you know?” the lamia challenged. Both Brivaria and Nyx looked at her quizzically. It had never entered their minds that they wouldn’t seek the people behind this. The baroness also noticed their gazes and grinned.

“Lady lamia, I am not going to pay you to solve a problem I don’t even know for certain exists but… Dax, come here,” the baroness said, directing her voice to the room’s entryway. A dark-haired, well-muscled man stepped into the room. His face had once been handsome but the years had done enough damage that even the System failed to fully heal it. He bore numerous weapons in various sheathes across his body and reminded Brivaria of some of the high level adventurers she was usually summoned to assist. The man moved to stand behind the baroness’ settee.

“This is Dax. He is my sometimes bodyguard, sometimes helper, sometimes problem-solver.” Baroness Cordelia paused as if to let Dax say hello. He did not. Rather, he glared at Brivaria instead. “Dax, I would like you to go to the adventurers guild and tell the guildmaster that I will put a 15 coin bounty on each demon cultist that is either killed or turned over to the local guard. You will go in-person and speak to the guildmaster privately. I do not wish for a curious messenger or runner to spread this news. If I were to give the rumors substance before the matter was settled then the Count would be justifiably upset. This way, any news of the cult will be accompanied by news of its demise. I will avoid a scandal and these adventurers will be paid, if they succeed.”

“Of course, you will also take credit for hiring the adventurers that dealt with the cult if we succeed,” Kseniya observed.

“Of course. What do you say?” the baroness asked.

Brivaria looked between the bodyguard and the noblewoman. She wasn’t certain about this arrangement but if they were going to investigate regardless then there was no reason to turn down a potential payment in the process.

“I think that sounds agreeable. Would you mind if we spoke with your butler or someone else about Mr. Grand’s disappearance before we left?” the angel asked.

“Go right ahead. Marley will assist you,” she nodded to the nervous butler and he swallowed nervously. “If that is all, it was nice meeting you Brivaria. I wish you and your friends luck and hope you enjoy your stay in Barton. The Hunt for the Golden Hind should be an exciting event for the city.”

Half an hour later they left the Westlake estate. They’d spoken to Marley about the missing man and the butler reiterated that the staff hadn’t seen him since the previous appointment. The group then asked if anything had seemed odd but the older gentlemen couldn’t recall anything significant. It hadn’t been an especially productive conversation.

“Little angel, you look very thoughtful,” Kseniya observed as they moved down the street. Brivaria had been quiet on their walk out and only interrupted her pondering to scritch Trixie. The baroness hadn’t gotten upset at the dog running around for which everyone was thankful.

“I’m not certain what to think,” the angel replied. Nyx walked alongside her and turned to look at the winged girl.

“Why is that? Is it about being the twin of this zephyri mercenary?” Nyx asked.

“No, not that. It’s just… I think the butler was lying to us,” Brivaria said at last. One of her rarely used angelic traits was a sense for when she was being deceived. It wasn’t an outright lie detector rather it was closer to a gut feeling. It was strong enough that the angel felt it worth mentioning.

“Yes, that was a very peculiar meeting,” Kseniya said in agreement.

“It was?” Nyx looked more confused as the conversation continued.

“Mm, yes. She told her man, Dax, to put the bounty on demon cultists. Perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me but I don’t think any of us specified what kind of cultists we were looking for beforehand,” Kseniya observed. Nyx furrowed her brows.

“Could she have recognized the robe?” the catfolk pondered.

“Maybe. Why not say that if so? I think perhaps she knows more than she lets on,” Kseniya said finally. Nyx shrugged.

“She’s willing to pay to have the cultists brought in. If she was part of their group or might get in trouble then it wouldn’t make sense to hire us to go after them.”

“I agree,” the snake woman replied. “But let us confirm her offer makes it to the guild tomorrow. If she is good for the coin then I see no reason not to take her money.”

“Let’s stop by the house of one of Mr. Grand’s friends. If he was in the cult then odds are good his friends are too. There’s a Jasmine Veer who lives relatively close,” Brivaria said, breaking into the conversation between the lamia and catfolk. “If there are demons involved then the matter could be a lot more serious than anyone realizes.”

The mood grew somber at that thought. Trixie took that as her cue to bump into the angel and beg for attention. The winged girl looked down at the golden hound and had a change of heart.

“Actually, why don’t we get lunch first?”