We all ride up in a carriage together, then those of us playing the part of servants hop out to roll out the figurative red carpet.

  "Announcing the Lord Windwood and his daughter, the Lady Lilah," Mamoru says in a monotone, opening the carriage door as he's been instructed.

  I hate to say this, but he makes a pretty solid butler.

  Servants open the castle doors solemnly. They move like robots. It's a stuffy atmosphere, but it helps me stay in-character. It helps me stay focused. If we're to steal anything from under the noses of demons, we can't afford to relax.

  We're all led to a large ballroom with a great dining table at its far end. Well-dressed couples mingle with each other, chatting aimlessly about things I don't understand. I can catch a few words here and there, but most people are polite, reserved, and too damned quiet.

  "Remember your manners," Windwood gently instructs all of us. "We've got to greet our host before I can let you all go."

  We easily make our way across the room to the bearded man standing near the head of the table. He's dressed most extravagantly, wearing a crown and gold-trimmed robes. A woman wearing her weight in jewels is at his side.

  "Windwood! It's good to see you!" he exclaims in a surprisingly deep voice.

  Windwood and Lilah both drop to one knee. The rest of us follow suit from a few paces behind. Without his sword, and with his face pointed downward, Mamoru is able to conceal his identity as the Chosen Hero well enough.

  "Your Highness, it is good to see you."

  "I am honored to meet you, Your Highness."

  "Get up, get up." The figurehead king bids them to dispense with formality. "We are all equal in this brazen new world."

  "I would disagree—"

  "Windwood."

  He stops trying to argue. "Thank you for having us this evening. I must greet a few others, but we shall speak before it grows too late."

  "Of course."

  With that, we as Lilah's entourage are free of obligation. There's finally time to buckle down and assess the situation.

  The humans in the room outnumber the demons two to one, but the demons seem to hold everyone's attention no matter where they go. Dressed in a different style, they would stick out even if they were human. Rich brown hues make their dapper clothing look more like uniforms. Some have one horn, while others have three; some are short, some are tall; some even have normal human skin tones instead of the purples and blues we’ve been exposed to here.

  A band plays soft music and a few people – demons included – dance gracefully. We stay on the sidelines, so to speak, while Lilah takes to the floor. It’s awkward! It’s terrible! I don’t know how on earth we’re supposed to steal something when we’ve never seen it, when we don’t know where it is, and when our targets are in the same damn room.

  “Thank you again for what you’ve done for my daughter.” Windwood interrupts our wallflower moment. “I know you’re here to assist tonight, but I’ve never seen her take so well to a group of people. You’re almost… It’s as if you’re friends. And I don’t think she’s ever had those before.”

  “We’re just trying to be good people.”

  “You’re doing a fine job.” As a palace servant walks by with a tray of drinks, he grabs one. “Would any of you like something to drink, as well?”

  “It’s not more tea, is it?” Mamoru asks.

  “Why would it be?” Windwood frowns. “Surely you don’t believe the rumors that the King keeps a secret garden?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Oh, adventurers,” Windwood says, shaking his head. “I see that you are still young. Did nobody teach you that tea is not a drink to be served lightly? It has magic about it. Mages have cultivated tea plants for centuries, but rarely has it been spoken of openly until the Demon Lord’s rise to power. The drink is still taboo in some places.”

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  Say what now? Tea is magic? Could the visitors from Canephora be smuggling a new blend in under the Demon Lord’s nose? He’d absolutely hate that! And he wouldn’t be able to steal it from them without jeopardizing his relationship with the other kingdom.

  “I think Lilah needs us,” I interject, pretending to catch her eye from across the room. “Thank you for the information.”

Izumi and Mamoru follow when I break away from Windwood, and I’m able to quietly relay my thoughts to them.

  “I thought it was weird that nobody else was serving it,” Mamoru mumbles.

  “It’s common in the starter— In the town near the Demon Lord’s castle,” Izumi says. “But I didn’t realize how rare it was everywhere else.”

  “So this is definitely a way to get more tea without crossing a political rival, right?” I ask.

  “You’ll be a nerd yet, Hiyorin.” Izumi pats me on the shoulder.

  Since we’re dressed as servants, we have a special sort of ability to pass through the room unseen. We’re treated as accessories, not people. We’re able to get into the kitchen without any fuss. From there, it’ll be on to the treasury and hopefully our victory.

  It’s as busy as can be as everyone prepares for the evening meal. Conversations hum over the sounds of utensils while a variety of smells from the foreign cuisine mix in the air. So much for being able to sniff out the tea!

  “Hey, you lot! Quit dawdling!”

  We freeze.

  “When I address you, I expect you to say yes, chef! Am I clear?”

  “Yes, chef?” I squeak.

  “Good, good. Now, get back to your stations!”

  We make our way through the kitchens, swiping containers off the tables and looking inside them as subtly as we can. Even when we split up to cover more ground, we all come up empty-handed. Our real destination is the treasury, though. We’re expecting a good number of the guards to be posted around the party itself, protecting the nobles of both nations.

  With Mamoru’s guidance, we find our way there. Izumi casts Minor Sleep as we round the corner, catching the two guards by surprise. As they snore, we check the door. Locked.

  Not for long.

  “I had the opportunity to learn this back in jail,” I confess, training my mind on the lock. “Lockpick.”

  The door swings open.

  “No fair!” Izumi whispers, shoving me inside.

  I hear Mamoru choke back a laugh.

  It’s a gorgeous room, not entirely different from the smithy we perused at the start of our adventure. Expensive, deadly weapons are cataloged alongside magic tomes and trinkets.

  Appraise? Appraise? Appraise?

  My display is going wild with offers to analyze all of the “plus ones” but I ignore it. The last thing I want to do is bind another weapon.

  It’s over in the far corner of the room, while looking at a shelf of small boxes, that I finally notice the small metal cylinder made of silver. There’s nothing special about it, and that says everything I need to know. What would an ordinary container be doing in the treasury?

  I pick it up and the tea inside rattles loudly. It’s got an unexpected weight to it.

  Wait, tea doesn’t rattle. Could I be wrong?

  I open it up and a strange smell assaults me.

  “Coffee?” Mamoru asks, the first to identify it.

  “A native drink... They never said it was tea.” I close the lid, covering the beans. “What would the Demon Lord want with coffee?”

  “Maybe it’s also magical?” Izumi asks. “Let’s pocket this and get back to the party. We can ask the Thieves’ Guild to explain later.”