Glenn leaned back in his seat, a whisky glass filled with ice cubes pressed against his right cheek, a hint of a smile sneaking up. In front of him, Sahro was still fuming, gritting his teeth and his fists clenched tightly.

'It was well worth it...Aouch!' He winced and adjusted the pressure against the bruise, a result of a mean backhanded punch from his Black Heir's friend. He had been too busy laughing at Sahro's face to defend himself, and the pain of using CPR wasn't worth using for such a small bruise. The two Montana were sitting next to each other in a strange display, one comfortably installed on the sofa and as happy as one could be in his black kimono, while the other was the entire opposite. Tense, ashamed, and with an expression that seemed to say: "let me hide in a hole, please".

And in the midst of all this, Liara was gradually relaxing in the convivial atmosphere, sinking deeper into her luxurious leather armchair every second. Glenn grimaced and shook his head, putting his glass back on the small table in front of him.

"Darn...Anyway, bard, what the hell were you doing back there?" Glenn questioned curiously before throwing a glare at the Black Heir, who still seemed angry. The stressed Montana opened his mouth to reply, only to be overtaken by the proud Montana.

"As is in our nature as the most in view bard," he began without a shred of humility, "...we're always looking for stories to tell. And we heard of a strange tale of people going missing in the Eastern Town, so we came to his place and investigated..." His proud expression slightly crackled as the memory of the torture came back to him. Stressed Montana took over, giving his double a break from his emotions.

"...We went there, and, well, you know the rest...They saw me talk with another Avatar, not this idiot..." He motioned toward the prideful but traumatized Montana, "...who managed to escape. Sadly for me, I didn't. The Skinners had it on a good source that I possessed the ability to Split my soul, and they wanted that power for themselves..."

Glenn frowned, "Why?"

Stressed Montana shrugged, at a loss.

"Military purposes, probably? My guess is as good as yours. The thing is, even if I wanted to tell them how, I can't. It's not something other people can learn," He explained. Glenn rubbed his chin, thinking back to the Moon Grass he had discovered and taken in his dimensional pouch.

"Did you discover anything at all with your investigations? I'm already suspecting that yet again these bastards of the Thorn's Church have a hand in this, due to the Moon Grass."

Montana nodded and leaned forward, his expression hardening.

"I already knew that the Skinners weren't the nicest of all the East City gangs, but this is worse than I expected. For the citizens, it's a lose-lose situation: either they pay the taxes the Skinners impose on them, or they end up being butchered and sold to an unknown buyer, skin and organs in one batch," the bard shook his head while his proud double hid his face in his hands, overwhelmed. Glenn gritted his teeth, angry.

"And with the Church of Onnea gone god-knows-where, no one will take care of this issue. I suppose we'll also have the Mayor to thank for that...Nothing about the Thorn's Church, though?" He questioned, squinting. The two Montana shook their head.

"No, besides Moon Grass, there was nothing about them. I didn't even hear them talking of the Church—excuse me, the Thorn's Cult even once. I keep on forgetting the Onnea's Church publicly denounced them..."

Glenn moistened his lips and glanced at Sahro, who returned it to him. They all sipped on their drinks silently for a few minutes, before Glenn frowned with another question.

"And that unknown buyer you mentioned? Could the Cult be that "unknown"?"

Stressed Montana grimaced and shook his head, uncertain.

"I don't think so. They're the kind that loves doing the dirty work themselves..."

Glenn grunted, agreeing easily with that last statement. Indeed, these sickos took quite the pleasure of giving the "gift" of pain to others.

'...It would mean another entity out there needs an incredible amount of human skin and organs. What could they do with all this junk?' Diamanes pondered in Glenn's mind. The latter shook his head and poured himself a bit of whisky. He looked at the amber liquid and the ice cubes floating in it, before shrugging and drinking it.

"Sigh, this place is a mess. As a matter of fact, the whole of King's Rise is a mess..." Glenn smacked his lips and turned toward the two Montana.

"Well, thank you for answering my questions. You're free to leave," He waved at the exit and sank both in his sofa and his thoughts. The two Montana traded a glance, and the stressed one hesitantly replied.

"You...you're sure? Just like that?"

Glenn closed his eyes.

"Sure, sure, just like that. I need to talk with my subbor—associate over there, and I can't do that with you two around," He grunted and whished them away with a dismissing hand movement. The prideful Montana shrugged and grabbed his stressed double, pulling him toward the exit.

"Well, huh, thank you for saving me, Sir Glenn! I'll be sure to tell the tales of you and Sir Sahro, and will make you as famous as the Heroes of the age of the First King!" Stressed Montana shouted right before he was thrown out of the suite by his Avatar, the latter soon following without even a goodbye. The door clicked as it closed over them, letting Glenn sigh in relief.

"Alright, they're gone. Phew, I didn't dare say it aloud, but it kind of unnerved me seeing the two of them..."

Sahro sneered and headed over to the kitchen, knowing his way into the suite perfectly. Liara had both of her hands wrapped around her glass, still mute. Glenn glanced at her and his eyebrows creased.

"So, Miss, how did you end up captured by the black market's slavers?" He questioned, his arms crossed. Liara's gaze was icy, her lips parting but no words escaping. Glenn sighed, frustration and sympathy mingling in his expression.

"It's fine, don't force yourself. I just don't know what to do with you..." He looked at the kitchen, in which Sahro was preparing himself a bit of food, and raised his voice.

"Hey, what do we do with her?" Glenn's voice cut through the air, making Liara jump. Sahro's head appeared around the kitchen doorway, nonchalant. "No idea...I was thinking about sending her back to Giselle, but..."

Liara suddenly stood up and shook her head, her emotionless expression tainted with fear. Sahro grimaced and continued.

"...It doesn't seem like she wants to. I don't know why she would be so scared of Giselle, but let's just keep her around for now..." As soon as the Black Heir said those words, Liara calmed down and sat back, her fright melting away, replaced by the emotionless mask. Glenn rubbed the end of his nose, before leaning forward toward her.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Miss, just so you know, life with us isn't...safe, at all. We're often in situations where we're forced to slaughter a way through monsters and evil stuff alike, in the most begrudging way possible. Are you sure you'd rather not go with other Black Heirs...?" Glenn tried and ask, only for Liara to shake her head with determination, undeterred. The young man grimaced, drew a deep breath, and sighed.

"...Do as you like, then. At least you know what you're getting into." He grunted and stood up, heading for a massive oak table in the dining room. There were so many rooms in this darned suite, everywhere he went he was sure he'd find what he wanted.

'Hey, don't act as if you don't enjoy her presence. Alongside Milena, that certainly embellishes your team of weirdos!' Diamanes laughed wryly, Glenn doing his best to ignore him.

"I certainly won't complain about her being there, heh..." Nelg commented, apparently in love with Liara. Glenn rubbed his temples and sat down, waiting for Sahro to arrive. The Black Heir had a plate with three sandwiches prepared, already salivating at the idea of eating them. With a quick Gravity Manipulation, Glenn pulled one of the three in his hand, biting down on it without giving Sahro the chance to complain.

"Mhm! Great sandwich, Sahro!" Glenn took another bite and shot his friend a thumbs-up. Sahro looked down at his plate emptily look and sighed, before passing one of the sandwiches to Liara, who quietly took it.

"It was meant for you to begin with, anyway..." The Black Heir sat and began eating. Glenn licked his fingers and leaned back in his seat, already done with the meal.

'Pig. I've never seen someone eat that fast in my long, long life.' Diamanes spat out his contempt, Nelg echoing his words with a laugh. Glenn ignored both of them and concentrated on his Black Heir friend.

"So, besides almost getting us killed, what did you manage to find out?" He asked, all the while considering his options between going to the kitchen and making himself another sandwich or hoping that Sahro would make some others.

"..." Sahro chewed silently, ashamed. Glenn sighed and rubbed the corner of his eyes.

"At least one of us did the job. I got some idea of where to look for Redan," the young man declared proudly. Sahro's eyes widened and he dropped his sandwich.

"Where? I asked at least thirty different shops, and none of them even heard of Sir Redan!"

Glenn grinned and leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed.

"I found an intelligence agency, the Indigo Bureau. I just asked them, and they told me!"

Sahro's jaw dropped right beside his sandwich, and he shook his head violently.

"Wait, you managed to find the Indigo Bureau? I almost thought they didn't exist! And shit, aren't they supposed to be the most expensive ones in the market?" The Black Heir questioned, shocked. Glenn shrugged and stood up, motivating himself to make more sandwiches. "They're information brokers. I just needed to share some intel they didn't have, and it all worked out!"

Sahro remained slack-jawed for a few more seconds, before going back to eat his sandwich, struggling to keep his surprise in check. Glenn opened a drawer and picked up a large knife, grinning at himself in the reflection of the blade.

"The old man was last seen on Lark Avenue a week or so ago. He went completely missing in the area, alongside members of the Thorn's Cult." Glenn breathed in the aroma of fresh bread, before cutting a few slices of it. He picked up cheese and ham from the cold storage and ended the whole thing with blue lettuce. It probably wasn't named lettuce, but besides being of another color, it was lettuce.

"Additionally, all of the forces of the Onnea's Church went missing there a few days later. Whatever is on Lark Avenue, it's important enough so that everyone disappears once they're there." Glenn dusted his hands off and looked at the four sandwiches he had just made with satisfaction. He brought them back on the plate and placed them on the table, the others free to serve themselves. Surprisingly, it was Liara who took one first, already done with the one Sahro gave her.

"...Two Churches and Sir Redan, and the problem there still isn't solved? Unless they all died?" Sahro creased his eyebrows and sighed tiredly.

"But we're inside King's Rise? How could there be something so dangerous inside the walls?"

Glenn sneered, remembering the Blessed Grove, Prince's murder, the Auberge, and even the presence of the Skinner's gang.

"The Fringe is safe only in the areas of influence of the Cleaner's Workshop, and yet some accidents can still happen. The Eastern Town is the prime example of what happens when there isn't a bunch of Fixers and Cleaners running around to get rid of the Rifts and the criminals."

Sahro shook his head and shoved the last bit of his sandwich in his mouth, before serving himself another one. Glenn was already in the middle of devouring yet another sandwich.

"...At least we know where to look for. We'll just have to wait for Javier and Milena to come back, and we'll be all set," said the Black Heir. He stretched and finished his sandwich, before glancing at Liara, and notably at her ankle, wrapped in bandage.

"...Do you think you could take care of that as well?" Sahro asked softly, making Glenn chuckle. The young man used a Mundare to clean his hands completely, before heading for the pretty woman. Liara, busy eating her sandwich, raised her eyes when she saw Glenn approaching. She looked at her ankle and a light of understanding flashed in her eyes. Glenn smiled gently and kneeled in front of her, grabbing the wounded ankle.

"...Here goes another round of CPR...I kind of hate Javier for having this ability now," Nelg grumbled.

'Why? It's an excellent healing ability, with acceptable counter-effects for something not under a god's supervision,' Diamanes retorted, the entity disagreeing with the sword.

"Because it's way too fucking painful, that's why!" Nelg spat. Glenn could only sigh and grit his teeth as he prepared himself for the inevitably searing pain that would come with the use of the ability.

'I kind of hate CPR too now...' was his last thought before he initiated the healing process, a burning sensation flaming up in his hands and devouring him from the inside. Thankfully, the ankle's wound was nowhere near the level of Sahro's stump, and it was quickly taken care of. Glenn gasped, his back drenched in cold sweat. Liara carefully pushed her foot against the ground, the corner of her lips curving upward slightly.

Glenn smiled tiredly and went to sit in one of the sofas.

"I'll be Meditating here, wake me up when Milena and Javier are back. Phew..." He closed his eyes before opening them right back up.

"Wait, I almost forgot about that!" He sunk his hand in his dimensional pouch and took out the mini-fridge, placing it on the table in front of him. Sahro perked up when he saw the foreign item, as did Liara.

"The fuck is this?" The Black Heir questioned as he went and sat opposite Glenn, curious. The young man didn't reply and opened the mini-fridge, finding it empty. He tried sending a bit of Mana into it, only for it to disappear without any apparent purpose.

"Hmm...It's supposed to be a storage for food or drinks and keep them cold. It's a Fallen Piece, so it should be special, but I can't find out—" Glenn closed the mini-fridge's door, "—how the hell it works. Infusing Mana into it does nothing, and..." He sent out another wave of Mana, and opened the mini-fridge's door, before putting his hand inside it. It wasn't cold or warm, just at the same temperature as the rest of the room, "...no cold is produced. Maybe it's broken?"

Sahro leaned forward and looked at the mini-fridge, before glancing at the bottles of whisky nearby.

"Did you try putting something in it?"

Glenn shook his head, sneering.

"I just bought it, I didn't try anything. But sure, let's see..." Glenn stood up and hesitantly picked an untouched Rosé wine. It wasn't something he had ever tasted, but there was a first for everything. He went and stored the bottle inside the mini-fridge. He then placed his hand on top of it and infused his Mana, curious to see what would happen next. As soon as the Mana fueled the mini-fridge, a small screen appeared on the door, with time ticking down. There were five minutes until whatever process going on was done.

Glenn traded a look with Sahro and stared curiously at the fridge.

"...Five minutes, then. How should we...Ah, Sahro, tell me, did you know Liara beforehand? You already knew her name, but yet it doesn't look like she can speak..." He hurriedly turned toward Liara and made an apologetic expression, "...No offense meant, of course."

Liara shook her head indifferently, emotionless. Sahro scratched the back of his head and also looked at Liara.

"Well..." He hesitated, "...I don't know her, no. And she did tell me her name, but that was the only time she spoke."

Glenn shrugged, before smiling toward her.

"Oh, and you also laughed earlier, right?" Liara's emotionless expression crackled, and tints of red blushed her cheeks, making Glenn laugh aloud.

"Yeah, we heard you. I sure hope we'll be able to hear you speak one day or ano—"

Ting!

The three turned toward the fridge, the timer down to zero. Glenn glanced at the two Black Heirs before carefully opening up the mini-fridge, a cloud of cold mist coming out of it. He picked up the wine bottle and looked at it. It was ice-cold but didn't seem very different...

Wait, no, it wasn't the same color. Glenn frowned and opened the bottle up, using a delicate application of Gravity Manipulation to pull out the cork. A familiar yet almost forgotten scent was brought to his nose and made him think he was hallucinating, as the gas escaped from the bottle in an also most recognizable sound.

"... Coca-Cola?"

'...If that's isn't a surprise.' Nelg added with the same shock as his host.

They had just transformed wine into coke.