Mireille and Fayette took a moment to explain themselves to their bewildered hosts, and soon the whole group were sitting by the table, sipping on tea. Somehow, the roles had reversed, and Fayette had become the one serving the tea, fetching more, and ensuring everyone got their refills. Their hosts were a bit bewildered by the turn, but something about Fayette’s professional bearing calmed them, and they began discussing things in earnest.

It was a cramped room, a shared kitchen in a house with many families in it. Right now, they had the room to themselves, as the other families seemed to be away.

As Fayette had expected, the other woman, Ange, was Elise’s older sister. She was apparently an acquaintance of their [Innkeeper’s], and had arranged for Mireille to be brought along to survey her workplace.

“So, how did you like the place? Do you think you want to work there?” Fayette asked her after the explanation was finished.

“Well...” Mireille turned a guilty expression to Ange. “No offense to you, but I didn’t really end up liking what I saw. Even were I given a chance, it’s not something I’ll be keen to try.” She met Fayette’s eyes and shook her head slightly. They would talk more on this later.

“Oh, don’t worry about offending by speaking the truth!” The older woman said, laughing. “Circumstances are as they are, so I can definitely understand if you don’t jump at the opportunity.”

Mireille nodded back at the woman, then continued. “It was much gloomier and denser than I had expected, I’m surprised the heat and steam don’t ruin the fabrics.”

“The [Foreman] has skills that keep such ill environmental effects in check. It lets the production continue smoothly no matter the conditions.” Ange explained.

Fayette shuddered. “That doesn’t sound like a pleasant skill to be honest. If my old [Head Maid] had something like that... I shiver to imagine what she would have made us do.”

She turned to Mireille. “So, now you’re interested in hunter jobs?”

The [Seamstress] nodded. “At this point, becoming hunters with you doesn’t seem like the worst option. If the pay is good, why not?”

Fayette’s face beamed into a smile. “You’re becoming a hunter with me! I knew you would come around!”

“I’m not becoming a hunter yet, I’m just giving this one job a try, alright?”

“Wait wait wait.” Elise interrupted. She turned a curious look to Mireille. “A [Seamstress] is becoming a hunter too? Can she also fight? Fayette, can she blast away kobold hordes like you can?”

Mireille looked between the two, narrowing her eyes. “Fayette, what exactly have you been telling her?”

“Nothing but the truth!” Fayette said with a beaming smile. She nudged Elise at the side and pointed at Mireille. “And don’t worry, she can handle herself well too! Why, just yesterday, she stitched a thug’s arm to his—”

“Hey! Watch what you go blabbering about!”

Fayette brought her hands to cover her mouth. “Oh! Right! Don’t talk about the incident. Right. I almost forgot.”

Still, it was too late. Elise’s eyes were already shining. “A [Maid] and a [Seamstress] who can handle thugs with ease... Do you think a [Labourer] could fight too?”

“What?” Mireille stammered, surprised by the sudden look of admiration. “I... guess? It depends on the skills.”

Elise was opening her mouth to ask more, when suddenly a severe glare from her sister shut her up. “Elise! What on earth are you thinking up? Get such foolishness out of your head.”

She answered the glare with her own. “Hey, you’re not my mom! These two are admirable women, holding their own with nothing but cleverness!”

Fayette and Mireille looked at each other, feeling a bit awkward at suddenly being put in the middle of a family spat. However, the argument didn’t get much further before a door opened, and a woman dressed in black walked in. A stench of medicine came with the opening of the door, and the woman closed it behind her as soon as she had stepped through.

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The woman looked gloomy. Dark clothes, dark hair, and above all: dark eyes. Her eyes were ringed with black, seeming to sink down into her head. The woman looked like she hadn’t properly slept for a good while.

“Ah, [Doctor] Nightingale, you are finished with your checkup?” Ange asked, rising up from her seat.

The woman looked towards them, and Fayette shivered. Her expression was just as gloomy as the rest of her bearing. “The situation was the same as it was the day before. Keep giving her the medicine, that’s all I can do.”

Elise rose up too, and bowed together with her sister towards the [Doctor]. “Thank you for your time—we know how busy you’ve been.”

The woman said nothing more, and strode outside. A distinct smell of alcohol emanated out as she passed. Elise turned to Fayette.

“Right—you wanted to ask mother about the rat mission. Well, she fell ill a few days ago, but should be well enough to see visitors. Shall we go?”

Fayette briefly locked eyes with Mireille, who looked thoughtful. “Is it contagious?” The [Seamstress] asked.

“No, at least the [Doctor] didn’t think so. Something else is spreading it—maybe even the rats we mentioned.” Ange answered.

Mireille looked to Fayette, then shrugged. Well, guess there’s no harm in it. “Please lead the way.”

The two sisters rose up from the table to lead the group into an adjacent room. Fayette and Mireille followed them in, and a strong stench of medicine instantly hit their noses. Fayette recoiled initially, but with the help of [Maid’s Poise] she steadied herself and headed in.

It was a cramped bedroom, but Fayette’s eye was not drawn to the clutter or disorder strewn about in the room. No, her gaze instantly went to the woman resting on the bed.

She was an older woman, clearly a likeness to the two sisters. Her age was hard to gauge as her complexion looked very sickly—skin like yellowed paper and a body trembling with sweat. An orderly knot of brown hair and wisened features fought their way through the sickly complexion.

“She fell ill just a few days ago, a lot of folk have. Some have talked about an epidemic, but the [Doctor] we had visit didn’t think so—said it might be from the water or the rats.”

Elise walked to the side of the bed, and softly spoke into the woman’s ear.

“Hey, mom, are you awake? We have a guest, someone’s here about the rat mission.”

The woman’s eyes opened, and with laboured breath, she slowly rose up from the bed. She took a moment to gather herself, and slowly looked over her visitors. Her eyebrows quirked a bit at their outfits, but she didn’t ask any questions about it. A mark of experience.

“You two are here for the mission? I’m glad someone accepted it, hunters usually think pest control is beneath them.”

Fayette sniffed. “Then the lot of them are fools. Pest control is an important duty, and its neglect really shows the depravity of a household. Not that your household is lacking or anything, of course.”

The woman chuckled. “Now now, things are as they are, no need to sugarcoat it. You speak quite right. There have been some right nasty rats about, tearing into people’s food. Nobody’s managed to catch one of them, and some cats were even found dead!”

Mireille walked forward quirking an eyebrow. “These sound like some extraordinary rats. Are there any details?”

The woman looked at her daughters questioningly, but they shook their heads. She sighed. “Doesn’t seem like anybody’s managed to catch hold of any. Its the reason the bounty is as high as it is and the danger rating, we don’t really know what we’re dealing with.”

Fayette clapped Mirelle on the shoulder and gave the old woman an encouraging look. “Don’t worry, this sounds like a job right up our alley. My friend is an experienced trapper, and I know my way around rat poison. I think we’ll be able to handle this.”

The woman smiled. “Well, I’m certainly glad someone’s finally taking matters into hand. With any luck, the sickness will be gone with the rats too.” The woman started to get out of bed, then grimaced. “Ah, I’m afraid I’m still a bit too ill to host you further. My daughters should be able to tell you everything you need to know for the job.”

“Don’t worry mom, I’ll help them out.” Elise said.

“Then I think I’ll get back to my rest—these old bones need a bit more sleep.”

Fayette and Mireille thanked the older woman and stepped back into the kitchen.

“What do you think Mireille? Do you want to do this?”

“Sounds simple enough. I can make snares and traps, I could probably catch some rats.”

“I’ve got some ideas of my own too. Let’s do it.”

----------------------------------------

Below the city, far underneath the cobblestone roads and storm drains, a transformation was happening.

The first was feasting.

It thought of itself as the first, for it was the first of its kind, the first to discover their treasure, that sweet ambrosia of power. It had not been a willing discovery, for like most living creatures, it had felt an instinctive revulsion for the substance.

A crumbling bit of stone had done it, a trick of fate, and it had been dropped within the sickly. It drank deep, discovered the pleasure in it, and changed.

It was no longer alone.

It's kin had needed convincing, but eventually they drank too, and also began to change.

The first was of course first among them in power too, and thus, it was the first to discover the next stage. It had feasted on dogs and cats from above, gorged itself full on its weaker kin, and drank, drank, drank of that ambrosia. It reached a new limit, and broke through.

Once more its form began changing, and it could feel its power growing. This transformation would take some time, so it set down to rest. Once it awoke, it would be time to expand.