- Shari –

I really need some rest now.

But first I have to get into my room.

I unlock the door with our assigned key and...

What the fuck!?

"Good day my dearest. I was starting to get bored, not knowing when you might come back!" (?)

This cloaked woman!

What does she want here?

Furthermore within a locked room?

What is going on here!?

"What are you doing in here?! This is a crime! The heck!? Leave!!!" (Shari)

"Hmm, I don't think so! Something tells me you wouldn't want to involve the guards a second time in this. Especially as all this attention would not align with your interests, am I right?" (?)

Again this shiver.

This is taking a turn to the wrong.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" (Shari)

"I am rather sure you do in all this suspicious demeanor of yours." (?)

"We are completely normal travelers, trying to make a living in this town." (Shari)

Okay, I know myself that this sounded like "We are completely unsuspicious, so don't look!".

I might as well wear a shield around my neck "guilty".

"Mhm, yes. Normal travelers. Having no tents, sleeping bags, fire tools, or anything else necessary to survive in the wilds." (?)

This is bad.

I don't know how to stop her.

"This mustn't mean anything. You have no proof to suspect us." (Shari)

"You are right. Just bits and pieces. Completely inconceivable stuff like you bringing giant chunks of flesh in here, which vanish without even leaving bones. Or that no one seems to ever have seen you without a complete cloak. Or that yesterday you've just said something about how wearing a disguise is helpful while killing people. Hihi, what should be suspicious about that? I wonder what I might find beneath that cloak of yours." (?)

Shit, this is far too much information on us.

What is she?

I still lean towards assassin.

"So, do you intend now to tell me what you are?" (?)

"You don't need to know and especially, you don't want to." (Shari)

I look at Liqu who despite the situation is in her demeanor pure serenity.

"You are right. I have no idea what I am against here. And the keyword was "what"! Judging from your gaze you are more concerned about your comrade, so that means I should be warier of her. I know you can kill fast, without even making that much of a commotion. But really risk it with me? I already win when I can escape. Or do you believe the window behind me is open for ventilation?" (?)

"We can try. This sounds fun." (Liqu)

Oh no, she already let one glove slide down.

"Liqu stop! Don't act rash." (Shari)

"But I thought she wanted to play?" (Liqu)

"Hihi, just as I thought. Dangerous seems to be an understatement." (?)

"What do you want? You don't look to me like the upstanding civilian reporting to the guard." (Shari)

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"Confirmation, for now. I am extremely curious. And then… We’ll see." (?)

"You want to see, hmmm? This sounds interesting. Then I think I will show." (Liqu)

"Liqu didn't I say..." (Shari)

"You said don't act rash. And I don't. I know exactly what I can do." (Liqu)

"You mean you can without..." (Shari)

"Absolutely." (Liqu)

Even with this cloak hiding her face I can literally see this woman getting nervous, taking some steps back closer to the window.

The mask Liqu wears gives an eerie feel and she must think the same.

Liqu makes a step in her direction and promptly this person responds by throwing two knives at Liqu.

They hit, but instead of dodging she made a hard move forward directly into them and lunges the ungloved arm in this person's direction, even if she is still on the other side of the room.

Yet this is no problem for a slime.

The mass of her arm rushes forward and sticks to her.

Before she can even scream it extends over her mouth and winds around her.

Slime-shackle success!

Like this, she cannot move anymore.

I hurry and close the door and the window.

The moment I am done with the latter I find Liqu already on top of her.

She has removed her mask and starts to lick her lips like always when she thinks about dissolving something.

Does she even have lips?

Do I have lips?

No, no.

Don't think about this.

Back to the issue.

"Can I?" (Liqu)

Damnit, I can't need a mess here!

"Let me first take a look." (Shari)

I lift the cap and move the cloth so I can see her face.

Black hair sprouts out and I see:

A girl!?

This is just a girl.

Maybe the cloth before her mouth did change her voice a bit, but she is far too young to be anything of the assumed.

Her eyes got teary and fearful.

"Now can I?" (Liqu)

Damnit, I can't let Liqu kill a child!

What is she? Fifteen?

"No, don't please." (Shari)

"But she has seen. Isn't this bad?" (Liqu)

"Let me talk." (Shari)

I bend close to her face.

"I want just a nice talk. Liqu will now release your mouth, but if you scream not even I will be able to keep her in check. Trust me you don't want this." (Shari)

I get a shaky nod in return.

"Liqu, set her mouth free." (Shari)

She does so and this girl starts to take a deep breath.

I guess Liqu wasn't this interested in her air supply.

"Now you better tell us something of interest. I would say something like the very personal information you inquired about us. Or to make it easy: Who are you?" (Shari)

"M-m-my name is Elin." (Elin)

"So, Elin you say. And what you had in mind here?" (Shari)

"I... I..." (Elin)

She looks nervously around the room for an escape but by experience, I can say there is no way to flee from a slime who has gotten a hold on you.

"Now concentrate and speak. You are still alive so you should be able to do so." (Shari)

"I th-thought if I could find something extorting I get a hold on you and could use you to my advantage." (Elin)

"And now I have the hold." (Liqu)

"Thank you Liqu, but not now." (Shari)

This slime, sigh.

"How did you want to use us?" (Shari)

"I-I wanted you to kill someone for me or at least money. I've prepared so long and trained only to get this man done. With enough money I could at least pay for his death. Or some skilled killers." (Elin)

Anger quells up, despite the situation she's in.

Well, this is some deep hatred.

"Could I hear the name of this person?" (Shari)

"Cid, his assholes, and those who back him!" (Elin)

She nearly spits it out.

"Oh this one. Didn't I say I should dissolve him?" (Liqu)

Urrgh, Liqu be quiet.

"So let me guess: Your parents were merchants or someone else who would get targeted; they didn't want to work with him and then mysteriously got caught up in an accident or burglary to lose their lives." (Shari)

"Don't talk like you would know!" (Elin)

I hit the mark it seems.

"But you are obviously not unskilled. Why you don't just attack him?" (Shari)

"Because there are always guards around him. Also, I want the men behind him too. I cannot just put it all on one act." (Elin)

"So you've decided that it would be better to engage the most dangerous persons you could find instead?" (Shari)

"If it would have worked..." (Elin)

"Yes "if"! But it didn't and now you are making my life more difficult." (Shari)

Damnit! What shall I do now?

I don't like Cid, but I've decided not to engage with the dangerous underworld boss right away.

Not to mention the problems I would create for myself with his death.

I have simply other concerns than fighting non-profit for justice.

And revenge is non-profit too.

But this girl makes things difficult.

I need an idea or at least a way to delay a decision until I can come up with something.

And something like this had to happen just before I would leave this town for a while.

Wait! That's it!

"You said you wanted money?" (Shari)

"Ehm, yes?" (Elin)

"And you know how to cut things with a dagger?" (Shari)

"Y-yes. I've trained to slice that pig's throat." (Elin)

Unnecessary information.

"As I see it, your life right now belongs to us. Despite the fact that no one will ask questions if you die in here like you yesterday could see, nothing of you will remain to be found in the first place after Liqu is done." (Shari)

"So I can?" (Liqu)

Stupid slime! Shut up!

The girl starts to tremble and tears up.

"How sounds ten silver?" (Shari)

"Huh?" (Elin)

"I will give you ten silver for two days of work. This is much more than a month’s salary, so it sounds fair regarding the situation." (Shari)

"But... why?" (Elin)

"I am not really interested if you kill Cid. I don't like him myself. But for now I need workers with actual muscles and not..." (Shari)

I point at Liqu.

"So you see? It would really help if you could be cooperative. Otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with you right now. I think an agreement would be for both sides... favorable." (Shari)

God, I sound like a villain!

However, for now, I really cannot have her running and telling anyone about us.

"And then?" (Elin)

"Nothing. As I said, I don't care what you do, but I need help now. You get your money and I can rest assured that while I'm away you won’t try to get a reward from the guard, who will wait for us when we come back. Deal?" (Shari)

"I... guess so?" (Elin)

"Fine. To make me feel even safer you will sleep here today and just to mention it, Liqu doesn't really sleep, so you better don’t try anything stupid. And if you really should betray us and pull off the astonishing act to escape. Then nothing will allow you to feel safe. There is simply nothing that could fend off Liqu. Understood?" (Shari)

"U-understood!" (Elin)

"Great! Then good night for today. Sleep well. We will depart early tomorrow." (Shari)

Somehow I believe that she will have trouble falling asleep.