[CLAUSTRINE'S POV]
"CHEERS!" we say as we clang our beer mugs and then gulp their contents like there's no tomorrow.
"Ahhhh~ Natunia beer is the best!" Mateo's satisfied words.
We're currently drinking in the tavern we've always visited for years now. To the point that the owner considers us as valued customers. And for us, we just really love the delicious foods and drinks they offer – a very satisfying way to end a grueling quest.
"The Cockatrice quest really gives us huge rewards. Despite all of that exhausting work, I can really say it's worth it," Bertrand said, our party's frontman. This time, he's wearing very fancy clothes that reek with perfume. I hate it as for some reason, the strong smell of perfume mixes with the food once I eat some.
"I believe no one picked that quest for days, that's why the reward is increased," I said.
"Now I feel sad. It must have dealt a huge blow to their finances if they're willing to give a huge amount of money for killing the Cockatrice," our Cleric Sophia said.
"Don't worry. The full reward is contributions from multiple towns that were affected by the Cockatrice. I guess it's better to spend a large amount of money than just wait for the monster to disappear, which might take months," I explained to Sophia to reduce her worries. I don't want to see her sad.
Sophia smiles.
"Anyway, where is Shirna?" Mateo asked.
Shirna is the dark elf member of our party. He's swift, petite, and a nimble archer who acts as our scout and ranged support. But now, he's probably taking a well-deserved rest.
"He said that he was too tired, so he decided to just sleep," I say to Mateo.
"Oh... I understand," Mateo smiles.
We continue our little feast, and some adventurers congratulate us for the Subjugation of the Cockatrice. As we drink and eat to our hearts' content, I also stare at Mateo, our Party leader, who still has no idea that someone is looking at him with suspicion.
And that suspicious look came from me.
After hours of nighttime drinking, we decide to go home as it's already dark.
"Okay, let's wrap up this day. See you next time," Bertrand's farewell. I can clearly feel his excitement to go to the brothels, and I just sigh.
"See ya," I say.
"Bye, guys!" Sophia's farewell as she walks away while waving her hand. I wave back.
"Are you sure you want her to walk home alone?" I asked Mateo.
"Of course not. But how about you?" Mateo asked; his concern for me is genuine, so I smile to reduce his worry.
"Don't worry about me. I can defend myself and also, no one likes someone who looks like a grumpy hag. Haha," I jokingly respond.
"Don't put yourself down that much. You have your own charms," Mateo recklessly says. I'm surprised by his response.
"W-what are you s-saying!? Can you just make sure Sophia gets home safely!?" I say, then kick Mateo in the back of his legs.
"Ouch! Fine, fine, haha. Goodnight, Claustrine," Mateo's farewell, then he smiles before leaving.
"Good night. Just call us for another quest," I gently wave to Mateo.
"Wait, Sophia!" Mateo says as he tries to catch up to Sophia. After ensuring that everything is fine, I decide to go home.
~~~~~°~~~~~
It all started 2 months ago when we were in the middle of a jungle on a mission. It was midnight, and we were sleeping when I was interrupted by a voice.
Seeing that I was the only one awakened by the voice, I cautiously followed the source, and to my annoyance, I saw Mateo sitting on a fallen tree talking to someone.
At first, I just wanted to warn him to stay quiet, but I snapped back to my senses and became fully awake when I realized he was talking to no one.
Relying only on the moonlight and an unknown light source that he was holding, I decided to observe Mateo. From what I could tell, he was talking to the device he was holding. I couldn't fully hear what the device was saying, but faint noise came from it, implying that it was responding to Mateo's words.
Not only that, their conversation—or I should say Mateo's words—were peculiar. He still talked normally but occasionally said seemingly random words that I couldn't understand.
From that day, I started documenting Mateo even more and began discovering more suspicious actions.
To avoid detection, I decided to learn low-level stealth magic and follow Mateo when I had spare time.
Mateo occasionally visits the market, and this is not normal shopping. Mateo buys a huge amount of vegetables, meats, and eggs. This is nonsense, as there's no way for Mateo to stock that much food unless we're on a mission. As far as I know, Mateo is the only one living in his house. Moreover, there's no proper storage in his house; such systems are reserved only for wealthy people due to how expensive they are to maintain.
To confirm, I decided to make a surprise visit one day.
"Hello, Mateo."
"Oh, Claustrine? What brings you here?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to visit. Can I?"
I noticed Mateo's initial hesitation, but he eventually accepted my presence.
"Sure. Welcome."
A few minutes later, I was seated while Mateo brought snacks and placed them on the table.
"Is studying stressing you out?"
"No, not at all. Just wanted to take a short break."
"I see."
"So, what's up? Just gonna spend your day off here?" I asked.
"Nah, not really. Got some sword training scheduled for tomorrow. Today's all about relaxing," Mateo replied honestly.
"Well, looks like my timing for dropping in is perfect then."
"No doubt. Gotta admit, I was getting a bit bored. Thanks for swinging by."
"No problem at all."
"Wanna eat lunch here?" Mateo offered.
"Huh? Seriously?" I was a bit surprised by his invitation.
"Absolutely! We're friends, after all."
"Thanks, that sounds awesome."
"Just hold on a sec. I'll go grab some groceries. Cool with you?"
"Yeah, sure."
With that, Mateo headed outside, leaving me alone in his place. I was pretty excited about the chance to explore his house a bit.
I suddenly realized that Mateo's house was quite small, built for perhaps just one or two people. There were no extra rooms visible, except for the bathroom. The kitchen, his bed, and the living space were all within a single, spacious room, divided only by significant gaps. The setup left me feeling somewhat uneasy.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
To confirm my suspicions, I decided to thoroughly search the entire house, hoping to uncover a hidden compartment or magical artifact. Unfortunately, my efforts yielded no results.
Feeling exhausted, I took a seat in a nearby chair and closed my eyes. I focused, mentally preparing myself for a final inspection.
.
.
.
[Arcane Detection]
With a single incantation, I release a magic wave within the vicinity of Mateo's house. This beginner's spell can detect anything with Arcanic energy, from living beings to enchanted objects.
Three seconds later, I just sigh as the only things I detect are two people outside with very small Arcanic energy, probably lower-ranked adventurers.
I return to my initial position and wait for Mateo's return. However, the uneasy feeling, different from what I feel in tight spaces, still lingers within me. Despite my efforts to suppress my suspicions about Mateo, everything he just did screams peculiarity, and I need to uncover the truth for the safety of our party.
Minutes later, Mateo returns with ingredients. I try to help him, but he refuses my offer, stating that I'm a guest, so I should leave everything to him.
Mateo cooks a simple beef stew with bread as a side dish. Despite its simplicity, I still enjoy the food, as Mateo never misses when it comes to cooking.
"Hmmmmm... Delicious."
"I'm glad you like it. Do you want seconds?" Mateo offers.
"Yes, please."
Mateo adds more stew to my wooden bowl. The smell only increases my appetite.
"Mateo, it's been years, right?" I ask, trying to make small talk.
And also to test him.
"What do you mean?"
"You know, the first time we met. I still can't believe that our party is still standing and continues to do missions."
"Yes... It makes me very nostalgic," Mateo says happily.
"Do you remember our first promotional quest to reach iron rank? I still can't forget how pathetic we were."
Mateo laughs.
"I would never forget that. We almost died on that mission. We didn't expect that the goblin's cave would have an army in it. I still can't believe that we managed to finish that mission," Mateo tells the story with excitement.
"Right?! We returned to the guild with the stench of blood and goblin smell, and the other adventurers instantly left. And when we told them what happened, the guild master reprimanded us like there was no tomorrow." I continue his story. I didn't notice, but I really enjoy reminiscing about the past.
"Phew! Well, what we did was truly stupid. As the guild leader said, we should have just scouted the area and tell everything to them. But still, the guild is proud of us for completing such a dangerous mission," Mateo continues. I can feel that he's sincere in telling the story.
"How about the time when our party encountered an S-ranked monster?"
Mateo suddenly shivers as he remembers a very scary experience.
"Geez. The Forest Mammothragon. That was a very thrilling experience. I remember that we stood still like statues and waited for that monster to leave. I still can't forget how Sophia cried after the Mammothragon left."
I chuckle after hearing the story.
"Who can blame her? That was her first mission with us, and suddenly we were involved in a life or death situation."
We spend the afternoon just talking and remembering the past. And when night falls, I bid farewell to Mateo and decline his offer to escort me home.
In my study room, where a bunch of bookshelves surrounds me, my suspicion is now coupled with confusion.
During our conversation, every story Mateo told matches the truth of our past experiences. Even though there are a few mistakes, it's still clear that the Mateo I know is still there. But this confusion persists as to why Mateo has suddenly started acting strangely.
I really wish I could ask Mateo directly about his habits, but my fear takes over, as I'm worried I might trigger something that could lead to disaster for me.
I sit in front of my desk and open a book that contains all the information I've gathered, which, despite the extensive amount of text, is still relatively limited in terms of overall information.
The reason my notes appear so extensive is due to the numerous so-called "random" words I heard from Mateo while he was talking to the device...
Pridyider
Tea bee
Manila
Esem
Jolly bee?
Bedyu Game
Buss
Tri-cycle
And many, many more that I try to decipher, to no avail. Even the biggest library in the city doesn't have any information about the unknown words written in my notebook.
But it doesn't mean that I didn't manage to guess some of them. I managed to understand a little bit just by listening to how Mateo uses the words.
For example, the device that Mateo uses to communicate is called a "Sellfon," Manila is some sort of place, Esem is a store, and Jolly Bee is some sort of name for a restaurant.
Still, this little knowledge doesn't help me uncover Mateo's secret. And this curiosity is driving me insane the longer it goes on.
"AGHHHH!!! What is your secret, Mateo?" I scream in frustration while aggressively scratching my head.
I drink tea in order to calm myself a little bit, and then I clean my study table. Another day of not getting even a small lead.
After cleaning, I throw myself on the bed and just stare at the ceiling. I notice that I'm still wearing my mage clothing, but I just ignore it. I'm too tired.
I wish I could ask well-known wizards or academics if they knew anything about my problem.
But I'm scared. What if Mateo possesses some sort of forbidden knowledge? If it turns out that Mateo's secret is taboo, I can't imagine what the authorities might do to him, or worse, our party might get executed. Imagining the scenario sends shivers through my whole body.
That's why I've decided to handle this on my own, and now I'm reaching my limits.
"I'm going to get more aggressive in dealing with this investigation," I say to myself. After that, an idea suddenly pops into my mind—a very stupid idea that makes me smile because of how risky it is.
~~~~~°~~~~~
Three days after my visit, I'm tailing Mateo in the market as he goes about his routine of buying a huge amount of meat, fruits, and vegetables. I'm observing from the shadows, trying my best to hide without arousing suspicion from any passersby.
After Mateo buys the things he needs, he finally decides to return home, but I'm going to be there in advance for my plan to work.
As I see Mateo approaching, I prepare myself.
"Oh God of moon and shadow, Zir. Please envelop me with your protective presence..."
"Midnight cloaking."
Midnight Cloaking. The low-level type of Deistic magic that I studied to assist Shirna in his work that requires stealth.
I might be invisible to everyone, but due to its low level, I can still create sounds, affect the surroundings, and it can't completely hide my presence, which veterans can sense if someone invisible is using this spell. Compared to higher-level spells, it has a shorter duration.
Mateo puts three heavy baskets of goods on the ground first before opening the door of his house. Then he carries the three baskets again and brings them inside his house. I don't waste the moment and carefully enter before Mateo closes the door. Inside, I position myself in front of the open window and just watch.
"Eeekk!"
I'm surprised when Mateo suddenly walks in my direction. Panicked, I quickly leave that area and almost bump into a nearby chair. Mateo closes the window shut, and as a safety measure, he also close the curtain. After seeing what Mateo did, I realize I'm still in front of another window.
"By the love of Gods!" I exclaim to myself.
Once again, I move away from the window, but I'm more careful this time. I decide to stay in the corner so I can observe him without revealing myself.
But why did Mateo shut his own house?
My question is instantly answered when he stands on the middle of the room and Mateo's right hand lights up and a door slowly appears in front of him.
"What!?"
I don't remember Mateo using any type of magic spell in the past, so I'm totally dumbfounded when he suddenly uses some sort of magic.
And not just ordinary magic; it looks so advanced that Mateo must be a Wizard if he can do things like this.
And the door, it looks so normal for something magical. It's a solid wooden door with a darker varnish coating and carved floral design. There's also a doorknob and a wooden door frame with the same dark color as the door.
Mateo opens the door, and the light from whatever's inside brightens the area around the door. Mateo carries the supplies he bought earlier and goes inside the suspicious door.
I'm scared about everything that just happened, but my curiosity really wants to learn the truth. I gulp, close my eyes, and begin to enter the mysterious door. There's no turning back now for me.
I opened my eyes and became even more dumbfounded by everything I saw in that moment.
I found myself in another room, but this time, it's smaller, with light blue walls, white tile flooring, and a white ceiling. Confusion began to set in as there were so many things I didn't understand.
There's still the usual bed, pillows, and cabinets and drawers. However, the cabinets and drawers are clearly not made of wood, but some kind of colorful material, judging by how vibrant they appear.
The light in the ceiling isn't from a lamp or a magic light source, but it's so bright that it illuminates the entire room as if it were daytime. I hadn't even noticed that it was nighttime outside.
And there are more strange pieces of equipment that I can't comprehend. There's a table with a rectangular box, a thin board with some sort of buttons on it, a weird circular thing with strings, and another black board.
The walls have some sort of posters, but can I really call those posters just mere posters? All of them look like pieces of art with a very weird art style. Each one is also so detailed. One of the posters has some sort of 4 girls in a frozen wasteland. Three of them hold hands while it looks like they're walking, wearing protective clothing in blue, red, and orange that appear bulky. And one girl, smaller in size, seems to only wear the pants of the same bulky attire with only a lime green shirt on top. She's also holding some sort of device. The poster is partnered with unknown symbols, and there are birds standing upright in the background with black and white color and wings that seem impossible for flight. My head hurts a little as I process everything.
Despite wanting to see more of these peculiar things, I notice that Mateo is leaving by opening another door, so I quickly follow him. Suddenly, I feel that my stealth is starting to wear off, and my brain is sending warnings to stop, but my heart and curiosity really wish to continue. I really want to learn the truth about everything, and my gut is telling me I should proceed so I can uncover it.
I didn't notice that we're in some sort of living room full of things that still don't make sense to me. There, we are greeted by two women who appear to be expecting Mateo's return, and a boy who is using a device similar to what Mateo uses to communicate. The boy finally notices Mateo and looks at him with unnerving shock. One of the women seems to be staring in my direction.
"O-oh, Mateo, welcome home," the older woman says.
Mateo puts the goods on the table.
"I'm back. But why do all of you look so shocked, as if you've seen a ghost?" Mateo seems concerned for some reason.
"Well, Bro... We didn't expect you to bring a friend with you."
.
.
.
.
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"