Such Are As A Rule Not Conducted By The Honest, That Rule Having Long Since Fallen Into Abeyance On Account Of Improvements In Light-Related Infrastructure

In the end, the two grooms as usual went along with their master, Onzalkarnd, Dirant, and Takki to reinforce their preeminence over the lesser servants even in horseless circumstances. The reduced retinue left the hotel and emerged into nighttime Dittsen, a city unlike any other, for though no one could mistake it for day, night seemed the wrong word entirely. At least in the ritzy districts, where in addition to the illumination visible through the windows of various halls, lounges, and offices of firms that encouraged unusual hours among employees eager for promotion, the lamps erected along the major streets as part of the government's beautification project allowed people too rich to go to bed visibility at all hours and places. As a concession to current preferences, those lamps were lighted or left unlighted alternatingly in a crisscross configuration identical to the modern Adaban's vest buttons.

The nocturnal traffic exceeded that of perhaps anywhere else in the world, which still amounted to little. Relieved of the need to shove and weave through crowds, the group reached Nifkir's Pillar in less time than the trip had taken in the day. Its windows also gave out light here and there, perhaps for the convenience of janitors. Nobody on the staff or security detail was visible.

Until a bunch of them appeared right next to the six unexpected visitors without being noticed by any of them beforehand, even the Battler. “Ressi, my new theory is that the Ninja class is better suited to urban environments than open terrain. Maybe you want to switch after all?”

“If true, is that not because it is easier to remain unseen in a crowd than isolated in the open country? We may say by similar reasoning that Ritualists also perform better in cities because there are more people to participate in our rituals and pay us afterward.”

“Yes, I'd say that's true. What's the objection to it?”

One of the Ninjas, no longer dressed with a view toward social camouflage but instead toward regular camouflage as he had been in Lesser Redrin, cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, Nifkir's Pillar is currently closed. Please do not approach within thirty feet of Nifkir's Pillar. Proper security depends on the earnest cooperation of the public as much as on anything we can do. Thank you. Furthermore, Ninja has never been confirmed to be the name of a genuine class. You should stop saying it because it makes you sound like a crank.”

Dirant cleared his throat to fit in. “Cooperation is something I offer in such abundance that it may not be believed. The reason is that I have a statue inside which must be authenticated by an expert. Fear that the notorious criminal Glainai Gabas will make off with it interrupts any attempt at sleep, and so I come here to be soothed by an explanation of your precautions. Best of all is if the person in charge is able to satisfy a member of Redrin's warrior aristocracy and a capable fighter himself as to their thoroughness.” It was not his habit to grab lords by the shoulder and yank them over, but that one time he considered it a pardonable act.

Deliëraï JemmzIszti landed from somewhere or other, though that time Takki's eyes tracked her before she hit the ground. She straightened, sidled into better lighting in order that everyone could perceive her sincerity after she finished rolling her eyes, lowered her mask, and began to speak.

The first Ninja translated. “I will explain some of the measures we have taken, but I intend to avoid details in case of spies. We have consulted the local authorities, who kindly informed us they too have been warned of the perfidy of this Glainai Gabas character. We sent a courier to Yean Defiafi in order to learn more of his methods. We have also compiled a list of experts whom we will approach for analysis of the statuette Glainai Gabas left inside to ensure it is not somehow rigged for nefarious purposes. Ritualists, Reciters, Pinpointers, Summoners, Visionaries, and more. Beyond that, please do not allow yourself to believe there are not many more of us both outside and inside the building simply because a few of us are allowing ourselves to be seen. Is that information able to assuage your concern for the valuable objects in Nifkir's Pillar? I hope to persuade you we aren't neglecting anything and certainly not your statuette. Borrowed items, no matter how worthless to the market-walkers, are more precious to the borrower than anything owned by him.”

“A wonderful sentiment, don't you think so?” Audnauj looked at Dirant as would someone who always suspected star-based fortune-telling to be bunk and had just heard a fiery speech on the topic from Luas Taikko Hinmi which dealt with the opposing viewpoint in such a way as not only to confirm him in his belief but to convert, he believed, every last person over to it.

Dirant, meanwhile, behaved like someone who had always trusted the stargazers and always would, which did not describe his actual position regardless of how many news articles made contrary claims. “Certainly that ought to be considered true when I own the borrowed item. I am less sure of it in other cases. Regardless, Nifkir's Pillar is clearly under guard. What of the precautions concerning Mr. JomOdro himself? Or Ponsaë JomFigza, wherever she may be?”

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“Huh?” Both the translator and his chief stared at him, frozen.

“Glainai Gabas is a kidnapper, after all,” Dirant reminded them.

“Not of me,” Audnauj insisted.

“But of other people.”

“Uh. Um. Gotta go!” The meaning of Deliëraï JemmzIszti's exclamation became known to Audnauj only later during his Yosribdi studies, since her subordinate did not then stick around to translate it. Ninjas, those two first and a few more later, bounded out of the shadows and began running down another street or even on the walls and high roofs, leaping when necessary.

Takki, Audnauj, Dirant, and Onzalkarnd rushed after the Stegzins in roughly that order of zealousness, with Hugal and Eyanya filling the bottom two positions only after Onzalkarnd yelled at them to get going. As much enthusiasm as some of them possessed, their agility came up short. They feared losing their chance to reach Vogdi JomOdro entirely until Audnauj realized something. “This is the way to Tazol's, isn't it? Makes sense he'd put himself up in the best hotel.”

It did, and what a nice place it was, like a king's palace but somewhat bigger and more tasteful. Deliëraï JemmzIszti burst into the lobby and then stopped to straighten her baggy stealth outfit in response to all the stares of the clientele and staff. Nothing seemed out of order aside from her.

The Redrins, Adaban, and Jalpi Peffu who piled in after her held a different opinion, at least when they got a good look at a few employees moving to intercept the obviously unhinged, possibly dangerous woman who had made such a violent entrance. Takki spoke to the Stegzin translator in a calm, even tone. “Could you ask your superior where Mr. JomOdro's room is? She's about to have her attention occupied by Glainai Gabas's henchmen. Those two for example are supposed to be incarcerated right now.” She nodded at the erstwhile courier and his ineffectual friend currently disguised as bellboys.

He translated that. Instantly Deliëraï JemmzIszti leapt to a pillar, produced throwing daggers from her costume, flashed three then two then five of them in Takki's direction, and the fight was on. The bellhops whipped out knives, waitresses carrying plates from the kitchen lifted the lids to reveal curled whips underneath, and the desk clerk pulled out an ax almost as long as the desk itself. Every employee in the hotel had been replaced, it seemed.

While Audnauj unsheathed his saber, Onzalkarnd did the same, and Hugal and Eyanya backed out of the room to make themselves better witnesses of their master's bravery, Takki and Dirant ignored the distraction of battle and ran up the stairs toward Room 325. One of them ran slower than the other, but Dirant was close enough to wince when Takki punched straight through a lovely, wood-paneled door and grabbed the knob from the other side. The sight, along with the prospect of explaining the incident to the manager of the hotel later, was enough to incite in him the unworthy hope that Vogdi JomOdro was in serious trouble.

He was, unless the latest fad in his homeland involved being held in the air by two criminal underlings as a prelude to being stuffed into a giant sack held by Desonn Sheglei and Glainai Gabas, which likely it did not. “Another mystery solved!” shouted Millim Takki Atsa as she gave the henchmen some of what the door had earlier. Their intended victim fell to the floor, an enviable condition comparably. He struggled to rise, and by the time he succeeded and Takki turned away from her first two targets, the ringleaders had already effected an exit.

“Ressi!”

The otter in question was at the window even as she shouted. Unfortunately, things moved fast in the modern era. Glainai Gabas waved at Dirant from three stories below while Desonn Sheglei kicked their escape ladder aside. Perhaps a Ninja could catch them, but none seemed available.

“They removed the ladder,” Dirant reported, in immediate response to which Takki dashed back downstairs at full Battler speed. Gabas and Sheglei, however, made to escape at full crime speed long before she could get outside and around the hotel. Dirant dismissed the idea of jumping, since even if his 247 HP absorbed the shock, a step two seemed required but wanting. Then he saw in the street past the criminals something hard for him to believe but too helpful to dismiss as a hallucination if there was any chance of its being real. He pointed down and called out, “Silthree! Stop these two!”

“Pay my bail if you get me in trouble!” Duelist Silapobolt Rikelta shouted back. He drew his sword, presented his side to Glainai Gabas, and disarmed him after a few exchanges of sharp thrusts and whatever else trained swordsmen did. As for Desonn Sheglei, her sculpting skills, impressive as they may have been, lacked application on the field of battle compared to the Distorter abilities of Ridenad Bessahalpt, who extended her arms straight and manifested between them a black ball of eldritch something-or-other that bulged and seemed to wrestle itself before it made its decision about what terror to inflict on the human world. Four rays shot from it through Sheglei's knees and elbows, and just like that she collapsed.

Dirant yelled down, “An excellent performance by the both of you, Silthree and, ah, may I call you sister-in-law?”

“I insist upon it,” Silthree yelled up. “Also that you descend to tell me what I just accomplished. Truth is optional, but compliments are not.”

Dirtwo waved and did as he was told. Passing through the lobby, he saw a pack of unfortunate henchmen being tied up by Stegzins who could not help but pause in the work from time to time out of a desperate need to gaze admiringly at Audnauj Olzenchipt Stavripdeu Blawraj and his invincible saber. “An ideal scenario for a Jobber, perhaps,” Dirant noted as he exited.

“I should say so,” Audnauj agreed.