Flanne was supposed to have found Ririna. These annoying times should have come to an end with her investigating the Alchemists’ Guild. It should have been over, but a few days have passed, and Ririna was still nowhere to be found.
Nowhere at all…
“Are you taking another break, princess?” In a balcony high up in the castle, Flanne approached Beatrize, who peacefully leaned against the railing. “The investigation needs you to do your part so it can continue to run smoothly.” With a cheeky tone, Flanne stopped behind Bea at a respectable distance.
“For someone who’s always nagging me to watch my tongue, yours might be the most insolent in the whole castle.” Bea slowly turned around while still leaning against the railing. “The documents are all finished. You know I don’t slack off during important matters, you goody two shoes. Always making me do more work while asking for promotions and less work. The nerve on you…” Bea pouted and glared at Flanne with an accusatory glare.
“It’s during moments of peace that one’s able to appreciate life. Only by working less can one live more.”
“You mean, sipping tea in my office while I’m buried in paperwork? Is that how you appreciate life?”
“Those aren’t moments of peace for me. They’re work. It’s called moral support. It’s hard work, which is why I’m paid for that time.”
“Hard work? Yeah right…” It is for me, thought Bea to herself. “*Sigh…* Either way, good work out there. You met with Iroha today, didn’t you? How did she react?”
Flanne briefly shook her head. “Just as expected. She wasn’t happy to learn that we couldn’t find Ririna. We combed the whole place, and while there were signs that she had been there recently, she was not there anymore.”
“Could she have gone home?”
“That’s unlikely.” Flanne immediately said. “As soon as we finished our first investigation, I looked through the fast-travel station records. She arrived in the capital a few weeks ago and hasn’t left since then. Pretty unusual considering she used to go back to her hometown pretty much every day before. Regardless, she hasn’t left the capital through the fast-travel station. Iroha was relieved to know she was looking for her in the right place.”
“Can’t you hurry up the investigation, Flanne?” Bea’s voice started getting heated, and she stopped leaning against the railing. “It’s so infuriating having to play games with these idiots who side with the demons. Just find a reason to arrest someone already!”
“Funny you say that, princess, because Iroha said almost the same thing. But you know it’s not that simple, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” Bea leaned back again as she calmed down. “The floating city, Alcester, the origin and center of all human civilization. And the reason why we need to find proof to arrest someone who obviously let demons into their own guild. If the Alchemists’ Guild Headquarters in Alcester has an issue with the way we do things, the Alcester government might get involved, and they’ll sanction us. It’s such a pain, Flanne!”
“I understand it’s a lot to deal with, but at least we can be sure that Alcester will always oppose the demons. If we’re able to find proof of their involvement with demons, we can get away with almost anything, right?”
“Yeah, but we need to find the evidence first.” Bea walked past Flanne back into her office. Flanne followed, and Bea sat on the couch meant to receive guests. “I feel bad for Iroha. Is this really all I can do for her? I finally found myself a friend. What if she starts hating me? Maybe I should use myself as bait again.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Flanne was brewing tea for the two of them when she heard something outrageous. “Please think of your position before saying things like that. Iroha said she’d wait until the investigation was done. Why don’t you do the same?”
“It was merely in jest, Flanne.” Bea said ironically. “But I really don’t want to disappoint her… I finally found someone who treats me as a friend. She even called me Bea! How clueless is she? Not even daughters of nobles were willing to do that for me.”
“It’s rare to see someone that unaware of titles and customs. It’s like she lived in a whole other world.”
“That’s fine with me. It’s been a real breath of fresh air. We and the demons have been poking each other for such a long time… It’s great to have someone show up and make things move again. Even if we have our hands full now because of it.”
Flanne approached Bea’s seat with a teapot in hand. She served the princess, herself, then finally sat down. “I miss the peaceful times where I could just sit down and relax. Now I have to worry about you making friends with bad influences and suggesting using yourself as bait for the second time. You’re not even thinking straight anymore.”
“You’re so mean! You’re the one who introduced me to Iroha, Flanne. It’s all your fault. Don’t you know that when people in high positions meet whimsical people, they get whimsical ideas? That’s why everyone was always careful of who I was allowed to meet growing up.”
“Weren’t you the one who orchestrated the meeting with her?”
“I just wanted to see if she was the Violence Witch or not. It’s not my fault we ended up becoming friends.” Bea shrugged.
“Okay, princess, whatever you say. Just don’t say you’ll use yourself as bait again. Once was more than enough for everyone involved.”
“Fine… But we need to figure out what to do next and quick. The investigation isn’t going to give us enough proof to arrest anyone. We need to find out more about the demons directly. Their location is important, but we really need the details of their plans.” Bea placed down an empty teacup, and so did Flanne.
“Let’s go over that now then. Maybe we can find a way to gain a new ally while saving the capital from the demons’ schemes.” With renewed determination, the two girls smiled. They were resolved to find a path forward that would blow all their worries away.
----------------------------------------
“I’m gonna go hunting again.” That was the response I gave when Carol asked me where I was going.
I had just left my room, ready to leave the hotel we’ve been staying at, when Carol called out to me. Telling her I was going hunting wasn’t too well received, and she stared at me in silence for a moment.
“Are you an idiot, Iroha? You’re not hunting anything! You’re just playing with fire.” Carol crossed her arms.
“Ahahaha…” She’s not… totally wrong… Ever since I was ambushed, I’ve been looking all over the city for clues about the demons’ whereabouts. Bea can’t arrest that Philip guy from the Alchemists’ Guild without information, so it’s up to me to find Ririna somehow.
Apparently, it was only recently that Ririna stopped showing up at the guild. It happened right after the day we were supposed to talk. With the involvement of the demons and the fact that she disappeared all of a sudden, it’s pretty obvious that there’s some kind of link there. I have to investigate that!
Thanks to Flanne, I learned two important pieces of information. Ririna is not dead, and she has not left the capital. With that in mind, I know I am on the right track. “Sorry, Carol… I don’t really have any other choice, do I? I have to hunt them down. If they have Ririna, then I have to save her. And if they don’t, maybe I can at least get enough evidence to get Philip arrested. Then it’s just a matter of getting him to spill what happened to her.”
“Do you really think you’re gonna solve anything by roaming the city around like a zombie? The longer we stay in this world, the harder it’s gonna be to explain to the others when we eventually go back.” Carol said with a high pitch. She took a deep breath, then continued. “Let’s go back to our world and come back later. I’ll talk to Hecate and Katja, we gather some supplies, then we come back after we’ve thought of a plan.”
“Sorry… I can’t do that…” Time’s too precious for that. If I stop, even for a moment, then everything’s gonna go wrong again… “I can’t go back until I find Ririna. At least until I know she’s alright.” I turned my gaze away from Carol. “You know, I’m always like that… I hesitate when it matters the most, and then something goes wrong…” That’s right! I’m not hesitating anymore! I promised that to Carol and myself! “I’m not stopping now.” I looked Carol straight in the eye.
Carol was stunned for a moment, conflicted and worried.
“I won’t hold it against you if you go back. I’m really thankful you came with me this far. Thanks, Carol…”
Carol was moved, then her face quickly filled with anger. “Why are you assuming I’m going back? If you’re not leaving, neither am I! I’m sticking around until we find Ririna! That’s the promise I made, and that’s what I’m gonna do, dammit! Save your thanks until after we’re done.”
… “Ahahahahaha, thanks… I’m sorry for dragging this on for so long. I thought it was going to be a quick trip, but just hold on for a little longer. I swear I’m gonna find them today.”
“Of course you are, but that’s because I’m tagging along!” Carol confidently walked past me, heading outside.
“Oh, actually, I was thinking of looking for them from the rooftops today. I have to use a skill to get up there, so it might be hard for you to come with me.”
“Is that so?” Carol turned around, but her confidence didn’t waver. “I guess we’ll have to split up then.”
“You don’t mind?” I was expecting her to insist on us sticking together. “Thanks for the help then. If you find any demons, call me immediately. Be careful you don’t get caught.”
“The House of Imaginary Boundaries may be an independent organization, but our training is on par with that of most special forces, you know? There’s no way the primitive people of this world can catch me by surprise in an operation like this.” She should know by now the demons aren’t exactly primitive… And with magic in play, who can say what’s possible and what’s not? She’s cute when she brags like that, so I’m not gonna say much.
“Okay then, I’ll leave it to you.” We walked side by side until we reached outside. “Good luck, Carol.”