“It’s nice to be back on an actual bed and actually have the ability to wash up…” Dia patted her hair dry and laid back on her bed. Now that she didn’t need to wake up early to resume their journey back, the idea of just flopping onto her bed and sleeping in became extra seductive.

Rolling around the bed a few times, she picked up a pillow and hugged it. Going back to bed after washing up was one of the best feelings in the world; this was something she finally learned today.

After bemoaning the fact that they lived a life where they couldn’t sleep in until noon, Dia decided to slack off for a while. It wouldn’t hurt for her to sleep in anyway, but…

“I think I actually skipped dinner…” Dia rubbed her stomach. “I’m hungry now. Great. I wonder if they’ll look at me weirdly if I started stuffing my stomach at breakfast.”

Peeking out of her room, she headed towards the good old dining table, and then did a doubletake when she saw two gluttons stuffing their face at the table.

“Nero? Risti?” Dia looked at the rapidly vanishing portions of food. “Don’t stuff your stomach this quickly. I also need some breakfast too, right?”

The two gluttons looked up at each other, and in silent agreement, immediately sped up their pace of eating.

“Screw you guys…” Dia flung herself into a seat and started eating too. Unfortunately, she had started a bit too late, and she had only eaten two buns and a small fishcake by the time the others had finished off the rest. “Damn it, you gluttons.”

“None of us actually ate last night, so it’s to be expected.” Nero looked at his plate.

“You guys slept in too?”

“Yeah,” Risti replied. “Farah and Schwarz weren’t really happy, though. Since they cooked a feast and everything for us, only for the three of us to sleep through the entire day.”

“Whoops, I suppose.” Dia rubbed her head. “I’m still quite tired, though. I want to sleep in and everything, but since the count didn’t show up yesterday…he’s probably going to show up today, right? What a pain…”

Risti nodded. “I want to sleep in the entire day…once all this is over and I have an entire week to myself, don’t expect to see me anywhere. At all.”

“Same here,” Dia added. “I can totally see myself doing that too. I want to see and slack off…”

“No chance of that,” Risti replied. “The good count is coming soon enough to debrief us, or so I’m told. We can’t exactly sleep or anything now. Just look alive, gather your wits and be prepared for whatever dastardly mission he has come up with for us.”

Nero sighed. “I don’t want to do anything…”

The three of them laid their heads on the table and let out a tired sigh.

“You three punks sound like the same lazy bum who completed a single day’s worth of work and decided to call it a day. Why, in Farah, you guys wouldn’t be able to earn enough to eat at all.” Farah walked into the room. “I hope you guys had a good rest, at least.”

“They definitely did.” Schwarz walked into the room, a bottle in his hand. “Why, Nero didn’t even look for a bottle of booze from me. He said something about wanting to finish his booze first before going for the higher-quality stuff, and then turned in for the day.”

“That’s rare…”

“I was too tired,” Nero replied, raising his head weakly. “I’m going to sleep in for a little while longer. Call me when the count comes—”

Bell chimes echoed throughout the mansion, and everyone paused.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Gah.” Nero straightened his back. “Why must they be so punctual? I don’t get it. It’s what, just sunrise! I don’t freaking get it. Can’t they just wait for a few hours? I want to sleep!”

“Hear, hear.” Risti raised her head lazily. “Go call them in. I’m too tired to move…”

For some reason, Dia really agreed with her words. It seemed odd, since the last time they ventured out, Dia had bounced back after a few hours’ worth of napping here and there. This time round, however, the fatigue seemed to be a lot more stubborn than usual.

“You guys…fine, I’ll get the door or something.” Schwarz placed the bottle down. “Nero, don’t even think of taking…damn it. Never mind.”

After casting a sad gaze at Nero’s hands, the bartender stormed out of the room, muttering darkly under his breath. The door slammed twice in short order, and he soon returned with Count Nightfall and Caroline, who were looking at Schwarz with some caution.

“Someone stole his booze?” Nightfall asked, settling into a chair.

Dia raised a hand and pointed it at Nero, who was already asleep, the unopened bottle in his embrace.

“Should have guessed.”

Caroline looked at Dia and Risti, before turning her gaze to the asleep Nero. “You guys look really fatigued, though. Was it that bad? We heard the story from Daybreak himself, but you guys really drive it in.”

“Where’s Count Daybreak?” Dia asked, rubbing her eyes.

“He’s fast asleep in the palace,” Caroline replied. “…Maybe we came at a bad time.”

Yes, you did. Where’s your common sense? Isn’t it normal to do courtesy calls inquiring into the health of people who just returned at evening the next day? Not the morning? Dia rubbed her eyes again, before shifting her head slightly. She was lying on a particular part of her arm, but that bit had gotten too warm for her, forcing her to shift.

“I told you so, Aran. They’re too tired to do anything?” Caroline patted Risti and Dia on the head. “Why don’t you two go and get a nap or something? We can talk to Schwarz and Farah instead.”

“I-it’s fine.” Dia forced herself up and stifled a yawn. After slapping her cheeks twice, she turned to the couple and asked, “Who do you need dead or captured?”

“The person who tried to kill Caroline,” Nightfall replied. “I’m not sure who the culprit is, however, but we need more people on board. We’re not going to let the killer get away.”

“You two are also going to participate?” Farah asked, surprised.

“I’ll help with the information gathering,” Schwarz volunteered. “Risti…well, she’s asleep now, but she has Skyward Eye. We’ll make use of that too. Dia—”

“I’m hired muscle,” Dia replied, the fog in her head gradually dissipating. “Nero…well, he can also join me, when he’s finally awake. Is the assassin still in the city?”

“Of course,” Nightfall replied. “This is my domain. My city. Assassins won’t get away with trying to harm my people...although I might have been a bit too liberal with this City of Trades thing. I suppose I should double down on the quashing of shady businesses…wait, I’m not referring to you guys.’

Dia, who was feeling a bit nervous about whether they fell into the category of shady businesses, relaxed. “So, how strong is the assassin?”

“A tri-folder, but we have virtually no clue on where the perp actually works. Caroline was watching me play with one of those Moonlit babies when a random person passing by whipped out a sword and rushed her,” Nightfall replied. “The Moonlit baby responded immediately and intercepted the attack by shooting out an attack, and in the small opening that created, Caroline struck back and sent the guy flying with a kick to the…sensitive bits.”

Dia glanced at the harmless-looking Caroline, her brain now completely awake.

“Wow. Didn’t think you were that type,” Risti added, her face now brimming with interest.

“The assassin fled immediately afterwards, but there’s no way the assassin will get out of the city this easily. We just need to sweep the city for someone who has only one arm,” said Nightfall. “And we need to be quick too. The assassin will probably try to create more suspects by lopping off their arms; there are already eight such cases.”

“What are the details of the suspect?” Schwarz asked.

Caroline took out a piece of paper and slid it over. “That’s what the suspect looked like, from what we could remember.”

Dia looked at the young woman, who didn’t have any distinguishing features at all. “Brown hair, average build…hmm. Maybe it’s a love debt.”

Nightfall eyed her. “Oi.”

“What? I’m just wondering why anyone would attack Caroline,” Dia replied. “Do you know her?”

“Of course not. Anyway, I want her captured as soon as possible,” said Nightfall. “I hope you guys can join the hunt after you three get more rest.”

“Will do.” Dia got up and stretched. “Still, I would rather capture the assassin first. I don’t want a killer running around this place, especially since there are so many little toddlers waddling around.”

“You do have a soft spot for them, then.”

“Who doesn’t?” Dia got up. “And besides, the urgency has roused me. We’ll go deal with that assassin, and then return home for a week’s rest or something. That cool with you guys?”

Schwarz nodded. “Sure. It’s good if you’re sleeping in more often anyway.”

“…You two haven’t been skipping your daily training, right?” Dia asked, suspicious.

Farah cleared her throat. “Of course not. Right?”

“Right, right.”

Eyeing the two fellows, Dia stood up and glanced at the two sleepy fellows. “I’m going out to help them. What about you guys?”