In Blue Pine town, there is a wood workshop that primarily makes crates, barrels and other large containers for goods. Blue Pine is in fact a big trade hub. It primarily functions as a place where the various villages and farming communities send their goods before they are sent to the Halward city to the south or the Kanalive federation to the east as an export. Of course all these goods need to be safely stored in crates and barrels. This workshop produces such containers. However, it has a strange secret. In the warehouse section of the workshop. A trapdoor is nestled away in the corner of the warehouse. The day workers are forbidden from talking about it or blocking it. The trapdoor has since been a mystery around the workshop, but aside from that it hasn’t been an issue. On this fateful day, the trapdoor is uncovered at mid-day as Ren pokes her head out of the trap door.

  “Wait a minute! Who are you?” a worker says.

  “I’m an adventurer.” Ren responds to the man blankly. “Anyway, I’m going to call some people and the town guards over here.”

  “What? You can’t call the guards here!” the worker says.

  There is a brief pause. In the workshop, people are doing their regular work. Building crates and barrels for other people. Their attention is drawn away from their work when a small fiery explosion came from the warehouse next to the workshop. They then hear one of their foremen screaming.

  “Okay! Call the guards!!!”

  Asking around town, Ren searches for the nun Mona and finds her easily enough. What surprises Apherward is that Mona is in the temple. Doing work no less. Not well, but she seems to be working as a nun.

  “Ugh, Mona!” another nun sighs. “You dropped another vase.”

  “Right, sorry.” Mona says apologetically.

  It is at this point that Ren pops into the conversation.

  “You actually are a nun?” Ren says flatly.

  “Yes, but I’m certainly not a good one.” Mona says with a heavy sigh. “Can I assume you made some progress?”

  “I don’t know, but I found some organized crime happening.” Ren responds. “I never asked, are there more organized crime gangs than the Blood Hoof gang?”

  “Last time I checked, they were the only ones.” Mona said.

  “Then I found an underground workshop with weird magic items and strange documents.” Ren said.

  “I’ll check it out.” Mona said as she prepares to leave.

  “I’m sorry,” a third voice chimes in. “was I supposed to hear all of that?”

  Ren and Mona look over. The nun who was talking to Mona before Ren about a dropped vase is standing there.

  “Oh… sorry you weren’t.” Mona said. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

  “Mona, I thought you left all the weird sneaky stuff behind.” the nun said while massaging her temples.

  “Right… I’m sorry.” Mona says. “But I was asked to help.”

  The nun gives a sigh.

  “Alright. Go on. Get out of here.” the nun says. “I’ll clean up here.”

  “Thanks.” Mona said. “I really owe you.”

  The nun waved Mona off. Ren gives Mona a sideways glance and asks a question.

  “You have friends?” Ren asked.

  “I-I don’t catch your meaning.” Mona said. “Are you insinuating that I’m somehow not an amiable person? I know I’m not… normal, but I think I deserve some credit.”

  “Maybe.” Ren spoke flatly as ever.

  The two of them begin to head out of the temple. They briefly stop by a guard house to tell them what happened and have the goods container workshop cordoned off as a crime scene. Some arrests are made and evidence is being recovered. Here’s the problem. Not one of them knows anything about the magic these people were conducting.

  “Look, I can interrogate a guy all day. I just can’t figure out any of this magic stuff.” a guard says.

  “I can torture the same guy if we need to.” Mona says.

  “Tha-that’s not something we need.” the guard says.

  “I haven’t gotten a look at all their magic equipment yet.” Ren said. “I’m sure I can discern their make and purpose.”

  “You do that and give me something I can work with, I’ll take care of the rest.” the guard says. “As of now, the only thing I can charge these guys is tax evasion. You give me something hard to hit them with and I’ll follow up on the investigation.”

  “You mean a corporal or higher will follow up on the investigation.”Mona says.

  “Yeah, sure.” the guard tilts his head and rolls his eyes.

  “Give me a minute.” Ren says as she walks over to a box of the collected chalices and daggers.

  Ren takes one of the chalices in her hands and stares at a wall while she holds it in her hand. The guard gives Ren a confused look. Mona fully expects strange behavior from someone who knows anything about magic. Apherward uses it’s supreme knowledge of magics to carefully discern what this does. Looking it over, the theme of this chalice is demonic in nature. It depicts a crooked face with horns and fangs. Examining the magic within, Apherward can see that this chalice confers benefits to anyone who drinks human blood out of this chalice. It’s just small buffs to your stats. Nothing world changing. Although, there is a contract within these chalices. It can be inferred that the imbiber receives these powers and buffs from a demon who has signed their name on a contract. However, demons are purely spiritual beings. They are not beefy men with red skin and horns and wings. They are effectively really powerful ghosts. They are generally seen that way because when you interact with demons enough, you’ll eventually take on some of their aspects. Their aspect given physical form is usually a humanoid figure with horns, leathery wings and other such properties. But unless someone is frequently high fiving a demon it doesn’t usually happen, and it especially doesn’t happen by accident.

  “From what I have observed these chalices are part of some sort of agreement.” Ren said. “I believe the magic works by filling this chalice with blood. Human blood specifically. Then the drinker would be granted power by a demon.”

  “You-you didn’t even look at it.” the guard says.

  “I do not need to look to discern magic.” Ren said flatly.

  “I don’t know what you expected from someone who does magic.” Mona said.

  “Is this what magic people do?” the guard says with a furrowed brow.

  “If you expect someone who does magic to be normal, you’ll be surprised with every breath they take.” Mona said.

  “Right.” he gives a nod. “So getting back on topic, are we dealing with a demon summoning or something?”

  “Maybe.” Ren said. “It seems we caught this operation early. That or the mage I captured has been working at the creation of these magic chalices for a long time, despite the amateur work I saw thus far. He also seems to be very new to rituals. To aid in your investigation, you could try and see where the items they make here were being sent to. Establish a timeline of events and how long they’ve been in operation.”

  The guard gives Ren a sideways glance as she speaks. When Ren finally stops speaking, he nods.

  “Right. Well, I’ll get on that.” he says.

  “This place is connected to a warehouse that stores crates and barrels.” Mona says. “In all likelihood, their operation involved producing the magic items here and then storing and shipping them in the facilities above. We can only hope they left a paper trail. Confiscate the transactional paperwork from the workshop above and track them all to their destination. You’ll of course need to search them under the pretense that it is likely that some customers were given illegal goods and for the safety of Blue Pine town, they are to be searched.”

  The guard was taken aback by the various explanations he has received thus far.

  “I uhh-” the guard tries to shrink away.

  “This is what separates the watchmen from the corporals.” Mona said. “If you indeed want to follow up on this investigation, doing this much is necessary. You either work for that promotion or stay and temper your pride. You can still ask for help from someone of higher rank.”

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

  The guard gives a heavy sigh as Mona speaks to him.

  “I got it. I’ll see what I can do.”

  The guard heading up this crime scene marches up to the stairs leading to a trapdoor. As he does, another guard rushes up to Ren.

  “Sorry, I just got a question.” she says. “The magic circle at the bottom of the well, is that… like, safe? For the purpose of approaching it and sketching it. I’m like the only sketch artist in the town guards and I’m not sure if my paint and brush will draw a scroll of self immolation or something.”

  “It is safe.” Ren says as flatly as ever. “The carving in the floor was done with what I imagine to be a ritual dagger. Unless the ink and brush you are using are magical, it should be safe to draw a copy of the magic circle.”

  “Got it. Thank you little lady.” the other guard says as she walks off.

  “It seems it was a good thing that I got you involved.” Mona said. “The investigation is going smoothly. I think you’ve completed your end of the deal.”

  “Do you really mean it?” Ren says flatly, despite how the words might seem from a teenager like her.

  “Yes. Because of how nosey you are, the investigation is finally moving. We were stuck without you. In light of that-” Mona waves a hand towards Ren.

  Within Ren’s mind, words appear before Apherward.

  Quest Complete

  Uncover the machinations of the Blood Hoof gang

  Level up!

  Ren

  Level 5 Mage -> Level 6 Mage

  Strength: 8 -> 9

  Magic: 17 -> 20

  Agility: 6 -> 7

  Vitality: 5 -> 6

  “Yay!” Ren raises her hands and speaks in a very consistent low tone.

  “Right, you’re somehow a mage at level 5.” Mona says. “Anyway, I have a quest reward for you.”

  Mona then pulls out a robe from up her sleeve. It was a brownish red robe that looks appropriate for a mage. It seems to be in Ren’s size too.

  “I looted this off a bandit and had it tailored to fit you better.” Mona said. “You don’t have an issue using something looted off a dead man, right?”

  “None.” Ren said.

  Wearing armor meant that Ren’s ability to passively clear her magic capacity was being repressed. It could take hours for her to cast big spells consecutively. With robes meant for a mage, casting multiple spells in the same hour isn’t a problem. It might be possible for Ren to clear her magic capacity in the same fight. This will only improve Ren’s magical abilities. This is the life that Apherward envisioned. Going on dangerous quests for rewards.

  “It's good that you like it. I would wash it first, just in case.” Mona says before she stops to think for a moment. “Just to double check, is that armor the only clothes you own? I've only ever seen you wearing them.”

  “They are.” Ren said.

  “They are your only clothes?” Mona asked again.

  “Yes.” Ren said without hesitation.

  “What do you do after you bathe? Do you have them sent away to clean? Don't tell me you just put it back on.” Mona said.

  “Oh…” Ren suddenly stopped responding.

  There is a brief silence in the conversation as town guards try to sort through the mess in this underground workshop. Within Ren’s head, Apherward stutters.

  “Oh! Right, I forgot about that.”

  “Is something wrong?” Mona asked.

  “It would appear that after fleeing the city, I had forgotten to bathe. Which is to say I have not bathed once since arriving in town.” Ren said.

  There is another brief silence. Mona simply grabbed Ren and carried her off to the bathhouse the temple nuns frequent. They quietly left and Mona used her skill as an assassin to move unnoticed.

  They make it to the bathhouse without issue. As though fate reaped it's retribution on Apherward, Mona had unknowingly tossed the sentient tome very roughly into a basket. The robes were also being washed in a laundry room in the bathhouse. It was an extra charge, but Mona figured it was needed. The bathhouse attendants could offer no service for Ren’s bent and dirty armor. Mona also asked for first aid supplies. Apherward could not sense Ren's pain, and it seems that it forgot that Ren was stabbed in the arm earlier by one of those underground thugs. Apherward was starting to realize just how hard being a regular person was.

  For now, Apherward and Ren were finally parted for the first time since Ren found it beneath the castle. Ren and Mona were in a bath together. Despite having the consciousness of Apher Kirakaus, the tome Apherward wasn't the same as him. For one, the book has no lust. Quite frankly, neither did Apher Kirakaus, despite him actually being male and being a human with such bodily functions. There's a fair chance that Apher Kirakaus invented the Repel Maiden spell. In either case, Apherward is thankful that it doesn't have to lust after Ren and Mona as a book of all things. Rather, it will need to focus on puppeteering Ren.

  “You are startlingly still. Most people give me a hard time squealing and fidgeting at their wounds.” Mona said as she cleans Ren’s stab wound.

  “I have good pain tolerance, I think.” Ren says.

  “It seems so. You must have quite the story. I only know you up until you entered Blue Pine introducing yourself as an adventurer to the guards.”

  “You were there?”

  “No. I only talked to the guards on duty when I did a background check on you.”

  “I see. You are very thorough.”

  “I am know to be as such.”

  “Is that a normal trait for elves?”

  Like how Mona has not seen Ren out of her armor, Ren has not seen Mona out of her nun habit. Without it, it would be clear to Ren that Mona is an elf. Beautiful long blonde hair drapes down as pointed ears peer through.

  “Not all elves are as thorough and studious as me. Most elves are vain and prideful. We are born with greater magic potential, eyesight that rivals a hawk’s and a natural knack for hand-eye coordination. Mixed with a culture of isolationism, you get people who think they’re too good to walk the dirt path.”

  “They’ve always been like that.” Ren said.

  “And how precisely do you think you would know that?” Mona said. “Elves have been this way since the dawn of man, sure. But why would someone as young as you say that?”

  Apherward thinks for a moment, before realizing it’s mistake. Ren is in her mid to late teens. For her to say that elves have always been like that would come off as a bit odd. Maybe even offensive. Now it has to find the words to cover up what it had Ren say.

  “It’s just what I heard from my master.” Ren said.

  “And who is your master?” Mona asked.

  Apherward put it’s foot in it’s mouth again.

  “I’m sorry. That’s not something I want to talk about.” Ren said.

  “I’m sure there’s a story there, but I won’t press it.” Mona said. “Anyway, your wound is clean. Now hurry up and get washed.”

  Nearly an hour later, Mona is done with Ren and gave her an earful about the importance of cleaning oneself. Once the scolding was finished, the staff at the bathhouse bring out the mage robes for Ren. The staff present Ren with a mirror so that she may look at herself. Like Mona said, these robes were tailored to fit Ren better. The cloth itself isn’t magical, but it let’s mages do more with their magic than wearing armor.

  “You should also think about buying new clothes.” Mona said. “It would be good to have more clothes than armor and mage robes.”

  “Okay.” Ren said. “If it’s okay with you, can I get more quests from you?”

  “You want more?” Mona asked. “You could be beneficial to the investigation, but that robe is just about the only appropriate reward I could offer you. Not unless you’re a skilled archer. I’m quite short on coin too. If nothing else, I might ask the guard captain to try and allocate a budget or reward for you. But he’s a man who only has so much budget to work with.”

  “That’s fine.” Ren said. “I only need you to give me more quests.”

  “And how do you plan on feeding yourself if we don’t give you coin every now and again?” Mona said.

  “Ah…” Ren just stares blankly.

  Apherward clearly didn’t think that through. It was going to make Ren starve again.

  “Can you come with me to ask the captain?” Ren asked flatly.

  “We can certainly try.” Mona shrugs.

  Once the two of them were done, they took a short trip to the guardhouse. Ren and Mona wait briefly before someone comes to fetch them.

  “Captain, Releon is ready for you.” he says.

  He guides the two of them into an office. There are already several people here. It looks like Ren and Mona have been brought to some kind of meeting.

  “The two from earlier today are here.” their guide answers.

  A man with a bushy beard and adorned in armor stands at the head of a long table and speaks.

  “You have impeccable timing, Mona.” he says. “I wanted to talk to you about what you discovered earlier today. Can you give these chuckle heads an update on the investigation?”

  “You were in a meeting?” Mona asked.

  “Yeah, and if you can give us an update here, that would be great.” the man at the head of the table said.

  “Are we interrupting something?” Ren asked.

  “I- uhh… I think so.” Mona furrowed a brow as she spoke.

  “No! Not at all.” the man at the head of the table says. “It’s just that everyone here was worried about our progress in recent months.”

  “Who are these people?” Ren asked.

  “Ah!” the man speaks again. “A new face. And one so young. Perhaps introductions are in order.”

  The armed and armored man in a bushy beard stands straight and adjusts his pauldrons before speaking again.

  “I am Captain Releon, captain of the town's guard.”

  The captain gestures to his left.

  “This is our esteemed Mayor Ursted.”

  He has some gray hair and a pair of very thick glasses. He seems to be in his 50s or maybe 60s. He is wearing a tunic embroidered with what looked like cloud patterns and wore a blue chaperon around his head.

  The captain then gestures to his right.

  “This is Daniel Mackamer. He’s a merchant around these parts and has generously funded most of our efforts to fight off the crime wave.”

  The man seated there is a handsome man. He seems to be in his 30s. His shoulder length hair is black and slicked back. He wore a red houppelande with embroidery that seemed like ivy leaves. There were other men and women in the room, but it seems that Captain Releon didn’t see a need to introduce them. It was only those three he introduced and the only three who had a seat at this table. Daniel spoke next as he leaned back in his seat.

  “I understand that these two are responsible for this breakthrough in the case I heard so much about. Is that right?” Daniel said in a cold tone of voice.

  “That’s what I read in the latest report.” Captain Releon looked over to the two. “Maybe you should wait for them to introduce themselves first.”

  “I apologize. I’ve just been paying out for so long and hearing nothing back.” Daniel raised his hand and said apologetically. “I was just excited to hear that some progress was made. Please, may we have your name.”

  “Right. I’m Mona. I was asked to assist in this case.” Mona said as she gestured to herself. “As you can see my day job is at the temple.”

  “I’m Ren, the adventurer.” Ren said flatly.

  Ren’s words earned her a few scoffs and chuckles around the room. As the room grew in a stifled uproar, Daniel spoke again.

  “I do not care if you are a grand hero or an adventurer.” he said to everyone in attendance. “When you get results in a fraction of the time where normal folk take months, you’re good in my books.”

  Everyone clears their throat and fix their clothes as he speaks.

  “From what the fine captain had said, you found some weird magic stuff.” Daniel said. “Unfortunately, he was basically reading off the report. Could you better enlighten us on what you found? Quite frankly, Blue Pine is in short supply of magic folk. Not only that, Lord Albrinter, the lout, can’t be bothered to tend to the town he is charged with the stewardship of.”

  “Yes, yes.” Mayor Ursted finally spoke up. “I spend too much time hearing complaints about the man. Can you spare me today?”

  “Right you are.” Daniel returns to speaking to Ren. “So I hear you are a mage. If possible, I would like to hear everything you have to say.”

  Ren remained silent for a moment before speaking.

  “Some townsfolk were scared of strange lights coming from an old well. I investigated. I found a haphazard magic circle and found what I believe to be a workshop for magic items. The magic Items in question seemed to be daggers for ritualistic purposes and chalices that were tied to a pact or deal. I cannot be certain at this moment, however I am confident that the deal was demonic in nature.”

  The people in the room began whispering and muttering.

  “Quite frankly,” Mayor Ursted began speaking. “your word is the most professional we can hear. The temple’s faith will only eyeball the items from a distance and claim them sinful out of ignorance, never actually looking into anything. If you say it’s demonic in nature, then we can only accept it as fact. Unless, of course, Mr. Mackamer wants to pay a mage or wizard to come all the way out here to give us a second opinion.”

  “I’m not that flush with coin.” Mackamer said. “I am of a mind that I should be supporting local businesses. So, Ms. Ren, with that said, what's your wage or rate?”

  “You want to hire her?” Captain Releon asked.

  “We all know the old practice.” Mackamer said. “It’s gone out of style, but hiring adventurers was touted as being the best way to resolve highly dangerous threats. If we’re all ready to accept the demon affiliation as being tied to the Blood Hoof gang, than I can only grasp at the legends of old. From what I’ve seen, Ms. Ren gave us one hell of a sales pitch. Besides, who’s idea was it to hire an ex-assassin? With my money, no less.”

  “I didn’t hire her.” Mayor Ursted said. “I asked her. She agreed. Simple as that.”

  “Alright. Alright!” Mackamer rolled his eyes. “Still, I’m betting that my step to resolve this issue will be more beneficial to stopping this crime wave than yours.”

  “Gentlemen, please.” Captain Releon interrupts them. “If no one is opposed, I see no harm in it. If necessary, I will issue the quest myself.”

  “I think it would be better if I issued the quest.” Mackamer said. “If you did, what would be the reward for her quest? You don’t have a wand locked up in an evidence locker, do you? As one of the bigger merchants in Blue Pine, I think I can find something more lucrative to give her when everything is said and done.”

  “I am not opposed.” Captain Releon said.

  “Neither am I.” Mayor Ursted said.

  “Well then, Ms. Ren, would this be an amiable arrangement?” Mackamer said as he waved his hand briefly.

  Within Ren’s mind, words appeared.

  Quest

  Stop the Blood Hoof gang’s crime wave.