Alphonse leaned against the outer defensive wall circling the city of Forgedalk. He tilted his head back and stared along the fitted stone all the way to the parapets. The clear blue sky stood out in stark contrast to the dim gray colors dotting it in a symmetrical fashion from the machicolations between the protruding corbels, as if the colors belonged together on the same plane.
The wall was five meters of thickness and towered twelve in height. The center of the north side erected sections that stood close to fifteen meters and half as wide. Someone, or many someones, must have been paranoid about the Northern Kingdom when it was designed, even though a full-scale war between humans was an unlikely possibility.
The monster threat provided this assurance. While the situation with monsters was a dire one, it still provided some comforts from other grievances. Without Tevilandis, the Northern Kingdom of Xersceld was vulnerable. The last thing the Xerscians wanted was monsters crawling across their southern border. Tevilandis acted as a buffer against the monsters to the west, while the Barrier Mountains in northern territory were a second defense. Xersceld could then deal with the singular threat of the orcs tribes that dotted the snowy landscape.
Alphonse always found himself straying to these thoughts. It was a result of research and time between quests. One of his hands absentmindedly pat his waist pouch where he stored a book containing information about monster migrations.
He removed himself from his ruminations and observed the open area outside the city with various individuals milling about. He watched as the merchants, farmers and adventurers gathered their wares and equipment and loaded them on wagons. His own group was negotiating to hitch a ride with a farmer who had just finished making a delivery.
He watched as Ash paced behind Kirie and Asa, just in case someone tried to haggle them in some way. That was the original intent at least, but Alphonse realized as an afterthought that he needed to worry more about Kirie and her lack of tact.
The fox woman was outfitted with unremarkable leather armor, but it was functional with all the straps and holders for gear, much like Alphonse's own equipment. She maintained it well, much like her shop. The portions of armor were scuffed and discolored in some places, but still held a sheen of care and frequent maintenance. A brown bandanna with a circling leaf design was wrapped around her head with an accompanying hair clip of similar design. The twin scimitars he'd seen at the shop now hung comfortably on each hip. Holstered to one side towards her back was a simple hand crossbow fitted with a quiver holding a few bolts.
She wouldn't have seemed out of place at all among the other adventurers if not for the fox ears and tail.
A few people gave the group some curious looks. It wasn't common to have so many demihumans in such a place - especially those who adventured. Word had spread about their party far faster than anticipated. Validated facts seemed to reach ears quicker than the contrived rumors.
Alphonse shifted awkwardly against the wall when a pair of adventurers walked past him. They hesitated for a moment as a flash of recognition crossed their features. He felt a tinge of apprehension that started to melt away as they gave him a nod of greeting and moved on. He respectfully returned it.
'Some welcome reception at least,' Alphonse thought. 'I still can't reveal my face too often, but maybe GRIM can open its doors soon.'
A casual voice interrupted his thoughts,"You're a hard man to find."
Alphonse regarded the familiar individual with the slight shift of his head. A man in his middle years purposefully strode towards him from the northern gate of the city. His face was clean-shaven since the last time Alphonse saw him. Short black hair was brushed to the side with strands hanging over his ears displaying tinges of gray. The man struggled with a slight limp as he favored his left leg.
"Field Master Hanlon," Alphonse said.
The field master held out his hand in greeting. Alphonse gave it a solid grip and they shook in one motion.
"I've been looking for you," Hanlon said. "Every time I pass by the Guild Union they say you're already off on another quest."
"We like to keep busy."
"Clearly. Can't say I blame you. Your guild is developing quite the record in a short time."
Alphonse shrugged, unsure of how to take the compliment. He noticed the statement hinted at the more unsavory attention the guild would be receiving. The field master was no fool.
Jin Hanlon didn't seem like a bad sort. Alphonse recalled the man's sympathy during the questioning after the Siren Incident. He also had the decency to keep him together with his partners in the same room before they proceeded with the investigation. The man seemed like a firm believer of the 'innocent until proven guilty' policy. The man also knew how to read words. Alphonse noted how the field master mentioned his guild as a whole rather than him personally.
"Running a guild with demihumans and an encounter with a Siren hasn't really made my life easy. But we manage," Alphonse said carefully. He tilted his head towards the catgirls. He realized it may have been bad timing as Kirie started arguing with the farmer about something. Ash stood nearby and gave her a few pats on the shoulder to calm her.
Hanlon watched them with a bit of amusement. "I see. I was curious about how you were doing, but I was also hoping to ask you a few more questions about that evening."
This last bit didn't surprise Alphonse in the least. He had prepared for this moment ever since he promised to never give the Construct Contract his memories again.
"My head was a bit muddled at the time," Alphonse said. "But I'll do my best."
The field master relaxed his arms. It was then that Alphonse realized Hanlon had next to nothing on his person. No weapon, no quill and ink for notes and certainly no cane for that limp of his.
"That's all I ask," Hanlon said. "Really, it's only a couple questions. One of them was already posed at the time of the incident, but I thought maybe giving you some time might spur some recollection. For starters, perhaps you might recall why the Siren chose to attack you? Aside from the obvious reasons of course."
Alphonse shook his head. "Not a clue. My mind was vulnerable at the time. That's the only reason I can think of."
"Well, it was worth a shot." Alphonse noted that Hanlon didn't seem particularly disappointed by the response, as if he fully expected it. He made no attempt to force the matter.
The second question pushed Alphonse back on his heels a bit.
"Did the Siren mention any names?" Hanlon asked. He spoke in more of a hushed tone. One of his hands reached into one of the side pockets of his trousers and seemed to fiddle with something.
Alphonse noted the motion before answering, "Names?"
"Like the name of a person."
"No, not that I recall."
The field master nodded his head towards the demihumans. "Maybe your companions heard something?"
Alphonse turned to the catgirls and saw Asa dragging Kirie away from the farmer, who was now plainly irritated with his arms crossed over his chest. Ash urged them to follow her and negotiate with someone else. Apparently, the farmer was being rather unreasonable, given that they simply wanted a ride to a nearby village in the same direction.
'Why would a Siren mention a name?' Alphonse wondered. He'd heard of some monsters that had enough intelligence to organize attacks and hold sway over lesser monsters. The war at the western border some decades earlier wouldn't be possible without at least some cooperation.
The possibility reminded him of the deirgu that captured Sebastian and his family. The large footprints they found had suggested that another monster likely commanded the dim-witted rodent creatures. Deirgu certainly didn't take prisoners either.
"I'm sure one of us would have mentioned it if we did," Alphonse answered. He shifted his eyes around to see if the other woman was lurking around. The spellcaster with the scar on her cheek. Evelyn.
Kirie and Asa hadn't mentioned any names to him from that night. If they heard something, he figured they would've told him by now. Having the spellcaster woman around with her lie detection magic might prove useful in this situation to confirm his responses, but he didn't see her anywhere.
Her absence did seem rather strange. He was sure his perception was enough to detect anyone hiding nearby. Perhaps her lie detection magic had a decent bit of range, but the spell already required an absurd amount of mana to begin with. If she could cast the spell from, say, the top of the defensive wall they stood next to, then she was an extremely powerful spellcaster.
He glanced at the spaces between the battlements arcing on the wall. There was nobody he could discern.
Hanlon didn't bother to hide his frustration and heaved a defeated sigh. "Don't worry about it. It was just a thought, since it's so strange that a monster revealed itself like that. It went through a lot of trouble to conceal its identity within the city. Hell, it even infiltrated a guild. I guess you were just too enticing of a meal to pass up." He laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Alphonse struggled to join in, but the nagging feeling in the back of his mind was there. He felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck as he observed the field master.
Hanlon's expression hardened as his mirth abated. He glanced around to make sure nobody was within earshot. His eyes almost imperceptibly shifted upwards, which reaffirmed Alphonse's suspicion about the spellcaster woman's whereabouts.
"One last thing," Hanlon said.
The field master moved to lean against the wall next to him. He folded his arms, lowered his gaze and spoke barely above a whisper, "Tread carefully. You've caught the attention of some unsavory people."
Alphonse instinctively placed a hand over his scarf. "Are you talking about my guild?"
"That's part of it. Some people aren't fond of demihumans. Old wounds are starting to itch, and they belong to an outspoken minority with plenty of influence."
Alphonse remained silent as he considered this bit of news from someone he still considered far from his trust. He deduced that Hanlon had his own people on him as well, and he assumed that the "influence" he mentioned involved the High Council.
The problems kept piling up. If the High Council really was keeping tabs on him, then they must have done so with the utmost discretion. The people watching them weren't the usual guards or spellcasters conducting the monster screenings around the city. He figured picking them out of a crowd might have been a simple matter, but it seemed that more of his stat points would need to be allocated to 'perception.' It was already higher than what he noticed was the average for outworlders, thanks to Asa's advanced appraisals. His stat growth clearly had some diminishing returns since they didn't always take on the strongest foes, but his 'perception' stat was at a solid thirty-one points compared to the usual outworlder scout that sat around lower twenties. Many scouts placed their remaining points in 'dexterity, agility and sneak,' along with various resistances. Alphonse mostly placed whatever he didn't put into 'perception' towards the latter.
Hanlon's information helped in more ways than one. Alphonse knew that their current pace with quests demanded that they take on some stronger prey to increase his awareness, even if it meant surrendering another aspect of his future plans.
'If a situation arises that will put me in Hanlon's good graces, I should take it. We need more allies,' Alphonse thought.
He shook the prospect away almost immediately. It was too bold. He didn't need eyes and ears within Hovestile's government systems. Not yet at least. Whether Hanlon could be trusted or not was not a concern for the moment. Building GRIM and forging alliances in the city streets was the first step. Skipping the rung of a rickety ladder caused too big a risk of slipping or breaking.
"Thanks for the warning," Alphonse said. He considered asking why Hanlon decided to divulge such sensitive information, but an answer was provided without his prodding.
The field master's look of complacency returned. He pushed himself off the wall as a sign of finality and started making his way back to the gate. "You're doing fine work for this country," he said. "I can't have some incompetent assholes causing trouble for their own satisfaction. Take my advice, if you can find a big job that involves your particular skill set, you might be able to alleviate some of the pressure."
'That can't be the only reason,' Alphonse thought. "I'll keep that in mind."
Hanlon waved a hand behind him as he approached the gate to the city. Alphonse stared after him and watched as he paused mid-stride on his healthy leg. He seemed to stare off somewhere distant for a moment. His gaze lowered as he observed an area somewhere near the wagons. Alphonse tried to trace his line of sight, but the look didn't linger for long, and he disappeared into the city.
Alphonse dismissed it as nothing more than rumination. He clamped his teeth together and kept his arms rigid to hold back his trembling fists.
Hanlon was right. The enemy was everywhere. They were like weeds. He overcame the trials thrust upon him, but they didn't just appear one by one. They grew in massive clumps - ate away at him. It was a miracle that he overcame such tribulations. He was a survivor. But he was getting tired of being a survivor. He wanted an opportunity to mount an offensive. He knew his guild wasn't strong enough yet. They were only the size of a small party.
Alphonse figured that this new quest with the newbie adventurers and Ash might bring him closer to a decision.
He reached for the chain around his neck and dangled it in front of him - the gift from Reiko. The circular piece with the engraved letters spun a few times. It reverted back and wavered. The symbol flashed for a moment as it reflected light from the sun.
He looked past it and stared at the accessories attached to his companions' heads that hid their cat ears.
Alphonse hoped the family found a permanent home in Halieuna.
He tucked the necklace back underneath his armor and started making his way to the wagons. Kirie was being led away from someone again. Ash bowed to the owner apologetically and took over the negotiations. The owner of the wagon scratched the back of his head awkwardly but seemed to genuinely laugh at the stubborn catgirl.
'The hell is she doing?' Alphonse wondered.
He decided Ash had the situation in hand once Asa removed Kirie. He heard bits of their conversation as they moved closer.
"Shouting isn't an effective means of negotiating," Asa said to Kirie.
"It isn't?" Kirie blurted. "But the people at the marketplace do it all the time!"
Alphonse rested a hand over his face and massaged his eyes as he caught on to where the silly catgirl went wrong. She was imitating the vendors hawking their wares at the middle district's plaza. A person could hear their barking all the way from the upper district without straining their ears too much. That sort of approach didn't work here.
He chuckled to himself. 'Dumb catgirl.'
He saw Emily and Liam standing off to the side with plain apprehension on their faces. Liam seemed fascinated by Kirie's behavior and lifted his glaive a bit on impulse.
Emily noticed him and bowed. "G-good to see you, mister McCarthy."
"Just Evan is fine." Hearing the honorific tacked on to his name still didn't sit right with him.
"Are they always like this?" Liam asked.
Alphonse shrugged. "Pretty much. But they're dependable."
He asked them to give him a moment, and he approached Ash as she passed with the catgirls. The fox woman arched an eyebrow as he motioned to her.
He still wasn't sure if it was the best move, but it was clear that Ash was more than competent when it came to perception and analyzing the environment and situations. Based on Hanlon's warning, he needed all the eyes he could possibly get.
"I understand the situation," Ash said after his brief explanation. To Alphonse's surprise, she seemed entirely unconcerned, as if she was already waiting for him to divulge the information of his own initiative. She tilted her head in the direction of the first farmer they'd spoken to. "Why do you think I had Kirie speak to that man first?"
Alphonse gawked at her as she stepped past him to rejoin Kirie and Asa.
He looked to the farmer that she found suspicious and soon realized why the earlier interaction seemed so unreasonable. The farmer didn't appear nearly as urgent as everyone else going about their business. There was also a notable shifting of his eyes as he carried out his lackadaisical work. It was as if he moved without purpose -- as if he really had no place to be. The behavior was a total contrast to the busy environment, but with all the different people in such an open area, he hadn't noticed it. It didn't necessarily mean this man was among the people watching him, but Ash had managed to find the most suspicious person to focus on in no time at all, even without proper context.
Alphonse wondered if he might one day reach Ash's superior level of perception.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jin Hanlon waited at the end of the alley that bordered two university buildings in the upper district of the capital city. A placard embedded in a wall was visible from his position. It read: 'Department of the Arts. In memory of Councilman Jorgin Constern.'
He remembered reading about the councilman in his teen years. The guy was a real piece of work. A bit of hearsay suggested that he killed the most prisoners of war out of any high councilman in recognized history. The man was merciless. Above all, he was a coward.
'Pity that we have a building in his memory,' Jin thought.
His mood lifted somewhat when he heard the clack of footsteps on the cobblestone approaching from somewhere unseen off to the side. An individual in a spellcasters robe appeared around the corner, hood pulled up and staff absent from her hands. A rarity.
The hood lowered to reveal the face of his most trusted friend, Evelyn. The scar on her cheek seemed to glow in the dying light.
"You sure know how to pick spots for a date," she said.
He returned her neutral look with a half-smile. "Some other time."
"Sure," she said, plainly unconvinced.
Hanlon wished they could enjoy each other's company, but business beckoned. "You have it?"
Evelyn reached into her robe and presented him with the coin in question. The reptilian tiger's angry eyes felt like they were staring into him, like it wanted to see inside him and devour his heart. That's what the look told him. The coin was a thing made by a demon.
"And?" he asked as he took it from her. He pocketed it with a bit of hesitance.
Evelyn leaned against the wall next to him and folded her arms. "There is still some mana residue. A capsule was hammered down inside that stored the expiring magic."
"Shit. What's your theory?"
Evelyn shook her head. "There are ways to store mana so spellcasters don't have to pull from their own mana pools: jewels, certain minerals and such. But this requires a container significantly purer than gems to hold mana in such a small space. Some spellcasters have also found ways of mixing science with magic to store mana for months with negligible deterioration. My guess is this is a form of caricthmian metal and diamond."
"I don't know much about that," Jin said. "But I highly doubt the magic in this coin could last years without almost fading completely."
"Who knows? The mana has silvered, so it is considerably old. I can't determine the exact age or pinpoint the signature. That is beyond even the Spire's capabilities."
"Swell. So we can't prove whether Korv is still alive, or that this Siren was just a remnant who continued to carry out his will."
"I'm afraid so."
Jin sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Too many questions unanswered.
'Nothing to be done about it, I suppose.'
"I also looked into the research available at the Spire concerning Sirens," Evelyn said. "Do you know about the experiments on prisoners of war using the monsters?"
Jin shook his head.
"Spellcasters conducted monster research during the early years of Tevilandis. They used prisoners and captured Sirens to ascertain how long it might take for a person's mind to break under their influence. Sirens tend to intrude on the minds of men and carry out the rest of the business at a secluded location, so it was difficult to obtain information on how long a human could last before they broke. Researchers also wanted to discern how a person's mind mended afterwards." She paused as she seemed to consider whether to mention the last bit. "Or if their minds would ever heal at all."
"Gods," Jin breathed. "Sirens thrive on that shit. It's like a sick fetish. They got the better part of the deal."
Evelyn nodded. "The men were closed in a room with Sirens and used for experiments."
Jin's face blanched at the idea of such contemptible research. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew exactly why the monarchical government of that time period would want research conducted in this fashion. It was inhumane experiments carried in secret to see if they could do something publicly humane later.
"You could use Sirens for interrogation," Jin said. "The Sirens get to violate a person's mind, and the people in charge get the information they want."
Evelyn turned away and bit at her lower lip. "Exactly. It's despicable. But that wasn't the only reason I looked into it. Those experiments have been dismantled for a while now. I was mostly interested in the statistics. Did you know that the longest anyone lasted against a Siren's influence was around five minutes? Four minutes and fifty seconds to be exact."
"That sounds pretty impressive."
"It is. It took the person a little over a week to fully regain his bearings. Sense of the world around him was suppressed for five days. He just stared at the ceiling of his cell. The man was a vegetable. No eating. No sleeping. After that week, he started to form words and could swallow his food. Basic motor functions returned. He then walked around and conversed like it never happened."
'Oh fuck.' Jin felt stupid for not realizing sooner.
Evelyn noticed his expression. "That man, Evan McCarthy..."
"According to the witnesses and the two demihumans," Jin started, "Evan was under the influence of the Siren for nearly ten minutes."
Evelyn nodded. "And he was back on his feet taking on quests after only a few days."
The two of them shared a grim look. Jin still believed Evan was innocent, even after this remarkable news. He wondered if the stats from being an outworlder contributed to maintaining his mental state against the Siren. He was built as a scout. The stats associated with his particular skill set might give him an edge against such a monster. At the moment, he couldn't consider any other explanation, unless the young adventurer's mind was incredibly resilient naturally.
"I assume men of all ages were tested," Jin ventured.
"Yes. It has nothing to do with brain development."
His final theory was shot down in an instant. He needed more time to consider his options.
The High Council was tailing him whenever he was in the city. The Chief Councilman's son would have it out for Evan once his people were unsuccessful in finding options to dismantle his guild. Jin was starting to believe that it was more than the demihumans that had the incompetent high councilman on edge.
"I'll keep up the security detail then," Jin said. "Councilman Volkest might even try to plant false evidence. The members of GRIM are never in the city for long, and they usually keep to themselves. Records at the Guild Union won't be enough to construct an alibi for them if Volkest tries some dirty business. Can you arrange a meeting with Bevka?"
Evelyn's eyes widened upon hearing the name of the disgruntled spellcaster. "You'd need a very good reason. The High Council meeting was one of the few times I ever saw the old man leave the Spire."
"Mentioning my name and the meeting should be enough," Jin said. "It's about time I widened my circle of friends."
His own statement gave him pause. He considered this idea of friendship. It came with little thought, but it hammered home an important point. He started to realize why he took an interest in Evan McCarthy. It was as if he was looking in a mirror. He could tell that the young man lacked trust in others. Looking back at his own acquaintances he realized, even being a man considerably older than the young adventurer, their circles were quite similarly thin.