The doorman obediently led the two officers inside, swinging open the door to a raucous scene despite the daytime hour. The ceiling boasted a chandelier with twenty branches of light, and every five or six yards along the walls, a gas lamp cast its glow, illuminating the entire hall. Directly opposite the entrance was a massive table where a bartender-like figure was rolling dice, surrounded by onlookers placing ivory chips on marked areas for high or low bets. More than half the patrons were engrossed in poker games, with bystanders standing by.
Most people barely looked up at the newcomers; the coming and going in a gambling house was incessant, after all. But the sight of two police officers, one with a star badge on his shoulder, and both with guns in hand, spread silence like a contagion. The few still mired in their game of chance were nudged by their neighbors and ceased gambling. The once bustling atmosphere, akin to a lively market, now fell as silent as a graveyard at midnight. A variety of stares—fearful, surprised, confused—were directed at the pair, and Elyon had never felt so intently scrutinized as he did in that moment.
"We're simply here to speak with the proprietor about some business; you can continue your card games. Anyone who tries to sneak out now will be inviting themselves to the port division for some tea," Captain Kappa announced, his voice pitched higher than usual.
"Lead the way; take us to your boss."
"Thank you for your words, Captain. If the customers all fled, my buddy at the door and I would be out of a job. The boss should be in his office on the third floor. Please, follow me."
As the trio ascended the stairwell, the gambling den's buzz resumed once they were out of sight.
"Why would two hounds of the kingdom come in here now? Did the den stir up some trouble?"
"Shh, keep it down. Didn't you see the gun on the leader just now? That's no ordinary police revolver. He's the real king of the port district. Even without the gun, he could lay out a dozen of us with no problem," whispered one gambler to another.
"That seems a bit exaggerated, doesn't it? Could it be that..."
"Don't ask what you shouldn't. Place your bets, big or small."
These whispers continued amongst the gamblers below, even after the officers had left.
At the third floor, they came to an ornately decorated office, where the doorman pointed at the door, indicating that it was the boss's room. Captain Kappa gestured for the doorman to leave, and the middle-aged man duly doffed his cap, bowing to the officers before descending the stairs.
Kappa knocked thrice, a forceful "bang, bang, bang" on the door.
"I'm not dead yet! Does that idiot think he no longer needs his salary? That door, imported from the Eastern Continent, costs more than a year's wages. You'd never be able to afford it if you break it," came a grumbled voice from within. After a heavy tread of footsteps, a balding middle-aged man opened the door. Surprised by the sight of two officers in blue uniforms, the man swallowed the curse that had almost slipped out and painted on a fake smile.
"Well, if it isn't Captain Kappa, and who's this new fellow?"
"Do I know you?" Kappa tried but couldn't recollect ever encountering this bald man.
"With your busy schedule, it's no wonder you wouldn't remember a small fry like me. I caught a glimpse of you from afar at Chief Orion's birthday bash. How could anyone living in the port not know you? What brings you here today? Anything you need, just command."
The bald man ushered them into his office, which was decorated in a style Elyon found reminiscent of coal tycoons on Earth, complete with gold leaf plastered on the walls and office chairs sporting red velvet cushions atop black leather. The desk bore a globe—or more accurately, for this planet known generally as Taige, a Taige globe. The entire globe, likely made of silver, was a hollow sphere set on a golden base.
"Can I offer you gentlemen a drink? I have some white spirits imported from the Eastern Continent and aged for several years. The merchant who sold it to me claimed it was so potent, it could be set aflame."
Hearing the bald man's offer, Elyon chuckled under his breath, imagining the liquor was akin to something a stereotypical gluttonous village chief or tycoon might enjoy.
"I'll pass on the drink, thank you. We're here to find out about a fisherman named Jeff. He racked up quite a debt last week at your establishment, and several individuals helped him settle it. Do you remember what they looked like?" Kappa cut straight to the chase.
"That gambling addict Jeff? He lost about fifty pounds in one night. Out of consideration for a regular and neighbor, we gave him three days to pay up without interest. He refused to pay, claiming he had no money, so we were preparing to teach him a lesson when three men in black intervened. They offered to settle his debt."
"Three men in black? What did they look like, and what kind of accent did they have?"
"I can't recall their faces clearly, but their accent was distinct. They didn't speak Brugelian fluently, nor did they sound like people from Brugel or across the strait in the Kingdom of Luk. Their accent was more like those from further east."
"You mean Dunland?"
"Yes, exactly. They spoke with that slow, deep drawl typical of those stuffy Dunlanders."
"Do you remember what they called themselves?"
"I can't recall precisely, but I have a copy of the receipt they signed to acknowledge the repayment. Give me a moment, and I'll find it for you," the bald man said, opening a cabinet behind the desk full of file folders labeled by month. He pulled out the most recent one, rifled through the contents, and extracted a slender strip of paper. After checking the date and amount, he handed it to Captain Kappa.
"Wolff, a typical Dunlander surname. Looks like we're on the right track," Kappa said, glancing over the document before returning it.
"What big trouble has that Jeff gotten into that warrants a visit from you? Three men in black and a fisherman—are they implicated in Monday's national bank heist? That Jeff's got some nerve; robbing the national bank is a crime punishable by public execution, just like attacking the national treasure ships."
"You'd best act as if we were never here today. If word gets out and leaks the case, even being the godson of Chief Orion won't save you. You look even older than him, though."
"Of course, I understand. I've still got to make a living at the port. Please take this," the bald man said as he pulled a five-pound note from the drawer, offering it to the captain.
"Are you insulting me?"
"How could it be an insult? This is part of the repayment those suspects made for Jeff. If they're really involved in the case, then this should count as evidence or exhibit, right? I'm just handing evidence over to the police. There's no case of corruption for accepting evidence, not in any code of law," the bald man said with a wink.
Captain Kappa seemed to struggle internally before quietly stating, "If it's evidence, then naturally it can be accepted. You're indeed a law-abiding, tax-paying good citizen," he said as he pocketed the banknote.