"It was kind of made obvious to us after the attack and we heard their response. The fuckers didn't even care to hide the fact that they were the ones behind everything. I mean, why would they when they knew we couldn't touch them? We don't have their number of members or anything close to it. After all, we're just a group of five passionate assholes. Even if we did, they'd still decimate us, seeing how they have some impressive Foci on their payroll. At first, it seemed like a great deal that would take us to the next level, but then again, we didn't think of the probability that something like this would happen so maybe our greed was our downfall. Well, it's in the past now" Centshuu said.
Bell who had leaned forward while rambling earlier, fell her back on her very comfortable chair and sighed.
"I guess I was worried for nothing. You idiots and your team of clowns might be in a really big mess, however, it's nice to see how self-aware you are. Ripply sure knows how to pick 'em" Bell said, going back to her apathetic tone.
Centshuu smirked "He does"
Tapping her crossed foot in the air, Bell asked "So, what are you going to do now? Knowing those bastards, I'm sure the shipment offer they had given you is so big that it'll be impossible to pay with your regular jobs. You have to get and sell new products for years before you'll be able to pay them back. Even when you do manage to pay back the original amount, there's still the whole interest rate thing you have to pay and that increases the longer you take. This is a real hot mess you guys are in and you two don't look that worried. Hmm… I'm guessing this is where the pug and that biggest score of yours come into play"
Centshuu nodded.
"That's right," he said confidently and Bell sighed.
"Alright then, what is this big score, how does the pug tie into all of this, and why do you want me to secure you a cheap ticket to Scriiz?" She asked and Centshuu leaned a bit more.
"Remember when I told you about how we found the pug during our previous job?" Centshuu asked.
"Yes? It's kind of hard to forget when that was only a couple of minutes ago" Bell replied.
"Good. Well, we found him unconscious, covered by branches and leaves underneath the forest's canopy, and turns out, he had been brought here from a town none of us knows about by accidentally getting trapped inside a parallel stream" Centshuu said and Bell's eyebrows furrowed.
"The poor thing. Wait, you said you don't know where he's from but is that because he didn't tell you or because you've never heard of the place before? Knowing how pessimistic Ripply is— which is why I'm shocked he allowed you to get everyone into your current mess— he wouldn't have agreed to allow the pug tag along if he was holding out important information like that. Leaving the second option as the only possible answer, I'm surprised that for someone in your business, there are places whose names you haven't heard of" Bell said, the look of disappointment evident on her face.
Centshuu shrugged "The world is a big place and we're all nobodies from a small town. Pardon me for not being the most informed on geography," he said cockily.
"Whatever. We both know you would be completely lost without Ripply by your side anyway—" Bell said but Ripply cut her off by calling her name in a reprimanding manner.
She looked at him "What? Look at his face. Even he agrees" she said, prompting Ripply to look down at Centshuu who had a look of acceptance.
Bell rolled her eyes then changed the orientation of her crossed legs once again.
"Okay, continue with whatever you were saying" she said.
Centshuu said "After assisting the pug out of his bind, we asked him if there was anything he could tell us that would enable us to help take him back home. Unfortunately, his memory is spotty— to say the least— so until he remembers, that's going to be an issue"
Bell grunted "If he doesn't remember anything then the pug is useless— well, not entirely useless. I'm sure my girls can still think of a few uses for someone who looks like him, but to you however, he's completely useless so why are you helping him and don't give me that Good Samaritan bullshit I was joking about" she said and then the look Centshuu gave intrigued her to want to know more.
"I said the pug's memories that'll help us get him home were spotty, I didn't say all his memories were. With his not-so-solid memory, the pug gave us the best news we could have heard after going into debt for those bastards" Centshuu said and Bell leaned closer, unconsciously.
She wanted to know what Avery had told them and Centshuu didn't hold back in revealing it.
"He told us that there was a creature trapped in the parallel stream with him. A creature so rare that once we get it, the payout will be beyond our wildest dreams…"
Bell's heart raced. She was completely captured by Centshuu's words.
"He said, he saw, a Ferallith" Centshuu said and then smirked.
Bell was quiet for a moment, her expressions showing how mixed her feelings were and finally, she spoke "Centshuu, what the hell is a Ferallith?"