After an incredibly long-winded explanation of the difference between a patisserie and a boulangerie, Quynh was finally able to ask his questions.
Mako led them into the kitchen for some additional privacy in case any customers decided to walk in. He refused to close the shop, even if only for a brief period of time, because he preferred to sell his baked goods as fresh as possible. Although a bit inconvenient, since there was a chance they would be interrupted, the guardians acquiesced. It didn't seem that he would budge, even if they were to try convincing him.
Quynh was leaning against one of the counters with his arms crossed, and served his signature scowl. "I did receive your report yesterday, but it was annoyingly brief, which leaves a lot of room for concern. I would rather not waste my time personally investigating matters like this, Auclair."
"Well, frankly, I was worried about it being intercepted," Mako answered simply, giving a shrug of indifference. "There has been so much crime going on around here, especially near the market district like this, that it has become hard to trust anyone. Sketchy people have been prowling the streets more often than not lately."
"Do these 'sketchy' individuals have anything in common? Traits that tie them together?" Shizuka encouraged him to elaborate. "You really aren't giving us much to work with, Auclair."
The blue-haired man gave a defeated sigh. "You're a fun sponge, Shizuka – I like to tell stories. But yes, they do have some similarities. First and foremost, they seem to utilize ships a lot for their trade. Occasionally, when I go for midnight dives, I catch sight of their ships. They use small fishing boats for a lot of their deliveries, but they meet up with larger, more imposing ships outside of the port."
"What do the ships look like? Does it appear like an organized effort?" Quynh asked, his expression serious. "We need all of the information we can get. Do the other merfolk know anything?"
Vanna, who had respectfully remained silent, couldn't help but echo, "Merfolk?"
Mako's brow raised in response to her confusion, but his surprise quickly gave way to amusement. "Ah, so you're really new to this, then? Yes, I'm a merman; there are a lot of merfolk, especially in this area, actually."
"Really?" Vanna beamed, looking at him with wide brown eyes. "Do you have a tail? What color is it?"
"I do have a tail," Mako chuckled at her childlike intrigue. Then, he added with a wink, "It's blue and white; I will have to show you sometime."
Quynh cleared his throat to interrupt them. He gave them both a glare so furious that Vanna froze in place, but she forced herself to give him an apologetic bow of her head. She turned away from his gaze, her heart threatening to burst. It had started to drive Vanna crazy just how much the version of Quynh from her… nightmare, differed from the one in reality. There must be something seriously wrong with her.
"...Right," Mako continued with an awkward laugh. "The fishing boats that they use are unremarkable, and look the same as a normal one would. Small, flimsy, with mediocre steering mechanisms. The ships that they meet outside of the bay, however, are actually quite interesting – unlike any seacraft I have seen before
"They're crafted with dark, rich wood, and have very small sails. Although they aren't particularly big, they're definitely large enough to carry cargo and several people from a crew. Other than their basic outer appearance, however, I have no idea. The other merfolk aren't particularly interested in the happenings of the humans, so they don't have much input either."
Vanna listened actively, trying to construct a visual version of his description in her mind. It sounded like a really strange sight, but it only made her even more curious to see what it actually looked like.
"How about the people themselves?" Shizuka asked.
Mako hummed thoughtfully. "They come in all shapes and sizes, male and female. Humans of all kinds, blonde hair, black hair, olive skin, dark skin – it doesn't matter. The only thing that they seem to have in common is some sort of snake-like tattoo – oh, and the location of the tattoo varies from person to person, as well. I've seen it on wrists, necks, ankles, and so on."
Quynh gave a nod of approval, glad to finally be getting information from the merman that actually held value. "I see, well done. This is all very useful knowledge, thanks for sharing. Now, as a final question, do you know anything about the substance that they are in possession of?"
Mako shook his head, his long cascading waves of hair swaying with the movement like a waterfall. "I have no idea. None of my friends in the area have tried it, but they've witnessed several others suffer from overdoses and things like that. I don't know any sort of details about it, though."
It was fortunate that their conversation had been nearing its conclusion, because the sound of the entrance bell ringing interrupted Mako's train of thought. He immediately perked up and left the kitchen with haste, excited to greet his new guest.
Vanna was the first to follow him out, mostly out of curiosity. She shifted her gaze to the doorway, where a very beautiful woman was standing. The stranger was tall, with reddish-brown hair and stunning chocolate-colored eyes. Woven into her hair were a plethora of bright and colorful feathers, along with some golden chains and decorations. She wore a crop-top that exposed her muscular abdomen, with a fluffy red cardigan overtop, completing her ensemble.
Vanna's internal admiration of the woman's appearance was cut short by a certain crimson dragon's growl:
"Zuma. What the hell are you doing here?"
The woman narrowed her eyes with disdain. "Greetings, lizard. I didn't give you permission to utter my name, so think twice before calling me so familiarly next time."
"There won't be a next time," Quynh hissed in response. "I'll kill you right now, and send your decapitated head back to your sorry excuse of a leader."
Mako, who had shut his mouth to avoid swallowing the tension that overtook the bakery, gave an uncomfortable smile and stepped forward. He put himself between Quynh and Zuma and held his hands out to stop them.
"Do not fight in my boulangerie!" Mako shouted, his brows furrowed with frustration. "If you absolutely must do it, just take it outside. I don't have the budget to fix my entire establishment due to an unnecessary altercation."
Quynh scoffed and turned his nose up at the implication. "I would never impose on you like that, and if I did I would make sure to compensate you generously. It's not my fault that a bird walked into your bakery, Auclair."