Seon's eyes darted around. The wallpaper was peeling, stained with old coffee spills, and a single flickering bulb dangled from the ceiling like it was doing its best to light up the small room.
She wrinkled her nose at the ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts and the active, stale-smoke aroma wafting through the air.
'Isn't this supposed to be medieval?' she thought. 'Why does this place look like a crime drama from the 1800s?'
Seon remained sitting in a rickety wooden chair, her wrists bound by the iron cuffs. As usual, she was calm—much calmer than Yunnie, who was trembling beside her, looking like he might cry at any second.
Across the table, Arthur squinted at a file containing their testimonies and blurry mugshots. He leaned into his chair as if all his youth was gone; he looked like early twenties who just experienced real life.
"So, you're saying the thugs led you to the tunnel?" he asked.
"Yes," Seon replied shortly.
"And then you beat them up?"
"Yes."
Arthur sighed deeply, raising a tired eyebrow upon hearing her answers.
"You know that's a crime, right?"
"Self-defense… wait, do you even have that rule here?"
Arthur rubbed his temples like this was the worst headache of his career.
"The Justice's Stone confirms you're not lying, so… fine. But you're still under surveillance."
'Justice's Stone?'
Seon's gaze fell on a small, blue-glowing orb on the desk.
'So that thing works like a lie detector?'
Just as Arthur was about to remove their cuffs, he shot them a final, probing question.
"Last question… do you have any connections to the Fool's Order?"
Seon made a face, clearly annoyed.
"What the hell is that? Of course not."
The Justice's Stone immediately flashed red.
With a dramatic click, Arthur whipped out a sleek revolver, pointing it squarely at her forehead.
For a moment there was a serious tension between them.
"Care to explain why the Justice's Stone just called you out?"
Seon's mouth opened, then shut, trying to process this absurd situation.
It did not.
"Are you serious? What the fuck is Fool's Order? Can't that thing malfunction?"
"The Justice's Stone doesn't make mistakes. So either you're hiding something, or—"
"Wait, wait!" Yunnie jumped in, raising his cuffed hands. "She's just clueless! She didn't even know there was a legal law here five minutes ago!"
The Justice's Stone flickered back to blue.
Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples again.
"So, you truly have no idea what the Fool's Order is?"
"None."
"And you don't know anyone in that organization?"
"Zero," Seon replied confidently.
And just like that, the Justice's Stone flared up bright red again.
Seon and Arthur both leaned in near the stone, squinting.
"Are you sure it's not broken?"
"Maybe I grabbed a defective one…"
Yunnie, meanwhile, was squinting thoughtfully. Then something flashed in his mind.
"Wait… that woman…"
Seon turned catching up on his murmurs. "What woman?"
"Yako!!"
"Ohhh, that witch!" Seon's eyes widened like a bolt of lightning flashes in her memories. "The gingerhead rat!"
Arthur frowned hearing the name, rifling through his files. After a moment, he handed them a picture of a woman with pure blue eyes, orange hair tied back, and, most noticeably, fox-like ears.
Yunnie's eyes widened wincing back at the picture.
"That's her! But the Yako we met didn't have those… ears."
Seon scowled. "No wonder I couldn't stand her!"
Arthur took a deep breath as he looked at the two feeling lost,
"So, you accidentally hang out with a member of the Fool's Order? and at worst, one of the most wanted criminals?"
Seon rolled her eyes.
"Oh please we just got here? We had no idea about the looks of criminals! Do we have a jerk-detection radar here?"
Arthur rubbed his temples for what seemed like the hundredth time. "You two… are going to be the death of me."
Yunnie winced.
"So… we're free to go?"
"No."
"AAAHHH, WHYYY?!" Seon couldn't take it any longer. She slammed her hand down on the table, reaching instinctively for her sword—only to remember it had been confiscated.
"Grrr, darn it! I'm so mad!" she yelled, looking ready to lunge at Arthur, who watched her with raised eyebrows. But Yunnie quickly grabbed her arms, holding her back.
"Please, madam Prophet, calm down! T-this is an officer we're dealing with! We might actually get jailed!"
"I don't care! At least jail food is free!"
Before Yunnie could calm her down, Seon's hand found the back of her wooden chair, gripping it tightly."Madam Prophet?! YOU CANT-"
'CRACK!!'
****
Dim light casts a warm amber glow over the tables.Delicate candle flames flickered all over the glass holders.
The music of jazz vibes together with the gentle murmur of low conversations, with the occasional clink of fine cutlery.
In the rightmost corner, a woman with sleek black hair played with her glass of wine, before taking a sip, savoring the taste.
She was seated alone at a corner of table, when someone joined her company, a familiar figure slid into his seat.
His dark skin contrasted with the pale tablecloth, his golden eyes remained dignified, but there was a fresh blue bruise marked his forehead.
The woman covered her lips, holding back a smirk.
"Rough day?"
"Just dealing with work." Arthur frowned as he picked up his knife and fork, cutting into his steak, before taking a bite. "So what's the mission, Isolette."
"Still, the Fool's Order." Isolette replied.
Arthur paused, his knife stalling against his plate. He didn't answer at first, then nodded slightly, waiting for Isolette to finish her words.
"With the war on, and now rumors of them allying with the Ducato Empire... they're more than a thorn in our side. At this rate, they might win the war."
Arthur's gaze drifted to the newspaper beside him. The bold headline read:
__________________
THE FOOL'S ORDER ATTACKED ONCE AGAIN
causing mass murder in district B... using a bomb...
__________________
A grim expression clouded his face, his fork momentarily halted mid-bite as he struggled to swallow.Across the table, Isolette noticed his reaction. "Arthur, I understand the anger you feel over your sister's death. But you can't move recklessly," she cautioned. "I know you have huge resentment due to your sister's death. However, control yourself... If you do not want the incident to happen once more."
"We cannot afford to lose another individual. Not again"
Arthur took a deep breath before replying.
"I know."