As the sun set, we made our way into the city center. The nostalgic feeling the place brought me began to surface, with looks of curiosity enveloping our wooden vehicle.
The air seemed thinner than usual, almost like something was amiss but it could only be felt or perceived, but not quantified.
"Why don't you get some rest, I'll report to Tanya personally" I offered, stepping out of the carriage.
Rosemary's gaze pleaded the sincerity of her suspicion but surprisingly, I decided not to pay it any mind.
She soon walked away, her gait dominated entirely by exhaustion, as she rescinded further into the obscure pathway leading to the mayor's manor.
The streets were becoming lonely in that moment, people trotting home from the day's activities. A rare sight to be seen in Ethos, as it was renowned as the dusk till dawn trading city.
A few people clustered around a certain merchant a few meters ahead, an array of prospects willing to make a final dip for the goods he owned, soon dispersing as cries of discontent accompanied their actions.
I turned back to face the city hall, having my fill of observations for the day as I steered my mind towards the task ahead.
My steps, weighted by how much I held in thought.
The lit hallway soon glistened with even more intensity as day time flickered by giving time for the night.
My stride finally led me to my destination, and with an outstretched hand, I pushed at the door, feeling it refuse me before creaking open slowly.
A female figure sat at the end of the room, scribbling down hurriedly on pieces of paper, sprawled in front of her.
She remained still, even as I walked towards her, barely even speaking or flinching.
"I'm here for the report, boss" I began quietly, setting my gaze down at her before extending it throughout the room.
Books and files were arranged lazily at another end of the room, giving enough space for the furniture the room needed.
The railings on the window behind her, shifted calmly as the wind made its way into the room.
I walked towards it, shutting it closed as I dragged both curtains together to conceal the view inside.
"Do you even sleep" I queried, feeling a bit upset by her lack of attention.
Still, she kept on with her work, almost like if she let it down for one moment, it would all disappear forever.
"Why?" She finally replied, head still downcast though, eternally hard at work.
" Do you want to see me in a night dress again that badly" she teased, flipping through the document she held, before replacing it with another.
"You know that's not what I meant" I scolded lightly, walking back towards the center of the room, as I stared at the empty, black plush seat in front of me. Almost like I wanted an imperceptible force to pull me towards it.
"So?. Did you get the merchandise successfully?" She enquired, finally setting down her writing material.
"Yes"
"And?"
I tried fervently to fight back a smile, knowing nothing got past her easily. Thanks to her crafty personality, she must've accounted for the little incident we would run into.
I finally walked towards the armchair, claiming an astute posture as I readied for the discussion.
"Just as you must've predicted, we met with a group of bandits, four in number. We were only able to apprehend two though, as the rest slipped through our fingers unknowingly. " I started off, picking my words carefully so as to only offer a summary.
"Ah, I see" she replied, sitting up carefully as she relaxed herself. A certain stillness affected the room, throwing the next moments into a serene calmness before the succeeding flow of conversation, interrupted.
"Have you heard of the cult of the depraved" I began once more, leaning in a bit to usher seriousness.
She shrugged a bit in her seat, casting an almost disgusted glare at me, slightly irritated by the group mentioned.
"A superficial group of whack heads with no clear goals exactly. They simply steal and extort the weak for their satisfaction. I heard they were mostly involved in small scale raids, why do you ask" she paused, looking at me with uncertainty.
"The group we caught was affiliated with them. They also mentioned being hired by a third party to ambush us, but no clear info was given in their transactions."
The howling of the outside wind, rattled the window once more, cutting short the brief silence that descended on us.
"But the decision to move to Jugrin was made in secret." She stated bluntly.
"Meaning someone must've caught wind of it before our departure." I continued after her, noticing the tempo of her suspicion rise and fall rapidly, as she contemplated a possibility.
"So you're suggesting there's a mole in my company" She asserted finally, resting her chin on one palm.
"But if a third party got involved this time, it means they weren't after the goods but rather....." She stopped, noticing her train of thoughts led to only one possibility.
" What have you gotten yourself into Milo?" She asked finally, eyes brimming in curiosity as she leaned towards me.
As usual, her deductions were astoundingly sharp and accurate.
Although I hadn't expected her to piece together the information, she had done so smartly.
"I need you to look into the group that's affiliated with the cult, maybe try questioning the members we captured." She stated obviously, for the first time in our conversation.
"I already plan on doing that." I replied, waving off her suggestion as I stood up, walking towards the door.
"Oh Milo, before I forget. We haven't set the terms for your compensation"
I stopped as I reached the door, turning back towards her only to reveal her, already buried in her work.
"Information regarding the bandits in my province should suffice" I responded nonchalantly, feeling the weight of my stress appreciate, as my muscles submerged slowly in fatigue.
I walked out soon after, moving straight towards the cart already prepared for me, as I retired for the day.
*******
"Where did you learn horse riding from" I inquired, staring at the brilliance of Sabrina's posture and balance.
Rather than her usual shabby gowns and dresses, she was clothed in a velvet dress, reaching just below her knees and clasping almost tightly to her body.
Her sonsy form was hardly hidden beneath the clothes, as it was vividly clear that any man would drool over her if they were to meet her presently.
Surprisingly though, I wasn't focused on that at the moment, rather I was more interested in the progress she was making as a mage.
She had attained an intermediate rank in spell casting in just a few weeks, and was on her way to attaining a master rank pretty soon.
"You know you can take it easy with your studying" I shouted towards her, standing afar off, to avoid getting stomped on by the huge stallions.
Not knowing what to spend my day off doing, I decided to take Sabrina to the only horse ranch in the city, owned by Tanya.
At first she had protested the idea, suggesting that she needed to study more, but surprisingly she accepted the offer after Natasha reprimanded her with an austere look.
"I think you should grab on to the tou-"
"Young lord, the mistress has called for a meeting and she wishes for you to attend" Veronica interrupted me, bowing slightly as she gestured towards the exit.
I encouraged Sabrina to carry on without me, before following Veronica back to the city hall, feeling dejected by my sudden call for duty.
Tanya's board room was brimming with life the moment I entered, Grant and Rosemary the only familiar faces I could point out, as the rest of the seats were occupied by unknown guests.
" Sorry for the sudden call Milo, but I need you to sit for this discussion" Tanya apologized, creeping from behind me as she sat to address everyone.
I followed suit a while after, awaiting am explanation for her sudden call.
"Well then, shall we begin!".