Spending the night in a room with a ceiling tall enough for her to stand felt like a true vacation. Piper made the most of it by pacing back and forth, though she suspected she was just procrastinating from opening her letters.
"I can do this, I can do this. AAAAHH!" Piper groaned. After her dramatic outburst, she forced herself to sit down. She untied the bundle of letters and began opening them one by one.
Most of the letters came from the Aquatrix Little Sleuth Society, a community in the Aquatrix Empire consisting of children and teenagers who had solved dangerous cases. Since the requirements weren't something achievable through effort alone—oh, of course through effort, but not every child grew up in a place with criminal activity—the members were few. However, they were scattered across various countries.
What she dreaded, of course, was in Amanda Sazonova's letter.
Dear Piper Cloudspire,
You should stay in an inn for a month and finish your **** manuscript. This project has already been delayed for two months, and you're the sole reason for it. You're the only one who hasn't submitted their manuscript. I'm waiting for you. I hope I haunt your dreams and startle you as you drift off to sleep, so you hit your head on your caravan's hard roof.
Dear Piper, have you eaten anything interesting recently? Tell me about it, and don't forget to include the recipe.
Piper gaped. Amanda Sazonova. She recalled meeting the girl during their gathering two years ago, when they were both fourteen. Amanda was a blunt girl who spoke her mind, though she would compliment her conversation partner afterward if she thought her words had been too harsh.
Piper was sure she wasn't the only reason their project had been delayed. Amanda Sazonova, as the president of the Aquatrix Little Sleuth Society in 1903, had suggested that each of them write a travel journal to be compiled and published together. Unfortunately, Piper was at a loss about what to write.
Truthfully, she hadn't encountered many adventures. Even though she often introduced herself as a detective from the Little Sleuth Agency, there wasn't much she could do with that title. Not only was she still young, but people naturally trusted detectives with formal qualifications more. Consequently, Piper reluctantly admitted that her work so far consisted of hunting rats in people's homes, finding lost cats or sheep, or doing day-labor chores.
"Nothing I've done so far is remotely interesting. I envy those members who were recruited solo. The criminals must have made a pact to commit their crimes in 1903 and ensure they'd be easy for me to catch so Amanda could torment me," Piper grumbled to herself.
Each year, the Aquatrix Little Sleuth Society recruited new members. Since it wasn't common for children or teens to solve complex cases, it wasn't surprising that many years went by without any new recruits. Most often, the society added only one member per year. However, in 1903, they managed to recruit five, including Piper.
The next letter was from Linnea 'Lu Hua' Meng, who started her letter with a laugh.
Hahahahaha.
Amanda has gone mad. She's been sending me letters almost daily, demanding I finish my manuscript. Doesn't she know that the more she writes, the more immune I become to her anger and harsh words?
Piper, how much have you written? I've been writing day and night, but why isn't the number of pages increasing? It must be Amanda's curse.
Okay, let's stop talking about our torment—
Piper sighed in relief after reading Linnea's opening lines. Her hunch was right. She wasn't the only one delaying the book's publication. She exhaled, but she couldn't relax too much. Amanda had done so much for them, and she was the glue holding Vellora—the name Amanda proposed for the 1903 recruits—together.
"Well, I'll figure something out. Ah!" Piper's eyes widened suddenly. "If I can find the culprits who tried to kill me earlier, I'll definitely have something to write about without ruining my reputation."
Piper cheerfully replied to her friends' letters until she reached one she knew the contents of all too well.
Dear Piper,
Are you safe and warm there? Tell Auntie everything, you naughty child. I miss you so much, and every morning I'm ready to throw a grand party if you decide to come home.
Wouldn't you like to stay at Auntie's house instead? I just had the most delicious turkey. My new cook is from Linhua and brought so many strange plants that I initially thought were meant to poison me, but it turns out they're ingredients for a delicious turkey stew! You must come home so you can taste it—
Piper already knew the gist of Aunt Alina's letter. She continued reading and replied affectionately, considering the woman was her only family. She firmly stated that she was very comfortable living in her caravan and had no intention of returning home.
Piper stretched her body after finishing her replies. She placed the letters in a corner of the table, planning to deliver them to the post office the next morning. She rubbed her eyes.
The inn's blankets felt warm against her body. Piper rolled around, savoring the spacious bed, until she eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Piper rode Bluebell to execute her plan. She also carried a piece of paper in her pocket to jot down anything important. Piper appreciated accuracy and didn't want her travel journal to rely solely on her unreliable memory.
The town came alive as sunlight brightened its streets. Piper managed to purchase a map specifically of Fernwick and discovered that half of the small town consisted of mountains and forests. She wondered if she should visit the busy mayor to explain her predicament when she overheard a conversation among locals by the roadside.
"Yeah, it happened not far from my house … there was shouting … two people were caught, but their friends escaped."
"You must have been so scared."
"I was relieved. I hope those criminals are dealt with soon so I don't have to keep calming my kids, who've been fussing about wanting to go outside all night. Now Constable Morris is there with the police tape."
Hearing this, Piper wasted no time and sped off toward the location.