Chapter 41: Chapter 41 – Interlude: Palogne, Alone

In the better part of Palogne, inside a humble office building, a [Detecitve] was conducting an investigation. He was a practiced man, and new that many times, waiting was the correct action to take. While waiting, it would be unnatural to do nothing, so he preferred to always be sipping on something. Conscious of his health, he mostly stuck to water.

Sir Lecoq took a sip of water from his bottle, and grimaced at the taste. Saints, why is the water so foul-tasting today? As if the rest of all this wasn’t enough. Do we really have to invest in new water purification wards for the house?

He sighed, put his bottle away, took some time to light his pipe and puffed a few clouds of smoke with it. Then, finally, having taken enough time, he turned back to his task. The [Guard] sitting in front of him was squirming in his seat now, and sweat was visibly beading on his face. Good, looks like I’ve let him stew long enough. Back to business.

“So...” He began, not hurrying, taking the time to puff at his pipe between every few words. “-I hear you were the first one to make contact with our infiltrators.” He said, looking over a file on the table. “Someone dressed in a [Maid] uniform showed up late at night, showed you a supposedly valid permission slip, and then went inside. Is this correct?”

The [Guard] nodded his face furiously, relieved at finally being allowed to talk. “Yes sir, that’s how it went. I didn’t think to suspect a thing, she seemed like the proper sort! Had the broom and everything.”

Lecoq covertly used [Identify Truth] as he listened, and relaxed when the skill indicated no falsehoods. “What did this supposed [Maid] look like?”

The [Guard] squinted his eyes and looked to the ceiling. The puffs of smoke were floating there, and he looked at them like a [Soothsayer] trying to divine the future. “She... she definitely had black hair. And glasses, right, glasses. Can’t remember much else more specific. She walked just like a proper [Maid], didn’t seem suspicious at all. You don’t pay attention to [Maids].”

And isn’t that convenient. [Identify Truth]. True. Lecoq sighed. Matches with what everyone else has said so far. Nothing new. As expected—it looks like we are dealing with professionals.

“You are dismissed,” he said, before turning back to his files on the incident. Things were not any closer to getting resolved, the [Lord] was starting to get really angry, and someone would have to take the blame. I have to make sure it’s not me. Surely there’s something useful buried in all this?

He didn’t take notice of the door opening and closing on the [Guard’s] exit, instead burying himself in the case files. However, no matter how much he went over the files, the case remained as impenetrable as ever. He began flipping through the files again, starting from the first one.

Assailant number one, the one that had been dressed as a [Maid]. Name started with a "Fay", probably a code of some sort. He tapped his pipe as he looked over the [Forensic Sketch] for the 20th time today, noting that it matched the [Guard’s] testimony exactly. Almost too exactly. An obvious [infiltrator], [Spy] or something of the sort. Those types always just love dressing up as servants and sneaking about. But this one...

There was something different about this one. Usually, a [Spy] masquerading as a servant would use their guise to catch foes unaware, then strike with a knife to the back. This one, meanwhile, had only fought using a broom, dust and spices—all materials that a [Maid] could theoretically use in battle.

Just how committed are they to this charade? Is this what real high-level [Infiltrators] are like? Maintaining their characters no matter what? Is this the [Method Acting] skill I’ve heard of? Scary.

He flipped through more documents, and his frown deepened. The other two assailants didn’t offer much useful information either. One fought using knives, and had left many a [Guard] behind as bleeding messes. Probably an [Assassin] of some sort.

The last was a trickier case: Abilities focused on manipulating cloth and string. Lecoq furrowed his eyes. Cloth abilities in a textile mill? That can’t be a coincidence. Wasn’t this one the one who—

He started flipping though the bundle at a rapid pace until he found his target, scanned it, then finally allowed a shred of relief pass through his expression. Name started with a "Mir"-something. She was the one who infiltrated the main offices, took files, and burned the place down. Some type of textile industry insider then? Had to know what to look for. Interesting.

[Brilliant deduction! Keep up the good work.]

[Progress towards next level: 50%]

He felt excitement stir at the system message but kept calm. He was a veteran at this. It would be a newbie mistake to trust it too much. They don’t guarantee the truth or even that the deductions have any measure of truth to them, remember that. Still, it is something...

He felt he was finally beginning to understand the complex knot in front of him and had found the first key to opening it up. With the first thread revealed, now he just had to follow it along, find the right place to tug, and watch the whole plot unravel.

[Lord] Aumont has no competitors in the textile industry inside this country—could we be dealing with foreign agents? Stealing our technology could have serious implications, and if revealed, could result in an international incident. Could this be that big? Or is this something more personal, some faction seeking to pry into the [Lord’s] business? Maybe get some dirt on him?

Lecoq felt excitement building inside him. If he was to reveal such a grand plot, his career could go far indeed. It was time to get serious.

He walked over to his filing cabinet, opened all the drawers, and closed his eyes. His capstone skill was powerful, but delicate. He would have to be careful with it—this case could not allow mistakes.

[Connect Case]

He felt the skill begin to guide him and plunged his hand into the drawer. His fingers touched paper, a specific bundle of notes, and he pulled it out eagerly. The karmic connection had felt strong. This was something big.

It was not a thick bundle, nor was it an old one. In fact, he could remember tucking this in just last night, something he had prepared to take a look at, before he had become occupied. It was a request. A request from a certain [Knight], asking for access inside the very factory that had been the target of sabotage. He felt his eyes widen.

How could I have missed this? Did yesterday’s turmoil really cloud me so much? This is an obvious connection.

He opened the bundle and began rushing through the text. The beginning was the standard flowery greetings every practiced diplomat knew, so he skipped them over, moving to the request itself.

...and thus we would like to politely request access to the scene of the crime, the Aumont textile mill, as we have reason to believe this matter is connected to a case of our own. We would be delighted to share our information with the gracious [Lord] Aumont, as we have a way to track down the assailant. Surely we can come to an arrangement that will prove...

This can’t be a coincidence. Is there a wider conspiracy afoot? How are they tracking the perpetrator?

[Investigator] Lecoq inhaled deep and long at his pipe, before extinguishing it and putting it away. He put on his coat and hat, then started stomping out of his office. Luckily, the note had contained an address to an inn for a meeting. For the first time today, Lecoq truly smiled. He could almost feel his upcoming promotion and levelup.

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“Elise! I’ve brought your lunch!”

The [Labourer] groaned, pushed the bedcovers off herself, and raised herself out of bed. There was still a bit of an ache to her side, but it had been steadily getting better. She expected to be back at work within a week.

A week, huh. I guess it has been that long.

It had been a bit since she had seen her brief acquaintances scuttle off into that tunnel, and out of the city. She had been rather shaken by that frightening display from the [Lord], but nothing much had come from it. Her home was near the clinic but scuttling from shadow to shadow aided by her walking stick had still taken her the better part of an hour.

One didn’t simply walk under something like that calmly.

She had spent the next few days being fussed over and cared for by her family, a time during which she had flinched every time the door to their house opened, expecting some [Guard] to arrive and haul her away. However, the days went on, and nobody came to collect. She could scarcely believe it.

Did we really get away with all that?

She was almost starting to believe it. It had only been a few days, but there was already a rumour going around in the neighbourhood that some [Lord] had dropped a water purifier ward inside the local well. People were noticing that the water felt just a bit cleaner. Elise felt just a bit proud.

“Here’s your food, soup again.”

She almost dropped the dish, having forgotten that her sister was there. Need to stop daydreaming so much. Flushing from embarrassment, she thanked her sister, accepted the bowl, and sat up to eat. As she ate, her thoughts kept running back to what had passed.

It had been a whim, really. A childish whim, a last act of rebellion against the dull, mundane future. And it worked! As a child she had always dreamt of adventure, and seeing such an opportunity thrust in front of her, how could she have held back? So close to her levelup too! Me, bravely fighting back monsters, sword in hand...

The ache by her side brought her back to reality, and she winced at the jolt. Right, she hadn’t exactly acquitted herself admirably. She had barely helped in combat, and then had become a liability when the going really got tough. I guess becoming a true warrior really does take more than idle wishes and daydreams... Those two had some real grit to them...

She could still remember the sight of Fayette fighting by her side, eyes focused, but lips twisted in a ferocious grin. Just remembering that expression brought a blush to her checks. There was something to that image, that juxtaposition. A frilly [Maid’s] uniform slightly tinged with blood, and that furious energy contained within. It almost made her ponder a career change.

She shook the silly though out of her mind before she got lost in her daydreams again. She had some more practical... concerns.

She hadn’t told anyone yet, but she had actually reached level 15 in the midst of all that. She had not noticed it herself at the time, out of it and injured as she was, but waiting for the others at the clinic had brought the option to her attention.

She would normally have been glad, especially as she had gotten uncommon options, but her options were the type to make matters difficult.

First, she of course had her [Factory labourer] option, a common and expected one. Many others at her workplace were using it, and it had its benefits.

Though, like all common class ups beyond level 15, it would hamper her leveling going forward, severely. She could say goodbye to her dreams of reaching higher levels before retirement.

She had some other common options too, but those weren’t really of any concern. Her uncommon ones were where things got difficult.

[Dissident Worker (Uncommon) – You’ve played a role in a conspiracy against your employer, and are ready to do so again. Injustices in the workplace should not stand, and with this class, you will be equipped to tackle them. Bring your employers to justice!]

It was dangerous. She had heard rumours of such classes, and the people talked of in those rumours always tended to disappear under suspicious circumstances. Sure, the class might provide some basic aids to conceal it, some skills to fool [Inspect] skills for example, but there were always ways. If she were to make one slipup and be found out, that would be it.

Her second class though... That one managed to be even more foreboding. She didn’t even dare parse its contents again, it was much too eerie for that, the title was enough to scare her off.

[Infected Labourer (Uncommon)]

But Olivia cured me, right? Right? What is this supposed to be?

She had gotten her wish, uncommon classes and an opportunity for greatness, but what would be the cost? Could she really dare take one of them?

Well, I guess I am in no hurry... I’ll just have to wait and see. Maybe I’ll even unlock more options?

It was an unlikely hope, but she clung to it like a soldier to their shield.

The other options were much too frightening.