Stillbrook.

If you ever wanted to find a slice of middle-American suburbia in another world, this was the place to be. I’d never been in a real suburb before. They had neighborhoods with single-family homes in Japan, but I didn’t live in one, and those neighborhoods didn’t match the sheer level of sprawl that a real American one did; everything had to be bigger in America after all.

A small village of a few thousand people – people who didn’t need to work for a living anymore. This was a middle-class district, mainly inhabited by retirees and families who wanted to get out of the nearby cities, which were half-an-hours’ walk away. Close enough to go to the market and buy goods, far enough away to live in relative comfort and safety versus the cramped quarters of the towns proper.

The houses were actually rather nice, striking the right balance between size and affluence. White facades and timber frames, nicely kept front gardens with stone walls. I could see the appeal of living somewhere like this. But the houses would be eye-wateringly expensive; unless I found a chest of buried treasure sometime soon.

It was my first time being on the road with Tahar, and her endless curiosity about Sull and the people who lived here was… endearing. She drew a lot of stares thanks to her unusual height and species. She paid me back in turn by hunting down food for us. We hadn’t paid a single penny for rations or meals since we started traveling back through the Federation’s territory. I’d never gorged myself on so much meat before.

The task at hand was not one I was excited about. I didn’t want to be here in the first place. Stigma had forced me to come here. While her using her control over my body to trigger berserk was helpful at the time, I already regretted inserting the idea into her mind’s eye. I needed to find a way to take back control of my body.

The rattling of my armour was bound to draw attention as we walked down the main road. As we passed by another house, an older man peered from behind the wall. He was wearing a large hat to keep the sun off his head, and his dirt covered clothes spoke of him as a hobbyist gardener. He flagged me down, and I saw little reason to turn away. Maybe I could press him for some information about where this cursed item had gone.

I still didn’t understand what Adel and the Great Absolver were thinking. Couldn’t they just hand the items to me if they wanted them to be in one place so badly? Trying to understand the machinations of the Inquisition’s highest-ranking member was a hopeless endeavor, he may have simply found the wild goose chase amusing, or instituted it as some kind of test.

“Good afternoon,” I said.

He glanced between the three of us with suspicion, his eyes settling on the weapons attached to hip and hand. “Is there something going on?”

I shook my head, “…A friend asked me to visit. No trouble here.”

He scoffed, “Heh. I doubt anyone in this town knows a mercenary like you. You look like bad news.”

“What kind of bad news?”

“The kind that spells trouble for everyone living here. The last time a group of warriors visited… no, it’s not my place to say.”

Initially I thought that he was just having an insular reaction to us thanks to being kept in a comfortable bubble, but it seemed that there was more meaning to his warnings than I thought. There must have been a band of mercenaries causing trouble here before. I wasn’t going to spend hours arguing with him that I was different somehow, it wouldn’t convince him of anything. This was a town near the border with the Kingdom of Sull. Potentially, there could have been fighting here through proxies in the past.

“I can offer you little else than my word. It’s pointless to argue.”

He grimaced, “Ah. Just don’t go causing too much trouble. The folk here deserve a little peace and quiet after everything that’s happened recently.”

“With the war?”

“Aye.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

He waved us off and we continued to walk down the long, stone paved avenue. I could see a four-way split in the distance, surrounded by three story townhouses that were taller than the other residences. The bottom floors were occupied by a small selection of shops and services. If you wanted anything more advanced than a haircut, you’d need to head to the nearest city. Though by most standards this was a fairly dense town center for a few thousand people.

The place had been meticulously maintained. There wasn’t a speck of dirt to be seen out of place. A selection of planters and floral displays dominated the middle of the area. Coloured banners hung from street lamps and swayed in the gentle breeze. But even so, it felt less homely than Tahar’s village, because aside from the man who spoke with us before there was nary a soul to be seen.

“Where is everyone?” Tahar asked, applying some of the grammar Cali and I had taught her.

“Perhaps they are occupied,” Cali offered.

Even if people were working or staying at home, we would have seen more of them. Counting the man in his garden, I had only spied five people in total. Two of them were manning the counters in the shops, I could see them through the slatted windows. It was quiet.

Adel hadn’t told me anything about the cursed object we were looking for. He’d been given it, dropped it somewhere in the town, and then left again without sticking around to see who picked it up. It was safe to assume that the middleman then handed it off to the intended target under similar instructions. If everyone was as hostile as my previous sparring partner, there was no opportunity for me to push them for info.

Stillbrook didn’t exactly have a booming criminal underworld for me to exploit. No contacts to speak with. The watchmen were in close proximity and knew that these homes were prime targets for bandits and looters. I needed to keep a low profile and avoid raising suspicions. I decided to enter one of the two populated shops to try and get a read on the situation. I could go in, make some small talk and buy a couple of things.

Cali and Tahar stayed outside while I entered. My stomach grumbled as the scent of freshly baked bread invaded my senses. Dozens of different pastries and cakes were lined up in neat rows. Behind the counter was a rosy-cheeked woman who looked to be in her early sixties. She spoke to me in a broad accent, “Welcome! You’re a fresh face! Are you new in town?”

“Ah, just passing through with some fellow travelers.”

She looked at my armour and bound broadsword with a titter, “You look like you’re getting ready for war.”

“Well, you know those bandits are like roaches – the roads keep getting more dangerous every day. Every self-respecting wanderer needs to learn to protect themselves.”

“Is that so? What’s the world coming to? I’ll stay here, thank you very much! No trouble in our little corner of the Federation,” she laughed. She wasn’t my type of company, but she was much more personable than the other man. I could realistically get some information out of her. I leaned in and pretended to browse the selection.

I put on my best smile, “A friend of mine dropped by recently, sung your praises.”

Ah! You mean the young man with the red eyes?” Her face lit up with recognition.

I nodded, “Yeah… his name’s Adelbern.”

“He scared me half to death wearing that armour of his; we’ve never had need of an Inquisitor here. And he didn’t take the time to drop by my little shop.”

“He can be cold to people he doesn’t know. But you can trust him if he’s by your side, we’ve worked together before.” It was a complete and utter lie, but she didn’t know that. “How long was he here for anyway?”

“Just that day. Ran through, got an earful from Mister Sloan, and then left after completing his business. He really needs to stop being so paranoid about other people coming here. The path is open to anyone with two legs.”

“Right.”

“If you’re planning on staying, there’s a wonderful boarding house just next door! And if you have the time, I suggest you do. We’re holding our semi-annual garden contest soon; the entire town will be even more wonderful than usual.”

“A garden contest?”

“Yes! Just a little fun event that we hold, since we have so many enthusiastic green thumbs amongst our number.”

I pointed to a trio of random cakes and pastries and tallied up the right number of bars to give to her. She dipped behind the counter and retrieved them, placing them into a small wicker basket and handing them to me. I hadn’t eaten anything properly sweet in a long, long time. I silently feared that this would turn into an addiction. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

“To be honest, I could do with a little break from work – maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Please do! It’s always a joy to have some new folks dropping by and getting to know the place. Enjoy your food and come again!”

I waved goodbye and stepped back out to the front of the store. Two sets of tables and chairs had been placed outside for people to use. I pushed Cali and Tahar over and sat down with the basket between us.

“So, did you learn anything?”

“Adelbern wasn’t lying about being here and according to the owner he only stayed for one day, if that. It didn’t sound like anything explosive happened during his visit.” I reached into the basket and grabbed a jam covered tart. It was fantastic. The pasty was done to perfection and the jam was delicious. It was more expensive than bread and porridge, but it was worth every penny. Tahar and Cali decided to indulge themselves too. Tahar had to stop herself from eating more than her share.

As I ate, I spied on the market square. The more I looked, the more artificial everything felt. This place looked brand new. The building’s paint was spotless, the wood freshly lacquered and treated. I’d stepped through a portal into a theme park somewhere along the way without noticing. The only thing it was missing was a gaggle of terrifying mascots to bully the children.

Cali had the same thought. She became increasingly unsettled with the town the longer we sat there. It was extremely unusual to see Cali look like that. She kept looking around for threats hiding in the trees. Her grip on the halberd tightened. “How long has this town existed?” she wondered.

I folded my hands into my lap, “I was about to ask the same thing.”

“What’s wrong?” Tahar said with a mouth full of cake.

“Despite the size and density of this settlement, we have seen very few people,” Cali explained, “The buildings are in pristine condition and have not suffered the usual wear of age and weather. Yet from my own recollection, Stillbrook has been here for many decades now.”

This was more than a fresh coat of paint. Unless the town had an army of dedicated residents or civil servants, corners would be cut somewhere. I lived in the gutter, I knew where those corners were. Yet I couldn’t see them anywhere. Perfectly proportioned angles, second floor glass windows that were pure and flat, tiled roofs and impeccable plaster. Where was the personality? The small errors?

“This place stinks,” I declared. No amount of good food could convince me otherwise.

Tahar sniffed the air, “…Hm?”

“That was a figure of speech,” I sighed. She was even worse than Cali.