I'm eternally grateful to the vassal awaiting Sir Loudmouth, even going so far as tipping him a silver coin. His eyes shine bright before pocketing the coin as if hiding a dirty secret. I ask and, with a tone of excitement and gratitude, he gives me directions to the Grey Rooster on my map. I bid him farewell and good luck before going our seperate ways. I spot the brunette trying to catch a glimpse of me and I furrow my brow when I watch her mouth the words "Help me."

I can't. Not now anyway. My Point Regeneration has stopped and I can't outright kill the cockroach in the middle of the city. I sniff the air, finding her trail and get another Minor Quest.

[Minor Quest: Suspicious Minds

[Find out what Sir Aristeo is up to and why Genevieve Foxbrook asked for your help.]

[Reward: 450XP

[Punishment: Two Strike Criminal rank in Higo and Kes Rentas]

This time, the punishment outweighs the reward and I hesitate to follow through with it. But, being the nice guy that I am, I don't reject the idea just yet.

I get the distinct feeling I'm sticking out from those around me as I pass by hard looking people, probably the fishermen, dock workers, and laborers of the city. Clothing is patched and repatched to last longer, maybe even inherited. Everyone's hair is short, albeit greasy or grimy, for safety reasons rather than fashion. No one is wearing armor, but everyone, even the women, carries a knife or a small hatchet. Even in my hazy state I notice that I haven't passed by a single full human or elf, mainly Faunus, Goblin, and Half Monster races of all kinds. I walk down an alleyway where a few bars and brothels line either side. I get my fair share of odd stares and hard looks as I pass by in my full gear and mask. At some point I think about trying to blend in but by now it's too late. I could hear them murmer to each other about the strange knight in the dark armor.

"…no weapon. But he has rings and a bracelet…"

"…Upperclass? Traveler maybe…"

"…What's with the mask? What's he trying to hide…?"

"…He's heading for the inner circle. Do you think he knows someone? Why'd he walk through here then…?"

At the very end of the alley is a cross street and after that is the borderline to the inner circle of Higo, where the affluent merchants, lesser nobles, and high ranking military reside. The larger, outer ring is choked with people, the inner circle is blinded with colors and light. The use of bright colors on fabrics, metal for decoration, and even the scent of potted flowers makes me wonder if I fell asleep walking at some point. Instead of packed dirt, the streets are actual cobblestone. In high up windows I catch curtains quickly drawing closed, only to part slightly as eyes in dark places try to spy on this strange visitor. The major market area is barely coming to life at this hour, some stalls already opening and welcoming their regulars. So, once again, I drag my feet through another rumor mill.

"…Don't worry, I'll turn him away if he gets too close…"

"…only looks expensive. I bet it was handmade…"

"…they really need to station guards again. Look what kind of trash finds its way here…"

"…please don't stop here please don't stop here please don't stop here…"

If I couldn't tear through them like a tsunami of claws, I would've been offended. Instead, I take a deep breath and push in the swinging door to the Grey Rooster. Already, I can tell this place is much nicer than the one at the rest area.

A four piece band is playing non-magical instruments in a corner of the room. A large, horseshoe shaped bar waits in the back against the wall. As nice as the place is, it still smells of spilt beer and old wood. Right away I spot a hooded Victoria and our eyes meet. With her hood still up, she glides through the chairs and tables, narrowly dodging a man walking with his head turned to his friend behind him. She doesn't jump into my arms, not here, but instead leads me by the hand to a man working the bar.

She introduces him as Seriel Rockblossom, retired Sergeant of the Kes Rentas army and the one allowing us to park by his tavern for as long as we're in town. As a High Elf, he's tall and lean, with light brown hair and green eyes.

He has one eyebrow cocked as he shakes my hand, "Ardacen. Thanks for taking care of the Lieutenant. Politics, being as they are, made it hard for me to help her in the past."

I told him that I understood and that, speaking of political pains in the butt, I had met Sir Aristeo. He sneers, as if I just presented him with a handful of horse shit.

"That waste of flesh? Your life would have been better off having never met him."

"Probably. Do you happen to know a Genevieve Foxbrook?"

He puts a couple of mugs away, "She used to be a bar maid here. Why? She get herself into trouble again?"

"Maybe," I say, trying to stifle a yawn, "I got a Quest regarding her and Sir Aristeo and information--" The yawn finally wins and I'm glad my mask was still on since I couldn't cover my mouth in time. "I'm sorry, I need a nap or something."

I pull the mask to the side and look at the two. Victoria pulls a wincing smile and Seriel grimaces.

With the weight of my entire day so far I proclaim, "I just crossed fifty miles of Oromin Desert, watched a Desert Mooben fight a Dust Elemental, fought and killed a Raincaller Wyvern, was set upon by a dozen bandits, and listened to a dork flirt witlessly for an hour with women he already paid for, one of which had just given me a Minor Quest. All because some rat wizard couldn't concentrate on getting his rocks off."

Victoria just snakes her hand back into mine and our fingers entwine. She gives me a knowing smile, "Come on."

"Hold up." Before we can leave, Seriel has three shots on the bar and I grab one, "They're all yours, mate. A Mooben, an Elemental, and a Wyvern?"

I shoot it, feeling the heat in my throat and the vapors in my nose, "I only killed the Wyvern. The Mooben killed the Elemental." I bring out a Fang and a Soul Piece, "It's a crazy story and I'll have to tell it you guys one day."

Without missing a beat, they both reach for the other two drinks and shoot them. I put away my trophies and Victoria leads me nearby to where the vardo is parked.

******************************

While Ardacen slept, all the major pieces of the Linqs set gathered around a makeshift conference table. Dawn, Rachel, Richter, Victoria, Elsbeth, Kona, and Serenity came to discuss something that Ardacen pretty much dumped in their laps before passing out, like the friend who had too much to drink before everyone else and left a mess before disappearing.

Ardacen posed a simple but important question. Who should be given the title of leader instead of him? It wasn't anything official that the game recognized, just a way to keep things nice and organized, but it was something that still carried a bit of weight in the group.

At first, it seemed obvious to everyone that Victoria should be leader, given her training and experience, but she declined.

"Leading on the battlefield is one thing, ensuring the prosperity of Linqs is another."

Then, Dawn was nominated by Rachel, and her arguement was similar, since she finally realized who Dawn really was IRL once all the puzzle pieces clicked together.

"She is amazing at what she does and what she does is build and conquer other cities"

"Yeah, well," Dawn began, "Pointing and clicking is one thing, but I'm no soldier. What do I know about being in battle formations and performing tactically in combat?"

This led to the offer of splitting responsibilities. The idea was briefly entertained before someone brought up the recent event of Ardacen being whisked away. If it were to happen again, then they'd be back to square one.

Then Richter spoke up, "What if, like, Dawn was the main leader and Victoria was the vice-leader?" This brought a round of head nodding, but Serenity asked him to clarify. "So, in case something were to happen to Dawn, we'd have a sort of back up leader."

Dawn's eyes lit up, "You can teach me to be a better soldier and I can teach you how I city plan!" Everyone amicably agreed on this course of action, offering their own skills and knowledge as advisors.

Then Victoria asked, "What about Ardacen? Do you think he's going to be okay with this arrangement?"

"Dude's gonna be thrilled," Richter pronounced, folding his arms across his chest and smiling. "I know a lot of stuff ends up on his plate, but he might have an attention problem."

Dawn glanced in the direction of where he was sleeping, "I've noticed that too. I think he just needs to be pointed in the right direction."

Kona laughed, "You mean use him like a weapon?" Her laughter and words amused everyone, but they still rang with a bit of truth. Maybe that's exactly what he needed. His plans, though initially good, are actually half baked and often times reckless when scrutinized.

"Remember when he wanted to scatter copper coins on the ground as a distraction?" Victoria asked, a giggle in her voice. "After we got a bunch of those magic rings?"

"What about at the lake?" Dawn added, trying to breathe through bouts of laughter. "When he set us up like bowling pins for the big guys? Why didn't he just stop them instead?"

Serenity meekly raised her hand, "Um, that… I can partially explain. They were… out of range."

Dawn gestured out of amused frustration, "But did he have to tell us to stop? Couldn't he have told us to roll out of the way?"

"He can only use one word at a time and he had to cast it twice!" Kona said, annoyed that, as another spellcaster, she felt compelled to be on his side.

Dawn extended a finger for every word she spoke, "Avoid. Dodge. Block. Parry…"

Victoria raised her hands, trying to placate everyone, "It's easy to pick apart his idea when it already happened. I'm sure he did the best he could in a terrible situation."

After several minutes of good natured arguing, everyone considered the matter settled. Dawn, still hesitent to take up the mantle of leadership, asked Victoria if she had time to start teaching her right away. A broad smile and a raised spear was answer enough.

******************************

Victoria woke me up in the late afternoon, by my request, and the sleep deprivation warning was gone. While rubbing my eyes she caught me up on the meeting they held during my nap. She seemed concerned and I had to reassure her that it was for the best.

"I'm just not suited for it yet. Maybe I can learn from you two later on, but right now I'm better off as the group's utility or back-line eliminator."

She jabs me in the ribs and grins in that playful way that I've come to like, "Well, you sure do know how to work the back."

I grab something to eat from Gorm and his new kitchen staff, a mug of stew and a piece of flatbread. Apparently, he tried to commision an oven from Dawn, but she wouldn't accept any form of payment from him.

"The food," he said while watching one of his cooks heat the oven with a fire-based, touch spell, "will be reward enough, she said. So we've been experimenting with breads and pot pies. I think I need to restart my own workout program again."

He laughs his deep, fang filled laugh, slapping my back and sending stew flying everywhere.

Later, I find Dawn drilling with Victoria and a handful of soldiers. I ask her if I can borrow Richter and Rachel for a minor quest. I explain the nature of it and she consents, telling me to grab a Hedge Mage's Ring and to make sure my Quartz is topped off. If she didn't mention them, I would've forgot and given the nature of the quest, they will really help. I withdraw my Sunshine Quartz and start filling it with Command and Friend.

"Wait," Dawn stops everyone and points at the yellow crystal with her Thunderstruck, "What's that?"

I explain to her how I came across it, Brandy, and the discussion about the hostile NPCs. She paused to consider all of this and asked that I also try to gather more information about the villainous NPCs running around Arc.

"It can't be mere coincidence. When you get back, we'll have plenty to talk about during dinner. Oh, and Mika was looking for you. Something about all the poison sacs?"

I wince, "That can't be good, right?" She shrugs and resumes her training.

Later, as I stand next to Mika's makeshift work station, she motions me to grab three vials with droppers on a table in front of her, "What the hell are these?"

"Shut up and listen." A mask covers her nose and mouth and it makes me wonder if I should be so close to her. She has on a pair of goggles with various lenses fanning out like she's getting her vision tested.

"The black liquid," she says, not bothering to stop working, "is from the Shadow Poison Sac. Drop it on a weapon and it'll be imbued for an hour with Poison15 for sixteen. Know what that means?"

"Fifteen Poison damage every two seconds for sixteen seconds," I said, basically reciting the effects of Shadow Toxin.

She continues, unimpressed by my answer, "The pink one is from the Mandrake Root. If ingested, it'll put the victim to sleep."

"I can't imbue a weapon with it?"

"Are you daft, boy? Pain is one of the ways to wake someone up. What? You slash someone's neck and they take a nap?" She shakes her head in frustration.

"What about arrows? Darts?" I ask, thinking about Rachel.

"Sure, they'll fall asleep. Then what? They still got an arrow sticking out of their ass and I bet that'll still hurt. Didn't I tell you to shut up and listen?"

"Fine," I say, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"The brown one is interesting. Just made it from the Wyvern Poison Sac." I was expecting another over time damage dealer after watching what happened to Squiddie, but apperently the poison you can make is more interesting than that. "This one you can drop on your precious arrows and darts, cuz it goes away once you get a successful attack even though the imbue time limit is indefinite. It completely relaxes the target's muscles to the point of collapse."

I ponder the implications for a moment, then wince and stick my tongue out of my mouth in disgust, "All of them?"

She nods her head, sighing a deep sigh, "Yes. All of them. Though I'm sure a change of pants will be the least of their worries. It doesn't effect things like breathing or the heart or anything important like that, but it does last five minutes."

I'm glad a giant creature like Squiddie didn't "relax all of his muscles" while I was nearby. I thank Mika for all of her hard work and ask if there is anything I could do for her.

"Just keep the Alchemical ingredients coming. Oh, and see if that chicken girl will teach me the Tinkerer class. I have one Artisan Class spot left and an idea brewing for my crossbow."