11. It's just a normal day
After checking every nook and cranny of the alleyway and confirming that no one was watching, I moved on to the next part of my plan.
I spread my thread throughout the alley, turning it into a temporary nest. Thankfully, no one showed up while I was setting things up. Once the nest and traps were ready, it was time for another casual stroll around the area.
So I did just that—walking leisurely, acting like bait to lure out criminals, before circling back to my trap-laden alleyway. Those who secretly followed me revealed their true nature the moment they stepped inside. I easily subdued them with my traps, and the game continued.
Those who tried to rob me? I took half their money. The ones who enjoyed beating up the weak? I made sure to return the favor two or threefold—enough that they wouldn't be leaving their beds for at least three days.
After finishing my last hunt, I was quietly repairing the nest when someone called out to me.
"What are you doing?"
It wasn't the first time someone stumbled into the alley while I was setting things up or laying bait. Usually, if they just wanted to pass through, I let them be. But if they tried anything strange… well, they ended up like the others.
I turned around—and was surprised to see someone familiar.
"Oh, Ms. Xio! Good afternoon. What brings you to a place like this?" I greeted her with a bright smile, as if I'd just run into an old friend in the middle of a stroll. My voice was warm, casual, with just the right touch of surprise. "Actually, I was looking for you," I added after a slight pause, as if the thought had just occurred to me.
"For me?" Xio tilted her head, her expression unreadable. Her sharp eyes flicked across the alleyway—taking in the odd threads, the scattered bait, and the unnatural stillness of the place.
"Yes," I nodded, hands clasped behind my back. "I was looking for Darkholme—the contact you mentioned, remember? You said if I ever needed to find you, I should ask for him. Sorry for not being upfront earlier," I added, scratching my cheek with a sheepish grin. "But I have a request."
Xio's gaze narrowed slightly. "You want me to take you to a Beyonder gathering?"
"O-Ohh," I feigned surprise, even letting my mouth hang open a bit. "As expected of Ms. Xio! Is that one of your powers? Reading minds?" I leaned forward, eyes wide in mock amazement.
'More like you're terrible at hiding things…' Xio thought to herself, resisting the urge to sigh. She didn't say it out loud, but it was written all over her face.
"Well, how do I put this…" she paused, folding her arms. Her expression turned serious. "Darkholme is dead."
"I see." My response was calm and indifferent.
She watched my face closely, but I didn't show much of a reaction. Something about it felt off to her, but she couldn't quite figure out what.
"There's a gathering tomorrow. Want to come?" she asked, almost offhandedly.
"Of course. How much is the fee?" I responded without hesitation.
Xio blinked, caught off guard. Honestly, she'd invited me more out of curiosity than anything else. She hadn't expected me to agree so quickly—much less bring up the payment first.
"Five gold pounds?" she offered, almost testing the waters. "But you'll have to follow my instructions during the gathering."
The moment the number left her lips, she mentally winced. Right. She'd forgotten that most people weren't like a certain overly generous sponsor who tossed around gold coins like pocket change. Her sense of value had taken a serious hit thanks to her.
"Deal!" I replied just as quickly, catching her off guard. Her eyes widened for a moment, clearly not expecting such a fast agreement. Without hesitation, I handed her exactly five pounds—though it was mostly in soli and pence, a jumbled collection of coins that made the small purse I pulled from my coat seem a little too full.
'Is this real? Is money really this easy to get?' Xio stared at the coins in her hand, conflicted. Part of her wanted to scream at the world's unfairness, but the other part was happy—Chris might be a second Audrey.
She let out a deep sigh, a small, resigned smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'll come pick you up tomorrow evening. Be ready," she said, turning to leave after I nodded in reply.
When Xio arrived at the meeting spot later, she handed Fors two pounds and ten soli, the coins jingling softly as they slid into Fors's palm.
"What's this for?" Fors asked, looking up at her, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Your share," Xio replied, her tone casual, though there was a slight edge to her words.
Fors blinked. "Share of what?"
"You remember that guy?" Xio asked.
"Diffodil?" Fors thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah. I ran into him today and ended up agreeing to take him to the gathering."
Fors raised an eyebrow. "You asked for five pounds?"
"I didn't mean it seriously! I thought he'd haggle!" Xio sighed. "Who knew he'd just hand it over?"
"Well, that's his fault. But are you sure it's okay to invite him like this?" Fors asked, her voice laced with doubt.
"You mean because of Miss Audrey?" Xio guessed, her voice dropping slightly.
"We don't know why she asked us to investigate him, and we were supposed to report to her today. What if they're enemies?"
"..." Xio swallowed, avoiding Fors's gaze now
"You didn't think that far, did you?" Fors stared at her. exparatedly
"A-ahaha, no way I'd forget something like that! Miss Audrey did say not to harm him and only observe. Besides, she's not attending this time anyway," Xio replied quickly, the lie slipping off her tongue too easily, though the flicker of doubt in her eyes didn't go unnoticed by Fors.
"I hope you're right." Fors muttered.
Phew.
I let out a satisfied sigh as I stretched my body.
Maybe I overdid it a little. If someone with real power from the underworld takes notice, I could be in trouble. With no backing, I'd be nothing more than a fragile twig in a storm.
That's why, after Xio left, I only repeated my trap-and-bait plan a few more times before cleaning up all traces and taking a roundabout route home. I couldn't afford to be careless.
Paying Xio five pounds meant today's "earnings" were in the red—but it was worth it. I could feel it... I was close to fully digesting the potion.
"C-Chris?" Peytra called out to me, a nervous expression on her face. to be honest her voice surprised me a bit.
Lately, rather than helping Father with his machines like I used to, I'd been spending more time in Peytra's workshop. I wanted to learn more about clothing design from her.
She reached toward my side and picked up a small piece of cloth, no bigger than a handkerchief.
"Where did you get this?" she asked, examining its texture.
"I forgot exactly… I think I bought it from a street vendor. It looked interesting," I said, taking the cloth back. "Here." I tugged at one edge. "It's heavenly soft… but it lacks durability."
I sighed inwardly.
I'd focused too much on comfort, ignoring endurance. It tore too easily. I thought ultimate softness was the answer—but clearly, it wasn't. I'd need to rethink everything from scratch.
"Mhm," Peytra nodded. "It is a bit fragile. Does it handle water well?"
"Ah—I haven't tested that!" Her question hit me like a lightning bolt. Of course! My vision had been too narrow. Maybe instead of trying to make the perfect all-purpose fabric, I could create specialty fabrics—for raincoats, for instance.
While I was caught in my eureka moment, Mother pulled out a basin of water from who knows where and dunked the fabric in.
"Oh." As expected, it absorbed water like normal fabric. "Its durability didn't change much even when soaked, and the softness remains," she said.
"It would be better if it were more durable… but I could use this for specific purposes. How much was it? Can you get more?" Her eyes sparkled with interest.
"Just a few pence. I don't remember exactly. I'm not sure if I'll find that vendor again—but I'll try."
She looked a little disappointed at first. Then she asked, "Can I have this piece? It sparked my imagination."
"Of course," I said without hesitation.
That day, I got a few extra soli as pocket money.