36:27

Both of them enter the Great Leader's office, N04H still following Him. CHE5TER starts searching for something that He wants to give to the small man, yet N04H, meanwhile, ever since he entered the room, he seems to observe it in more details. For an office, it appeared strange to him to look more like a room where someone lives than a room in which should be present important conversations.

[N04H]-...So this is your room?

[CHE5TER]-"My room"?

[N04H]-Yeah! Like... the place where you sleep and stuff. Your home.

[CHE5TER]-How interesting to call it "my home". It is simply my office.

[N04H]-It looks more like a home than an office to me...

[CHE5TER]-*sigh*...No, this isn't my home. I used to have my own house where I grew up alongside Officer RY4N, but I didn't visit that place in a long time now. I can barely can it "home"... And since most of the times I stay at the base working, the office is the most visited place by me. It is why it looks more welcoming than it should be. But it is a cute way to call it "home".

So as the Leader searches, N04H examines the room further. He does so for a few seconds, before he comes across a broken photo which has three people in it, an unknown man to him and two children. The man in the photo seems tall with white hair and blue eyes, dressed in a black suit and a long white coat, yet the kids seems to be familiar to him, one looks exactly like Officer RY4N, but a smaller version of him, and the other one having the colour voothrav, being the only C born in the photo, which he assumed it was little CHE5TER. But looking at the present one and the one in the photo, you couldn't even tell that it was Him in that image, as He changed more than someone could think of. Not only the scar on His face or anything like that, but the whole personality, as He seemed happier back in those times.

But he doesn't have the time to think about it much, as the Leader comes to him and gives him a disguise device that He was probably searching for.

[CHE5TER]-Here. Try this one.

[N04H]-Huh? O-Oh, alright...

N04H activates the device which changes his clothes into something similar to what he saw CHE5TER wearing outside the base, but the clothes are a bit too large for him to even move properly.

[N04H]-I don't... think I can wear this...

[CHE5TER]-It was designed to be a copy of mine in case it gets damaged, so I should have expected it. Let me see if I have something else then...

So, the Leader goes in front of a wall, putting His left hand on it and activating some kind of screen. He starts choosing from more choices that He sees on it. When He finally chooses one, the wall opens, revealing probably the clothes that He has selected. He takes them and gives them to the little recruit, which are crevaator clothes, exactly like all the others, but a bit smaller and torn from their age.

[CHE5TER]-Sorry if it's a bit... torn apart. I used it when I was your age, so it is kind of old.

[N04H]-How come you don't have a different device for it?

[CHE5TER]-Because they didn't exist back then?

[N04H]-How so?

[CHE5TER]-I invented these small devices only after I took my title seriously, so it was impossible for them to exist in the first place.

[N04H]-Wait, YOU invented them!?

[CHE5TER]-*sigh*...Why so shocked? I designed more than just these small things. Most of the equipment we have are my creations. I invented these devices and allowed them to the citizens of the city because it was annoying to take different clothes all the time and not to mention the constant need of me to change. At least this is an easier way for us to hide when it comes to different quests, and even better to let everyone know how to use them in case of an emergency.

[N04H]-So the one that makes a person invisible when activated is your creation as well?

[CHE5TER]-That isn't mine. Someone only took this idea of mine and made it even better. But I demanded for them to be a secret from the public eye and only the bases are allowed to know of their existence and to use them. I feared that people will only use this type of device unsafely and put themselves in danger... Anyway, we should get going. Enough with the chit-chat.

[N04H]-Wait! Don't you need your device as well!?

[CHE5TER]-I already have mine with me. Come! Let's go!

The Underground City

36:54

So, the figures found themselves wandering around the city together, both hidden from the public eye, to hide who they truly are. N04H seems to get used to this idea, even though he finds it a bit strange, while CHE5TER doesn't have any problem with it. As they walk though, the Great Leader takes from His pockets a cigarette and His lighter, putting it in His mouth and lighting it up. While doing so, N04H still seems to have some questions.

[N04H]-So, how do we solve this quest?

[CHE5TER]-"We"?

[N04H]-Huh?

[CHE5TER]-There is no "we". Only you.

[N04H]-WHAT!?

[CHE5TER]-You are here to learn about your role, right? I cannot solve this problem for you because you won't learn if you don't do it on your own. I'm only here to supervise the situation and maybe help you when you get stuck.

[N04H]-But how am I suppose to solve it on my own!? I've never done something like this before!

[CHE5TER]-Think it like this: you are alone in an unknown building to you and there is no one who can help you escape it. You have no knowledge about anything and anyone in it, and you don't know any kind of way out. What do you do?

[N04H]-I... start running until I find some clues about a way out?

[CHE5TER]-In this case, what are your options?

N04H stands a bit to think about His question. He doesn't really know what He tries to say to him.

[N04H]-I... try... asking people around?

[CHE5TER]-See? You got it.

[N04H]-But there are over two million people in this city! How am I suppose to find the ones that know about this situation!?

[CHE5TER]-Sometimes the answer is at the most obvious places... Who do you think that could have been tricked with fake money?

[N04H]-Literally anybody!!

[CHE5TER]-Not actually... There are some people who have great knowledge about the currency and it's easy for them to know whether the money are fake or not, no matter the situation they are in, like the people that serve the XANTH3 Clan. Eliminating them from the list is a good starting point. Then we have this problem: most of the people of the city do actually know how to tell the difference, but don't know the reason of why they can do that. Some say it's the weight, others say it's the look. The true difference is hidden from us by the clan that makes them, so that nobody can replicate them entirely, not to mention that those fake pieces won't even work like the original ones anyway... So, who remains on the list?

[N04H]-...Someone young?

[CHE5TER]-Not really... If it was someone young, then they wouldn't have known that they've been tricked in the first place, as the youth can't really tell the difference.

[N04H]-...So the person has to know about the difference.

[CHE5TER]-Affirmative. The only reason for them to get scammed will be because that they didn't focus on the work that much or because of tiredness... or because they were in a hurry maybe.

"So the being isn't young, always tired or in a hurry, has decent knowledge about the money but not enough to avoid being tricked... Then the only ones left should be..."

[N04H]-...The merchants from the center of the city! Those guys are always tired as they have thousands of customers almost every day!

[CHE5TER]-Good job! Now you have a start.

[N04H]-But how are they suppose to know who the person is? There are too many people for them to know who did it!

[CHE5TER]-It's always worth giving it a shot, is it not? Some merchants of the center even keep documents regarding every transaction in case they realise that they've got scammed at the end of the day, and know who bought what and where the person lives. But... that's for where are teams behind the business, not just one man... Considering it is a problem that didn't get solved, it would mean that the merchants should be alone when working, so you got even a shorter list of who to ask.

[N04H]-Yes, but even so... almost half or even more of the merchants work alone. And what are even the chances of them to know who scammed them?

[CHE5TER]-Well... since they work alone, they learn to adapt to each problem. They analyse each individual when they do a transaction with them, to remember at least some details of each person that came to them. Because of that, most even find hidden criminals as strange individuals and suspect them from the very beginning. Pretty fascinating, isn't it? Just a simple merchant could know more about you just by looking at you for a few seconds. This is our nature of adapting.

[N04H]-Okay... I didn't know even half of that information until now...

[CHE5TER]-No worries. You are here to learn, remember? You will get used to it the more you practice.

37:12

In the end, they got to the center of the city, more exactly at the merchants' area, where they look around for a few minutes.

[CHE5TER]-Here we are, little one.

[N04H]-There are so many people here...

[CHE5TER]-What did you expect? You said it yourself: the merchants here are always busy because of the huge number of customers. After all, the center of the city is the most populated.

[N04H]-...It's gonna take ages for us to ask any of them. Just waiting for our turn will take us one hour.

[CHE5TER]-I'm not so sure about that. There is always another way to have their attention.

[N04H]-Okay... Then what do I have to do?

[CHE5TER]-Get yourself somewhere close to their position in order to have a conversation. Do not wait in line, you simply waste your time with it. I suggest you go behind the service area, where only the merchant has access. He will get his suspicions on you, of course, but you have to make him vulnerable and be able to talk to you about the situation.

[N04H]-Alright... I think I got it.

[CHE5TER]-Oh, and, get the disguise off. You have to look like a simple citizen, otherwise he will only ignore you. Nobody in the city likes the crevaators, you know? I will be watching your progress from somewhere close, so you will do it alone. Good luck!

After that, the Leader takes His leave, letting the little man alone. N04H chooses to examine a bit the whole place before he starts asking someone, so that maybe he can have an idea of who could have been a victim and not waste much time. He notices a man that is exhausted helping a lot of customers at the same time, so he thinks that he can be the first one to be asked. He goes behind the building, waiting a while for the man to come. When the man comes, he seems very tired, but as he notices N04H, he gets pretty angry.

[Merchant]-Hey, you! What are you doing here!?

So of course N04H gets a bit scared of the man. He isn't so prepared as he thought.

[N04H]-H-Hi! I came here to ask you someth--

[Merchant]- --Oh, not today, you little scum! You came to the wrong person to rob!

[N04H]-What?? N-No! I'm not here to rob you!!

The man seems to approach little N04H as he tries his best to explain that he has good intentions. From above the building though, CHE5TER seems to have watched the situation, only to get Him a bit disappointed.

[CHE5TER]-Oh, Brother...

N04H walks slowly backwards as the man gets closer and closer to him, scaring him by each second it passes. But then a voice starts talking to both of them. A strange man appears, one that none of them seem to recognise, a weird R born.

["BENJ4M1N"]-...Slow down there. No need to make any decisions that we might regret.

[Merchant]-Who the hell are you!?

["BENJ4M1N"]-I go by the name of BENJ4M1N in those lands, and I'm a merchant not far from here, just like yourself. This little man is my assistant. I'm sorry if he caused you any trouble, but we came here to talk with you about a problem.

As the man talks, N04H realises that He was CHE5TER all along, trying to save him from this situation.

["BENJ4M1N"]-Am I right, N04H?

[N04H]-O-Oh, yes! Yes!

[Merchant]-Then what is it? I don't have much time to chat with you.

["BENJ4M1N"]-To put it shortly, some days ago we've encountered something strange. After we've closed for us to go take our rest, we've realised that some of the money we've achieved that day were fake. We came here to ask you if you have stumbled upon this situation by any chance as well.

Yet this time, the merchant seems a bit more calm when he hears this.

[Merchant]-Oh, you don't realise how happy I am that I'm not the only one who happens to be in the same situation... It happened to me around two or three days ago as well!

["BENJ4M1N"]-Really. Do you remember anyone who could have been possible of doing this action?

[Merchant]-I know that I was very tired that day when it happened though... but I do remember a strange looking man that I've helped. The man seemed a bit suspicious to me the moment he came to buy something. I think he was an R born, blond hair with a blue eye and a green eye, a bit taller than you. But I don't know if the person was him.

["BENJ4M1N"]-What did he buy?

[Merchant]-I think... it was a brown jacket. Something similar to... Oh, here! Like this one!

The merchant shows them the jacket and both of them start analysing it. N04H looks a bit at CHE5TER only for him to see that He already has another plan.

["BENJ4M1N"]-Thank you, Mister! Now that I think about it, I do remember a person similar to the one you've described. As we have more evidence, we could actually report this to the Northwest Base and maybe they can find him and put him behind the bars.

[Merchant]-I should be the one that has to thank you! I really despite this type of people of our beautiful city. Why do they need to destroy everything we've build? We deserve our freedom just like everyone else! The sinners should just leave these lands and let us have our rest!

["BENJ4M1N"]-Don't worry. I'm sure he will pay for this sin of his. I give you my regards.

Both of them say goodbye to the merchant and take their leave. N04H is amazed as how well CHE5TER handled the situation on His own.

["BENJ4M1N"]-...See what I mean by how they adapt when working alone now?

[N04H]-How did you do that??

["BENJ4M1N"]-Know your people well enough and you can manipulated them to tell you anything you want to know. In this case for example... the merchants are usually more open to other merchants as they seem to think that they understand each other when it comes to the problems about the sales. Don't worry, after years of experience, you will handle it on your own as well.

[N04H]-So, now what? We try to find that person he was talking about?

["BENJ4M1N"]-Something like that...

[N04H]-And how are we gonna do that?

["BENJ4M1N"]-Today, I did see the person he was talking about while investigating something, but I didn't pay much attention to him. He was heading somewhere towards the south area. We should try and find him there.