37:45

So the two beings walk around the city, hoping to see the person they are searching for. N04H seems a bit as he slowly loses hope in the idea of them finding that man, but it seems oddly normal for the Leader to stay this much only to find one person alone. They are looking everywhere, without making it obvious that they do so. And after some minutes of wandering around the city, CHE5TER stops a bit to take a small drink to regain His energy, as He didn't manage to take His medicine before everything started. While waiting, N04H keeps looking after the person, until he finally notices him on a different road talking to someone. So, he goes back to the ruler to tell Him.

[N04H]-I found him! I found him!

[CHE5TER]-Then what are you waiting for? Go talk to him.

[N04H]-What??

[CHE5TER]-You saw how I did with the merchant. You can do it yourself now.

[N04H]-I think you are kidding me...

[CHE5TER]-You have to learn to do it on your own, N04H. Playing a character you aren't is a part of your role after all. I mean, you can always disguise as someone else and play a character in order to exit a building, no? It's a good strategy for an Investigator. You simply have to go there and convince him to get close to you in order for you to get more information.

[N04H]-Alright, alright... I'll do my best...

N04H leaves CHE5TER behind and goes to the man. He waits a bit for him to stop talking with the other person so that he can get in action.

[N04H]-H-Hello there, good Sir!

[RBorn]-Huh?

[N04H]-I'm looking for a place where I can work and get some money. I'm trying to pay for some private lessons to learn about my powers. Could I work for you?

[RBorn]-...Get lost, brat! I don't care about your lessons! Go annoy the other citizens!

"Shit! It didn't work!"

The man seems to want to leave, yet N04H stops him.

[N04H]-B-But the others didn't want me either! Please, Sir! I can do any kind of quest you have! I promise, I will obey to whatever you say!

[RBorn]-Leave me alone, kid! This is a warning!

[N04H]-I can take even 10% of how much you would pay normally! Please??

[RBorn]-...FINE!! JUST SHUT UP!

The man was furious, as he only wanted to get rid of the kid sooner.

[N04H]-T-Thank you, good Sir!

[RBorn]-But listen here, and listen very carefully! You have to keep something in mind: if you tell anybody about your work or that you do it for me, you are going to be the next meal for the crevaators! Understood!?

[N04H]-Y-Yes, Sir!

As they both leave, CHE5TER seems to watch them from behind, starting to follow them.

37:56

[N04H]-So, what do I have to do exactly?

[RBorn]-Just shut up for a bit, kiddo!

They are on a closed area, as the man seems to be looking after people, in case someone might hear what they are talking.

[RBorn]-Alright! Here! Take this money and buy anything you find cool. The more expensive it is, the better.

[N04H]-...That's all?

[RBorn]-Yeah, that's all! You want to be paid or not!?

[N04H]-You mean... literally... anything? Like anything I want?

[RBorn]-Yes, brat! God dammit, what's so hard to understand!?

N04H looks a bit in the bag he got from the man. He takes one from the bag and analyses it. He notices a small difference in the weight of it after all, as CHE5TER told him before.

[N04H]-...Are you sure that's all? Like... am I really doing a job here? I feel like something is off...

[RBorn]-Kiddo, I'm going to warn you for the last time, I swear! If you want to work for me, stop talking and do as I said!

[N04H]-B-But, but...

[RBorn]-Just shut up and do your quest! You want to be paid, right? We will meet here in ten minutes!

N04H leaves and the man goes somewhere else. CHE5TER waits for the man to get far from N04H, so He can talk to him.

[CHE5TER]-Not bad for the second try...

[N04H]-So we found our man?

CHE5TER takes the bag and looks closer to the money. He confirms the little man that they are surely fake as he thought.

[CHE5TER]-...It is a possibility. But I'd say we wait until you meet with him again. He told you to buy something with these, right? The bag will remain with me, but I will give you some real money which you can use for the trade. We need him to think that you work for him for the time being.

N04H leaves and goes to buy something random from one of the merchants nearby. He waits a few minutes for the man to arrive to the same spot in order to find more information.

[N04H]-Sir, I did as you said! I gave all the money and brought this thing!

[RBorn]-...I don't see how it is suppose to help me in any way, but I guess you did your work. Here! The payment you wished to get so badly.

[N04H]-Is there anything else I could help you with?

[RBorn]-No, you did enough! Now leave!

[N04H]-But maybe I can help you with--

[RBorn]- --Leave me ALONE, brat! I don't need your help anymore! I already have people who work with me!

[N04H]-Who? I can join too!

[RBorn]-Oh, for the love of... You want to know that, huh, kid!? I'm working with the crevaators, and I'm not afraid to put them to come after you and eat you alive! So if you want to survive, leave this place right now and don't talk about this to anybody! Now go!! Leave!!!

The man chases away N04H to get rid of him, but he remains a bit at the spot. CHE5TER comes in a hurry to N04H, and N04H gives Him the money again.

[CHE5TER]-...Other copies. Just as I thought...

[N04H]-So that means we got him! He is the one! Now you can take him so he can pay for everything he has done!

[CHE5TER]-Slow down there, buddy. We are not done yet. I cannot take him myself anyway. I will only reveal my identity if I do so.

[N04H]-Then what!? We let him get away??

[CHE5TER]-The last thing he said... There are two problems with it.

[N04H]-Huh?

[CHE5TER]-He mentioned that he works with the crevaators... Most of the people that were caught to be involved in those actions never actually revealed the identity of the person they work with, they simply say that they know a person or even deny depending on the being. In this case, we might have gotten our hands on a subordinate and we need the boss to put this to an end. The reason why I say this is because the subordinates don't actually know who is the person that has access to the City of Above, so he put the blame on a random being... The other thing is that the crevaators never actually work with people. They are the ones who put the beings to work FOR them, so what he said doesn't make any sense.

[N04H]-So... we are going to follow him so that we can find the leader?

[CHE5TER]-Oh, you are learning faster than I thought. I like that. But if you wish to do that... we better get going soon. We need to stay out of his sight and also not lose him.

38:24

They keep following the man, until he enters an abandoned building. They don't enter the building after him though, instead, CHE5TER starts climbing the building in order to get to a window and see what's happening inside. N04H has a bit of a difficulty, but with his Leader's help, manages to climb as well.

The ruler begins to look inside, only for Him to see more people who He suspects to be other subordinates. The man that they've followed enters the room as well, but He doesn't seem to see the boss of this group around yet. They wait a bit, CHE5TER analysing the building with each second it passes and N04H only observing everything He does.

After some time, the one that seems to be the boss of the group finally makes his arrival. Both of them hide behind the window and start listening to the conversation.

[LeaderScam]-Is everyone present?

[Subordinate1]-I think there are some people left to come, Boss!

[LeaderScam]-We cannot wait for them anymore. We need to start talking about our plans now!

CHE5TER looks closer to the man that is talking in order to remember who the boss is. He gets an idea and then starts searching for something in His pockets. N04H is curious too, so he looks a bit at the man than takes his previous position.

[Subordinate2]-We managed to get more Novha from the people of the east, Boss. 5% of the money we got were used to make the copies of them.

[LeaderScam]-And the copies?

[RBorn]-They were given to the merchants from the center and some of the youth around the schools.

CHE5TER finally takes from His pockets a gadget that seems as a recorder. He presses a button and gets it close to the opening of the window, in order for the conversation to be clearer on the recording.

[LeaderScam]-Very well. We need to keep going with this. I heard that the clan responsible for the economy has shut down the production of Novha some hours ago, which will help us a lot to leave these people with nothing in their pockets.

[Subordinate3]-What about Leader N3MES1O? Have you thought of a plan in case we get caught by his people yet?

[LeaderScam]-Your fears just make me remind of how scared you guys can be. Come on! MARVIN is younger than us all! You think he can truly trick us that easily? If anything, I fear more the people around the city than the scums from the Council.

[Subordinate3]-I was just asking...

[LeaderScam]-*sigh* Well, there is nothing to fear. If we keep everything secret and get the work done as fast as possible, they won't have time to catch us in action. XANTH3 is too stubborn to let the production of these money just because of this type of problems. Once we get at least half of the existent money in the city, they will already panic and try to raise the prices too high. With that, we will have even more chances to get supplies for the M soldiers. With all their panic from the above caused by the crevaators, they will give us anything we want in exchange of these money after all...

CHE5TER stands still, listening to every word they say. Then, He looks at the little recruit with a smirk on His face. He knows what's going to happen next to them. He can't help but laugh in His mind about the stupidity of these people. But such a wild smirk that could terrify any normal being...

05.03.1642

The Council of the Underground City

19:08

"[LeaderScam]-...All we have to do now is to give the real money to those from the above. The M soldiers will surely be proud of how much we've given them, so they will pay the man in charge in the City of Above, which will come to us later. I'm sure we will get everything we desire from them. They are as stupid as the people of this city, just like anybody in this world."

The recording stops as the Great Leader presses one button. Then, He looks at the Leader of the Northwest Base in order for him to understand what he has to do next.

["M4TTH3W"]-They are located in an abandoned building in the south part of the city, somewhere next to the old school of the south. The leader of the group is short, with brown hair and green eyes. I think you will recognise him pretty easily though, Mr. N3MES1O, even with this few information that I gave you. And I suggest you go when they have their meeting, so that you can get the subordinates as well.

[N3MES10]-...Yes, Master M4TTH3W. I'm informing my people right now. Please, excuse me.

The Leader takes his leave from the room, a bit hurt from what he had heard, almost as if he knew who is involved in this problem, while the Great Leader takes the bag full of copies out, looking at the Clan Leader XANTH3.

["M4TTH3W"]-And I think this should belong to you from now on. See if you can do anything useful with it.

[XANTH3]-Yes, Master.

["M4TTH3W"]-I will leave the person who has access to the City of Above on your hands. I think my people have finished their job on this one. I suggest you search the people close to the leader itself, if you need a start. So, Mr. XANTH3, did I solve your problem?

[XANTH3]-...You did, indeed. I will not make a scene the next time we encounter this problem. It is my word.

["M4TTH3W"]-I hope so too.

While everyone is talking, Officer RY4N looks at the Great Leader and whispers to Him.

[RY4N]-So you did after all go and investigate the situation.

["M4TTH3W"]-This isn't my work this time.

[KYR4]-What do you mean, Master? You are the one who is always doing these quests without informing us.

["M4TTH3W"]-I do so, huh? Well, this time I can ensure you that I wasn't the one who solved it.

[RY4N]-Then who did it?

["M4TTH3W"]-Little N04H did it, of course. He wished to know more about his role after all. I only supervised him so that the situation won't get in a wrong way.

[RY4N]-Huh. Who would have thought...

["M4TTH3W"]-He still needs some time to get used to it, but he learns pretty fast. I'm sure that one day he will become a great Investigator.

Of course He is proud of His people. It's normal to be so. Yet in His mind though, there is a sentence He refuses to say it out loud, which probably worries Him.

"...And it is something that I've feared the most."