novelraw Chapter 156: Investigation Begins
Chapter 156: Investigation Begins
Aren and Miu walked down the Dominion’s old quarter with light steps, the sun blazing high above them as they looked around.
Instead of the usual glass storefronts and modern design, it gradually turned into aged brick and worn-out wood. The pavement underneath their feet grew uneven, patched over places where repairs had been made without much care for its appearance.
Aren adjusted his coat slightly as he walked, his gaze drifting from one storefront to the next.
Antique dealers, tea houses, and a restaurant that looked like it’d been owned for generations lined the street.
"...You sure this is the right place?" Miu’s voice came from beside him, a little softer than usual.
She was dressed casually today, wearing baggy black pants along with an oversized t-shirt and a sling bag over her shoulders.
Being an idol really took a big load on her mental. She looks...just like any other girl now.
And indeed she was doing normal girl things, running up to stalls and impulsively buying a big bag of walnuts to snack on along the way. Yet, when she was asked to pay, her hands dug quickly into her bag before coming up empty.
Almost immediately, she turned toward Aren with large puppy eyes before saying. "Brother dear...could you get this for me?"
Aren sighed, trying to remember why she’d even followed him to begin with as he forked up a few bills and paid for her snack.
After his decision to go to the Western Dominion, Miu had excessively volunteered to go with him. She wanted to help find a cure for Luna, but also because she wanted to explore more of the world.
Aren had refused her at first, but as it turned out, her Art was the one thing that he needed the most.
Since Miu had been training and stabilizing her Bloodline under the direct supervision of Professor Voss, her compatibility with her Bloodline allowed her to progress quickly.
"Thank you for your patronage, hope you come back soon!" the stall lady handed Miu her bag of walnuts.
"Here’s your change, dear."
"Thank you," Aren replied, voice a semi-tone lower than it was supposed to be.
The Sound Element, huh?
Aren looked at Miu, half in awe.
In just a few years of properly training her Bloodline under Professor Voss, she had progressed at a speed most Mystics could only dream of. And now, with Light as her second element...
His hand instinctively went up, grabbing onto his ashen blonde hair before twisting it around a little and letting it go.
It was due to her Art, Light Refraction, that allowed them to walk freely in the streets like this.
But even if she was a quick learner...
"Ahh! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention and—"
Aren’s thoughts snapped back as Miu’s voice rang out ahead.
She had bumped straight into someone, her bag of walnuts spilling across the ground as she bowed repeatedly in apology.
Yeah...that was the other half of the problem.
Aren stepped forward quickly, grabbing her by the arm.
"Sorry about that," he said to the stranger, already crouching to scoop up the scattered walnuts before dragging her away.
"Sheesh," Miu complained as she followed along. "That guy just appeared out of nowhere! And he didn’t even apologize back."
But by this time, Aren had already completely ignored her. If Miu got into trouble and started complaining about it afterwards? It was just another Tuesday.
Aren scanned around the block, trying to locate any old buildings that could possibly be the front for the Urban Bounty Hunting Association.
Until his eyes landed on a small bookstore.
Another bookstore...can’t they be a bit more original? Maybe diversify their fronts?
But maybe their goal was to be recognizable for Hunters from other regions to find, such as himself. In that case, it was perfect.
As he got closer, the sign was just barely legible behind the bits of darkened wood and the apparent dust that nobody wanted to clean up.
"Skies and Storms Bookstore."
Yep, this is definitely the one. The same naming scheme, too.
Aren pushed the door and entered, a small bell ringing from above the frame to signify a guest had come in.
The inside was pretty much the same as the last location, filled with various books and tomes as well as being relatively run-down and old.
Aren scanned the area, hoping to find the old man...but once again, there was nobody of such stature here.
The bookstore was completely empty, almost like a ghost town.
Well, all except one person.
She was dressed head to toe, in a large trenchcoat as well as wearing a fedora and sunglasses that covered her silhouette from head to toe.
Miu nudged Aren as soon as he saw her. "She copied my whole flow."
Aren rolled his eyes at the comment.
As soon as he got closer, it was obvious who the person was. Even if she tried to hide it, just the small smidge of red underneath betrayed her attempt at stealth.
"Stella?"
The girl in front flinched, her shoulders tensing slightly as if she hadn’t decided whether to turn around or not. The hesitation lingered just long enough to give her away, so Aren gave her a small push.
"It’s me, Are—Adrian. Mia’s here too."
"Hi!" Miu raised a hand almost immediately upon being called on, a bright smile already on her face.
"...So much for the disguise."
She turned slowly, one hand lifting to push her sunglasses down just enough to reveal her equally bright yellow eyes.
"I didn’t expect to run into you two here," she sighed after confirming that they were who they introduced themselves as. "What are the odds?"
"Low," Aren replied. "Which is why I’m assuming you’re not here for leisure."
"Straight to the point, huh."
A brief silence settled between them before Stella shifted slightly. "Work’s been rough lately..."
"I’m following up on a lead. There were some reports of strange activity in one of the outskirts cities. They started off as small and easy to ignore. But recently..."
"They’ve escalated, forcing your hand," Aren guessed.
She nodded hesitantly.
Miu tilted her head. "What kind of activity?"
Stella’s gaze flicked toward her. "There have been testimonies, people claiming they’ve seen strange figures at night."
"Furthermore," she continued. "We’ve been getting more and more cases of people claiming their family members have gone missing."
Hmmm. Seems like a classic case of either a Magical Beast gone rogue.
Could also be nefarious doings of a demonic cultivator or even a Mystic with ill intent.
But even as he thought of it, some part or another didn’t really seem to fit with any of the established molds.
"The location?" Aren finally asked.
"Tigan."
"Never heard of it," Miu blinked, replying from his side.
"You wouldn’t," Stella nodded. "It’s a small city in the outskirts of the Western Dominion. It’s near the coast and pretty easy to overlook."
Aren’s gaze flicked back and forth, toward Stella and finally the paper in her hands.
"You were going to post a request?"
"Yeah." Stella smiled faintly before putting the paper down. "But since you’re already here..."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a thin folder, tapping it lightly against her palm before handing it over to Aren.
"I don’t see a reason not to save myself some trouble."
Miu perked up immediately. "Wait—does that mean—"
"Means I’m bringing you along with me, whether you like it or not."