Inverse System

"Core, we just finished drawing the intersection. We're coming back into the city, meet us at the guild branch," Rein informed him through their tablets.

The group met up at the guild and conferred, going over their plan of attack.

"So it's the plaza straight ahead of the guild branch then… Come to think of it, that is where most of the people avoided our questions…" Core thought out loud, looking at the map that they drew.

"Yeah, most people I asked around there were weirdly evasive. But what's even weirder is that nobody showed up as the client for this right? You'd think if they went out of their way to request this, they'd at least show up, right?" Lance concluded, looking around the group to see nods.

"Yeah… If this was a normal situation, that'd be the case. Most people we asked seemed to be trying really hard to hide it, like a tightly guarded secret. Maybe our client is simply too scared to speak up," Core theorized, making everyone's eyes widen in realization.

"You're right… But wait, since you guys went around asking so many people, wouldn't they have already been suspicious of us by now?" Xenia asked.

"No, Core and I made sure not to use the word 'king' during our questioning. We only asked why the atmosphere was so clear in the city, and that alone was enough to make some of them freeze up," Lance explained.

"So Core? What should our plan be? We know the location, now we just need to approach it correctly," Rein queried, making Core go into a thinking position, putting his elbow on the table holding his head.

"Maybe we should sneak in? We might be able to overhear some information," Reggie proposed.

"No, there's no way we'd be able to sneak in like this in broad daylight. Maybe we could somehow trick them into letting us in?" Elaine suggested.

"That wouldn't last long, once they find out, all hell's gonna break out. Our goal isn't to get in there, but it's to lure out the client. I've dealt with situations like this before, the best course of action is to…"

5 minutes later…

"Yo! We're from the guild and got a request from this place! Could we see whoever's in charge here?" Core carelessly walked up to the plaza, nonchalantly addressing the guard who sat at the front of the establishment.

"Huh? From the guild? You kids run along now, this is no place to loiter around," the guard blew them off casually, dismissing them as pranksters who were playing around.

"Oh, but we have proof," Core flashed the commission paper at the guard, who immediately stood up in surprise.

"What the! Who made this commission in the Mayor's absence?!" The guard yelled out loud.

"Calm yourself, man. What is the issue?" An elegant looking long, purple-haired man approached from inside the plaza. The scales on his cheeks indicated his Siren lineage, the fancy robe he wore showed off a sense of royalty.

"O-oh! Sir Lagurin, please take a look at this commission these kids brought in!" The guard handed the commission to the important-looking man, who inspected the paper with a shocked expression.

"Wha- what is the meaning of this!" The man reacted.

"I don't know sir! These kids brought it in claiming to be Rangers!"

"Rangers? Ahaha, all of the Aquifan Rangers are out on other business, there's no way these kids are Rangers. Look, here's a 10 dol bill, go buy yourself an ice cream children," the man handed the paper bill to Core, smiling at him awry.

Core swiped the money from his hand and walked away, waving at him as he left with a smile on his face. The rest of the group stood there, bewildered, then reluctantly decided to follow Core.

The guard sighed from relief then took his seat again.

"*phew*. Those children must've picked that slanderous paper up somewhere on the streets. Here sir, give me the paper. I'll dispose of it," the guard offered, to which the man declined.

"No thank you. I will dispose of this myself. Keep up the good work," said the purple-haired man as he walked away from the guard, leaving him confused, the guard then losing interest, beginning to doze off again.

Back at the guild…

"Hey, Core! The hell was that?! What was the point of that, you just blew our cover!" Xenia yelled as they entered back into the guild branch building, the receptionist confused as to what they're talking about.

"Haha, Core, I'm sorry, but did I miss something there?" Lance innocently laughed, his friendly nature stopping him from getting mad.

The entire group had something to say to Core, confused as to what happened.

"Calm down guys, he got what he wanted," Reggie pointed out, which surprised Core.

"Wow, you're surprisingly perceptive Reg. That's right," Core pulled out the 10 dol bill he obtained from the man, which dampened the group's mood even more.

"You… Did all of that for 10 dol?" Xenia reacted, slouching her back over in a disappointed fashion.

"No, it's what's on the 10 dol, isn't it Core?" Rein deduced.

"That's right," he opened the closed bill, revealing a small, folded map.

Core pulled it out and unfolded it, showing a map of the city with a marked building at Middlebowl, the southern street leading into the city.

(Click here to view visual)

"That man we were just talking to was our client. He wants us to meet him in this house out the southern gate of the city," Core explained, to which everyone's mouths gaped open in amazement.

"That's the only place in the city that the bubble doesn't reach. You think it has anything to do with the meeting spot?" Reggie inquired.

"It almost definitely does. Anyway, we should head there as soon as possible and meet with him," Rein answered, standing up from his seat beside Core, everyone following him.

"Ah, so you guys found the client? Good luck, I'll be waiting for your report!" The receptionist wished them as they left the building, Lance thanking him as he exited the door.

They made their way down the city, exiting the southern gate and escaping the bubble that encircled the city. They entered a run-down-looking shack at the bottom of the city. The windows were broken, the wallpaper peeled off showing the brown powdery walls underneath.

There, they saw the very same purple-haired man they had just met, sitting patiently at a table in the middle of the room. As he turned around to face them, his eyes lit with a glint of excitement that they came, ecstatically thanking them for coming.