The empty teacup was set down on the table, its lip traced by a white finger.
“Striggo…was that a city to the west? I’ve heard stories about it. They say it’s not very safe.”
“To say that Striggo isn’t safe is a light way of putting it.”
Kirk expressed his disagreement with the statement since he had once visited the town to observe it.
He smiled sardonically and pushed up his glasses.
“That town is exceptionally dangerous, and I’d rather not have any dealings with it if possible. Halian was caught up with drugs from Striggo some time ago… We lost some of our adventurers.”
“Uh-huh…” Siasha held out her cup, not interested in the slightest.
Kirk observed her as he refilled her tea. However, he couldn’t get a read on her emotions. He thought that she would know something about the missing adventurers, but perhaps he was overthinking it.
He smiled wryly and set aside his suspicions before continuing.
“What do you know about the living conditions in Striggo? Specifically.”
Siasha’s answer was looking him in the eyes and shaking her head. She was passionate about her interests but had zero interest in all other things. In this case, she wasn’t interested in learning about other towns because she was currently passionate about adventuring.
“The Crucible of Chaos… That’s what Striggo is in a nutshell.”
Striggo had no real ruler. Mafia families and drug cartels constantly fought for power, and the ruler was whoever came out on top that particular season. Once a leader had been decided, other factions would try to take him out of the equation. They would conspire and wait for the opportune moment to betray each other and get the best deal for themselves.
The nail that stuck out was hammered down. The nail that was hammered down was removed completely. It was survival of the fittest.
The town had a mayor, but he was nothing but a figurehead. However, to say that the mayor was incompetent would be cruel.
There was once a mayor who made promises to eradicate the mafia. The next day, his head, as well as the heads of his wife and his daughter, were impaled on stakes, their faces forced into smiles with clothespins. The sight was more than enough to get the citizens of Striggo to give up on their little uprising.
After three such mayors, no one wanted the spot any longer. Candidates started pushing each other into the seat. It was now seen as the worst job in Striggo.
Drugs continued to infest the town, slowly but surely rotting it away. Those without employment but too weak to join the mafia stole from those weaker than themselves, creating a vicious cycle. Being in the mafia wasn’t that much better since many died in their open conflicts. That was just a regular day in Striggo.
Strangely, the population of the town remained somewhat stable.
No matter how violent Striggo was, it was never wanting for newcomers. It was all because the town welcomed everybody into its walls, such as those who could no longer show their faces in the light of day, were rejected by society, or were without a place to belong.
They all had one destination—Striggo.
“That’s what Striggo is like. It makes all the happenings in Halian seem trivial by comparison. Do you now understand the complications that might arise in dealing with those people?”
His explanation finished, Kirk looked to see Siasha’s reaction. He had been expecting her to be enraptured by his story. Unfortunately, she seemed to be taking it in stride.
“Really. Hmm, now I have a hankering for skewered dumplings.”
She seemed conflicted as she contemplated how many lumps of sugar she would add to her tea. She finally decided on two. She stirred her cup, sipped it, and nodded with satisfaction.
Kirk remained silent.
That’s all you have to say? Kirk had to bite his tongue as he continued to observe Siasha. She didn’t seem to be putting on a front like other hot-blooded adventurers. If only she did… It would make dealing with her a lot easier.
“I think you would do quite well in Striggo.”
He flung a sarcastic comment as a last-ditch effort to get her to react. Although the average person would be offended by this, the comment flew over the head of this anomaly that was a witch.
“I quite enjoy this city. I have no intention of moving. Not anytime soon!”
Siasha’s face bloomed into a smile while dark clouds hung over Kirk’s head.
He really wanted this walking catastrophe out of his town as soon as possible. However, she was such a talented adventurer, and the guild couldn’t afford to lose her, especially given the current situation.
The witch smiled cheerfully—perhaps aware of his anguish, perhaps ignorant of it.
“Aren’t you happy, Kirk?” Siasha asked.
“So happy I could cry.”
Kirk winced as conflicting emotions roiled inside him.
“In any case… He works fast. I can’t believe it’s only been a few days since I commissioned him.”
Kirk casually wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and returned to the original subject. He hired Zig for his connections and because he was easy to use. He didn’t expect anything from the mercenary’s information gathering skills. But what happened when he got started?
He found drugs in the magic item of his assailant, and it didn’t take too much time for Zig to report back that they came from Striggo. Seeing that the claim was backed up by the Bazarta, Kirk had no reason to doubt its legitimacy.
Zig’s speed and accuracy rivaled that of an information broker, and it shook Kirk’s definition of a mercenary.
In actuality, Zig had been caught up in numerous problems.
However, getting these results was proof of his initiative. He didn’t outsource his work but did everything himself. In fact, his ingenuity was so boundless that when he was in a mercenary group, he was deemed unfit to be a commanding officer.
“Zig is very passionate about his work. Well then.”
Siasha got up after finishing her tea. Her mind was already set on fighting.
“You’re going?”
“Yes. It seems like things may get violent. Where is the location?”
“We just got word that the assassin’s killer is hiding in a small shop up north in the pleasure district. Look at this.”
Siasha’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Right under the mafia’s nose? That’s…quite bold.”
“The best place to hide a tree is in a forest. I guess it worked because they haven’t been found yet.”
Kirk scoffed despite complimenting his enemy. The Bazarta would rage if they found out. In a world where reputation was everything, they couldn’t afford to remain silent.
Even if this whole thing was because of the mafia’s arrogance.
“I’ve informed Zig of the location as well. He should be in the pleasure district now. He’ll probably be on his way soon.”
“Then I have to get going if I don’t want to be late!” Siasha said as she flailed her arms in excitement.
She seemed motivated enough, but one thing still bothered Kirk.
“The enemy is highly skilled. It might be dangerous for a pure mage like you.”
Mages were generally bad at close range. As powerful as they were, casting spells took time and commitment. Unlike monstrosities, a single swing of a sword was all it took to kill someone. Dodging enemy attacks while casting spells required a lot of practice. However, just casting wasn’t enough because you needed to gather mana at the same time.
Even those who called themselves spellblades were mostly swordsmen who happened to be able to use magic. They didn’t use swords and magic at the same time.
In the event a pure swordsman fought a pure mage, the fight would be one-sided.
Either the mage would defeat the swordsman with his spells before his opponent could get close, or the swordsman would defeat the mage before he could finish casting his spells.
Siasha didn’t have a problem if all she needed to do was eliminate a threat without worrying about collateral damage. However, she needed the suspect alive to get information out of him.
Since Siasha would be taking the initiative, capturing him from a distance would prove difficult.
“Kirk, are you worried about me?”
Siasha looked surprised only for a moment before she smiled and met Kirk’s gaze, her grin was mocking and bewitching at the same time. Although her smile was enchanting enough to bewitch an ordinary person, Kirk’s pragmatism was not so easily shaken.
“Of course. We are friends, are we not?”
His fearless gaze was sharp and calculating, filled with a hidden desire—a very human gaze, though it strangely held no malice.
Siasha smiled, finding his answer satisfactory. “I am pleased to hear that. But don’t worry. Although I am only a greenhorn as an adventurer…” She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him.
“…I am a seasoned manhunter.”