Chapter 9:
The Case of the Vanished Griffin
AS NIGHT FELL, the streets grew even busier. Laughing voices and chatter filled the shops.
“What do you want to eat?” I asked Noela.
“Everything.”
“My wallet can’t handle that.” We’d be staying for a few days, so I wanted to be frugal for this first evening.
“Anything fine.”
Noela and I peeked into a tavern and decided to go inside. It was clearly a spot for common folk as it was full of travelers, adventurers, and older locals. A waiter led us to a table, and we ordered promptly. The food soon came. As we ate, I noticed a small, stage-like platform in the corner. It was only elevated a step from the ground.
“That’s…”
“You a traveler, pal?” asked the old man in the next seat. It seemed like he was quite a few drinks in as his cheeks were bright red.
“Yeah. We just got in today.”
“Well, you’ve got good luck! Today should be the day.”
“‘The day?” I tilted my head.
“Aye. Look.” He pointed.
A girl in a flashy, revealing outfit appeared from one side and took the stage. She wore hair accessories and appropriately dramatic makeup. The slit in her skirt went all the way to her hip, revealing her pale leg, and her lower back and stomach were also visible. Very little cloth covered her body overall.
A man with a guitar-like instrument walked to her side and began to play. The woman started dancing to the music, and the tavern guests whistled and applauded. It was clearly some sort of show, so I followed everyone’s lead and clapped too.
“Master leering.” Next to me, Noela stabbed her fork into her meat and gnawed on it like a hamster.
“No, I’m not. Please.” There wasn’t anything quite like this in Kalta, so I couldn’t help but watch.
As the woman left the stage, patrons invited her over to dance, giving the tavern quite a lively atmosphere. Each guest then tipped the dancer, usually by placing a bill between her breasts or at her hips. You didn’t really see that kind of thing in Japan, but it was apparently common overseas.
I decided to tip the dancer too. As she drew close, I pulled a bill from my wallet and got ready. When I tried to hand it to her, though, she offered her chest and hips. Everyone else had tipped her the same way, but I felt flustered. Is she telling me to put it in one of those spots? My face apparently showed my thought process, and the dancer winked.
“Groo!” Grabbing the bill, Noela stuffed it down the dancer’s top on my behalf. The woman looked surprised for a moment, but soon regained her smile and headed to the next table.
Noela grimaced. “No good, Master. Tongue hanging out.”
“It was not.”
“Was. Far too.”
Is she serious…? I guess I was right to decline Valgas’s earlier invitation.
After a while, the show ended. When I made eye contact with the dancer, she winked again, and I was pretty sure Noela shot her a glare. I wish she’d stop.
“Let’s bring some food back for Griffy,” I suggested. We hadn’t let the tiny griffin eat on the table because everyone would’ve noticed if we had.
“Griffy?” Noela dug through her bag. “Groo?” She cocked her head, continuing to rummage. “Gone, Master.”
“Huh?” I looked inside her bag. Griffy was nowhere to be found. “Did it get lost?”
“Oh no! Was Griffy kidnapped?!” Noela was so panicked, she was speaking normally.
“No way.” I glanced beneath our table and scanned the floor, but I saw no mini-griffin anywhere. It was hard to believe Griffy would wander off on its own, being such a loyal beast. Yeah, there’s no chance Griffy’s hiding or has run away.
“Was Griffy kidnapped?!” I exclaimed.
“Noela said already, Master!” As she looked high and low, I considered asking the old man who sat next to us whether he’d seen Griffy. Unfortunately, he was already gone. “Wh-while Master had tongue out, Griffy was—”
“Those two things aren’t related! And my tongue wasn’t hanging out!”
Noela and I were panicking. Crap. This was all because I told Griffy not to squawk or beat its wings. The griffin would’ve loudly resisted a kidnapping attempt, so we would’ve noticed someone stealing it. “Griffy, where could you be?” I muttered.
“Groo. Griffy…”
Eventually, the giant minimizer would wear off, and Griffy would regain its full size. Still, some ne’er-do-wells might hold a beast like that captive—and it’d sell for a high price too.
“Usually, you’d be in this situation,” I told Noela, sighing.
That made her mad. “Noela no get kidnapped, Master!”
Fair enough. Still, she was usually the troublemaker of the group.
As I poked her puffed-up cheeks, a beautiful girl pulled out a chair next to us and sat down. She looked about my age, or maybe even younger. “Everything all right?” she asked.
“Er… We just lost something, is all,” I replied. “It was in my friend’s bag, but…”
“Gosh. I wonder whether it’s that thing from before.”
“What thing from before?” Had the girl seen something crucial? Anything would help—Noela and I had zero leads.
“Well, when I swung by your table earlier, an old man was sitting next to you. Right?”
“Earlier…?” Aha—I hadn’t realized it, but she was the dancer. Her clothing and makeup were completely different now, so it was hard to tell.
“He stared your way through my entire performance. I thought it was odd that he wasn’t watching me… Maybe he was looking at that bag of yours.” She pointed at the exact spot where Noela’s bag was earlier.
“Noela.”
“Yup!” Noela checked the scent of the pocket Griffy had sat in, then sniffed the air.
I explained our strategy to the dancer. “If she can get the scent of Griffy, or that old guy, we’ll be—”
“Groo… Aroorroooo! Got it!”
Jeez. That was fast.
“Man and Griffy probably together,” Noela informed me.
“That old…” I grumbled, trailing off. What the hell did he plan to do with our Griffy?
As we rushed to pay our bill, the dancer waved goodbye. “I hope you’ll find what you’re seeking!”
“We owe you one! If we bump into each other again, please let me thank you properly.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’ll be waiting.”
“Hurry, Master!” Noela yanked my arm, rushing me along. “No need thank!”
“That’s not up to you, Noela! We need to be grateful if people help us out.”
Noela kept frowning. Is this little fluffball jealous? That’s adorable! I quickly stroked her head.
“First, find Griffy,” Noela snapped back at me.
She was absolutely right, so I followed her past the street of inns. Noela was keenly focused on the scent as we headed down a path that branched off the shopping street. There were fewer and fewer people around.
“Scent strong, Master.”
“We’re close, then,” I said.
“Groo!”
What if we’re about to reach the site of some shady deal? I wondered. What’ll our move be?
“Scent end here, Master.”
That meant Griffy or the man had been nearby. Nobody was around now, however. Dim light came from the area’s houses, but it was dark. The structures here were fairly run-down as well.
“Come on out, Griffy,” I tried calling, but there was no response.
It was probably best to assume the old man had kidnapped Griffy. And if he took the creature to release it into the wild, he’d never bring it here.
“Master!” Noela tugged my shirt and narrowed her eyes, holding her hands up by her ears.