Claire was welcomed into the pub by an orange-haired woman. Pubs didn’t open until nightfall; thus, the interior was relatively quiet. And a bit dark. It smelled of alcohol and grease, but the interior was relatively clean. Her eyes immediately gravitated towards the circular bar, the open kitchen concept, and the realistically sculptured chandelier. She wondered if the Green Fairy made their home somewhere in between those winding branches. 

Intrigued by how different the establishment was compared to the pubs she frequented in the countryside, Claire stepped deeper and deeper into the Green Fairy until she was seated on one of the bar stools. “I – My name is Claire.” She looked around. Save for Scarlet and the wolf, the pub was empty. She was expecting to meet that same person – Hector Gresley – who persuaded her to leave her life and explore the capital. 

“I’m supposed to meet up somebody here.” She smiled sheepishly. “Maybe I came in too early. Do you mind if I stick around to wait?”

Hector seemed to be in his early thirties. He had the build of a fighter and eyes with the sharpness of a hunter. During their short encounter back home, he managed to challenge Claire’s belief that the peaceful countryside all that she needed. The capital was a vast adventure that a girl like her should explore. Besides, it was where she could finally discover who she was, he said. Hector said it with much conviction, as if he knew who she was. 

Just then, her stomach grumbled. Claire pursed her lips in embarrassment. She swallowed hard. “Could you also pass me the menu?” A little something to eat would be good. Though, she prayed to the gods that this place was not too costly.

[hr]

The engine whirred to life once again. Levi was behind the wheels, commanding the vehicle while Lady Midnight took to the passenger seat. She admitted that she knew about a certain Emilia Wolferstan, that the lady had Emilia’s file back in her office, that Emilia’s file was not enough to push for a proper investigation. Her disappearance was kept a secret by the family for quite some time until the scandal became too difficult to conceal. By then, it was too late. Ems was gone too long. 

Lady Midnight continued to brief him on the case she was handling, telling him how many victims had been missing so far and the manner how they disappeared. He wasn’t interested. He wanted to know about his twin sister and not some random nobleman’s spoiled child. The lady was building a theory centered on the level of the missing person’s magical abilities. But Claire had none. She was an ordinary girl. There wasn’t any reason he could think of why anybody would kidnap the duke’s daughter other than for political means. 

“The rebellion is on top of my list,” he countered. They had left the palace grounds by then and were a couple of miles from the city proper. “Especially if the missing people are all gifted. Think about this – who will benefit from these missing people cases the most?” 

The cool afternoon breeze met them, teasing Levi’s reddish-brown hair. The sun was low on the horizon that the vehicle cast a long shadow along the paved road. He glanced sideways at the lady beside him. “Reading while inside a moving vehicle will do that to you,” he offered as a form of an advice, seeing her massaging her temple. Did she also have motion sickness? Some nobles did. More than twice did a nobleman empty his stomach on the vehicle. He wondered if she would too and immediately considered slowing down. 

“The missing people, as well as the security threats, within the Capital and the empire are all being blamed on the nobles. Us. We, who had power over the common people. Such was the fuel propagated by the rebellion. The more the common people hate the nobility, the more powerful the rebellion becomes. Thus, why would you discount the rebellion from these crimes?”

Levi’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. They had entered the city by then. The long rays of the sun were replaced by the artificial light coming from several erected posts. He trained his eyes forward. “Where to?” he asked, possibly trying to change the subject.