Chapter 31: Sewers… Yuck
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The bar then entered a very simple place. There were several chairs and tables set up around the place and a bar counter.

The only thing that didn't make sense was the complete lack of patrons.

Of course, Kotori and Amelie had been briefed on this. The building was only a front for Giorgio's smuggling business. A way to "clean the books" so to speak. Amelie and Kotori sat at the empty counter and waited. They were slightly early so they avoided ringing the bell that was on the counter. The wooden counter itself was a rough piece of wood. Uneven in many sections but sturdy nonetheless.

The door opened and Shun and Anya walked in. They seemed nervous. Very obviously out of their element.

[Newbies] This was Kotori's first time as well but considering she already has a previous lifetime of experience she was very calm.

Amelie on the other hand was bouncing her leg nervously and looking around.

[She does have a strong sense of justice after all] Amelie's and Kotori's relationship had become a little strained after Kotori had murdered the whole bandit group in the village they stayed at. Although Amelie still listened to Kotori she often asked Kotori what the intentions of her action were to attempt to make sure she wasn't being lured into any sort of morally dubious actions.

This smuggling business itself was something that Amelie also had qualms about but kept her peace since it was the only way for them to get access to dungeons in the first place.

Shun and Anya quickly took a seat at the counter and rung the bell themselves

[How annoying]

Kotori was actually enjoying the quiet of the bar. Since there were no patrons it was relatively secluded and quiet she had entered a sort of meditative stance that was quite pleasant.

A burly man came out. He was dressed in a leather vest and had a stern expression on his face.

"Order!" Typically, this man would never come out from behind the counter. Since this business was only a front anyway. But today he was expecting visitors and thus went out to greet them.

"Uhhhh, Goblin Goop" Shun and Anya said.

This was likely the codeword they had agreed upon before.

The man nodded and looked at Kotori and Amelie

"Yours?"

"Minotaur horns" Kotori answered

"The pets?" He asked looking at Shu and Umi who had come with Kotori

"They're with us"

The man nodded and then said

"Follow me"

He opened a door behind the counter and they all rose from their seats to follow the man.

The door opened into a long corridor. Longer than what would normally be expected it snaked downward and through several flights of stairs. They walked through several hallways which seemed to intersect and cross like a maze.

[Giorgio must've been in the business for a while to have built this sort of infrastructure.]

Kotori tried to ask for the name of the man but he wouldn't give them any information.

They eventually entered what looked and smelled like a sewer. The man walked to a nearby sconce and grabbed a prepared torch he lit and quickly handed it to them.

The man stopped and began to speak

"Here's the drill, walk down the sewers here and you will find another man. He will lead you to the drop zone outside the city.

The party of Kotori, Amelie, and her spirits were trailed by Shun and Anya. They walked down the murky sewers with nothing but silence and the sound of the torch flame. The torch actually helped make the smell go away slightly so it was a welcome addition to the party.

They had been walking for a while and based on Kotori's mental map they had walked to the northernmost edge of the city which led down to a river. They approached a broken grate where another man stood. This one was dress in plain clothes and seemed rather pleasant.

"Here are the goods," he said as he handed each of them a sack of materials that weigh about 30 pounds each.

Apparently, preparations had been made by Giorgio, and Kotori's bag was made slightly lighter.

Despite his demeanor, the man seemed eager to get rid of them and send them back where they came. He told them to follow the sewer back and the previous man at the bar would bring them back.

Kotori and their group dutifully hefted their bags and started walking back

[This seems odd] Kotori thought

All of the work they had done so far seemed very simple. Nothing that would be something they had to be specially selected for.

Shun and Anya had no such concerns and were excitedly chattering about how they were going to spend their time in the secret dungeon.

They walked for a while back into the sewers

And kept walking

And kept walking

[Where was that entrance again]

They had backtracked several times, Kotori was now lost.

She knew there was an entrance. It didn't seem possible they had missed it. They walked in a straight line to the city edge after all. Why would the door be hard to find. There wasn't any possibility that they made a wrong turn.

Kotori and the group looked around for the entrance they came from in a confused manner.

She heard a sound

A light pattering

She stopped

Evidently, Amelie had heard it too and had also stopped. Shun and Anya seemed confused.

"Shhh" she motioned with her hand

The footsteps were getting louder

Kotori and her group were trapped in one direction by the footsteps the other was the secret exit to the city.

They stood in place bracing themselves there was no place to hide at this point if they tried to run they would heared anyway

A group of people in armor came into view

"Who goes there"

"Are you with Georgio!" Kotori yelled out

"No this is the city guard!" They replied back

[That's not good] Kotori thought

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