Thirty minutes later, I was facing the dankest, shadiest place I have ever seen in my life.

In the middle of the street, thirty floors beneath Paarjo's surface, a narrow alley stretched into darkness. Boxes covered in opaque fabrics occupied it every few meters, preventing anyone from seeing the other side. Strings connected the two walls, from which silk-looking pieces of fabric hung, further impeding visibility.

A Tigea wearing dark leather garments was leaning against the wall next to the entrance, flipping a gold coin every few seconds. He kept his eyes on the coin, never taking as much as a glance in our direction.

It looked like a druglord's hideout from a movie set in South America.

I nudged Bonte with my elbow. “Are you sure we're in the right place?” I whispered.

The catboy nodded. “This is a Scout-exclusive market,” he replied with pride. “The atmosphere is top notch.”

I felt my eyebrows rise on their own. “Right,” I muttered.

Bonte took off and approached the Tigea.

“The unseen blade,” the man began in a raspy voice.

“Is the deadliest,” Bonte replied with an ominous tone.

No... I felt my gut tighten with laughter, but I held back.

The unknown Tigea nodded and whistled.

Bonte turned to me and gestured with his head to the alley, then walked in.

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then followed my companion.

He moved with deliberate grace, avoiding the hanging clothes and the boxes as he advanced into the darkness.

My glow, however, dissipated it as I moved behind him, revealing the walls.

They were painted black.

With a hand I moved the hanging clothes aside and did my best to avoid the boxes, which became clear to me were purposefully there to hinder people.

We reached the end of it, where a door was.

Another Tigea was leaning on the wall, but this one was sharpening a dagger.

Bonte approached him and gave her a nod.

“Secrets kept,” she began in a husky voice.

“Are weapons wasted,” Bonte finished.

Please! I tightened my jaw and stomach. You're going to make me laugh!

The woman whistled and opened the door.

Bonte went in and I followed.

The inside was... surprisingly tidy and illuminated. It looked like the inside of a lavish house, and corridors went to the left and right.

The floor was covered in a red carpet, and the walls were covered in a blue satin-like fabric. No decorations were in sight, and sober lamps stuck to the walls provided light.

Bonte's clothes were replaced with the gear I gave him, and he placed his new daggers on his belt. “This is just tradition, by the way,” he told me with a small smile.

I gave him a slow nod. “Sure,” I said.

With a satisfied nod, he walked off to the left.

I followed.

We took a turn to the right and my ears started buzzing. It was that feeling like high-tension cables in the distance. The same one I felt when a Royal Guard Scout was staring at me while invisible.

Bonte's ears shook a little and faced different directions.

For some reason, that made me want to pet his head.

We walked next to invisible people for two minutes and arrived at a red door.

Bonte knocked.

“In Darkness,” a withered voice said from the other side.

“Lies truth,” Bonte replied.

I closed my eyes for a second and took a long, calming breath. I opened them and let it out.

Bonte opened the door and went in.

An old Tigea was sitting behind a desk. His eyes were amber like a Shishi's, but his fur was white and sparse. The shape of his feline ears were similar to Bonte's race, too. His eyes went over Bonte and me, and his hand stroked his cheek like a famous mobster.

Please, I begged in my head, tightening my stomach.

My companion walked in and stood in front of the desk.

“Bonte, my son,” the old Tigea spoke in Kator with his withered voice, slowly standing up. “How have you been?”

What? I forced my eyebrows to stop their ascension. Son?

“Good, Grand master,” Bonte replied with a nod, also in Kator. “How about you?”

“Eh,” the Grand master waved his hand and slowly circled the table, facing Bonte. “Age is slowing me down, boy.”

They hugged and kissed each of their cheeks once.

The old man patted Bonte's shoulder and faced me. “Your Excellency,” he greeted me in Kator.

[Shishi Tigea, Lvl 331 Exsanguinator]

Damn.

I noticed he didn't bow, and I would have stopped him if he tried. Man looked like death was a decade away.

“Nice to meet you,” I greeted back in Kator. “My name is Natasha Novak.”

“Étienne Bonnot,” He introduced himself and gestured at his back. “I hope you'll forgive this old man.”

I simply nodded.

“So, my boy,” Étienne looked at Bonte with a smile. “What brings you home?”

“We came across some valuables in a dungeon,” Bonte explained. “And I thought I would bring them here. There were a few Luminous Caps.”

The old Tigea's eyes widened a little and a smile formed on his wrinkled face. “Luminous Caps, you say? This got interesting,” he chuckled. “Where did you find them, my boy?”

“At the old gold mine to the north,” Bonte replied. “The one that got abandoned.”

Étienne nodded and hummed. “The Royal Family said that place was dangerous,” he patted Bonte's back. “That's my boy.”

Aww.

The man walked back to his seat and slowly sat down. He sighed and pulled out three cups and a kettle. “But it's been so long since you've visited. Let's have something to drink first, alright?”

I wanted to roll my eyes.

Old people go at their own pace, slowing everything around them. I don't particularly hate them, but I actively avoid them if possible. Besides, it's hard to see them lose their autonomy little by little.

“Sure,” Bonte agreed with a nod. “I have a lot to tell you.”

I resigned myself to fate. If it was a simple business transaction then I'd try to speed things up, but Bonte had some history with the old cat.

It was a nice chance to get to know more about him, too.