On the following morning, John announced to the two girls during breakfast.

"I decided to close the shop for today. You two will help me take inventory of all missing items in the shop." 

Both girls look at John with confusion. 

"Don't worry if you don't know how. I will teach both of you as we go." John tried to relieve the two's doubts.

After the three are done with breakfast, the three went down to the storage room.

"Do the two of you remember that each item corresponds to a specific number? We just need to mark in the book if the items are on shelves or not. If an item is in the incorrect spot, we mark it in the book and place it on the correct shelf."

The two listened carefully to John's explanation.

"Are there no questions?" John asked the two.

The two shook their head. The three then went to work at the shelves closest to the door. The three started unorganized, but as they worked throughout the day they become a well-oiled machine.

"I thought we will have to do this tomorrow as well, but you guys are terrific." John praised the two.

They have cataloged the items inside the storage and even the items on the show floor.

"Thankfully, all the items still have their tags. It made the work easier."

Elma nods in agreement with Lucia's words.

Looking at the catalog book, John thinks back to the man from yesterday. John inadvertently let said. "there are still missing items..."

Hearing his words, Lucia tried to comfort John.

"If you need financial help... I could ask my brother at the capital."

John was happy at the sudden offer, but he had to decline.

"That is not what I meant... You already helped me a lot; from guarding the shop until the authorities arrived to sort out the paperwork afterward."

John added to himself. 'I can't say I beat up the guy unconscious and retrieved all the lost money back.'

 

Puzzled by some facts not adding up, John decided to investigate a little bit. 

At dusk, John arrived in front of Joy's Tavern. He rarely visited this place after he took in Lucia and Elma. 

But if there is information he wants, he probably can get it here.

John entered the tavern. It seems that the tavern has more customers than usual. He then went through the crown and sat on an empty stool at the bar counter.

"What a surprise... the talk of the town is that you finally found yourself a wife. Mrs. Joy was a little peeved that you have yet to introduce the lucky girl." Toby said as he saw John sit down.

"I guess I beat you to it, Mr. Bachelor." John quipped.

"Haha. Very original, John." Toby smirked. After giving another customer a drink, he proceeds to pour John a whisky. 

"This one is on the house. I heard what happened yesterday." He added.

"Thanks." John took a sip of the alcohol warming his throat and then his stomach.

"Can you provide any information on the burglary cases recently?" John asked.

"The price is just 5 coppers since it's not a secret," Toby answered.

after receiving money from John, Toby started explaining.

"The burglary in your house is not the only one. A bunch of burglary cases started happening a month ago. Most of it happened in the south district so the police and the newspaper paid little attention to it. But this week, a bunch of burglaries happened in the west and north districts. This lit a fire under those police officers."

"Did all the victims have something in common?" John asked curiously.

"Not that I know of. The burglary happened in houses, shops, and even warehouses." Toby shook his head.

"By the way, know anything about this by any chance." John took out a folded poster and gave it to Toby.

Toby unfolded the poster and examined it closely. He then answered.

"Nope. No clue about that old paper." 

John took back the poster and stuffed it inside his back pocket.

"Is there anything else I need to watch out for?" John asked as he finished his whisky.

The bartender stops and thought for a while before answering.

"There is...."

'Clank' 'Crash' 'Clank'

Toby's words stop due to a sudden commotion. At the back of the tavern, a bunch of people was fighting.

Some of the patrons move away while watching with interest, while others went back to minding their own business.

John belongs to the former and enjoyed the entertainment.

John quickly realized that it was a fight between a bunch of thugs and three men. 

But something about the three men caught John's attention. The three have bloodshot eyes, saliva dripping from their mouth, and erratic head movements.

Some of the onlookers also observe this phenomenon. "Shit ... they're crazed on drugs." Cursed loudly while involuntarily stepping back.

Confused on the matter, John looked back at Toby. Before John noticed, the bartender already has a strange rifle in his hands. With precise movements, Toby aimed and pulled the trigger.

'Pthump' pthump pthump

Three consecutive silent shots were fired. The ammo landed squarely at the 3 drug-crazed men. 

At first, it seems it made the three men angrier. Just as the three are about to take a step forward, the three slump to the floor like a puppet cut from their strings. 

Soon the tavern's atmosphere returned to normal. The three unconscious men were unceremoniously dumped outside the tavern.

Seeing this, Toby cursed as he puts the rifle down. "God damn drug addict. More and more of them are popping up."

"What was that?" John asked the bartender.

"That is a tranquilizer gun. The best gun to use with the police getting involved. The cost of ammo is the only drawback." John looks at Toby funnily.

"I mean what happened just now?" John clarified his question.

"Ohh just a bunch of idiots that got high on drugs."

"I don't know if the city had a drug problem," John asked with interest

"Sure it did. It's been a few years since the drug appeared on the stage. The city hall tried to crack down on the drug but failed. Now the city is flooded with drugs and loitered with these drug addicts."

"I see" John can only respond in deep thought. 

"By the way way, what was the thing you were about to tell me before," John recalled.

Toby closed his eyes and thought about it again.

Seeing Toby's action, John sighed and placed five more copper coins on the table.

"It seems there is a murderer on the loose," Toby said right on cue. 

He continued. "It happened yesterday afternoon. Witnesses said that a man was attacked to the ground. Then the killer took the skin off the victim's face. Unfortunately, it was rainy that afternoon and the witnesses did not have a good look on the killer's face." 

While listening to the information, John's heart was beating loudly.

'That sounds like the one from yesterday. However, the man was still breathing when I left afterward.'

Without changing his face, he talked to the bartender. Soon he left to go back home.

 

John was in deep thought about all the things he learned so much that he didn't notice that he is already at his shop.

Under the candlelight, Lucia was practicing swinging her sword. Beads of sweat flew from her body as she switch stances. Then she stopped as soon as she heard the sound of footsteps.

"John, I know it is a rough day, but you should not slack on your training. Moreover, it keeps you preoccupied." Lucia said as she saw John climb up the stairs.

"Sure. I probably need it." John agreed and went to his room.

Soon the two practiced, swinging, parrying,, and clashing their practice swords with one another.

Before long it was already late at night. The candles had to be replaced with a new ones by Elma.

While John was wiping his sweat with the towel Elma gave him, Lucia noticed a folded piece of paper on the floor. Lucis picked it up and opened it.

"What is this, an old theater poster."

Hearing Lucia's voice, John turned around just to see her holding the unfolded poster.

"Lucia are you familiar with that poster?"

"Of course, I used to have the exact copy of it," Lucia responded

"This was a promotional poster of the first play of Red Crescent Theater a few years back."