“And what the hell happened to you?” Alphonse asked.

Kirie fidgeted in the doorway as she held the large crate of freshly cooked meat in her arms. She had attempted to lift it a bit more to cover her face, but the size and positioning was too awkward.

A nasty purple bruise blossomed on her left cheek where she'd been struck during the fight at the butcher shop. The cut on her lip began to noticeably swell, and she'd done a poor job of cleaning off some of the dried blood. Kirie also assumed that Alphonse had enough perception to notice the contusions on her knuckles. Actually, it was likely that anyone would probably notice.

The three individuals in the guild meeting room all looked at her with varied expressions. Cynthia's hands were held over her mouth to hide the plain shock and dismay on her face upon seeing the catgirl's battered appearance. Asa simply shook her head with the same passive expression and delicately rested her quill on the table. Kirie couldn't tell if she was disappointed, exasperated or even a little bemused. Maybe it was a mixture of all three.

Kirie was even more surprised by Alphonse's response. His countenance was surprisingly more unreadable than her sister's, especially taking his scarf into account. The tone from his previous statement held a subdued neutrality with every word, and his eyes made him look as if he'd been woken from some deep reverie.

Kirie stepped into the room and set the crate down on the table. She immediately backed away and fell into a submissive bow.

“I-I'm sorry,” she stuttered.

She glanced up to see if any of their expressions changed. She was taken off guard once again when she saw her sister tilt her head in surprise. Her mouth parted a bit, and she looked to Alphonse for some reaction.

Their guild leader stared at Kirie and blinked a few times as the only indication that her apology resonated with him. Only his eyes were visible over the scarf, and Kirie actually found it a little unnerving how the cloth didn't fold like usual when his mouth moved. His mood was difficult to read in most situations, but at least there was typically a shift to indicate some possible responses.

He turned away from her and looked down at the documents he'd been examining. His finger tapped slowly on the table.

“Ah, Evan,” Cynthia ventured. The receptionist lifted a hand to get his attention, but he didn't seem to notice.

“Y'know,” Alphonse started. He looked back to Kirie. “I can't say I'm too surprised. So, what set you off?”

Kirie swallowed a bit as he leveled that intense gaze on her. Normally, she would've had some witty retort prepared for his straightforward response, but the realization and belief that she'd done a huge disservice to him nagged at the back of her mind.

Kirie proceeded to describe the brawl at the butcher shop. Those sitting at the table waited in silence as she relayed what led to the violence. She didn't go into the exact details of the fight, but decided to focus more on the words exchanged and the actions taken by the guards when it concluded. She also made sure to emphasize how Bruce Lawry, the guard captain and even the scarred mercenary, Saizo, took her side so readily.

“Well, that's actually some useful information,” Alphonse said when she finished. “That place will be getting our business from now on. And I'll definitely look into that mercenary as well.”

Kirie saved the reason why she lost her composure for last, and Alphonse gave her an incredulous look.

“You did that because they insulted me? I didn't really expect that.”

Asa spoke up, “You're surprised?”

“Well, yes,” Alphonse said. “But I'm honestly shocked that she held back for so long.”

“It is definitely an improvement,” Asa concurred.

“So, it's because I'm the guild leader?” Alphonse asked. He looked to Kirie for confirmation.

She lowered her gaze and considered the question for a moment. She assumed that the reason would've been obvious if he had asked her at the moment it all happened, but now with time to consider it she had to wonder: Why did their malicious words set her off so much? Was it really just because he was the leader? Because of how slanderous the remarks were against all the good he did? Or maybe...

“Yes,” Kirie said. “They can't get away with saying things like that about our leader.”

She knew it wasn't the whole truth, but she failed to sort out her conflicting emotions that mixed together into something beyond her comprehension.

Alphonse gave her one of his unreadable looks and hummed thoughtfully. He reached for the cloth covering the crate and pulled it aside so he could see the contents. He then gestured towards Kirie and she caught on to what he referred to. She placed the pouch of coins in his hand. He didn't open it or even weigh it in his hands before placing it back in his waist pouch.

“Looks good. Well, I'll look into this tomorrow and see if there are any repercussions. But we have more important work to take care of right now.” He pointed to one of the desks lining the wall with quills and ink. “Grab some stuff and help me take down notes.”

He went back to his work without another word concerning the issue. Asa simply nodded and followed suit.

Kirie stared between the two of them at a loss for words. She was surprised for the second time that night by how people responded to her actions. She'd expected a scolding or at least some frustration out of Alphonse, but he seemed to take it all in stride as if he fully expected something like this to happen.

Kirie grasped the sides of her head in frustration. She almost wished that he would berate her – scold her mercilessly for being so audacious and impulsive over mere words. The lack of urgency from him felt like an even worse punishment.

Dammit! I still don't get this guy! she thought.

Alphonse pulled out one of the chairs next to him. The sound of its legs scraping against the floor removed her from her thoughts.

He let out a light-hearted chuckle and reached into his waist pouch. He held a handkerchief out to her and pointed towards his mouth. “That cut on your lip is bleeding again.”

She stiffened when she realized that she'd been biting at her lower lip. She accepted the handkerchief and dabbed at her mouth as she walked to the desks and eventually sat next to Alphonse. She stared at the documents with the quill trembling in her nervous fingers.

Kirie flinched when she felt a comforting hand pat her on the head. She hunched forward and pressed a hand into her thigh when she noticed that Alphonse held the end of his scarf towards her. He dabbed under her eyes a bit, and she realized that tears had started forming as she felt the wetness.

“Dang, sorry,” Alphonse said. “I guess even you feel pain. I can't imagine how those other guys are doing right now.”

Kirie's eyes widened and she stared at him as he slid a document in front of her. He pointed at some sections that he wanted copied and went back to his own work. Cynthia took a little longer to collect herself, but even she found a diversion with her small chain link puzzle as silence descended again.

Kirie looked across the table and saw her sister smiling at her.

“Do you need any healing?” Asa asked.

Kirie shook her head and rested a hand on her cheek. “No. It isn't that bad.”

Her sister shrugged and started writing, but not before glancing at Alphonse again.

Kirie followed Asa's glance briefly and let out a quiet sigh. He didn't seem to notice their exchange as he was now completely focused on is work.

Yeah, I really don't get you sometimes, she thought. But...

Kirie allowed herself a small grin and examined the documents on the table. She was about to put the quill to paper when she decided on something else first. She gripped the seat of her chair and scooted it closer to Alphonse, who gave her a perplexed look when their shoulders bumped together.

“It's easier to see everything now,” she explained without looking at him.

Alphonse stared at where their arms touched. “It's a little hard to write this way. And you seem way too enthusiastic about this. You must have taken a heavy hit to the head.”

Kirie ignored the comment. “Don't worry about it. Just a catgirl doing cat things.”

Alphonse seemed unconvinced, but he didn't take issue with it and went back to his work. “Makes sense, I guess.”

Kirie thought she detected a trace of unease in his voice, but she figured it was because he wasn't used to her showing appreciation so readily. Of course, cats didn't mind a bit of closeness to those that they felt an affectionate connection with.

---

Alphonse still felt a bit of trepidation being the only human in the place, but the other customers didn't seem to pay him much mind.

It was a similar crowd compared to the last time they had visited Ash's tea shop. The two fox beastkin from their last visit were replaced by a trio of younger wolfmen who sat at a far corner table. The younger girl and older man with feline traits were there again and even gave Alphonse and his companions a wave of greeting when they recognized them.

Alphonse looked to the fourth seat occupied at their table. The wolf girl waitress, Kureha, propped her elbows on the table and rested both hands on her cheeks. A big smile was on her face as she watched the adventurers point at places on a map laid out after they ordered their drinks. Her tail swayed behind her contentedly.

Why is she sitting with us? Alphonse wondered. His shoulders slumped. Oh well...

It was the next day following their discovery of the quest documents involving Serena Malcott and Alexander Lozinski. Of course, nobody could possibly forget Kirie's little incident at the butcher shop either.

Alphonse had immediately rushed to the Guild Union so he could request the remaining documents concerning the dungeon within the Mesatend Forest near the western border. Asking for such information wouldn't seem strange in the least since he had already analyzed the reports of Alexander Lozinski, Serena Malcott and Alphonse Kneller. The only report missing from the group was the archer's. It only made sense that Alphonse would want all accounts describing such a tragedy.

The news he received was less than favorable.

Cynthia had informed him that the documents were already checked out by another party. Normally, adventurers needed a representative available to ensure that the documents weren't tampered with since they were available for public consumption. However, the party in question did not consist of regular adventurers. Cynthia told him that the individuals who checked out the reports were actually agents from the Field Investigation Office working directly under the High Council.

Field agents were not required to remain at the Guild Union. The reports may be taken to their own offices in the upper district of Forgedalk for analysis. The Guild Union was still required to follow the laws of the city, but allowing anyone to take important documents from the archive was still considered an abuse of power. As a result, some amendments were made, and only high-ranking field agents were permitted to view the documents.

There was still a major trust issue between the Guild Union and the High Council, so an executive official from the former accompanied the field agent to the headquarters in the upper district and presided over the investigation. It prevented any misuse or blatant dirty business.

In the end, the main reason for the policy was to maintain the balance of power while also upholding healthy relations under the law.

Alphonse was certain there were some finer details omitted in Cynthia's explanation, but that would amount to a lengthy discussion that didn't work in his favor if he pressed further. There was no reason to put Cynthia on the spot either. She was just a guild receptionist. The whole situation was above her pay-grade.

But what he found most strange was a small detail concerning when the documents were requested. According to the ledger that kept detailed information about requested documents, only the one with the archer of his old party was taken two days earlier. If someone was interested in the failed quest, then why not take the reports about the other three members as well?

Alphonse wondered if perhaps the field agents had some suspicions about the archer already. The first possibility that he considered was that the archer was involved with more failed quests even before the one in Mesatend Forest.

But this still begged the question: Why not analyze all the reports?

This is beyond me, Alphonse finally concluded. It was too much to process at once, and the meeting time at the tea shop with the siblings wasn't too far off.

He thanked Cynthia for her assistance up until that point and left the Guild Union in a foul mood that he attempted to mentally stamp out. He still hadn't fully processed what he discovered the night before, and he didn't know what further information the archer's report might provide in comparison to the spellcaster, Serena Malcott.

Her report was pretty typical, but the way she worded it brought a festering bitterness. Most of the blame for the quest's failure had been placed on him. As a scout, he was responsible for determining the safest routes and gauging enemy numbers in the dungeons. In the report, Alphonse Kneller was accused of incompetence when he blundered flanking a critical enemy position. Of course, the reality was that an explosive arrow had alerted the whole dungeon, but the report stated that the scout had failed to stealthily kill a group of goblins and one had sounded an alarm.

The next part of the report nearly infuriated him when Serena said that she had attempted to cast a protection spell to cut off the ogres that pursued them in order to give Alphonse room to maneuver down the path and escape with them. Clearly, this was something she hadn't attempted.

She also blatantly lied about him being bludgeoned by an ogre's club. She wrote that he was left mangled on the upper path, his death assured with so many goblins surrounding him as well.

The report then went on to describe their escape. In the open cavern where Alphonse had seen them from the narrow natural bridge, Serena wrote that Alexander Lozinski had heroically held off the horde of monsters as she and the archer climbed up the ledges to safety. The archer had done his best to rain down his arrows to hold off the monsters as Alex trailed behind. Serena cast protection spells to slow the monsters, but there were too many openings and paths to reach their position.

Another lie. Alphonse distinctly recalled that there were only two directions for reaching that area. This reaffirmed his opinion that Alex had been killed thanks to the treachery of one or more individuals involved with their party.

And so, according to Serena's account, Alexander Lozinski had bravely sacrificed himself to save his comrades, and Alphonse Kneller was mostly to blame for the quest's failure.

Even though he assumed his new identity, there was something about his previous reputation being sullied that angered him beyond what he considered reasonable. That part of himself was gone, but to think that he worked so hard for two months to develop a reputation as a reliable scout to have it crushed by a liar without him able to defend himself...

He grit his teeth at the thought of it. What a load of fucking bullshit.

The rest of the day had been mostly uneventful leading up to their meeting. He was still curious about the Shin'ryen tribe of assassins mentioned by Sebastian's daughter, Eve, so he decided to visit the library for a bit of research.

He'd found some more information that spoke of solid facts (supposedly) rather than the usual short fictional prose. It was a shame that the assassins seemed mostly situated in Xersceld's territory, so he wouldn't be confirming the information anytime soon.

Afterwards, Alphonse managed to get a few words in with Bruce Lawry before heading to the demihuman district. Based on the butcher's own side of the story, and the fact that similar fights broke out in the area on numerous occasions, Alphonse didn't see the incident as much of an issue for his guild. The town guard assigned to the district was used to brawls and small scuffles. The area had a strange, but surprisingly sensible, code of conduct when it came to fighting, and the guards were content to let it happen so long as the owners of businesses didn't press charges for damages or things became too violent.

He found himself even more interested in this part of the city when Bruce mentioned just how lenient the guards on duty were when it came to the different peoples and organizations that passed through. Kirie's rash actions actually provided more useful information than anticipated.

Alphonse also couldn't help but feel a little pressure in his chest when the butcher related how Kirie had stood up for him.

“Evan!”

Alphonse jerked back in his chair upon hearing his name and looked around at the beastkin staring at him with concern. He looked around the tea shop in case any attention was drawn to them.

He scratched at his head apologetically as he righted himself in his seat. “Sorry about that. Was reflecting on some things.”

“Well, you're being rude,” Asa said. She held a cup of tea and rolled it back and forth between her palms. “Kureha wants us to try her new experimental tea.”

Kirie sniffed at her own drink and looked as if she might salivate all over the table. “Wow, this smells amazing.”

Alphonse reached for the cup in front of him and paused for a moment. “Wait, 'experimental?'”

He turned to Kureha and saw the wolf girl staring at him with those pretty golden eyes. Her pupils almost looked like they were throbbing with anticipation.

'Experimental,' Alphonse thought. He repeated it in his head over and over again. The word didn't sound promising. In actuality, it felt more daunting the more he stared at the tea. The hue didn't seem abnormal, and the smell suggested hints of cinnamon with something else resembling licorice.

He looked back at Kureha. She seemed to sense his hesitation and leaned towards him more.

But how do I say “no” to that cute face? he thought. 

Alphonse spared a glance at Asa. The catgirl healer parted some of her crimson hair from her face in an exaggerated manner. She tapped the rim of her cup and nodded to him.

Well, alright, he thought.

He took a modest sip of his tea. His eyes widened as the initial bitterness was overwhelmed with a hinted sweetness. He remembered drinking instant tea with his father when they returned to the cabin after their hunts back on Earth. Usually it was just a singular savoriness with drops of honey for extra flavoring, but this tea was steeped in a peculiar way as to have two distinct tastes.

“Delicious,” Alphonse breathed.

Kirie and Asa sipped theirs. The latter licked her lips as she savored the flavor. The former started downing hers unceremoniously.

“I've never had tea like this. It's wonderful,” Asa said. She let out a calm breath as the heat subsided.

“Need more,” Kirie gasped. She waved her hands over her tongue as the searing heat registered.

The wolf girl clapped her hands together with a broad smile on her face. “Really? I'm so glad! Ash keeps scolding me for not mixing the different leaves at the right temperature. And if you do it for too long then the bitterness overwhelms the whole thing, and you never get the sweetness at the end. I would have to mask it with honey, milk or some other ingredient to make up for it.”

She rose from the chair suddenly and clenched her fist dramatically as her ardent emotions took over. “But that would be cheating! Other additives are necessary with certain kinds of tea! Not with this one! Not with ripepev nuoir! Proper tea allows no room for shortcuts or excuses. It is a disservice to the tea itself and those who drink it!”

Alphonse and the two catgirls stared in shock at her sudden passionate outburst. He noticed that the other customers just grinned and shook their heads, plainly used to the girl's sudden enthusiasm.

“Thank you for the lesson, Miss Kureha,” Asa said. She sipped the tea and averted her eyes.

Kirie laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, uh, I had no idea. Well, actually, I still have no idea.”

Kureha leaned forward towards Alphonse. Her face was mere inches from his and he had to rear back a bit in his seat.

“You understand, right? There is so much more to it. It doesn't matter if someone is a beastkin or a human. Tea is tea!” She almost fell on top of the table as her eyes bore into him.

Alphonse wasn't wearing the scarf over his face at the moment. It was mostly to diffuse any possible tension with the other patrons. He had decided it on their first visit, and now he started to regret it.

Alphonse felt the heat burning in his cheeks as the attractive wolf girl stared at him expectantly. She started leaning forward further and her breasts pressed into the table. He struggled to keep his eyes from wandering.

“Well, uh,” Alphonse said, “There is also the aroma to consider. Not just the taste. Right? So another ingredient might rule that aspect out. I understand why you wouldn't want to add something unnecessary. Maybe? I think?”

The explanation seemed sound enough, even if he did pluck it from random conversations he barely remembered with his father.

Kureha's eyes practically sparkled. She grabbed both of Alphonse's hands and shook them. “I knew there was something special about you! A human coming into our little tea shop must be a true savant of the art. Oh, I have so many more recipes for you to try!”

My young heart can't handle this. Alphonse felt like his chest was about to explode. She was way too cute and smelled way too nice, with a cheery, friendly personality to boot.

Alphonse glanced at his beastkin companions. They glared back at him. Both of them tapped the table with their fingers impatiently as Kureha continued to dote on him. He wondered if it was his imagination, but there seemed to be scratches in the table that weren't there before.

“Right,” Alphonse started. Kureha sensed his serious tone and plopped back into her chair. She still didn't move to leave the table though.

His tone caught Kirie and Asa's attention, and they leaned forward expectantly. Even he surprised himself at his sudden composure.

“Okay, so, um, as we were saying...”

He remembered that they were initially supposed to discuss some strategy for the upcoming quest before Emily and Liam arrived.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and collect his thoughts.

Alphonse pointed to a section on the map with two slightly curved lines and a number of triangles surrounding them. Most of the area outside of this marked section was open, save for a few purposeful dots in a line representing two rough paths. To the north were square markings indicating the closest village to the deirgu sightings.

“Our team composition isn't ideal for a head-on engagement,” Alphonse started. “Remember, we have newbie adventurers with us. Kirie is our only real front-liner. I can take on the second role since we're only dealing with deirgu, but I'm best suited to my critical strikes and ranged attacks. We need to protect our two spellcasters in case any monsters appear that aren't mentioned in the quest.”

Asa folded her arms and nodded. “Yes, that is the main concern I had. These types of quests tend to be inaccurate as of late. The one with Anya and Derek is a perfect example. I'm certain we could deal with deirgu having Liam and Kirie as our front line, but any other monsters will throw off our entire formation...”

“So we shouldn't take any chances,” Kirie added. “We can't fight bigger monsters with the deirgus' numbers. I'm pretty sure we could handle it, but Liam and Emily would be overwhelmed.”

Alphonse pointed to the dotted paths. “Exactly. I haven't forgotten the tracks we saw at Mesatend Forest. Which is why we will set traps along one of these routes. Emily's offensive-type magic is earth element. It'll be easier with her to dig pits deep enough for larger monsters while we let her mana regenerate. We can make wolf holes-”

Kureha straightened in her chair as he mentioned the last bit. He noticed her sudden movement and looked at the wolf ears flicking on her head frantically.

“Uh, my bad,” Alphonse said. “It's a term from my world. They're like spike pits.”

Kureha stared at him blankly.

“They aren't just meant for wolves,” he assured her.

The wolf girl visibly relaxed.

“That's true,” Asa said, ignoring the slight tangent. “The interactions between monsters are changing.”

“How many protection spells can you use in a battle?” Alphonse asked.

“Depending on the size, about five.”

“Good. We'll also have some mana potions on hand.” He addressed Kirie, “You recently awoke to an active skill. We haven't had the time to test its area-of-effect."

Kirie frowned as she considered it. “Well, it's mostly used for eating away at physical spells, like the protection used by the Siren. I don't know how long I can feed it mana."

“This quest might be good for practicing your mana usage then. But save it in case I can't draw away the tougher enemies to the traps, or if more show up after,” Alphonse said. “Anyway, based on the area, we can lead them to any of the converging paths and use the passage south of the village to funnel them. We'll lay the trap on the other side for possible larger enemies that break through. That will be our last resort. I'll scout when we get there and plan the kiting appropriately for leading the monsters along.”

Alphonse looked up and jerked in his seat when he noticed that another person had decided to join them. He'd been so absorbed in the map that he hadn't noticed her. Sitting next to Kureha was the fox woman, Ash. Her fingers were laced on the table, and she stared at him with those intense eyes.

This woman...is going to give me a heart attack.

Once again, despite his impressive perception, this dangerous fox woman had snuck up on him again. He started to believe she was just toying with him at this point.

He shifted his gaze slightly towards Kureha. There was that sparkle in her eyes again. Her mouth hung open, clearly impressed by his strategy and leadership.

“Oh, don't mind me,” Ash said with a half-smile. “Your plan sounds fine.”

“Er...right.” Alphonse sighed. He started wondering if he made the right decision trying to get into this woman's mindset so soon. But he convinced himself that he needed these relations, even if he wasn't sure where they would lead for the moment.

He considered how to proceed as four pairs of eyes with differing sentiments waited for him to continue.

A strange feeling came with the expectation. He couldn't place it. Maybe he really did have the qualities of a leader. Two people that he trusted and two he recently met were waiting on his words.

He reached for his scarf with that typical reflex when he became aware of the attention directed at him. His fingers made direct skin contact. He'd forgotten that he risked pulling the scarf down when they started the meeting.

Maybe I don't need it for something like this after all...