Villain Retirement

VR 901

"You… know who wrote this letter?"

Riley quickly stood up from his seat, taking away one of the chairs from an empty table and placing it beside on theirs — he then gracefully gestured for the woman to sit; who, despite obviously hesitating, still obliged and sat on the chair Riley offered her.

"It's Clint Eastiron," the woman nodded as she glanced at the letter, "I was there when he wrote it."

"Well…" Miss Pepondosovich squinted her eyes as she looked at the woman from head to toe, "...You might have just heard us talking earlier."

"The letter is addressed to his brother," the woman could really only let out a sigh as Miss Pepondosovich doubted her, "His name is Cane."

"..." Miss Pepondosovich could really only stare at the woman for a few seconds, before leaning closer to Esme and whispering into her ear,

"Was that the boy's name?" She asked even though she had already granted him a boon.

"I do not know, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme whispered back, "I am afraid we already left before we could have a meaningful conversation with the mortal."

"...Oh," Miss Pepondosovich could really only sigh as she focused her attention back on the woman, "What does it say in the letter."

"..." The woman could really only let out a short but very deep breath as she heard Miss Pepondosovich's question. And as soon as Miss Pepondosovich saw the woman on the verge of tears, she quickly realized that there was no need to further question the woman's authenticity.

"Okay…" Miss Pepondosovich nodded, "...We are actually looking for him — but as you know, he's… dead."

"Hm," The woman closed her eyes as the tears quickly stopped falling from her eyes, "Did… you get that letter from his brother?"

"Yes," Miss Pepondosovich nodded, "Do you perhaps know where… he stayed last before he passed?"

"I do," the woman nodded, "Clint and I were… were close."

"If it's alright with you, can you maybe take us there?" Miss Pepondosovich smiled as he looked at Riley and Esme in excitement, "We'll pay you a hefty sum for your troubles. Miss…"

"Caroline," the woman also smiled back, "And since you seem to know Cane, you don't need to pay me anything."

Caroline stood up, "I don't really know what you people want, but I think Clint would have wanted me to help you. Please, follow me."

"Oh, okay…" Miss Pepondosovich shrugged while standing up, "I told you, lucky feet. I will always lead to where we are supposed to be."

"Hm," Riley could really only nod as he and Esme followed the two out of the tavern. They were led deeper into the city, in a street where the snow was already piling up since there weren't really any people to walk on them and push them away.

"Clint… lived around here?" Miss Pepondosovich asked as she looked at all the houses, which seemed abandoned at first glance. But if you look through the windows, one could see candles lit up and dancing with the shadows.

"Yes," Caroline nodded as she continued to walk through the alleyway, before reaching an alleyway which was probably the quietest part of the already quiet city, "He… did not really live a good life as an adventurer."

"Still…" Miss Pepondosovich looked around the dark and empty alleyway, "For his house to be in a place like this, even though I heard adventurers could earn enough to rent a good room in all the taverns…

…it almost seems like you're just leading us to a dark alley to be ambushed. Isn't that right, Riri?"

Miss Pepondosovich stopped walking, causing Riley and Esme to also stop in their tracks.

"What is it, Miss Pepondosovich?" Riley blinked a couple of times.

"...We were lured into a dark alley," Miss Pepondosovich also blinked.

"Really?" Riley looked around the alley, "It does not seem that dark, Misd Pepondosovich."

"I mean that she lured us to this place to be ambushed!" Miss Pepondosovich pointed at Caroline, who just very slowly turned around; her eyebrows lowered and her eyes containing a glint of rage.

"What did the three of you do to Cane!?" Caroline raised her hand, summoning a ball of fire from her hands that completely painted the dark alley with a yellow gleam. And almost as if on cue, several people started to come out of the shadows, leaping from the windows of the supposedly abandoned and empty buildings.

And without even any delay in their movements, they quickly surrounded Riley and the others as soon as they landed; pointing their knives at their necks.

"...Oh?" Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked at the two men holding him at knife point, "I see what you mean now, Miss Pepondosovich."

Riley just casually tilted his head to the side as he looked back to Miss Pepondosovich. He truly did not know there were people waiting to ambush them — he could have, but he did not really see the need to.

Esme was the same — as a themarian, the people surrounding them right now might as well be the same as the insects and rodents quietly minding their own and just crawling through the dirt. For her, the people pointing a knife at her throat may as well be flies. And she truly was not conscious of them at all.

"We did not do anything to Cane," Miss Pepondosovich very slowly raised her hands even as the knives on her throat threatened to go deeper into her skin — but of course, it won't actually do anything.

"Lies!" Caroline stretched her hand toward Miss Pepondosovich, pointing the raging ball of fire at her, "The last time I heard from my brother, he had told me all about the people bullying him! And Cane would never give that letter away! Why would he even give it to you!? What did you do to him!?"

"You seem to be very invested in this, Caroline," Miss Pepondosovich squinted her eyes as she returned Caroline's glare, "Just how close are you to Clint?"

"What did you do!?" Caroline then pointed the fireball at Riley, "Tell me where he is or I fry this albino friend of yours!"

"Oh?" Riley blinked, "You know what I am, Caroline?"

"And I know your kind doesn't like the heat!"

"That's not entirely true," Riley sighed and shook his head, "But it would seem there are other albinos in this place, it is no wonder I only get slight glances from people."

"Look…" Miss Pepondosovich sighed, "...We actually saw your brother all bloodied up sitting on a crapper."

"You—"

"We brought him to the doctor's," Miss Pepondosovich groaned, "Yes, we saved the boy."

"You think I will believe that!?"

"We are here for a book, Caroline."

"Riri!?"

"It is either she believes us…" Riley's eyes slightly closed, "...Or I kill everyone here."

"W—"

"Linus, take the others and leave. Quick!" Caroline gasped as she waved her hand.

"But—"

"Now!" And as Caroline raised her voice, the men hesitatingly started backing away, before ultimately running from the alley and leaving Caroline with Riley and the others.

"...That worked?" Miss Pepondosovich could not help but breathe out as she watched the men disappear.

"Forgive me." And almost as if she did not just have them surrounded just a few seconds earlier. And with her voice turning meek, she quickly kneeled on the dirty ground, "I did not know I was in the presence of gods."

"...We're not gods."

"Although I failed miserably, I have still been trained to recognize gods," Caroline said with her head down, "I truly did not just expect it would be in my time."

"Your… time?" Miss Pepondosovich raised an eyebrow, "Who did you say you are again?"

"I am the current holder of the book you are searching for," Caroline's voice turned even quieter.

"Clint gave the responsibility to you?" Miss Pepondosovich gasped as she glanced at Esme and Riley.

"In a manner of speaking," Caroline very slowly stood up from the ground.

"How… did he even die?" Miss Pepondosovich retrieved the letter from her pocket, "He did not really specify anything in the letter of what he was going through."

"He… did not really die," Caroline let out a very long and even deeper breath as she looked Miss Pepondosovich in the eyes, "I'm Clint, was Clint."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I am not going to ask anything more about that," Miss Pepondosovich slightly squinted her eyes, "So… about the book?"

"I no longer have it," Caroline once again closed her eyes as she lowered her head, "I'm… afraid I have already lost it."

"Seriously…?" Miss Pepondosovich could not help but let out a long and deep groan, "I thought it was your responsibility!?"

"It is," Caroline nodded, "My responsibility is to hand over the book to the very first god that finds me."

"Oh. It would seem we are too late, Miss Pepondosovich."

"No, not exactly," Caroline lowered her head again, "I thought I handed it to a god…

…but it turns out to just be a swindler."

"...You're not very good at your job, are you?"