Seizing the Initiative

"Ugh, cold, cold. Even just a breastplate… armor is freezing in winter."

Finn said this as she walked inside and headed for the back.

She'd been cold after all, but her stride was light, with no sign of injury.

I was glad her mood had recovered on the way back.

The house was well heated, and the warmth enveloped our chilled bodies.

"Welcome back."

"You've finally returned. Leaving us behind with nothing but a scrap of paper. What a hopeless master you are."

Azu and Alexia, both still awake, greeted us at the door.

Alexia's tone was harsh, but one look at her face told me it was concern turned inside out.

She didn't seem genuinely angry.

Good thing I'd left that note.

Knowing her temperament, if she'd been truly furious, she would have absolutely come after us.

And then I imagined her burning everything down. That would've been bad, important information going up in flames along with it.

"Sorry. Finn was rushing me and things got hectic."

"Hey. Don't use me as your excuse. That's really irritating."

Finn had stripped off her freezing gear and was down to her innerwear.

She'd taken a blanket from Azu and was warming her hands by the hearth.

"What are you staring at? I'll knock you flat!"

"Seeing you naked doesn't exactly thrill me."

A click of the tongue, and then Finn's left foot struck my right leg.

The crack echoed. A sharp sting of pain.

"Ow."

"If I'd kicked for real, it'd be broken. Be grateful I held back."

"You…"

Any further comment would only invite another kick, so I swallowed the rest.

Finn stood there with her arms crossed for a moment, then wrapped herself back up in the blanket and reclaimed her spot by the hearth.

"Here, drink this and warm up."

Azu held out a cup of hot milk.

I took it and raised it to my lips. Sugar had been added, making it sweet.

"Hot, hot…"

Finn blew on hers to cool it down, apparently sensitive to heat.

"Thank you, Azu-chan."

Elza had taken a cup too and was drinking her milk.

"So where did you go? I wasn't worried since I could tell Elza-san went with you, but…"

"We were taking out the people tailing us. I had him go call for backup so we could hand over the ones we caught."

"Wha— but it's only been one day since all that happened!"

"If we'd sat around, they would've seized the initiative. They were already out looking for you and those siblings."

"No way…"

Azu's spirits sank a little.

She probably thought she was causing trouble.

True, this mess hadn't earned us a single coin. But dealing with Azu and the others' problems was my responsibility as their master.

Besides, I couldn't just leave people who were trying to make money off drugs to do as they pleased.

We must never let a tragedy like that happen again.

This was exactly why I'd been earning all that money: so I could act when it mattered.

At worst, I was prepared to burn through my entire reserves. It was worth that much.

"You don't need to worry for a while. We caught everyone operating in this city, and before long, they'll be too busy getting hunted by Kingdom soldiers to bother with you."

"Really?"

Azu looked at me with guileless eyes.

Not a shred of doubt in them.

"That's just what I've been hearing. Whether it actually happens, who knows."

"Don't worry about it. No offense, but this place is pretty peaceful, right? There've been some incidents lately, but… crushing underground organizations is perfect for building a track record. Less collateral damage than a war, too."

"Like an extension of bandit sweeps. If you don't do them regularly, they just keep multiplying."

Alexia said.

Apparently, she'd done plenty of that back when she lived on her family's territory.

"Don't lump me in with bandits. But whatever. We've identified the mastermind pulling the strings behind all this."

"Who is it?"

"… Would you believe me if I said officials and merchants from Luido?"

Finn's voice was unusually tentative.

A hint of apprehension showed through, as if she half-expected me not to believe her.

"Of course I believe you. It makes sense. Something on this scale requires serious money and power. A land grab like this wouldn't even be possible without official authorization."

Rather than some unknown culprit, that explanation was far more plausible.

Though I couldn't really come to terms with it.

"Hmph. Well, obviously."

With that, Finn drained the last of her milk.

"So, what are you going to do? If you want to put out a hit, I'll take the job."

"I'll pass on that. I don't want anyone killed on my coin."

"Suit yourself."

She'd apparently expected that answer, because she dropped it without a fight.

"So what are you going to do? I'll say it as many times as you need: you won't solve anything unless you take out the source."

"I know. It'd be easier to let you handle it. But I'm a merchant. Merchants have their own way of fighting."

As I said this, I picked up one of the poppy pods Azu had brought back.

"What are you planning?"

"I'm not sure it'll work, but there's something I want to try. Con those bastards and get them caught in the process. Call it payback."

"I'm fine with that, but what specifically?"

"We create something that neutralizes the drug and sell it in Luido. That way, the mountain of poppy pods they've stockpiled becomes worthless. Hit them with massive losses."

"Can you actually do that?"

"I can't. But I know someone who might. She'll definitely be interested in this kind of experiment. That's just the sort of creature an alchemist is."

"Ah, you mean her…"

The alchemist Ramiza.

She would absolutely cooperate.

She knew the situation firsthand, and more than anyone, she'd been the one who'd poured her heart into helping back then.