The next afternoon, in a lavishly decorated villa in Queens Borough.
In the living room, guests chatted with one another as they enjoyed afternoon tea and exquisite pastries. The ladies discussed recent fashion trends and amusing anecdotes, while the gentlemen shared their insights on music and literature.
The study door was tightly shut, separating the four people inside from the noise outside.
Audrey Hall, dressed in an elaborate lace-trimmed gown, elegantly picked up a thick envelope from beside her and handed it to the two women seated opposite her.
"Thank you for your generosity, Miss Audrey."
Xio Derecha, wearing a Knight Practice Uniform and sporting a messy head of blonde hair, accepted the envelope and opened it to inspect the banknotes inside.
It was the reward they had earned by risking their lives to investigate "Vice Admiral Hurricane" Qilangos: crisp new Gold Pounds that still carried the scent of fresh ink.
Fors Wall leaned over as well, looking at one of the notes Xio had pulled out and confirming that it was a large-denomination ten-pound bill.
One note was worth ten pounds. With the envelope this thick, how much was there altogether...
Clutching the envelope, which clearly contained more than the agreed-upon reward, Xio stared blankly at Audrey. The latter wore a smile, her hands folded on her lap as she looked at the two "detectives" who had helped her investigate Qilangos.
"I am very sorry for the danger you encountered during your investigation. There are eight hundred pounds here in total, including compensation for this accident. You may divide it as you see fit."
Eight hundred pounds... Even if we split it evenly, together with my savings, I could afford the Sheriff potion formula.
Xio squeezed the envelope in her hand again, suspecting that she was dreaming.
She desperately