Lailas

That morning, Renato walked through a filth-strewn alley, placing each step carefully as he tried to keep excrement off the soles of his shoes.

The street had no paving stones. Even if there had once been any, the poor had long since stolen them. Layers of household refuse covered the ground, gradually trampled into a new "road surface" by countless feet.

Several sallow-faced paupers passed him, shivering in the cold wind with nothing but patched linen garments on their backs.

These were not the people Renato wanted to question. His targets were not the city's poor, struggling to keep themselves fed and clothed. They knew nothing.

After circling the neighborhood several times, Renato began to wonder whether he had chosen the wrong time. Perhaps the gang members had yet to wake from their drunken stupor.

Just as he was about to turn back, a slender figure at the end of the alley caught his eye.

She wore fitted leather armor, and her pale green hair stood out in the dim alley.

It was none other than the half-elf receptionist at the Silver Deer Inn where he was staying-the woman who always kept her eyes lowered and smiled without warmth.

Now, a finely crafted slender sword hung at either side of her waist. Her long hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, fully exposing the pointed ears she usually hid beneath her bangs. Her gaze was sharp.

Though she seemed like a completely different person, Renato still recognized her.

Lailas, the waitress at the Silver Deer Inn. What was she doing here?

The half-elf had clearly noticed Renato too, and she faltered.

Suppressing his doubts, Renato approached her with a carefully measured smile.

"Good morning, Lailas. Aren't you working today?"

Lailas's expression changed instantly, like an actress onstage. The corners of her mouth lifted into a professional smile.

"No day shift today, just the night shift. It's my time off. Mr. Renato, what brings you here?"

Renato barely knew her, but he continued closing the distance, answering her question with one of his own and an equally false smile.

"Does a beautiful half-elf lady really need to bring two swords into the slums first thing in the morning to enjoy her 'time off'?"

The alley was deserted, with a foul-smelling ditch running alongside it.

The distance between them had shrunk to less than three meters. Renato was confident he could draw his sword and take her head at any moment.

He had to establish who this half-elf really was. Although he had come to gather information about the Wolf Gang and wanted no unnecessary complications, Renato could not tolerate an enemy secretly watching him while he ate and slept.

He did not want his food or water poisoned one day, much less to lose his life inexplicably in his sleep.

If she really was a member of the Wolf Gang... then sorry, but he would have to send Miss Lailas here on to her next life.

Did the elven gods accept half-elf souls?

An uneasy silence settled between them. The half-elf also sensed something wrong with the atmosphere, and her fingers brushed unconsciously over a sword hilt.

"What choice do I have? Someone as insignificant as me could never settle down in this city on a waitress's meager wages alone. I need some extra income just to get by."

Lailas gave a slightly bashful smile, as though they were still chatting at the inn's front desk rather than facing off in a slum alley.

"I'm a half-elf, so my senses are naturally sharper... I occasionally take private detective jobs, helping worried citizens find their missing relatives. Apparently, they were last seen around here."

A detective? Renato did not think it was a particularly convincing excuse. Still, the half-elf's manner, speech, and equipment were indeed unlike those of an ordinary thug. Up close, he saw no gang tattoos on her neck, which further convinced him that she was no member of the city's gangs.

That was enough. What she was actually doing here was none of his business.

"I see. The city's been unsettled these past few days. Helping the citizens is a worthwhile sideline." His tone was sincere, as though he genuinely admired her. "As it happens, the guild posted a job asking me to investigate the cause of the recent unrest in these slums. Apparently, people have been going missing frequently? That fits with what you've said."

He brought out the cover story he had prepared beforehand to dispel Lailas's suspicions.

"In that case, I won't keep you from your detective work, my lady." Renato bowed slightly, intending to end the conversation and leave.

"Wait, Mr. Renato. Since we share the same goal, why don't we exchange information?"

Renato knew nothing about any missing-person investigation and had no interest in it either, so he made something up on the spot.

"I suspect it might be connected to the recent gang conflicts, especially the Wolf Gang in this neighborhood."

"The Wolf Gang?" Something flickered in Lailas's eyes. "I suspect the local gangs are involved too. Though I'm only 'half' a local, I know a fair amount about the Wolf Gang's recent activities. You only arrived recently, so you probably aren't very familiar with them, are you?"

Renato stopped. He did not find the joke about a half-elf being half a person amusing, but he did need information on the Wolf Gang.

Was this a coincidence?

As Renato turned back, Lailas's smile grew more genuine, even taking on just the right touch of helplessness and appeal.

"Two people can cover more ground than one. Being alone in these chaotic slums is far too dangerous. Mr. Renato, would you be willing to investigate with me? Once we're done, I can give you half the payment."

[Quest]

Investigate the disappearances in the slums with Lailas and uncover the culprit behind them. Payment: 2 silver coins.

[Quest description]

In the gloomy streets and alleys, another pauper vanished after nightfall. This was the twenty-seventh disappearance this month, far exceeding the slums' usual number of murders. The truth lies in a drunkard's ramblings and scraps of cloth gnawed by rats. But beware: the darkness within the shadows devours not only light, but souls as well.

Quest reward: 4,000 experience points.

Was she really a detective? The quest description made Renato question his earlier judgment.

Four thousand experience... What was lurking in these slums, and who was involved, to make investigating a disappearance this dangerous?

The pay was meager, but the experience reward was extremely generous, and there was no penalty for accepting a quest without completing it. The appearance of the Adventurer's Guide also raised Renato's trust in Lailas a little.

"The walls have ears here. This isn't the place to talk. Shall we go somewhere else?"

Once Renato agreed, the half-elf's smile widened.

To Renato's surprise, Lailas did not head deeper into the slums. Instead, she led him through a winding series of turns toward the Inner District.

After passing through the inner city gate that marked the boundary separating them from poverty, they eventually arrived at a small, elegant public garden.

Renato had not even known the city had a place like this. With shady trees, birdsong, and fragrant flowers, it felt like an entirely different world from the slums they had just left.

Lailas led him with practiced ease to a secluded stone bench partly enclosed by rosebushes.

Renato did not sit down. Instead, he stood nearby and listened closely to Lailas's account.

"The Wolf Gang's boss is Benjamin, nicknamed 'Gentleman Ben.' He rarely acts in person, and his whereabouts are a mystery. The businesses under his name are clean, but he's ruthless and decisive. They say he's on very good terms with several councilors in the Inner District."

"So, publicly, the Wolf Gang's underground operations are divided among three lieutenants. Uta, known as 'Fang,' is their muscle. He handles protection money and smuggling, and he's also leading the recent conflict with the Iron Fist Gang."

This was precisely the information Renato needed. Maintaining an outward show of curiosity, he asked:

"A conflict between the two gangs? What caused it?"

Lailas shook her head and answered:

"I don't know the real reason either. The Wolf Gang claims it's retaliation for earlier provocations by the Iron Fist Gang, but from what I've observed, it looks more like Fang Uta is actively grabbing territory. The Wolf Gang has never stopped trying to expand, and it's never failed."

At this point, doubt appeared in her eyes.

"That's what's strange. Five years ago, the Wolf Gang was just a little group huddling together to survive in the slums. But in these past few years, it has grown at an astonishing rate, swallowing up neighboring groups until it became the city's largest gang."

Some important people were probably backing it in secret. Renato did not find that particularly unusual. Weren't gangs simply the dirty hands of those above them?

Lailas's theory was interesting. Perhaps the Wolf Gang had simply used the robbery of its smuggled goods as an excuse to attack the Iron Fist Gang and expand its territory.

But Renato always planned for the worst. He still had to keep investigating and find out whether the Wolf Gang knew he was the one who had robbed the wagon.

Besides, those 4,000 experience points were the highest reward the Adventurer's Guide had offered so far. He would not give them up lightly. He might as well hear what Lailas had in mind.

"With so many disappearances, all of them on the Wolf Gang's turf, there's no way they know nothing about it."

"If the Wolf Gang weren't covering things up, there would surely be plenty of clues left at the scenes. We wouldn't be left with absolutely nothing like we are now."

"So now we're investigating the Wolf Gang?" Renato frowned, feigning reluctance. "But forgive me for being blunt. Taking on the city's largest gang over a... well, a private detective commission doesn't seem very wise. Benjamin is Fried City's underground emperor, and his men are vicious criminals. Investigating them could get us killed."

It was a perfectly reasonable argument. Renato needed to put on a little act to dispel her suspicions. No ordinary adventurer would accept such dangerous work for two silver coins.

Lailas's voice softened, tinged with self-mockery.

"Mr. Renato, perhaps you really do think I'm in over my head. But the missing people's families have wept helplessly in front of me."

"They've lost sons, daughters, even fathers... I couldn't look them in the eye, much less bring myself to say anything that would extinguish their hope."

"Those missing people were only struggling to survive in the mire of life, yet they vanished without a trace. The Wolf Gang has no limits. If no one intervenes, more people will suffer."

Lailas rose and walked over to Renato, a faint sheen of tears at the corners of her eyes.

"I can't offer much money. My income is meager, nothing compared to yours." A trace of embarrassment crossed her face. "I shouldn't have dragged anyone else into this in the first place. If you want to withdraw, you can leave whenever you like. I have no right to stop you..."

"Ah, Lailas, tell me the plan. I can never bear to see a woman cry."

With the conversation at this point, Renato naturally took the opening she offered. He had never truly wanted to withdraw. He still wanted those 4,000 experience points.

Lailas immediately wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and returned to the matter at hand.

"We have to investigate in secret. We can't confront the Wolf Gang directly."

"We'll avoid Fang Uta. He's only been a lieutenant for a year. He has little seniority and knows very little about the gang's core secrets."

"Besides, he's fighting other gangs right now, so he's surrounded by trusted enforcers. Getting near him would be difficult."

"That's why my target is Solas, 'Gold Tooth.' He's the Wolf Gang's longest-serving lieutenant and Benjamin's confidant. He runs the casinos, brothels, most of their street-level businesses, and their money-laundering channels."

She took out a small roll of parchment with several locations marked simply on it.

"This is the target I've selected: the Gilded Dice casino. It's a luxurious three-story building and an important money-laundering site for the Wolf Gang."

"Gold Tooth Solas isn't based there, but according to my information, he has a private lounge on the casino's third floor where he deals with documents that can't be brought out into the open."

How could a part-time "detective" know such inside information? Renato found the half-elf woman before him increasingly mysterious.

"If things go smoothly, those documents will let us piece together the Wolf Gang's recent movements. We might even find clues directly connected to the disappearances."

Renato studied the parchment and asked:

"It sounds like a good target, but how exactly do we get inside?"

"Let me make this clear first: I don't pick locks or climb walls."

Lailas seemed amused. Covering her mouth, she answered with a laugh:

"Of course I won't make you sneak around. Half the building would hear you walking in that armor."

"You only need to mingle with the casino's customers. With so many people coming and going, the place itself is the best cover. I want you to play a... somewhat conspicuous gambler."

Renato immediately understood her intent. "You want me to draw attention in the main hall and cause a little commotion while you slip into the third-floor lounge?"

Lailas nodded. "Exactly. You don't need to gamble much money. Just interact naturally with the casino staff, then stir things up a little to draw the guards' attention."

"I'll use a Disguise Self scroll to sneak in as a human maid. You only need to buy me fifteen minutes."

A magic scroll? How much would that cost?

Still, he had to admit that the simplest plans often had the best chance of success.

"At midnight tonight, I'll come to your room and take you to scout the area around the Gilded Dice. I'll disguise myself as a 'lady companion' an adventurer paid to hire. Don't bother being polite to me then. Acting a little rough will make it more convincing."

"I understand. I'll just be myself. But there's one more question."

Renato stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over her. The half-elf's leather armor fitted her body perfectly; it was plainly custom-made. Her skin was fair and delicate, and she clearly took regular care of it.

Could a waitress and part-time detective really have that much money?

"What about the night shift at your regular job, Miss 'Detective'?"

Lailas pressed her lips together and answered reluctantly:

"I'll find a way to ask the supervisor for time off."