They still needed to gather information about the Pickle Barrel, and Barnaby was continuing his discussions with the two sailors.
Taking advantage of the lull, Renato invited Captain De Leon to identify the strange Sea Elf array patterns early that morning, returning to the abandoned courtyard deep in the Dock District.
The gaps in the courtyard wall and the dilapidated state of the low building were almost unchanged from their last visit. Weeds still grew rampant along the base of the wall, and the broken clay pot in the corner still lay where it had fallen.
The only difference was the courtyard gate. Several rotten planks, clearly salvaged from the nearby ruins, had been nailed haphazardly across its frame. The nails were crooked, some bending sideways after being driven only halfway in, and the gaps between the boards were wide enough to fit a fist through.
Renato stood before the courtyard entrance and glanced at the crudely barricaded wooden gate without saying anything. A blockade like this was pointless. Any gap in the mostly collapsed wall would be easier to climb through than the gate. Nailing it shut seemed more like a statement than a genuine attempt to keep anyone out.
Still, he could understand. Anyone inexplicably assigned to guard a damp, dark, secluded alley like this, with no money to skim and no freedom to wander, would hardly put much effort into the job.
Captain De Leon stood on Renato's other side, wearing an ornate dark blue Sailing Coat. The gold embroidery at his cuffs gleamed in the morning light, and his Enchanted Saber hung at his waist.
His outfit looked more suited to a formal occasion than an inspection of a magic circle. Clearly, the old captain regarded this outing as an important social opportunity.
The veteran navigator