"T-Twenty-fifth?" Janette stammered as she clumsily stepped backward, finding comfort in Reta's hands on her arms to keep her from falling.
Leone bowed his head slowly, then pressed his feet together until the heels of his boots clicked. Pressing his fist to his chest, he sat upright and introduced himself in a more formal manner. "Leone Nishi Nohera of the twenty-fifth night, Monster Hunter at your service. I understand that normally my services are called upon by the gong of the village bell tower, but today I find myself summoned upon hearing word about sightings of a Monster Girl around this village."
He reached out for Reta's fingers, wrapping his fingers around her palm and raising her hand slowly. Reta watched with caution, balling her fist with a steady aim until she felt Janette squeeze her other arm. A quick look showed her shake her head in a pleading manner, and reluctantly Reta obeyed. Leone shook her hand slowly, letting go before bowing once again in her presence. When he lifted his gaze on her, he hummed with a sense of intrigue.
"What?" Reta asked sharply.
"Forgive me, it is just uncommon to find someone of your hair color and physical structure. You take care of your body as is evident by your lean figure. Are you a bodyguard perhaps, or do I find myself in the presence of a Knight?"
Reta scoffed, brushing her sky blue hair and tucking it behind her ear with a smirk. "Close but not quite. I am not a local so to say, but I appreciate your careful description of my appearance. Had you been remise and picked a more unwise selection of words, I would be forced to take your tongue as a peace offering for our incoming quarrel."
"Ah-haha, I admire a person with confidence and a sense of intimidation. I will be sure to take great caution when addressing you, miss?"
Reta crossed her arms and remained silent, her expression looking down on him as if she were unimpressed.
Janette began to sweat with concern, jumping in between them with her hands waving in front of her chest. "It's Reta, her name is Reta and my name is Janette."
"Janette, it's a pleasure. I believe you are aware of these sightings that have been reported?"
"Well, not quite. Could you um, would you be so kind as to explain to me about this Monster you seek?" She asked, fidgeting with the bracelet around her wrist as she kept eye contact with him.
His eyes narrowed briefly before he walked around to her side. "A Monster Girl to be precise, a Nekomata. It shares its appearance to that of a Human, but combined with feline features. Paws in place of their hands and feet, two tails above their rear, and cat ears atop their head. From what others have said around here, the sightings originated from several weeks prior. Had I been notified sooner, it would have been possible for me to track her."
"Well, how do you know it was a her? It could have just been any Monster-"
"No." He cut her off, startling her with a glare. "This is likely to be a Nekomata that we've been tracking for some time. The description of her appearance match with the one we've been tracking."
"So I see," Janette managed to put up a false smile, leaning against the table as he calmly walked past her with his hand sliding over the front counter. "H-how may I be of any assistance to you, Mr. Hunter?"
"Madamoiselle please, call me Leone. You can begin by reminding me what your name is." He asked, running his fingers against the wooden surface and scanning around the front counter. "You said it was Janette, yes?"
"Right." She replied, carefully walking toward him as Reta stood by and watched.
"Miss Janette, your name is on the sign. I hope my presence isn't the reason behind you closing for the day, is it?"
"W-What?" She stammered as he turned to look at her.
He smiled and waved his arm around. "The shop, it's rather empty this morning. Either you've yet to open or more likely you do not intend to open for today. If that is so, I won't be asking for much of your time, just a few minutes if you can spare them."
"Oh, oh no not at all. I just decided-or um, well, I meant to say that we don't open today anyways. I just forgot to pick up a few things first." She explained, finding confidence in her speech as she was relieved to hear that he would be leaving soon.
"That's good, how much can you tell me about the Monster Girl?" He asked, his smile fading away.
"Huh?" She blinked, finding her strength begin to fade as he kept his eyes on her without blinking.
"On the day of the sightings, people say they saw a man, described with brown unkept hair, carrying what looked like his partner in his arms. Only her description included the addition of large, furry paws for her hands and feet. One of the guards spotted them and the man fled from him. Traffic was heavy so I take it that it was a busy day for you then."
"It was." Janette answered honestly, recalling that day that she had an endless wave of customers that kept her busy through the morning.
"And then, a few of the locals said they saw this man cross the main road and slip in between shops to hide from the guards. No one spotted them afterward, they seemingly disappeared."
"Well," Janette swallowed, "It's likely they fled from the Den and continued running down the road. We would have recognized the human if he was from here."
"Yes, but with such a heavy traffic that day, it can be difficult to distinguish one head amongst a see of hundreds. It can be possible that they fled the village, in which case I would be wasting my time here. But there is one curiosity that I am hoping you could answer for me." His hand slid along his belt, parting his cloak as she noticed something shiny around his waist. But the glimpse was brief as he soon closed up his cloak around him to keep his body shrouded from prying eyes. He yawned and fanned his mouth, scratching his scalp and rubbing his eyes.
"Forgive me miss, it has been quite a journey getting here. In truth, you are fortunate to have the option of taking some time away from work. When your work becomes your life, it can be quite a lengthy process and you soon finding yourself losing track of the days once they start to blend together."
She kept quiet but nodded, unsure of what to say as he scratched the corner of the counter.
"No, the thing I need help with is... you see, it is customary of a village to send word or signal for a Monster Hunter should any sightings be present. Did you know that? That is my task as a Hunter, it is my public duty to protect the innocent, no matter what kingdom, land, or belief they serve, to protect any and all lives from the threat of all Monsters. Now, I understand that Monster Girls are quite rare around these plains, correct? When has their ever been a sighting of a Monster Girl or of any Monster around here?"
Janette chuckled and waved her palm side to side, dismissing his concern. "Pfft, the last time? I'm not that old you see, for as long as I've been in this village, and for as old as my neighbors are around here. None have made mention of any sightings beforehand, and people love to gossip around here. I would have known if there had been any sightings before."
Leone smiled back and shook his head in agreement. "Right, right. In that case, why is it that the one time there are such sightings, that the only one who sought to oppose the vote to signal for a Hunter was one named J'nette Olav Cicarrio?"
She gasped, caught speechless as she retreated until her butt pressed against one of the display tables. Reta stepped in to meet by her side, hands on her waist as she made sure to speak for her.
"I do not know what goes on in these meetings they have, but I would wonder why the village agreed not to vote rather than to place suspicion on the woman who doubted them. Plenty of adolescent children roam around freely with their mischievous acts to lie, steal and pull pranks. It is likely that you are here because of a simple prank that has gone out of hand."
"And I take it you were not present that day?" He asked with a raised brow.
"I was not, my arrival took place days after the event. You come in claiming to be a civil protector of sorts, but I am not fond of your act of intimidation to my companion. It is no different than that of an interrogation, albeit with a false demeanor. We are here to retrieve some items of importance before our departure, and we agreed to acquiesce with your investigation but not to follow through as perpetrators under suspicion of accusation. Now, we are on a tight schedule and our presence is needed elsewhere. I ask only once, and for your sake I hope you answer wisely, may we take our leave?"
Janette stared at Reta from the side, freaking out under the weight of her words. What is she doing, is she not aware of who she's talking to, or does she not care about putting our lives at risk? Such thoughts clouded her mind, restricting her from thinking of a way to avoid any further conflict. At this point she was helpless, caught under his palm like a cat eyeing a mouse, licking its snout as the mouse is struggling to break free from his paws. She was more than certain that the shiny object attached to his belt was his sword, and a Hunter's sword was enough for her to faint judging by what she's read about them.
Leone stood idly by, scanning Reta from head to toe as if analyzing her before approaching her with a step forward. She grew tense, clenching her fists and taking care to breathe in deep as she began to relax her body just in case. But he paused as he remained several feet from her, pressing his arm to his chest and taking a bow.
"My most humble apologies, I find myself unfairly taking out my stress on an innocent who deserves far better treatment than I could give. Mayhaps you are correct, these are simple suspicions and hold little to no weight with a lack of evidence or supporting details. You may leave of course, I do not hold you under restrains or arrest. I am in servitude of the people after all."
He stood up and adjusted his cloak, brushing his shoulder before stepping between them. "Thank you for your time you two, please enjoy the rest of your day."
And just like that, Janette watched quietly as the Hunter stepped out of the shop and left. She breathed a sigh of relief before her muscles turned into putty and she slid down into the floor, crumpled up like a used blanket.
Reta rolled her eyes and gave her a kick. "Compose yourself, you're bringing shame to me for even baring witness to such embarrassing actions. We must go before any more visitors should arrive."
"R-Right! I just, my bag." She stuttered, hurrying back to sweep her satchel out of the ground and swinging it over her shoulder, double-checking to make sure her book was inside.
From outside, Leone stepped out and calmly walked around to the back of the shop. He spotted Janette's carriage and stepped in, opening the passenger door to look inside. Closing it, he moved to the front bench as one of the two horses turned its neck and huffed, shaking its head. He rubbed his neck slowly, easing the horse to remain calm before his eyes took notice of a particular thread on the seat padding. Carefully, he plucked it between his fingers and held it between his eyes, studying it's silver color and texture. Looking back into the shop, he dug into his belt and retrieved a small leather pouch before spraying some light powder on the seats. Once he heard the pair of women approaching, he quietly retreated from the carriage just as Janette and Reta hopped in on the front.
"Okay, let's go home and let them know that he's here." Janette made mention to Reta, taking up the reins as the carriage began to squeak and exit from her shop, leaving the Hunter with a satisfied grin.
"T-Twenty-fifth?" Janette stammered as she clumsily stepped backward, finding comfort in Reta's hands on her arms to keep her from falling.
Leone bowed his head slowly, then pressed his feet together until the heels of his boots clicked. Pressing his fist to his chest, he sat upright and introduced himself in a more formal manner. "Leone Nishi Nohera of the twenty-fifth night, Monster Hunter at your service. I understand that normally my services are called upon by the gong of the village bell tower, but today I find myself summoned upon hearing word about sightings of a Monster Girl around this village."
He reached out for Reta's fingers, wrapping his fingers around her palm and raising her hand slowly. Reta watched with caution, balling her fist with a steady aim until she felt Janette squeeze her other arm. A quick look showed her shake her head in a pleading manner, and reluctantly Reta obeyed. Leone shook her hand slowly, letting go before bowing once again in her presence. When he lifted his gaze on her, he hummed with a sense of intrigue.
"What?" Reta asked sharply.
"Forgive me, it is just uncommon to find someone of your hair color and physical structure. You take care of your body as is evident by your lean figure. Are you a bodyguard perhaps, or do I find myself in the presence of a Knight?"
Reta scoffed, brushing her sky blue hair and tucking it behind her ear with a smirk. "Close but not quite. I am not a local so to say, but I appreciate your careful description of my appearance. Had you been remise and picked a more unwise selection of words, I would be forced to take your tongue as a peace offering for our incoming quarrel."
"Ah-haha, I admire a person with confidence and a sense of intimidation. I will be sure to take great caution when addressing you, miss?"
Reta crossed her arms and remained silent, her expression looking down on him as if she were unimpressed.
Janette began to sweat with concern, jumping in between them with her hands waving in front of her chest. "It's Reta, her name is Reta and my name is Janette."
"Janette, it's a pleasure. I believe you are aware of these sightings that have been reported?"
"Well, not quite. Could you um, would you be so kind as to explain to me about this Monster you seek?" She asked, fidgeting with the bracelet around her wrist as she kept eye contact with him.
His eyes narrowed briefly before he walked around to her side. "A Monster Girl to be precise, a Nekomata. It shares its appearance to that of a Human, but combined with feline features. Paws in place of their hands and feet, two tails above their rear, and cat ears atop their head. From what others have said around here, the sightings originated from several weeks prior. Had I been notified sooner, it would have been possible for me to track her."
"Well, how do you know it was a her? It could have just been any Monster-"
"No." He cut her off, startling her with a glare. "This is likely to be a Nekomata that we've been tracking for some time. The description of her appearance match with the one we've been tracking."
"So I see," Janette managed to put up a false smile, leaning against the table as he calmly walked past her with his hand sliding over the front counter. "H-how may I be of any assistance to you, Mr. Hunter?"
"Madamoiselle please, call me Leone. You can begin by reminding me what your name is." He asked, running his fingers against the wooden surface and scanning around the front counter. "You said it was Janette, yes?"
"Right." She replied, carefully walking toward him as Reta stood by and watched.
"Miss Janette, your name is on the sign. I hope my presence isn't the reason behind you closing for the day, is it?"
"W-What?" She stammered as he turned to look at her.
He smiled and waved his arm around. "The shop, it's rather empty this morning. Either you've yet to open or more likely you do not intend to open for today. If that is so, I won't be asking for much of your time, just a few minutes if you can spare them."
"Oh, oh no not at all. I just decided-or um, well, I meant to say that we don't open today anyways. I just forgot to pick up a few things first." She explained, finding confidence in her speech as she was relieved to hear that he would be leaving soon.
"That's good, how much can you tell me about the Monster Girl?" He asked, his smile fading away.
"Huh?" She blinked, finding her strength begin to fade as he kept his eyes on her without blinking.
"On the day of the sightings, people say they saw a man, described with brown unkept hair, carrying what looked like his partner in his arms. Only her description included the addition of large, furry paws for her hands and feet. One of the guards spotted them and the man fled from him. Traffic was heavy so I take it that it was a busy day for you then."
"It was." Janette answered honestly, recalling that day that she had an endless wave of customers that kept her busy through the morning.
"And then, a few of the locals said they saw this man cross the main road and slip in between shops to hide from the guards. No one spotted them afterward, they seemingly disappeared."
"Well," Janette swallowed, "It's likely they fled from the Den and continued running down the road. We would have recognized the human if he was from here."
"Yes, but with such a heavy traffic that day, it can be difficult to distinguish one head amongst a see of hundreds. It can be possible that they fled the village, in which case I would be wasting my time here. But there is one curiosity that I am hoping you could answer for me." His hand slid along his belt, parting his cloak as she noticed something shiny around his waist. But the glimpse was brief as he soon closed up his cloak around him to keep his body shrouded from prying eyes. He yawned and fanned his mouth, scratching his scalp and rubbing his eyes.
"Forgive me miss, it has been quite a journey getting here. In truth, you are fortunate to have the option of taking some time away from work. When your work becomes your life, it can be quite a lengthy process and you soon finding yourself losing track of the days once they start to blend together."
She kept quiet but nodded, unsure of what to say as he scratched the corner of the counter.
"No, the thing I need help with is... you see, it is customary of a village to send word or signal for a Monster Hunter should any sightings be present. Did you know that? That is my task as a Hunter, it is my public duty to protect the innocent, no matter what kingdom, land, or belief they serve, to protect any and all lives from the threat of all Monsters. Now, I understand that Monster Girls are quite rare around these plains, correct? When has their ever been a sighting of a Monster Girl or of any Monster around here?"
Janette chuckled and waved her palm side to side, dismissing his concern. "Pfft, the last time? I'm not that old you see, for as long as I've been in this village, and for as old as my neighbors are around here. None have made mention of any sightings beforehand, and people love to gossip around here. I would have known if there had been any sightings before."
Leone smiled back and shook his head in agreement. "Right, right. In that case, why is it that the one time there are such sightings, that the only one who sought to oppose the vote to signal for a Hunter was one named J'nette Olav Cicarrio?"
She gasped, caught speechless as she retreated until her butt pressed against one of the display tables. Reta stepped in to meet by her side, hands on her waist as she made sure to speak for her.
"I do not know what goes on in these meetings they have, but I would wonder why the village agreed not to vote rather than to place suspicion on the woman who doubted them. Plenty of adolescent children roam around freely with their mischievous acts to lie, steal and pull pranks. It is likely that you are here because of a simple prank that has gone out of hand."
"And I take it you were not present that day?" He asked with a raised brow.
"I was not, my arrival took place days after the event. You come in claiming to be a civil protector of sorts, but I am not fond of your act of intimidation to my companion. It is no different than that of an interrogation, albeit with a false demeanor. We are here to retrieve some items of importance before our departure, and we agreed to acquiesce with your investigation but not to follow through as perpetrators under suspicion of accusation. Now, we are on a tight schedule and our presence is needed elsewhere. I ask only once, and for your sake I hope you answer wisely, may we take our leave?"
Janette stared at Reta from the side, freaking out under the weight of her words. What is she doing, is she not aware of who she's talking to, or does she not care about putting our lives at risk? Such thoughts clouded her mind, restricting her from thinking of a way to avoid any further conflict. At this point she was helpless, caught under his palm like a cat eyeing a mouse, licking its snout as the mouse is struggling to break free from his paws. She was more than certain that the shiny object attached to his belt was his sword, and a Hunter's sword was enough for her to faint judging by what she's read about them.
Leone stood idly by, scanning Reta from head to toe as if analyzing her before approaching her with a step forward. She grew tense, clenching her fists and taking care to breathe in deep as she began to relax her body just in case. But he paused as he remained several feet from her, pressing his arm to his chest and taking a bow.
"My most humble apologies, I find myself unfairly taking out my stress on an innocent who deserves far better treatment than I could give. Mayhaps you are correct, these are simple suspicions and hold little to no weight with a lack of evidence or supporting details. You may leave of course, I do not hold you under restrains or arrest. I am in servitude of the people after all."
He stood up and adjusted his cloak, brushing his shoulder before stepping between them. "Thank you for your time you two, please enjoy the rest of your day."
And just like that, Janette watched quietly as the Hunter stepped out of the shop and left. She breathed a sigh of relief before her muscles turned into putty and she slid down into the floor, crumpled up like a used blanket.
Reta rolled her eyes and gave her a kick. "Compose yourself, you're bringing shame to me for even baring witness to such embarrassing actions. We must go before any more visitors should arrive."
"R-Right! I just, my bag." She stuttered, hurrying back to sweep her satchel out of the ground and swinging it over her shoulder, double-checking to make sure her book was inside.
From outside, Leone stepped out and calmly walked around to the back of the shop. He spotted Janette's carriage and stepped in, opening the passenger door to look inside. Closing it, he moved to the front bench as one of the two horses turned its neck and huffed, shaking its head. He rubbed his neck slowly, easing the horse to remain calm before his eyes took notice of a particular thread on the seat padding. Carefully, he plucked it between his fingers and held it between his eyes, studying it's silver color and texture. Looking back into the shop, he dug into his belt and retrieved a small leather pouch before spraying some light powder on the seats. Once he heard the pair of women approaching, he quietly retreated from the carriage just as Janette and Reta hopped in on the front.
"Okay, let's go home and let them know that he's here." Janette made mention to Reta, taking up the reins as the carriage began to squeak and exit from her shop, leaving the Hunter with a satisfied grin.
