Merchant Crab

Morning came and Balthazar woke up to the sounds of people on the streets, their chattering, the wagon wheels rolling against the cobblestones, and the horses neighing on their way to the markets.

He yawned and stretched as he peeked outside the cat-free window with groggy eyestalks. He missed his pond and its peaceful quietude, where he could sleep without the rude awakening of humans and their noisy city life. Except when some adventurer decided to show up at his bazaar as soon as the day dawned, begging for the supplies they’d forgotten back in town.

He almost missed those too.

Still trying to snap himself properly awake, the crab wondered what the strange nightmare he had was. All he could remember was the smell of burnt hair, and the rest escaped his memory like sand through his pincers.

Probably nothing…

After much effort, the merchant got Druma to wake up from his food coma and, along with Blue, the trio exited their rented room to find the main hall of the inn much more lively now that it was daytime.

The small dining area off to a corner near the kitchen had a few patrons sitting at their tables, enjoying a quick breakfast before leaving back to their travels or a day of shopping in town.

Balthazar could tell this place was on the upper-end of what Marquessa had to offer in terms of bed and board both because it was right at the center of town, next to the city hall, and because the renters occupying it all looked like wealthy travelers. Just like himself.

After the man who owned the inn told them to have a seat by a table they’d saved for the trio, his wife came out of the kitchen with a large platter. Apparently, the mayor’s office had already arranged for a full breakfast to be provided, sweets included.

A note accompanied a box of almond baklava pastries from Madame Margo’s Baking Boutique. In it, she apologized for not being able to send any of her many signature recipes with mango due to the ongoing supply issues, but that she hoped Balthazar would enjoy those as well.

The crab got the hint that it was in his pincers to solve the problem, but he was too busy drooling to feel the weight of responsibility for now.

He devoured the contents of the box in no time, thankful that neither Druma nor Blue cared much for sweets and were busy digging into their own meaty breakfasts.

While Madeleine’s baking still remained unmatched in its cozy, home-like charm, the fancy and elaborate work of Marquessa’s boutique was quickly growing on Balthazar.

Thankfully, the crab had enough room in his heart for both. As did his stomach.

He could not wait to tell Madeleine all about his pastry findings during his travels once they found and rescued her. Someday very soon, he hoped.

Sweets were not the only thing that Marquessian breakfast had to offer, however. Alongside the box of pastries also came a few loaves of beautiful, crispy bread, still steaming as the crab broke them open, pinching small pieces from inside it with his pincer as he reveled on the new form of baking he had picked up a taste for during his visit to Ardville.

After a full and filling breakfast, the fulfilled crustacean walked out of the inn and headed back to the guildhall next door.

As per their agreement, Balthazar was to come by and report on his findings, something he found slightly annoying—him having to report to anyone—but that he would oblige if it meant plentiful mango pie and prosperous trading in the future.

“Excuse me,” the merchant said as he reached the frustratingly tall counter at the center of the city hall.

The young woman behind the desk looked around confused at first, until she noticed the two eyestalks peeking up from behind the counter.

“Oh, it’s you again, Mr. Balthazar,” she said as a friendly smile appeared on her face. “What can I help you with today?”

“I’m looking for a… Captain Leander?” the crab said, trying his best to project his voice from behind the wooden obstacle in front him. “I was told to come and ask for him here.”

“Ah, of course,” the guildhall worker replied. “You will surely find him in the training room of the adventurer’s hall at this time of the day, providing his tutoring to them. I’ll show you the way.”

After telling his companions to wait for him there, Balthazar followed the girl into the section of the building dedicated to the Adventurers Guild, pondering the last part of what she had just said.

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Providing tutoring? Could he be one of these tutors the system mentioned could teach skills like the scrolls?

With his curiosity piqued, the traveler stepped through a screen door leading into a room with padded floors and several weapon racks lining the walls.

After pointing him in the right direction, the young staff member gave a slight bow and closed the door before returning to her station by the front desk.

On the other side of the training room, near some practice dummies made of wood and straw, was a man in robes, talking to a young adventurer.

“And remember, keep your mind calm, keep your feet moving, and use your weight to counter it,” the older man was telling the younger one as Balthazar approached. “Keep practicing and come see me again next week.”

With a friendly pat to the shoulders, the man sent the boy away and turned to face his new visitor.

“Ah, hello there,” Captain Leander greeted, placing both hands behind his back and standing with a straight posture that reminded Balthazar of the guardsmen standing to attention whenever Abernathy, the official from Ardville, had visited his pond.

He appeared to be in his fifties, perhaps even older, but to say he was a man past his prime would have been doing a disservice to his shape. His gaze looked as sharp as his jawline, which looked as if carved from the same polished marble of his bald head. If the merchant had to describe the veteran in one word, it would no doubt have been “stoic.”

Despite his average height and physique, the sections of his arms that were visible under the sleeves of his robe, as well as the part of his chest showing around his collarbones, revealed tight, toned muscles. No doubt tempered through a lifetime of hard work and most likely battle, judging by the several scars covering them.

“Hi. I’m Balthazar,” the crustacean told him.

“Indeed,” Leander replied with a tilt of his head. “I’ve been informed by our mayor that you’d be coming to see me soon. Have you made any progress with your investigation?”

“Right,” the traveler said while reaching into his backpack for the rolled-up map Suze had borrowed without asking the previous night. “We figured out the ones stealing the mangoes are probably Onion Jake’s crew, and went to their hideout to investigate.”

“We?” the captain said, cocking an eyebrow as a slight smirk formed in one corner of his mouth.

“Uh…” said Balthazar.

He knew the mayor’s right-hand man would almost surely be aware that his companions had been feasting at their hall all night and hadn’t come along with him. And confessing that a little girl from the streets had been helping him after so easily figuring out what was supposed to be his secret investigation into the stolen mangoes would not exactly look good.

“I… made some allies, we could say,” the crab declared.

Leander’s smirk grew. “I hope Olivia’s temper isn’t causing you much trouble.”

Balthazar frowned. “Wait, she told you about what we were doing?”

“No, but I’ve known that girl since she was born and even trained her myself,” the man said with a knowing smile. “I’m well aware she would not let her aunt’s command to not pursue this stop her.”

“Oh,” the crab said, slightly annoyed for having been so easily tricked into confirming their teaming up. “Anyway, long story short, we think Jake’s not the brain behind the operation, someone else is pulling his strings. We don’t know where they’re taking the stolen cargo, but we found this map in his quarters. It looks like it marks several of their secret locations. There’s a good chance one of them contains the stolen fruits.”

The captain examined the map carefully.

“Not bad, for one day on the job,” he said, his gaze still on the parchment. “You should continue investigating this. I believe you are on the right track.”

“Wait,” said Balthazar. “You’re not going to do anything with that? Look into those locations yourself? Send men to search these places?”

Captain Leander returned the map to the crab and placed his hands behind his back again as he inhaled deeply.

“I would very much like to do that,” he said, eyes forward, emptily staring at the weapons on the racks nearby. “But unfortunately, the baroness has instructed me to remain on the sidelines this time. My face is too well-known in this city. Any previous attempts at investigating this matter have led to nothing, as whoever is behind this has always seen my every move coming. It’s part of the reason you are doing this now. You’re an outsider.”

“Oh… I hope this isn’t going to lead to some resentment and eventual betrayal later,” Balthazar muttered.

The veteran chuckled quietly.

“No, don’t you worry. I hold no grudge. My failings are my own, and I would never dare question Lady Marquessa’s commands.”

Taking a few steps across the empty room, Leander stopped in front of a display holding several swords and axes.

“As for sending the guardsmen to search these locations,” he continued, running a finger along one of the blades as he talked. “Shamefully, it seems even our own men have been compromised, as I believe you’ve already learned. Any order given would no doubt be quickly relayed to whoever is behind this scheme, and they would once again evade us.”

“I see…” the crab said quietly.

“So it seems it falls on you, brave crab,” the captain said while turning back to face him, “to get to the bottom of this and uncover the truth. Only then can we fully root out this problem from our city. An achievable task, I’m sure, for the one who took down Ardville’s corrupt kingpin all by himself.”

“Right…” Balthazar said while avoiding Leander’s intense gaze. “So I guess I’ll keep at it until I can figure out who’s behind all the mango snatching.”

“Excellent. You do that,” the mayor’s right-hand man said. “And if there is anything I can do to assist, please let me know.”

The crab’s eyestalks perked up.

“Actually, there was one thing I was wondering. The girl from the front desk mentioned something about you mentoring adventurers. Are you by chance a… skill tutor?”

Leander looked at the merchant with a slightly intrigued expression.

“Indeed, I am,” he replied. “Were you interested in my skills?”

Balthazar’s smile grew.

“Very much so!”