In days remembered by the elderly, Saillune was a city of wide roadways, squat neat buildings, and clear sunny skies. Now, under the rule of the very young Queen Amelia, granddaughter of the ruler of the aforementioned days of yore, those things were still there. But the roadways now were cobbled to accomodate the horse carriages, and even a few of the horseless kind, foot traffic delegated to marked walkways. The buildings that had before appeared quaint were now gawky and unseemly, replaced with brick multi-storied versions that were all practicality. On days when clouds and factory smoke and steam didn't obscure the sky, the sun shone as brightly as ever. Of course, come night, fog and overcast lent an air of mystery and foreboding in an age when such superstition was publicly denounced and privately observed.
Only two generations ago, the world only knew magic but then the dwarves invented the steam engine and the gnomes made it practical to use. The academic realm of 'science', long forgotten by humans, was essentially reborn. Science and magic did not nullify or handicap each other, though many early purists would claim otherwise, however few people had the drive to study both as such both field continued to grow without interfering too much with the other. After all, science had its advantages in being relatively easy to be reproduced when steps were followed correctly and could be done by anyone. As such, technological advancement leaped forward. After a brief struggle, magic practitioners gave up on trying to compete in the 'item' market and instead focused the expansion of magic in research and applications that were currently beyond the touch of science.
Magic was still a respectable field of study, limited to a select number by an innate factor that neither science nor magic had discovered, though only researchers could use it solely as a profession. For those with the talent for it, magic served as an additional skill, an exotic and very versatile one, but in the end, a means no different perhaps than learning how to fire a gun or how to stitch up wounds. Magic was not inexhaustible and it was regulated.
Now, the people of the world, or rather the Demon Peninsula, a name from ancient times that unfortunately stuck, were, well worldly. Most of the populace in Saillune for example were familiar at least with the basics of magic and science and enjoyed the best of both worlds in their kingdom and city. They were an educated, tolerant people who treated well those who possessed equal enlightenment. Perhaps there were a few complaints here and there about mistreatment of the beastman labor workers and such but overall society worked well.
That does not of course mean that the society was utterly stagnant or dull. Why, the city of Saillune could boast a mark of distinction, albeit a minor one, of having within its city limits a rare Gold Dragon. Now, the Ryuzoku for the most part were considered dumb, belligerent, greedy beasts that belonged to a dead age. But the Gold Dragons were almost beings of legend, capable of taking human form and of casting magics far beyond that of humans and even elves. And Saillune had its own Gold Dragon by the name of Filia Ul Copt, a blond bosomed beauty who commonly made the papers for some reason or other.
"Gold Dragon scandalizes again! Read all about it in the Saillune Times!!" yelled the paperboy on the street corner, waving one of his wares in one hand, a stack of them under the other, and standing another stack to make himself taller. It did succeed in that area as one young lady paused before his sales pitch. "Would the lady like a paper?"
It was obvious to any passerby that the female he was speaking to was no lady, at least neither the wealthy type nor the titled type. Her coat, though fashionable once, was obvious a few years old and the skirt of her gown underneath was not of the fine material that high society practically restricted use of to itself by virtue of astronomical cost. Her unstyled red hair fell long and loose down her back, a cap of knitted wool plopped almost precariously on the mess. No lady of fashion would even think of appearing outside without her hair in a perfect coiffure much less a hat to cover it from disarrangement by the wind.
"Five copper pieces to read about how Filia showed her tail again?" The lady raised a slim eyebrow and was rewarded with a cross expression from the boy. She had guessed the 'scandalous' news accurately. It was always a scandal when the Gold Dragon lost partial control over her form and her tail popped out. The older crones of society decried the ryuzoku as a harlot, as they considered the showing of her tail even more vulgar than the showing of a lady's ankles.
"Look, lady, do you want one or not?" He was being barely polite, but he didn't want her to stick around and ruin his sale chances by blurting out the news for free. Underneath his breath, he added, "And if you don't, you should just bugger off."
Oh she heard that, her hearing was better than most. Some of those newfangled scientists who studied inheritance would claim it was due to her elven blood, diluted as it was coming from her maternal grandfather. She thought it was just a bunch of quackery since she didn't even have elven ears.
She smiled widely, what she called her 'business' smile, at the boy, pretending she didn't hear that last part and left. If this had been back home, she might of kicked the boy off of his perch, especially since it made him taller than her, or perhaps decked him. But this wasn't Zefeel, capital of Zefilia, and she was no longer a wild tomboy, bane to the boys her age, just as her sister was. No, Lina Inverse had an appearance to maintain.
She held a degree in magic from the Zefeel Royal College of Sorcery in Zefilia, an advanced degree in Magical Applications from the University of Magic in Sairaag, a second level license to practice magic in the city of Saillune, and a license to work as a private investigator, also in Saillune. Lina had settled in the neighboring kingdom's capital three years ago and soon developed a reputation as an investigator who got the job done, if one was in a hurry and not too picky on how it was done.
She would claim that it was discrimination against her gender and jealousy of her success that such slander was spread. Newspapers, which Lina considered a mixed blessing, made it quite easy for people to be kept up-to-date on her 'exploits' as the reporters dubbed them.
The fact that her first, and most publicized, case dealt with one of Saillune's richest but definitely most eccentric gentry family was probably why her reputation for having...explosive results had been so well-remembered. The mere mention of that family's name around her tended to garner the speaker a Lina Inverse Special Evil Eye.
Oh well, there were always the desperate.
But really, Lina's situation wasn't as bad as it appeared to be. She apparently did quite well in her business to be able to maintain a flat of her own in a nice part of town. Her landlady was gaining gray hairs at a rapid rate. On one hand, Lina was a risk by herself but on the other, people were less likely to attempt a housebreak in fear of facing Lina's wrath. Lina didn't inquire too deeply, she was getting quite the deal out of the place thanks to the haggling skill of the merchant blood running through her veins.
It was too bad that merchant blood didn't have a golden touch, Lina sighed to herself, wistfully eyeing a new Bellevair gown on display in the dressmaker's window. But she hadn't gotten any cases recently so the money wasn't coming in. If this had been in her grandmother's day, she could have gone around blowing up bandits and stealing their ill-gotten loot. However, today, doing that would likely get her net her a zero profit since all of the loot would be confiscated by the state and besides her license didn't cover anything outside of the city limits.
"I see your taste is still as expensive as ever."
A shiver ran up Lina's back and it wasn't because of a sudden draft creeping up her coat or her petticoats. She knew that voice anywhere and cursed the reason that she did know it so well. Yes, the job had paid well, financially though as she's noted before, the reputation earned wasn't one she was particularly happy with. However, she would give it all back just to see that man get his comeuppance. Or to get her hands around that neck of his... But oh no, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her. She could give as good as she got.
Lina plastered on her best 'pleasant' face and smiled to the reflection of the speaker in the mirror. "Not as expensive as yours I'm certain. After all, having everything given to you your entire life tends to diminish any sense of economy." She was so glad he wasn't titled. If she had to be deferential to him as well...well, his family would be looking for a new heir.
Towering at least by a head over Lina's petite height, the fair-skinned young man dressed in the height of this season's fashion only smiled at her jab. His face, which Lina perversely refused to acknowledge as handsome, had some kind of exotic quality that most of Society attributed to his mother's own exotic heritage. Though he wore a dark coat over his suit, unlike Lina he wore no head covering and his violet hair danced lightly in the breeze around his piercing blue eyes. Lina especially hated those eyes, because they always looked like they were looking down on her. Which was what he was always doing, that damned, egotistical, heartless 'gentleman'.
"Yes, I do admit I enjoy the finer things of life." A finger covered in fine leather trailed under her chin, turning her to face him, and then picked out a loose lock of Lina's long red hair that had escaped from her hood. Taking it in his hand, he brought it to his lips. In a low seductive tone that would go no farther than Lina's ears, he asked, "And what is your price?"
Lina's answer was a resounding slap. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything else without getting arrested for assault against a member of the gentry. It was times like these when she really cursed the advantages of the so-called higher social stations. No matter what, she was technically still a commoner and those with titles and money could get the law, even in Saillune, to bend their way. However, Lina's temper didn't always obey social niceties so her feet got her as quickly away from a potential explosion as quickly as possible.
"My my, brother, you were asking for that one." A younger version of the gentleman who so very recently was a recipient of Lina's slap stepped away from the lamp post against which he had been leaning and watching the free entertainment. The looks that made his older brother exotic in turn only made him look impish.
"As if you could hear what I was saying."
"Not a word," he rejoindered cheerfully, not the least bit dampened. "But she did. You really like to play with fire don't you, Zel."
Zelgadiss Graywords, eldest son of the Graywords house, pushed back the hair that had fallen over his face as he got up. Under the cover of that gesture, he watched Lina disappear among the crowd before turning a considering gaze at the dress she had been looking at. That girl had a big problem with being honest with herself. "No, just her," he smirked, as he and his brother returned to their waiting carriage.
With the coming of night, fog rolled into the city and around the docks.
Yes, Saillune wasn't anywhere near the ocean but some time under the rule of the Queen's exalted late father, King Philionel el Saillune, the nearby river had been re-routed to pass near the expanded boundaries of the city. That allowed a heavy river industry to grow, therefore necessitating the need for docks and dock workers.
Gourry, one of many many dockworkers, didn't mind manual labor. Though it didn't pay particularly well and it had varying work hours, few questions were asked about who you were and where you came from and Gourry like that just fine. Besides, it was honest work, loading and unloading crates, barrels, and whatnot from the freighters that would carry the goods down the western and eastern trading lines. Of course, there were rumors of river creatures and water hags being the result of the high turnover of dockworkers but Gourry had never seen anything like those.
Now he was pretty sure he saw a fishman sneaking around the other night...
Well, it wasn't his lookout. That was why there were patrolmen around, to catch any kind of illegal activity. So naturally he didn't pay any mind to a late arrival, he had worked enough hours today. He did of course look up at the sound of splintering wood, which was the ship plowing mindlessly into one of the docks. People, those who were awake enough, were yelling and screaming at the captain who must have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Gourry, being a simple person with simple concerns, decided that this was something the dockmaster and the patrolmen, and not a lowly dockworker, needed to take care of. Besides, he had an early day tomorrow and he hadn't grabbed a bite to eat yet. As he sauntered away from the riverside, he debated on whether he should try for the bosomy brunette at the Crow's Nest or that voluptuous new blonde being broken in over at Sam's place.
This was not the kind of news that should appear before a lady before her morning toilet, Lina frowned, reading the headline article in the morning paper that had been delivered up with her breakfast. Reporters wrote articles that would sell and people were drawn to the grotesque. So instead of the headline being "Ship Plowed Into Docks", it was "Vampire Ship".
Skimming through the article quickly, Lina picked out the important details that were either glossed over or exaggerated for the sake of a story. The ship had arrived late, not only relative to the day but also to its expected arrival time. All crewmates were found dead, from paralyzed horror to brutal mutilation, drained of blood though there was also plenty of blood all over the ship. The police were currently investigating it and had closed off that part of the docks.
Lina could easily see how the press could get away with sensationalizing the news with the idea of a vampire as the culprit. Such creatures did exist after all even if most people in their lifetimes never saw a goblin much less a powerful undead like a vampire. Well, vampire weren't particularly noted for being hoarders of treasure, nor were there any general bounties out for them, so even if there was a vampire on the loose in Saillune, Lina had no need to look for it. One doesn't have to go harking for trouble, especially not her while she was waiting for more gainful employment.
There was a knock on her door, the curt knock that her landlady used to announce her presence. It wasn't the day to pay the rent, not that Lina needed reminding. She hadn't asked for more breakfast, Mrs. Witherspoon was now more than familiar with the quantity of food Lina wanted to eat. The wrinkled prune's lips were always pressed tight when she wasn't lecturing Lina on the 'proper' behavior of a young, unattached lady. Anyway, Lina wasn't sure what kind of business her landlady wanted of her.
"You have a gentleman caller, miss." Mrs. Witherspoon's lips were barely visible, her disapproval radiating like a fiery aura around her. Taking the name card, Lina wasn't sure whether the old lady was disapproving of the early hour that Lina had a caller, or because Lina, in her dressing gown, was in no manner suitably dressed to be greeting anyone.
Wondering if perhaps her luck was beginning to change, Lina's red eyes dropped down to the name gracing the ivory card. She swore, a legacy of her wilder days, and yet another thing Mrs. Witherspoon thoroughly disapproved of.
"Miss Inverse!" The old widow was on the verge of a lecture on propriety.
"Tell him to go away." Lina was in no mood to listen to her landlady or her gentleman caller. "I don't care what you tell him, but just get rid of him." She pushed the door closed only to have it jam.
"How cruel Lina, and after I woke up at this atrociously early hour just to come to see you." The door was pushed open again, revealing Zelgadiss, impeccably dressed as always, smiling like a smug cat. "Ah, breakfast! I haven't eaten yet. Thank you, goodwife, you may leave." Ignoring the gaping mouth of the widow who was on the verge of either hyperventilating or just speechless at the audacity of youths these days, he firmly shut the door in her face. "Charming dressing gown by the way."
There were three retorts in Lina's head, fighting to pass out of her mouth and blister the young man's ears back, if he had any delicacy of mind, which she heavily doubted. Zelgadiss was giving her an expectant look, clearly signaling that the next move was hers. She could go to her room and change into something more appropriate but that meant leaving him alone in the main room and up to who knows what mischief. Forget it, she wanted her breakfast and if he tried or insinuated anything, she could chalk it up to assault on an innocent maiden and burn him.
"I'm sure you have plenty in your wardrobe. For all of your, ah, shall I say overnight guests?" Lina replied acidly, re-seating herself at the table. She didn't bother inviting him to take a chair or to eat something but he just sat himself. Bloody gentry. Lina eyed him out of the corner of her eye as she spread jam on a piece of toast, he had that look that he was contemplating whether to say anything or to just be safe and be quiet.
Apparently, his younger brother was right. He did like playing with fire.
"I'd love to have yours."
And persistent, too.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. It slipped," Lina lied in mock chagrin at the piece of apricot jam toast that had somehow 'slipped' from her hand and landed in Zelgadiss's face.
Unperturbed, he removed it. "An accident," he acknowledged, infuriating Lina with his lack of response for her to work with. "I do enjoy apricot."
Lina counted to ten and reminded herself that she was not to bend or throw the silverware. They ate breakfast in stony silence, like a married couple in the midst of a bad disagreement. Not that either of them would see it that way.
"Ah, I see you've seen the paper," Zelgadiss gestured to the folded paper Lina had been reading before his arrival as he wiped away the last of the jam still stuck to his face. "That saves me a bit of explaining then. You'll take the commission?"
"Eh? Commission?" Lina looked at the paper. For the life of her, she didn't remember any offers for third party investigators in the headline story case. At least, she assumed that was what he was referring to. She hadn't yet had a chance to read any of the other articles. Perhaps there was an advertisement.
Well, that would explain why he was here, kind of. Assuming he had woken up earlier enough to have read the paper before her, gotten dressed, skipped breakfast, and gotten his carriage to her steps while she was still eating. Though why he would care and bother she couldn't fathom.
Unless this was more of that contrary game he liked to play at her expense. And if that was the case, he was probably here to dissuade her from taking this commission because it suited him someway or other. Well, she wasn't going to do something just because he wanted her to, and besides, she needed money.
Now this kind of thinking is kind of dangerous. After all, Lina didn't know exactly what the job was about. But she doubted Zelgadiss would come all this way to dissuade her from taking a case she wouldn't have taken anyway. That included things like assisting criminals, providing 'personal services' to perverted old men and such, or pretending to be someone's fiancée, all of which were things she had been approached in the past to do.
"Of course, that commission," Lina laughed, as if she knew all along what he was talking about. "As a matter of fact, I had just decided on it before you came in. Besides, it's no concern of yours whether I take it or not."
"Really?" he replied rhetorically, raising an eyebrow, smiling that I-know-something-you-don't smirk and making Lina feel very uncomfortable. Maybe she shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. "Then it's such a good thing I came by. Saving you all the trouble of having to come to us and all."
"Eh?" Lina squeaked intelligently for the second time this morning. She really wanted to grab that paper and find out once and for all what they were talking about. He was not taking this the way she was expecting him to. He had come to dissuade her hadn't he?
"Now let's see, I think the same arrangement as last time? One hundred up front and four hundred upon completion and resolution of the case." Zelgadiss smiled, a smile that didn't reassure Lina at all. "Naturally, any damages you incur during the case will be deducted. And I trust you won't run off in the middle of the investigation, professionalism and all that."
Lina was gaping like a fish, then throwing pretensions out the window, grabbed the paper. Zelgadiss helpfully pointed to a paragraph further beyond than what Lina had read. "The Graywords family will be hiring their own private investigator to look into this affair, one that they've worked successfully with in the past. I'm sure your readers are familiar with Lina Inverse."
Lina stared at the name of the interviewee. "Zel..."
"It must be fate that we're working together again."
Kami-samaaaaaaaaaaa!!