21. Ideas and RevetionsThe next day, afternoon.

  Inside the interrogation room, it was now Brando's turn to be interrogated. The guard in front of him had big periorbital dark circles.

  "I'm going to interrogate you, Mr. Diecimiglia. Do you understand?"

  "I understand."

  "Great. So... First question: Is your name Brando Diecimiglia?"

  Brando's eyes widened. He was dumbfounded.

  "Y-yes? What question is this?"

  "It's a legitimate question, mostly asked to inmates more than to witnesses. Still... Second question: Where were you yesterday's afternoon?"

  The man's tone was apathetic.

  "I was mostly wandering around, until i started my guard duty at 15:00, with Agamennone. We decided that he would protect the prize inside hut while i would control the surroundings outside."

  "And did you two remain in your pce for the rest of your guard duty?"

  "Well, we remained to guard the hut and the prize for almost all our time until we were noticed that the theft has happened. Except for a small time window, during which we went to the bathroom consecutively: I went first, he went second."

  The guard scratched his own chin.

  "That means that between your partner had the opportunity to steal the first prize."

  "Indeed. But i'm sure he wasn't him. He doesn't seem the type to me."

  "That's for the judge to see. Next question: Can someone confirm your statement?"

  "The primary suspect."

  The demon combed his hair with his hand. He was rexed. The guard was strangely pleased.

  "You know, people are usually very tense when they are here. You instead are keeping your cool. That's great... Usually tense people are irritable... And it's stressful to interact with them."

  Brando smiled.

  "I understand that tense people are difficult to deal with... And that's why i'm trying my keep my cool."

  "Ah... About keeping your cool... Can you confirm that the primary suspect has threatened the people present during his arrest with unspeakable evil things."

  The demon faked a worried expression.

  "Sadly that's true, but you have to understand that his words were just empty threats said in a moment of anger, nothing more, nothing less."

  "Well... It may be true, but his reaction was exaggerated nonetheless... And honestly... I think a guy who threatens random people when he loses his temper is also a guy who steals golden coins if he has the right occasion. People like you, on the other hand... Are the people that our nation needs."

  The guard extended his hand towards Brando, who shaked it in response.

  "Well, i've asked you anything i needed, so you're free to go. Send the next person in here to question him."

  "Sure."

  Brando then left the room.

  Later.

  Domenica was working in a bar. She was making a coffee to a client.

  "Here's your coffee."

  She put the coffee on the counter. She then took two pastries with a pair of kitchen tongs and put it on a pte, that then she also put on the counter.

  "And here are your two plum-filled muffins. You can pay ter, don't worry. Take your time to eat."

  "Thanks, dy."

  The client took his food and sat at a table. Meanwhile Domenica look at the clock on the wall of the enstablishment.

  'My dear Brando's interrogation is probably ended. I should probably start my cycle of calls...'

  She took her phone, calling a person.

  "Hey! I need to talk to you."

  The voice on the other side was excited.

  "Domenica! I also want to talk to you, You don't know how much i want to talk with you!"

  The girl, on the other hand, was annoyed.

  "Gennaro, i've called you to ask you to come at the bar 'Cafè Cicoria' tonight, around 22 o'clock. And don't set high expectations, or expectations at all. If i'm asking you to come here, it's to put an end to your love fantasies!"

  "I'll come. But i'm sure nothing would stop me to pursue you! My friend Tiberio has made me see the light. I'll never yield again!"

  "..."

  "Domenica? Domenica?"

  The girl closed the call as soon as he procimed his intent to still pursue her.

  'He's reaching completely new levels of obnoxiousness... This Tiberio should have minded his own business... If i ever meet him i want to punch his face so hard to make him spit all of his teeth!'

  Done that, she then called Brando.

  "Hi... Brando... Are you free to talk now?"

  "Sure."

  "Well then. I've called my annoying pursuer. I've told him to meet me at the bar where i work, 'Cafè Cicoria', tonight at 22 o'clock. So i can show you to him and we will finally make him understand that his love fantasies are only pointless delusions!"

  The girl was burning from the satisfaction she's expecting from the encounter.

  "Yes baby. I'll come. It will be a pleasure to put him in his pce while shattering his delusions..."

  "Yeah... And then we can have some fun together too. Once he leaves, obviously."

  Brando's voice was uncertain.

  "We... We'll see... I don't know... Still, I'll see you tonight, don't worry. Goodbye."

  "Goodbye dear Brando."

  The call ended. Domenica put her phone in her pocket as she returned to the counter, where two people were now waiting to be served. She was a bit surprised.

  "Sorry for making you wait... I had an urgent call to make... What do you want to order?"

  Meanwhile.

  Gennaro, who was in his office at the adventurer's guild, was in a bad mood.

  'Domenica! Why are you telling me such things! I love you!'

  As he was immersed in his thoughts, someone knocked on his door.

  "Enter"

  A catgirl entered the room.

  "Guildmaster, i wanted to talk to you."

  "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK WITH ME, TIMOTEA? DON'T YOU SEE I'M DESPERATE!?"

  Timotea rolled his eyes.

  "I want to talk about your brother."

  The guildmaster stood up from his chair.

  "I'm not in the mood to talk. Go away!"

  Timotea was losing her patience.

  "Then why have you made me enter your office?"

  "I... I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT SHOOING YOU AWAY!"

  The girl smmed her fist on the guildmaster's desk, scaring him a bit.

  "Tell me something about your brother. He was... An acquaintance's partner and now such acquaintance has been accused of theft and arrested."

  The demon looked at the girl with a confused expression.

  "Agamennone has been arrested? Oh, drat! He's going to sully the adventurer's guild's reputation!"

  "I don't think he's responsible. After all he was Brando's partner... And we both know what kind of person Brando is..."

  The guildmaster snapped.

  "WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING!? BRANDO IS A GREAT PERSON, WAY MORE MORAL THAN YOUR STUPID FRIEND! NOW SCRAM, YOU'VE MADE ME LOSE MY PATIENCE!"

  Gennaro pointed his finger at the door of his office. The cat-girl, weirded out and disgusted by his response, left his office while gring at the man.

  'Unstable idiot!'

  'That obnoxious girl!'

  The catgirl went down the stairs and reached the ground floor of the guild, then she sat behind the counter. There she picked her phone from a pocket of her uniform. She talked into it

  "Have you heard everything Ti? Is there something suspicious that he's said?"

  "Well... It's not really something he said... It's more about how he said something... He asked if Agamennone was arrested."

  The cat-girl raised her eyebrow in confusion.

  "What's wrong with it? I also thought it was a weird question, but Agamennone being arrested has been made public."

  "That's the point. He had no reason to make that question. I know that it's a stretch but... Why did he make that question when he could have easily got the answer? I may be biased, but i think that he already knew that Agamennone was going to be arrested. I'm no detective though..."

  "If that may help, i can always search his office should he leave... I've a lot of time today, since i've been choosen as his temporary repcement... And to think he didn't even want to employ him because there were too many people on the staff side..."

  The bck-haired girl ended her speech by compining.

  "I don't think you'll find anything useful but... It's always better to control everything."

  "Ok then. Bye."

  "Bye."

  The call ended. Meanwhile in the guildmaster's office Gennaro was tapping his fingers on his desk. He was pensive, looking at the phone. He snorted, then he looked around.

  'Should i bring him with me? What if she ridicules me for bringing someone with me... I need to think well!'

  Finally, after shaking his head, he took his phone. After a bit of time, the call was answered.

  "Hi."

  "Hi Tiberio, it's me, Gennaro... I have a meeting with Domenica tonight... I wanted to know if you could keep me company as he "

  "I can come. Why though?"

  Gennaro continued tapping the desk with his fingers.

  "I'm a bit anxious. Domenica has said that she will put an end to my 'love fantasies'."

  Tiberio's answer arrived after a bit of dey.

  "I'm sure she's testing you. She wants someone whose love for her is undeterred, so she's trying to prove your love for her. I'll do my best to support you. Before you leave, i'll suggest you to buy her a gift, like a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine, then she'll fall at your feet. It's a proven method."

  The guildmaster rexed.

  "If you say so then i'll do it. Thank you. My date with Domenica is at 'Cafè Cicoria' at 22 o'clock. I'll wait you here."

  "I'll be here. We're friend after all... Not like Agamennone who i thought he was a friend but i ter discovered that he never cared about me."

  Gennaro ughed.

  "That guy's a weirdo. From when he started working here he made absolutely no friends. He doesn't even seem to care about friends... And that makes him even more of a weirdo."

  "I agree... But i think he needs someone to heal him. No sane person wants no friends, in fact he demonstrated such fact by being a criminal."

  The guildmaster made an awkward smile.

  "I think you're exaggerating a bit. Still, i'll wait for you tonight."

  The demon ended the call.

  That evening.

  The guildmaster changed from his uniform into his casual clothes, and was ready to leave the guild. As he left, he waved at Timotea.

  "Good evening Timotea. I'm leaving. Take care of the hall."

  The demon then left, not waiting for any answer. The bck-haired girl waited for around a minute, watching the TV in the entrance hall, after which she rushed towards the guildmaster's office. She opened the door.

  'As always, he never locks his office.'

  She then started searching the entire office, attempting to make less disorder as possible. She started by opening the desk's drawers.

  'Documents... Documents... Documents...'

  Finding nothing, she then went towards a drawer, opening all the drawers.

  "Profiles... Profiles... Commission notices... Completed commissions... Nothing useful..."

  She then looked in every other pusible pce, like under the cushion of an armchair, behind a malnourished and etioted pnt, inside the forked terracotta pot and between the books in the bookshelf, still finding nothing. She sighed.

  'He really left no notes... They probably only talked in their meetings... Drat!'

  She then approached the drawer again, starting to open all the documents in here one by one.

  'How annoying... I'll have to go through every single file in hope to find something...'

  Meanwhile

  Gennaro entered a wine shop. He approached the owner, attempting to sound confident.

  "I'd like to buy a wine as a gift for my soon to be girlfriend."

  The owner nodded.

  "So... Have you any idea what kind of wine she could like?"

  "Uhm..."

  The guildmaster remained silent for many seconds. The owner, seeing him, sighed.

  "You're not a wine fan, are you?"

  Gennaro shook his head.

  The owner, a massive orc with a white beard, ughed.

  "Well... I'm not only here to sell, i'm also here to help. Can you tell me something more about your girlfriend?"

  The demon scratched his chin.

  "She's... Refined... Sweet... Beautiful... Innocent..."

  The orc scratched his head.

  "I see... then... I have what you need."

  The orc went into his celr, only to return ter with a bottle of "de Abbacchio rosé perlé doux."1It may make even less sense of what i intended, as it's transted with with google transte

  "This is a sweet wine, that's easily appreciated by casual drinkers. It's also rather expensive. Which means that snobs and incompetents will think it's good despite its actual quality through pcebo effect, as long as you mention the price or the qualities first."

  The demon looked at the almost spherical bottle, observing it throughly.

  "How much does it cost?"

  "Three gold coins and 20 silver coins."

  "Deal!"

  The demon paid the bottle, picking the coins from his bag, then he put the bottle in the same bag.

  "Thank you, dear customer, i'll hope to see you again."

  The orc waved at the guildmaster as the tter left the shop. Gennaro looked at the bottle again, this time smiling.

  'Domenica, tonight i'll conquer you!'

  Some time ter.

  Still in the guildmaster's office, Timotea was now putting back all the documents she opened. She was trembling from fury, her eyes wet from unshed tears.

  'USELESS! ALL MY WORK HAS BEEN USELESS! I FOUND NOTHING! DRAT! ALL MY FAULT! ALL MY FAULT FOR PROPOSING VIOLANTE TO SEARCH THE GUILDMASTER'S OFFICE!'

  The cat-girl was slowly shedding her tears as a form to get rid of her frustration. She ran downstair, finding absolutely no one in the entrance hall.

  'At least there's no queue from my absence... I hope no one's left because they didn't find me...'

  She sat behind the counter, watching the tv, emotionally drained by her previous duty. She was almost cathatonic. She picked her phone with her hands from her pocket and made a call.

  "Vi... I've found nothing... I've searched everywhere... I even searched all the files in the office. There was nothing... NOTHING!"

  The girl both sad and angry.

  "Ti... I... I thank you for helping me... I... I'll come there, if you want, to keep you some company... I can buy you something if you want... I'll make sure to not waste your effort... I appreciate that, a lot."

  The voice on the other side was calm and rather motherly.

  "Vi... Thank you... I'll wait for you here... I... Want to make you pay for it..."

  Her tone suddenly became pyful as she threatened her friend.

  "Ti... Don't make threats you can't deliver..."

  Vionte's voice was pyfully teasing, before returning to a calmer tone.

  "... Now i'm home, dinner's almost ready, i'll come to you once i've finished. I can tell mom to let me bring you some food if you want."

  "Don't worry Vi... My parents have already left some leftovers to me this night."

  "Then i'll bring them to you myself."

  The cat-woman's eyes widened.

  "Vi! Don't go on such length for bringing me food earlier."

  "You've gone to great lengths for me, so i'll do the same for you... Even then, our houses are rather close, which means that actually i'm not really bothering myself too much."

  "Well... I... Appreciate it Vi... I'll wait for you and for food to come. Goodbye."

  "Goodbye."

  The call ended. Timotea sighed, now devoid of any frustration, as she put her phone back. She then decided to continue watching the TV, this time actively. She grabbed the remote control, changing channel until she found out a cooking show.

  After around one hour and a quarter, Vionte arrived at the guild, carrying a paper bag on her hand. Looking at her friend, she smiled warmly, with Timotea replying with an awkward one. The half-succubus took a chair from a table in the entrance hall and put it in front of the counter. Then she put the adventurer's food on the counter. Said adventurer observed her friend with a curious look.

  "I want to know what my parents said when you came at my home..."

  "They just said not to break any pte. Otherwise they were happy for you to dine earlier today."

  The indigo-haired girl put the ptes out of the bag and set the counter with the ptes in front of the adventurer. She then also added the cutlery and a napkin. She suddenly smiled, with her cheeks becoming red.

  "I should have put on my mother's sexy maid outfit for this occasion."

  The bck-haired woman, almost ready to eat, was shocked.

  "Vi! What's with such proposal?"

  The half-succubus smiled awkwardly

  "We're friends... And friends tease each other, right? And then... It's just skin... As long as you don't touch me without my consent it's fine to wear... such outfits for friends... Don't you think?"

  The adventurer became pensive.

  "I think... It depends on how much close such friends are..."

  Vionte suddenly invaded the catgirl's personal face, being just inches away from the tter's face.

  "Are you saying that we aren't close friends?"

  Her tone was teasing. She also pouted at the end of the her speech. Such move made the adventurer slightly uncomfortable.

  "We are close friends..."

  Noticing this, the half-succubus smiled warmly before sitting in front of the cat-girl, who started to eat her meal. After a moment of silence, the bck-haired woman, who was eating a sagna, spoke up.

  "So... How should we act now?"

  The magenta-eyed woman sighed.

  "I thought this was time for you to unwind... Not another briefing."

  "I know but... Aren't you worried for... The Demon Lord... Rotting in jail and for Brando approaching you?"

  The other girl became pensive as Timotea questioned her.

  "There are no proves against Agamennone, other than the stolen money on his locker... However i've been told that said locker, like all the others, are not locked. So anyone could have put the stolen prize in it... Even if the first thought is indeed Agamennone being stupid and putting the money he stole in his own locker. If the locker wasn't free to access, it would have been easier to define the suspects as those who had contacts with Agamennone, himself included. However with accessible lockers like these we can't really exclude that him being incriminated has an aleatory component. We have to capitalize on Brando making mistakes, sadly. However... Brando also has to make a move. He's pying very safe, but that will not really grant him a victory, which is Agamennone being arrested for a long time."

  The woman sighed, dejected. The cat-woman, seeing that her friend's face was darkening, offered her some food.

  "Do you want a piece of sagna?"

  The demonic girl shook her head

  "No, i don't want to eat your dinner."

  As Timotea ate, Vionte tapped her fingers on the counter.

  "So... Last time... When you and the demon lord went on mission together... It was the guildmaster that told you to accompany him, right?"

  The catgirl nodded as her mouth was full.

  "And nothing happened..."

  The catgirl started to focus.

  "Yes... Nothing really happened... Except... I was surprised that they decided to remove the dangerous boulders that day... But it happened that we were quite far from it. I don't know if it useful."

  The indigo-haired girl smirked, her expression having a hint of insanity.

  "Everything's going to be useful."

  The dark-haired girl looked at her friend.

  "Vi... You're... You're making me uncomfortable..."

  The half-succubus rolled her eyes.

  "That's not the moment to address my ck of restraints, that's the moment to address every single detail we can find, so... Did you perhaps noticed who was in charge of removing the boulders? Or if there was a quest about removing it?"

  Timotea thought for a bit

  "I've looked at too many of those files... But... Yes, there was a quest about removing a boulder, but i don't remember the specifics... Sorry."

  Her friends looked at the catgirl's eyes with an intense gaze.

  "Do you at least remember where it was stored?"

  "It was in a chest of drawers... third drawer i think, in the completed quests section."

  Vionte stood up and rushed upstairs, with the catgirl surprised by her actions. The indigo-haired woman went into the guildmaster's office and extracted the mentioned drawer. She looked at the name of the folders and extracted the one dubbed "Boulder removal quest". She opened it and read it all, a ominous smirk forming in her face. She carefully put the folder back. She was giggling in a sinister way. Before she left the room, however, she also searched the guildmaster's desk, taking a map from it.

  "The one who took the quest was Tiberio, the guy who are in the same css as Agamennone and yourself. "

  "Really?"

  The half-succubus, now a bit less unhinged, sat down again.

  "Indeed. Tomorrow we'll question him to get all the informations"

  Timotea finished her sagna. She put the dishes in the bag before eating a steak. As she started to eat the steak, she noticed the map.

  "Why have you taken a map?"

  "Because i'm now going to do an exercise in straw clutching. I can't do things which make sense at the moment..."

  She put the map on an unobstructed side of the counter. She then looked at it. She pointed at Pocaroba Hill

  "So... The boulders were there..."

  She then looked at Timotea.

  "Ti... Do you remember where you went together with Agamennone?"

  Timotea ate a piece of steak, then she got up and looked at the map. She pointed at the forest southwest of Pocaroba Hill.

  "We went there... Then we wandered around to fetch some herbs."

  The magenta-eyed girl looked at the map. She pointed at Pocaroba Hill, then at the forest, then at the hill again. She then looked at the road near the hill, following it on both sides. She smirked.

  "I think i've found out what Brando was thinking... He wanted an 'accident'..."

  "An 'accident'?"

  The catgirl was confused.

  "They wanted to ftten Agamennone under a rain of boulders. I'm sure of it."

  Timotea felt some unease at her friend's confidence.

  "Are... You sure you aren't seeing too much cartoons? Because this pn is cartoonish. This is reality!"

  "I already told you that i'm going to stretch things until they snap if it's for our Lord sake, who also happens to be a person i rather like."

  The bck-haired girl diverted her gaze.

  "I... I understand. I just don't want you making a fool of yourself."

  Vionte patted her friend's head, which looked at her in response with a faint blush.

  "But... This pns needs at least two people to work..."

  Her top ears straightened as she realized.

  "...The guildmaster!"

  Vionte nodded.

  "My hypothesis is that Brando would have accompanied Agamennone towards the Pocaroba Hill, and once they were under the boulders, the guildmaster would make them fall."

  The cat-woman scratched her chin.

  "I see at least three problems... First: Wouldn't Brando die too if he guides Agamennone towards his death trap?"

  "Brando? I'm sure he's strong enough not to worry about that."

  The girl focused herself. After around five seconds a copy of her suddenly appeared next to her.

  "This is an illusion..."

  She then dispelled said illusion.

  "To keep them alive you need a good amount of energy and to cast them a good knowledge of magic, which are things Brando indeed have."

  "So he could guide Agamennone to his death without risking his life... But... The task was completed by Tiberio, not by the guildmaster."

  "Well, we just have to ask Tiberio if the guildmaster was with him that day... And if he was there that would confirm my hypothesis."

  The cat-girl ate another piece of stake.

  "Yeah but... I went with Agamennone that day, not Brando."

  "I know... But i'm sure something happened to make him change idea."

  The girl closed her eyes, focusing on her memories. Timotea looked at her curiously. After a moment, Vionte opened her eyes again, she then smmed her hands on the counter, showing all her frustration.

  "HOW COULD I FORGET! Agamennone told me that the guildmaster wanted to force him to take a commission... I even replied to him that he should have refused the commission if Brando came home... That's why he left the first pn to its own devices... The guildmaster messed up by threatening the demon lord... Brando probably thought he would have compined to me, alerting me in the process... And he was right... I lowered my guard once i learnt that you would have accompanied Agamennone..."

  The half-succubs made a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, then she composed herself.

  "I have a pn. Tomorrow morning we'll extract any possible info from Tiberio. And if i'm right, then in the afternoon we'll also confront the guildmaster... I'm sure he's the weak link between the two of them."

  The cat-girl finished her steak, then she looked in her friend's eyes.

  "Count me in."

  Vionte smiled warmly at the adventurer. After some moments, however, she started ughing like a maniac, complete with a scary pose and a terrifying look.

  "Hahahhahaha... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

  The cat-girl rolled her eyes.

  'Why she likes doing that...'

  "Still... Doing that you might prove Brando has attempted at Agamennone's life, but you won't prove that Agamennone has not stolen the first prize."

  Vionte collected herself.

  "I know, but i don't think they can prove his guilt either, they are bound to free him... Unless someone decides to make him pay for his speech despite him being clearly distressed..."

  Later.

  It was now 22 o'clock. Gennaro was waiting in front of the cafè, smoking a cigar. He was anxious.

  'I was so tense i arrived an hour earlier... And this is the fifth cigar i've smoked.'

  His anxiety only increased as he saw Domenica approaching the building.

  "You're already here? Good."

  The horse-girl opened the cafè with her keys.

  "Enter."

  The duo went inside the cafè. Domenica lit up the pce by turning the lights on. She then went at the counter, with Gennaro following her, not after throwing his still lit cigar carelessly on the road.

  "We have to wait, my boyfriend has had a little problem and is going to be a bit te... That, however, won't change anything."

  The guildmaster rexed suddenly. An idiotic grin formed on his face.

  "I understand now... You lied to me! There's no boyfriend, right? It was just a test! Tiberio was right all along!"

  Gennaro ughed. The horse-girl, however, was annoyed.

  "This Tiberio is an utter moron, and so do you. Give me fifteen minutes and i'll prove it to you."

  "Ah... I invited Tiberio here too. I thought i needed him because i was anxious but... Maybe he wasn't necessary..."

  The horse-woman scratched her head.

  "Is Tiberio the same guy who told you to continue pursuing me?"

  Gennaro nodded.

  "Yeah. He's a great friend."

  The woman was enraged, instinctively closing her hands into fists.

  "Good... Because i'm going to break his legs tonight. If it wasn't for him, i would have finally managed to get rid of you. But NO! He had to make you think that my conversations with you, that only after a lot of time managed to enter into your empty skull, only for him to give you new determination! I'll make him pay!"

  She then walked towards a vending machine and bought a can of water. As she returned at the couner she drank half of it, letting out a loud exhale from her nose.

  "While we wait. I'll tell you why you are-"

  "Wait!"

  The guildmaster took out the bottle of wine from his bag, giving it to her.

  "That's for you, my dear. A 'de Abbacchio rosé perlé doux'. It cost over three golden coins."

  The girl took the bottle of wine, putting it on the counter.

  "That's exactly what i don't like about you. You want to buy my affection with expensive gifts. You know what? I've always recycled your gifts."

  Gennaro's eyes widened in shock.

  "What? You recycled my gifts? That's horrible!"

  "I know, i hoped this way you would sooner or ter notice it and understand that you had no chances with me, yet you failed to notice, giving me more gifts to recycle. You really are obtuse."

  As she said that, Gennaro's expression became one of shock. Meanwhile the lizardman entered the pce

  "So, are you Tiberio?"

  The horse-girl's tone was cold. She finished her water, then she crushed the can with her hands. Meanwhile the anthropomorphic lizard arrived

  "Yes, i am Tiberio. Nice to meet-"

  The anthropomorphic lizard was then hit by the crushed can.

  "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT IF THIS GUY IS STILL PESTERING ME!"

  The girl pointed at Gennaro as she said that. Tiberio snapped.

  "YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH! I JUST WANTED TO MEND YOUR FUCKING RELATIONSHIP! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY MY KINDNESS? YOU CAN FUCK OFF, YOU STUPID HAG!"

  Tiberio attempted to storm off, only to be stopped by Gennaro, who put a hand on the lizard's shoulder. As they did it, Domenica grabbed a chair from the nearest table.

  "Please, don't leave... I'm anxious."

  The anthropomorphic lizard turned towards the guildmaster, only for him to be hit by a metallic chair on the head.

  "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BITCH, YOU BRAINLESS GIANT!?"

  Tiberio looked at the girl with the corner of his eyes. Seeing that she was near to him, he swept the woman with a tail sp, sending the girl flying towards the nearest wall, hitting a metallic table in the process. Both of them were furious. Domenica swiftly stood up and marched towards the anthropomorphic lizard, who, in return, marched towards the girl.

  "CALM DOWN YOU TWO!"

  Gennaro quickly put himself between the two of them. He was a bit unhinged.

  "You're behaving like animals!"

  "SHUT UP!"

  "SHUT UP!"

  Both Domenica and Tiberio looked at the other with intense hostility, but desisted from using violence.

  "Why are you behaving like that?"

  "Because she's ungrateful for my work."

  "Because he's actively ruining my life, like you're doing!"

  The two pouted and turned to the opposite side of each other. Gennaro sighed seeing such childish reactions. In that exact moment, however, that Brando also entered the enstablishment. The anthropomorphic lizard is the first of the bunch to see him.

  "Brando, you're here!?"

  The horse-girl turned towards the entrance, as did it Gennaro, who was giving his back to the door. The man was negatively surprised.

  "Bro?!"

  "Bro!?"

  Brando was confused by his brother's presence. Meanwhile Domenica rushed towards him.

  "My Boyfriend! My Love!"

  The horse-girl then kissed him on the cheek. Seeing that, something broke inside Gennaro, who remained still, petrified as he saw the scene. Tiberio was also confused.

  "I'm understanding nothing!"

  The horse-girl turned towards the anthropomorphic lizard, a smug expression on her face.

  "It doesn't surprise me at all!"

  Brando scratched his head.

  "So... Who's the loser we should put in his pce? That anthropomorphic lizard?"

  Domenica shook his head.

  "No dear... His friend... That demon there..."

  She then pointed at Gennaro. Brando was shocked.

  "HIM? THAT'S MY BROTHER!"

  Domenica, who clinged to Brando's left arm, was confused.

  "Really?"

  The blonde demon mouth twitched.

  'Is she an idiot?'

  "What do you mean with 'really'? We are very simir!"

  Domenica reacted awkwardly, with a weird smile on her face.

  "I... I thought he was just a poser... You're quite famous here, Brando... And you never asked me who my pursuer was."

  Brando's mouth twitched again.

  'She's indeed an idiot!'

  Brando was immersed in his thoughts, so he noticed te that his own brother rushed towards him and was now punching him in the face. He managed to parry his blow by crossing his forearms in front of his face. The horse-girl was equally distracted.

  "I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!"

  Gennaro was crying. He was devastated.

  "I HATE YOU! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!"

  The guildmaster stormed away, leaving the enstablishment while crying desperately. Domenica looked at him, with a confused expression. She was speechless.

  'I... Wasn't expecting this.'

  Brando kept a poker face, which however was betrayed by a small frown on his face.

  'I'll make him pay for such actions.'

  Tiberio, instead, slowly went towards the couple. He gred at the horse-girl.

  "You cheated on Gennaro with his own brother? Really? That's disgusting! Your actions are really... Reprobate, girl!"

  He then left the pce, with the horse-girl gring at him, her teeth grinding.

  "You've understood absolutely nothing!"

  The woman then freed her loved one's arm, sighing.

  "I... Think... It went rather well, after all... Hehe..."

  The girl ughed awkwardly, and then sighed again.

  "It was short meeting, but also an intense one... I'm going home... I'm drained..."

  She went towards the door, signaling Brando to follow her.

  "I have to... Tidy up a bit before closing... I had a serious discussion with that Tiberio... And my head hurts a little..."

  Domenica massaged her own head.

  "I honestly hoped that i could have spent some time with you ter."

  "I... I'm rather... Upset myself... I think i'm going home too."

  Brando left the pce, leaving the horse-girl to tidy the pce up.

  More or less at the same time.

  Agamennone was again in the interrogation room. In front of him, Volframio was eating a sandwich with ham, cheese and champignon muschrooms. Agamennone was quite annoyed while the captain of the guards was rexed.

  "I have some news for you. All of your colleagues that were assigned to guard the prizes have testified. And all of them gave coherent stories... Except for a guy called Brando and yourself. Your stories are different for just a tiny detail... The order in which you departed towards the bathroom."

  The young man was confused.

  "Why would he do that? What's the matter with the order in which someone goes to the bathroom?"

  The living armour looked at the inmate, while eating his sandwich.

  "I'm sure you're smart enough to realize the implication. Just think about it."

  Agamennone frowned, before thinking.

  'So... If i go first and he goes second it means that this Brando guy would first be alone with the prize, so that he could steal it, and then he could go towards the lockers freely and put the prize there when he said he went to the bathroom, while i would have had a reversed combination of time slots... If he goes first and i go second, then i would have had the right time slots and he would the inverted ones...'

  He then became angry, smming his hands on the desk as he stood up.

  "THAT SLIMY WEASEL!"

  The armour was a bit annoyed by the man's reaction, gently putting a hand on the desk, with the palm facing upwards.

  "Calm down."

  He then took another bite of his sandwich.

  "My men have also investigated the scene. We've confirmed that the lockers are indeed without locks and, by interrogating some of the people that were there, we found out that Brando actively asked to put the both of you in guard duty."

  Agamennone instinctively pointed at Volframio with his index finger.

  "HE LIED TO ME TOO!"

  The armour finished his sandwich.

  "Really? What did he tell you?"

  Agamennone waved his hand around in a circur motion.

  "He told me that we were picked up randomly."

  The captain of the guards scratched his own chin.

  "He said that? Ok..."

  Then he wrote what he heard on the PC in there, before looking at the man in front of him.

  "I've told everything i thought you could find interesting."

  "It doesn't seem much to me."

  The man's tone was an annoyed one.

  "True. We have no real proves you aren't guilty. But the suspects about this Brando are rising. The third party hypothesis is now extremely impusible. We haven't really any proof against you, so you can return home in a matter of day. For the other matter... I know nothing, as there's nothing to investigate. You must hope that someone shows you clemency."

  The young man looked at Volframio, saying nothing. The captain of the guard was a bit unnerved.

  'Does saying thank you kill him?'

  He then stood up.

  "We've finished, you can return to your cell."

  Saying this, the living armour pointed at the guard stationed at the door of the room. Such guard approached Agamennone, so that they could leave together, while Volframio left the room from the door on his side of the room.