Aozaki Aoko Case File [510] (Patreon)

“...Dwarves?” Aoko suddenly looked thoughtful. She had heard rumors in Bryn Shander, which was dominated by dwarves, but those rumors mainly concerned their kin, the duergar. Could there be duergar in Caer-Konig too?

She kept these half-formed suspicions to herself, simply listening to Edgin and Trovus discuss the latest news around Ten-Towns.

“Someone saw evidence before,” Allie said, joining the conversation. “On the road to Kelvin’s Cairn, there were footprints matching dwarven feet. Probably left by dwarves living in the valleys there, likely due to long-term scarcity of food and beer.”

“It can’t have been dwarves!” Cori came out from the kitchen, shooting a glare at Trovus, who had just finished a glass of wine. “If it was as you say, they’d have no reason to steal our lantern!”

“Maybe it was just convenient?” Allie shrugged. “Can you really expect starving dwarves to act logically?”

Even Aoko found it hard to refute without evidence. In any world, people’s actions are not always rational.

“You said it yourself, you haven’t caught them!” Cori continued. “A quiet dwarf is a contradiction in terms. Usually, they want everyone within miles to hear them!”

“Besides, the lantern we lost only changes color and is otherwise useless,” Cori explained. “There’s nothing for dwarves to gain by stealing it.”

“Ahem!” Trovus coughed theatrically for attention. “May I offer a suggestion? Hear me out, please.”

Aoko and the others exchanged glances and decided to see what the old Dragonborn had to say.

“Since you’re heading to Kelvin’s Cairn anyway, could you investigate a bit on the side?” Trovus said. “Since there were dwarven footprints in that direction, it means the town’s thieves are connected to the Cairn somehow. Would you mind taking on a side commission?”

“Our top priority is finding the missing guide. He’s our friend,” Edgin replied, frowning. “But if we find clues about Caer-Konig’s thieves along the way, we’ll look into it. That’s not a problem.”

“Excellent!” Trovus said happily, downing the rest of his wine. “As for your reward, I can speak for the townsfolk—if you recover the lantern, I’m sure the Shorard sisters will reward you well.”

“Of course,” Allie smiled. “If you can recover our lantern, your room and board will be free.”

“We’ll even add a cash reward,” Cori said gruffly. “We’re not stingy.”

“Wonderful!” Trovus winked at Aoko. “Any more of that wine? This calls for another round!”

Trovus didn’t get another glass, as Cori soon dragged him away by the beard for his drinking habits.

Aoko had no objections to picking up a side commission. It wouldn’t cost much extra effort, and more money was always welcome—even if she wasn’t short on cash, earning more was always a joy.

After dinner, everyone skipped wandering the town (there wasn’t much to see) and retired to the magnificent mansion in their second-floor inn room for a good night’s rest.

During dinner, Trovus had confirmed that Caer-Konig had a specialized mountaineering gear store called Frozenfar Expeditions, run by a former human scout named Atenas Swift, an expert in wilderness survival.

…

The next morning, after breakfast in the wizard’s mansion, they packed up, bid the Shorard sisters farewell, and left the Northern Lights Inn.

Frozenfar Expeditions was nearby, northwest of the inn—a ten-minute walk at most.

After chatting with shopkeeper Atenas, they learned that Garret Velryn’s party had bought sled dogs from here. Originally there were eleven, but now only six remained; apart from the dog named Boy, who returned alone, the other five were lost on the mountain.

“I know Garett,” said a female shield dwarf named Jasrah Fazash, an employee and mountain guide at Frozenfar Expeditions. “You’d better be well-prepared. I’m not just upselling you.”

“If even a guide of Garett’s caliber failed, something’s gone very wrong up there,” Jasrah said, frowning. “I shouldn’t recommend anyone go, but I know how stubborn you adventurers are—you won’t listen.”

“No,” Aoko shook her head, “We’ll listen, but we can’t abandon the commission. How about you be our guide, Ms. Fazash?”

Jasrah looked conflicted—she really didn’t want to go, but for some reason, she couldn’t outright refuse.

“All right,” Jasrah finally sighed. “I don’t come cheap, and I’ll decide what gear you buy for the climb. Is that okay?”

“Of course!” Edgin, now flush with cash, grinned. “Leave the professional matters to the expert—my life’s motto!”

“Good, then let’s not waste time,” Jasrah said, putting down her work. After a quick word with Atenas, she led them to pick out gear. “How many sled dogs do you have?”

“Three,” Aoko replied. “One is Garett’s dog—he should know the way and remember Garett’s scent.”

“That’s good, but not enough,” Jasrah shook her head. “We’ll need three more. Otherwise, we’ll never make the steeper slopes.”