Aozaki Aoko Case File [513] (Patreon)

“This ham is amazing! Where did you…”

“Pour me another glass of that beer, please!”

“Doric, do you want some pudding over there? I can get it for you…”

Garret Velryn’s head throbbed. He felt trapped in an endless nightmare, his only wish to see his family again.

He remembered the last thing he saw was slipping down a slope—then losing consciousness.

…Where was this?

Garret Velryn struggled to open his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but he could tell he was in an incredibly luxurious room, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling—something he’d never seen before.

He blinked a few times, vision clearing. Then he shifted his gaze—and saw two familiar faces.

“Edgin? Holga?” Garret rasped. “What are you doing here…? Where is this place?”

“Oh, you’re awake?” Edgin wiped the grease from his mouth with a napkin. “We thought you’d need more rest.”

“His wounds are healed,” Aoko said, popping a piece of fried chicken in her mouth, “so it’s not strange for him to wake up anytime.”

Garret struggled to sit up, realizing he was lying on a recliner. His clothes were still bloody, but he felt no pain.

He looked at Holga and Edgin, feasting at a lavish table, and realized he didn’t recognize the others—especially the beautiful red-haired woman, whose features seemed almost otherworldly.

“We rescued you from the cliff,” Edgin explained. “You’re lucky and tough, because you were almost dead. If Aoko here didn’t have healing magic, you’d be done for.”

“By the way, you’re inside her magical mansion,” Edgin added. “It’s…magic.”

The burly, bearded Garret needed a moment to process what had happened.

“…Thanks,” he finally managed, clearly suffering after being in the snow so long. Recovering this fast was a miracle thanks to Aoko. “How did you know I was in trouble?”

“Your wife found us,” Holga grunted, taking a swig of beer. “She said you went up the mountain with three guys and didn’t come back, so we decided to look for you.”

“They even hired me to help,” Jasrah added, holding a chicken leg. “It cost them a lot, so remember to thank them when you’re back!”

“Huh? Jasrah?” Garret was surprised to see his old rival and fellow guide, Jasrah, in the rescue party.

“Where are my three employers?” Garret suddenly remembered. “Did you see them?”

“We just got up here and found you on the cliff,” Aoko said. “You were alone. By the way, what happened to you guys? Was it duergar?”

“Duergar? What duergar?” Garret looked confused, then replied, “No, not duergar. We were attacked by a huge yeti!”

“A yeti?” Doric asked, interested. “A big, horned, sharp-toothed monster?”

“Yes, that’s it,” Garret grimaced. “We’d climbed pretty high and set up camp, but a huge yeti was hiding above us and suddenly charged down!”

“Looks like this mountain is full of surprises,” Aoko mused. “What next, Edgin?”

“Well…now that we’ve found Garret, our main mission is done,” Edgin said. “But personally, I’d like to find his three unlucky employers. We’re not afraid of a yeti.”

“You have to be careful!” Garret warned. “That yeti is enormous. It easily defeated my employers—”

“Take it easy, Garret,” Holga reassured him. “I could handle a yeti by myself, and we’ve got Aoko here—she’s an archmage.”

Garret fell silent—he’d heard stories of archmages blowing up city blocks in Neverwinter. He had some idea what that meant.

“And it’s not all about you,” Edgin added. “We may need your help for another job.”

“What job?” Garret was interested—he was never idle, which is why he became a guide after leaving Neverwinter. “You have another mission besides rescue?”

“There’s been a string of thefts in town,” Jasrah grunted. “Evidence points to duergar—even my shop was robbed, so we came up the mountain to investigate.”

“I see…but I haven’t seen any duergar,” Garret frowned. “But maybe we just didn’t look in the right place. Kelvin's Cairn is huge—maybe they’re on the north slope.”

“That’s possible,” Jasrah agreed. “If their lair is on the north, they could avoid adventurers coming from the south.”

As they discussed possible duergar hideouts, Garret’s stomach rumbled loudly—he hadn’t eaten in ages.

“We saved your share, don’t worry,” Edgin grinned. “Go change your dirty coat and freshen up. I promise you’ll love the food.”