Jamminrabbit
Don't forget to check out my other stories!
I am Succubus! [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon]
The Caretaker of Otherworldly Tenants [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon] | [Amazon]
Magical Girl Kari: Apocalypse System [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon]
The Hero Became a Succubus! [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon]
Micchi Versus the New world [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon] | [Amazon]
Ellori, the Ero Witch of Parthun [Scribble Hub] | [Amazon]
The Housewife's Netorare App [Scribble Hub] | [Amazon]
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The party of three each sat on a chair of their own, heads hanging like students awaiting punishment from the teacher. Across the desk was a short, chubby human, going over a piece of paper in each hand. He would probably look better without the balding comb over, but no one probably dared tell him because of his position.
After getting busted at the shop, the guards escorted them to the mayor's office. It was better than prison right off the bat. The place was well-furnished, with a fireplace going and many glass display cabinets which had plates of varying patterns on easel stands. One of them which had geometric line patterns Kanae recognized Renya owning the same on her ship. It must be of Ortesian design.
"I am Markus Finnick, the mayor of Orturic. It is my duty to ensure the peace and prosperity of this modest city in Duke Kroenig's domain. Anyone who jeopardizes it becomes acquainted with the dungeons or the pillory to be shamed in front of the city. So I hand the floor to you: do any of you know why you've been brought to me?" Mayor Markus asked without so much as looking up.
They shook their heads.
"B-Because we're jeopardizing the peace and prosperity of this city?" Kanae answered with uncertainty.
"Wait a holy minute!" Arenade jumped out of her seat and slammed both hands onto the desk. "We haven't done anything to cause trouble. If anything, we've been nothing but contributing members of society! Maybe you should take a good look at Oturic and ask yourself why there are so many poor children starving on your streets?"
Both Kanae and Edina were at the edge of their seats, too anxious to say anything. Instead, the mayor finally put his papers down and glanced up at the high elf confronting him.
"Arenade Brightwind. Charged with disturbing the peace, demanding fealty and worship from the citizenry, and vandalizing the statue of the Supreme One." Mayor Markus read aloud Arenade's crimes, causing her to return to her seat and shrink.
"There's got to be a misunderstanding!" Edina began. "We weren't doing anything illegal or—"
"Edina Hackett. Charged with associating with the Outriders, raising undead vermin in the city, and digging up the nearby cemetery for your necromantic experiments." The mayor simply glared when he finished.
Edina also shrunk in her seat.
"A cemetery? Seriously?" Kanae joined the mayor in glaring at her.
"I-I wanted to practice raising undeads instead of summoning them…" The squirreling moped.
"I haven't forgotten about you either," Mayor Markus said, turning to Kanae. "The company you keep is most curious. If fraternizing with a goblin, orc, and a minotaur wasn't strange enough, guards have reported seeing you with the Renya Rown. Not to mention you were also seen with members of the Outriders at Dreizel's bath house, though he tells me it appeared to be an antagonistic meeting."
Kanae swallowed hard and hoped the mayor didn't know about Renya's not-so-legal operations at sea. There weren't any guards in the room, just them. If only he could check whether or not Markus had a sigil, but the sleeve of his robe covered his wrists.
"So… What now?" Kanae asked. "We probably just missed some bureaucratic paperwork to own and run a business. I'm guessing you brought us here to sign some papers and send us off?"
The mayor laughed in their faces. "If only it were that easy! Unfortunately, that particular location was still under investigation after the previous owners' illegal operations. Until all that is sorted out, we will keep your store's possessions under lock and key."
"But that's our money!" Edina exclaimed.
"My Arkesian wine, too!" Arenade cried.
"Ah, yes. I should thank you for that. I will be sure to enjoy a glass or two." He brought the bottle onto the desk to taunt them.
The demigoddess never looked so defeated.
They worked hard for all of that. The business of selling sex toys made of dead slime monsters was starting to really take off, too. Kanae was okay with putting a hold on it, but seeing Arenade agonized and tormented by the mayor pissed him off.
"Fine. It's obvious there's nothing we can do about it, but before we go… I couldn't help but notice you're a collector of fine dinnerware," Kanae said.
"Hmph. What does someone like you know?" Mayor Markus sneered, then popped open the wine bottle's cork.
"I know that one is of Ortesian design." When he pointed directly at the plate in question, the mayor's eyes lit up like a fire.
It was the look of someone who had found a like minded individual.
"Kanae, what in the three hells are you talking about?" Edina asked.
"Just be quiet and let me do my thing." Kanae whispered, then left his seat to inspect one of the cabinets. "It must have taken years to collect all of these, right?"
"Oh, you have no idea!" Mayor Markus emerged from behind his desk to join Kanae. "I put my most prized collection near the top. To gaze upon them always fills me with such joy. Tell me, are you a collector yourself?"
"I-I've only just started collecting. Which is why I'm curious to learn more from a seasoned collector. Maybe you can tell me more about this one?" He pointed to a random plate on a high shelf.
"Your eyes are drawn to true beauty, my lady." The mayor opened the cabinet and reached for the plate with the design of a phoenix. "This was unearthed from Radevic centuries ago!"
When the short man got his hands on the plate, his sleeves lowered just enough for Kanae to see no sigil or tattooing.
"This, you see, is worth almost a million—"
"Charm!" Kanae felt the spell taking effect on the mayor, but the suddenness caused him to drop the plate.
Everyone stared at the shattered pieces.
"He was about to say a million gold, wasn't he?" Edina asked.
A guard threw open the door and a dozen more behind him were primed to charge in.
"Mayor Markus, did something—"
"Excuse me!" The seething mayor turned his anger at the guards. "I don't recall asking for you to barge into my office."
"B-But we heard a crash…"
"I'm trying to show my new friend here my prized dinnerware collection. Now leave before you buffoons cause an accident!" he ordered, shooing them away.
When guards apologized and shut the door, they were able to breathe more easily with them gone.
"That was some quick thinking. I can't believe you actually went and charmed the mayor," Arenade said.
"I didn't like the tone he was taking with you." Kanae went over to the mayor's desk and poured Arkesian wine into a glass, then handed Arenade the cup. "And I'm pretty sure I gifted this to you, not him."
"Th-Thanks." The demigoddess took the glass and turned as red as the wine.
Edina, having learned that the plates were expensive, began to inspect them with greater interest than before.
"What do we do with the bozo now? Think we can nab some of the plates on the way out?" the squirreling asked.
"And just who are you going to find the right buyer to sell it to? As for the mayor, I'm going to have him give us everything back and look the other way. First, I need a little favor. From one collector to another?" Kanae asked the mayor.
"Of course!" Mayor Markus said, eager to please. "Anything for you, my dear friend! What is it that you need?"
Jamminrabbit
Don't forget to check out my other stories!
I am Succubus! [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon]
The Caretaker of Otherworldly Tenants [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon] | [Amazon]
Magical Girl Kari: Apocalypse System [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon]
The Hero Became a Succubus! [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon]
Micchi Versus the New world [Scribble Hub] | [Patreon] | [Amazon]
Ellori, the Ero Witch of Parthun [Scribble Hub] | [Amazon]
The Housewife's Netorare App [Scribble Hub] | [Amazon]
Social Links: [Patreon] | [Twitter] | [Discord]
Join patreon now $7.99 tier instead of $10 to read all advanced chapters. Early bird spots are limited!