Chapter 15 – Shadow of the Guild

Chapter 15 – Shadow of the Guild (Corvo)

The new recruits of the Wolfhaven Guild settled in over the weekend, readying themselves for the next phase of their training. As they did, rumors of the guild’s secrets spread between them like wildfire. They heard stories such as the guild hiring ghost-types to spy on them, hiding in the walls. Or that the Guildmaster was a secret shapeshifter, among other ridiculous tales.

One of the more plausible rumors was that the guild had old tunnels beneath the building. Some said that it was an emergency snow route, built in the days when winters were so harsh the front door could get blocked by snowdrift. Others said it was carved by a wicked and paranoid Guildmaster who wanted a hidden escape, just in case.

Whether they believed it or not, most recruits didn’t go through the trouble to see if any of these rumors were true. But some, out of bravery or boredom, did take the next step.

“No way,” said an awestruck Ratatta. “Tunnels! Actual tunnels!”

“See?” His Pidgeotto friend tapped him with her wing. “I told you.”

The two had just descended a ladder, entering a stone tunnel held up by wooden supports, and shrouded in darkness. The Ratatta took point with a small lamp hanging from his neck. The swinging lantern casted soft light and wavering shadows on the cobblestone walls.

Of course, they weren’t snowed in and they weren’t looking for the ghost of an old Guildmaster– they were chasing a new rumor.

“Do you think he’ll really be down here?” Rattata whispered.

“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” Pidgeotto replied. “Only one way to find out.”

“I mean, what if he’s not? We could get into trouble, Eva. What if it’s a setup?”

“Come on, Joey. Don’t start saying that.” The bird tapped the rat with her wing.

Though that did little to comfort him as they arrived at a fork, splitting left and right. “The path splits? Fudge… Maybe we should just leave? We can always–”

Ding!  

A soft, metallic sound echoed through the tunnel. They froze in place, neither daring to speak.

A faint orange glow rivaling their own cut through the darkness, casting more wavering shadows. From around the left two other mons appeared.  The one in the front held a lamp, visible only from the neck down. The one behind him was no more than an outline cloaked in darkness.

“Got something that might interest ya, strangers,” Corvo greeted. He flicked his coin again with another ding! The silver glinted in the darkness.

“So it’s true,” Rattata said. “Then, you got the goods…?”

“Well if you got the coin, my purple-furred buddy, then I just might!” He tapped William’s shoulder. “Show ‘em the merchandise, will ya?”

The Cubone kneeled and set the lamp down. He swung his bag over his shoulder, planting it next to the lamp. Though when he started to pull out the ‘merchandise’ the Rattata spoke up.

“Wait a minute, isn’t that clueless Cubone?”

“Hey, don’t be rude!” Pidgeotto argued.

“Why is he here?” Rattata pressed, ignoring Pidgeotto. “He can’t even find Wolfhaven on a map, how do we know he’s not mixing up booze with–”

“Shut it, rodent,” Corvo warned, making the Rattata slink back. Another idiot making a problem out of nothing. Corvo tapped his feet, already out of patience. “Like it or not, he’s my associate. If you can’t deal with him, hit the road.” 

“Uh, w-well,” Joey stuttered. “How can we trust you? You won’t even show your face…”

“Trust? Buddy, you’re the one trespassin’ in some secret tunnels, lookin’ to buy contraband from strangers. It’s a bit late to be thinkin’ of trust. If you’ve got an issue with this, maybe I could tell the Guildmaster and we’ll see how quick they kick ya outta here…”

Eva shook her head. “Joey, honestly just drop it–”

“B-but so are you!” Joey shot back. “I could turn you in, too!”

Corvo rolled his eyes. “You said you couldn’t see my face. So, who am I? How you gonna call out someone if ya don’t even know who they are?”

“I… well…” Joey looked like he was trying to shrink himself. “I know your Cubone friend!”

“Mmm-hmm,” Corvo folded his arms. “You’re gonna tell ‘em that ‘Clueless Cubone’ found his way down here? Really? You think they’d believe that? ”

“Uh–”

“He can’t find Wolfhaven on a map– your exact words, buddy! And c’mon, give ‘em a break. He’s had it rough enough here, hasn’t he? You really want to make his life more miserable?”

Eva flapped her wings. “Please, stop!” she pleaded to Rattata.

Joey sighed. “I knew this was a bad idea…”

“I wanna at least see what they have,” Eva clicked her beak.

Joey tapped the ground with his front paws. “Maybe we can find someplace else?”

“Yeah, sure,” Corvo spoke up. “Just find the other peddler in the guild. Real easy to find someone who doesn’t exist, am I right?”

Rattata hung his head. “Uh…”

“Yeah, thought so.” Ding! “So you gonna make a problem outta nothing? Or are we gonna get down to business?”

“Forget about him,” the Pidgeotto said, stepping forward. “Lemme see what you got.”

With the rat shut-up, William finally laid out a set of elegant glass bottles, containing gold and dark-red liquids that glowed in the lamplight. 

“Those red ones? They’re made from Elderberries,” Corvo explained. “They’re perfect for feathered folk like yourself.”

“Ooh, fancy.” Eva eyed the bottles, then glanced at Joey over her wing. “Not gonna let me party by myself, are you?”

With a sigh, the Rattata stepped forward, checking out the selection.

After some consideration, the duo handed over gold coins to William in exchange for two bottles.

“Thanks for your patronage,” Corvo grinned as the two began to leave. “And remember, ya didn’t get ‘em from us.”

“Yeah yeah…” Joey grumbled, and he and Eva walked around the corner, back to the entrance.”

“We oughta clear outta here, too,” Corvo said to William. “Won’t be long before folks get suspicious. Let’s head back and count our money.”

“Alright.” William gathered the remaining merchandise, slung it over his shoulder, and handed the coins over to Corvo. He then picked up the lamp, with Corvo keeping his distance as the Cubone lit the flame.

Side by side they navigated the tunnels. Corvo held their coin bag with both hands, relishing how much heavier it felt now. Not to mention, the subtle jingle was music to his ears.

“We’ve got quite the haul here,” he remarked. “Lotsa coin to go ‘round, between this and what we made over the weekend.”

“I would hope so,” William replied. “We’ll probably have to take a break, since we start fieldwork today.”

“Yeah,” Corvo agreed. “Laying low’s a good idea, in case anyone comes snooping around.”

“I have to say, I’m impressed,” William said as they rounded a corner. “Saturday, Sunday, now Monday morning, and they’ve been coming to buy from us, just as you had predicted.”

Corvo chuckled. “Heh, believe me, brother. When I give my word, I deliver.” He couldn’t remember the last time he was riding this high. But regardless, it sure looked like his rough patch was just about over; he dug himself out of the hole.

“By the way, thanks for standing up for me,” William said.

“Hey, don’t mention it. I wasn’t about to let that rodent throw a hissy fit and back out over somethin’ petty as that.”

“True enough. ‘Clueless Cubone…’ It’s good to know not everyone here is against me.”

“Yeah,” Corvo smiled.

Most of the time, Corvo worked alone. Every once in a while someone might help him, voluntarily or… otherwise. But he never had a proper ‘business’ partner until now. Normally anyone who’d get all warm and cozy with him would set off a red flag– that’d be a blindside waiting to happen.

But William? He wasn’t so bad. He took some getting used to, but there was something different about him. Genuine, but not naive. And standing up for him honestly felt good. Corvo couldn’t count how many times he wished he had someone to do the same for him.

“There’s the latter,” William remarked. He raised the lamp, illuminating the trapdoor in the ceiling.

“A’right, I’ll check it,” Corvo replied.

He climbed up the ladder, its wooden rungs creaking under his weight. Near the top rungs, he carefully poked his head out of the hatch.

Around him was a dim room, lit only by a small window. On the left and right were old doors, and a few empty barrels sat around in the small, cramped space. But more importantly, there wasn’t anyone else around.

“All clear.”

They climbed out into the dinky storage room. As William emerged, he turned off the lamp while Corvo closed the trapdoor with his Snivy tail. It blended in with the wooden floor almost perfectly.

“Remind me, how did you find this place again?” William asked.

“Heard one of the geezers talking about ‘em on the first night,” Corvo explained. “I went to find ‘em, poked around the guild. Took a few days, but I finally noticed the floor here looked off , ya know? And I reckoned that it made sense to put some secret exit in a place like this, small and outta the way.”

“I suppose it does,” William agreed. “It makes me wonder what other secrets there might be in the architecture…”

“Mmm-hmm. And once I saw them loadin’ food into the pantry, that’s when I started spreading rumors about a booze peddler. Gotta drip feed ‘em over time. Anyway,” Corvo tilted his head toward one of the doors. “Let’s get outta here.”

Once again Corvo carefully poked his head out of the door. This time he heard the hussle-bussle of guild members, but didn’t see anyone nearby who could spot them.

“Looks clear, come out quick.”

He opened the door just enough for him to slink out. William followed him promptly, softly closing the door behind him.

They emerged beneath one of the stairwells of the main hall. Both sets of stairs had a door to the storage room under them, which put that room right in the back of the main hall. After Corvo made sure the coast was clear one last time, the two walked out into the main hall, blending in with the crowd.

“So, what time is it?” William asked.

Corvo shrugged. “No clue, brother. I don’t carry a watch.”

“Well, they told us to meet our mentors in the mailroom today. Let’s go see if we can find them.”

The two took a short walk through the main hall, finding the mailroom adjacent to the library. It wasn’t much different from most post offices in other towns. There was a main counter, several personal mailing boxes– some of which were being checked by their owners, and a notice board, posted with jobs for teams looking to make some money.

There was a clock just behind the desk, showing it was a few minutes past nine.

“Who are we lookin’ for?” Corvo asked.

“The note I received said we’re looking for someone named Zoey,” William answered. He held a small piece of paper, wearing a perplexed look as he read it. “Though whoever wrote this didn’t mention who Zoey even is…”

“Pfft, that figures.” Corvo eyed a set of benches along the wall. “Guess we just sit and wait.”

So they claimed an empty bench near the middle of the back wall. Corvo relaxed, letting his tail rest at his side. Meanwhile, William pulled out a library book, flipping toward a page in the middle. About a minute passed as a bunch of mons came and went. Some getting mail, others pairing up and meeting their mentors, who’d then take them to the job board.

Corvo started to wish he brought his own book to read, just to pass the time. He wasn’t sure what kind of book, since his lifestyle didn’t allow much reading for fun. But it started to seem more appealing.

“So then,” he turned to William, “what are ya gonna spend your cash on?”

“Not much,” William answered. “I want to save it in case of an emergency.”

“Yeah. Smart thing to do.”

They went quiet again. Turns out small talk wasn’t as easy as pitching something to sell. Corvo looked around, eventually spotting the open page in William’s book. It showed an aged illustration of a continent and some seas. “So, readin’ about maps?”

“Seems like a good way to get caught up,” William replied as turned the page. “I ought to know the ‘where’ when I read up on history.”

“Heh, even better is if ya see those places for yourself.” Corvo smiled, looking upward as he leaned back. “I could tell ya stories about my own little adventures in about half the towns on that map. Ya might even get to see some of ‘em, dependin’ on where we go.”

William’s expression turned hard and focused. Corvo couldn’t see his face, but he couldn’t help but imagine William’s forehead wrinkling underneath his helmet.

“Corvo, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I remember asking you why you do your ‘line of work.’ I have no issue with it, I hope I’ve made that clear. But I have to wonder, how’d you get caught up in this kind of business?”

Corvo blinked. “I dunno what you mean. I’m just doin’ what I’ve always done.”

“Always done?” William repeated. “As in, you haven’t done anything else?”

“Pretty much. And not for lack of trying, brother.”

Corvo thought back to when it all started. Just living on the streets, begging for food and money… and usually getting mugged afterwards. Not something he was inclined to dwell on.

“Why, what’cha thinkin’?” Corvo asked.

William was silent, idly staring at him like he was trying to put a puzzle together. Between his weird look and his silence, Corvo was feeling uneasy. He was just about to speak up, but William did first.

“I see,” he closed his book. “I think I understand.”

Corvo tilted his head. “Understand… what?”

William opened his mouth to speak–

“Excuse me,” a new mon addressed them. Before them stood a dog with a dark coat and bushy mustache: a Herdier. A small pouch hung around his neck. “Are you William?”

The Cubone nodded. “I am.”

The Herdier pulled a letter out of the pouch with his mouth and approached him.

William grabbed the letter. “What’s this?”

“Mail for you. It arrived on Saturday.”

“Oh, alright. Thank you.”

“Have a pleasant day.” And the post dog walked away.

“What’cha got there?” Corvo asked.

“Honestly…? I’m not sure. I wasn’t expecting any mail. Though my name is on it, and it mentions Wolfhaven and the guild hall. There are some strange markings, too.” William gestured to the envelope, which had a series of runes and symbols stamped above the text.

“That’s just the way mail’s addressed to folks. Those symbols help carriers find whoever’s supposed to get it.”

“Can you tell me what they mean?”

Corvo almost scoffed and rolled his eyes. Who would be dumb enough to not know their mail runes? But he remembered that he, too, learned those symbols late. It wasn’t like he ever had anyone to show him, or send him mail.

“Alright brother. It’s easier than it looks. See that four-pointed star? That means ‘local mail.’ If it was somewhere farther away, there’d be a symbol for a map or a globe, then more marks to narrow down where it’s supposed to go. But since it’s local, that makes it shorter.”

“Got it. What about these next symbols? Looks like there’s a canine in a circle, then a stack of houses.”

“That first one would be Wolfhaven, I imagine. And the stack of houses refers to this here guild hall. See how it looks like three houses altogether? That basically means ‘drop it off at the biggest building in town.’”

“Okay. And the second-to-last line looks like a mountain, a circle with an arrow, and, well, my face. I guess that last one is self-explanatory.”

“Mountain symbol means ground type, and the circle with an arrow means ‘male.’ Both of those point to you. Then yeah, there’s your face and your name on the bottom line, just to be certain.” 

“I think I understand now. Thanks, Corvo.”

“Don’t mention it.”

William ran his thumb claw beneath the enevelope’s flap, cutting it open. He retrieved the letter inside, unfolded it, and as his eyes darted left to right to read each line.

“So, what is it?” Corvo asked.

“It’s a letter from Andrew,” he answered cheerfully. “He wants to come visit.”

Corvo blinked. “Umm, who’s Andrew?” 

After a moment, William’s eyes widened.

Corvo narrowed his eyes in turn. “I thought you said you didn’t know nobody,” he pressed. “Memory loss and whatnot.”

“I did say that, and it’s still true,” the Cubone assured. “But Andrew is someone I’ve met recently.”

“So then, who is he?”

The Cubone went silent again, folding his letter as he glanced away.

Was there something William didn’t want him to know? That thought put a fire in the pit of Corvo’s stomach. He was no stranger to hiding things, and other folks hiding things from him. But someone like William? After he was starting to warm up to him?

“Well I suppose I ought to tell you the truth,” William finally spoke. “Since you’re going to find out anyway.” He turned to face Corvo. “I never did give you a full answer, when you asked how I met Leon and Jacob.”

Corvo nodded. “Right… You haven’t.”

“You might remember I had met and split up with them? Well, I met Andrew later that same day. To keep it concise, I traveled with him to a canyon up north, where we met with Leon and Jacob again later.”

“You did?” Corvo tilted his head. “How?”

“Well, it’s because you had sent them after Andrew,” William replied grimly.

A wrinkle formed on Corvo’s forehead. “I don’t–” It took a moment, but he connected the dots. Andrew was an Axew. The Axew who he had a deal with. The one who hired him to steal the Enigma Elixir, only to yank it from him and run away.

“Oh.”

It was all Corvo could think to say. William knew that Axew– Andrew. He knew what went down between him and Corvo. That night he came back with the brothers, he acted like he had no idea what he got roped into. But he did. In fact, bonehead might have been the one who pulled the strings.

A few different emotions clashed within Corvo, like they were all fighting for his attention. Surprise, mostly. Some anger and disappointment, for being deceived. But also a little impressed, how William happened to be a good liar.

He took a deep breath. Then exhaled.

“You know what?” Corvo straightened his posture. “I can respect that.”

The tension in William’s eyes seemed to melt. “Really?”

“Yeah. Cuz you and me, we’re not like that Toto or that rat. I don’t let petty things get to me, so I’ll treat you no different and won’t hold any grudges. Fair’s fair, right? And past is past.”

William nodded. “I’m glad to hear it, Corvo. Andrew says he’ll be here by the end of the week. I’m looking forward to seeing him again, he really is a great guy.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” By then, the mailroom had started to thin out, with fewer mons crowding the place.

Corvo folded his arms, contemplating. So bonehead was smarter, and more deceptive, than he looked. It made him wonder if there were any other secrets he might be hiding. Corvo wasn’t planning on tearing down the walls, but he’d definitely keep an eye out for him now.

“Hmm, now that’s interesting…” A feminine voice spoke up beside them, on Corvo’s right. He turned and saw a slender, yellow, two-legged mon looking at them: an Ampharous.

“Who are you?” William asked, leaning over.

“And more importantly,” Corvo spoke up with a tense tone. “How long have ya been standin’ there?” Something about her sounded eerily familiar.

The Ampharous flashed a smile at them. “Zoey,” she answered with a voice as smooth as still water. “And not long enough to get the full story, but enough for me to be intrigued~”

It clicked for Corvo. This was the same Ampharos he met on his first night here. The one from the party who came awfully close to catching him in a lie.

“Well we ain’t done nothing wrong,” Corvo said defensively. “So ya won’t have much luck if you’re tryin’ to bust someone.”

Zoey laughed lightly. “Sounds like someone has a guilty conscience. But we’ll take care of that soon enough…” The orb on her head glimmered. “I can see why Dawn wanted me to be your shadow; you two have already sparked my curiosity.”

“Shadow?” William echoed. “Is that to say you’re our mentor?”

“Indeed~” she winked. “My teammates and I– Team Stormcoat– we’re all mentors to the up-and-coming. And don’t worry, whatever mischief you too get up to, I won’t tell. Not unless it’s a threat to the guild, of course.”

Corvo blinked. “Say what?” Was she saying she was okay with a few broken rules?

“This place is more interesting with secrets floating around… And a bit of covert action can make quite a difference in a pinch. I think you two understand that; it’s not too often that recruits do.”

“Okay…” Corvo relaxed, just a little bit. “So, why’d you snuck up on us?”

“I wanted to see how you two are when you think there aren’t any eyes on you.” Zoey walked around, facing the both of them. “You get only one first impression, boys. That’s my first lesson for you.”

“Oh, I already learned that,” William recalled. “If our first week is of any indication.”

“So I’ve heard. All the more to make my time with you both more, hmm, interesting.” She held up a paper with some kind of guild symbol stamped onto it. “I have our first field assignment for you. We’re heading into town. A local says that his home was broken into, burglarized.”

“Well, I reckon there’s not much reason to just stand around and wait.” Corvo stood up. “Lead the way, sister.”

---

“Hmm… So Loomis, you say the burglary happened yesterday?” Zoey asked.

Corvo, William, and their Team Stormcoat mentor had walked a short ways into town, arriving at a house with a sign that read ‘Loomis’s Mini-Museum.’ Inside, they were greeted by an elderly Torkoal who explained his predicament.

“Indeed!” Loomis replied, puffing white smoke out of his shell. “Why, I was giving some of your newest youngsters a last-minute tour before closing time, when I noticed that some of my ancient coins had gone missing! They’re normally in that display case over yonder.”

While Zoey asked questions, Corvo and William were inspecting the cases Loomis had gestured to. They were just a few of the many displays in the single-story dwelling, between glass-covered tables and aged wooden shelves. Almost all of them contained antiques, such as paintings, dining ware, and ancient wooden instruments, and they shined with polish and fire-proof coating– signs of a dedicated caretaker.

“This must be what he’s referring to.” William pointed to a glass display case. “It’s empty, but the cushions have imprints on them.”

The small, carmine-red pillows had circular indents with wrinkled edges, as if they had invisible coins resting in them.

“Got a point there,” Corvo commented. “They musta been in that case for a helluva long time to leave a lastin’ mark like that.”

“So, you’re certain you wouldn’t know any potential suspects, Loomis?” Zoey continued.

“No ma’am! I’ve been giving tours of my home and collection for, oh, a score and a half by now? Never have I ever had a problem with padfoots or pickpockets!”

Corvo rolled his eyes. Still, there was a funny irony to all this, how he was playing on this side of the law after skirting it so many times. And having a mystery to chase did seem kind of fun, following clues instead of covering them up.

Suddenly, William nudged him.“Hey Corvo,” he spoke quietly. “I’d like to ask–”

“No,” he cut William off, already dreading what he was gonna dredge up. “I didn’t steal from this guy, so don’t bother.”

William formed a puzzled expression. “I wasn’t thinking that.”

Corvo blinked. “You were– oh. I just… nevermind.” He shook his head, kicking himself for being cynical. “What were you gonna ask?”

“Would you happen to know anyone who might’ve done this? You know, anyone else who shares your ‘line of work’?”

“Not me, brother. I work solo, most of the time. Even then, museum pieces have never been in my market. Although…”

If he was the one to do it, Corvo’s priority would’ve been covering his tracks– making sure he wouldn’t leave anything behind. Maybe whoever stole the coins slipped up? He leaned in to get a closer look at the case… There was something on the lock.

“Check this out,” Corvo pointed. “There’s a bit o’ purple fur, right there.”

William squinted his eyes. “…You’re right. Just a bit of it, in the keyhole.”

Zoey walked over toward them, Loomis in tow. “Found something, boys?” she asked.

William pointed to the lock. “If you examine this closely, there appears to be a tiny bit of purple fur.” He stepped aside to let Zoey and Corvo have a look.

“Whoever picked this lock musta left it behind,” Corvo explained.

“Excellent observation, Corvo~” Zoey praised. “This should help narrow our search. Now, what kind of mon has purple fur?”

“Only one that comes to mind is Aipom,” Corvo remarked. “Well that and Rattata, but it’s not like those guys can pick a lock with their teeth.”

“Mr. Loomis,” William spoke, “have you seen any Aipom recently?”

“Aipom? Hmmm, let me think on that, youngster.” Loomis formed a wrinkle on his forehead. A good seven seconds passed, and he blew a small cloud of white smoke out of his nostrils.

“Why, yes! I do believe I have seen one or two Aipom around Wolfhaven!”

“When?” Zoey asked.

“Hmmm, let’s see now… I believe it was a few days ago… Yes, Thursday it was! Oh wait, no, I’m thinking of Friday… Yes, Friday! When all your apprentices were running around town for the great hunt! Ho ho, I love that time of year. Anywho, some folks from out of town came to visit, I believe I saw two Aipom among ‘em.”

“Did they take a tour o’ your museum?” Corvo asked. “You know, stake the place out before makin’ a move?”

“Hmm? Ah, no, oddly enough. Though I did see a couple of others who were with them, and they came in for the tour!”

“Interesting,” Zoey mused. “Assuming we have the right suspects, it’s possible that they had their friends tour for them, and then they relayed information off to the Aipom.”

Corvo quietly nodded. It made sense to have a burglary disjointed like that. Detectives could be thrown off by those extra steps, if they weren’t paying attention.

“Who all was with their group?” William asked.

“In addition to the Aipom? Hmm… I do believe I saw a Scyther among them… Oh, and a Camerupt, too.”

“Heh. That’s a bit of a rag-tag group they’ve got,” said Corvo.

“A rag-tag group that made a nearly clean job of a burglary,” William noted.

“Fair enough.” Corvo swept his gaze around the museum. “Though I don’t get why they’d steal antiques.”

“A collector might pay handsomely for something like an old coin,” Zoey theorized. “Anyway, I think this is the most solid lead we’ll get with the evidence available to us. The next step is asking the townsfolk for any other information on Aipoms, or the mons they were traveling with. We’ll try to piece together their movements and retrace their steps. If we’re quick, we’ll be able to track them down and retrieve those stolen coins.”

“The local hotel might be the best place to start,” William suggested. “Since they were seen a few days ago, it’s possible that they’ve stayed in Wolfhaven for a couple of days.”

“And if we’re lucky, they might still be there!” Corvo raised his tail.

Zoey nodded. “Good call. Let’s be on our way. Thank you, Loomis.”

“Ho ho, thank you, guild members! Why, when this is over, I’d like to give you youngsters a tour of my collection, free of charge!”

“I’d like that,” William smiled. “Thank you.”

“I’ll pass…” Corvo said. “Alrighty, let’s check out that inn.”

The three of them walked across the creaky wooden floor of Loomis’s home to the front door. Along the way, another thought crossed Corvo’s mind. He tapped William’s shoulder.

“Hey brother. Shot in the dark here, but, anything back there look familiar to ya? He did have a lotta old stuff, after all.”

William shrugged. “Honestly? Not really. Although… I’m not sure how to describe it, but I got some kind of faint excitement from seeing those antiques. No idea why, though.”

“Heh. Well maybe you’re just a history nerd, is all.”

“Maybe. Anyway, if there are any answers they’re probably at the hotel. I’ve gotta admit, fieldwork is turning out to be more exciting than I thought it would.”

“Yeah, I reckon so.” Corvo could honestly get used to this, so long as he got paid… and nothing else popped up to screw things up. As they walked the streets, he saw other pairs of recruits walking around, following their mentors. “I kinda wonder how the others are doing…”