Chapter 15: Hiding In Plain Sight

| Shishido Noboru |

Examining the poster, Arlo glanced between it and Shishido. It was evident that the sketch wasn't the most flattering portrayal of him. Shido could tell that Arlo was struggling to contain his amusement as he repeatedly shifted his gaze between the paper and Shishido's face. "I can't spot any difference," Arlo remarked, handing the paper back to Shido before scrutinizing his own portrait. Shido couldn't help but notice the irritation etched on Arlo's expression. "I'm the one who should be offended. I mean, is my nose really that big?"

A few other crumbled posters fell out of his pocket as he rummaged for one in particular. No wonder why Shido didn't see much of Arlo. The guy probably went through the entire village taking them down himself. Arlo straightened out a wanted poster of himself and shoved it in Shishido's face. "Who do they think they are?"

"I don't see a problem. You look exactly the same to me" Shido said mimicking the other.

"What!?" Arlo exclaimed loudly, but quickly lowered his voice as Mr. Roland emerged from his office and into the main room. The remaining patrons in the tavern appeared equally annoyed. Arlo hastily stuffed the papers back into his pocket before turning back to Shishido. "Never mind that. Are you talking about that silver-haired guy with the fancy jacket? Probably some pompous officer. There weren't many guards. We should just get rid of those jerks. By 'we,' I mean you. I've done enough grunt work today."

"Are you serious? I haven't even had a chance to rest yet, big-nose boy," Shido replied, struggling to maintain a straight face.

"You're joking," Arlo retorted, covering his nose with both hands. "You're smiling. You think this is funny? My life is ruined now." Despite Arlo's dramatics, Shido couldn't help but laugh. The poor guy seemed even more insecure now. But it was alright; Shido would make it up to him later.

"Arlo, if you suggest something so idiotic again, I'll hand you over to them myself," Mr. Roland interrupted as he passed by. After glancing through a window near the tavern's door, he returned. "Don't do anything reckless. They'll move on once they realize whatever they're looking for isn't here."

Shido turned to Arlo, nodding in agreement with Roland's advice. It was better to keep a low profile until the guards moved on to another town. "Why don't we go clean up?" he suggested. It would be wise to change into staff attire and pretend to work there in case any of the guards decided to come in. Being in a position to eavesdrop on the guards might provide valuable information. They could gauge the seriousness of their search efforts if they were indeed looking for them.

"Clean up? Screw that," Arlo responded, still covering his nose. However, he watched Shishido as he began to take off his cloak and grabbed an apron from behind the counter. Shido started wiping tables down and fixing crooked chairs to put them back in their place.

"I think I get you," Arlo said, slipping out of the guardsman top he had stolen. He went behind the bar counter to take one of the spare aprons kept for the staff. Using a rag, he tied back and hid his hair to complete his cunning disguise.

Mr. Roland looked at the boys, his expression puzzled, his gaze mainly on Arlo, who quickly defended himself, "What? If things go wrong, shouldn't we be nearby to help?" Arlo said, though Shido knew it was likely a lie. From what he knew of Arlo so far, the guy wouldn't stick around to help; he'd run as soon as things went south. Nonetheless, Arlo turned his back to the entrance and began washing some glasses that were probably already cleaned, judging by the nasty look the real bartender was giving him.

Meanwhile, Shido grabbed a random bandana hung on a hook and used it to cover up his unique multicolor hair that would give him away instantly. Taking a broom, he began to sweep the floors.

| Ezura Mikazuki |

Every place Mikazuki had checked on made him feel filthy. Unaware that so many complications would arise since the morning, he was dressed to visit the palace and his superiors. He felt out of place. Everything was so drab and shabby. Not wanting to touch the handle, he let one of his men open the tavern's door. The inside of the building was more cleaned up than the other places. Same went for the few customers there as well. Most of them. It was a weird mix of people that looked too affluent to be there, and the commoners he expected to see.

The tavern cleared out even more when a handful of people got up from their seats after seeing them. Scoffing, Mikazuki raised his chin at them.

It's rare to see the High Elf's servants around these parts. If you're not here for a reason, kindly leave before you scare off more of my customers." Some old bastard at the bar counter spoke to him.

"Huh?" He was speaking to him without being spoken to. How rude. Going by his phrasing, did he work there? No, too old for that. The owner maybe? It didn't matter much either way as long as he was open to speaking with him. "This part of the city is a hotspot for undesirables and other filth. There are escaped criminals running about, so I've been advised to search this area for them. Happen to know anything?"

Gesturing towards his men, they presented a few wanted posters depicting several of the fugitives. Mikazuki only cared about catching one in particular, however.

"Escaped prisoners are none of my concern. Either buy something or leave. The High Elf's dogs aren't welcomed here." The old bastard said without taking a single moment to think. In all his life, he'd never interacted with so many people that were so insistent on being difficult. He couldn't tell if they genuinely didn't know anything or if they just didn't want anything to do with him. Assuming Angelo wasn't toying with him, why would he bother sending him to question these cretins?

"Listen here, gramps. Watch your tone before I–" One of Mikazuki's men placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. His subordinates rarely had any good ideas, so he was pleasantly surprised to hear a decent suggestion. "Excuse me, I've had an eventful day. If someone could go fetch a glass of water for each of us, we'll be on our way."

The old man snapped to get the two bartenders to hurry and fulfill the request. One of them wasn't moving at all, but Mikazuki didn't pay him any mind.

Taking the advice of his men, he went to ask the few other people in the tavern for info. Unlike the other people he questioned, he decided to incentivize them to be cooperative by offering to pay for their drinks. Despite saying they'd leave soon, he spent a bit of time talking to the ones that accepted his offer. A lot of them seemed quite nervous. Angelo did warn him that the people in that part of the capital weren't the most morally upright citizens. He chalked their tenseness up to that.

They were all so careful with their words, saying things that wouldn't implicate themselves. Their info always came at a cost. They only offered to give him anything substantial for a price. It was clear he'd hit another dead end. Money wasn't an issue, but he had no way of telling how reliable the people were. Not many other options though. "Greedy rats. Maybe paying for info is the only way we'll get a lead."

Face down against the table where he sat, he ended the day right where he started. Anxious and resigned to his fate. Initially, all he had to worry about was whatever matter his superiors felt was important enough to summon him to the capital. Honestly, that was likely nothing and he was getting himself worked up. Angelo on the other hand… he had evidence showing a pattern of Mikazuki being lax towards some of the Casters he captured. If he didn't find Shido or any of the others, he might as well turn himself in.

| Shishido Noboru |

As the guards canvassed the tavern, Shido observed their increasing desperation, evidenced by the drinks they bought for strangers in exchange for information. Thankfully, Arlo proved useful at relaying information to him while delivering drinks to each table. It was a relief to have insight into the situation rather than trying to piece it together on his own. Although he could hear snippets of conversation, the sound of the broom scraping against the floor drowned out much of the information he sought. He couldn't afford to stop sweeping; that would only arouse suspicion.

Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over him as he caught sight of silver hair at one of the tables. Was it Mika? His heart pounded against his chest, and panic clouded his mind. He couldn't afford to make eye contact; the thought of Mika finding him so quickly sent chills down his spine. Shido swallowed hard, his grip tightening around the broom handle. Just keep sweeping... Just keep sweeping. He repeated the mantra to himself, hoping to settle his nerves.

So far, the customers seemed considerate enough not to expose him, unless they genuinely didn't recognize him. Shido felt a surge of confidence because no one had yet connected that unflattering sketch to him. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until he stole a quick glance around the room and spotted Arlo approaching Mika, engaging him in conversation. The mention of payment seemed to draw Arlo in like a moth to a flame.

"I... I overheard your discussion. I might be able to help, but first, how much money are we talking about?" Arlo's words struck Shido like a lightning bolt. What on earth was Arlo thinking!? Shido felt the overwhelming urge to knock some sense into him, or perhaps he wouldn't have to, as the fool was likely to get himself arrested before Shido had the chance.

| Ezura Mikazuki |

Resting his chin against the table, he spared the tavern staff member a single look before going back to mopeing. What simple people. Was money really such a great motivator? Maybe he could judge too harshly. He'd had a very privileged upbringing due to his family. "Name your price."

He didn't expect anything to come from the man. The idiot likely thought he could scam him or trick him. Still, he'd humor him. If only to see what he'd do.

"I want enough to buy a manor. Like, one of those real fancy ones. It needs a giant garden too, and maybe a few statues of myself. All in white marble. I want that much money."

Huh? Mikazuki couldn't even be mad. It took a lot of confidence to be so shamelessly greedy like that. He looked the tavern worker over. His clothes didn't quite look fitted for him. Maybe he was another street rat, one that saw a chance at wealth.

"You'd be lonely living somewhere like that." Mikazuki knew that he was when he was a child. The request was ridiculous either way, outside the scope of what he was able to grant. That wasn't a reason to stop playing along, however. He'd pretend like he was giving it serious thought. "That's simple. Let me mull it over real quick. Give me some space for a moment?"

Waving the worker away, he immediately had to fend off his men sitting with him. They had the nerve to ask if he could spare them any. As if none of them had steady salaries.

| Shishido Noboru |

"Hey, Shiro. I mean, Shishido. I have an idea." The grating voice of Arlo cut through the air as Shido wiped down one of the tables. Shido attempted to ignore him, fearful that Arlo would only draw more attention to them. However, the sharp elbow jabbing into his side forced Shido to acknowledge Arlo's presence. Thankfully, Arlo kept his voice low.

"This guy is willing to pay for information about us. So, listen. What if I use you as bait? We could siphon some money from him," Arlo proposed. Shido often wondered if Arlo ever considered the consequences of his words before blurting them out.

"Picture this. You hide somewhere away from here. I'll give them a tip that leads them to your location. They'll come after you, or whatever. You'll run, and I'll swoop in with my magic to save you. It's simple. Then, they'll pay me for providing useful intel. We'll split the earnings. Trust me," Arlo elaborated, laying out his plan. Shido listened with a shake of his head, unable to comprehend why money held such importance for Arlo, more than his own safety but then again, he didn't know Arlo that well. Shido didn't need money nor was it important for him. The plan sounded more like additional work for Shido, and if the plan backfired, he'd be left to deal with the fallout.

Shido tossed the rag over his shoulder, facing Arlo with a serious expression. "Are you serious? That plan is absurd. What if it fails? I haven't even had a chance to rest yet, and I won't be able to defend myself easily if you don't come through in time," he whispered to Arlo before leaning against the table. "And where would I even stay? I only managed to secure a place for tonight thanks to your boss."

Arlo, however, seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, already onto the next idea. "How about we take the guy for ransom? He might be rich, but the kingdom has deeper pockets. Do you think they'd pay to get him back? I'm not even sure if he's part of the capital's guards," he suggested, barely acknowledging Shido's concerns.

Arlo's new plan left Shido momentarily silent. It might have been twisted, but the notion of keeping Mika hostage was the only aspect of Arlo's proposal that intrigued him. Glancing briefly at Mika as he conversed with his men, Shido turned back to Arlo. The idea of having Mika under his control seemed far more appealing than any of Arlo's previous suggestions. Perhaps, during their time together, he could sway Mika to their cause. It would also serve as a chance for Shido to settle the score for Mika's previous capture, as petty as it may seem. While it seemed like Arlo was considering ransoming or selling Mika, Shido had no intention of allowing that to happen. For now, he would entertain Arlo's idea and pretend to go along with it.

With another soft sigh, Shido undid his apron, convinced by Arlo's plan. Shido shoved the appron and bandana into Arlo's hands moving over to the bar quickly and grabbing his cloak, throwing it around him, "Fine, we'll take him captive, but you need to tell me where to go and you better come help me. I swear if you leave me there as true bait and I get captured, I will come back to actaully murder you. You'll be my first, too. Even if I die by the High Elf, I'll come back as the dead and torture your soul for as long as I'm out of hell" he threatened.

"T-That's a funny joke. You're joking, right?" Arlo nervously laughed, "Course I'll bail you out. No worry. What, do you think I'd leave you on your own? Come on." Shido he had small hope that even if Arlo didn't save him, he could make it without being captured.

Shido looked around caustiouly before following Arlo to the tavern's back door. Before he could step outside, Arlo grabbed his arm. "Listen, there's a really old plaza north of here. Maybe ten minutes away if you run. There's a defunct water fountain with a statue of the High Elf. If you see it, that means you're there. I'll give you a bit of time before bringing them there. If they go after you, try leading them somewhere that we can corner them or split them up. With my magic, I can get the drop on them. If things don't go to plan, I'll use my magic and get us out. Easy." Arlo explained like it was light work but Shido could feel how Arlo's words weighed heavily on his chest. Shido took a small breath before nodding to Arlo and heading out the door as quickly as possible.