They found a small caravan cart with a tent outside, a small sign hanging above that reads "Pingnast & Co."
No glided letters. No flashy sigils. Only polished brass chains supporting a wooden painted sign.
Shion saw two men moving some merchandise.
"Let's hope this job is real" Eren muttered.
They entered the tent. Inside the air smelled faintly of dried herb and ink. Small wooden crates filled with labeled jars, sealed packets, glass vials, small magical items.
Nothing looked remarkable. Nothing looked illegal.
Behind a tall counter, stood a gnome.
He wasn't eccentric or hunched as stories used to paint them. He stood straight, hair ash-brown and combed flat, tied at the nape. Spectacles rested low on his nose as he reviewed a ledger twice the size of his torso.
He didn't look up immediately.
"Welcome to my humble store" He said calmly.
Shion blinked "We're here for a job"
"I'm sorry, but I have all the help I need" He replied, turning a page.
He closed the ledger with care and looked at them.
Sharp eyes, measuring, not curious, assessing the people in front of him. Noticed the job posting rolled on Shion's hand.
"Oh, mercenaries" The gnome noted "You have come regarding the recovery notice"
Eren stepped forward "Recovery of stolen trade goods. Ten silver upon proof"
The gnome nodded once "Correct. You were military trained, am I correct?"
Eren blushed a bit.
Silence stretched just enough to be uncomfortable.
Then he stepped out from behind the counter. He was shorter than Eren and Shion, but the way he carried himself made his height irrelevant.
"My name is Pingnast" He said "You may call me just Pingnast while we are engaged in business"
Shion gave a slight nod "Shion"
"Eren"
Pingnast gaze lingered on their weapons, boots and the dust on their cloaks.
"You are new to Reka"
Not a question.
Eren confirmed it "We just arrived today"
"I'm surprised the gate's inspection didn't delay you longer" Pingnast said mildly.
He moved to a side table and poured himself a cup of tea from a ceramic kettle. He didn't bother to offer any to his soon to be employees.
"The item in question" He sipped his tea "Is a single parchment page. Approximately this size" He gestured with two fingers "Alchemical notation, probably roughed up, torn clean from the book it belonged to"
Shion frowned slightly "A page..."
"Yes" He sipped again "It was removed from a collection of proprietary material. Being missing from the book creates..." He stopped for a moment "... Inconvenience"
Eren stood there for a moment "Why not just buy it back?"
Something in Pingnast's expression changed, like approving something for the first time in the conversation.
"A practical question" He puts down his tea cup carefully "I'm afraid the individual currently attempting to sell this items has not offered it to me. I do not know if he is aware that I have the book. Should I express interest, he would increase the value dramatically. Worse, the wrong observers might notice my interest on it"
Eren and Shion looked one another.
"So, you want it taken back. Quietly" Shion asked.
"I want it returned" Pingnast corrected "Quietly is preferable. And I discourage using violence of any kind"
"Even threats?" Eren asked.
"Yes, threats included" He continued "Violence attracts attention. Attention invites audits. And audits are expensive"
His answer was enough for both of them.
Shion stepped closer to his table "How will we know we have the right paper?"
"That's a reasonable question" He said "It contains formulas, incomplete ones"
"Formulas, for what?"
Pingnast tilted his head.
"For something that requires the rest of the book, of course"
"And you have this book?" She pressed.
Pingnast paused for a moment.
"I possess sufficient knowledge to recognize the page as mine"
That wasn't a straight answer.
Eren caught it too.
"Should we be worried? Is it dangerous or illegal?" Eren asked.
Pingnast considered his answer carefully.
"Knowledge" He said at last "Is only dangerous for whom wants it to be"
He turned his eyes to Eren's sword.
"Is that blade dangerous miss?"
He gestured lightly with a hand.
Eren pressed her sword with a hand.
"Give it to an untrained folk and it becomes a hazard. Or give it to someone cruel, it will be a weapon. Put it in a Guard's hip and it becomes the law" He said returning his eyes into hers.
"Danger lies in the wielder, not the tool itself.
Silence again.
Eren weighed his words.
Outside a cart passed over the streets of stone, breaking the silence inside.
"Two silver" He said "Payment upfront. The rest eight upon delivery and confirmation"
Shion raised a brow "You're trusting strangers"
Pingnast turned to search his poach "I'm investing minimally"
Shion couldn't help a small smile "Who has it?"
"A mid-tier broker" Pingnast replied "His name is Carthis. Usually sells his goods near the eastern market square. Word is he offered the page in question to three merchants so far, with no luck so far"
"If this is that important, why they declined?" Eren inquired.
"Simple. If you can't understand the value of something, its value will remain zero" He responded calmly.
Shion studied him carefully "So if I read it, will I understand it?"
Pingnast eyes sharpened almost imperceptibly.
"If you could read it and understand its contents" He said "You wouldn't be taking silver from me"
He straightened his cuffs "Which reminds me"
He took an empty pouch, putting the two silver coins inside in front of them.
"You will not copy it. You will not discuss it. Nor try to sell it anywhere else. Understood?"
"And if we do?" Eren pushed.
Pingnast didn't threaten them. Not even raised his voice. Just simply said "You will find Reka smaller than it looks"
He stood there, in silence, looking at them.
Then, pleasantly offered the pouch.
"Do we have an agreement?"
Shion stepped forward and picked up the pouch.
"We will bring you that book's page"
Pingnast nodded once. "Before tomorrow's nightfall will be optimal"
"Because" He said quietly while returning to his ledger "Others are begging to ask questions"
Shion and Eren nodded. Then they left.
Pingnast remained looking at his ledger for a while after they left.
"Let us see if we can fish something" He murmured to himself.
As they left the tent, they noticed there was no daylight left for the day.
"You want to go to the inn and search tomorrow, Shion?"
"No" She replied "I would rather see that market square tonight"
She started to walk to the east.
"We won't find anything tonight, not with everything closed" Eren argued.
"Not all information comes from the stores" Shion responded.
They both were finally on the eastern market square, few blocks separated from the inn they were staying at.
They found a noisy place.
'The drunken dragon' the sing read.
Shion entered without hesitation.
Soon Eren followed, not as sure as her partner.
People didn't notice their entrance, too busy drinking, playing and celebrating with their booze to put any attention to the gates.
Shion found a free table. It took around 15 minutes for anyone to take their order.
"Ale, 2 mugs, and something decent to eat" She ordered.
The waitress noted dully, and went on her way to the kitchen.
"Put attention to the conversations around, just don't turn your head" She advised "Drunk men like to fight"
They pretended to talk one another while trying to make sense of the conversations in the middle of the noise.
Eren couldn't make heads or tails of most of them. Too loud. Too many things happening at once.
Shion focused, past the clatter of mugs, past the shouting dice players until the noise thinned into something useful.
There was one conversation about a dead marriage.
Also people were talking about the recent explosion.
Disapproving of the governor.
Something about an item that couldn't find a buyer for.
"Did I just struck gold?" She asked for herself.
She tried to hear a bit more of that conversation, as hard as it was already, but the waitress came back with their order.
She just rushed to leave the ale and the meals, then asked for the payment directly. One silver.
Another rip off. Great.
Shion payed and moved on, signaling Eren to start eating too.
While they eat, Shion couldn't hear that previous conversation again. No matter how much she tried to focus, they were gone or talking about something else.
At least the lead was right. Probably.