The apartment door clicked shut behind them and for a few moments none of the three spoke. The climb up the stairwell had been quiet each of them caught somewhere between relief and unease after leaving teh bar. The lamps in their flat flickered when Erwin lit them throwing light across the carpets and the cluttered desk they'd taken over
Louis exhaled first rubbing the back of his neck as he wandered toward the window "So Maric isn't as terrifying as I pictured" he said though the faint tension in his voice suggested he wasn't entirely convinced
Abel dropped onto the couch with a groan sinking into the cushions like a fish returning to his natural habitat "I dunno you weren't the one standing closest to him. His eyes looked like he was deciding whether or not we were worth the effort to kill"
Erwin set his coat on the hook and leaned against the table "He wasn't going to kill us If he wanted to we never would've made it out the door"
Louis raised an eyebrow "Comforting"
Erwin didn't bite the bait he folded his arms and looked at the two of them "More importantly if Marric was there Sharron should have definitely been there"
Abel shifted, suddenly slightly more alert "You think she was lurking"
Erwin nodded "She's a SQ5 Wraith She could've been in the mirror, glass or anything reflective just watching"
Louis turned from the window "I didn't sense anything not even a breeze or a drop in temperature"
"That's the point" Erwin said "We need to assume she at least evaluated us"
Abel scratched his cheek "Well if she did and didn't decide to kill us. I'll count that as a win"
Erwin allowed a small breath of amusement then pushed the conversation forward
"We need to talk about the gathering we need to make the most of it"
Louis cracked his knuckles "Right we need something to sell"
Abel sat up straighter expression shifting from lazy to sharp "I've been thinking we each take a different Sequence 7 formula Sell it separately so no one connects the dots and more openings to make money"
Erwin nodded "Which ones?"
Abel raised his hand "I'll take Briber It'll suit the image im going for"
Louis grinned. "Alright I'll take the Pyromaniac I think its likely to sell since Hunter is a popular pathway"
Erwin hesitated only a moment "Then I'll take Solar High Priest might be popular"
Louis lifted an eyebrow "Bold"
"It's rare enough to get attention" Erwin said "But very popular enough for adventurers that no one questions how I got it"
Abel stretched out again, hands behind his head "Good because we're broke"
Louis snorted "Not broke just… financially injured"
Erwin leaned over the table and pulled out their pooled savings, counted meticulously earlier that morning "Fifty pounds for three people barely enough to last the next few months excluding needed materials for mysticsicm"
Erwin suddenly perked up "Actually… speaking of money remember the guy whose body I'm in… he embezzled money. A lot of money something like fifteen hundred pounds"
Louis sat bolt upright. Abel froze mid inhale
"…You remembered that now?"
Erwin shrugged helplessly "Look, I had a lot on my mind earlier. Being murdered and transmigrated does things to the memory."
Louis pinched the bridge of his nose "Where is it?"
"Buried" Erwin said "In a cemetery back when he was panicking and trying to hide it"
Abel stared "You're telling me we have fifteen hundred pounds sitting in the ground right now?"
"Probably" Eriwn replied "Unless someone dug it up. But I'm sure that the body didnt tell anyone even when he was tortured by the Demoness"
Abel yawned while stretching himself "Lets just dig it up tomorrow its to late tonight"
"Yeah midnight would be ideal fewer people around. And if the money's still there we'll have some breathing room going into the gathering" he replied
Louis paced across the room, thinking aloud "Alright, so tomorrow we secure the cash. Today we plan. And in the next couple of days… property?"
Erwin nodded "We can't stay in this place forever. Too cramped too exposed and the walls are thin enough that a whisper might pass as shouting. We'll start scouting better apartments after we retrieve the money"
Abel raised a finger "Preferably somewhere with nicer couches"
Louis threw a pillow at him
Erwin let the brief laughter settle before turning serious again "The gathering's our first real step. We need to look like capable organized Beyonders not clueless newcomers"
Louis smirked "We can manage that.. Probably"
Abel waved lazily "I can be serious when I need to be"
Erwin allowed himself a small smile "Good cause that's the plan"
They spent the rest of the night preparing notes discussing roles polishing their cover stories and gathering everything they would need. For the first time since arriving in this world their path forward finally felt like it had structure
Ghe couple days quickly passed and Friday evening settled over Backlund a heavy gray curtain of fog rolling low along the streets as if trying to swallow the city whole while the lamps flickered against the haze
They arrived separately just as planned
Erwin was first
He stepped out of the hired carriage at tbe start of the street wearing a long black trench coat that fit him well sharp lines minimal accessories nothing to draw unnecessary attention. The hem brushed lightly against his boots as he crossed the quiet street toward the inconspicuous townhouse that held the gathering
His mask was forged iron unpainted and smoothcshaped only with subtle contours around the eyes and cheeks Practical. Calm. Controlled it gave him an air of someone who came not to impress but to observe
He made his way to the door 3 short knocks followed by 4 long knocks the door opened revealing a guard. He dipped his head to the guard stationed beside it then made his way silently into the main hall. The gas lamps inside cast warm, flickering light across the room He chose a seat near the corner close enough to listen far enough not to look eager
He settled in hands folded neatly, breath slow and measured
A few minutes later, Abel arrived by carriage directly out the front door
He stepped in lightly brushing the faint drizzle from his sleeves Abel wore a tuxedo elegant but not extravagant the black fabric pressed smooth and crisp. His tie was perfectly tied, though knowing him someone else probably tied it for him
His mask was shaped like something straight from a masquerade ball sleek lines of dark silver running all over forming a sort of door at the forehead. It gave him a strangely aristocratic air, like a noble who'd wandered into the meeting straight from a ball
He scanned the room with casual ease hands in his pockets posture relaxed in a way that didn't match the tension of the space
When he spotted Erwin he gave no sign of recognition instead he drifted to a seat near the center like he'd always been used to being the centre of attention
He leaned back slightly one leg crossed over the other the picture of someone who looked comfortable everywhere no matter the situation
The door opened again
Louis arrived last
A gust of cold evening air followed him in as he stepped across the threshold, his attire a full length dark grey rain coat hood up and still slightly damp from the drizzle outside. Despite the coat's simplicity there was something about how it hung around him that made him seem more concealed than covered
His mask was a plain white porcelain piece smooth expressionless featureless except for the small slits over the eyes highlighted by red paint. It had the unnerving similarity of an ANBU mask from earths anime blank and unreadable
It fit Louis's image very well
He stood still for a moment inside the entry letting his eyes adjust letting the mask's anonymity settle around him like a second skin. Then he moved with slow confidence toward the far side of the table and chose a seat that gave him a full view of the room
No nods. No signs. No acknowledgment of the others
Three strangers in a gathering of hidden faces
The gas lamps hummed faintly their light wavering as a gust of draft slipped in through the old windows. One by one, masked attendees finished settling into their places. Murmurs and small coughs echoed briefly before fading into stillness
Erwin's fingers rested on the table,
composed like he'd done this a hundered times before
Abel's gaze drifted from one participant to the next calm and lazily
Louis sat perfectly still mask tilted slightly downward watching without seeming to
The air shifted a figure stepped out from the far doorway
Mr. A
His hooded robe covered his entire face which was then concealed further by a dark shadow that didnt even flicker when faced with the light of the room. He moved with a controlled fluidity that revealed nothing but composure
He reached the head of the table and lifted one gloved hand
"Welcome everyone" he said his voice level and steady
The flickering light seemed to steady for a heartbeat as if the room itself paused to listen
"Let us begin"
A/N: no real release pattern just when I feel like it but usually at least 1-2 chapters a week