"What are you talking about?" Lux barely raised his head, too tired to look up.
"This newspaper says that if we find certain information... the reward is 300 Long!"
Sunday and Kōri peeked out of the kitchen door, intrigued.
Lux stared at Nero. "300?"
"Nero... How many prostitutes can I buy with all that money?"
Nero put his hand to his face.
"The kid's 18, bear with him."
Lux shrugged.
"Only virgin men resort to prostitutes instead of getting a girlfriend," Sunday said, shaking his head.
Lux gritted his teeth and said with a wide grin,
"Seriously!" he said in an artificially cheerful voice, "Well, I don't see you with a pretty lady."
Lux and Sunday looked like they wanted to kill each other.
Kōri could only alternate between staring at those two maniacs and looking at Nero.
Nero snapped his fingers, drawing their attention.
"Please be serious, this is important."
The two seemed to calm down.
"Give us the full information," Kōri exclaimed, breaking the silence.
"From what I've read, they have some kind of hierarchy, they can control minds, and they only operate at night."
"We need to find: 1. Where they're hiding, 2. Their leader, and 3. How they operate."
The three nodded.
"We'll investigate tonight. This could take a while, so go about your normal lives."
"Um..." murmured Kōri, "Aren't you hurt yet?"
"Actually, not... much," replied Nero, standing up from his chair.
"What nonsense," Lux said mockingly, though a hint of intrigue was also present.
"If we play this right, we can make a lot of money."
Nero leaned back against the wall.
"What makes you think that we, being 'ordinary' people, can catch those criminals? Even the authorities couldn't?"
Sunday looked at Nero seriously. Nero just smiled and shook his head.
"I guess I have faith in myself and in you guys, and besides, what do we have to lose?"
Sunday sighed resignedly.
"Fine, but if it all goes wrong, it's your fault."
The ensuing silence was one of complete acceptance from the group.
Black smoke began to billow from the kitchen. Nero sniffed the air like a dog.
A smell of charcoal filled his nostrils, making him cough.
"Cough! Something's burning in the kitchen," he said, pinching his nose.
"No!" shouted Kōri and Sunday, rushing into the kitchen.
Nero got up and went to Rose's room.
He knocked twice before Rose let him in.
"Hi, Cesar," she said, hugging 'Cesar'.
Nero laughed and smiled, "idiot," and ruffled her hair.
"My hair," she said, gently pushing Nero away.
He went all the way into the room and sat on the bed.
"You look better," she said, "less... haggard."
"You've gained weight, in what way? Four or five days?"
Roseus blushed. "You're an idiot talking nonsense!"
"Don't be so redundant..." Nero thought, tilting his head.
"Brotherhood of the Echo"...
Nero jumped at Rose's voice.
"How do you know...?"
"They were talking so quietly no one could hear," Rose said sarcastically.
Nero snorted, looking toward Rose's bedroom window.
"Something's burning in the kitchen," Nero said.
"Useless in the kitchen," Rose said, leaving the room and heading to the kitchen.
Nero quickly followed her.
"What the hell?" Lux muttered, seeing the charred chicken on the table.
Rose started laughing.
"Ha! Those idiots cooked up one of the hardest chicken recipes ever."
Sunday was dying of embarrassment, and Kōri was even worse.
Time passed.
The sun set, leaving the beautiful, dazzling moon in its former position. The local bars came alive, with the typical pretty ladies singing a popular song.
The animals hid in their homes, fearful of humans, and above all, our favorite group ventured out into the street.
They didn't know where to begin...
Nero felt eyes staring at him.
"A robbery?" he thought.
Lux observed everything calmly. Each shadow seemed less dark under his eyes; his ability to see in the dark could be useful in these kinds of situations.
They turned a corner.
Nero began to count under his breath.
1... 2... 3...
The person took exactly 12 seconds to retrace the group's steps, remaining at a reasonable distance, about 2 meters away.
"They're following us," Sunday murmured.
Kōri gripped the hilt of his sword and was about to turn to face the man or woman.
Nero grabbed his hand and shook his head.
The group entered an alleyway that was darker than usual. They moved like shadows in the dense darkness, trying to escape the pursuit.
Ta, ta, ta.
The person's footsteps betrayed that he was running.
"He's not stopping," Kōri said, his voice strained.
"That means he's not just some thief," Nero muttered without turning around.
The alley ended at a damp brick wall. Sunday was the first to notice.
"Dead end."
Lux clicked his tongue.
"Great… just what we needed."
Before they could react, the footsteps stopped abruptly.
The silence fell heavily, almost unnaturally.
Then, a male voice echoed from the alley entrance.
"Wait," he gasped.
The group kept their guard up, hands on their weapons.
The hooded figure removed his hood, revealing a face Nero recognized.
"Merlin…?"
"I have important information about the Echo Brotherhood."
That comment only served to increase their suspicion.
How did he know about the Brotherhood?
Merlin ran his left hand through his hair, while in the other he held an object that looked very much like an envelope.
He opened it with a swift movement and took out a piece of high-quality paper.
The paper rustled softly as Merlin held it up to the light of a nearby lantern.
Nero narrowed his eyes.
"Speak," he said curtly.
Merlin swallowed.
"The Echo Brotherhood isn't just a criminal gang. It's a cult. They operate in small cells, never fewer than five people, and each cell only knows one direct superior."
Sunday frowned.
"We already know that. You said it was important."
Merlin gripped the paper tightly.
"This isn't a rumor. It's a record."
He held out the document. Nero took it first. The paper was covered in symbols, schedules, and locations marked in dark ink.
Lux whistled softly.
"Night patrols… meeting points… rituals?"
"Merlin… how do you know all that, and how did you know we're looking for the Echo Brotherhood?"
Nero's voice was serious and doubtful.
Merlin whistled and looked up at the sky, his lips curling into a smile.
"A wizard never reveals his secrets," he said, looking at the group.
He scanned the group with his large, black eyes.
"So... deal?"