The rest of the way towards the capital was fortunate for the two travellers. By taking the quickest route they reached the city by the evening of the following day. Phantom ordered to abandon the wolgrams that took them there, for they would stick out like a whole flock of white ravens.

He and Meili entered the place without any troubles, but Danny did take his time to watch the gap in the wall and the forest of wooden constructions now surrounding it. The tons of rubble, the ancient bricks that had been blown up, were cleaned and tossed to a place Phantom didn't have the slightest idea about. First he would have to ask himself such question. Point was, the locals were busying themselves, and Danny was glad that he wasn't still persecuted for what he did. That would have put a hinderance on his farsighted plans. The sense of guilt was nonexistent, but he felt the embarrassment for having lost his cool like that. That physical remainder was mocking him and gave his critics something to rub into his face.

Shrugging those thoughts away, he and Meili went through the massive gates, carefully avoiding the carriages that moved back and forth. There was quite a lot, and from the talks of the bystanders Danny could make a conclusion that it was out of the ordinary for them also. The stomachs of the two guests were languishing from hunger, so Phantom put a special priority on finding a place where to eat and where to rent a room for the time being. Despite being a rich Pinocchio now, the teen asked the people around for an average place. As long as the place didn't reek, he was pretty much satisfied with any arrangement. His lack of any demand for comfort allowed to find a tavern very quickly.

Located a bit to the side from the main road slithering through the city, the joint was nonetheless lively, if a bit deprived of sunlight. There were only two windows overlooking the shadowy alleyway, and it wasn't nearly enough. Danny watched every guest closely, monitoring the surroundings for someone after his newfound wealth. Not that he was a dragon withering over his gold, but he didn't trust the scoundrel-looking visitors. Finding their way through the crowd and narrowly avoiding being crushed, the two sat at one of the free tables. Soon after a lovely lady came up to ask for an order. Phantom asked for two portions of stew, and something to drink. By standards of his world he was a person in his mature years, thus nothing was stopping him from indulging in some cold beer. That was the only cold drink they had, so he chose to try it. Meili got water.

As they waited for the meal and after receiving it, Danny decided to get more information.

"What person exactly are we looking for?" He whispered.

"Are you sure we should be discussing it here?" Asked the girl.

"Hey, if someone of your company wants to ambush us, it would make the job of finding them a less tedious one. So?"

Meili put down her glass. "The guy's name is Reisel. Looks like a bear, and he is a huge failure."

"That's one subtle criticism."

"Mother was much less subtle, I assure you. He failed big time, and she turned him into some... worm-like thing with no sensory organs at all."

"Jesus, that lady has no chill," Danny said, taking a gulp of his drink, "Reminds me of one book actually: 'I have no mouth and I must scream'. I doubt she read it though. I take it that Reisel is not that thing anymore, right?"

"Underneath his blindfold there are no eyes at all, not even sockets. He is on eternal probation now. If he fails something, he sure will experience something much worse."

"So I should not expect to get information out of him."

"You may be scary, but he is terrified of Mother much, much more."

Danny grinned deviously. "I have my ways of getting information," but then his expression turned serious, "I have less and less expectations that that 'Mother' will just cancel the hunt."

"You actually had such hopes? The Assassin Organisation never stops until their target is dead."

Then the criterium is already met, Danny wanted to retort, but he realised that it wasn't the best decision. Nobody in this world knew the full story, and Meili was not on the list of those he would trust with that information.

"So I have to kill them all off? Neat."

His treatment of it all as a joke did not ease Meili's worries.

"Reisel is not going to put up a large fight, is he?"

"He is a pathetic fighter, he won't be a problem."

"Meili, your power is useless within city walls, so look who is talking."

"I am a little girl. He is a grown-ass man, even if totally blind. And I will shed no tears if you kill him in the end."

"He surely got the short end of the stick there."

The fact that Mother turned the man into some grotesque abomination and then partially reversed it all made him wonder. The local magic was mostly about shooting at each other, as far as he was aware. That was something else entirely. And he didn't like those unknowns. Did she need physical contact or did it work from a distance? If so, then how would he protect himself?

"She turned me into a pile of frogs once," Meili shuddered. "Just one touch and then..."

"Touch, huh? Well, that answers my question. Now, where do we find Reisel?"

"I'm digging a deeper grave for myself here," the girl sighed, "He lives at an intersection between the Beggar's quarter and the commercial one. I'll show you the road."

"No, you will be staying away. I don't want you to get caught in a crossfire."

"But I..."

"Afraid that someone will get you while I am gone? Just stay near the crowds, nobody is that crazy to pull something off there. I shouldn't be the one telling this to an assassin."

"Fine. I will. Just pay for everything before you go."

Danny shrugged, phasing his hand inside the bag and digging out a silver coin. It was more than enough to cover the dinner expenses. After paying the tab and getting up, Phantom approached the tavern owner and asked for a room. The response was a peculiar one:

"Lucky you, I have only one room left. That will be five silvers for a night."

"That's a ripoff."

"That's the invisible hand of the market. You probably won't find another room anywhere."

"I'm surprised you know the term," Danny muttered, "What's with this deluge of people, anyway?"

"Nobody knows, but rumour has it, Lady Crusch is planning something. Armed men flock here, weapons are being sold..."

Danny whistled, "What, they are planning a coup?"

"No, she is too noble for that. But I do wonder. Some drunkards are actually saying they are going to kill the Hakugei," the man huffed and began cleaning up the mug.

"You keep throwing words at me and I can't even bother to pretend to know their meaning," Danny sighed and put the coins on the table. "In any case, that's not my business. Here's your money."

"I see only four," commented the bearded owner.

"I don't recall agreeing to the price. I'm not giving more."

"Then go find another place, there will be others."

"Four coins are already more than you would usually charge. By the time I leave there will be even more people needing shelter, allowing you to lift the price further than it is today."

"What makes you so sure?"

"If their intentions are not clear yet, then it is too early for that and they are waiting for more."

The owner thought of it for a moment, "Hm... you make a good point. Fine, four for a night for you and your sister."

"Sis...sister?" Danny asked.

"Well, yeah. You mean that's not who that blue-haired girl is?"

"Well, I'd rather disown her... but it's complicated."

Phantom figured that this accidentally conceived lie was actually a very good way to cover the truth. The pretence that would make Meili feel like shit.

"Not my business anyway. Your room is at the end of the corridor, the left side."

After taking the key, Danny picked up the bag and went upstairs, telling Meili to wait. He only needed to put his belongings there. In a room that only had a bed and a table with a shaky chair nearby it was a bit complicated. And the owner had charged that heinous amount of money for something so little. Phantom had his name for a reason, and so, he made the bag intangible and hid it inside the wall. Soon after he was already descending the staircase, his hands free of all but one burden. The little murderous child. Meili followed him outside of the building, but was immediately stopped the second she stepped out.

"Alright here, don't go anywhere if you want to stay alive, Meili," Danny commanded. "Hopefully I'll be back before dawn. And I won't get locked up again."

The girl gave him a nod, "Fine. Don't get yourself killed yet, I'll come close second."

Danny huffed and was on his way.

The city was less crowded at this time of day. It wasn't even night yet, so the common saying about it being young would hardly apply. Phantom recognised those parts of the city from the time of his travel with Emilia. They had passed many places on their way to the shop of old man Rom, and Danny soon found the road connecting the center with the decrepit corner of the capital. The buildings along the path were slowly reducing in quality, and whilst his boots steadily thumped on stone ground, the teen decided to carefully consider his course of action.

What approach should he pick? To sound threatening or to try to appeal to reason? Either attempt was doomed to fail at the start, from what he could only assume. There was no reason good enough for a man that terrified to betray his malicious patron, even one Archbishop at his doorstep might not be enough. Not that Phantom would divulge that important piece of information to a shady person. Sighing, Danny once again came to the conclusion that he was once again overthinking. His plans always failed, so what was the point even? Shaking his head, he continued going through the streets of the populated capital. Maybe he should think about something else, like where to spend his hard-earned money. At this idea his eyes began to dart around the city with more attention.

There were a lot of shops that he could examine closer at a later date. There were bakeries, the smell from which easily reached his sensitive nostrils and made his mouth water. There were shops that sold books that could satisfy another sort of hunger. He could finally get something to read and learn from, and stop looking like a clueless country bumpkin. Danny actually dropped by and scanned the shelves of this small, but comfy establishment. His stay wasn't long, but the elderly lady in charge of it was kind and made him want to return. That's the magic of customer service. When the wooden door closed behind him, Danny once again looked over the street and came to realise that it was indeed the commercial district, so many other shops there were. Without a single coin in his pocket Phantom also was not concerned about theft as he otherwise would be, being crushed by so many passersby.

The thought about theft in turn made Danny remember one delinquent child that indulged in such questionable activities. Come to think of it, he could check up on Felt and how she was doing. Reinhard had said that whatever it was that held him from releasing the girl would only take a week, and it was almost over. Better yet, he could also visit Rom if he felt like it. The old man might have pissed him off, but, so unbecomingly for a ghost, Danny didn't hold grudges for long. He actually liked that giant just a bit. Since he was new to this world, he would carefully cherish every new acquaintance he made and wasn't bent on defeating or doing something else of the sort. In short, if they weren't scumbags of this world, they could go to hell.

In his absolutist debacle transpiring in his mind, Danny didn't notice how the flow of people became notably smaller. And when he snapped out of it, he could also see the reduced quality of architecture. He was definitely at an intersection. Now he needed more precise directions, and to that end Danny began asking the obvious locals — the shop owners that were nearby.

"Reisel? Don't know him," responded one.

The second merchant ended up being more useful, "You saying he is a bear with a blindfold? Well, the likes of him live a bit to the North, he could be there."

Danny chose to follow the directions, and the the increasing number of animals/humans told him that it was the correct path. He wasn't sure if the locals had any proper name for themselves. They weren't like Ferris, who was mostly human, apart from ears. Those were anthropomorphic animals, more like. He had a term in mind, but he doubted they would appreciate it, even if the deeper meaning would fly over their heads. Phantom also noticed the relative shabbiness of the district, and the smell of animals was strong here. Guess that's why they flocked into communities that didn't mind it. They also kept giving him suspicious glances, as he soon became the only human roaming the street. And he soon felt the physical reminder of it.

"Ow!" Yelped Danny as he felt something collide with the back of his head. That's what you get for being engrossed in your thoughts. He turned around and saw several ruffians.

"Hey, kid! We don't like your kind here!"

"Kid? I don't look much younger than you," Danny shrugged, ignoring the slight bleeding and the droplets of blood falling on his partially white clothes. Then a smirk crossed his face, "Or do we take dog years into account in your case?"

He might have enjoyed the pissed off look on its face. But then Phantom realised that he didn't have time for this.

"Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I am a busy man. So I'll forget you trying to break my cranium."

"You might want to stay for longer," Phantom heard another voice behind him and sighed.

He was about to release his powers, and the temperature was slowly beginning to drop, but then a loud, bellowing voice interrupted them all.

"Oi, what do you think ya people are doing?"

Unlike with the scoundrels surrounding him, Danny was quite intimidated by the newcomer. The wolf-like man was ripped and very tall, towering over everyone in the nearest vicinity, as they barely reached his chest. There were many factors that added to the initial impression: two of his fangs were too big and sharp to be held in his jaw, protruded and wolf-like, obviously. The hair, if they could be called that, were dark-brown, adorned as a mohawk, his chest had a lot of fur of the same colour as his mane, and was, as the description implies, naked. His clothes consisted of black, toeless pants and several guards on his hands and knees. One of those, on his shoulder, was black and had some red insignia on it. No less intimidating than his looks was a gigantic sword on his back, that was more like a hatchet. One swing of that thing could half a horse.

"Well? Surely you would interrupt my drink for a good reason. Were you going to fight in broad daylight?"

He spoke with a strange accent Danny couldn't quite pinpoint.

"To be fair, the sun is setting already," the teen pointed out, "I'd appreciate if it doesn't come to that. I wouldn't want to cause a scene."

Better to try and appeal to someone who held some form of intimidation in front of the litigants who wouldn't listen to anything else.

"You have already, kid. You should know better. Alright, you all, if you don't want to mess with me to, ya better get lost."

The ruffians spewed and chose to back off before anything could happen. Phantom sighed in relief, but seeing the giant approach him he tensed just a bit. The man noticed it, and something about it made him guffaw.

"Ha! Good grief. Better to be ready for anything, kid. You alright?"

"Yeah. Thank you, good sir. You saved those poor souls from frostbites."

"You a mage, huh? Guess it would have been a good show. Sorry for the impression, the folk here don't like humans much."

"I'm as much of a human as those guys," Phantom huffed, hiding his hands underneath the white cloak he wore. "In any case, thanks again, I'll be going... actually... are you a local?"

"Not exactly," the wolf shrugged, "There is a joint here I like a lot and happened to be at this time. Why do ya ask?"

"I'm looking for one person. Hoped someone would know."

"I am not totally oblivious either. Maybe I can tell."

Danny smiled. He appreciated the cooperation, "There is a guy, more like a bear. Goes by the name Reisel."

Something in the man's expression shifted. No more cockiness was there, grave seriousness replaced it, but then the man shook his head, obviously dismissing the thought that came to his mind. Danny didn't miss that.

"I take it you know him."

"This can't be him. That guy is probably dead by now."

Phantom gestured for the man to follow. He could help the teen with his task. Perhaps Danny wouldn't even need to use his own leverage. Once the two were in a place where nobody would eavesdrop, namely an alleyway behind some tavern, he continued to talk.

"My source did say that he got the short end of the stick from his boss. He failed some job and now he is blind. You didn't see him die, did you?"

"No, I didn't. Can they really be the same person?"

"Perhaps."

"Say, kid," the wolf once again grew serious, his jaw dangerously close to Danny's face, "What do you even want with the member of the Assassin Organisation?"

Instead of the expected reactions: anger, hostility or an act of pretence, he got a grin.

"So we ARE looking for the same guy! Great. We can actually help each other."

"Hold up just a moment. I'm not looking for him. I thought he was dead up until now. And he can go to hell, it doesn't concern me or my employer after the incident that made me believe he was dead. You haven't answered to my question."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, "Do you know the Bowel Hunter? Well, I am the one who killed her. And that was enough for her boss to want to chop my head off."

The giant whistled, "Guess you didn't need my help, after all."

"No, you still helped me avoid unnecessary confrontation."

"What are you even trying to get out of Reisel?"

"Information about his superiors. They won't leave me alone if I let it all continue."

"So you dive into lion's den? You are one brave whelp. Or a stupid one."

"I'm both, actually. Well, it was nice meeting you..."

"Hah! Name is Ricardo Welkin, boy. Of the Iron Fangs. You might have heard of us."

"Nope. Lived under a rock and have the knowledge of said rock. Goodbye then."

"Well, if you change your mind and need some sell-swords, ask for me and my men at the Hoshin Trading company."

Danny suddenly began to laugh full-heartedly, earning himself a confused look.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just..." Danny took a breath, "Seeing someone like you act like a car salesman cracks me up, and I don't know why. Probably the dissonance is at fault, nothing personal. I'll think about it, name is Daniel, by the way."

"Heh, well, see you around, Daniel. I will be glad to see ya in action."

With this the strange and unexpected encounter came to an end. Ricardo did leave a pleasant impression on the teen, even if it all was quite a strange and short experience. Phantom got a good contact, mercenaries travelled all around and were aware of more things than one. They were a valid source of information, that's not even mentioning their most obvious merit — the might of their swords. Danny might not afford a squad, but at least some capable men could be hired. Seeing how many people now wanted to see his face and probably carve something on it post mortem, he might have a need for their services. While he could protect himself, the same could not be said about everyone he knew.

Danny continued his journey, asking the locals some more. Needless to say, the reception didn't change. They still were reluctant to tell him anything, so Danny decided to be sneaky about it. So, he did something considered a crime in many countries — pretended to be a member of law enforcement organs. In this case, a guard.

"This man is being persecuted for several accounts of murder and theft," he told a demi-human with grey fur who was probably more busy smoking a pipe, "We ask for civil cooperation and assistance on your part."

"Aren't ya a bit young to be a guard? What are you? Fifteen?"

"I am seventeen, good sir," grumbled Danny.

For all his height and fortitude, he still had a face that was too youthful for his years. That often tipped people off.

"Plainclothes unit. So tell me, have you seen a man fitting the description?"

"Guards rarely lift their asses here, so why should I help?"

"Because he is a threat to other people, you included. We cannot allow these crimes to go unpunished forever."

The man sized him up for a good minute, before sighing. "He is down that street. The only yellow house around."

Danny beamed, "Thank you, sir. Your civilian responsibility will not be forgotten."

He then followed the directions given to him, passing the streets and stopping in front of a yellow building. The bricks were out of place in many spots, and even when compared to the other houses around it looked decrepit. Danny didn't fear sticking around, the man was blind, it's not like Reisel could notice him. There was only one door, so he really didn't have many options. What was up to debates was how to enter. Danny didn't think long and walked right through. Something about going intangible in front of several people and not coming across as a total freak was always refreshing. It even made Phantom somewhat gleeful. He didn't know why he would be so cautious against the guy who was already blind, but it was more in case there was someone else at the building. Besides, everything could go according to the cliché and Reisel could compensate for his lacking senses with others.

In front of Danny was a narrow corridor that had a staircase in the middle. His attention quickly shifted to the surroundings, to the peeling, ugly purple wallpapers and the planks that each made a horribly loud noise upon being stepped on even by someone with footsteps as light as Danny's. There weren't any rooms downstairs aside from a small kitchen, but there was nobody there. Therefore, Phantom decided to take it upstairs. The staircase was made of materials of the same quality, each of them groaned under his feet, so Danny decided to fly up to the second floor instead. Phantom opened the door and now faced another corridor, and with each door closed, he now had to play a guessing game. Not really bothering, he opened the first door to the left, and a simple bedroom came before his eyes. What caught his interest was the desk that had some papers on it. This could be the treasure he had sought.

Danny entered the room and began to rummage through them. There wasn't as much as he had hoped, mostly it was empty and anonymous correspondence, counts of living expenses, and, finally, the lists of associates and targets. That was probably the most prized find so far. Danny was about to leave, but then something he should have foreseen happened.

A blade glistened under the rays of moonlight that came from the window. Danny quickly dodged the strike and jumped on the bed. He quickly tucked the lists of parchment in his pocket. Before him stood the target of his search: Reisel himself, armed with a single knife. Danny grinned.

"Reisel, I presume?"

The bear roared and swung his blade again, directed by the sounds of Phantom's mocking speech, but the weapon went right through. To Danny's quiet amusement, the man assumed that the teen had jumped off somewhere else, and thus the assassin began turning around sporadically. Phantom decided to put the sad excuse for an assassin out of his misery, figuratively, of course. His hand glowed green, before the gooey substance emerged from his palm. The impact launched Reisel into the corner of the room, and, like thick glue, it stuck the man to the walls. As he kept struggling, Danny sat on his knee and faced his opponent.

"I have to repeat my question."

"Who are YOU?!"

"The guy you are trying to kill, obviously. Meili spilled that you have a little hideout in the city."

"You... you are that brat!" Reisel exclaimed, realisation striking him like a truck. "Look, you don't need anything from me, I swear."

"Tsk-tsk, that's not how it works, my ursine friend. You do know something useful. Because anything you say may just be utilised. Just like the names of your associates."

"I'll never tell you anything!"

"Because then you will suffer the fate worse than death, yeah, we heard that one before," Danny pulled a chair close to himself and sat on it, "But you are a goner anyway for losing this piece of chewed toilet paper. Might as well make it more worthwhile."

"Please, don't do this! I'm going to..."

"Yes, I just said that I know what's in store for you. And I pointed out that I don't care. I was actually worried I'll have to corner and threaten you, but look, I got the leverage now."

"What's the point? To make it easier for you?"

He may not have had eyes to show emotions, but his feelings were pretty simple to read.

"Yes. And I may kill you quickly, something your boss will not give. That's entirely up to you."

"You attacked me in my own home. I'll call the guards!"

"And then I'll show them the very same list of paper written by you. You've left plenty of examples of your penmanship here to compare."

Reisel bit his lip, so hard, in fact, that blood leaked from it.

"That's not mentioning that hardly anyone will hear you. Come on now, don't play coy. Be glad that I am not resorting to torture. I'm just that nice of a guy."

"I... I won't say anything."

Danny tilted his head, "Such delectable fear I'm tasting right now. Your boss has you by your balls, pal."

"You don't know who you are messing with! Mother will butcher you right after she deals with me, you understand?"

"Do YOU understand that killing someone who is not even alive is complicated?" Phantom chuckled. "Listen here, Bearenstein, I am already your mommy's target. If she comes to me, we will end it all either way. So, I have little fear about what's to come. Something which cannot be said about you. I can draw your end for quite some time, too."

"I...I... Meili told you all of this? That little bitch. She will be getting it, too."

"She is already being punished by myself. Believe me, she doesn't enjoy my company. You are just trying to derail the conversation now. I count to three. You don't talk, I cut off your leg."

"Ha! Mother will reward me and grow it back for my silence."

"The liiiist, Yogi," Danny reminded. "One."

"I did everything I could! She will!" Reisel yelled out of desperation.

"You got stuck a couple of seconds into our fight. There will be no more pic-a-nic baskets for you. Two."

"What the hell is..."

Danny's eyes glowed. "Three."

He lazily waved his palm, and a crescent of green energy was flung right at Reisel's leg. With a loud, squishy noise, the cut was made right under the knee. The calve didn't even fall in the pool of the gushed blood when Reisel had shouted from pain at the top of his lungs. Danny glanced at the window and once again was reassured that it was closed. Most of the yells were drowned out, but Phantom was merciful. The ice creeped up from the floor and over the cut, stopping the bleeding and giving Reisel something akin to a prosthetic leg. One that was stuck to the floor.

"You sick fuck!" Reisel yelled.

"Am I hearing this from an assassin?" Danny raised an eyebrow, "I guess you are used to losing limbs and outer organs. Very well, we have the whole night to be inventive."

He could look scary all he wanted, but Reisel could not see. All intimidation factor had to go into his voice and actions.

"Are you ready to talk?"

"What do you even want to know?!"

Danny smirked. Now that was the direction he liked, "The info about Mother will be nice. I take it you have met in person."

"I know shit! Nobody knows about her personally!"

Danny's lips thinned, "What does she look like?"

"She is a shapeshifter. You won't know even if you meet her. I don't know if what I saw was her true appearance."

That was two strikes already.

"Anybody who might know?"

"Nobody I know of. You cut off my leg for nothing!" Reisel laughed.

"No, I took my little pleasure in seeing you writhe in pain. Then tell me... where are your hideouts? Certainly she has her base of operations somewhere."

"That's a tall order..."

"Should I go for your testicles?"

"We have hideouts across the world. I can't know where she is now. Last time she was in Gusteko!"

"Gusteko... I really need to fill my gaps in knowledge. Go on."

"The main hideout there is in the city of Albis. That's all I can tell, I never was there, I swear."

"I believe you. Well. I guess I got what I looked for. Gusteko it is."

"I am free to go, right?"

Danny hummed, "I promised you swift death, didn't I? Yes, I won't go back on my word."

"Please, just spa..."

Phantom summoned an ice blade and cut off the man's head. Reisel didn't have the thing that had saved Meili, and thus, nothing held the teen back. This was a man who voluntarily got involved with assassins, the one who was probably responsible for countless deaths, even if not directly. And if he was to die later anyway, let it be by his hand and swiftly. Besides, the half ghost wished to have the advantage. They would never see it coming. Reisel would not spill the plans to his boss, he would come to Albis extremely quickly and knock on the assassins' doors. That's not mentioning the rest of his knowledge. It was a nice way of ensuring his safety. By threatening to share everything to everyone at the event of his murder was a nice plan. Namely he could find a person who would disclose this knowledge should something happen. And Danny knew just the guy for the task.

-Linebreak-

Danny was only a half-ghost. Like any mortal he was a creature demanding sleep. But it didn't mean that some things didn't take priority. Having actually bought some encyclopaedias, he, while Meili slept near him, read vigorously under the light of several candles. Phantom knew that it was pointless and rude to knock in the middle of the night. He could wait until the morning before making the calls.

This time was not in vain, for he now had at least the basic understanding of how this world functioned. It would make him stick out much less. The knowledge concerned the Four Great Nations, one of which was Gusteko — the next destination on his way. The names he had heard along the way, dropped occasionally during the conversations, but the map of this world made him laugh. It was a big rectangle with a couple of extra protrusions — one huge Pangea. That simplified the directions somewhat, he guessed. And the included map was a nice feature as well, he had a use for it.

The flow information did not end there. Another book that caught his eye was the one that touched upon the history of the Witch Cult. It was, for the lack of a better word, incredibly vague. That could be explained by how cryptic the organisation itself was. It wasn't that much of a history book, more like a list of places they chose to raze. Danny read and read it thoroughly, the tiniest bit of disclosed information could be helpful. But no, there wasn't even any info on the witches apart from that of Envy. Whilst he was reading about her, the book invoke some strange feelings in his stomach. Satella, the name Emilia had chosen to dissuade the teen from tailing her. So many things coincided about them that it was, indeed, unsettling. The silver hair, the half-elf heritage... His interest piqued, he continued, and now it was the turn for him to feel... No, relatable was an extremely wrong word. For when the book recalled the events of four hundred years ago, he felt uneasiness overcoming him.

The Witch was responsible for laying waste to half of this world, ruining the nations of the past. The words flowed in front of his eyes and the warnings of the insipid Time Master rang in his mind. The memories of his own came to the forefront. The memories of the future that hadn't come to be. This was also the world that had gone through something Danny had prevented in his own, by stopping nobody but himself. It was just one step away. He was destined to do just what the Witch had committed and so much more. Clockwork saw it all, the Observants did. They feared that the threat was still present, that Phantom would still give in to the urges hidden deep inside his heart, ironically wounded by these same people. And it made him wonder if such was the case with the one who gave him those conflicting thoughts. It showed just how little Clockwork actually cared, if he toyed with him, and yet let this world to burn.

"Some time Master you are," Danny hissed.

"What are you mumbling about?"

The drowsy voice of his unwilling companion broke his musings.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," he muttered half-angrily.

"It's morning already."

Phantom blinked. He turned to look at the window, and his eyes were assaulted by the risen sun. It was almost comical how he groaned and covered himself with the free hand.

"Crap, I've lost track of time..." Danny said and yawned.

Meili grunted and got into a sitting position. "Have you stayed up for the entire night?"

"I don't need sleep, I need answers," responded Phantom and rubbed his eyes, set the book aside only for Meili to pick it up and examine.

"Why are you reading about the Cult?" She asked in confusion.

"I skipped some parts of the orientation movie. Get up, we will be getting something to eat."

"And then?"

Danny went for the door and turned around, "Tag along if you would like. I'm off to talk to one acquaintance of mine. I'll explain my plan as we eat."

Phantom exited the room and descended the staircase. He sat one of the tables of the still empty dining room of the tavern, waiting for the pretty waitress to come and take his order. The young blonde soon arrived, and she was quite cross with him.

"Have you slept well, sir? You look awful."

"I am fine," Danny shrugged it off. He was used to nights with barely a couple of hours of sleep. "Just bring what I asked, please. Oh, and some tea if you have it."

"I'm afraid we don't serve it here. It is quite pricey as of late, I'm embarrassed to say."

"They don't have coffee, they don't serve tea because the owner is a scrooge," Danny silently moaned, questioning if this world was even worth living in, "Fine, give me something warm to drink, then. Up to you."

"Alright, sir," she smiled, "Wait just a bit."

As she walked off, Meili got down the stairs, dressed in the same blue dress from before. The girl-assassin approached the table by the window where Phantom had chosen to sit, and joined him. After making a big yawn and wiping her eyes, she asked to be told the events of the last night. After all, when Danny had come, she had already been asleep in her room. She was still young, and the desire to sleep had overweighed the sense of danger. Phantom indulged her curiosity and told her about everything that had transpired.

"You just left his corpse there?" She asked, "You really are an amateur."

"It will take a while for someone to notice. I'll be in Gusteko before they do."

"You can't get there in a couple of days."

"Well, it takes around four days for the smell to appear. In all seriousness, without extra luggage I will get there in a matter of hours."

"How?"

"I can fly, Meili. At the speeds that break the sound barrier. Its just that your body would not have been able to handle it."

"Does that mean that you will leave me here alone?"

"I honour our agreement. Until we are over, you are under my protection, as I said," responded Danny with all seriousness, "But I save for myself the ability to leave you at the hands of people who can protect themselves and you as well. I'm going to Reinhard after we are done with food. If you come, it will save me the trouble of going back and forth. Now, dig in."

After the eggs were eaten and the bottle with something sweet was emptied, the two companions took it to the streets. Phantom still looked like an unwanted child of coffee and death, and the passersby chose to step aside from his path. The little girl following him looked very contrasting to that image, and Danny could only wonder how everyone perceived him. Even if the district wasn't something he knew as the back of his hand, he soon entered a familiar street that lead right out of it and into the Noble's district. It was the road that lead to the mansion Reinhard lived in. Very soon a familiar building came into view, and Danny couldn't help but smirk upon seeing the guards. That reunion was promising to be lovely.

"Hey there, guys, it's me again," he waved.

When the armoured men turned to him, all the colour drained from their faces.

"Step back, you runt! We won't be having the same shit again!" One shouted in panic.

"I thought you would know that I'm not asking for permission to enter. Is Reinhard here?"

The guards looked at each other, "No, he was off yesterday to do some things."

"How do I know you ain't lying?"

"Nobody is obligated to tell you anything."

The gruff voice had come from behind the iron gates. They soon opened, revealing Reinhard's father Heinkel. The man was just as messily shaven and smelling of alcohol. Danny once again thought about how an apple had fallen miles away from its tree.

"Hello, sir," Danny greeted, faking the politeness. "Maybe you would indulge me?"

"I'm sure as hell not letting you in this time. But what they say is true, brat. Reinhard busies himself with that girl he had brought."

"What is he doing?"

"Hell if I know, I don't give shit."

"And I thought my parents were the examples of ignorance. You don't know the location either, do you?"

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell anything to the likes of you. Now scurry off before I cut you apart."

"I'd like to see you try, boozer. Last time wasn't enough?"

The atmosphere grew dangerously tense, and the one to diffuse it was one particular girl.

"Uhm..." Meili spoke shyly and grabbed his hand, "Please, Danny, don't fight here. It's dangerous."

Phantom was caught off guard for a moment by her behaviour, but snapped out of it soon enough.

"Fine then. When is he going to be back?"

He didn't like that wrench in his plans. He didn't like this at all.

"Hell if I know."

"Then thank you for nothing," Danny grumbled, "If I find out you were lying..."

"What, you going to kill me?"

"I was thinking about sneaking in and tilting every picture in your corridors. But that sounds good."

The glaring match lasted for some more seconds, but Phantom broke it off soon.

"Let's go, Meili. Change of plans."

"Oh... alright!" The girl followed after him.

They both understood the implications of Reinhard's absence. His plan was as simple as it was ingenious in the teen's eyes. By leaving the list of agents in the hands of one of the most powerful people he knew about Danny had a blackmail for his upcoming encounter. Apart from that, there had been information on their movements, on where they were based in the vicinity of the capital region. Danny could threaten the Mother, he could say that in the event of his death the information would be made public. It would really hinder their operations around the region, and, if she had the tiniest bit of sense, she would know that one revenge would not be worth the deaths or capture of even more agents. And even if they were to be moved elsewhere, their bases once again would come into play. Especially since Phantom had no interest in eradicating their group.

There would be the problem of Reinhard's righteousness. He would naturally want to arrest those people immediately. But Danny had decided to solve the matters as they appeared, but now... Danny cursed Heinkel once again. He had a special disdain for such people.

"What are we going to do now?" Asked Meili.

"I am thinking. In any case, I'll have to postpone the journey. As much as I would hate it."

"Why even bother with it all?"

"In negotiations, Meili, you have to make the ground yours."

"Mother does not negotiate, why won't you understand?"

"I'll make her, then," Danny snapped, "I killed a god, I'll kill her if she does not listen."

"Then why this extra labour? Go and do it, then."

"And get the vengeful idiots on my plate? This is the last resort. Why won't anyone just leave me alone?" He muttered.

"You yourself jumped into it, don't start blaming us."

"Point taken...what to do, what to do..."

They sat together, on a bench, able to overlook the river running through the city. Danny's mind went into high gear, trying to come up with a new scheme. There was Roswaal, Danny figured. The guy was strong enough and something told Phantom that he would not pass on the opportunity. But Danny just didn't trust him enough. The Margrave was a frootloop, and no amount of gifted money would change this. Danny was at a dead end. Then he got to rethinking his strategy. Was it important for his associate to be powerful? All they had to do was to pass a couple of papers. Phantom glanced at Meili. No, she was too obvious of a target. They would off her first and foremost. Danny had learned about the local means of communication, including magical phone-like things. So he wasn't hoping on a fat pigeon giving him extra time.

"Alright. It isn't too late. I'll ask other people who know Reinhard. Maybe they would know."

"And that would be..."

"I...I am not sure."

"Goodness, can't you, like, ask your cul..."

"Quiet, you idiot," Phantom hissed. "I don't have any contact with them. And I don't seek it."

"Are you really one of them? So far you've done everything contrary to that."

"Not really. I don't want to be with them, that's the point, but it is not something you choose."

"But they might know something. They are the main competitor of the Organisation when it comes to slaughtering people. They would know where the most powerful man of the kingdom is."

That made... probably way too much sense. And Danny felt really uncomfortable with such conclusion.

"No, Meili. I am NOT involving myself with them. This will be the opposite of my goals. And even if so, how would you even establish this contact? As you said, they are the most secretive..."

Danny heard something rustle near him. Looking to the left, on a bench he saw a tiny note. Phantom looked around in search of the one who dropped it. And yet, he found nobody there. The teen unfolded it, and the message in it, written by a shaky hand, half-covered in blood, was very concise.

'Flugel tree. Tomorrow.'

"Meili... did you see the one who left this?"

"No, I didn't..."

"Guess we are not the ones looking for contact."