The Hero Should've Known Better

Chapter 23: Fraul

The two reached the street that the Wisp had pointed them to. And, looking down the street in question, and at the very many doors there were, the two quickly figured out how monumental the task ahead of them was.

"...Now is the time to be a little nuanced, too," the Healer said. "Ronn, we're not seriously going to be checking every single one of these inns for blocks down to find them, are we?"

"That would be counterproductive to our goal of remaining discreet, Miss Junil," he said. "Waking everyone up will only bring attention to us."

"Good, you agree with me for once," the Healer said. "Now, can we—"

Junil was about to say 'rest up for the night', but Ronn had begun speaking moments before she started her second sentence.

"Fraul is capable of assisting us search for the exact position of the Second Coming," Ronn said. "She would have been unlikely to accompany us to search for the Second Coming, due to her obligations. However, she does not have to leave the city if we merely ask her for a wide-area detection spell. We should seek her assistance."

Junil groaned, once again. She also rubbed a hand through her hair, in irritation.

"I'm still going to punch that woman for what she's done to the potions market."

Ronn glanced down at the Healer.

"Again, I recommend against doing that, Miss Junil. She is far less likely to lend her aid if you antagonize her."

"And she's also unlikely to lend her aid if we don't pay that money-grubbing Mage for that 'favor'," the Healer muttered. Despite that, Ronn persisted.

The two proceeded in the opposite direction, towards the old house that Fraul had fixed up to use for her base of operations. They weren't exactly sure where the Mage was, but logic dictated that she'd probably be there at this hour.

The walk took a few minutes, and Ronn knocked on the door to see Fraul's assistant slide open the peephole. The assistant recognized the two immediately, but didn't open the door.

"Madame Fraul is busy," Sila stated. "How important is this matter?"

"Of highest priority," Ronn stated.

"Can it wait for tomorrow morning?"

"It cannot, unfortunately," Ronn said.

Sila stared at the two and slid the peephole closed. The next few seconds were occupied by the sounds of her undoing the many locks on the door, before she opened it up.

"Fraul is currently preoccupied," Sila said. "She is in her office. However, I will not be the one to interrupt her."

"May you please take us to her, at the very least?" Ronn asked.

"I can. But if she gets mad, you'll be handling her on your own."

All three stopped when they heard the muffled yet all-too-familiar shouting of an angry Mage coming from another room.

"I think she's mad already," Junil said.

This was followed by a repeated thumping, followed by the sound of wood shattering.

"...And she's probably throwing a tantrum, too," the Healer added.

Sila decided to melt away into another room, to avoid the inevitable mess that the Hero and the Healer were going to literally walk into.

It wasn't difficult to find the room that Fraul was in, due to all the shouting. Ronn opened the door to Fraul's personal office, to witness the Mage shouting at a man.