Chapter XLVI (46)

  Over the next few days, Mitsuko dedicated her time to a few different tasks. First, she subtly investigated the town. Through delicate questioning, she discovered the ages of the children taken. Between seven and thirteen. For full humans. But half-goblins made up a good portion of the town’s population as well. And for them, maturity was reached at a different rate, depending on the amount of goblin blood in them. So everything between two year olds to nine year olds for the goblin kids was fair game of the kidnapper. There were some more mature goblin children who were still in town at the age of six, and others who developed slower were still in town at the age of four. The dozen or so human children proved a far more consistent measurement.

  It didn’t help her that the town was ruled by a unique hierarchy formed around two main factions that seemed to hold equal authority. The goblin witchdoctor and the self-proclaimed smuggler king. And everyone told her the smuggler king was away on business. Nobody went into details about what that business might entail, but Mitsuko suspected it likely had something to do with the Prismatic Spiral’s barrier.

  Regardless of where he’d gone, it left just the witchdoctor as the only authority for Mitsuko to speak with. It took several rounds of negotiating and a couple favors, but Mitsuko did eventually manage to secure a meeting with the goblin woman.

  She was of a height with Mitsuko, taller than nearly every other goblin Mitsuko had come across in the town. The witchdoctor’s face and bat wing-like ears were adorned in piercings and rings but they did nothing to distract from her big, blue eyes. She currently sat cross-legged on a thread mat in the middle of an empty building, scanning Mitsuko up and down.

  “A bounty hunter?”

  “A friend of Emperor Sasaki,” Mitsuko said. There was always a gamble when using the name, as it wasn’t as if the Hon Empire was without enemies, but usually throwing around Sasaki’s name was enough to get a measure of respect at the very least. And with the time loop in place, the risk was more than worth it. “I heard there were children in danger and wish to help.”

  “Hmm,” the witchdoctor hummed. “Take a seat and introduce yourself.”

  Without another mat in sight, Mitsuko simply plopped herself down on the hard wooden floor. “My name is Mitsuko and I’m from the Hon Basin. I act as an advisor and confidant of the Hon Emperor.”

  “Basha.”

  Mitsuko blinked.

  “That is my name,” the witchdoctor clarified. She smiled, showing off rows of sharpened teeth. “I am the one who guides the people of Verdant Island. Now tell me, Mitsuko of the jungles of Hon, what sort of magic do you engage in?”

  She almost said, ‘none’ out of pure habit but held herself back. That would be a lie now. And this woman seemed like someone who might have the means in which to detect a lie. Still…she also wanted to be careful. Holding the position of witchdoctor in the local government meant Basha was all certainly not the guardian. Assuming the guardian didn’t have shapeshifting capabilities, they wouldn’t be able to take the form of someone who existed prior to the timeloops. But that still didn’t guarantee Mitsuko safety. Rodrick’s influence had created acolytes out of normal people. She needed to remain mindful of that fact.

  “My capabilities as a mage are a secret,” Mitsuko said. “I’m under a lot of pressure by the Hon government to keep certain things from reaching the public’s attention.” Those were two separate statements, but placed against one another they should leave an obvious implication. Truth detection spells didn’t pick up on wrongfully surmised conclusions.

  Basha nodded slowly, accepting Mitsuko’s words.

  “Obfuscation,” Sterling observed from her pocket. “Rather fortunate that we didn’t end up with a completely dim-witted Champion. Well done.”

  “You may keep your secrets then. I am not interested in them at this time,” Basha said, unaware of Sterling’s comment. “If you wish to help retrieve the missing children then I will trust you are equipped to properly do so. What do you want from me?”

  “I want to know about the most ancient buildings on the island,” Mitsuko said. “Locations with ancient historical meaning. And I need to know the dangers deep in the swamp that I might encounter.”

  Basha’s face hardened. “An interesting request. I trust that you are truly invested in our struggle, and not an opportunist treasure hunter seeking a fortune?”

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  “Nothing like that,” Mitsuko said quickly. “I just have reason to believe that whoever or whatever took the children may have tapped into an ancient power.”

  “An interesting theory. I don’t suppose you would be willing to share why you believe this?”

  “I…no. Sorry.”

  “Then I will be forced to withhold my information as well. Faith is given and trust is earned. You will receive neither from me at this time.”

  Frustrated, Mitsuko decided to change tactics. “I believe that the kidnapper is using a mental spell to infect the children in the town and lure them out.”

  “I have come to a similar conclusion,” Basha said. “Yesterday, on the seventh birthday of one of our human residents, the girl disappeared into the jungle. Her father reported chasing after her only to return anguished and confused. The only thing he could recall beyond rushing through the jungle was hearing the echo of a tune.”

  “So whatever the spell is, it can target the person immediately on reaching the age seven,” Mitsuko closed her eyes and considered. “Potentially a sound based magic. Have you considered creating a potion to neutralize the music?”

  Basha blinked in surprise, cracking her hard visage for a moment. “Potions? Not a suggestion to stuff our ears or wear ear muffs?”

  “I’ve dealt with magical music in the past. Sure, the simpler versions of the spells can be negated with enough wax in your ears. But the more advanced spells have means in which to penetrate. I'm assuming this isn’t an amateur mage so only the truly deaf have any chance to resist the magic. And even then, sometimes the music’s vibrations can still deal damage.”

  Basha tapped her chin, the motion causing her facial piercings to jingle. “A potion is an interesting suggestion. I know of a brew that may accomplish your desired effect. However, it would require a few days of preparation. Even if I did have the necessary materials. Which I do not.”

  Another dead end. Mitsuko attempted to press for the ingredients, thinking she might be able to assemble them all in Mauve in a future loop, but Basha refused to inform her. The goblin’s eyes narrowed and she insisted there was no time. So Mitsuko instead shifted back to the subject of what was charming the town’s children.

  “It sounds like the results of a relic a delver might uncover deep in the World Dungeon.”

  “Perhaps,” Basha said. “However, your World Dungeon does not reach this end of the world. It plays no role on our islands.”

  Mitsuko hoped that Sterling might chime in with additional information about the World Dungeon. But the rat remained mute. Implying that this would be a topic worthy of one of her questions.

  “But there have been civilizations here for thousands of years,” Mitsuko pointed out. “In that time, there’s no telling what sort of cursed magics might have found their way over here. Including from within the World Dungeon.”

  “Perhaps,” Basha repeated.

  After a silence stretched for a minute, Mitsuko changed the topic.

  “What sort of people lived here before the goblins?” Mitsuko asked. “That might help me better understand the potential danger.”

  Basha’s legs untangled themselves and she stood. “As I stated before. I do not know you, Mitsuko of the Hon Basin. And I cannot say this conversation has done much to make me trust you. If I may speak plainly, you’ve vexed me. Pressed me for information while offering only empty boasts and impossible solutions. An uneven deal at every turn. If you have a question that has no potential for a self serving motivation, I will happily answer it. Otherwise I must ask you to depart so I may continue my meditations. As an outsider, you likely view this as a frivolous endeavor but they do more to stimulate my mind and resolve the current plights than speaking to a bounty hunter from a foreign power.”

  Mitsuko sighed. This conversation was not going in the direction she had hoped for. She’d have to approach it from a different angle in a future loop. She stood up and decided to try one last attempt to gain information.

  “Before I go, can you settle my curiosity about something?”

  Basha motioned with her hand for Mitsuko to continue.

  “The smuggler king, where is he? You don’t think he had anything to do with this by any chance?”

  “No.” Basha said flatly. “He is on a diplomatic outing. That is all you need to know on the subject.”

  That was barely an answer. But still more than she’d expected so Mitsuko still bowed to the witch doctor. “Thank you for your time. You may not trust me, but I promise I will do my best to recover your town’s children.”

  She walked out of the building and wandered down the dirt street. Without the need to sleep, Mitsuko never bothered to book a room at an inn here. Which was great because she had no coin to afford one. And the same went for food. Whenever her stomach grumbled, she simply rewound her body’s clock with Mend until it stopped complaining. It was convenient, but already it felt like she was hollowing out her existence by not letting her body enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

  “Where to next?” Sterling asked. “Back to interrogating parents?”

  “I don’t want to make more ripples this loop,” Mitsuko replied. “And I also don’t know who might be an acolyte for this guardian. So I’m going to try to avoid contact with the town as much as possible from here on.”

  “Then where will you go?”

  In response, Mitsuko stepped off the town’s street and into the swamp.

  15 more chapters on my !!