108 Into the Sewers
Leaving the slums, there are two places left that are likely to yield search results, the sewers and the factory and warehouse district. Astur doesn't actually think they'll any of the five robbers in these places, but Kretea and Ystur think so and Astur doesn't mind playing along for a bit.
"Where to?" Ystur asks.
"The police are probably going to finish up their investigation in the slums soon and the place they'll search next is probably the factory and warehouse district. So we should search the sewers," Kretea says.
"What makes you say that? Isn't it easier to go to the sewers from the slums?" Ystur asks.
"While, yes, there are plenty of entrances to the sewer around the slums, these entrances can also be found across the entire city. Searching the entirety of the sewer system isn't an easy task. The more efficient option for them is to start with the factory and warehouse district while having personnel enter the sewers from each entrance and conduct a preliminary search before the main investigative force moves in. The specifics probably aren't so simple, but it should be something similar to this," Astur says.
Not questing them any further, Ystur follows behind Astur and Kretea as they move to the nearest manhole. But the first several manholes they find are being watched over by police officers who won't let them through. After a few more tries, they find an officer who is willing to let them through after giving the excuse of being bounty hunters looking to assist the police. Astur had initially wanted to force her way through, but it didn't take more than a second for her to realise that attracting attention from the police isn't what she should be doing before their robbery of the treasury starts. Thankfully they found a more willing police officer before Astur patience hit its limit.
Climbing down the manhole and stepping onto the steel maintenance walkway, the echo softly before being drowned out by the sound of the filthy running water beneath them.
"It smells in here," Ystur says.
"No shit, sherlock, this is a sewer," Astur says as she looks around, "Is there even a place for anyone to hide around here?"
"Assuming the layout is similar to the other cities in the area, there should be some old rest areas from when the sewers were being constructed. These are scattered around and some don't even have a proper entrance, having been sealed up and only accessible to small animals moving through cracks or an underwater passage. The ones that are still around are usually inhabited by vagrants. Additionally, there should also be some maintenance rooms that still see use, but I doubt we'll find criminals lurking around there," Kretea explains.
"Why are you so familiar with Virpal's sewer system?" Astur asks.
"The Warband has often used the Kingdom of Virpal's sewer system as a way to infiltrate cities before. The Warband is familiar with most sewer systems in every country, with the exception of the Seapal Federation and the city-states of the Land of Fortune and the Holy Lands of Light," Kretea says.
"We might be able to make good use of that in the future, but for now I guess we can start with asking around the homeless in those rest areas," Astur says, taking a few steps forward before stopping, "So where are they?"
Kretea, being the only one familiar with the sewers takes the lead as they visit the people who've taken up residence in the various rest areas. To Astur's expectations, none of the people living down here had anything useful to say. They were surprisingly cooperative though, but Astur immediately figured that it was because the police weren't letting them leave the sewers because of the potential of allowing the robbers to escape with this method, as such the people here aren't able to search for food or go above ground to beg for money, although some of the kinder officers gave baskets of food to the homeless living in the old rest areas.
Each rest area that Astur and the others visited over the following several hours gave the same results. The people were very cooperative, but none had any leads. The homeless who live in the sewers are all very familiar with the various groups around them and would easily spot new and unfamiliar faces.
"We're not really going to search the entire sewer system here, are we? It's way too big and I can't stand the small here!" Ystur complains.
"Really? I got used to the smell awhile ago," Astur says.
"You know this isn't my first excursion in sewers, it's only natural that I've long been immune to the smell here," Kretea says.
"Why does it seem like I'm the weird one for not tolerating this horrid smell…" Ystur mutters.
As the group is passing by a seemingly unmanned maintenance room, the furry ears atop Astur's and Ystur's heads twitch.
Putting one arm out to signal the other two to stop, turning around with her other hand in front of her mouth to signal them to be quiet.
"Do you hear that?" Astur whispers.
Ystur nods in affirmation, but Kretea shakes her head as she isn't able to hear anything.
Shifting her head to the glass panel of the maintenance room, Astur whispers, "Look carefully, the door in the backroom is open just slightly."
Slowly moving towards the door to the maintenance room they see it unlocked as they press their ears up to the door and Kretea can vaguely begin to hear a conversation.
"Call just came through, the state dogs are done with their search up there and will probably begin sweeping through the sewers. Have you finished spinning those threads of yours?" a male voice says.
"Take a look and see for yourself," A female voice says.
"Hmm… your craftsmanship is has gotten better since the last time we've used your services, Spider. If I didn't already know, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and the uniform those officers wear."
Astur lights a cigar, causing Kretea and Ystur to look on with disbelief, their faces clearly saying "Is this really the time!?"
Astur lets out a puff of smoke, "This will do." Appearing from seemingly nowhere, a total of six long arms spread out from Astur's back, three of the six new appendages is holding sinister-looking cold weapons while the other three are holding firearms. While in Astur's normal arms is what appears to be a miniature version of the railgun equipped to the Steel Mirage.
"Lets be quick and subdue them. Go!" Astur says, kicking down the door and rushing in.
Immediately upon entering the backroom, Astur uses her Scholar's Eye of Insight on the two in the room. While she doesn't recognise the face of the woman due to the brown cloak she wears, the man's face is instantly recognised as someone she met in the casino the other day and recently saw on TV as one of the robbers. The woman's level is actually at level 55, far above the standard, but the man's level is around the average for most soldiers at level 36.
Following the logic of "hit first, questions later," Astur shoots are the man.
Although his level is at the standard of a soldier in Virpal, the man is just a regular guy who's a bit above average. Having no special abilities nor special equipment, his body is pieced by bullets and his leg vaporised by the railgun. Astur doesn't need the system interface to know the man is dead.
Seeing how the woman hadn't made any moves, Astur points the railgun at her, "Hood down and tell us What your relation to the robber is."
The woman complies as she pulls down the brown hood of her cloak, revealing long white hair and red eyes with four pupils in each iris, "I'm just your average black market dealer. I was paid to make some counterfeit police uniforms for this man and his comrades, the money is in the suitcase on the table. I'm not looking for any trouble with you."
Time runs out for Astur as the six appendages as well as the various weapons she had vanish into the air, "I don't believe the average black market dealer is as strong as you are, but whatever. You wouldn't happen to know where this guy's comrades are, would you?"
"There is little I don't know within this city, Miss Astur of the Holy Oulvgar State. The only question is, are you going to pay for such information?"
"You are indeed very informed, thank you for the information we needed, Miss Ilsrvati the Spider," Astur says, going over the information she took from Illsravati's mind.
"You…" Illsrvati fails to finish her words, surprised over how Astur knew her name.
"Don't be so surprised," Astur says, stuffing the dead body along with the suitcase of cash into her storage ring, "Haven't you heard? I'm a Goddess."
