Into the Lion's Den (City of Kore)

Ferro approached the man and his scroll and eyes the locations one by one. "Ah, I see you're a man whose well-prepared for a fine time. I've seen a good deal, but you know these streets better than I. Perhaps a more experienced and seasoned eye would be better to pick where we have our fun?" A little stroking of the ego ought to further convince the man, and maybe even butter him up enough that he might be allowed to leave Dixi or Ryofu here to check his office.

"But of course." The man's chest puffs up a bit with a smile. "Now let's see what establishment that would be most sited for us." His chubby finger started outlining the map, trying to find anything to try to curry favor with Ferro. His finger stopped briefly at the Lucky Paw's location before passing without further delay. One can almost hear the words 'Mangy cat' from under his breath. Finally he stopped at another establishment.

"Ah yes here it is. The Tour de Valencia. Reputable place of many different Valencian import delicacy. I trust that their cuisine are to your likings?"

Oh, I'm certain if you're so confident of it, that it'll be a real treat." He'd heard of Valencia's cuisine before and aside from the real purpose of this dinner and drink thing, he did admit he could go for some of that. He pondered the utterances of the pudgy man regarding the Lucky Paw for a moment, perhaps he could dig a little about that over dinner or even on the way there. As for Dixi and Ryofu... He very much hoped to leave someone at the office to try and find some physical evidence they could use against the mayor. That could be a bit too suspicious though...

If the group was gonna get anywhere, Ryofu needed some alone time with this room to pick out what they needed. Ferro probably knew this too, but it looked like the reasoning was escaping him. Ryofu was (unfortunately) trained for this, but she needed a reasoning and an excuse to break off from the group. That would give her an alibi. The sunglasses that Ryofu was wearing were covering her eyes, so she couldn't make a motion with her vision. That might be too conspicuous, as well. Ferro's family clearly had power just in the name...she could use that to her advantage.

Her hand went up to cover her ear, as if picking up a signal, before nodding. The sound would be indecipherable to anyone else in the room. Someone as prolific as a Magia likely had even more guards and security making sure he was safe, beyond this room. She leaned over to whisper into his ear, quietly enough that only he was able to hear it. "Leave something behind. Notice it when you leave." As she was leaning back, she continued, slightly louder so that it was legible to everyone in the room. "I'll take this. I'll be waiting outside." With that, stone faced as she had walked in, Ryofu turned on her heel and left the room, leaving this next part up to Ferro. He had to be just a little bit stealthy, but that was up to him.

Ferro caught the idea she was suggesting and attempted to figure out what to leave behind. Something small, something lightweight and might not be noticed right off the bat should it suddenly disappear. A pendant round his neck, small and silver, but one without any significant shine. Engraved on its surface was the shape of a feather, a charm from when he was younger.

That could do the trick...

The binding was thin as well, so it wouldn't take much pull for it to clip off. With what he planned to leave behind being decided, he smiled, acted as though nothing was wrong, simply nodding to his "bodyguard" as she vacated the room.

"She's quite serious about her job, it's almost adorable. Well, we ought not wait much longer. Care to lead the way, Mr. Mayor?"

Dixi didn't heard what Ryofu whispered to Ferro but she didn't need to to figure out what it was. She knew that Ferro probably wanted to leave one of them to inspect the room on their own and she agreed that maybe Ryofu was the better choice of the two. She knew that Ferro would need to leave something behind, something important enough to give him an excuse to send one of his bodyguards back to retrieve it.

She kept and eye on the young man and, thanks to her sunglasses, no one would notice her gaze. Said gaze stopped at something that was around his neck, a pendant, and the binding was thin enough that she could break it with a Ki wave weak enough to remain unseen for anyone without a sharp enough gaze. Just like Ryofu did before her, Dixi reached for her ear and acted as if she was getting a message herself before leaning to whisper to Ferro. "Give me the signal and I'll use a weak Ki wave to break the pendant's binding." With her message delivered, the brawler returned to her position with the very same stone cold face she had during the whole meeting.

"But of course, it will be a short moments away from here  And if you find this day to your liking, can you give recommendation of me to your father?"  The mayor asks hopefully, not aware of what is transpiring right in front of his face and more distracted by his thoughts of furthering his ambitions.

"But of course. Such a clever and ambitious man deserves everything that's coming to him," he replied as he gestured for the mayor to lead the way, using a little metal magic to split his necklace chain, and then to very carefully lower it to the floor so as not to create any noticeable sounds. Ferro followed him out of the office, and would wait until they were clear from the city hall before "realizing" something was missing. "Wait, where... Ugh, apologies Mr. Mayor, my necklace is missing."

He snapped his fingers to call on his "bodyguards", looking to them to make sure they don't mistake the signal. "You know what it looks like, one of you go fetch it for me."

Dixi raised a brow when she was completely ignored. She waited until the others left to shrug and then followed them, decided, since her contributions didn't matter, to remain silent for the rest of the mission.

Ryofu had seemed to have just finished her "call" outside, hoping to make it look convincing. Someone of Ferro's lineage would likely have even more of an entourage than just this making sure of his safety. The mental image of more than a few individuals in suits watching from out of sight just in case likely came to mind, and Ryofu could only hope that it was on the mayor's as well. All of this was about getting into the mayor's head, and getting what she needed out of it all. She nodded at the snap, acting as the subservient bodyguard that was there for his every need and whim, before walking back into the hall. Now came her part of the game, and the only thing standing in her way was potentially the desk girl. One that Ferro had already woo'd.

The look she gave that same secretary, no doubt still a little flustered from earlier, was one that probably came off as a little intimidating as she went back to his door. "The young master left an heirloom behind. You will allow me back in, correct?" The tone had an icy edge to it, fitting of someone in her profession. An emotionless one that didn't play games.

Mayor:

The mayor looks a bit worried about having someone that isn't him in the building without him but decided to go anyhow, he didn't want to upset the Magi who also employed the giant hulk of a man. With a final glance to the he led Ferro and most of his retinue out the building and onto the street. Ferro has already seen a good amount of the area from his previous travels before especially towards the hub where the Magia had visited the Lucky Paw. As they pass by the tavern, the mayor muttered something to himself.

Finally they arrived at a establishment about an eight of a mile away from the Lucky Paw. This one depicting a comically large yacht scaled downward. Oddly for such a well presented restaurant, the place doesn't seem very well packed, probably only a quarter of the place seems full from outside perspective. "Well here we are, Lord Magia. The finest restaurant of Kore!"

---

Secretary:

She looks up at one of the bodyguard. Despite the pleasant feature, the secretary was cleared cowed by the statement, both from the tone, and from the potential defiant of Ferro. It helps the she was kind of taken by him as well and the roller coaster of emotion makes it hard for her to think clearly. "O-of course." She gestures to the door back into the room, clearly nervous.

She was still clearly flustered from their previous encounter. Ferro had really done a number on the secretary, that was for sure. That worked out in Ryofu's favor, after all. She looked downright starstruck from earlier, and the one two punch of that, plus Ryofu's stone-cold stoicism will be all she needs to waltz in. "Your cooperation is appreciated." She gave a small bow before she walked into the office and closed the door behind her.

Finally, she could begin her part.

Scooping up the pendant before getting to work, Ryofu cracked her knuckles as she surveyed the location around her, ripe for the picking. First things first was to check the file cabinet, quietly, as her fingers flicked through the files. Taking too long and the secretary's wandering mind might question why she was taking so long. Luckily, Ferro was more than happy to keep our portly mayor busy with his work; that gave her plenty of time to sift through it all and find what she needed...

Ferro looked upon the restaurant, noting the lack of a bustling clientele and already figuring out the general reason for such little activity. "I see, only a restaurant a select fortunate few can afford to indulge then? Well, I certainly hope the food and drinks live up to your glowing words, Mr. Mayor. Shall we step right in?"

"Of course, prepare to be pleasantly surprised."  The two nobles steps into the restaurant.  Inside is an entirely different environment though no less pleasant.  The music in the background was apparent as a small band was playing wind instrument native to Valencia, with a couple of lovely belly dancers undulating at the back.  Aside from the sound of instrument, the noise is fairly reserved, mostly to small conversation, and a smaller audience than the Lucky Paws.  Lamb, kebob, hummus were sizzling at the back and the scent of gyros waft under Ferro's nose, a tantalizing smell.  Glowing curtains frame the establishment, notably around the window, giving the place a visually mystic effect.

---

A lot of the files Ryofu has found are policies, orders, ledgers, and some morally dubious dealings but nothing entirely scandalous.  One is to raise a levy to assault the midaras of the forest.  Another is to raise the taxes to afford more military forces for the previous entries.  There has been plans to petition the Juria country for aid.  

"Anything of interest, Ryofu?"  Luna speaking very softly in Ryofu's headset, making sure to lower her own volume so that it cannot be traced audio-wise.  The moon rabbit has been silently monitoring Ryofu's mission so far and has declined to say anything until now, as Ryofu is alone.

"My word, this place is lovely. A very good impression so far, my friend," Ferro commented, and the compliment towards the restaurant, at least, was certainly as genuine as it sounded. "We have pleasant music, a peaceful atmosphere, lovely ladies, and now all that's left to ponder is the food. Let us find out seats." He was hopeful that Ryo's search would go well, aiming to save some food for her later as thanks

Ryofu was hard at work looking through the individual files to find something that would instantly give them some leverage, when Luna called in. "Not yet...a lot of little things that are...well, probably still illegal and scummy. But we need something a bit more juicy if we want to get a crowd on our side! Some of this stuff might be useful, though..." Ryofu kept her voice down as well, but that came naturally for her at this point. A lot of the finer details went over Ryofu's head, but she figured she'd see something particularly incredulous when she saw it. Hopefully, anyway. Maybe Luna could help point out something as she flipped through the files.

"Just remember many people are more moved when it endangers their way of life rather than sense of justice."  Luna advises.  "They might grudgingly bear it if it is for a greater good temporarily, but not for so long."  Further along the files are the month finances, a ton of receipts for hiring carpenters to make statues of himself, a letter pertaining to the previous mayor, recent string of prisoners from the Demeter woods, nothing in particular order.  Tidiness and organization is clearly this mayor's strong suit.

---

It did not take long before a well dressed waiter lead them to the table, though he did pause apprehensively when he eyes Dixi and especially Barchiel.  

There was some what of a problem with finding the giant armored man a chair that would not break underneath him.  After a while, they resigned that Barchiel may need to sit on the floor as even a bench wasn't strong enough for his frame.  The mayor looked a bit nervous.  "I apologize, Lord Magia.  We never had such a guest before."  

Menus were given to the four with a wide selection of items with mouthwatering lamb, gyros, kabobs, and such Valencian delicacy.  This delight is somewhat soured by the rather high price tag of each of the order.  The water was 4 times the normal mark up price!

Ferro had done quite a bit of traveling before he'd come to this town and he knew what the prices on most lower class restaurants were like. He much preferred those over this, especially depending on the actual quality of the meal and how much he was being given. "Go ahead and seat yourselves, you've done excellent work, so I suppose you all deserve a reward." Thank god for his family wealth, else he'd be in hot water.

He elected to order some gyros, something nice and simple and probably less expensive than the lamb at that.

Dixi remained stoic as she refused with her head, keeping up the act of cold bodyguard.

Ryofu took Luna's words to heart as she kept searching. If it's something happening just to the midara in the forest, it's not going to move them all that much. They could just brush it off, selfish as that sounded to her. 'It's not my problem', she could imagine people saying. And that was exactly the kind of reactions they were hoping to avoid. She needed something meaningful, that would affect the way they lived normally. And then they can go into the injustices of the midara in the nearby forest.

"You're seeing what I'm seeing, right?" She flipped through the files, hoping to stumble into something more meaty. "Guy keeps a tight case, huh? A lot of this stuff isn't quite what we need...I'm gonna check his personal desk." She quietly turned around and went to the desk, which was thankfully not locked. He kept a clean workspace, but he hasn't planned for someone like her. Ryofu silently opened the drawer, hoping it would have more to work with...

As Ferro, Dixi, and Barchiel kept the mayor busy with trying to suck up to the young Magia, Ryofu continues to try to search through the files in the draw with appears to be a bunch of financial stuff stuff.  The drawers to his desk was more packed than his cabinet and seems to be less organized as well, though not entire in disarray.  However, deeper into the mind-number array of numbers, the mayor have a few more discrete things hidden at the back.  

There were plans to try to convict a few of the somewhat well known people in town for 'being midara sympathizers' and accuse them of trying to funnel prosperity towards them and away from Kore.  One document plans to label Callisto as someone trying to smuggle midaras in to shut his place down and funnel everything towards the Tour de Valencia where he gets part of the profit for the business. There is also some odd records of trade between the mayor and an "Avery Philicia" in exchange for some of the Midara of the forest 

As Ryofu looks on, there is one paper have him hire several bands adventurers to try to instigate the Demeter Woods to conflict using Kore tax money to paid them.

This was already proving more fruitful than the cabinet. Some of this stuff was definitely juicy, that was for sure. Luna had advised her to find things that 'endangered their way of life rather than a sense of justice' and some of this definitely fit into that category. Branding people heretics to get rid of them quietly? Framing well known establishments and individuals purely for profit? And a name that she didn't recognize... "You're seeing this name, right miss Luna? Seems like a lead to look into, later." This might even stretch farther than just this one man and his seemingly insatiable greed. Loose ends would only come to bite them in the butt later, after all.

And then, wayyyyy in the back, was something that fit everything she was looking for. "Jackpot." Nothing would get people more riled up then having their tax money be used against them. This, plus what she had found earlier...they could really do this. All of this was, on top of being extremely illegal, sure to whip the town into a frenzy if they delivered it right. And she knew just the booming voice to do it in just the right way.

"This should be good, right? I think this is good." She folded the papers up tightly and stuffed them between her chest, out of sight and covered by the suit she was wearing. Ryofu still wanted to keep in touch with Luna, though, to make sure she was doing all of this right.

"I can't really see anything actually. I can only hear what is going on." Luna reminds Ryofu that she can only receive audio, not visual. "If it is a name of interest though. See if you can procure it or at least find a way to replicate or memorize it. If you think you have found enough evidence to convict the mayor, then I have faith that you will be able to pull it off." Luna's tone of voice makes it almost sounds like she is smiling at Ryofu despite lacking said visual data transfer.

As Ryofu is starting to finish things up, there is a knock on the door. "Miss, are you done there? Were you able to find it?" The nervous voice of the secretary calls from the door.

"Oh! Right." She had been so focused on looking through files that she hadn't realized that she was only hearing, not seeing. "Avery Philicia. I saw that name coming up a few times. Some trade records of Midara from the forest. Seems like a high priority name. Might be good to look in to, once this is all over. Got a bad feeling about tha-"

She quieted down once she heard the secretary on the door. "Gotta go." She whispered it extremely quietly as she pulled herself up, settling herself back together into that stoic form and doing what she could to silently return the room to the way she had found it. The documents she needed were stuffed stealthily between her chest, a woman's best secret compartment. "Found it. Rolled under the desk." A small pendant was in her hands, with an engraved feather. She opened the door with that intimidating aura, her eyes obscured by the sunglasses on her face. "Forgive me for taking so much of your time." Her voice was brusque, professional, and also intimidating.

"I-it is not a problem ma'am." The secretary stammered, meekly scooting out Ryofu's way, not noticing that that some of the document have been stowed within the confines Ryofu's breasts.

Once the green haired 'bodyguard' was out of sight, the woman sighs. This was quite an eventful day and she wasn't sure she would be able to stand another one of those...well maybe if she can have dinner with the young Magia lord. At that point, she moves back to her desk with an image of her fantasy distracting her.