Save Log 22: In Search of the Great Rock Bill (Part 3)

The people in the black market didn't stand forward to help us. They stayed seated in their stalls. We carefully approached the thief who surrendered.

"Now let's see who this cloaked dude really is."

"Why the hell did you say that?"

"You wouldn't get it." Lina stayed puzzled not knowing why I said that. I uncloaked the person and it was…

"A complete stranger?"

"Chungen Jester?" said Lina.

"Who the heck is that?"

"How dare you say that? Have you no respect for the great and famous Chungen Jester the 3rd." the man said in a husky voice.

"Infamous."

"That's what makes us famous thieves."

This guy is about the same age or older than Lina. He had sky blue eyes with long bluish-green hair which was held together with a black hairband. A golden earring can be seen on his right ear as well as the silver pendant.

"I am not sure if you're the real deal though. I heard Jester the 2nd didn't have a child. He never married either."

"That's because my old man didn't say anything about mother. Well, he didn't marry, that's true."

"You ain't no Chungen's son!" one of the merchants said.

"I am! I have my old man's pedant right with me." he pulled the pedant over his neck and showed it holding it high for everyone to see. There is a big J with two straight lines carved on the back of the round pendant. It's like those with photos in it.

"Definitely a fake one." said another merchant.

"No, it's not!"

"Chungen Jester-san, I don't know and don't care about you being famous or son of a great thief, but I do care to know why you stole that useless piece of rock that a lady keeps as a pet?"

"Don't call it useless without knowing what it is."

"It's a rock?" both Lina and I said at the same time.

"More than just a mere rock. There is a legend of this kingdom that, long ago, one of the ancient kings asked gods for something that will help him rule the country. The gods…"

"That's just a legend you buffoon." another merchant on the left side said.

"It still might be true!"

"Carry on. I want to know the story."

"Yep, me too. I want ta hear that as well."

"Ok, get a seat then. Alright where was I..oh right, the gods gave him a very beautiful stone, that makes the holder's wish come true. It went missing a long time ago."

"...that's it?" Lina asked after Jester didn't say anything for a while.

"That's all I know."

"I was expecting a long story." I said disappointed.

"You think this one is the stone from that legend? Are you stupid or something?"

"No, I am not stupid. I looked through the paintings where the king was holding the rock and this one look just like the painting. The colour but there is some difference between their shapes."

"You mean that baker gran has the stone that grants any wish?"

"Aa yeah?"

It's kinda hard to believe that that old lady has something so powerful as the stone that grants any wish.

"Well, it could be the real one." said the disembodied voice...what?

"Steal!"

"Anti-steal." Lina tried to steal the wish maker.

"You are not having this. Until we meet again." Chungen ran away with the stone.

"Don't let him go Lina! Damn it the Agility spell wore off. Why didn't people blocked him?"

"They don't wanna get their customers in jail by themselves you know?"

Oh right, thieves are their customers, stolen goods are their trades.

"Stealth."

"Damn it he is going to use stealth."

"Snipe!" the arrow pierced through the right leg.

"Ahh! My leg! My beautiful leg!" the stone fell on his toe.

"Ahhhh! F*ck! My toes!"

They must be extremely painful. I'm sorry about your leg Jester dude.

"Nice job Hanjiro."

"Yo-you are not gonna get me. Smoke bomb."

"Sh*t"

Jester threw a few bombs on the ground making it all foggy and even darker.

"Hey! No smoke bombs in the black market!" one of the merchants yelled out.

"Crap. I couldn't get off with this leg."

"Give up dude. We are having that stone. Now, what should I wish for? Hehehe."

"Don't be so greedy Lina. I will take care of the stone myself. Hmm, maybe getting richer than Purplehood might be cool."

"You are the one who is greedy! Oh, he fled away."

The Chungen Jester was nowhere to be found. He was here crawling a while ago.

"God damn it. It's all your fault Hanji."

"Shut up let's go look for him before he is out of reach for us."

"If ye two lokin for de fake Jessie, he left the black merchant...oh, he got caught as well."

"Huh? Wait how did you know?"

"She is a forecaster. Not a good one but she can see everything in 10 seconds in future.

That's a pretty pathetically low amount of time. The question is how did he able to get away from here that fast with that broken leg?

"Let's go check if she is right Hanji."

We went out of the black market and saw Furara and Zefira along with some soldiers. The soldiers tied up Chungen taking him away.

"Can I at least have my leg fixed?"

"We will think about it next time in jail."

"Oh, Lina-san and Hanjiro-san. Thank god you two are okay."

Furara approached after noticing us coming out from the alleyway.

"You won't believe it Furara, this rock is a wish maker."

"Really? Well, it does look like the one in the book."

"Let's go to the grandma and asked her about this. By the way, you two did a good job bringing the soldiers."

We went to the baker's shop. Seeing the rock in my hands, she quickly came forward and held it on her chest tightly.

"Oh, Billy how have I missed you."

"Grandma, you didn't say anything about this rock is a wish maker?"

"Why do you have this?"

"Where did you get it?" all of us started to question her one by one.

"Settle down. Settle down. This is all a misunderstanding."

"What do ya mean gran?"

"This is just a replica of the Dori Stone."

"Ehhh?!"

"That's right, not the real one. This rock here once no many times granted my wish, in a way. The first it made my wish come true while I was sitting beside the rock in our yard, I was surprised and decided to keep it. It was all grey and stone-like before. I hired a painter to make it look like the real one."

"So, this one is a fake?"

"Yes indeed. A replica of it."

What the heck? I was excited about nothing. Curse you Razahan!

"I didn't say yes it was. I said it could be." said the voice in my head.

"Well, at least we got your Bill." said Furara.

"You must be delighted to have it back." Zefira commented as well.

"Yes, I can't tell you how happy I am right now. For your trouble, here is the reward."

"Hmm?"

The baker lady came back with a bag of Azuls and two cakes.

"Here, hope you are satisfied with this."

"Thank you. We will gladly…"

"Nah, we don't need the money."

"Yes, I would prefer to just take those cakes instead."

What the heck? She is a very successful baker woman. There is no harm in getting money from her.

"Oh, you sweet kids. Alright, I will give you another cake instead then." she went to get the cake. But, the money...I guess I can't do anything about it.

We received the reward of three cakes and bade goodbye to the baker lady. Finally, the case of finding the most pet rock Bill is closed.