The evening air in Fareday was cooling rapidly, turning the sweat of the day's labor into a chilly reminder of the sewers and the sun. The Legends sat in a circle behind the partially dismantled booth, the wooden planks stacked neatly thanks to Diana's insistence on order. Emilia was center-stage, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she meticulously divided the day's "loot"—a mountain of copper, silver, and the precious gold from the "Merch Crisis."
"One for the booth fund, one for the snack fund, and three for me," Emilia muttered, sliding coins into different pouches.
"Hey!" Kirian protested, though he was busy shaking out his tunic to get the last of the sewer dust out. As he ruffled the fabric, something heavy and cold hit the table with a melodic clink.
It was a spoon. But it wasn't just any utensil; it possessed a soft, internal radiance that pulsed with a faint, ghostly light.
"Uh, guys?" Kirian picked it up, squinting at it. "I don't remember being a thief. Where did this come from?"
"Maybe the sewer pirate gave it to you as a tip?" Lili suggested, reaching out to poke the glowing bowl of the spoon.
"Or maybe it fell into your collar when we were in that 'treasure room' pile," Gaius added, leaning in. "It's glowing. That usually means magic, or very dangerous mold."
Emilia's eyes widened, her greed-sensors tingling. "Wait… that craftsmanship. It looks just like the legendary sets from the Throne of spoons. It was part of the throne of the ra king. That's high-grade enchanted silverware!"
Diana stepped forward, gently taking the spoon from Kirian's hand. She held it up to the fading sunlight, her sharp eyes catching something near the handle. "There's an inscription. In tiny print… Gustave."
"The Gustave Estate?" Diana looked toward the darkened hills on the outskirts of town. "There's an abandoned mansion out there. Ten years ago, the Gustave family ran the finest silversmithing business in the province. But the business collapsed overnight, the family vanished, and the mansion was left to the rot."
"Abandoned mansion? Vanished family?" Emilia's face transformed into a mask of pure profit. "I smell treasure. Hidden vaults! Unclaimed silver! A legendary hoard!"
"I smell a waste of time and a high probability of ghosts," Gaius countered, already standing up to leave. "I've had enough 'adventure' for one day."
"We shall investigate tomorrow," Diana decided, her tone leaving no room for argument. "It is far too late to be poking around ruins, and you all look like you're about to fall over."
After dropping a grumbling Gaius off at the orphanage, the rest of the group made their way back to the Zennon estate. As they stepped through the front doors, they were greeted by a warm, familiar sight.
Sitting in the parlor was Dominique Zennon. Beside her stood Camila, who beamed with maternal pride the moment she saw Diana.
"Mother!" Kirian and Lili shouted in unison, rushing forward to hug Dominique.
Diana dropped into a flawless, graceful bow. "Lady Dominique. It is an honor to be back in your service."
"Welcome home, Diana," Dominique smiled, patting the girl's hand before being buried under a hug from Emilia as well. "I hear you've all had a… productive day. Though the smell of the sewers did precede you by about twenty minutes."
"It was for a noble cause!" Kirian declared.
"I have something for you all," Dominique said, gesturing to several wax-sealed envelopes on the tea table. "Letters arrived this afternoon."
Emilia snatched hers first. It was from Elfenheim. She opened it, her expression shifting from a grin to a pout. "Ugh, my father is still writing me lectures! 'Stop being a troublemaker,' 'Don't swindle the locals,' 'Remember the family name.' Honestly, does he think I'm a child?" She flipped to the second page and her face softened. "But my mother says I should just be myself. And… they're coming for the festival!"
Kirian and Lili shared a letter from their father, Rimon Zennon. As they read, their eyes lit up.
"He says the expedition is paying off!" Kirian shouted. "He's found some of our distant relatives in the far reaches. And he'll be back in Fareday just in time for the festival!"
The house was filled with laughter and the clatter of tea cups, a perfect end to a chaotic day. The "Legends" were finally feeling like they had a place in the world, surrounded by family and the promise of a grand festival.
But miles away, on the silent, overgrown outskirts of town, the Gustave mansion stood like a jagged tooth against the moon. Deep below the rotted floorboards, in a cellar that hadn't seen a footstep in a decade, a shimmering, rhythmic glow began to pulse—matching the heartbeat of the spoon Kirian had found.
Something was waking up.
[End of Episode 5]