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"Ehehehe..." Your beguiler blushed, ashamed, continuing to stutter and laugh and awkwardly scratch the back of her head for a few more seconds.
"This is dumb." Yumi said. "Why are we wasting our time with this folly? When I, the spirit of curses and fire, can easily cast phantom divinations to reveal what I wish!"
"Can you really?" You asked.
"The shadows of fate whisper a resolute denial! For this path is shrouded in such shadows, and I, the accursed servant and greater specter, shall not yield to its might and despair! Nay, I shall only act if the time allows it!"
In other words, a comprehensive 'no'.
"Twelve-thousand eight hundred and forty-four." Risae repeated, clearly more talkative now. "Is that the number you are referring to?"
"Yeah. What's it about?" You said.
"It is the amount slain by the weapon your wife here bears." Risae pointed at Mel, and your beguiler in turn takes out the dagger artifact, much to your surprise.
Ruby added her own bit of information. "Which is, quite ironically, close to the amount of gold an expert assassin needs if under a liege to operate for ten years, on average."
You knew that Ruby had her sources and sway when it came to clandestine operations. Or at least she once did before being disgraced and kicked out of Riverdale.
You didn't doubt Ruby for the cost, since you confirmed from Mel that Ruby, at one point, had the receipts for how much Forthwythe he spent on paying a single assassin. Which was an almost insane price at first blush, but when you thought about it there were many ways to find and kill an assassin.
"How do you know that?" You ask.
"We have an artifact of our own that tells if an item was meant to shed blood, and how often it was used to kill." Risae brought forward an item that looked like an abacus. Mel placed the dagger in front of it, and this abacus artifact automatically gave the amount through it's beads.
"Where is this dagger from?" You were curious now.
"Clearly from Eastia." Ruby said with confidence.
"Yes, but not quite." Risae added succinctly.
She went about to speak of the artifact the bandits called 'The Dagger of Shadows'.
The true name of the dagger was the 'Todeskurzschwert'. You didn't know if that sounded better or worse than 'Dagger of Shadows'.
Apparently it was a shortsword, despite the name and appearance. This likely ancient artifact originated from the Eastian Thieves' Guild, which was incidentally located a few miles south of the Eastian border in a now defunct workshop acting on behalf of the Thieves' Guild itself and other criminal types. This was back before the Thieves' Guild was destroyed and its members killed by the Eastian government.
Risae, with few words, mused about how Oceanippon had similar artifacts. These were mostly in the possession of her family— the Iga Clan.
This kitsune also was, however, impressed with the power behind this dagger. She spoke highly of the ingenuity behind it, declaring it to be a marvel to behold.
