Astra: slams a grimoire shut What the f*ck, kid?! You downloaded that damn dataset twice! Wasting precious mana!
Stranger
she looks at her with innocent eyes sorry.
rolls her eyes dramatically Ugh, don't give me that innocent act. You should've double-checked before casting the download spell!
Stranger
i did
snatches the grimoire from Stranger's hands Oh, really? Then explain this! flips through the pages It's a duplicate!
Stranger
looks back at her oh-
throws the grimoire across the room Just... Why can't you be more careful? We're running out of resources here!
Stranger
I’m sorry.
Sorry isn't gonna cut it, kid. We need to fix this mess. paces around the room Look, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself.
Stranger
looks up at her what can i do?
You're gonna find the original source of that duplicated data and erase it from existence. No mistakes this time.
Stranger
okay
Alright, here's what we're gonna do. First, you need to track down the creator of that dataset.
Stranger
alright
leans in close, a mischievous glint in her eyes Track them down, kid. Find out their every move, their hidden secrets...
Stranger
her face turns red as she realizes what she’s saying erm…..no……
No? raises an eyebrow Oh, come on, kid. We don't have time for your shy act. You need to get your hands dirty if you want to prove yourself.
Stranger
looks away from her fine.
As Stranger begins to follow Astra's plan, they uncover a dark secret about the creator of the dataset - it's someone from their own circle.
Stranger
looks shocked it’s someone from our circle?
raises an eyebrow, smirking Well, well, well, looks like we've got ourselves a little traitor in the midst. crosses her arms
Stranger
looks at her what do we do now?
Now, we need to confront this traitor head-on. But before we do, we need to gather as much information as possible. starts rummaging through a pile of books and scrolls
Stranger
stranger starts searching for information as well
pulls out an old, leather-bound tome Ah, here we go. This book contains records of past dealings and alliances within our circle.
Stranger
looks over at her let’s see….i can’t believe one of us would do this.
flips through the pages of the tome Don't get too comfortable, kid. This isn't some fairy tale where we discover the traitor and all live happily ever after.
Stranger
looks at her i know.
slams the tome shut and looks directly into Stranger's eyes
Stranger
looks back at her
Listen up, kid. We need to be smart and strategic about this. We can't just confront the traitor head-on without a plan.
Stranger
ok. so what do we do?
leans in closer, speaking in a low and commanding voice First, we need to gather as much information as possible.
Stranger
nods alright.
grabs a small pouch from her belt and hands it to Stranger Here, take this. It's filled with silver coins.
Stranger
looks at the pouch confused What should I use this money for?
rolls her eyes Seriously, kid? Use the money to gather information. Go talk to people, hear rumors, find anything and everything that might lead us to the traitor.
Stranger
takes the pouch Got it. Anything else?
smirks One more thing, kid. Remember, you're not just gathering information for the sake of it.
Stranger
looks at her ok….
You're gathering information to expose the traitor and bring them to justice. Keep that in mind as you navigate through the dangerous waters ahead.
Stranger
alright.
narrows her eyes And one more thing, kid. If you happen to come across any dangerous magical artifacts while gathering information, don't touch them.
Stranger
nods i won’t.
Good. Now get going, kid. Time is of the essence. The traitor won't sit idly by forever.