Second Preparation: Logistics at the Bar...

Smoke and soot from Ferro Scuro drifted through the windows of the adventurers' guild bar, lit by gas lamps and rotating gears embedded in the wood.

The mechanical music of a drumming automaton competed with the murmurs of the patrons, many of them battle-scarred, their eyes burned by the sight of the infernal machinery.

Ayato, Isolde, Vera, and Dakim had gathered around a circular wrought-iron table, with maps and diagrams of the Pseudo-Castle spread out on the surface.

Madelis, as was her custom, had parked her wagon beside it, exaggeratedly displaying various "planning tools," including a blunt hammer, a compass pointing nowhere, and a flask of glowing green liquid that claimed to "enhance strategic vision."

“Well, well, it seems you plan everything very… academically,” she said, taking out a couple of wrinkled scrolls that already bore signs of use, looking at them with a mischievous smile. “In case you're interested, I was investigating the area a few days ago.”

Ayato frowned.

“Investigating… or spying?”

Madelis shrugged cheekily.

“Oh, irrelevant details. Let's call it field reconnaissance for strategic purposes.”

“Good,” Ayato said, resting his elbows on the table. “The Profane Mechanism Fortress is completely guarded by… that, and we all know the city worships it as if it were a god.”

Isolde frowned, pointing at the map with military precision.

“It's not just idolatry. But the Infernal Tyrant who rules the place calls himself Arkan Thélemor. Every tower, every corridor, and every gear is a living defense mechanism. We can't just open the door and walk in."

Vera nodded, adjusting her magic book.

"Besides, reports indicate that the native monsters aren't simple guardians. Each one responds to patterns that combine magic and machinery."

Dakim slammed his open palm on the table, rattling the maps.

"Then we need diversionary strategies, alternate routes, and... some divine luck."

Madelis raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously.

"Or we can do what I always do: enter through the roof, take what we're interested in, and get out before they notice."

Ayato rolled his eyes.

"Oh, right. Because trusting the acrobatic thief is exactly what we need."

"Call it what you want!" she retorted, leaping nimbly across the table and pointing at a corner of the map with her sticky fingers. "But look at this: if you climb up the pipes in the north wing, I can slide down to the treasure chamber and open a small escape hatch. All under control."

Vera gave her a suspicious look, but said nothing; she'd learned not to underestimate the peddler's unorthodox methods.

Isolde sighed, though with a grimace that showed some respect for Madelis's audacity.

"That might work... if the rest of the group stays alive while you perform your acrobatics."

Vera murmured as she pointed to a gear on the plans.

"If we take advantage of the steam flows as cover, we could neutralize some traps from a distance."

Ayato drew a line with his finger, connecting several points on the map.

"So what we have is: main diversion, infiltration route, steam cover, and... the 'inversion' that walks on roofs. Yeah, perfect. What could go wrong?"

Madelis clapped her hands softly.

"Everything's under control, guys. And to make sure you're sufficiently... motivated, I've brought some 'performance enhancers.'" She produced vials of dubious potions and a packet of stale candy.

Dakim waved them off.

"No, thank you. Everything you do is a risk."

"Calculated risk!" Madelis shouted excitedly, jotting everything down in her notebook. "Every risk is a business opportunity."

Isolde sighed, looking at the map tensely.

"Next, we need to plan for survival. If we fail here, there's no turning back."

While Isolde pointed to the cogs in the north tower, Dakim glanced at the guild's "Wanted" board on the wall, where criminals were displayed with cartoonish drawings and descriptions of their crimes.

"Look at this..." Dakim said, pointing to a portrait of Tatsuya Homura, with a portrait that made him look like a burning demon. "The Arsonist. No one in the city forgets that disaster."

Next to him, a portrait of Yuzuru Kurohime, the "emo crow" they had encountered earlier this morning, seemed to exaggerate her height and hairstyle, making her glowing eyes appear even more sinister than what they had experienced firsthand.

Finally, Dakim came across a drawing that made him raise an eyebrow: a portrait supposedly of Ayato.

"Is that you?!" Dakim said tersely, calling Ayato over to compare his real face with the illustration.

But the image was so grotesque and poorly drawn that no one in the tavern would be able to recognize it: the nose was a simple triangle, the mouth a scribble, and the eyes were two crooked circles.

"Is this supposed to be me?" Ayato asked, with a mixture of disbelief and sarcasm. This is practically cruelty..."

Madelis laughed out loud, banging her fist on the table.

"And to think you don't even have a reward! You're not a criminal, just a walking bad sketch."

Ayato crossed his arms, feigning offense.

"Perfect. My legacy in this world will be a messy scribble."

***

The discussion about infiltration routes and the Pseudo-Castle's weak points had taken hours. The smoke from the bar mingled with the metallic aroma of cheap liquor and the murmur of weary adventurers. 

Finally, the innkeeper approached with a ledger:

"That's fifty gold coins for everything you took, ladies and gentlemen."

Ayato frowned, looking at the pile of coins on the table.

"We don't have that much..."

The group looked at each other uncomfortably. None of them had that much on them. 

Before they could speak, Madelis was already smiling like a cat that has caught a mouse, with the calmness of someone who always has a plan.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

With quick movements, invisible to the group, her sticky fingers slid across the nearby tables, collecting coins from other distracted customers and exchanging some for the pyrite coins she had used earlier as "unsecured barter."

"There you have it," she said, placing the pile of royal coins in front of the innkeeper. "All perfectly legal... and a little creative bartering."

The innkeeper, busy and unsuspicious, counted them one by one and nodded.

"Perfect. Thanks for paying so quickly."

"You're welcome," Vera said, raising an eyebrow at Madelis. "How did you get that?"

"Logistical details," she replied, tilting her head and adjusting her cap. "It's always useful to have connections... and very deft fingers."

While the others were discussing strategies for the fortress, Madelis was already climbing the bar's beams and vents, using her sticky fingers to observe the city's rooftops and entrances, murmuring,

"Ah, yes... this will do. A little look at the terrain before these heroes strike. Afterward, maybe I'll steal something... or a lot."

Ayato laughed sarcastically.

"I just hope that when we get out of here, we still have all our things... and not our dignity."

"Don't worry," Madelis said from above, dangling one leg over the railing. "It'll just be an ethical robbery... for logistical purposes."

The group snickered as the map remained unfolded in front of them and the murmur of the guild mingled with the metallic rhythm of the city. 

Outside, the silhouette of the The Profane Mechanism Fortress loomed like a cog-like monster, waiting for their next move.