In a world of fantasy known as Thanador, there existed an alliance of city states known as the Western Confederacy on one of the southern continents. One of these city-states was called Chrimoria, also known as the city of merchants. It was strategically located on the eastern border of the Western Confederacy, which bordered several nations, making it the largest trading hub among all of the city-states.


    The city of Chrimoria housed millions of people from multiple races, including humans, elves, dwarfs, beast folk, and many more.


    Within the back alleys of the bustling city there was a small office. Above the office door facing the street was a shabby wooden sign that said, “Holden Detective Agency”.


    A human man dressed in casual attire with a brown long coat had his feet up on the table. He was dozing off, when there was a sudden knock at the door, followed by a deep yet feminine voice.


    “Hello, Mr. Holden, are you there? Mr. Holden.”


    The knocking continued. The man rolled his eyes, got up, and opened the door, only to find a minotaur woman standing outside. The man remained unfazed by her large and bulky stature, and deep voice. Chrimoria was a city that attracted races aside from the three predominant races, which were humans, elves, and dwarves. A minotaur, although rare, wasn’t unheard of in the city.


    “What do you want?” The man grumbled.


    “Are you Mr. Holden? The private investigator who runs this business?”


    “That’s what the sign says, doesn’t it?”


    The minotaur woman nodded.


    “Alright. Then that’s me. Now what do you want?” His tone might have seemed rather rude to most. However, minotaurs were an aggressive, war-like race. They tended to always speak in a hostile fashion with strangers, since minotaur society was tribal. Oftentimes the minotaur tribes find themselves in conflict with the other minotaur tribes around them. Because of this, it was common for minotaurs to treat strangers not part of the tribe as potential enemies until they proved themselves otherwise.


    This was why the minotaur woman wasn’t the least bit offended by Holden’s attitude. “Hello, Mr. Holden, I’m here to ask a favor of you.”


    Holden grumbled, gestured for her to come inside, then sat behind his desk with his feet up. “So, what is it you want?”


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The minotaur woman was too large for the chair on the other side of Holden’s desk, so she remained standing. “I want to hire you to prove my husband’s innocence.”


    Holden raised an eyebrow. “Straight to the point then. I always liked that about you Minotaurs.” He had been asked to prove someone’s innocence before, but most races would hem and haw before they finally got to the point as if they were embarrassed to reveal that someone they loved was convicted of a crime. Minotaurs weren’t exactly proud to be troublemakers, but they weren’t ashamed if they were labeled as warmongers or monsters. If anything, it was a compliment in their culture.


    Of course, that didn’t mean the woman’s request didn’t pique his interest. “So, what exactly was your husband accused of?”


    “Murdering a tavern owner, sir. It actually happened earlier this morning.”


    “Earlier this morning? And Lady Law has already found him guilty? That’s rather fast.”


    Lady Law wasn’t just some saying people used to describe the justice system, it was also the name of a Sage from the world’s history. The title of Sage was used to describe figures of significance throughout history who performed great deeds, and those who invented revolutionary technology or ideas. Lady Law was the nickname given to the woman who first started using magic to solve crimes, and who devised the current judicial system that many nations had adopted. Everything from how to gather evidence at the scene of the crime, interrogation methods, chain of custody, and everything else related to solving crimes and prosecuting offenders was developed by the woman known as Lady Law. Hence why the judicial system was often referred to as such.


    The woman scowled. “My husband would’ve gladly confessed to the crime, if he had committed it. But he didn’t. The tavern owner who died was his employer. As I’m sure you know, we minotaurs are a proud people. We have honor.” The woman clenched her fists. “Everyone in this city just sees us as barbarians.”


    “Well, miss-.”


    “Oh, Cadelina. And my husband’s name is Durik.”


    Minotaurs didn’t have family names. They would use the name of their tribe in place of one, but since Cadelina and her husband, Durik, lived in the city, they weren’t part of any minotaur tribe.


    Holden nodded his head and assured Cadelina he would do his best to prove her husband’s innocence. He stopped himself from saying ‘if he was innocent’ since it would’ve been insulting, especially for minotaur who highly value honesty in these types of situations.


    “Ma’am. I’ll be in touch when I’ve found a solid lead,” Holden said. “Where can I find you?”


    “We live near the tavern. Durik is a mercenary who was actually hired to serve as a guard. Dealing with rowdy customers, and protecting the place from thieves and ruffians were all part of his job. Killing the owner doesn’t make any sense. Durik worked for them. It was the only way he could make a living.”


    “I’ll see what I can do.” Holden shook her hand before Cadelina left. He then sighed and stared at the ceiling for a brief moment. “I guess I should go to the scene of the crime.”


    Holden grabbed his bag full of tools of the trade. These tools included a magnifying glass, protractor, ruler, and several other items and substances that could assist him in his investigation. Lastly, he put a belt around his waist with a dagger hanging on each hip before he left for the crime scene.