Chapter 1

A veiled bard named Kemori Daphidone (whose true identity is concealed) infiltrates the Hungry Hollow, an exclusive establishment for elementals, posing as a hired entertainer. She encounters two dangerous males—the predatory Lord Tarik Relaken, whom she intends to lure, and a mysterious cloaked figure who nearly unveils her on the stairs and now watches her intently from a booth.

The narrator, adopting the alias Kemori Daphidone and disguised with a veil, enters the Hungry Hollow, a prestigious underground club in Gore. She bribes a guard with a forged token and letter of hire, then navigates the multi-level cavern filled with luminous springs and gambling tables. On a narrow staircase, a tall cloaked male nearly assaults her, attempting to tear away her veil; she restrains him but backs down to avoid drawing attention from powerful elementals. Ascending to the third level entertainment stage, she meets Levvi, a pregnant null musician, who warns her about Lord Tarik Relaken—a dangerous male whose attention precedes women going missing. The narrator retrieves an amplifying stick from a Runi and receives a mysterious message via parchment lark. She and Levvi perform