Firana vehemently shook her head, almost like she was trying to convince herself Corin’s words weren’t real. If you want to regain control of the Aias Mercenaries, I will follow. Despite my initial surprise, [Awareness] told me the girl was being truthful. I could sense the concealed fervor in her voice.

The light from the enchanted stones flickered as the magic ran out. The vestibule was covered in shadows, yet I could see Corin kneeling before Firana with an expectant look in her eyes. Yearning. Almost pleading.

“I don’t know what you expect from me, but I will not become the next head of the family. The orphanage is my home, and this is my family. I am not an Aias anymore,” Firana whispered. Her words were almost lost under the patter of the rain against the roof.

“You are the Aias Family, Firana, not the captains or the mercenaries. You are Garel’s daughter. Aias blood flows through your veins. Your hand is the only one who can wield the Aias Flaming Sword,” Corin angrily replied. “Uncle Kellaren is amassing troops, almost as many as when Uncle Garel was alive. If you let him continue, you will not be able to stop him. He will usurp what’s righteously yours!”

Firana clenched her fists.

“Good! Kellaren can have his mercenary troupe if he wants. He can even use the Aias name if he wishes. I don’t want it anymore!”

Corin looked at Firana with disdain.

“Uncle Garel wouldn’t have wanted his mercenary band being taken by an usurper! He worked hard to build up the Aias Mercenaries just like your grandfather before him,” Corin said.

“The Aias Mercenaries are just a bunch of sellswords serving the highest bidder! Any high-level combatant can surround themselves with warriors and soldiers and call themselves a mercenary band,” Firana replied.

Corin counted to five before speaking again. She remained knelt but pointed her index at Firana’s chest. When she opened her mouth, her words were a slap to Firana’s face.

“Men and women all around the continent cower behind walls when monsters attack, but not the Aias. We light the fire of bravery in their hearts. We are not just a bunch of sellswords, Firana. We inspire others and keep the spark of the fight alive!” Corin said, raising her voice.

Firana tried to silence her, but Corin was having none of it.

“I don’t know what ‘Uncle’ Kellaren is planning with his Osgirian friends, but I know he is a thief, a thug, and a crook. He will use the name of the Aias family for his personal benefit, and in the end, our name will only be associated with evil,” Corin said with exasperation. “How many times do I have to tell you for you to understand?”

“I understand, and I don’t care!” Firana replied.

Corin's words stirred something inside me, and then it hit me. This seemed to be a recurring discussion. Unable to hold on in place, I barged into the room, startling both girls. Firana grabbed Corin by the flaps of her jacket and dragged her to her feet, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

“We were just talking about—.”

“About Kellaren Odrac-Aias,” I finished her sentence as Elincia entered the vestibule behind me. A hint of anger started to show in my voice as I understood Firana and Corin were keeping vital information for themselves. “You were talking about Kellaren’s plans. This isn’t the first time you two have had this conversation, is it?”

Corin remained silent.

“It isn’t, sir,” Firana lowered her head.

I massaged my temples and turned towards Corin. My face must’ve started showing anger because the girl shrank under her cloak. I couldn’t believe Firana had hidden something as crucial as Kellaren’s movements.

“You said Kellaren is a thief and a thug. Why?” I asked.

“I’m an Aias. I will only respond to our leader,” Corin replied.

I glared at Firana. She held my gaze for an instant before she prompted Corin to speak. My mind raced. Corin and Firana knew something I didn’t, and in the game of politics, even the slightest piece of information was valuable—even more so if it had to do with the safety of the orphanage and my kids.

“My full name is Corin Odrac-Aias, the daughter of Kellaren’s sister. I grew up at Uncle Kellaren's headquarters. I said Kellaren is a thief because I’ve seen and heard what business he has been doing under the guise of the Aias Mercenaries,” Corin said.

I cursed. The clues had been under my nose all this time. Why wouldn’t Firana tell me before? I turned to face her.

“And you thought this wasn’t relevant enough for Elincia and me to know?” I asked. I’ve never been so mad with any of the kids since I arrived at the orphanage, but this wasn’t childish antics anymore.

Firana recoiled. “I didn’t want to worry you. Uncle Kellaren can do whatever he wants with the mercenaries. I’m done with that, and I don’t want anyone in the orphanage to cross paths with him anymore.”

As Firana spoke, anger left my body. Everything was my fault. I was the one who convinced Firana she could step aside from her duty as the Aias heir. I told her she had a choice when, in reality, that wasn’t true. Firana’s heritage will haunt her as long as Kellaren can profit from him. He was going to come after Firana whether we liked it or not.

I was an idiot, but I left the self-deprecating thoughts for later. Now, I needed to draw a plan. Corin had said Kellaren was bolstering his numbers, which seemed consistent with Sir Janus’ theory. If Janus was right, Kellaren wasn’t strengthening the Aias Mercenaries to fight along the royal army but to serve the Osgirians.

“Rob? What’s going on?” Elincia asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I snapped out of my thoughts.

“The Marquis plans to transfer Firana’s allegiance to Lord Osgiria,” I said.

Firana stuttered, pale as paper. “No. I don’t want to go with the Osgirians. I want to stay here. The Marquis can’t do that.”

Fear crept up her voice.

“Technically, he can, Firana,” Elincia said, equally worried. “Your father was his direct vassal, and you are his heir. You must uphold his allegiance according to the kingdom’s law.”

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My words seemed to nuke the day’s joy.

“We won’t let him,” I said, my anger replaced with determination. “I’m sorry, Firana. This was on me. I told you you have a choice, but I was mistaken.”

Firana threw herself into my arms, hiding her face on my chest. Her shoulders trembled as she clutched my old jacket, trying not to cry. I didn’t need [Awareness] to know she felt anger against herself, but above all, she was scared.

“Maybe I should marry Lord Glopfinger,” she sniffled. “If I become Lady Glopfinger, the Marquis will not have power over me.”

That might be legally correct, but I wasn’t having one of my girls married to an unknown guy.

“That will not be necessary,” I reassured her. “I’m already working on bringing Kellaren down. Without him in the picture, the link between the Marquis and Lord Osgiria doesn’t exist, and you will not be sent anywhere.”

“How so?” Elincia asked.

I explained my conversation with Janus. He suspected the Marquis was playing both sides of the conflict; he supported the royal faction while plotting with Lord Osgiria to set up their own trade routes in case the Farlands campaign succeeded. The new trade routes would require heavy escorting, so they needed Kellaren’s forces to guard the new caravans. However, the Aias Family was currently a vassal of the Marquis. For the transfer to work, Kellaren needed Firana as the family's leader; otherwise, the group would crumble. The reputation and prestige didn’t belong to him.

“What is Sir Janus planning to do?” Elincia asked.

“We are going to sneak into Kellaren’s mansion and steal his ledgers,” I replied. “We have Janus’ [Shadow Step], Vedras’ Invisibility Potion, and my illusions. Corin knows the manor’s layout, and I can enchant a bag of flash grenades if things go south. Oh, and Loki would probably be a great support.”

Only then did I realize Elincia wasn’t happy with my rambling?

“You are not sneaking into Kellaren’s den, Robert Clarke,” she said.

Firana opened her mouth to protest, but Elincia shut her down before she could utter a sound.

“And neither are you, little miss,” Elincia put her hands on her hips and glared at us. “I’ll go. I’m sneakier. I’ve been roaming through the woods since I was twelve, hiding from Mister Lowell and the Sentinels.”

An irrational fear got a grip on my chest. I’ve almost lost Elincia twice, the first against the Stone Giant and the second against the Lich’s undead army. I wasn’t going to tempt fate a third time.

“You will not go anywhere near Kellaren,” I said, raising my voice. For an instant, I thought I sounded like my father—unyielding, purposeful, reliable. “You are the heart of the orphanage. We can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”

Elincia blushed.

“W-what does it make you think we can lose you?”

“I have defeated Black Wolves and Wendigos. Stone Giants can’t even scratch me. I have whooped royal soldiers and buried a Lich under a mountain,” I replied, trying to sound as arrogant as possible. “I think I’ll be fine.”

Firana’s eyes shone in the darkness.

“You can’t even get the snake twins to stop smuggling potatoes,” Elincia mockingly said.

It felt great that the girl I loved recognized how cool I was.

“I’m just a man,” I raised my arms in defeat.

Elincia went to our bedroom to retrieve a piece of paper and a pencil so Corin could draw the inner layout of Kellaren’s manor. I sent Firana to sleep, arguing she had to be in top-notch condition for the tournament. The girl complained, but I assured her we wouldn’t discuss anything else regarding Kellaren. Finally, she hugged us and went back to the sleeping quarters. I was left alone with Corin.

“Firana is young and inexperienced. Are you sure you want to follow her?” I asked.

Corin glanced at the door where Firana had just disappeared.

“Firana will soar higher than most of us. She will reach heights we can only dream of. It’s a matter of time,” she said. “She was born to lead while the rest of us follow.”

I examined Corin’s face. She wasn’t lying, but I still thought she was mistaken.

“Firana might not need followers but people to walk by her side,” I retorted.

Corin shook her head. “She will go where none of us can follow.”

_____________

Corin drew the map of the manor save for a few forbidden areas. It was better than nothing, but Kellaren’s quarters were a large blank patch in the diagram. The documents we needed were probably hidden there. After leaving, I put a gold coin in Corin’s hand and told her to drop her work as a courier to monitor the schedule of the guard shifts. She opened her eyes and returned the coin to my hand as if it burned hers. After some haggling, we settled for a few silver coins and the promise of free meals, which she already technically had.

Allegiance doesn’t have a price, she said.

I sat on the stool and shed my shirt. Then, I grabbed the towel and the water basin and cleaned my neck and arms. Elincia appeared from behind the wooden screen, wearing her thin white nightgown. The faint light of the enchanted stones gave her an ethereal appearance, almost like a dryad or a moon spirit.

Elincia took the wet towel and continued to where I had left off.

“Relax, your shoulders are stiff,” she said.

Considering how things were going, a cardiac arrest or an aneurysm wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities. For every problem we solved, two or three seemed more dangerous than the previous one. I almost missed the time when our greatest concern was selling our potions. However, with great risks come great rewards. Or so I hoped.

“Do you want me to brew something to relax?” Elincia asked, grabbing my hand and rubbing my forearm. The towel was coarse, like almost all the fabrics we use daily, but Elincia’s touch was surprisingly tender.

“I need to be alert in case someone attempts to attack the orphanage,” I said, shaking my head. “I could use a kiss, though.”

Elincia grinned and wrapped her arms around my chest. “I have a couple of those in-store. I don’t mind giving them to you if you promise to unload some of your workload on the rest of us.”

Elincia was right. There was a reason I had been gathering allies for the orphanage. Ginz already loved the kids. Nasiah warmed up to Elincia after Risha’s return. Risha seemed to always fall on his feet regardless of the situation, and even Astrid was slowly getting used to life at the orphanage. Most kids considered her odd, and I couldn’t blame them, but at least Zaon and Ilya reciprocated the feeling. It wouldn't take long for the rest of the kids to imitate them.

Before I could promise anything, Elincia grabbed my face and kissed me softly.

“Leveling up becomes harder when you are doing things right. No matter how difficult things are now after we weather the storm, the orphanage will be stronger.” Elincia said, wrapping me in a tight, almost painful, hug. “Let’s go to bed. We have a heist to plan, and I don’t want to have you relying on Energy Potions.”

I briefly caressed her ear and left the water basin aside. Not only did we have to deal with Kellaren and the Osgirians, but I also had to find a way for my kids to defeat the Imperial Cadets. There was also the matter of the System Avatar, but my arms were tied on that front.

I was putting on my nightgown when someone slammed the door. The sudden sound made Elincia jump to her feet and reach for the long knife she had tactically hidden behind the bed.

“Open the door!” Astrid cried from the other side.

I crossed the bedroom in a single leap and turned the key. Before I could turn the knob, Astrid pushed the door open and entered. Urgency and fear reflected in her eyes. She wore a white shirt, the buttons didn’t match the right holes, her pants were nowhere to be found, and she only wore one sock. Her lower legs were more akin to a wolf than a human, with cream-colored fur and long claws.

“Paper, I need paper,” she softly muttered with a crazed voice as she rummaged through the desk. “I need paper! Now!” She wailed.

Before any of us could react, Astrid buried her claws in her forearm, drawing copious amounts of blood. Then, she drew a single symbol with her blood over the desk surface. Breaking free from my stupor, I approached and pressed a towel against her arm. Astrid didn’t struggle.

I recognized Astrid’s scribble when my eyes fell on the table.

A rune.