Varga found it hard to believe he wasn’t dreaming. The Vestigare had escorted him to Xanth, where they assigned him fine quarters with access to baths and amenities far beyond his usual comfort.

On the fifth day, Varga wondered if Agent Esmeralda had forgotten about him. If he didn’t hear from her by next week, he’d seek an audience himself.

Despite the baths, fine food, and drink—courtesy of the Vestigare’s ducats—Varga couldn’t fully relax. Balrik’s accomplice was still out there, lurking within the Vestigare ranks. Varga could only hope that the accomplice wanted to distance themselves from the case, and he could get processed and released without any blowback.

A few days later, Varga returned from the baths to find Agent Esmeralda waiting outside his room.

“Master Varga, I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long. There was much to take care of before it was possible to proceed with your paperwork. However, I am ready to get the process started. If it please you, would you come with me?” Agent Esmeralda said as he approached.

“Thank you, Agent Esmeralda. If you would give me a moment to change, it would be most appreciated,” Varga said, and Agent Esmeralda nodded while gesturing toward the door to his room.

Varga was grateful the agent wasn’t the controlling type because he always felt more comfortable doing business in his boots rather than slippers and silk.

It didn’t take long for him to change, and within minutes, they walked the halls of the Vestigare office in Xanth. Agent Esmeralda made some small talk, inquiring about the quality of his amenities, but fortunately, she wasn’t particularly chatty.

Finally, they arrived at a modest-sized office with tall twin doors.

“This is what’s consumed my time these past days. I almost prefer the dangers of the field to being hunched over a desk with endless paperwork,” Esmeralda remarked, swinging open one of the office doors.

The office was furnished with an impressive desk, a large window overlooking a garden, shelves packed with books and parchments, and two chairs that looked far too comfortable for the business at hand.

“Please have a seat,” Agent Esmeralda said, walking to the business side of the desk.

Varga sat in one of the plush chairs, waiting for Esmeralda to take her place before speaking.

“Agent Esmeralda, before we begin, I want to express my condolences for Agent Aon. I understand he was your mentor. We had a different relationship, but I, too, respected him greatly. No offense to you, but I wish I were speaking to him right now.”

Agent Esmeralda smiled a sad smile.

“I wish you were speaking to him instead of me, too. There were so many needless deaths caused by Balrik. He poisoned the Tazens. I am unsure if he did it so they couldn’t betray him in the future or if it was to just avoid paying them whatever he promised them. Most likely, it was for both reasons. However, I gain some solace, knowing we stopped Balrik, and Aon’s work didn’t end in vain,” Esmeralda responded.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Varga nodded and thanked the gods he trusted his instincts and passed on eating the meal before the robbery. It made sense Balrik wanted them dead after he got the egg, but it was still terrifying to think how narrowly he escaped death before Agent Esmeralda spoke again.

“Let’s see here. According to Aon’s records, the Vestigare owe you a hefty sum of a hundred ducats.”

Agent Esmeralda whistled at the amount.

“You can start a new life with this.”

“Yes, that is the plan,” Varga responded.

“Are you thinking about staying in Xandra?”

“I think I’ve had enough of the Five Kingdoms for the time for now.”

“Well, wherever you end up, I wish you the best,” Agent Esmeralda said, handing Varga a parchment and a quill.

“Sign here, here, and here,” she explained, standing up and crouching behind the desk. Varga heard the sound of a safe door opening before scanning the document. After Varga reviewed the release conditions, he signed his name as instructed by Agent Esmeralda.

“Gott und seine unehelichen Sohne!” Agent Esmeralda cursed from behind the desk.

“God and his bastard sons?” Varga asked, feeling an icy chill run down his spine. It took all his willpower to keep his face from betraying his inner panic.

“Ah, yes. It’s a saying I picked up from my father. He was a Nawahl era enthusiast,” Agent Esmeralda said, standing up from behind her desk and looking at Varga thoughtfully. “I must admit that I’m surprised you understood ancient Nawahl so well.”

“It was one of the areas I excelled in during my short time in basic,” Varga answered, praying to whatever gods would listen that his flimsy explanation would satisfy her. Esmeralda’s eyes narrowed. Varga’s heart was beating so violently, he was worried Agent Esmeralda could hear it. The silence lingered, threatening to be awkward. Varga began formulating an escape plan when, suddenly, Esmeralda spoke.

“I read through your files, and I have to say the Vestigare made a huge mistake passing you over because of circumstances you had no control over. You would have made a fantastic agent.”

“I appreciate the sentiment. I’m glad I could at least be of some service to the Five Kingdoms,” Varga responded, running his hand over his hair, attempting to wipe away the sheen of sweat on his brow.

“You could still do some good. I could cut all of the red tape and have you instated as an agent before the end of the day. I need good people like you,” Agent Esmeralda said.

“I’m honored by your offer, Agent Esmeralda. However, I need some time to become myself again. Before that happens, I don’t see how I could be a fair and effective agent. There is still too much of the Varga who worked for Balrik inside me, and having that individual as a Vestigare agent would not be in the best interest of the Five Kingdoms. If the offer is still open after I come to terms with reality outside Balrik’s gang, I might take you up on it.”

Agent Esmeralda tilted her head in a way that eerily reminded Varga of Balrik before nodding and speaking again.

“Fair enough, the offer will be open once you get your life in order. I have been so busy closing the book on Balrik and his reign of terror that I forgot to get your payment from the treasury. That’s why I was so upset earlier. Wait here, and I’ll fetch the ducats owed to you,” Agent Esmeralda said, walking across her office.

“It will only be twenty minutes or so,” she explained as she walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

Varga counted to two hundred before getting up and heading to the door. He was sure Agent Esmeralda was Balrik’s mole, and while the thought of staying and collecting his ducats crossed his mind, he decided to live by the model that saved his life from Balrik’s treachery and be better safe than dead.

Once outside, Varga took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had survived all of this, and he would be damned if he lost now. Varga steeled himself for the future and began planning his next steps. As he moved further from the Vestigare building in Xanth, he felt the burden of his past begin to lift. He refused to look back, determined to leave the remnants of Balrik’s world behind him for good.