Even from a distance, the mayor's mansion was quite eye-catching. Not only was it more prominent than all other buildings in the area by a factor of three, but its architecture was also unique as well. Instead of following the minimalist conventions that ran through the Order at the moment, it followed the style of the palace of Versailles of old. It seemed evident that this mayor was somewhat interested in the history of the old Paris and of France in general.

The mansion itself was separated from the streets by a big lawn that was maintained carefully. A tall metal fence blocked off the path to the estate. On the building itself, several turrets surveyed the perimeter. It was hard to tell if they were automated or handled by a human operator. On the side of the estate, there was a path that led to a road perpendicular to the main street, on the eastern side of the estate. This was the path suppliers would take when they wanted to deliver to the mansion and, just like the main entrance, it was guarded by a checkpoint of the mayor's forces.

As they did not want to stand around and look at the mansion all day, as it would be both suspicious and annoying, the two looked across the street to find a coffee shop or something. Immediately, something caught their eye. Not because it seemed like something they would enjoy particularly, but because it was positioned at just the right place to spy on both the auxiliary entrance and the main entrance. The shop seemed to be called "The Right Word" and was a mix of a library and a teahouse.

As there was little circulation in the streets, the two men didn't bother looking for an intersection and just crossed the road where they were. When they entered the shops, an older lady excitedly guided them to a seat and handed them a menu. She explained that while they were here, they could read any book that was on the shelves. The place was deserted, and Amon could understand why. Everything just seemed kind of dusty. There were only a few tables at the front with a perfect view outside thanks to the huge window. The back was lined with bookshelves that looked ready to crumble under the weight of the books.

To keep up appearances, Amon got up and walked to the rows of dimly lit bookshelves, much to the delight of the owner. He perused the books on display and was given a fright when he realized how old they were. The spines which were once presumably white were now yellow, and the covers were so withered Amon felt they would turn to dust when he touched them. Amon hesitated to pick anything up, and the old lady noticed this and came to him. "These books might be old, but they're only reproduction. They're as sturdy as can be.

To demonstrate her point, the old lady picked a book at random and smacked it a bit. She looked at it affectionately before putting it back in place.

-Although the cover is only made to look old, the content in them is genuinely ancient. All of these books date back to before the war. There are stories, textbooks, biographies and everything you could dream of can be found here. Sadly we only have these few bookshelves, but the historical value inside is truly astounding. The mayor is a big fan of this teahouse and even pleaded with us to move right in front of his house to give him easier access to this wealth of knowledge.

Amon looked at these bookshelves with a new appreciation. He was an assassin, but he was still curious about the history of the world before the Order took over. He had the intimate conviction that if they could retrace the origins of the Order, they might be able to find some clues to defeat it. After all, the beginnings of the Order were shrouded in mystery and schools mostly taught modern history, claiming that the teachings of old had lead to the war. With this apparent righteous reason, the Order had restricted the presence of pre-Order history in circulation.

The shop before his eyes was indeed an anomaly and it was without a doubt that the only reason it could exist in this world was with the protection of the mayor. Amon felt that this was a golden opportunity to learn more about the mayor and maybe gain some useful information about their mission, but first, he had to earn the old lady's trust. He felt like it wouldn't be too hard considering how quickly she had started telling him everything about her shop.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He listened to her quietly, sometimes asking some questions and nodding his head. After what seemed like an eternity but what probably only a half-hour, the old lady seemed to come to her senses. "My God! I've kept you for too long. How about you choose a book, and I'll bring you my best tea?

-That sounds lovely, I'll also choose something for my friend, and I'll wait for your tea with impatience.

With a charming smile, Amon picked two books after looking at them intensely. When he walked back to their table, Bel was looking at him amusedly.

-It looked like you were getting along well with that old fart, I didn't know you strike zone was so intense, but I respect it.

-Stop talking trash; she might prove useful. The mayor is a fan of this shop and even personally paid for it to move in front of his house. He comes here often so we might be able to get some interesting information from her.

-Who knew the mayor was like you, interested in lady past their prime.

-I think it has more to do with the books. They are all reproduction of books from before the war. It's a goldmine of knowledge.

Bel wasn't impressed and looked quite bored while looking at the bookshelves. Amon knew he wasn't interested in the past, or any academic matter, so he didn't press the subject.

-At least look like you're interested. This is a golden opportunity to fish for intel on the mayor.

Bel lazily nodded his head and opened the book Amon had brought him. It was titled "A short history of modern art" and was a textbook from before the war. Bel's face visibly dropped when he saw the contents, but he couldn't be bothered to get up and get another book so he could only look at Amon and weep silently. Satisfied by his little prank, Amon also opened his book and waited for the lady to bring him their tea.

Amon didn't pay attention to what he was reading, even if he was interested, as he had to keep an eye on the mayor's estate for any activity. As such he had picked a book that seemed like it would take a long time to read, to justify passing the whole day at the tea shop.

After a few minutes, the old lady was back with their tea and set it before the two men. She picked the teapot and served them. She looked pleased with their choice of book and excused herself, leaving them to their reading.

The morning passed slowly as the two "enjoyed" their tea and reading. There was little activity coming from the mayor's mansion apart from the occasional shift rotation of the guards at the entrance. Eventually, the two of them finished their tea, and the old lady came towards them with a big smile plastered on her face."How was it, young men? I'm pretty confident in my team.

Amon answered as Bel seemed like his mask of gentleness would break at any moment if he was forced to converse with the old lady.

-It was lovely; it goes well with the impressive collection you've got here. If you don't mind me asking, what is the big mansion right across the street?

-Oh, that's the mayor's residence. He's such a darling; I wish I had a son like that. I take it you two aren't from around here if you don't know that.

-We're here on a business assignment and took the opportunity to visit this beautiful city. Your shop was without a doubt the crowning jewel of this whole visit.

At these words, Bel looked like he was about to get sick. He couldn't stand the sweet tone that Amon had borrowed, and even Amon felt that it was too much. However, the old lady seemed to appreciate the flattery as she blushed slightly.

-Oh, stop it, young man! I might have made a move on you if I weren't already old.

It took Amon's full willpower not to spit out the tea he had in his mouth. He composed himself and decided that he had done bootlicking enough and he asked about the mayor again.

-The mayor has such a big mansion! It must take a lot of employees to sustain that big of an estate. I wonder if he gets his food delivered directly.

-Indeed he does! Every day he gets fresh produce delivered from the market near noon.

At these words, Amon looked at the clock at the back of the shop. It indicated a quarter past eleven. If they wanted to get into position and find the optimal way to go about it, they would need to act quick. Amon closed his book, got up and shook the old lady's hand. "We had a lovely morning, but I believe we have a meeting coming soon so we'll have to take our leave.

-Make sure to come back. I always appreciate strapping young men who enjoy reading."

With these parting words from the old lady, the two of them paid for their tea and left in a hurry. After this whole exchange, Amon swore never to set foot in this shop again, no matter how much he was interested in the books she held.