"Well, considering where they were coming from there were only a select few routes they could use if they wanted that info back promptly."

"You're lucky you had enough people to watch all your planned routes in the first place. Waiting somewhere for over a week, praying for someone to come by is miserable." The lackey stated.

"It's not my fault you weren't smart enough to carry a few books with you."

The lackey shook his head and sighed.

"So when are we gonna be able to drop this whole thing?" The lackey asked. "I wanna be able to go back to my family. I have to thank the Gods they don't live here but I'm worried they might have gotten a letter regarding the situation."

"Don't worry, we've made sure something like that couldn't happen." The man responded.

He stretched before walking over towards the table and checking the cards face down. He walked over to the man and sat him back down.

"Uh, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Finish your game, it's a pretty bitch move to walk off like that."

The man sighed and revealed his cards. Shockingly he was the one who had the better cards. He only won because of a card that had been one rank higher than his opponent.

"See, with me on your side, you won't have to worry about losing any time soon."

He patted his shoulder.

The other man raised his hand. "Uh, boss, we're still seven to one. With the one being him."

"Anyway, how are the others proceeding?" He asked, ignoring the other man who so rudely ruined the mood.

"They should be back by the end of tomorrow if they're doing their jobs. With all the information we need." He responded.

"Good, I'll rest up and then go greet our other associate." The man in black said.

"Associate? Why are you referring to him like that? Isn't he just your-"

"As long as I wear this black and uncomfortable outfit, we're just associates." He remarked before making himself scarce.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Hey Marcus, what do you think about this whole thing?" The lackey asked the other.

"Do you want to pay me what I'm owed now or lose a few more games?" He coldly responded.

"Tsk, don't get so cocky you bastard, I'm finally building a winning streak!" he shouted at his opponent.

----------------------------------------

After training with Lily and tiring her out, Tibaut quickly ran inside to the kitchen. There a variety of meat in addition to various greens were laid out on the table.

He wasted no time throwing them down his gullet and he even recognised some of them from his time in the wild.

"I'm surprised you realised most of these plants were food," Elizabeth commented.

"Don't worry, I probably would have eaten them even if they weren't." He continued his feast by shoving the meat of an entire rabbit, deboned of course, in his mouth.

Elizabeth glanced outside, through the window of the door to see Lily lying against a tree trying to catch her breath.

As Tibaut continued his onslaught on the food in front of him his face got serious as he thought about something. He stared intensely at Elizabeth while scarfing down the greens she collected.

"What is it, Tibaut?" She asked.

"Is it that obvious?" He asked while scratching the back of his head. He continued eating but would speak after swallowing.

"I've been thinking... you've been doing this to get me back in fighting shape if those cultists show back up, right."

"Yes." He plainly responded.

"So that got me thinking about my encounters with him and I just remembered something crazy."

Elizabeth looked at him, curious what it might be. Did he somehow encounter them at some point she wasn't aware of?

"That time they broke into the mansion, I remember they had you all weak and stuff. How the hell did they manage that?"

Elizabeth started blushing and seemed pretty embarrassed when Tibaut mentioned this. She held her face in her hands and this threw him for a loop.

"Um, Elizabeth, you okay?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you about what happened that day…" She dejectedly responded. She seemed almost depressed remembering what happened.

She got up and looked outside the window. She soon looked outside the kitchen to ensure no one was around.

She gave a deep sigh.

"Because of these new changes in my body, I don't use my magic often." She sighed even deeper. "Because of this change in my magic, and my mana, and because I don't have a proper grasp of it, I am vulnerable to things other magic users would be far less susceptible to." She seemed incredibly disappointed in herself as she spoke.

"Oh… so what does that mean?" He asked, unsure of the implications.

"Well, there are potions that exist other healing potions. My best guess would be it was a sleeping potion of some kind."

"Sleeping potion? (Other types of potions exist? I suppose that isn't too shocking.)"

"That's right, for a normal adventurer with magic, it takes drinking some out of the bottle to induce sleep. People who can't use magic and myself would be affected by only the fumes of it. And those bastards knew specifically to throw it at me. It seems they know a weakness of mine."

She said. She looked pained admitting this.

Tibaut had cleared about half the table before he had stopped.

"H-hold are you telling me they know about that change in you?" He asked.

"Oh, no but them knowing a weakness of myself isn't ideal."

"Huh, but I thought you said it's because of how you are that-"

She cut him off and shook her hand.

"Oh no, they probably believe it for a different reason. After all, I did need an explanation for those around me."

"For what?"

"For why I couldn't use my magic."