"How do you know this person fled to the castle?" Third asked with curiosity.

"A hunch, though it's a pretty solid hunch considering their identity." Tommy replied before asking. "So want to purchase the information on the dead guy over there and understand why he attacked me just now?"

"How much?" Third asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry I won't make it too expensive." Tommy chuckled before saying. "How about an exchange, information for information."

((Ohhh now where talking.))

"What sort of information do you want? If it's too valuable." Third began before Tommy said.

"Don't worry, you will definitely think you're getting the better end of the deal seeing as how the information I want seems to be mostly common knowledge, while the information you will get in return is regarding a threat to Black Noir."

"A threat to Black Noir." Third repeated as both she and Liza's eyes borrowed dangerously.

"Alright I agree, but why would you need to know something that's apparently common knowledge?" Third asked.

"It's only common knowledge to people around here, and I'm from a long way away." Tommy replied.

"Ok, what do you want to know?" Third asked.

"I want to know about how to heal physical bodily injuries with magic, specifically if just magic is enough or if other medicines are needed." Tommy replied, making the two women's eyes open slightly in surprise.

"You're right, that is a good deal for me." Third agreed before adding. "I am fine giving you this information but without knowing which specific body part you're referring to and what's wrong with it I can only supply you the very basics."

"The basics are fine." Tommy answered.

"Very well," Third said before beginning. "To make this easy I will break this down into three sections. The first section will be cuts, bruises, burns, scars and the like. The second section will be broken bones. The third will be missing body parts."

"For the first section cuts, burns, scars Et cetera any poor quality magic user will be able to heal these injuries, almost everyone in the world can handle this sort of thing which is why you very rarely see these sorts of injuries on someone's body unless it has literally just happened or they decide to keep the injury for some strange reason."

"For the second section, broken bones you need either an average magic user or several poor quality magic users working together to fix a broken bone. Again these are injuries that are usually healed quickly."

"The third and final section missing body parts is where it gets tricky as there are two different requirements depending on if you still have the missing body part. Lets use a hand for example that was sliced off with a sword or magic."

"If you still have the hand then it's relatively simple to reattach it to the original body, however the tricky part to this is that you need a pinnacle magic user or several top level magic users working together."

"However if the body part has been misplaced or destroyed or something then an entirely new body part needs to be created to replace it and this is where it gets even harder. First you need at minimum three pinnacle magic users. After that you need a feather of the Caladrius. Finally you need another of that body part."

"What do you mean by 'another of that body part?" Tommy asked.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"You need to acquire the body part you want fixed from another person so that you can sacrifice it along with the Caladrius feather to replace the missing body part." Third explained.

"For example if you need to replace a hand then you need to acquire a hand to sacrifice. To replace a leg then you need to sacrifice another leg."

(…)

((… OH HELL NO!))

Slightly nervous Tommy asked, "Does the sacrificed body part have to come from a living person?"

"Thankfully not." Third replied.

(Oh thank god.)

((No fucking idea what we would do if she said yes.))

"Alright, you held up your end of the deal." Tommy said before continuing. "The reason the dead guy attacked me was because he was actually a spy of Emperor Movim Etria who had managed to infiltrate Black Noir, seriously you people need to learn to do proper background checks."

"WHAT!" Third and Liza shouted in horror before looking at the dead corpse of Eighth.

"How is that possible, Black Noir always does a complete and full background check on anyone who has the potential to join, then one of the requirements to become a member of the nine lives is another even deeper check and also passing a magical truth test."

(That sounds like a lie detector test using magic.)

"Don't trust lie detector tests, even magical ones, they are never absolute and can be fooled if you know how." Tommy said.

"But no one has ever been able to lie in a magical truth test, I mean the whole point is the magic forces the person to tell the truth." Liza replied with a shiver as she remembered her own test and how embarrassing it was.

"Well someone apparently did." Tommy said while pointing at Eighth's corpse. "Also how would you know if someone lied in the test if the magic is supposed to make them tell the truth? Or are you just assuming it's working?"

Third and Liza nodded to show that they indeed thought that way.

"Listen." Tommy said before saying. "Never assume anything, assumption is the mother of all fuck ups and will get you killed."

"Do you assume your enemy is dead or do you check to make sure?"

There was silence for a few minutes as Third and Liza contemplated Tommy's words.

"This is something I will have to think on, if what you're saying is true then other members of the nine lives could also be spies." Third said.

"Regardless this is not why Liza arranged to meet you, what do you think to Liza's offer of chance at joining Black Noir in exchange for the dagger?"

"Why did that fat bastard have this anyway?" Tommy asked before adding. "He's only the brother of a duke, I doubt he should ever be able to get his hands on something of the imperial family."

"I'm afraid I can't say." Third replied.

"I figured as much, client confidentiality after all." Tommy replied not all that surprised.

"I'm not very interested in joining your organization while it still has unknown spies in its higher ranks." Tommy answered.

Third sighed before saying, "understandable, though it's a shame as you obviously have the skills."

"How did you know Eighth was a spy?" Liza asked curiously.

"That's my secret." Tommy replied with a smile.

"Ok let me change the question," Liza said before asking. "Could you tell us who else is a spy in Black Noir?"

"Not at the moment, no." Tommy replied.

"When could you?" Liza asked.

"Who knows." Tommy replied with a shrug. "Maybe in the future if I meet them."

"So you need to meet someone to know if they're a spy?" Liza asked with a smirk.

"Who knows." Tommy replied again with a smirk.

"Assuming that is the requirement of whatever skill you're hiding." Third began. "There may be a way to make it so you meet all of the nine lives."

"How?" Liza asked with excitement.

"Hold on." Tommy said, making the two women look at him curiously before he asked. "I never agreed to help you in finding more spies in your organization, what's in this for me?"

"You mean apart from earning the personal gratitude of two beautiful women?" Liza asked playfully.

"Yes, apart from that." Tommy replied flatly, making Liza's playful smile disappear into a pout.

"What do you want?" Third asked.

"Right now nothing, however I might need something in the future so how about a favor for a favor." Tommy proposed.

"That's agreeable, as long as this favor does not go against my principles." Third replied.

"Good but let me warn you since I have already been betrayed once after an agreement in this continent." Tommy said in a cold voice before continuing. "Those who betray meet a deadly end."

Third had been threatened many times in her life, it came with the territory of being a member of Black Noir, however she would normally just shrug it off.

This time however her instincts from being in many battles were warning her that this young man in front of her would be a dangerous and deadly enemy should she ever cross him.

Third stared at Tommy for a few moments before deciding that it was better to have this young man as a friend than an enemy, at least for now.

"Understood." Third replied.

"Good, so what needs to be done to meet the other members of the nine lives?" Tommy asked.

"Something so big that they can't ignore you or the potential benefit you will bring to Black Noir." Third replied.

"Explain." Tommy said.