Ramon's rush for the front door took me by surprise, leaving me fumbling as I dismount from Loaner. Richard flashes an affectionate grin before ordering a few footmen to attend to our horses. I pass Loaner's reins to a servant and fall in behind Richard and his entourage, all of us walking with exaggerated strides to catch up with Ramon.

Now that I'm actually in the manor's compound, I realize that Richard was completely serious when he claimed that the property was originally a bog standard manor. The manor's original structure still stands, a two story beige colored affair, but the middle portion had been hollowed out, to allow for the construction of the tower. I doubt much of manor's former internal structure remained either, the tower's massiveness would necessitate laying some hefty foundations. The manor would have been torn apart to make the required space.

The double doors of the entrance are thrown open by the servants and we enter, with Ramon and Richard in the lead. The pair of crimson battle maids overtake our group as one of them makes a pronouncement.

"The Master wishes you attend to him."

Richard grunts in acknowledgement while Ramon nods somewhat nervously. Our group is guided into a bare main hall, with corridors leading to the side and a long shaft extending upward deeper inside. A single stand is installed in the center of the hall, displaying a single pitted copper coin protected by a glass case. I probe with my enhanced senses, but find nothing unusual about the display. There's nothing magical or sinister about it. Nothing more than an old copper coin.

There's a small plaque mounted at the base of the glass case and I take the opportunity to zoom in on the words engraved there with my third person vision as we toward the shaft.

FROM A SINGLE COPPER TO A THOUSAND, NEVER FORGET GREATNESS COMES FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Life lessons from Ramon's grandfather than, recalling the man's moniker as the Thousand Copper Baron. That pithy saying on the plaque of course leaves out the banditry and various other nastiness the man got up to of course. Richard's guards give perfunctory bows to him while I ruminate, before disappearing down one of the corridors. With no idea where I should even be going in the manor, I decide to just keep following Ramon and see where all this leads.

A large iron platform rests at the base of the shaft, connected to chains hanging from the heights above. Richard and Ramon step on to the platform without hesitation and I follow suit, with the battle maids bringing up the rear. One of the battle maids pulls a lever mounted against the wall and there's a long groan of machinery starting up. A powerful force pulls at the chains and we begin to ascend the tower.

"Pretty impressive." I comment. It really is. I had not expected to see a contraption like this all the way out in the boonies in Southmarsh.

"Mn." Ramon murmurs as he adjusts to the gentle sway of the platform. I wasn't really expecting an answer to my remark, but Ramon's obviously distracted. Meeting up with his family's eating up most of his attention.

The platform finally stops somewhere in the middle of the tower and the battle maids pull aside the iron shutters sealing the floor off. Our group then disembarks, entering an environment completely opposite to the spartan entrance hall. A thick carpet covers the floor, muffling our footsteps while the walls are adorned with expensive hardwood paneling. Servants scurry about here and there, but a kind of solemn hush pervades this entire floor. Like there's an unspoken rule not to make too much noise.

"The master is in his study." One battle maid says as we stop before an unmarked door. She knocks respectfully and there's the sound of the door being unlocked. Richard and Ramon walk in just as I catch a glimpse of another battle maid on the other side, holding the door open for them. I click my tongue, the sullen heat of jealousy rising up. Ramon's family had to be seriously wealthy to afford all this. I mean, I could tell it just from looking at the manor, but the way that fact keeps getting shoved in my face is certainly annoying.

As I begin to follow Ramon again, the pair of battle maids escorting us stand squarely in my way, not moving. Immediately getting the message, I nod and move to the side, leaning against the wall. Meeting for important people only, hired muscle not invited. Ramon doesn't object to my exclusion either, so I can do little more than stew in my own restlessness until he makes some kind of arrangement for me. The battle maids give shallow bows in response, before disappearing into the study as well.

Faint snatches of conversation come from the room and I sigh, shutting my eyes for a quick nap. Might as well get comfortable while I'm waiting.

Shit. This is boring.

Might as well get some work done then. My biggest weakness now was not being used to the Eyes of Ea. The third person perspective is throwing off almost all my movements. My poor showing against the Delinquent Commando Squad at the river was proof of that. I was able to brute force my way out of the predicament this time, but my next opponent might be far more dangerous.

I mime throwing a punch, measuring the distances involved in my head. Then follow up with a kick. Alright, so at least I can gauge my attack range with a bit of practice. How about grappling then? My arms move in the motion of a simple tackle as a maid, not a battle maid, just a regular servant walks past. I can see her give me a weird look as she begins dusting a nearby mantlepiece, but carry on regardless.

"You look ridiculous." the maid says flatly, her back turned to me.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

But what really gets my attention is how flat and inflectionless her voice is. There's no ridicule in it. Scratch that, there's zero emotion behind the maid's voice at all.

"Sage?" I hazard a guess.

"Correct." the maid replies in an utter deadpan, "As promised back in Springvale, I am here to provide you with further guidance regarding the mission."

"How are you doing this?" I demand, "This possession thing. Its nothing like I've ever seen before."

"No deviations today please." the Sage says with the maid's back still facing me, "I am taking a great risk meeting you now. Ea's attention has once again turned to our world."

"That doesn't sound good." I frown.

"It most certainly isn't." the maid's arm moves without pause, dusting the mantelpiece with straight, indifferent motions, "The threat level of your assignment has accordingly increased."

"Infinite numbers of gendarme poofing into existence out of thin air wasn't enough?" I grumble.

"You no longer need to worry about that." the Sage answers, "The world can't actively go against Hackal's will. But it can still deploy threats against you through more natural means."

"Such as?" I prompt, "Bounty Hunters hired at a bar?"

"Nothing quite so gauche." the Sage rebuts, "Merely your former colleague, Henrik. As well as the royal magic knight, Amanda. Additional bounty hunters may be involved of course, but that's at Henrik's own discretion."

"What? How?" I hiss in surprise, "And when you say Amanda, you mean -"

"I mean your friend Ramon Dasar's fiancé." the Sage explains, "Richard Dasar attempted to kidnap Amanda. The attempt failed of course, that is why the Dasar patriarch wanted to meet his sons so urgently."

"And you don't mess with royal magic knights." I rub by temples gloomily, "Heck, you don't mess with regular magic knights lightly either. What was the Fat Man thinking?"

"Not very much." the Sage laughs colorlessly, "Remember, Richard Dasar is not someone like us. He is not someone that matters."

"A natural slave." I recall that strange phrase Mandor used.

"More precisely, a slave doing his master's will." the Sage continues, "This story has been written before. And I have seen it play out many times. That is why I know what will happen next."

"But I can change it right?" I swallow hard, "Because I'm not actually Mac Nair, despite appearances. I'm not part of this story, so I can go against the plot."

"Yes." the Sage responds affably, "Thwart the fate written for the Dasars. That is what I ask of you and Ramon Dasar."

"Why do you care so much for them?" I ask, curious, "Does Ramon's father matter? Is he awakened?"

"No. But his Grandfather was." the maid mimes polishing the hardwood wall, "The old patriarch is gone now, unfortunately. He could have helped us greatly. And there is another in Southmarsh that matters."

"Who?" I cross my arms and go back to leaning against the wall.

"Sylvia. Richard Dasar's wife." the Sage answers.

"So her disappearance was your doing?" I quiz, the ramifications churning inside my head.

"Originally." the Sage admits, "I made certain arrangements for Sylvia. We are collaborators you see. Then I lost track of her."

"How can you lose track of someone?" I demand, "You seem to have eyes in every corner of the world."

"Sylvia is ... unique." the Sage reluctantly explains, "And not in the way you are. You will understand if you manage to meet her. Its hard to explain, I can barely understand it myself."

"So how is this relevant to the Dasars? You said you had no time for idle chat." I point out.

"Sylvia is powerful." the Sage plays with the hem of the maid's dress, "But she has grown reckless. Lost sight of the bigger picture. I suspect the chaos she has caused in Southmarsh is part of the reason why Ea's attention has been roused."

"And Henrik and Amanda are being sent here to root Sylvia out?" I purse my lips meditatively.

"They were always going to come here to destroy the Dasars." the Sage demurs, "What has changed is the threat level they represent. Ea knows something is wrong in Southmarsh. So he has increased the strength of his agents accordingly."

"So that's why you said you needed a magic knight." I grumble, "You're throwing me up against two of them."

"Henrik is not a problem. With the abilities you've gained from the Logos, his spells are nothing more than a nuisance for you." the Sage assesses, "Amanda is the real issue here."

"Yeah. I can just flash step right into Henrik's face before he can cast." I agree, "What's so special about Amanda?"

"I do not rightly know. However, what I can say is that she is extraordinarily dangerous." the maid finally turns around and looks me right in the eye, "Dangerous enough to be able to kill me as well."

"No way." I dismiss. Its no exaggeration to say that the Sage is the most powerful existence I have personally seen. A royal magic knight should not be able to remotely measure up against him.

"I mean it." the Sage intones seriously, "Do not attempt to face Amanda by yourself. Evade her if possible. And if combat is unavoidable, do not hold back. Eliminate her with extreme prejudice. Do you understand?"

"Got it." I give a thumbs up, "I'm a professional. Doing the job and staying safe is my thing."

"Alright." the Sage accepts my boast, "I estimate you still have a few days grace before they get here. Use that time to prepare yourself."

"So will there be a direct attack or -?" I trail off meaningfully, probing for information.

"Henrik and Amanda will launch an investigation first. They have no excuse yet to unleash a bloodbath." the Sage says, "At any rate, I am not particularly concerned about the Dasars per se, but the aftermath of their fall."

"Because the Dasars are sheltering Sylvia. Or helping her do whatever she's doing." I conclude, "But Richard claimed to know nothing about her whereabouts."

"He's not lying." the Sage nods, "Sylvia was carrying out the arrangement I made with the old patriarch. I needed someone to take over after he passed on."

"And the grand old man kept those arrangements secret, didn't he?" I demand.

"He knew that his children were natural slaves and how to keep secrets from them. Secrets that I cannot allow to be divulged." the Sage suddenly grows worried, "If Ea finds out, it will spell the end of everything we have been fighting for."

"And those secrets are?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Not your concern at present." the Sage dismisses, "If you find Sylvia, you can ask her. She's rather chatty when in the mood."

"So the mission is not to save the Dasar family, but to protect Sylvia and your secret." I sum up, "Then why mislead us at Springvale?"

"I needed to persuade Ramon Dasar that bringing you here was a matter of urgency." the Sage waves my question away, "Other than you, there is no one else available that I trust to handle this matter. And before you ask, I wasn't lying about helping Ramon Dasar's family. The longer the Dasars hold out, the less danger there is for Sylvia."

"Fine. I get the picture." I slap my palms on my thighs.

"I need to go." the Sage mutters in a rush, looking around in barely contained fear. The maid's expression twists and just like that, she returns back to normal, puttering away doing her thing.

Leaving me alone with my thoughts.