The man who entered was unfamiliar to me. He was finely dressed and perfectly groomed. He was an older gentleman, with grey hair and a moustache. He did not look like a fighter, or a mage. He might just be a normal person. Unthreatening. Gentle. Something that was rather uncommon for people in power.

Back in my old world, power was transferable. Meaning a minister, for example, had authority as part of their position. If they were replaced, a new person held that power. In a world with magic that was a bit more complicated. A mage, or a fighter, has their own strength. Who would want to accept orders from someone they could kill with a thought?

That mostly led to people in charge having a certain amount of strength. I suspected it also led to quite a bit of inbreeding within the nobility, who all held some measure of power, in order to keep the bloodlines strong. And it would explain a lot of the stupidity.

Or maybe this man was hiding his strength? Or maybe I was simply overthinking things.

“Greetings. I am Lord Aiden Hall. I am the minister of worship in the Empire.”

Thessia frowned. “Greetings. I am Thessia, high priestess of Sylphania. I have never heard of you, how is that?”

He had a grandfatherly smile. “While I oversee religious matters in the Empire, every city has someone in charge of local matters. For Unitera that would be lady Alice. I assume you are familiar with her?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you here?” I asked.

Aiden turned towards me. “We haven’t been introduced but I can only assume you are the esteemed countess Amaya. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

He offered his hand, but I ignored it. Aiden had a friendly tone but I did not trust it. Sending him might mean the Empire was serious about the negotiations though. That was good.

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“So, are you going to apologise for falsely accusing the temple and blocking it’s entrance?” I asked.

He looked shocked for a moment, but covered it quickly with his smile. “I am sad if you feel that way, but abducting a member of the inquisition is a serious crime. Something that I am personally here to resolve.”

“Minerva, are you here against your will?” I asked.

“No. I would like to stay here.” She answered.

“A statement that cannot be trusted. You might have threatened her. She will need to come with me and answer questions in private. If she confirms your story I will apologise and personally escort her back.”

Lucy snorted. “The moment you get your hands on Minerva, you would just mind control her again.”

“That is a serious accusation! The Empire would never do such a thing!”

“I was mind controlled by the inquisition.” Minerva said. “I will not consent to go anywhere with you. Thessia has granted me protection.”

“Indeed.” Thessia said. “She is here with my blessing. Sylphania herself is not happy with the situation and her church offers refuge to the victims.”

“Maybe you should discuss the situation with your Emperor.” I suggested. “In the end, this is a serious threat to his reign. Unless he is part of this. You could tell him to come here in person. We could ensure he is free and even present the evidence we have.”

Lord Aiden looked very unhappy with the suggestion. His smile had faded by now.

“Would you consent to being checked for any control runes on your body?” Lucy asked. “As far as we know you are just a puppet. It’s a simple and painless process.”

Of course, even if he was clean, he could be one of the people in charge. So it would only ensure that his actions were his own. It would not help to figure out his allegiance.

“This is outrageous! I will not consent to any of this! I do not know what games you play but you are forcing me to take drastic measures. I will have to ban the church of Sylphania from the Empire.”

“My ladies, shall I perform an examination?” Lily asked. “I am sure Shani would also be eager to assist.”

“I could cut him a little if he does not cooperate!” Shani suggested.

The old man did not look quite as panicked as I would have expected. Maybe he thought we were not serious. Or he was not actually that bothered by the idea of being searched.

“Excuse me.” Elandru had returned. The priest looked rather confused. “There is a man outside who claims to be the negotiator for the Empire…”

What? I looked at Aiden. He looked worried. “Preposterous! An impostor, clearly! I will deal with him.”

When he tried to leave I stepped into his path. “Maybe we should invite this man to our conversation. I am very curious about this.”

“You cannot stop me from leaving!” Aiden protested.

“Oh, I most certainly can.” I said with a smile.

“I can too! Let me, let me!” Shani pleaded.

“Please show the man in.” Thessia said.

“Wait!” Aiden shouted. “Before you do that, please… let me explain. I do not work for the Empire or the inquisition.”

Then he transformed. What used to be an old man became a woman. Or should I say a demon? Judging by the horns, tail and even wings.