After his morning coffee, Eliphas headed to the OCA's branch office in Pantome.

It was a towering, gold-and-white building with a sharp yet refined architecture, standing in front of the city's main square. Protruding statues of ominous beasts and creatures ornamented its columns, their eyes bearing down on the sumptuous arch that bordered its entryway.

Sigils carved in a foreign language littered the walls, contrasting wildly with the Hautefoy's characteristic elegance. Amidst them, the name of the institution that occupied the place was displayed in broad strokes:

OUTER CONTAINMENT AGENCY

Eliphas tapped the marbled ground with his cane as he walked through the main gate, occasionally returning the greeting of dark-suited men and women. He briefly chatted with a sparkly-eyed, newly recruited receptionist, then went down the spacious corridors with ample familiarity.

Soon reaching a secluded, leather-padded door with golden frames, he knocked on it twice.

"Come in!" answered a gruff voice.

Eliphas obliged with practiced steps, a wide, friendly smile on his pale face.

The first thing he registered was the room's unnatural saturation, the colors within seeming much more vibrant and intense than outside, to the point of uncanniness. Everything seemed to gleam as brightly as the midday sun, from the gold, wood-carved table to the luxurious shelves.

Gold-sculpted nets plunged downward from the circular ceiling, holding fist-sized pearls in elaborate cages. He recognized them as tasteful pieces of Lapis Phylaca, most likely the cause of this strange light phenomenon.

"Oh, it was you, Lord de Croy. Do excuse my discourteous tone just now."

A golden-suited, middle-aged man hurriedly rose from his book-drowned desk, his aureate eyes sizing Eliphas as if assessing a potential addition to his collection. He quickly passed ink-stained fingers through his blond curls, attempting to hide his hair's creeping black roots while shaking hands with his guest.

"I don't mind at all, Claude. I know how hectic it can get in here."

"Oh well, my Lord can understand the poor state of my desk, then," Claude chuckled. "Please, take a seat. Anything to drink? Danielle makes the best coffee that has ever graced this region."

"No, thank you, though I appreciate the offer."

Eliphas followed his cue and sat down, glancing at the dangling stones. "These never fail to impress. May I finally know the secret to their radiance?"

To the general public, Lapis Phylacas were pearl-shaped gems recently introduced as groundbreaking devices that could produce energy without waste, allowing their addition in numerous contraptions for day-to-day life. Their mining, transformation, and distribution were tightly held by a conglomerate with incredible sway in Hautefoi, causing many rumors and urban legends about their origins to sprout.

However, to Esoterics and individuals dabbling in the paranormal phenomena of the Formulaic Plane, the true nature of Lapis Phylacas was clear. In essence, they were cold prisons that absorbed and converted unshackled souls—that which powered everything supernatural in this world—into readily usable fuel.

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

Still, the quantity of energy—or souls—they held shouldn't normally affect their sheen, hence Eliphas' curiosity.

"It's not really a secret, my Lord, but rather the byproduct of an ongoing project of mine. I hope to sublime the stones' typical paleness into a perfect gold, the most magnificent of colors, but I haven't enjoyed any success so far."

Claude's lips twitched, and he directed his grin sideways. "Which reminds me... we've nearly finished compiling last year's mission records. The current results show that you're our best operative, with a ninety-seven percent success rate! As befitting of pure Hautefoy nobility."

Interesting redirection. He doesn't want to talk about it. Delving into illegal territory for that obsession, aren't we, dear Claude?

Eliphas hid his thoughts behind his easygoing demeanor, mimicking surprise at Claude's praise. "I wasn't expecting to be counted amongst your regular operatives. I seldom take any request, after all."

The Outer Containment Agency, or OCA, was a centralized, state-sponsored organization charged with the task of dealing with supernatural affairs, namely criminal Esoterics and entities from the Outer Layer. Alongside the Marshalcy, which served as the de facto police force, and the Church of the Others, which maintained the Liturgy and yearly countermeasures, they were a fundamental institution that formed the core of the Principality of Hautefoi.

Usually, an Esoteric employed by the OCA wouldn't be able to choose when or what request to take, but Eliphas slightly differed from the rest—he was a prominent noble whose estate owned the thriving Pantome and its surrounding land, making him one of, if not the wealthiest man southwest of the Obscure Gulf.

"Quality matters over quantity," Claude replied. "While you only take a handful of requests per year, you always choose the most difficult ones. Greis and the Nibbler's cases had been dragging for a decade, and you solved them in a matter of weeks. For that, our department deeply thanks you."

Eliphas shook his head, feigning embarrassment. "Oh please, Claude, it was pure luck. Unlike the passionate operatives here, I was merely bored and in search of a fulfilling hobby, something that money cannot buy. What's more, the satisfaction of helping others is a priceless addition."

"The higher-ups have made no mistake, then," Claude muttered.

He slid a piece of paper across the desk towards Eliphas, bearing the colorful seal of the Imperial Commission—the reigning body at the head of the OCA.

"Is this the reason you called me here today?" Eliphas carefully read its content. "A surprise, to say the least."

"Lord de Croy, you have been formally invited to become an Imperial Agent, the highest caliber of operatives. This offer shall never expire, and it already grants you special status. Should you accept its responsibilities, you will also enjoy its advantages, comprising unlimited funding, unrestricted use of Rank 1 and lower operativ—"

"Do I have access to the OCA's sealed armory?" Eliphas' question came out a tad too fast, stunning Claude. He recovered himself with a cough. "My apologies. I heard from a colleague that Imperial Agents could pick a weapon of their choice from the agency's armory. I believe it holds live specimens and entities that escaped the Outer Layer, as well as many other wondrous artifacts."

In the Esoteric world, the Outer Layer was a theoretical realm of existence beyond the Physical and Formulaic Planes, said to have been the point of origin from which unfathomable beings known as Outer Entities sometimes emerged.

All of them were fundamentally unique organisms with unknown motives and obscure powers, either wreaking havoc, granting unexpected boons or, in some cases, doing nothing at all. Several relics with uncanny effects were also believed to have originated from that enigmatic place.

For Esoterics, Eliphas included, it was a cradle of miracles and possibilities that elicited a thirst for knowledge never before known. It was its first discovery, roughly a thousand years ago, that brought about the age of the supernatural.

"Uh, yes, indeed," Claude nodded. "Imperial Agents have the right to choose a single Outer Entity or a similar artifact for use as a weapon, though they become responsible for any required sealing or conditioning."

Eliphas' stygian gaze glistened.

"I accept the offer."