Looks like we're starting with a bang. Fine by me. Adam had no intention of joining the stunned silence threatening to dominate the room. He was cornered, he was at a disadvantage – and he was Lord. Silence wasn't allowed to rule; only he was.

"I figured as much," Adam said, in a calm voice, crossing his arms. When everyone's shocked stares moved from Serena to him, he continued on. "Not like I had proof either way, but it made sense. A Master of Communications that often travels to the Puppet Mines? Well, she could be a spy...but I think it makes more sense that she's been attempting to establish lines of communication between the Mines and foreign merchants or lords."

He absently gestured at Serena with two fingers, trying to make the gesture appear more casual than he felt. Make it seem like you're in control. Don't let them know how uncertain you are. "Besides – she keeps covering her face. Could still be a spy thing, but eh. Her being a hidden Puppet diplomat explains a lot."

Tenver, as usual, was the first one to reply. He did so with a heroic, boisterous tone, as if he were a general rallying his troops before a battle. "Explain much it does, and yet that is not enough! No, my lord! It is most unfair to allow such words to be uttered while denying our fair lady a chance at a rebuttal. We must treat this vile, absurd accusation with the gravity it deserves!"

He turned towards Serena. "My lady," he said, suddenly sounding bored and disinterested. "Are you a Puppet?"

"Yes," Serena admitted, with some amusement. "I make no secret of it."

Tenver shrugged. "Protocol has been followed – our fair lady is a Puppet." He shrugged once again, as if to highlight his lack of interest. "Though this doesn't make her the culprit now, does it? Hardly seems relevant."

Adam nodded. "On that, we agree."

Captain Baltsar nearly tripped over himself in a hurry to disagree. "My lords, have you forgotten? The special door I have installed – the cursed divide between here and the area below, where the commoners reside?"

"Make your point."

"Well...my lord, I only mean that–"

Tenver stepped forward, clapping his hands together. "He means that only a Puppet could be the culprit!" The knight thundered out the claim, glaring at each individual in the room before setting his smirk on Adam. His gaze was challenging, and bordered on rudeness, but never quite crossed that line.

Then, he said, softly, but clearly, "Would you give me the honor of this dance, my lord?" He bowed, as if requesting a young lady's hand at a ball.

Adam stared at the outstretched hand as if it was a viper coiled to strike. The purpose behind Tenver's invitation was as plain as it was deadly. For Adam to prevail against the Ghost of Waters, he needed Valeria's Detective Talent to trigger numerous times. Meaning his deductions needed to be correct...and they had to be challenged while he was making them.

However, while trading blows was necessary, that didn't need to be physical blows. A verbal debate would have sufficed. Adam would've been well within his rights to refuse.

"Your choice of dance is most violent," he said, a hint of bitter mirth in his voice. "But...far be it from me to turn you down."

Adam wasn't exactly sure what made him accept. Curiosity, perhaps? Or maybe it was simply the way Tenver's eyes flashed with anticipation – only to be smothered under a veneer of levity, as if pretending he didn't care.

He possesses a strong desire for this duel, Adam thought, studying the knight. Why? I suppose that, in theory, there should be no real danger. As long as my deductions are correct, Valeria's sword will keep me safe. If they aren't, Tenver can just pull back before causing injury.

Yet seeing the knight stand across from him, Adam felt his wrist shake, if only for a moment. More than the rank of Tenver's Talent, it was the soothing fire in the man's eyes that gave Adam pause. You are accustomed to murder...always have been. If you wanted to, this would be a perfect chance to kill me.

After a moment, he pushed the thought aside. It wouldn't make sense for Tenver to attempt that here. No, there was another reason behind his request for a duel, and Adam intended to find it.

He opened his palm and reached behind his back, wordlessly requesting for Valeria to hand him her sword. She obliged – then leaned in to mutter a quick warning. "So long as you're holding that sword, I can kill you. Don't even have to get close. Keep that in mind."

Adam ignored her, his focus on Tenver. The knight smirked in response, both of them approaching with swords drawn. "You're certain of this?" he asked, with a lighthearted tone. "Even in a friendly duel, anything can happen."

"Of course," Adam stated. He gestured to Valeria's sword, held in-hand. "I am confident in my logic, and thus, there is no threat. This is merely a lord providing entertainment for his subjects."

It was in that moment, as the two of them took their positions, that Adam realized why he'd accepted. Curiosity over Tenver's motivation was one part...but mostly, he just didn't want to back down from a challenge. Between Aspreay, Eric, and everyone on Earth who'd taken advantage of him, Adam had done enough groveling for a lifetime.

Hide all you like. He bent his knees, the silver tip of his sword glaring at Tenver. I'll force your desires out of you. In the end, I will make you submit. Because whatever he had been once, now, he was a lord.

And true lords only bent their knees to prepare for a lunge. "Let us dance, knight of mine," Adam declared.

The knight's smirk softened as he drew his own sword and crossed it with Adam's. "Let us dance, then."

Candlelight flickered around them. Rhythmically, as if each swaying of the flames was a note in a song, they would snuff out and light up again. In that quasi-darkness, an invisible force traveled through, its laughter bouncing off the four corners of the room. "Amuse me, man of the World of Ink. Make a mistake so that this may come to a swift finale."

Once again, everyone could hear it speak. The Ghost of Waters was lurking, waiting for the only possible threat to his – its – plan to be dismissed.

No, Adam considered, after a moment. That's not quite right. Odds are he could just rush and kill us right now. This...is his ego talking. He wants to see us fail.

Good. If the Ghost was willing to sit back and wait for a screw-up, then Adam was keen to personify his incompetence and christen it Godot.

"Here begins my claim!!" Tenver declared, stepping forward and thrusting his sword toward Adam. "The culprit needed access to the commoner's deck – and the only way inside is through a locked door, unlocked only by a special key. As this key was not available to the culprit last night, they must have entered the commoner's area by another means!"

Adam raised his sword to meet Tenver's. His knees trembled, feeling the brunt of their crossed weapons. While he was no fencer, this was not how he suspected sword fights were meant to be. Tenver stood above him, pressing his sword down with a strength that felt beyond human. Adam called upon his Stained Vines beneath his clothes to puppeteer his limbs upward, lending him strength.

It still wasn't enough. All he could do was just barely hold back Tenver's advance. Why is someone with the Talent of Archery so strong at using a sword?

Just as well. This was why Adam had requested the use of Valeria's sword. In a duel against the darkness of mysteries, the truth was his sharpest weapon.

"Hang on just now!" Adam cried out. With a mighty struggle, he straightened his knees, starting to push the knight's blade away. "How do you know that the culprit didn't have access to the key?"

Suddenly, strength found itself into his blade. Movement became easier. Adam stood up with a roar, throwing Tenver off him and forcing the man to take two steps back. Neither dropped their weapon.

"Oh, that's very simple," the knight remarked. "Because I stole the key from Captain Baltsar last night, and only returned it to him after the murder was committed."

A wave of shocked murmurs passed through the circle. From the corners of his eyes, Adam could make out Solara calling out the obvious answer. His focus was so intense that he could barely hear her, choosing to voice the thought himself. "Well, now...doesn't that mean you could be the culprit?" The captain did say he lost his key last night – and that you gave it back to him. So far, everything tracks.

"Of course not," Tenver promptly replied. "I have a witness who knows where I was."

"Who?" Adam asked, impatiently. "Who's that witness?"

"No need to reveal them just yet. Ah, don't look at me like that. You said it yourself – part of the reason for this flashy display was to make sure that no one had a good reason for lying, right? Would I lie in a situation like this?"

"Yes," Adam said, without hesitation. "Yes, you would."

Tenver grinned. "Nonetheless, entertain the thought for now. You don't have to make any sweeping conclusions before seeing my witness. But just for a moment...let's assume I'm telling the truth, and play things off from there, shall we?"

Ferrero, the duelist, stomped his feet amidst the circle. "There's no way we can just—"

"—That's fine by me," Adam declared, with a Lord's authority. It wasn't ideal, but he would rather keep things moving for now. Besides, if his theory was right...he could see why Tenver was confident enough to spout insane bullshit without expecting it to look suspicious.

Fine. You invited me to this dance, so I'll let you lead for a moment – but only for a moment. By the time we've finished, everyone will be dancing to my tune. "Even assuming that you have an alibi," Adam allowed, "why do you think the culprit is a Puppet?"

"Because if the key was unavailable, then no one could've gone through the door at all" Tenver pointed his blade at Adam, then lunged. "The culprit must have accessed the commoner's area through another route!"

Adam parried Tenver's blade. "There are no secret passages in this ship!" His recounting of Valeria's Bloody Truth empowered her sword and enhanced his reflexes, guiding his next strike. Tenver's attack appeared as though it was moving in slow motion, letting Adam turn it aside without effort.

He knew it wouldn't end there – and he was proven right a moment later. "It doesn't have to be a secret passage," Tenver shot back, falling into a combat stance once more, knees bent. "Windows are common enough. If the culprit used one to climb outside the ship, they could use a different window to sneak into the commoner decks." The knight thrust his sword forward. "That's not a secret passage, nor does it involve bypassing the door with a hole or mechanism of any sort."

Tenver's attack was faster than the last, and more dangerous. Had it landed, Adam's gut would have been pierced.

Instead, Adam brought both hands forward and took a step back, tapping the side of the weapon to redirect it away. "No one alive can leave the ship while it is in flight!"

His parry was simple and effective. Tenver didn't push the blade back, instead stepping away from this point. From across the room, Captain Baltsar pulled out the same parchment he'd shown Adam the day before, then started reading out its contents to the crowd.

The 'Azul Brilliante'

— Captain: Antonio Baltsar

Unless allowed by its captain, no living being may enter or leave the ship while it is in motion. The surrounding barrier is nearly as strong as Lord's Domain. The corpse of a creature that entered the ship while alive is subjected to the same rules.

Adam paid it no mind. He'd already memorized the ship's curse – and judging by the confident expression Tenver wore, so had the knight. Of course you know of it...your father gifted the captain this ship, didn't he??

All at once, a chill invaded Adam's body. It was the abrupt, sinking feeling one felt when realizing that they'd done exactly what their opponent wanted them to. He stepped back and desperately placed his sword before him, partially blocking Tenver's unexpected rush.

"Do you understand now, Adam? Puppets aren't alive!" For the first time in months, Adam heard a raw bitterness in Tenver's words. The knight's grip on his sword tightened with his expression, and he pushed forward. "If someone walked onto this ship as a Puppet, then they were already a corpse!"

His attack was as relentless as it was forceful. Adam could scarcely put together a reply, the air draining from his lungs as he sought to keep sharpened steel from piercing him

It was Solara who spoke first. "Tenver, what the hell are you doing?" she hissed. "Why are you trying to get us killed? If you know something, just say it! Don't play around like–"

"I'm surprised," Tenver interrupted. There was effort plain in his voice, but his words were still clear as he pressed his sword against Adam's. "I thought you of all people would not dispute that Puppets aren't people, elf. Have you grown a heart? Do you now think of them as fellow creatures, also cursed by humans?"

"No!" Solara shot back. "That is not what I'm arguing, Tenver. Only that..." She shook her head, then turned to address Valeria. "You! Puppet! Repeat it in the Bloody Truth – say that Puppets aren't corpses!"

Valeria flashed a bitter smirk. "How kind of you to put so much faith in my kind, my lady."

"Do it already!" Solara insisted. "Adam is–"

"She can't!" Tenver shouted. "Even Puppets don't know that they are truly alive. Oh, they say they have souls, because that's what the Grandmaster tells them – but how can they really be sure? Do you think they don't doubt it? Especially when people like you, elf, are so glad to tell them that they are nothing more than soulless husks playing at life?"

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

The knight lifted his sword slightly, only to bring it back in an even fiercer downward strike. Adam's knees nearly buckled from the impact. "She's afraid, elf," Tenver continued. "If she states it in Bloody Truth, and it turns out to be enough of an untruth, she will die. You ask too much of her. And thus..."

Slowly, the anger left his features, and Tenver turned his usual smirk to Adam. "My good lord, my friend...you understand Captain Baltsar's implication now, yes? Lady Serena is a Puppet. She is but a corpse. Thus, she is the only one who could have bypassed the ship's protective curse!"

Solara wasn't having any of this. "Tenver, that logic is absurd and you know it!"

"And if my lord cannot deny it, then he will fall here!" the knight cried out. "Unless Lord Adam can – in the span of but a few moments – resolve centuries of the Puppets' agony and existential dread, he cannot–"

"I can," Adam said, softly. But you knew that already, didn't you?

He stumbled to his feet, breathing heavily, aware of the pressure bearing down on him from all sides. In front of him was Tenver, blade drawn, attacking his every argument. Behind him was Valeria, her Talent and abilities able to kill him with a snap of her wrist. And lurking around in the darkness was the Ghost of Waters, searching for a chance to end them all and resume its life of clandestine serial murders.

Even so, he felt confident. More than he probably should.

While Adam did trust his own reasoning, his confidence mostly came from his utter inability to be kind to himself. He didn't think of himself as some stardust genius, capable of overcoming odds as if it was a matter of course. At the same time, he refused to lose without trying his absolute hardest.

Even though it'd be easier not to, he mused. When I lose because I hesitated or didn't prepare enough, I'm able to tell myself that it could've gone better under different circumstances. But when I do my best and still fail...that excuse goes away. There's no one to blame but myself.

And if I lose, I'm worthless.

Adam knew the perils of basing his self-worth on results. He knew it better than most. But for as long as he could remember, the only times anyone had looked at him like he actually mattered was when he accomplished something truly extraordinary. If he was the best, he could convince himself – if only for a little bit – that he meant something. As he was no genius, those moments came rarely, his ego suffering as a result.

Even so, if Adam had one point he could pride himself in, it was this: the simple stubbornness to stand back up, and try again.

Despite his uneven results, and no matter how badly his ego was bruised, he never stopped walking into every contest assuming he would win. If he was lacking in talent, then he couldn't also be lacking in mindset. Only after losing would he allow himself to wallow in pity, and not a second before.

This was no different.

"I can prove it!" Adam cried out. "Puppets are alive. And for my opening strike–"

Adam brandished his sword. Tenver fell back, prepared to defend himself, anticipating a furious counterattack.

But the tip of Adam's blade wasn't pointed at Tenver.

"Ferrero!" Adam proclaimed. "You're a Puppet too!"

Whatever the occupants of the ship had been expecting, it wasn't this. Not only did the accusation come as a surprise, they couldn't understand how it related to the idea that Puppets were alive. Tenver eyed him curiously for a moment, then whistled softly, the widening of his grin wordlessly praising Adam.

Ferrero, of course, raised an objection. "Hang on," the duelist said, stepping forward and drawing his own blade. "How dare you accuse me of–"

Adam wouldn't be a match for the man in a fair fight, so he didn't bother trying. Before Ferrero could engage in real swordplay, Adam met the man's sword with his own, crying out: "You and Valeria have known each other for many years!"

The blades of a Lord and a Duelist clashed. "Valeria said this— 'Before boarding this ship, I hadn't the pleasure of interacting with a human.'"

Ferrero's blade diverted upwards, unnaturally. Adam did not relent. "But you said this— 'We are just old acquaintances.'" Adam's strikes were unrelenting and powerful now, the sword guiding his every move. "My dear duelist, this means she knows you aren't human."

Ferraro's blade flew backward. His face paled, and silence overtook the room – until the sharp sound of his sword spinning in the air was punctuated by it stabbing the hard, wooden floor. "I'm a Puppet," he acknowledged, begrudgingly. "What of it?"

Adam felt his sword shake, violently enough that he was suddenly reminded it was not his sword. Valeria's glare threatened him more than the Ghost of Waters had done thus far. He could feel an invisible hand grasping his throat, danger permeating his very being.

"My lord," Valeria said, in a wintry tone. "Surely your argument is not that Ferrero is the culprit?"

"No." Adam refused to acknowledge the danger. He was a lord, and he would not show fear. "Have you already forgotten, detective? I thought you of all people would pay attention to the details. My original claim is simple; Puppets are alive."

"What does that–"

"Ah!" Solara abruptly exclaimed, then grinned. "I remember you telling me about...so that's what you meant."

Adam smirked at the elf. "Yes, it's probably what you're thinking. Ferrero – do you recall when we spoke about art?"

The duelist hesitated, then spoke with clear-eyed sincerity, "I...do. It was a pleasant conversation. Do the points regarding dueling and art matter here?"

"As entertaining as our talk was? No, they don't matter. But," Adam added, holding up his index finger, "that conversation does. Do you not remember what you told me?"

Ferrero frowned. "No. What are you referring to?"

"That you like fish."

A confused silence stretched. "I fail to realize what – AH!"

Adam smiled, then explained the incident to those in the room.

"I might remember you one day," Ferrero said, with a jovial tone. He nodded at Adam's tablet. In that same moment, he opened the window and tried reaching outside – only to be repelled by the ship's barrier. Appearing mildly annoyed, he put it back in place. "Oh well. So, what are you painting?"

"What the hell did you just try to do?" Adam lifted an eyebrow. "Are you interested in art?"

"In truth, I think flying fish taste rather wonderful. Wanted to catch that one." He gestured vaguely at the fish Adam had been drawing. "Doesn't look like it's possible, though.

"You tried reaching out the window," Adam bluntly stated. "And failed. The barrier stopped you. It's simple, isn't it? My argument goes thusly: you're a Puppet, Ferrero. Moreover, you weren't able to put your hand through the window. Therefore, Puppets are alive."

Silence threatened to rule the room once again, but Adam was insistent upon being the only ruler present. "Whether Puppets are truly alive or not is beyond me to say, I'll admit. But I can say that for our purposes, we can assume they are alive. In other words..."

Adam glanced at Valeria and waited. The detective appeared to understand his unspoken request, and after a moment of hesitation, nodded.

Knowing her support was incoming, Adam spoke with the confidence of the Bloody Truth. "The culprit could not have left this ship. The only way they could have entered the commoner's area is through its cursed door!"

He wasn't done yet. This time, Adam went on the offensive. He rushed forward, sword drawn, the tip of his blood soaked blade pointing at Tenver's heart. "I will go further – a Puppet could not have committed this crime!"

"You argue too far, my lord!" Tenver made an attempt at a block. "What if they stole the key from me? What if I'm lying about having taken the key at all?"

Adam's blade disengaged around Tenver's block and went straight for his chest. "Remember the Cursed Door's properties! The key can only be held by humans!"

Cursed Door

This door can only be unlocked by its matching key. Breaking the door or removing it will cause the key to disintegrate. The Cursed, Antonio Baltsar, will lose a limb should the key or door be destroyed. This key can only be held by humans. Puppets, Stained Creatures, or those affected by Rot are unable to grab or use the key in any way.

"And now that we have established that the culprit could only have gone through the door, the culprit cannot be a Puppet!"

Tenver dropped his blade. Adam halted his attack less than an inch from his knight's heart. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, unspoken questions and answers flowing from one into the other. "Solara and I are alibis for each other," Adam continued. "Serena, Valeria, and Ferrero are Puppets, and therefore cannot have grabbed the key."

He sighed. "So will you stop lying, Tenver?"

"I suppose I should, shouldn't I?"" Tenver closed his eyes and laughed. "I wanted to keep dancing with you for a bit longer, my friend...but as you've pointed out, it's time to be truthful. There was indeed one thing I lied about."

Adam smiled. Finally. Just...tell me already. Let's get this over with. We can make it easy–

"I never stole the key," Tenver admitted, with a guilty smile and a shrug, as if he'd merely pled guilty to stealing a cookie before dinner. "I only said so in order to avoid drawing suspicion onto Captain Baltsar.. To be honest, I caught him trying to plant it under someone's door, then helped him with a cover story. Because I'm an Imperial gentleman."

There wasn't enough time for a stunned silence to set in. The captain immediately stepped forward, saying, "My – Your Imperial Highness, do not jest! You said—we agreed—"

"Why in the forest's name," Solara said, in a tone full of disbelief, "would you lie about something like that? Now you look like a major suspect, you damned imbecile!"

There's a reason, Adam thought. And I can put everything together...I think. "Solara is right," he said. "Currently, the only possible suspects are Tenver and Captain Baltsar."

"But," Tenver said, with obvious glee. "I have a witness."

Adam stopped and glared at him. Tenver did not have a witness. Adam had only entertained his bullshit earlier so they could establish that the Puppets were innocent. What the hell was he trying to get at?

"When Lord Adam asked us to investigate the murders," Tenver continued, "he broke into my room – which if you'll recall, is adjacent to my lord's. Upon doing so, he found me reading one of my favorite books and drinking a nice cup of tea. That wouldn't have been possible if I were the culprit, would it?"

Adam froze.

He had expected some form of absurdity, but not this.

What...what the hell are you saying? You weren't there! Not only that, but you refused to tell me where you actually were! Are you asking me to lie for you? Are you fucking insane?

Adam's perplexed fury nearly left his lips, but he forced himself to swallow it down. Steady...steady there. I have to appear calm. No matter what.

A crossroads lay before him. The first road, to his right, would be to expose Tenver's lie. At that point, everyone – even Valeria, the detective – would likely agree that he was the culprit. The road to his left, the perjury route, would see Captain Baltsar singled out as the only possible culprit.

I'm a lord. No one can argue against my authority, and I have no reason to lie. They would believe me. But...why would Tenver set this up? It's such an easy lie. Did he actually do it, then? How did he do it when he wasn't aboard this ship when the other murders occurred??

His eyes met Tenver's, searching for some conniving, brilliant plan – and finding none. There was nothing unusual there. If anything, his eyes right now just looked like...

Like they had during those hellish months when Adam was slamming out a painting a day for Aspreay's ego trip. Like when Tenver saw a man struggling and reached out. Like when the brightest part of his life was both of them sharing drinks and badmouthing Aspreay together.

Like when we were friends.

Adam felt a chill vibrate through his body; one worse than anything the Stained Creatures had ever inflicted upon him. "You—I—" He gaped open-mouthed at Tenver in horror, then shut it, lowering his head and shaking it in a hurry.

You...you're betting your life – all of our lives – on this. That's your reasoning behind everything. It's why you proposed a duel, seeing if I'd place myself in a vulnerable position. It's why you're placing yourself in a vulnerable position, one where I hold the power to condemn you with a word. You set this up so I would have to answer the question...

Adam raised his head, slowly but steadily. The question of whether or not I trust you.

"Tell them, my good lord!" Tenver declared, laughing. "You were my alibi all along. This little show was only to amuse our Puppet guests!"

"My lord," Baltsar shouted, "I, I may owe much to His Imperial Highness, but I am not the culprit!"

Do I...trust him?

Enough to bet our lives on him?

Do I trust Tenver enough?

Adam clenched his fist. A moment later, his eyes snapped open, filled with renewed determination. Like I said before...I was only fine with you leading for a little bit. He considered everything one more time. It's my turn to take the lead. We're playing my game, not yours.

Whatever he had once been, Adam was now a lord. And he would not let someone else rule over his will ever again. This decision, more than anything else, was something he refused to go back on.

"Enough of this!" he yelled. "You've all been patient for long enough. Allow me to present the culprit to you." Adam raised his index finger. Then, slowly, he lowered it as if it were a weapon. "The murderer is–"