After several more exchanges later, everyone’s intent gazes landed on Vidi. “Welcome, heroes.” Vidi’s voice rumbled, making him the definitive presence in the room. “This is quite a hasty gathering, and there is much we don’t know about each other. This may even be the first meeting between some, but I assure you that everyone in this room pursues the same goal: Justice for the Kingdom of Eustacia.”

Vidi gave the man next to him a nod before continuing. “Our next course of action should be the extermination of the Parolle house. The head of the house, Erzanon Parolle, spares no effort in suppressing civilians, extorting workers, and demanding unpayable taxes. Not a soul living in West Frey doesn’t wish him dead.” There is a clear look of frustration in his face, but it was fleeting, and solemnness quickly returned to his eyes. He bowed. “As the leader of the Garden of Irises, I humbly request your assistance.”

Tar tensed up at Vidi’s words and covered his mouth to prevent an audible gasp. “I knew Mr Urn is linked to the resistance, but I never knew he is the leader of the Garden of Irises…” However, his thought was interrupted as the man beside Vidi just then approached Tar. Tar quickly got up on his feet. Hiding behind a barrel, Tar saw the man unlocking the door.

After the man entered the alcohol storage room, he quickly closed the door and locked it from the inside. The man’s eyes darted around, before confirming he was the only one in the room and sighed in relief.

The man clumsily poured in alcohol from one of the barrels into some small cups he prepared beforehand. Hands trembling, he unfolded a piece of paper, and dumped its content into each of the cups. Tar couldn’t figure out what it was, but it looked like some kind of white powder.

The man gave the alcohol in each a cup a thorough mix with his finger, before licking his finger. Suddenly, the man realised what he was doing, and spat out the mixture. He poured into his mouth uncontaminated alcohol from the barrel. But he did not swallow it, and instead, rinsed his mouth and spat it out. The man took a deep breath to calm himself down before wiping his cold sweat away and hurried out of the alcohol room, leaving the door unlocked.

“Yes! I can finally leave!” Elated, Tar slowly opened the door and tip-toed his way out, whilst carefully hiding behind walls.

After Tar had the chance to calm down, he pondered what the man was doing. If it was anyone else, they would have figured since the very beginning that the man was trying to poison their drinks, but Tar was young and lacked experience, so this thought didn’t occur to him until he saw the man fidgeting while offering others their drinks.

“Is it… poison?” Everything started to make sense. Why the man was unusually disoriented. Why he added in the white powder in a secluded place.

“And a toast to our eventual success!” Vidi raised his cup and was ready to drink.

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Just as Vidi’s lips touched the rim of his cup, Tar shouted, “Poison!” A small click of a tongue could be heard.

In this room of twenty-something people, all eyes turned toward the child. “Tar…?” Vidi looked confused.

When Tar saw the expressions of the others, he broke into a cold sweat. A few were curious as to who this child was, but hostility could be seen in the others’ eyes, and some were even ready to draw their swords. Tar gulped. He couldn’t help but stare at the ground and furrow his brows, thinking hard how to defuse the situation. In this deafening silence, Tar could hear his own heartbeat.

It wasn’t until much later someone broke the silence. “Who the hell are you, kid?” A middle-aged man emerged from behind Loch. Most likely a disciple of the Elm faction, Tar thought.

“I saw that man add poison into the drinks!” Tar spoke as he pointed at the man he had seen enter the alcohol storage room.

“I’ve never seen this kid before! He’s most definitely a spy sent by the Tzappians to disorient us! Get rid of him!”

The man drew his sword and dashed toward Tar, who froze in place. Tar never thought that the man who was shivering not long ago was actually experienced in martial arts, and even if Tar did know, he could never have dodged the incoming sword blow.

“I tried to save them, only to be killed… How meaningless my life was. I guess I should accept it. Maybe I’ll get to see Dad again…” Tar closed his eyes, ready to be impaled.

Cling!

“What… happened? Am I… alive?” Tar slowly opened his eyes and saw the large back of a man in his sight. He recognised this back. It was a reliable and noble back belonging to none other than Vidi.

Vidi’s long, wavy hair fluttered as he deflected the sword blow effortlessly. “Tar, are you hurt?” Tar muttered, “No…”

The man was hesitant to fight back. After all, the person who he was up against was Vidi Urn, the leader of the Garden of Irises. The man calculated for a while, before withdrawing his sword into his scabbard. “My apologies, Mr Urn. But this little brat cannot be trusted. I say we tie him up before he escapes.” But inwardly, the man contemplated, “Good. Now that I have the initiative, I’ll tie him up for now. Later when things get messy, I’ll kill this brat and throw him somewhere.” The man approached Tar.

Suddenly, a long laugh could be heard echoing the Barn. A figure appeared.

It was a scrawny old man with white beard so long it extended all the way to his stomach. The most unusual thing was that he was carrying a gigantic dark green cloth bag behind his back. No one knew what was inside the bag, but judging from his slouched posture, it must be something heavy.

“Do you know who that is?” “He looked familiar…” “But he wasn’t invited I think…” Whispers could be heard.

The old man said, “What a bunch of mindless buffoons! Truly stupid! Truly unsavable!” His raspy voice shook the room.

Loch Broom had the look of a vengeful spirit. She sneered at the old man, and asked, “Name?”

“Just a mindless fool, minding my own mild business!” The old man grinned. “But still, you’re unworthy to know my name, Loch Broom, head of the Elm faction.”

In Eustacia, calling others by their full name was disrespectful to say the least. Loch’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing the old man’s words.

Sinless saw Loch’s darkened expression and decided to put a stop to this farce. “Gentleman. Why would you say that? Sister Broom was nothing short of a hero. Can you please give us your name?”

The old man sighed. “Sinless, sinless, you’ve really grown old. Disappointed.”

Sinless merely sighed. But hearing his dearly respected brother talked down like this, Empty could not contain his emotion.

Empty drew his sword against the old man. “Take back what you say.” Empty gave the old man a fierce look. “Now.”

“Oh, but am I wrong?” The old man laughed.

Empty swung his sword at the old man.