Hiiro stood at the edge of the porch and viewed the wondrous sight before him. It had been years since he last saw snow. Although still cloudy, the limited light from the morning sun peaked its golden rays across the land like moving spotlights. The snow flurries still falling danced in the golden light, controlled by the gentle winds. Hiiro looked down and saw the water that had run so freely during the dimming light of dusk was now trapped in solid form. The glances of light that refracted off the crystalline material were beautiful, yet as he pressed his foot onto the lake, he found it as solid as the ground ashore. He inhaled deeply, bringing the biting air into his lungs and enjoyed the prickling sensation that followed as it woke his tired mind.

He rotated his head to view the precipice surrounding them and found the awesome sight of cliff peaks edging out from their new white snow caps. Along the edge of the lake he found their boarder sidewalk to be covered in a light blanket of snow. Even from his distance, he was able to see the light flurries depress the feather like material. Aside from the deep blue of the lake, the mixed brown of the cliffs, and the obsidian black of their house and its paths, the only other color Hiiro could see was a pure white. He stepped off the frozen lake and returned to the entrance of their house where two women and a man were kneeling in front of him with complex expressions pasted across their face.

He remained standing and walked around their position to feed another log into the raised fire pit. Each flickering blade of the fire released a gentle warmth into the room yet the obsidian material Lapis had constructed the house in seemed to reject all attempts at warming it. Hiiro returned in front of the three kneeling and used a fluid motion to sit himself onto the top of a desk sharing the room. In deliberate motions, he crossed his arms and while tapping his hand, he studied the three before him. His expression was calm, yet the anger in his eyes could hardly be hidden as he was releasing a non-trivial amount of blood lust directed at no one in particular. It seemed he was angry at the situation itself rather than those who placed him into it. He took another deep breath and focused on the main offender.

 "So... What's your excuse?"

 "Be-before that... Ha-have you calmed down? It is scary when you look at me that way..."

 "Calm? Yeah... Yeah, I'm calm at this point. Pretty fucking pissed, but still... calm. Start talking, Lapis. Why'd you ruin my plan?"

Her eyes darted to the side in desperate attempt to avoid his searing gaze. She adjusted her knees slightly from the pain of kneeling for almost an hour now. Sensing the situation wouldn't get better unless she confessed everything, Lapis, bit by bit, returned her gaze to the devilish man sitting before her. As she opened her mouth to speak, another voice from her side sounded out.

 "Master isn't at fault! I'm the one who over did it! I chased them, I killed them. So why are you angry with Master?!"

 "Shut up, Ruby."

The blood lust in the room focused down the dark skinned woman. Her attire was still drenched in blood, staining the once silver inseam that lined the maid dress. From her mouth, a trail of blood she had obviously forgotten to wipe away had solidified. Hiiro wondered how in the world the girl couldn't feel such a thing, but upon remembering how she arrived, he somehow felt it didn't matter any more. He unfocused his anger in a slow, controlled manner, once again after seeing the woman cower from the pressure. Returning his eyes to the silver haired beauty in front of him, he urged her to continue.

 "I-I might have spoken a little too much during your duel yesterday...", she practically whispered out to him.

 "Oh? Pray tell. I'm VERY curious as to how Marquess Tabor, who should have been arrested this morning, SOMEHOW ended up brutally fucked in the woods."

As he emphasized particular words, Lapis cringed visibly.

 "W-w-well... I-I might of confessed I knew he kidnapped Ruby..."

Her eyes floated causing Hiiro's to twitch in response.

 "And?", he pursued her escape.

 "I-I mi-might have h-hinted at yo-your co-conspiracy... p-plan..."

He watched as her gaze floated to the ground and she turned red from embarrassment. Her body language suggested something else was at play. He simulated the woman called Lapis inside his mind and ran through various plays with a simulated Marquess. Of those he ran, only one seemed to explain the situation.

 "Don't tell me..."

She twitched at his words, flushing further.

 "You really...", he started, but couldn't even finish without face palming himself.

He heard whimpering from her and saw frustrated tears starting forming near the corner of her eyes. Concluding the punishment might have been too effective, he eased off the blood lust allowing those kneeling to breathe easier.

 "Next time you role play as 'Empress Fardom', try not to lose yourself in it..."

His exasperated tone said wonders about his fatigued state of mind. Unable to bear the humiliation any further, Lapis finally snapped.

 "But it was so fun! You can not blame me! The Humans here do not even harbor the slightest wariness to me! For once I am able to provide instruction without the back stabbing gazes of turn coats or usurpers! I... I... I!"

Tears fell and Hiiro was granted the rare privilege of witnessing the great 'Empress Fardom' and 'Previous Demon Lord' wailing in self pity and embarrassment. He turned his gaze from the sorry sight onto the second culprit of the night and her accomplice.

 "What about you? I don't recall ever asking you to setup a necrophiliac gangbang in the fucking woods. You couldn't control your desires for literally one more day? The evidence was planted and Countess Sugimoto had already requested an audit against the Marquess from the Capital. The auditor is expected to arrive today and the planted evidence would have incriminated the Marquess without question. If you have followed the plan properly, you would have been able to ambush them while he was a 'prisoner' on the way back. Instead, you killed him while he was still innocent. Do you understand the difference between the two? Rather than kill a prisoner who was likely to end up on death row anyways, you instead killed the Marquess of Klasika. Was it on purpose? Did you fail to understand your role? Did I give poor instructions?"

He took a break from ranting and calmed himself down. Alternating between deep inhales and slow exhales, he reined his mood back in before returning his gaze to Ruby with expectant eyes. Her furrowed brows and crimson eyes wilted the moment he locked onto her. As if she knew she were guilty, her eyes darted to the side, avoiding eye contact as much as possible while responding.

 "He deserved it."

 "Of course he deserved it! The entire plan was to remove him from Profectus City. I'm not angry about how you killed him, I've got issues with 'when' you killed him. If you had waited a single day longer, he would have been killed, but Profectus City itself wouldn't be implicated in potential treason."

Feeling his blood pressure rise once more, he paused again and let his gaze drift to the wonderland outside. Though he was looking outside, his mind was fervently working to solve the issue at hand. He knew they were on a time line, specifically speaking, they were on the auditor's time line. He predicted the snow should have delayed their progress at least a little, buying him some room to act. Considering his options to recover the situation, he could only think of turning to the Countess for help, though he would have to alter the story.

 "H-how... can I help... you fix this?", said Lapis outside Hiiro's sight and spread between sniffles.

He looked back to the group and after a moment of dithering, chose to grant them an opportunity to make up for their mistakes. Deciding the roles in his makeshift plan, he laid the framework for his next conversation with Countess Sugimoto.

 "Lapis, I need you to move to Lore Forest and attract any beast you can. It has to be capable of wiping out a band of well armed travelers and have a small degree of ambushing ability. Bring it to the South Eastern woods then lose it there. Time is valuable, go now. I'll meet with Countess Sugimoto soon and I need the preparations to be done before that."

 "I understand."

Lapis struggled to her feet and wobbled to the exit of the house. Hiiro felt the mana around her get consumed in small portions before she took off into the sky headed for the woods. He watched her figure as it disappeared into the distance while hoping in the back of his mind that Zirco hadn't yet hunted all the stronger beasts. Returning his gaze to the next offender, he continued his orders.

 "Zirco, try to intercept the auditor and buy us some time. Make sure he doesn't find out you're near him. Buy as much time as possible, but don't injure or trap him."

 "This one understands."

The man rose to his feet without issue and exited the adobe in similar fashion to his Master. Hiiro watched him off as well before turning his attention to the primary cause of the entire mess they were in. In his mind, the previous two were more like accomplices to the woman still kneeling in front of him. Although they participated in ruining his plan, it was done more from over indulgence than anything else. The young woman in front of him on the other hand, acted strictly on her desire for revenge. He wasn't sure if she actually knew how dangerous a situation she had placed them in was. His gaze was locked hers and although she frequently broke contact with him, he felt she didn't regret what she had done. He spoke with that feeling in mind.

 "Are you trying to kill the person who saved you?"

 "Huh?", she uttered in surprise.

 "Your Master, Lapis. Are you trying to kill her? How about the Countess Sugimoto?"

 "Of course not!"

Her anger flared at the accusation.

 "Then do you realize your actions last night could lead directly to both of their deaths? You have the memories of Roxanne Delphi... You should understand how this world works. By killing a Marquess of Klasika, you've brought Lapis under suspicion as the last person who met him. By killing a Marquess of Klasika, Countess Sugimoto will now have to defend herself from the other Profectus Defense Council members when they, and they certainly will, accuse her of assassinating the Marquess for personal gain. Worst of all is they will accuse her in front of the Royal Auditor..."

 "I... didn't know..."

The somber tone forced Hiiro to realize how kindly Aria must have treated her servants. If Lady Delphi was never taught the workings of the higher council, it probably meant she properly isolated her work and home life. His anger dissipated upon that realization, yet he felt the need to drive the point in for the sake of Lapis, Countess Sugimoto and most importantly, for Ruby herself.

 "I realize Lapis already gave you permission to hunt down those who raped you. I doubt Zirco would have assisted you otherwise... The mess you caused, I need you to fix it. Follow my orders and restrain your own emotions. I'm going to need you to lie to your other Master if you want those you serve to come out of this unharmed."

 "I... I understand.", she replied in docile tone.

 "I need you to do something for me. Profectus City Defense Council member Earl Tucket is owner of a massive slave ring if I remember correctly. I need you to bring me any documents he wrote and signed from his estate. If it relates to his illegal trade, it'd be best, but I'll accept almost anything at this point. It's critical you're not found and you can't alert them. You have the most important role in this. We will barely scrap by if you don't succeed. Can you do it?"

 "I can!"

 "Then go. I need to meet the Countess as well. Good luck, Ruby."

He smiled at the back of the motivated woman as she ran out the door. After leaving his visual range, his eyes darkened slightly and his smile disappeared. He wasn't fond of covering up crimes as it reminded him of his old life too much. Unable to escape it, he felt the encumbering weight of heavy lies start their intrusion into his new life. Had he not promised Lapis already, he might have abandoned her to her own devices in order to avoid bringing the past into his present. With a heavy breath, he donned his thick coat and left the abode behind and with patience in his step, walked across the spiraled pathways. Though not yet in view, his sights were already directed at the nearby Profectus City and his mind worked to simulate his future conversations.

***

 The pitiful Countess in question currently had her head resting in the palms of her hands. Scattered across the desk her elbows sat on were reports from the past two days. She was originally preparing to receive the Royal Auditor, yet reports of bloodied scenes, decapitated heads, missing persons and the Marquess' escape threw her schedule into chaos. When she had previously sat down with Mr. Redmon and Hiiro, they had come up with a way to incriminate the Marquess. Aria had already prepared the paperwork required to enact one of the special clauses designated to her during times of war and declare the Marquess a traitor based off his misuse of Knights and evidence of kidnapping. Everything proceeded smoothly until the second half of the plan kicked off. After getting into Marquess Tabor's good graces, Empress Fardom and Hiiro were to obtain proof of the previous kidnappings and payouts to the Knights.

 Even now, she felt she could trust the two, yet she received a report of the Marquess abandoning his estate last night and escaping through the South Eastern exit. She couldn't tell if he had paid off another Knight to keep the gateway opened past curfew or if dereliction of duty was somehow involved. Worst yet, she hadn't seen her personal maidservant since yesterday morning. Before leaving her side, Ruby had told her she had errands to complete and would be back the next day. Even if she were trusting, Aria knew something happened behind the scenes. The only person identified from the reports was a well known criminal who had ties to Marquess Tabor. She had no proof, but felt it was reasonable to conclude the man belonged to the same group that kidnapped and raped Roxanne. Following that logic further, Ruby's absence all day yesterday during the other reports suggested she was hunting down those who harmed her.

 Aria knew Ruby held a grudge and a deep seated desire for revenge. The maid once openly admitted it to Aria when she asked her. She couldn't bring herself to accept that revenge, but after witnessing the carnage in the room Ruby was found in and the time she was locked in there, she was at least able to understand where that desire of revenge came from. Just as she started to feel frustrated at herself for not noticing sooner, a knock rapped against her study door. She collected herself and patted her hair down repeatedly to help make herself even slightly more presentable.

  "Enter."

 From the large door, she found the appearance of Wilfred. He was in near perfect condition and his immaculate uniform somehow stood out as the only organized things in her disorganized room. Walking through the door, Wilfred approached Aria and gentle bowed once. His face twisted slightly at seeing the start of bags under her eyes, but couldn't bring himself to say anything about it. That role belonged to the new Maidservant Ruby who was currently on a short leave. He returned from his bow and started his report.

  "Countess Sugimoto, Sir Hiiro has visited. One of the maids are escorting him from the front gate now..."

 He looked over her tired countenance and offered a suggestion.

  "Perhaps we may seat him while the Countess prepares herself?"

 Aria was hardly able to reject such a blunt idea. Having spent the entire night trying to piece together the reports and track down the Marquess, she knew her appearance hardly suited meeting the representative of an Empress. She nodded her head to the butler and moved to prepare. As Wilfred watched her leave the study for her personal room, the two maids he prepared followed with quick movements to her to help dress. His expression brightened after remembering the blatant change in expression the moment he mentioned Hiiro's name and moved to intercept the guest.

 ***

 As he walked down the sidewalk to the Countess Sugimoto's estate, Hiiro took his time walking and chatted with the maid guiding him. It seemed to him the maid was treating him friendlier than they would normally treat a stranger, but he noticed the Countess tended to keep bubbly personalities around herself and so he accepted the treatment with gratitude. The two soon arrived at the main entrance and Hiiro brushed the slight snow capping his shoulders and hood off before entering the house. The young maid dutifully took his coat and hung it atop an inner rack along the door before guiding him to the visitors room. Although Hiiro couldn't see them, he could feel the eyes of many servants focused on him. For a moment, he had thought they were spying on him out of caution for the recent events but they were simply... terrible at it. It was as if curious maidens at a zoo watching a fluffy animal and hid themselves whenever that animal glanced at them.

 Hiiro entered into a well ornamented room that held two rows of velvet covered benches facing each other across a large flat coffee table. Across the room from the entrance, a fire had already been started and resounded with a crackling noise throughout the otherwise silent room. The maid who escorted him quietly said her farewells and excused herself to inform the lady of the house. After taking a seat near the fire, Hiiro reviewed his conversation topics mentally stopping only when a knock resounded at the door. Following a brief silence, the door opened and an older maid pushed a cart into the room. She appeared motherly from the atmosphere she exuded and her cart brought with it luxurious smells of tea varieties. His lips curved upwards realizing her intention and waited for the cart to stop near the end of the table.

 Removing two sets of saucers with their pairing teacups, the maid gracefully set the table up and placed a kettle filled with water above the fireplace into a small fire cradle. Hiiro watched in silence as the flames licked the edges of the cradle, his thoughts drifted off course from serious matters and onto those more trivial in nature. The older maid maintained her silence, stationed in the corner of the room for assistance if Hiiro needed any. The awkward silence lasted only for a minute or two until another knock resounded.

Countess Aria walked with a stiff gait into the room. Hiiro noticed her flushed face and the two maids giggling as they broke off from her to continue their normal duties. He found the butler Wilfred follow inside after her and took his spot near the older maid. As always, Hiiro found himself impressed with the vast degree of professionalism and personal freedom the servants in the estate held. Rather than the degree, he was far more impressed by their ability to switch it on and off when required. He felt the household was far warmer due to such skills rather than the cold servile one he was familiar with back on Earth. As the Countess neared the booth across from him, Hiiro stood and respectfully bowed.

 "Countess Sugimoto. Thank you for allowing this abrupt visit. Although we're familiar with each other, I realize the breech of etiquette I've done by showing unannounced."

 "P-Please rise Sir Hiiro. You're beginning to scare me with the sudden formalities...", she responded nearly frantic at the sudden display in front of her.

Her comment drew a subtle smile from him and he gestured his hand towards the booth. After she sat down, Hiiro followed behind her and returned to his seat as well. Before he could speak, Aria adopted a sullen expression and spoke first.

 "It seems the plan failed, Sir Hiiro."

 "Failed?", he asked with a hint of curiosity.

 "Didn't it though? None of our objectives were met and now I'll have to fend off the Royal Auditor somehow today."

Her sullen reply mirrored her expression perfectly and she seemed unable to look Hiiro in the eyes. For a moment, Hiiro wondered if the woman felt the plan failed due to her. Rather than let her flounder in self pity, he chose to tell her a form of the truth he had worked out earlier.

 "Are you aware of a series of deaths recently in Profectus? With the exception of one site where a dismembered head was found, every scene was covered in blood without fail, yet no corpse was found."

 "How'd you know that? Even I only got the reports recently...", her surprise was evident across her face and Hiiro smiled knowing she was hooked.

He carefully chose his words to redirect her attention from the acts as a series of 'murders' and implant the idea that they were instead a series of 'deaths'. That alone wouldn't be enough to properly satiate her suspicions though, so he continued.

 "While Empress Fardom and I were visiting Marquess Tabor's estate, his Knights reported by word of mouth to him. They could struggled to keep their voice to a whisper so Empress Fardom and I heard practically everything."

With that, he was able to cover up their source of information mitigating any suspicion towards himself or Lapis. The only member Aria had reason to be suspicious of now was Ruby. He waited for Countess Sugimoto's reply before continuing. Depending on her response, he'd either be forced to abandon Ruby's defense to prevent suspicion from being drawn back over to Lapis and himself, or excuse her as long as there was no direct evidence against her. Although Ruby informed him last night that no one but Zirco saw her, she is still new to her abilities and he couldn't trust her inexperience in detecting presences with such an important matter. He watched as the Countess fell into thought before speaking back up. Her eyes began to shine with a light they lacked earlier and he thought that maybe dropping her suspicion of two friends she somehow gained her confidence back.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

 "What about those killed. Did you overhear anything during their reports? Though I'm ashamed to admit it, there's evidence the reports were doctored slightly before reaching me. I believe many of the identities of those killed were withheld from the reporting. If Marquess Tabor ordered that, then they must have been related to him somehow. I'm thinking business acquaintances or similar."

 [Just as I thought.]

The thought crossed Hiiro's mind as he felt impressed by the reasonable leap in logic the young Countess performed. Although it seems obvious to link those small hints together, it's not something people would normally do. The ability to discern strange pronoun usage, notice diverging trends on similar topics, and identify unusual breaks in the reports handed to her was already impressive by itself. Those subtle elements alone lead her to believe the reports were missing critical information. Then who would have that missing information? Of course the Marquess who controls the Knights of Profectus. Does that make the man suspicious though? Hardly, if anything it shows his innocence in the killings. Someone with perfect control over information wouldn't allow the identity of someone he killed to be leaked to the one person in Profectus who could incriminate him. Using that logic, Hiiro believed the Countess settled on the suspicion that those killed were related to the Marquess through other means. His smile widened at the exceptional woman in front of him. He truly felt she was proper for her role as Mayor.

 "I don't believe we overheard anything on how they were killed, but we did send Ruby to investigate."

 "Ruby was?"

 "Yes. I believe she requested leave early yesterday. As you know, we only recently arrived in Profectus, we had Ruby running errands for us to prepare for both the progressing winter and to move some evidence to co-conspirators in the City. Thanks to her, we were able to plant the evidence where we agreed previously and it's ready for the Royal Inspector whenever they arrive. As I was saying though, we sent Ruby to investigate the deaths. From what she told us, she tracked the Knights who provided the initial report and found the corpses as the Knights went to bury them. Each corpse was dismembered and looked as if a beast consumed portions of them."

 "A beast? Do you think a shadow is still lose in Profectus?"

 "No. Lapis or myself would have detected it. Those things were pretty unique in how they felt. I think instead it was a beast that slipped into the red light district from the South Eastern gate. Ruby reported the gate was left open for the past few days, so it probably slipped in through the night."

 "Would such a beast stick to alley ways though? No... If it was a beast, then hiding when surrounded and avoiding the bustling areas would make sense. In that case though... did... No way... Did Marquess Tabor attempt to flee?"

Hiiro smiled once again as the exceptional woman caught on to his intentions. He felt her ability to think laterally rivaled even Lapis, though he'd probably never admit that to the woman herself. Now that he managed to clear Ruby of suspicion, he moved onto the main topic at hand. As long as those working under his orders properly fulfill their duties, the situation should be fine.

 "I believe so. The beast seems to be staying in the South Eastern quadrant of Profectus City so I asked Empress Fardom to scour that area and find it. As I once mentioned, her magic is practically a cheat at stuff like this. Ruby will be acting as her messenger, so we should receive news soon she finds it. If she finds it, I asked her to capture it rather than kill it. We're going to need evidence for the Royal Auditor after all..."

 "That's... true... We're going to look overly suspicious to them, aren't we?"

 "Most likely. I'd like to keep Empress Fardom off the record as much as possible. She hasn't officially visited Inmont Capital yet. If put in a negative light, it could be treated as extending her control over Profectus and potentially used as a means to cut Profectus City off further support."

 "Maybe... such a thing wouldn't be so bad..."

The words that slipped through her lips couldn't be taken back. Beside him, Hiiro felt the older maid shuffle nervously from the massive faux pas her Master just performed. Although the butler was calm externally, it was obvious from his eyes the subtle panic he was in. As far as they knew, Hiiro was a representative of Empress Fardom and the Fairy Nation. The two never explicitly told anyone but Marquess Tabor about the fake nation of Lochlea allowing others to make assumptions based off the fact a female Fairy introduced herself as Empress. The woman herself was once a Demon Lord though so her mannerisms, at least while in public, aligned perfectly with what was expected of someone in such a role making the charade all the more convincing. The fact that the Profectus City Mayor just admitted to both having the desire to be further controlled by a single entity rather than the alliance of intelligent species and the willingness to lose what support they had already was damning if the wrong person overheard it. Hiiro hoped the slip showed the degree of trust the Countess held in him rather than it be habit.

As he was about to respond and break the eerie silence in the room, a whistling escaped from the kettle atop the fire cradle next to him. Without a moments delay, the older maid moved into action taking advantage of the interruption to smooth over the blunder as much as possible. Watching her work, Hiiro smiled as he understood her intent. That feeling of homeliness once again exuded from the woman and he felt again the quality of servants in the Countess' estate. Hiiro glanced to the Countess who was now looking straight at the floor. She must of realized the severity of her indiscretion and was gradually flushing. Despite the lovely scent of tea riding each burst of steam from the kettle as the older maid poured it, Hiiro remained focused on the main subject. He felt he needed to address the previous faux pas as well, yet he wasn't entirely sure how. He knew Lapis had no intention of ruling Profectus City, but if it meant bringing it under her protection...

 [She'd do it I'm sure...]

He sighed internally as he confirmed it to himself. Lapis rarely discussed her dream with him since they first had a heart to heart, but he could tell from how she acted so far that she had no problem with blowing her cover if it meant preserving the one place where species enjoyed equal treatment all around. He brought the filled cup to his lips, blowing across the surface and kicking wisps of steam off it to cool it slightly. He waited for the Countess' cup to be filled as well and for the maid to return to her waiting position. He took gradual sips of the tea, enjoying the flavor when it rolled across his tongue before swallowing it entirely. His calm demeanor helped to ease the room from the oppressing atmosphere. Feeling it was time to continue, he moved to counter the topic fully.

 "I don't believe Empress Fardom nor myself ever mentioned we were part of Fairy Nation though... Don't worry about us. We will do as we please and assist where we can because we want to. Empress Fardom herself has taken a liking to Profectus City, so I doubt she will allow harm to come to it."

 """Huh!?""", exclaimed every member in the room.

At their surprised reactions, Hiiro could only bring himself to chuckle under his breath.

 "Well, we can't exactly tell you who we represent thanks to a special set of circumstances, but that might change in the future depending on a certain someone... Anyhow, about the Royal Auditor. I think it should be fine as well as we have a valid reason and evidence to give them. Oh? Speaking of which..."

Hiiro turned his gaze to the entrance of the visitors room. Moments later, a knock resounded and a younger maid entered while escorting the Empress in question behind her. The woman held a large smile and upon entry, she moved to seat herself next to Hiiro. The older maid brought out a third saucer and cup, pouring the fragrant contents of the kettle with eloquence. Countess Sugimoto returned to sitting after acknowledging the Empress and appeared to wait for Hiiro to restart the topic. Although he hadn't shown it, the man himself was surprised Lapis showed up. He had acted as if he expected it, but this was never in the plan. The trickster smile he saw creep up the side of the woman's face could only make him groan internally. He had to somehow figure out a way of continuing his lie while referencing someone who had no knowledge whatsoever of his plan and still make it seem natural.

 [Challenge accepted...]

 "Empress Fardom, we were just talking about you. Were you able to find the beast?"

 "Yes. It is in the forest just outside of Profectus. A little past the South Eastern entrance I believe."

 "So it wasn't inside the city?"

 "It was not... Why would it be?"

 "Hahaha... I suppose that's true. Considering the gate was left open for a few days, it makes sense to think it escaped outside.", he replied to her revealing statement with a slight laugh.

Internally groaning, Hiiro continued his struggle to maintain control of the conversation. He had no choice but to play off the wild card he was dealt. He was missing the last piece of evidence. Unexpectedly, the intelligent Countess herself added to Hiiro's problems.

 "If the creature was thought to be inside the city, why bother looking outside it? Did you have other plans for it?"

The probing question was met with an unexpected answer though.

 "No... As I said before, why would such a creature be inside the city? A perfect food source ran away last night into its home territory. There is no need for a beast that hunts small groups of prey to keep itself confined inside the city."

With such a nonchalant attitude, Lapis stated her opinion as if it were fact and that impression somehow seated itself in the mind of those listening. She took a sip of her tea displaying her eloquence at its fullest and continued.

 "I found something strange with the beast though. It appeared to have a crest burnt into it."

 "Burnt into it?", questioned Countess Sugimoto.

 "Yes. I believe it looked something similar to this."

For the first time since arriving in this new world, Lapis pulled kneaded mana from her reserves and formed it in her palm. The dense mana was clearly visible to those nearby who held expressions of shock at the phenomena. They watched in bewilderment as Lapis formed the mana into a ring and then carefully filled the inside of it with a crude resemblance of an emblem Countess Sugimoto was familiar with. As he saw the emblem appear in the center, Hiiro could only come to the conclusion that Lapis figured out the gist of his plan. He sat back in the boot bringing his saucer and cup with him. Once again, the young man felt awe at the women before him. It took him over forty years to obtain the same level of thought the two young women before him keep displaying. He found himself chuckling at the talents prime for molding before him and added it to his bucket list for this life. Pulling him from his thoughts, Countess Sugimoto asked the two.

 "Isn't that... Earl Tucket's emblem...?"

 "Oh? Who is that?", asked Lapis with a subtly fake expression of curiosity.

 "Officially he controls food distribution inside Profectus City but I've had reports claiming he owns a slaver ring outside of town. Sadly, I haven't been able to prove it yet. With the deadline for my marriage with Marquess Tabor closing in, I'd hoped to break that off first. More so than personal reasons behind it though, if the Knights were properly functioning, I could utilize them for investigations into the other members as a neutral third party rather than rely on citizen reporting."

 "I see... He sounds like quite the scum. Then why does the beast bear his emblem?"

As if he felt the setup, Hiiro jumped in to steer the conversation where he needed it to go.

 "Maybe it escaped from one of his camps? What better way to keep illegal slaves under control than threats of violence and a massive guard dog?"

 "If that's the case, we need to gather evidence of his trades as soon as possible.", asserted Countess Sugimoto with obvious intent in her voice.

 "I agree. That is why I am here, and Ruby is not though. I have already sent that girl to investigate the Earl."

Lapis glanced with questioning intent at Hiiro who in return nodded. Although they had never discussed his plan entirely, Lapis managed to pick up on the end state Hiiro was trying to achieve and pushed the conversation further towards it. Before the next chapter of their conversation could begin, Lapis appeared distracted, looking at the corner of the room with a smile.

 "I believe Ruby has arrived. We shall soon find out if she managed to succeed."

The members exchanged refined glances as they enjoyed their tea and awaited the latest arrival. With knowledge that the reliable plan was coming together in piecemeal fashion and she knew she wasn't entirely on her own, Aria had long since calmed down. Rather, her desire was now, if possible, to pull Earl Tucket into the Royal Auditor's line of fire as well. She felt it could somehow be done as long as the members before her supported her actions and desires. Although Hiiro's claim on their origins was surprising, the lack of evidence on who they were and who they represented barely made a difference in her mind. Their actions had proven far more valuable than any claims they could have made regarding their status and she found herself bit by bit convinced of their trustworthiness.

As had happened multiple times now, the familiar knock echoed through the room and the young crimson eyed maid herself entered the room. She walked up to the group and with bowed exhibiting her years of training. After returning upright, Countess Sugimoto gestured for the young maid to sit beside her. All eyes in the room followed her purposeful movements as she took to the seat in proper fashion. Returning the gaze to both women near her and finally locking onto Hiiro, she presented her findings.

 "While investigating the Earl's estate, I came across an odd container with a reinforced door. It took a bit of time, but I was able to obtain the documents inside it."

Ruby pulled from the pocket along the edge of her maid attire a series of folded documents. She placed them onto the coffee table one at a time. Hiiro leaned over the table to glance at the different items and skimmed through their contents with a trained eye. Among the documents, one in particular caught his eye. He reached for and landed on the paper along with another pair of hands. His gaze reached up only to align with Countess Sugimoto herself. The smile plastered across her face convinced him she noticed the same thing and so he relinquished the document for her. She brought the paper to her eyes and read it with increased vigor. 

Beside Hiiro, Lapis observed Aria through half closed eyes as if she were evaluating the young woman. She watched as the woman's eyes scanned the document and she mirrored the smile that slowly crept the side of her face. She dutifully came to her own conclusion on why Hiiro showed interest in the woman and she felt her own interest grow as well. Aria tossed the document onto the table and with a tone that carried confidence with it, summarized her findings.

 "This document and potentially others related to it clearly show Earl Tucker redirecting resources away from the city. If we present these to the Auditor, it should be enough to start an official inquiry into him. I'm not sure how effective it will be if he moves his sites, but at the very least, it'll shake his organization at their roots. Perhaps we might capitalize on whatever falls out during that..."

 "Or we can just show the Royal Auditor that the beast belongs to the fine Earl? I believe it would be plenty convincing that the Earl and Marquess had a falling out. In return, Earl Tucker designated the men working under Marquess Tabor as targets for elimination. The creature itself only followed orders."

 "We are missing the crucial evidence though. No one knows where Marquess Tabor fled to."

 "Oh? I did not mention that? I found Marquess Tabor and the corpses of his many followers beside him."

 "What?!", exclaimed Countess Sugimoto at the sudden reveal.

Lapis maintained her smile and nodded at the young woman. Continuing, she filled in the missing details.

 "I captured the beast in the woods South East of Profectus. That much I believe I have already told you. Near the beast, I found a... wide assortment of limbs from horses and humans alike. The carriages they fled in were ravaged and scattered about the site. I am sure it was quite the bloody scene at the time, however it is now frozen over with layers of snow."

 "..."

Unable to fully accept the Marquess' fate, Aria relaxed in her seat unknowing of how to react. She certainly wanted the rotten Noble to pay for his crimes, however to meet his end in such a way was somehow... distasteful. She wasn't sure if she should be happy her engagement was essentially nullified or saddened at the means that caused it. Seeing her state, Lapis giggled without reservation, ensuring those on site heard her. Once she was aware of all gazes on her, she spoke.

 "Is this not a fine end to such a corrupt man? Although our evidence against him for the capture of Roxanne Delphi is not admissible, those of members here know full well the evil he was capable of. I believe the fact he was removed from power due to internal strife is plenty deserved. Your face appears almost as if you pity him, Countess Sugimoto. That beast in Human skin deserves none of your emotions but hate directed at him. Settle your emotions now, our friend the Royal Auditor has already arrived at your front entrance. It is time for you to plead your case. Hiiro and I must leave before we are caught by that man. If that Auditor requires further proof the beast is owned by Earl Tucker, I have trapped it where I found it. Bring the good Earl to the site and I am sure the beast will lower itself to its Master."

Lapis pulled out a simple, but direct map showing the location of the beast. As she placed it on the table and slid it across to the Countess, Ruby and Hiiro both noticed the site shown matched where Ruby reported her entire fiasco took place at. Standing up to leave, Hiiro offered his hand to the Fairy beside him and pulled her with grace up onto her feet. He escorted the Fairy to the door and the two performed a final bow and escorted themselves to an exit on the back side of the estate. Left behind, Aria and Ruby pieced together a story on where the documents came from, settling on 'citizen reporting' in the end. The two patiently awaited the Royal Auditor who appeared nearly five minutes later. The gentleman escorted by the young maid entered into the visitors room and introduced himself.

 "Good Afternoon, Countess Sugimoto. I am Gerald LeMark, Royal Auditor assigned by King Asalerian. I believe you've been expecting me."

 "Welcome, Auditor LeMark. Please have a seat. The situation has progressed since my letter, allow me to catch you up on the situation."

 "Certainly."

***

Tired from his planning and the situation in general, Hiiro chose to retire for the night despite the complaints of a particular Fairy next to him. He offered a gratuitous farewell that felt as fake as it sounded before sauntering off leaving Lapis to her own devices. She watched him part without much complaint, knowing she was the one who caused all his problems today. Her smile broadened as she passed the 'young' man with stellar marks. Despite her modest attitude early in the morning, she had in fact already prepared a plan to cover Ruby's actions. As she supported the young maid and her desire for revenge, she ensured a backup strategy was in place before allowing Ruby to act on her desires. It was only by coincidence that Hiiro's plan aligned closely with what she had in mind. The 'beast' she captured was actually a summon that failed after she practiced what she observed when watching the General perform his magic. The imitation magic worked well enough to bring a beast into the world, but the creature wouldn't last very long. Rather than allow it to return without being useful, she instead branded it and gave orders to appear servile to the Earl if it ever came across him.

Turning to view the snow laden city, she pulled the strings of her robe to tighten and retain the heat before heading in. The city under the dusk lighting was outlined in the deceitful shade of red, as the frosted layers of snow abolished any warmth one might have expected from the sun. She wandered through the city enjoying the fresh sites until her limbs began to numb. The site of a local tavern drew her curiosity and so she entered hoping to enjoy the company of whatever few individuals she might find there only to discover it barren of customers. The local tavern maid welcomed Lapis into the business with her boisterous attitude and led the Fairy to a stool along the bar. As she passed by each table and booth, Lapis called out to the woman in curiosity.

 "Why the bar? Am I unable to sit at the table or booth?"

 "Nothin like that Miss! I jus felt you'd like to talk with someun and I didn't want ya poor wings ta be hurtin from the chairs or stall."

 "I see. Thank you.", she replied while taking her seat at the stool.

Certainly, it was as the grown woman said. Each of the chairs aligned along the tables had backs that would have hampered her wings and the booths were even worst unless she was willing to fold her wings in rather forcefully. Her stool instead allowed her wings freedom to flap and her attention was stolen by the menu tossed in front of her. The gaudy wooden tablet that somehow was passed off as a menu described a plethora of foods with small intricate engravings beside each name. The tablet was worn from years of use and the subtle remnants of paint drew a favorable smile from Lapis. She set the menu aside and called for the tavern maid.

 "Tavern Lady! May I order?"

 "Yeeees!", the woman replied with quick steps to her side.

 "What do I call you?"

 "Trisha be fine. What can I get ya?"

 "Trisha, then. I would like any basic warm soup you have. I am just looking for respite from the cold."

The tavern maid glanced at the menu cast aside, yet appeared to forgive the act as if it were normal. Her sights landed outside the window and onto the icy scene eliciting a shiver up her spine. Though distracted for a split second, she understood where the young Fairy was coming from and accepted the order even though it wasn't on the menu.

 "Alrighty! One warm soup, coming up! Did ya want any drink with that? We got some cider I can warm up for ya in the back. It's good for them days like this where that cold be biting to the bone."

 "Oh? I am curious. Please add that as well."

 "Right-o little Fairy. I be back in five with them ciders!"

The woman left with the pace she approached keeping a surprised smile on Lapis' face. Recalling the woman's words, Lapis tilted her head slightly.

 "Ciders?"

 "The other was for myself, Empress Fardom. May I sit beside you?"

The familiar voice drew Lapis to her other side where Countess Sugimoto resided. While mentally scolding herself for relaxing her attention of the surroundings, Lapis reluctantly resumed her role as Empress and responded in kind.

 "Please. The seat is always open for you, Countess Sugimoto. I must admit, I did not expect to see you here. How did your affairs go?"

The young woman met Lapis' gaze and replied with a tone full of exhaustion.

 "He was... surprised to hear about well... Everything. Tomorrow, we will head for the site and verify the beast."

 "I understand... Are you here then to relax as well?"

 "Ah, yes. My friend Trisha works here. Her family owns the tavern. We've known each other since our youths."

 "That is... surprising to hear.", replied Lapis with pure amazement.

She could only wonder how rare it must be for a noble to have a commoner as a friend and maintain that friendship throughout the years. She assessed the woman called Trisha a degree higher in her mind now that she knew the woman didn't seem to treat those in power differently. Rather, now that she thought about it, the woman didn't see to care even about the fact Lapis was a female Fairy. How long had it been since she received such a neutral reception? Lapis couldn't even remember, but one thing was certain, it felt quite good.

 "Empress Fardom... May I ask you a few personal questions?"

 "This is unexpected. Do I need to be worried?"

 "N-no, no, no! It has nothing to do with work, it is purely out of my own curiosity."

 "Please ask away then."

Their conversation was held off for a few minutes as the tavern maid returned with their warmed ciders. She approached Countess Suigmoto with vigor and wrapped the woman in her arms. Lapis watched as the Countess turned red from either embarrassment or the excessive strength coupling the tavern maid's arms together around her. While she watched the two catch up, Lapis took reserved sips of the cider expecting a strong flavor but was instead surprised by the subtle sweetness and warmth. Her surprise didn't fail to escape Trisha's notice and the bubbly woman bounded over to Lapis.

 "It tastes good, right?! I figured ya were new to the area so I watered the flava down a bit. It still kicks hard if you drink a bunch though! I gotta check on ya food, gimmie a sec."

The woman rushed to the kitchen leaving a speechless Fairy and Human behind her. The two met eyes and broke into a quiet laughter before continuing their conversation.

 "Your friend is very... interesting."

 "Tell me about it. She's been that way since we were kids. Uhm... Empress Fardom, Hiiro mentioned that you two weren't from Azmodius, but he didn't tell us who you actually represented."

 "It is true. Hiiro and I did not come from Azmodius. In fact, neither of us have even stepped within the bounds of the nation since our birth... If you exclude this multinational state, of course. If he did not tell you anything more though, I feel I should refrain from revealing it as well. Our current situation is not favorable for either Hiiro or myself. In time, he or I will discuss at greater lengths with you about ourselves. Know at the least though, that I've chosen to settle near Profectus City and I have no desire to leave it yet."

 "Is that right? If that's the case, then may I ask for your help?"

 "That depends. I will not partake in war between your trifling nations and their whimsical outbursts."

 "Hahaha, I expected as much. No, I was hoping you might be able to perform an introduction for me. I talked in detail with Mr. Redmon after the previous battle and we agreed the primary curtain needs to be repaired properly. It was useless during the previous fight to the end. We'd like to change that, but we just don't have the resources to repair it. Hiiro once told me you were building your home near here. If you have a means of procuring resources at scale, I'd like to be introduced to your seller."

Lapis considered the request in silence for a few moments. She and Hiiro were not rich by any standard, but after selling furs and meats from the hunts Zirco frequented, they were able to procure a decent amount of money. Lapis had known for a long time though that Zirco was over hunting the area. The tiniest of smiles crept up the side of her face as she returned her gaze to the expectant woman beside her.

 "I will certainly introduce you, however I will only provide a letter of introduction. It will be upon your own character to convince the woman into being your supplier. I am certain her demands will sound strange though. I recommend you prepare yourself."

From their side, Trisha kicked open a pair of doors and carried through it three bowls balanced precariously in hand. She rushed to the side of the two women and placed the steaming broths before them. The smell of chicken and spices wafted through the air luring even Lapis into a stare. Her stomach loudly gargled luring the smirking eyes of Trisha and Countess Sugimoto. She blushed a light red and snatched the spoon held out to her by Trisha. As she dug into the bowl, the warm soup filled the air. Outside the tavern, citizens hurrying home along the main roads could hardly see through the windows of the tavern through the accumulating moisture.