Miss Abigail had such an ordinary appearance that her presence among that pair of men was quite striking.

When that trio passed before my eyes, I couldn't help but straighten up in my seat. On one side was Lieutenant Roldus, one of the most influential authorities in all of Elker; on the other, L'Asmodeus walked, examining everything with his discreet glances; and in the middle stood Miss Abigail. As I said, her appearance was so ordinary that it stood out among the renowned men who seemed to escort her. Chestnut-haired, docile, and even a bit shy; nothing about her would have indicated that she had such influential friends. The situation seemed so strange to me that I almost completely forgot the reason I had attended that place.

I leaned to one side to keep her in sight. Her walk was ordinary, but sometimes she held her left arm in a position that made me think of a grip that didn't exist. I stood up to get a better look, then I realized that she was resting her palm on a bulging wing of her asymmetrical skirt, just above her thigh.

I used my energy vision to see better what was happening. She was writing under the fabric! It was a technique invented by Ornelus Deliore to study fauna. It involved making quick notes in a closed book, which made it easier to react to dangers. Mastering the technique required skill. That didn't seem like an occasion to write something, unless documenting all her experiences was her motivation.

I almost got lost in trivial thoughts when I felt a man's gaze like a lightning bolt. It was L'Asmodeus who had locked his eyes in my direction. I couldn't perceive his intentions, which made the idea of him watching me even more unsettling. His gaze eventually slid to other corners of the place, as if he hadn't considered me important, but I could almost swear he was still watching me from the corner of his eye.

They entered The Refuge and I waited before doing the same.

What kind of things could that girl have in her records? That question was curious as well as stimulating, especially for a writer like me. That was my passion, not the Theory of Fields, as I had led all my teachers to believe. History and Literature were my main dedication, but intelligence reached me to understand that it was impossible to live on love alone.

Being born in the marginal zone of Elker had forged in me that efficient mindset, although it did not diminish my passion for novels, which grew almost to eclipse my life. I, like many other children in my situation, worked hard every day to fill my stomach. I went from store to store or house to house, running errands, delivering goods, or whatever it was that my clients wanted. I heard far-fetched stories from my peers about packages of disgusting insects or substances whose smell burned their lungs, packages that were passed between shady characters who rented rooms in the misery ring of Elker. I never believed them, as the considerable rewards they boasted about later could well be the product of theft, and their tales of terror a mere justification so as not to be labeled as criminals. True or not, I was fortunate never to be able to verify it. My adorable childlike appearance allowed me to access the simplest jobs with good rewards, or at least that's what my peers always said as a criticism.

My passion for reading was born when a sweet foreign lady offered me books as part of my reward for cleaning her yard. At first, I couldn't read, of course; but both time and the lady's patience gave me the wings to progress almost as fast as to catch up with the nobles my age in education. After a few cycles, I had absorbed several dozen books, and soon my friends were sharing with me the errands that fell into their hands so that I could read them.

Lovers, thieves, and swindlers I met between the lines, but none seemed to have as much potential to change my future as the mysterious professor who gave the youngest in our group so much trouble. Young Elis stubbornly refused to show us the contents of his errands, as the professor had emphasized the importance of keeping them secret. Not even Sera —who quickly sympathized with any child— could convince him to break his oath. Our curiosity increased with each day that a task passed through Elis's hands, but we were not so mean as to snatch it from him. Some sweets and nimble hands were enough to sneak a peek. The note had been carefully rolled up, like a letter between nobles, but upon opening it, it was as simple as a piece torn from parchment. Its content, however, surprised me for the better, so much so that I still remember it as if I were reading it in the palm of my hand.

"Greetings to my dear Dahid.

Although I do not like to remember debts, I could not help but think of yours when I saw Elis walking without shoes. As part of my stay in the city, I am allowed to spend on various luxuries, but not to carry money. I could try to convince the scribe who documents my expenses to make him an accomplice of my altruism, but I fear that his loyalty to our leader is greater than the admiration he professes for me. I yield, then, to my friend Dahid, who of the sizable sum he owes me, I want him to allocate a thousand doriales for the young man who carries this note."

After those words came a detailed description of young Elis, something that frustrated any attempt to usurp the generous reward.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Mr. Asmodeus smiled warmly as I recounted that part of the story, sitting at a table in The Refuge. He asked for the floor with his mere gaze, and I fell silent to grant it to him.

—Do you know who it is? —he asked.

—Discretion was one of the few things this man asked of me —I replied—. It will not leave my lips, but I will respond with my gesture if you guess correctly.

He looked at me smiling for a while, more pleased than before.

—Professor Rudioth —he said—. Although everyone knows that he manages to spread the kingdom's resources among those who need them most, King Kaenius has not given him as much importance as to stop him.

Being a child, I set out to capture the attention of such a professor.

Everyone spoke so highly of educated nobles that I believed being a genius was my only escape from the continuous hunger to which I was subjected. Now that I think about it, maybe I could have accumulated more wealth by blackmailing some of those lovers who were discovered in the errands or by collecting rewards for delivering thieves or swindlers. It was my innocence that kept me away from those opportunities, but the path destiny sent me on is as stimulating as to feel grateful regardless of what could have been.

I studied the most complicated book for a child that I could choose from those offered by the sweet foreigner, then I managed to cross paths with the famous professor while I pretended to read those passages with passion. My clumsiness prevented me from achieving the fantastical results I hoped for, but my skills were enough to interest the professor in my future. It was thanks to him that my career flourished, as both his guidance and the tutelage of a friend of his eventually led me to the Grand University of Elker, where chance made me friends with a talkative but charismatic young man who would later reveal himself as the heir to the city.

At first, our relationship was cultivated out of pure interest. His was that I helped him improve his grades, mine was that he leave me alone as soon as possible. From that interaction, however, neither got what they wanted, as I discovered that I was a worse teacher than I imagined, and he came up with the punishment of burdening me with his friendship.

Although our first conversations were superficial, they later revolved around jokes that only we knew and later turned into deep conversations about the past, present, and future here, there, and even further away. That closeness kept us informed about each other's respective situations: the crossroads he faced with his family and my humble origins, which Professor Rudioth had asked me to keep secret to maintain peace among my peers.

From that moment on, I admitted to L'Asmodeus being more up-to-date than I should have been regarding my friend, even after his departure to a destination I didn't want to know about.

—Caisam? —the lieutenant asked in a low voice—. The missing youth?

Mr. Asmodeus nodded with the mere expression of his eyes.

—Do you know what happened to him? —the lieutenant asked—. You could have told me earlier. The lieutenants drove themselves crazy looking for him for days at the sovereign's request.

—I'll tell you later —Asmodeus said.

And although the lieutenant seemed like an extremely stubborn man, those words were enough to silence him.

—That's how Caisam, remembering my origins and knowing the circumstances of the unfortunate crime against the girl, asked me if I could investigate something —I said—. I suppose you were the one who shared the details of the case with him."

L'Asmodeus hoped that Caisam could contribute something to the case, thanks to which he had the idea of asking me for help.

I assumed that Mr. Asmodeus had already investigated the marginal area. He admitted that he had, although it did not turn out as expected.

—I tried —he said—, but only one detail emerged from my investigations. To find it, I had to resort to an alarming tale about child abduction on the border with Cassinger, to which an old woman reacted with concern. That's how I found out about a mysterious man who had arrived at the port of Elker. He had businesses in the area, although they didn't know what, and he liked to be charitable, although they didn't know why. People could only know his origin thanks to his accent, which pointed to his upbringing in some southern village of Munrich. However, he was a well-received man among the suspicious population of the marginal area.

»If the old woman was talking to me about him, it was because there was something she didn't find right about that individual. It so happened that she, as a confidante of many people in her community, had put together a story about such a man that few could have imagined.

»To begin with, he bought huge amounts of fresh meat from as many businesses as possible, enough to feed several families in the area. Also, more strangely, he had shown interest in buying blood, although no one knew of anyone who supplied him with what he needed. He rented an office in Creber, the colony that separates Elker from the marginal area. There supposedly he carried out businesses, from which he obtained considerable wealth that he squandered among the neighbors. No one knew what he did or seemed to have customers who visited him, except for the hooded figures who passed by late at night.

»All those were already strange elements for the old woman, but the man's interest in the youngest was what worried her the most. At first, he offered ridiculous jobs for exorbitant wages, such as cleaning windows for a thousand doriales or watering the gardens in front of his office for similar amounts. The worst came later, when he began to suggest the existence of better-paying jobs and more comfortable lives for those who had the courage to travel west, an unthinkable journey for those who barely had enough money to ensure their next day's meal.

»That was her story until we were interrupted by her relatives, who cut off the conversation without tact or discretion. If you ask me, they didn't seem scared about it. Rather, I got the feeling that they were angry with the old woman for talking to a stranger about the matter.

I was genuinely surprised by Mr. Asmodeus's story. My people distrusted any stranger who crossed their path —no matter how friendly they seemed— and Asmodeus's ability to advance in his investigation was a milestone that I deeply respected. Nevertheless, I continued happily, as I was still able to provide my interlocutors with vital information with which they could continue their inquiries into the crime.