Gael had spent his last days at the University planning for his journey. Now Gael was travelling again. He was able to ride on the back of wagons for the most part, but he had to continue on foot. Gael didn't mind travelling on foot. It got him everywhere he needed to be in his life. But now it had started to rain. Gael wore his cloak and his leather backpack kept him and his belongings dry. Along with those there now dangled an old clerk’s shoulder bag on his side, which Estelle had given to him. It contained the case file and all of the plans and notes Gael had gathered for his journey. Gael played with the thought of writing to his brother. It had been almost a month since he had left the farm. Though he and Gael didn't always see eye to eye, Leanhan was a good man. When they were much younger Leanhan spoke of a second farm. He had his eyes on a plot on the other side of their village. Their father Bois always loved it when Leanhan was ambitious about the farm. Regrettably their father got ill around that time. When their father died, Leanhan never spoke of his ambition again.

  After a few hours Gael walked into a village. The sun would set very soon, so it was about time he arrived. The pouring rain made the village look gloomy. It was preparing for the night and its people were closing windows and getting inside. Gael decided to follow their lead and looked for the Inn. He strolled through the muddy streets until he came upon a building which looked like an Inn, but there was an armoured guard in front of the building. The guard looked very annoyed with having guard duty in the rain. The man wore a lot of bright blues on his armour that made him seem almost royal. He looked out of place in such a village. Gael doubted if he should try to enter the Inn or search another place to spend the night. But then the guard noticed Gael and he beckoned him to enter.

  Gael entered the inn and the smell of hot food welcomed him. There were more blue dressed guards inside. They didn't pay much attention to Gael. Gael hanged his cloak by the fire and found himself a comfortable place at the bar. When he looked around he saw that the guards stood near a table where a man was rummaging through some documents and books which the table was full off. At the table sat a woman with long black curly hair. If her face was as beautiful as her hair Gael couldn't see because she was sitting with her back to him. Gael’s staring got noticed because the Innkeeper hit the bar in front of Gael with his hand.

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  'Can I help you?’

Startled and a bit agitated Gael ordered some food and a drink. After he was done eating he got his notebook from the shoulder bag to look at his journey for the next day.

   'Ah a fellow researcher?'

The curly haired woman was standing next to Gael at the bar. She was a middle aged beauty and despite her black hair she had bright blue eyes.

  ‘Oh, yes, I’m working on a case for the University’, Gael said as he closed his notebook.

  ‘Don’t they have clerks for that?’

  ‘Well they have sent clerks but they failed and professors wouldn't bother, so they’ve sent me.’

  'And you can do it?'

  ‘I think I do.’, Gael said, allowing himself to boast a little. The woman replied with a sarcastically impressed nod.

  ‘You don't look like that much of an adventurer to me.’

That hurt Gael a little, but he played along.

  ‘I don’t?’

  ‘Sometimes you’ve got to be bold, take risks. You seem like a careful man to me.´

  ‘Maybe that will work to my advantage’, Gael replied, still a bit hurt. He decided to turn the conversation around.

  'I saw that you were digging around in some books yourself. Any interesting finds?'

  'None that I am allowed to discuss with you,’ she answered.

Gael looked behind her and he saw the guards playing cards.

  'Your blue friends would betray that you work for some nobleman.'

  'Oh I you could say that', The woman said with a crooked smile.

  ‘I am an imperial inspector. So that nobleman would be our Emperor, Ritz Unipiller’, she said. Gael recoiled as he released the status of the woman. Imperial inspectors took their orders directly from the emperor himself. They seek out corruption and criminals. They are feared by dukes and lords alike. Gael surely didn't expect to stumble upon one in a village like this.

  ‘My apologies, please forgive my curiosity. I did not know.’

  ‘You asked and I answered’, the inspector said with a satisfied grin. She clearly enjoyed toying with Gael. He was still flustered as her demeanour wouldn’t make him think she was of high status.

  ‘What is your name?’, The inspector asked.

  ´I’m Gael‘.

  ‘Well Gael I wish you luck with your case. That we might meet again.’

  ‘Thank you inspector’, he said and hesitantly added: ‘I hope your research goes well’, swallowing the urge to ask her for her name. She nodded thankfully and left the bar to disappear in a room on the other side of the inn, next to where one of the blue guards sat.

  The next morning when Gael left his room he saw no trace of the inspector or one of the blue guards. Gael felt slightly disappointed, but he put those thoughts aside. Because after a few hours of travelling he would arrive at the town of Yeavinkhall.