I needed to hide.

In full panic, I dashed toward the most obvious option: behind the desk. I barely had time to crouch before I heard the door open. Not wanting it to give me away, I put my hand in front of the brimstone tube.

The lights were turned on, and I barely heard someone walking in over the sound of my heart beating at full speed.

They stopped a few steps in, no doubt having reached the probe.

It seemed they had not seen me.

Would they be able to activate it? What was going to happen then? Just a scan of their recent memories, some message meant for me, then the probe would be gone. Whoever was sending these would know for sure I had not been the one to receive it. They had not sounded very understanding, so the fault would likely end up falling on me, regardless of the fact the untimely arrival was actually purely on them.

I needed to escape. But how?

I could not count on the scanning process to provide enough of a distraction. Indeed, it would at best slow down their thoughts, but not prevent them from seeing me.

I heard a few more steps as they moved closer.

Looking around swiftly revealed no solution. I was trapped.

Thud

It took me a few seconds to realize the resonating sound I had just heard was simply the sphere having been placed on the desk.

Even with my mind in complete panic, I found that odd. The probe should have taken longer before delivering its message, and it should have disappeared after doing so. Unless... Unless there was a different reaction when someone else picked it up? A fail-safe of some sort? Could that help me in any way? Maybe incapacitate the unauthorized user?

I did not dare take a look.

There was silence for a handful of seconds, then a male voice boomed. "Hey!"

I jolted in surprise. Had he seen me, somehow?

"Hey, you!" the man called out. "Behind the desk!"

Definitely seen, then. Fuck! But how?

I looked around, and found my answer. With its curtains drawn, the window acted much like a mirror. It had not been the case while the room was dark, and even when I was looking for an escape, I had not caught on the implications.

I paled as, through the reflection, I gazed back at an angry old man wearing a formal costume of black and white. Likely a servant, possibly even a steward, considering the quality of his clothes. He was armed, as I knew he would be.

His rapier was already drawn.

"Get up!" the man instructed. "Slowly."

The moment of truth. Possibly my last chance to try to run past him.

I complied for now, raising my hands. I was familiar with the procedure. As I looked to the door to plan my run, I saw the choice had been made for me. There was no way I could escape, for past the door stood two other servants waiting to skewer me if I tried.

I went back to looking at the angry steward.

"Now that's something you don't see every day." he remarked. "Who are you? What were you doing back there?"

My mind was racing, yet found no better alternative than telling the truth. Indeed, though he was threatening, the man appeared willing to talk. Possibly because I had no chance of escape, and presented no danger to him, but talking meant there was a possibility for things to stay cordial.

I went back to my reasoning concerning the rules imposed by Lord Derrien and their implication that being caught was not as dire as it might first seem.

I tried to calm down, taking slower breaths.

This was only a conversation, I told myself. Nothing disastrous was going to happen.

"My name is Eriol." I replied, once I felt confident enough to speak. "I am not here to steal anything."

It was technically true, and might help assuage his intentions for me. Not that I was going to give him any incriminating information if I could help it.

I saw his expression lessen in intensity, and thought my answer might indeed have helped.

"Oh, so you're Eriol Corneau." he remarked, giving me a different reason for his change of expression. He nodded his head toward the dark sphere. "What's this, then?"

The probe had told him my family name. Why? Why would whoever sent those do that? And what else had the artifact told him?

I did not mind continuing on this topic. It seemed a safe one.

"As far as I know, this is a probe." I told him honestly. I paused as I realized my answer might sound worse than it was. "Not for spying on Lord Konogan, mind you." It struck me that I could not be sure of this, and for all I knew, the man might have just been told otherwise, "Or at least, I don't think so."

The servant nodded, then continued his questioning. "What's Central?"

Just how much did the probe tell him? Did it tell him things I did not know about?

I noticed that the longer the conversation went, the calmer the steward's expression became. In this case, however, I saw no way to turn this question to my advantage.

"I truly have no idea." I admitted.

He slowly raised his left eyebrow.

As I kept scrutinizing his face to judge how the conversation went, I knew that this was definitely a practiced move. Something bothered me about this, but I could not figure out what.

A few seconds later, it hit me. The incoherence. Why did people have facial expressions if everyone was able to read emotions through soul auras? Not the self-taught ones, but the natural ones. If even the vegetation had souls, there was no reason for such a thing to have developed, was there?

This was no time to reflect on that.

As the silence grew, the man must have realized I was not going to elaborate, because he spoke again. "Fine. We'll see about that." He nodded at the probe again. "Were you here to retrieve this thing?"

While I could lie and take advantage of this easy excuse, I was sure they would be able to refute it fairly quickly if anyone knew the probe had not been present before I arrived. Being seen as a liar meant they would no longer believe what I told them, and this interrogation might get much nastier as a result.

"No, the two are unrela-" I started saying, but stopped as the servants outside the room parted to let someone new enter.

I had thought the steward old-looking. The man that entered made this a matter of perspective, yet somehow, both of their appearances transformed their age into a statement of pride instead of a potential weakness. Even the wooden cane this one used to move around was held with poise. He had long, elegant white hair. The most obvious signs of his advanced age were the grayness of his skin, and the telltale wrinkles on his hands and face. He must have been interrupted in his sleep, for he wore some thick blue bathrobe over black pajamas. Still, the man's presence nullified any need for formal attire, and I could easily guess his identity.

Lord Konogan was studying me, seemingly amused at the situation.

"Yan?" Lord Konogan asked, still looking at me. "What happened here?"

"My lord." the man that caught me saluted. "I heard a commotion and went to investigate. I found this object lying on the ground. Touching it triggered an enchantment, and it spoke to me. Then I found this intruder hiding behind your desk."

Lord Konogan took a quick glance at the sphere before looking back at me. He seemed surprisingly disinterested by the artifact.

"What did it say?" he asked.

His continuous scrutiny made it somewhat unclear to me which one of us he was addressing.

"It sent me some sort of mental message, meant for this man, Eriol Corneau." Yan explained. "It said that following the previous report, Central judged this venture too dangerous, and has decided to cease all transfers. It explained that it was sparing me... or rather him, I guess... due to some procedure he agreed to undergo."

It seemed I had come close to being killed without any warning. This was not doing anything to improve how panicked I already felt.

On the other hand, at least I now knew the contents of that message. I assumed the severing of transfers was the reason the probe stayed this time. I still had no idea what Central was. While the procedure could be many things, I suspected it was the amnesia. It fit. There was no need to get rid of me if I did not know anything that could harm Central, was there? Some kind of safety measure, and one I could easily imagine most of their agents agreed to, given the lethal alternative.

"Central? I've heard that name before." the lord commented. He paused for a few seconds. "Hmm... I can't place it right now."

While this hinted at the possibility of looking into Central's identity, I was reluctant to risk it. If they somehow learned I was searching for information about them, then they might consider I had violated the clause that kept me alive.

"Anything else?" Lord Konogan asked.

"No, my lord." Yan indicated. "I started questioning him, then you arrived. He told me his name, and that he wasn't here to steal anything."

Lord Konogan nodded, then his expression turned cold, and all traces of the curiosity I had noticed were suddenly gone. Glancing at Yan, I saw he had undergone the exact same swift change.

Was this more practiced facial expressions? This synchronicity was off-putting.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I am going to give you exactly one chance to tell me what you were sent here to do," he warned, "and I better like the answer."

I believed telling the truth was still the best option. It was much better than being considered as an actual thief, some sort of spy, or even a failed assassin.

"I was sent here to secretly deliver a letter." I said.

"Hah!" Lord Konogan chuckled, and both men lost their serious expressions.

Now smiling, Lord Konogan went to his desk, sat on his chair, then picked the letter on top of the pile.

After inspecting the front of the envelope, he flipped it to read something on the back.

He frowned.

"Not this letter, is it?" the lord commented, looking at me accusingly. "You shuffled them."

He sighed.

"Well... I recognize Aubin's move." he commented. "Alright, let's wait for Briaca, then."

He extended a hand to point at a chair. "Sit."

I maladroitly complied, and Lord Konogan finally stopped looking at me.

"In the meantime, would you bring us some tea, Yan? I suspect the evening is about to continue for quite a while longer." After a moment's hesitation, he continued. "A security sweep would also be warranted, considering our visitor's unexpected abilities. Perhaps a few additions to our alarm systems as well."

My usefulness to Lord Derrien was likely going to drop significantly, if people started upgrading their protections to take me into account. Still, I clang to the hope my companions had been right, and that Lord Derrien would not abandon me regardless.

"Yes, my lord." Yan acknowledged before leaving.

I sat in silence, looking at the sphere, and not daring to speak as I suffered the return of Lord Konogan's intense scrutiny.

Time seemed to dilate as nothing happened, until a woman entered the room. Briaca, I assumed.

She was very noticeable, wearing a flurry of intense bright colors that contrasted quite nicely with her black skin. That made her look out of place, next to the muted hues of the servants' uniforms, like a painting where the artist had just started working on the foreground.

Not waiting for any invitation, Briaca sat on the other chair. She stayed silent, though, and followed Lord Konogan's example by looking at me in curiosity.

"He messed with my letter bowl." Lord Konogan said, half complaining, in guise of an explanation.

Briaca smiled.

"Here to deliver a letter, are you?" she asked me, as her gaze focused on my pouch.

Had they been expecting it? Was this something that was just commonly done? The steward's reaction seemed to indicate that it was not.

"Y-yes." I confirmed, a bit shaky from staying overly stressed for so long.

"From Lord Aubin?" Briaca queried.

This name again. Was this someone I was supposed to know? Should I tell them I did not know who that was? It seemed Lord Konogan had relaxed after assuming that Lord Aubin sent me. I was disinclined to correct that notion. I was not about to lie, however.

"I don't know who the letter is from.", I admitted.

"His name is Eriol Corneau." Lord Konogan introduced me. "Seems to have belonged to a group called Central"

"Haven't heard of either." Briaca declared. "Whoever Corneau is, they're not from Eucleron."

I decided right there I was never going to use my family name to introduce myself ever again. It had not been up to me this time, but the confusion it engendered on top of all my already perplexing situation was not welcomed.

"J-just ignore the last name," I said, "it's meaningless."

"A fake lord name? That's bold!" Briaca chuckled.

Dammit. Now they might be considering me a liar.

"I've heard the name Central before, but I don't recall where. It was likely a long time ago." Lord Konogan commented. "Considering the situation, any chance this is someone sent by Levanne or Sherpen?"

This was the second time I heard the name Sherpen, but I still had no idea who or what it was. Aostin had linked Sherpen to the Netacari delegation's murder. Levanne was a new name, though.

"No, I have a fairly good idea of what's going on now. This is an Eucleron matter." Briaca declared. "I am curious about a few things, though. You are the so-called Ghost of Auersten, right? How are you doing this?"

It seemed Briaca had heard some of the rumors Aostin planted.

Before I even had a chance to answer, someone else entered the room.

"Uncle?" Lady Alienor asked, letting me recognizing her by the sound of her voice. "What's going on?"

For some reason, she was wearing armor. While it had clearly been tailored to fit her, it looked almost as out of place as Briaca's outfit, though the two women were nothing alike. Where Briaca shone a multitude of colors, Lady Alienor was mostly shades of brown, her pale skin being the only exception. Even her haircut seemed meant to avoid distraction in battle. Most of her red hair was tied at the back of her head, but the rest was allowed to flow freely on the base of her neck. For some unknowable reason, her weapon was a wooden sword. It may have the advantage of not deviating from her color scheme, but why would she not have a real one, when weapons were so commonplace?

Also, did she wear that armor all the time? Was she not supposed to have gone to bed? Surely, she did not wear it then, did she?

"There was an intrusion." Lord Konogan explained. "Nothing you need to worry about."

I had to admit my own presence did somewhat give credence to anyone deciding to sleep while wearing armor, but still...

She frowned at that, then looked at me before pointing in my direction.

"Is that the intruder, then?" She asked. "If you're just talking with him, I take it you orchestrated the whole thing. Could you not have warned me?"

She sighed, apparently not expecting a reply.

Could Lord Konogan truly have planned all of this? I doubted it. He had definitely not been expecting to see me, earlier.

"How is he hiding his soul, anyway?" Lady Alienor asked, seemingly just as impudent with Lord Konogan as she had been with her teacher.

"We were getting to that." the lord remarked, before sighing. "Go get a chair, we'll wait for you before continuing."

I saw a quick glimpse of surprise on her face, and assumed she had not expected to be allowed to take part in the conversation.

She hastily left the room to fetch the chair.

Before she came back, Yan returned with a tray. He put four cups on the table, and served tea in each.

Lord Konogan eyed the extra cup, possibly equating it to the cause of Lady Alienor's arrival.

The lady herself reappeared, having brought a stool.

She used it to sit in front of her teacup, then reiterated her question, undeterred. "So? How did you manage that one, uncle?"

"I didn't, actually." Lord Konogan replied. "Eriol, if you'd care to explain?"

For all her lack of manners, Lady Alienor's arrival had killed any tension in the room. And for that, I was very grateful.

"All I know is that I woke up three days ago, not knowing where I was or even who I was. I already lacked a soul at that point." I told them. "I have been encountering a lot of issues as a result."

"Not hidden, then?!" Briaca exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Oh, Lady Azeline needs to see this!"

Why is everyone so insistent on Lady Azeline being aware of me?

"I have already met her." I assured Briaca. "She has been informed multiple times about my situation, and did not appear too worried about it."

In fact, I think I could use some kind of proof that she has already seen me. Something to look into later. I had a lot more urgent problems at the moment.

"Aha!" Briaca said, her face now showing a large smile. "You were sent by Lord Derrien, then!"

How had she figured that out? I made sure not to reveal anything that involved him!

"Are you sure?" Lord Konogan asked her.

"Oh, yes!" she declared, clearly very happy about her deduction. "It fits. I got a report about Lady Azeline paying a visit to Lord Derrien's hideout, and I know his mage left in a hurry."

"Nouel?" I asked, though there was little doubt.

"Ah, yes, that's the mage's name." Briaca confirmed. "He went to the Netacari university, I believe. That fits your story." She paused. "Oh, I can totally see how valuable you could be to Lord Derrien. He probably wants to make sure there's no danger in having you work for him."

What kind of dangers could there be, that it required going to a university to consult?

"Hmm... Does the procedure mentioned by that sphere refer to the induced amnesia, the lack of soul, or both?" Lord Konogan pondered. "I wonder if the memories got stripped as the soul was removed."

That seemed unlikely to me. There was definitely a missing piece, here. While I could not easily judge the effects of an amnesia I was myself suffering from, the fact that not only had I no prior knowledge of any possibility for a soul to manifest, but also had a different meaning for the word pointed to something more than just erased memories.

"You know a lot more about this than I." Briaca remarked. "It's the first time I hear of anyone without a soul."

"A first for me too, unfortunately." Lord Konogan lamented. "Lady Azeline will have sent word to the Concepts, but that takes time to arrive, so we won't know if they care for a few more weeks."

The Concepts? Lady Azeline's original visit had been about Concept manipulation, which I assumed to be some form of magic. She had indicated representing the Lord of Honor, so it may be that the Concepts were highly ranked lords. The name "Concept manipulation" might then refer to the ability those lords had. On the other hand, Loann's remarks had implied Lady Azeline had tested me using that kind of magic, so either the Concepts were not the only ones able to practice it, or they had operated through her. Maybe that was the role of a representative?

Briaca sipped her tea, and Lady Alienor took the opportunity to speak up.

"How can he be working for Derrien, if there is no soul to bind?" she asked. "He doesn't even have a weapon!"

I was not about to remark out loud on her own lack in that department, but the hypocrisy was glaring. I had to admit that, yes, most people had weapons, so much so that I had started not to notice them. Even Briaca's dagger was in plain sight, however. The only ones not armed at all in this room were Lord Konogan and I. Though I could accept an argument saying that his cane might serve as an improvised weapon, should he need one.

"The same way you follow my orders." Lord Konogan said wryly. "Very loosely."

He then turned to address Briaca. "Since he already has someone in Netacari, and we have one of his men right here, could Derrien offer a good solution to our problem?"

"Well, Lord Derrien himself wouldn't be allowed to be part of the escort, so that could be an issue." Briaca replied. "Otherwise, yes, we can trust him. He stole a few votes for us recently, and his position on the water line project is pretty clear. Not someone who will openly take part in any armed conflict, so it's not like weakening him right now costs us much support. He will probably ask for some monetary compensation however, and, if he's smart enough, protection for what's to come."

It seemed the conversation was moving away from the topic of my intrusion, and they were actually not considering any punishment. Well, none for myself, anyway, and pressuring Lord Derrien into accepting a contract might not be so bad. In fact, having Lord Konogan employ his services could be a boost to his reputation. However, they were expecting some sort of battle to take place over that water line issue, whatever that was. I could piece enough together to guess this was related to the explosion of earlier and the murder of the Netacari delegation. The stealing of votes was likely what I had witnessed, the punishment of Lord Brior.

"What can he offer, exactly?" Lord Konogan asked.

"He specializes in finding things and people. Obviously, he sometimes plants items as well. Escort work isn't what he usually goes for, though." Briaca explained. "He's got a tracker, a field medic, a socialite, a bodyguard, a mage, and... well... a stealth specialist now, I guess."

I drank some of my tea, not meeting her gaze has she called me a specialist despite my failure.

"In other words, not at all what we need." Lord Konogan commented. "Except maybe the bodyguard and the field medic."

Should I inform them of Loann's injury? Probably not, it might make them reconsider, and I was inclined to let that decision fall on Lord Derrien. Maybe he had some solution I was not aware of.

"I doubt he will send his bodyguard anywhere." Briaca remarked. "It doesn't matter. I think we should go for it anyway. We don't want to send away people that can fight, and that particular group would not raise suspicions."

I had to agree about Elouen not leaving Lord Derrien's side. I had rarely seen them apart, and I suspected Elouen was never far, even in these cases.

Lady Alienor seemed more upset by the conversation than I thought she should be, and indeed, she did not stay silent much longer.

"You're not thinking of sending me away, are you?" she exclaimed.

Briaca sipped her tea, letting Lord Konogan reply.

"After the events of today, we're on the brink of war." he explained. "You are not staying here."

That was much more dire than the conflict I had understood this to be. Just what was going on?

"Briaca just said you don't want to send away people that can fight." Lady Alienor reminded him. "I can fight."

With a wooden sword?

"Yes, we're well aware of your martial abilities." Lord Konogan told her, and I was surprised to hear he was not mocking her. "You're just too tempting a target to stay here. A lady without retinue."

Was she not part of Lord Konogan's family? Would that not mean she oversaw part of the manor's staff?

"And whose fault is that?" Lady Alienor accused, clearly angry. "You won't let me have one, and you won't let me be part of yours!"

"You're smart enough to know why." Lord Konogan rebuked. "You need to stop acting like a child."

"And you need to stop treating me like one!" she countered. "You're making plans to send me away, and I don't get a say?"

I was definitely not going to intervene in that particular conflict.

"What happens if they decide to bomb this house next?" Lord Konogan challenged. "In case you failed to realize, our guest here proved someone can get all the way here without being seen. Do you understand how easily he could have poisoned one of us?"

Lady Alienor stayed quiet, but was still visibly upset. I decided not to mention my hours spent hidden behind the couch, just behind her.

"We should contact Lord Derrien right now." Briaca remarked, no doubt considering the dispute already over. "Time is short. Security will have been increased following the incident in town. The more we wait, the harder it will be for your departure to be discreet."

"Fine." Lord Konogan agreed. "It's settled. You're bound to Sarveil, Alienor. I know Thurien has something for you to do there, anyway, so you won't be bored."

"Fine!" she exclaimed, rising up. "I've only been here for two months, anyway, it's not like I've got much to pack!"

As if to disprove her own words, she left the room.

Lord Konogan seemed unperturbed by her departure as he addressed the steward. "Yan, could you get Lord Derrien to come here?"

After a pause, he added, "And a stronger tea, I think."