"It was not my intention to delay our meeting,” Lucios said to the old knight of his house. "Every time I tried to leave the inner circle of the city, I felt the watchful eyes of the baron's soldiers fixed on me. It was as if their attentions were always heightened, suspecting my every move. Even dressed discreetly, I couldn't escape the feeling of being watched at all times, like a rat trapped in an invisible trap.”
Old Antoine, with his wisdom accumulated over the years, let out a light laugh that sounded almost like a whisper. "The baron truly trains his soldiers in an exemplary manner. They are extremely vigilant and disciplined,” he said, his eyes shining with amusement. "That’s why you’re dressed as a commoner, I suppose, but I believe this disguise won’t be very useful in the long run. Though it may make it difficult for ordinary soldiers to recognize you at first glance, I doubt it will make any difference to the baron's own spies… some of them are even here, in this bar, silently observing, mingled with the crowd.”
Seeing the agitated look on Lucios’s face, which now seemed somewhat desperate, old Antoine laughed again, this time with a calming tone, trying to reassure him. "It’s all right, my young friend. You know, I’ve been here for many years. When I was sent to the north, I chose the city of Mbara'ba precisely because, among the great northern cities, it was the only one not governed by a lord, but by one of the king’s lions since it was still one of the territories of the royal house of Kaxinawa. This peculiarity made it a strategic and relatively safe place for our operations.”
"And this choice proved correct, as I was never discovered. Well… I was never discovered until Baron Oliver arrived,” continued Antoine, with a sigh of resignation. "I expected my life here in Mbara’ba to be more difficult after his arrival, as Baron Oliver earned this fief from the king himself for his military feats in the southern war. He brought with him not only a title but also a reputation and a group of loyal and skilled followers.” He then stopped speaking and lowered his head.
"I was very careless in my preparations for the baron’s arrival, leaving my spies too exposed, thinking that the same care I applied under the previous government of the knight of the King’s Lions would suffice,” thought Antoine, without voicing this thought.
"So, the baron knows you are part of the Apurina house?” asked Lucios, his eyes widening in surprise, unable to hide his incredulity.
"Oh, yes, he knows,” replied old Antoine, straightening in his chair and fixing Lucios with a serious look. "When the baron arrived here in the city of Mbara’ba to claim his fief, he brought many extremely competent men. These men were formerly part of the king’s army. However, at the end of the war, there was no need to maintain such a large army, so they were discharged. Those who stood out and were still discharged received offers from various noble houses seeking their talents. However, almost all the men who served under Oliver, recently promoted to baron, decided to swear loyalty to him, many becoming his knights. Among these men, some are true masters at unearthing moles, especially a man named Patrick Kilo.”
"The chief knight of Baron Oliver?” asked Lucios, still trying to process the complexity of the situation.
"Exactly,” confirmed old Antoine, with a nod. "Patrick Kilo unearthed all the moles I had in the castle just a week after the baron took over the castle. After that, it took less than a month to unearth my men scattered throughout the city until he reached me... At first, he wanted to use me to gain quicker control over the streets. His approach was direct and relentless, typical of a man accustomed to overcoming seemingly complex challenges.”
Old Antoine then let out another light, continuous laugh, his face assuming an expression of nostalgia and irony. "He thought I was just a commoner who had managed to rise in life after many decades of effort and that I would be very inclined to serve him to maintain the power I had gained. The truth is, the moment I knew he had already captured all the servants and guards I had infiltrated in the castle in just one week, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was discovered. I would have left the city and settled elsewhere, but I had already contacted the house, and the count gave me new orders, considering the skill of the knights of the kingdom’s newest baron. My mission had changed, and fleeing was no longer an option that would please the count’s plans.”
Lucios showed a curious look, eager to know the outcome of old Antoine’s story. Old Antoine continued the narrative, recalling the events of many years ago: "The moment Sir Patrick made me the proposal in an irresistible tone, I revealed that I was a knight of the Apurina house and that I desired an audience with Baron Oliver. At first, Sir Patrick showed slight confusion and surprise, his eyes widening briefly before replacing them with a sharp and calculating expression. The speed with which he regained his composure and displayed that confident look again.”
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"I quickly realized the reason he found my spies so easily; that man is indeed a dangerous character, with cunning and insight that surpasses many. This thought crossed my mind like a lightning bolt, bringing with it a sense of unease. However, I soon abandoned it, reminding myself that I didn’t need to be his enemy. After all, prudence and diplomacy could be my allies instead of direct confrontation.”
"After some consideration, the request was accepted by Sir Patrick. In short, I had to bow and apologize for my audacity, but that was all, because, despite being the chief of all the spies he captured, he wouldn’t want to blame the Apurina house for it. The count also tasked me with discussing some minor trade agreements to appease the baron.”
"Some of these agreements were specifically proposed to recover some of the spies captured by Sir Patrick, as not all of them were working as spies just for money. Among them were men who acted out of loyalty to House Apurina. Since then, the relationship between House Apurina and House Kamaiura has been reasonably good. We have maintained a delicate truce, based on mutual respect and common commercial interests.”
Lucios, with a perplexed look, turned to Antoine and said in a tone full of confusion, "Mutual respect? Didn’t you just mention that he has spies here, in this tavern, disguised as customers mingled with the crowd?”
Old Antoine, with a serene expression and a calm, measured voice, replied, "These are his lands. It’s natural for him to want to be informed about the meetings an old knight from another noble house like mine is having. Besides, I must admit that I much prefer dealing with a few disguised spies rather than having soldiers watching the door of my establishment all the time. The spies are much more discreet and, to be honest, they always end up spending their coins on wine, which is great for business,” he said, finishing his speech with a light laugh.
Lucios, in a resigned tone and with a look of frustration, questioned, "So, was it a waste of time for me to worry about being discovered, given the situation?” His eyes fixed on old Antoine, seeking a justification for all the precautions he had taken.
Old Antoine remained silent for a moment, reflecting before responding. "Yes, there was no need to disguise yourself as a servant. In fact, it would have been more prudent to request the escort of one or two of the baron's soldiers when leaving. Although I believe that no one in this city would dare attack you intentionally, the presence of the soldiers would be advantageous. They could clear the way through the busy streets and prevent the commoners, often ignorant of the norms, from causing any trouble.”
Lucios let out a deep sigh and lowered his head, feeling foolish for his inability to escape the baron's watchful eyes. He sank into dark thoughts, convinced that he had been naive to believe he could deceive the experienced soldiers and spies. The weight of his mission seemed more overwhelming than ever, and the fear of failure gnawed at his mind, leaving him in a state of constant anxiety.
Old Antoine, noticing Lucios’s dismay, let out a light laugh, trying to lighten the tension in the air. "How is your progress with the baron’s daughter?” he asked, in a casual, almost carefree tone. "The news I manage to get from the castle isn’t very reliable, as my spies are limited to the inner circle of the city. The castle is too risky, so I only hear rumors. I don’t have any trustworthy observers inside the castle.”
"Rumors?” Lucios raised his head, a spark of curiosity shining in his eyes. He was eager for any information that could be useful. "What kind of rumors?”
Old Antoine smiled, savoring the change in Lucios’s mood. "What kind of rumors, you ask? Hahaha! It’s not surprising you haven’t heard them. I doubt these rumors would gain traction in the inner circle of the city, where the elite are more discreet. However, in the outer circle of the city, it’s been the only topic of conversation for the past two weeks.”
Antoine paused, savoring the moment before continuing, knowing he had Lucios’s full attention. "The rumor probably started among the castle’s servants. They say that Baron Oliver’s daughter challenged her newest suitor, a boy of noble origin, to a duel. However, this time, her perfect record of victories over her suitors was broken, and she lost the duel. Hahaha! Up to that point, the rumor was already hot news, after all, it’s not every day that the Indomitable Lady loses a duel, especially against a suitor of similar age. However, days later, there was an even more shocking update: the baron’s daughter, dissatisfied, issued a new challenge for a rematch, in which she lost again.”
Antoine watched Lucios attentively as he spoke, waiting to see his reaction. He continued, his tone full of amusement. "These rumors are causing a stir among the servants and commoners, who love a good story with twists. Apparently, the baron’s daughter, known for her skill and pride, is now facing a new reality of unexpected defeats. The commoners keep wondering why she doesn’t just admit that she can’t win and accept the suitor once and for all. These speculations only increase the curiosity and comments among the population, who never miss an opportunity to discuss the fate of the powerful.”
Antoine paused dramatically, observing Lucios’s increasingly quiet expression. "And there’s more,” he said, leaning a little closer. "The rumors say that the young suitor is not only skilled with the sword but also possesses an irresistible charm. Some even suggest that he may have won the baron’s daughter’s heart despite the defeats. This, of course, only fuels more gossip and speculation. The entire city is in turmoil, waiting to see what will happen next.”
A torturous silence followed old Antoine’s words. Lucios’s face showed an increasingly despondent expression, his eyes lost in dark thoughts.
Sensing Lucios’s growing dismay, Antoine broke the silence. "What’s wrong, my young friend?” he asked, with genuine concern in his voice.
Lucios slowly lifted his eyes, his voice almost a whisper. "In reality, it’s the opposite of the rumor.”