The Aurelian Commission Headquarters was bustling with a level of activity that hadn’t been seen in centuries. Everybody in Gilded Seat watched as droves of ornate and flashy carriages with a multitude of different crests weaved to and from the imposing building, nobles arriving and registering for the debut ball each day. So had been there as early as two weeks sooner, making sure they had enough ti to complete other business throughout Gilded Seat. Smaller social events were held in the private estates of the nobility, as agreents and other plots beca arranged. The forty floors of the Headquarters were nearly full, having just enough space for all the direct mbers of the Commission only. It was hectic and chaotic for the staff of the Commission.
A young man with styled platinum blonde hair sighed as he stood in front of the towering building, taking in the sight of it surrounded by blooming gardens with all kinds of exotic flowers. As he saw the coachman of his carriage behind him retrieve his luggage, his father opened the carriage window and called out to him.
“We’re off to the estate then, Efratel,” said Hector Vadel.
Efratel turned around and nodded. “Have a safe trip,” he replied.
Opposite the Baron, a tanned, navy-haired man leaned out the window with a wide grin on his face. “Be a good boy now, Efratel. Don’t go causing trouble for your father.”
Efratel just gave him a flat look, making the battlemage chuckle. “I’ll be visiting so old friends on Alichanteu’s lounge floor if you need this week. Other than that, enjoy your ti without Marellen!”
“That I can say I’ll do,” he replied wryly. He checked his wristwatch and then looked up. “I’ll see you at the ball, father.”
The Baron nodded, and Silas Vadel shut his glass window. Efratel began walking to the Headquarters, the coachman behind him. When they finally got to the side entrance, the one the Commission staff would be entering by, another man stepped up with a clipboard in his arms.
“May I please have your na and rank, sir?” he asked, dressed in the white attire typical of the Headquarters’ staff.
Efratel nodded. “Efratel Vadel, manager.”
The man tracked his list with a pen in his hand and then paused when he landed on Efratel’s na. His eyes seed to widen fractionally for a very short mont, but Efratel couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination within that small ti fra. The man nodded, holding out a hand.
“Your invitation card?”
Efratel withdrew it from his suit pocket, and the man picked it up to observe it. He nodded and then passed it back to Efratel. “It’s all in order.” He gestured to another staff mber nearby, who ca over and took the luggage off the coachman. The coachman bowed to Efratel, who nodded, and then left, to return to the carriage.
“Please follow , sir, I’ll take you to your room,” said the other staff mber.
They made their way to an elevator, and then he was taken up to one of the higher floors. Efratel observed the place curiously.
It felt odd to not have the notification informing him of being on a Faction’s property pop up, or the Institution version. He knew from when he once went to the Capital, that if you walked over the Palace's direct domain, you’d get a ssage telling you that. He had heard it was the sa for all the other Institutions too. But because the Founder didn’t set it up, the Headquarters and the Counties didn’t have those ssages. Maybe things would change with the new Commission Head.
With that complicated idea rearing its ugly head again and making him depressed, the staff mber stopped in front of a room, opened it, and bowed. “This is your room, Sir Vadel. Your invitation card will allow you to open it at any ti. If you need help, there’s soone near the elevators in charge of each floor you could talk to. Enjoy your stay,” he said, depositing the luggage inside.
“Thank you,” Efratel replied, stepping into the room. He made sure the staff mber left, then he shut the door behind him and leaned against it, sighing. He crossed his arms as he surveyed the room.
It ca with an ensuite, a large queen-sized bed, and a small balcony because he was in one of the outer rooms. Then his thoughts froze to a halt as he registered the small folded card with a purple seal propped up on his chest of drawers.
He slowly walked up to it and gingerly opened the card. Once he had finished reading it, he threw his head back and laughed bitterly.
He would be going to Tartarus tomorrow.
…
Efratel nervously fidgeted with his tie as he stood in front of the mirror in his guest room at the Headquarters. Already his grey suit was beginning to feel stuffy, but he still had a couple of hours left in the day before he had to et the Commission Head.
The man grimaced as he glanced at the propped-up card on the room’s chest of drawers.
The assigned rooms made sense when it ca to ensuring the Headquarters was capable of housing all the invited people. What was not so great was the fact it ant the Commission Head was able to put instructions for him to et them at the western wing of the Pavilion that day at 1 p.m. It was much too soon.
He sighed and rubbed his neck. He just couldn’t get rid of the incessant anxiety nibbling away at his ntal state. He felt like he would be an utter ss by the ti he t the Commission Head and would ruin himself. He needed to do sothing to keep himself busy.
He contemplated what to do. Many of the Commission’s mbers had arrived and begun to ‘socialise’, or rather, dig for gossip and rumours. Even his uncle had co to the Headquarters today to chat with other nobility. He knew many people had tried to find out the na, identity or even gender of the Commission Head, but apparently, the Counties had gotten all the Headquarters’ staff to sign contracts preventing any information from being revealed. And supposedly, the Commission Head had only stayed on their floor the entire ti since people began arriving. Even their aide, who was rumoured to be a mber of Evisenhardt, couldn’t be found.
He gazed at the roof. If he saw who they were, maybe he would be calr. If they were going to be there at the Pavilion at 1 p.m., then he could catch a glimpse at who they were, and his nervousness might settle.
Having decided what to do, he stood up. He would go to the Pavilion’s western wing, and see if he can’t find this mysterious Commission Head of theirs. Now with purpose, he left his room and began heading towards the nearest lift so he could descend to the bottom level.
…
Efratel let out an undignified and very un-noble-like curse as he dodged the sixth briar bush in a row, trying to not get his suit caught on the blighted thorns. He hadn’t entered the Pavilion itself, rather talking a walk around the artificial lake that bordered it. He knew the Headquarters’ gardens had a lot of roses, but this was just ridiculous.
He had avoided the main paths though, so he supposed it was slightly unfair to complain when he wasn’t exactly taking the official path around the lake. The gardens on the western side of the Headquarters were made to seem like a naturally occurring glade, with the roses cut and pruned to have a more ‘organic’ style. It just ant he was having a ton of difficulty avoiding them. He would be more accepting of the experience if Marellen was here to suffer with him.
He continued to walk around the lake, trying to see who was in the western wing, and looking to see if he saw anybody he recognised. He had only seen staff so far, and as the son of a Baron from a Major Kingdom, he didn’t know most of the nobility that would be coming to the debut, apart from Alichanteu vassal heirs of similar rank he had t at a few events in the Blue County. The Pavilion’s ballroom wasn’t used unless it was for the formal announcent of a new Count from one of the Counties, and he had been too young to go see Count Ravimoux’s succession ball. He didn’t have any experience with the other Counties either. He dearly wished he wouldn’t see Archmage rkenia. He feared his nervousness would make the Archmage suspicious.
He awkwardly avoided eye contact with a staff mber who was leaving the Pavilion through one of the connected bridges. Technically he wasn’t snooping or being suspicious, because he was allowed to be here, they couldn’t ask him to go away as he was an official guest of the Commission Head, if they asked him what he was doing he had a justified excuse and-
Urgh. He couldn’t fool himself. He was so acting suspicious.
He sighed and dodged the next evil briar bush as he turned around and followed back along the lake. He had about half an hour left, so maybe he should just enter the Pavilion and wait for them there. Half an hour wasn’t too early, was it? He didn’t want to be seen as too anxious or impatient though. Maybe he should wait a bit longer…..
Thump.
He tripped over a tree root and faceplanted on the ground. He lay there for a mont, bemoaning his situation. Groaning, he slowly got onto his hands and knees, only taking minimum comfort in the fact the high-quality fabric of his suit wouldn’t get dirt marks on it easily. He began to get up and-
“Is the view pleasant down there?” spoke a young, feminine voice behind him.
“Like hell it is,” he grumbled, before pausing as he registered that soone was behind him.
Hang on, haven’t I heard that voice sowhere before…
He stood up and turned around to see a young woman dressed in a bright violet suit gazing at him with mild amusent. She wore black boots and a gold braided sash was over her shoulder, tying to one side of her belt. For so reason, a black cane was grasped in her white-gloved hands. She had straight, black hair that fell down on either side of her face with a long fringe that reached her eyebrows, and she peered at him with a vivid violet eye, the other hidden behind a hard black half-mask.
“Lucille… Goldcroft?” he said, surprised, before he blinked and coughed into his fist as he realised he was being rude. “Sorry. Miss Goldcroft?”
“I see you rember ," she replied, smiling.
“Well, you made quite an impression at the inn," he said wryly, before holding his chin in puzzlent. “But why are you here?”
“Oh, I’m-”
She was cut off as Efratel’s eyes widened, realising sothing. “Do you work for the Commission?”
She tilted her head, looking at him oddly. “In a sense.”
“No wonder you recognised my badge back then!” he exclaid, feeling like the puzzle pieces were fitting together. “It would make sense if you were part of the Commission.”
She blinked once and then grinned. “Yes, I’m here for the ball.”
“I see,” he replied thoughtfully. Then he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “And… why are you here?” he asked, wondering if he had seen him snooping around.
She smirked and used her cane to point to the roof of the Pavilion. The artificial bios gave way to a small balcony that enabled soone to have a large view of the gardens past the encircling lake.
“I was up there. I managed to see you, and thought you looked a little….. lost,” she said with a smile. She tilted her head curiously. “And why are you here?”
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
He fiddled with his collar. “Uh, well, I am supposed to et the Commission Head here in half an hour. But… I don’t know who they are, so I thought I might be able to see them….” he answered sheepishly.
Lucille raised both eyebrows, glanced at the Pavilion, then glanced back at Efratel. She broke out into a wide grin. “I see. Scouting out the enemy territory.”
He coughed, embarrassed. “That’s not quite how I would’ve put it….”
She shrugged. “Well, I could take you to them early if you wish. They wouldn’t mind.”
Efratel blinked. “Really?” He furrowed his brows slightly. “But I was going to be having lunch here?”
Lucille gestured to the Pavilion with her cane. “I know the Pavilion’s western wing isn’t set up for any al currently, so it’s possible they only wanted to et you here and then they’d go sowhere else,” she explained.
Efratel paused, rembering the wording of the letter. “That makes sense if it’s not set up. Then… could you please take ?” he asked.
She nodded with a slight smile and began heading towards the main building, Efratel following after her.
“So, you’ve t the Commission Head then,” he said, walking slightly behind her. “Can you tell anything?”
Lucille glanced at him and smirked, but shrugged. “Sorry. No can do.”
He sighed but nodded as they stepped through one of the main building’s entrances. “I’ve heard that the contracts for the staff have been very restrictive when it cos to information about them.”
“The Counties have a very specific approach they want to take when it cos to revealing the Commission Head’s identity to the wider nobility,” she said, navigating her way through corridors full of people. “The restrictions will lessen after the debut.” She glanced back at him with a smile. “By the way, is that navy-haired cousin of yours still trying to experint with gambling?”
“You an Marellen? Of course.” He scoffed. “Although, he’s used his ti recently on more successful ventures. He lacks the astrology and geomancy spells to progress.”
“I see,” she replied, turning a corner. “Did he have formal magic education?”
“He did, but like most nobles, he went to the Academy much later. He had a private magic education from his father, a battlemage. Several of the teachers wanted him to continue at the Academy as an academic, but he refused,” he told her, rolling his eyes. “Nobody’s managed to get him interested in doing any profession though, so I’m not sure what he’ll do.” He glanced at her. “Do you have much of a magic background yourself?”
She smiled and held up her cane as they stepped into a lift. “Yep. This is a staff.”
Efratel did a double take as he observed her ‘cane’ again. “I suppose you’ll have the elent of surprise on your hands if you ever need to cast attack spells?” he replied. Then he blinked and his eyes widened slightly as he saw her pull out a black card with a small purple gemstone embedded in it. “Is that… the access card for the fortieth floor? You have one?”
She smiled wryly. “I have to take you up there sohow,” she said, inserting the card for the reader to scan the gemstone.
“Well, yes, but….” He hesitated and gave her an odd look. “Actually, what’s your position in the Commission? If you’re capable of going to the top floor whenever you please….”
She paused for a mont. “It would probably just be easier to show you,” she replied.
He frowned slightly. “Show ? Show wha-”
The doors opened and she stepped out, taking a right turn. “The Commission Head’s study is this way,” she said, gesturing to the hallway.
Suddenly feeling nervous, he forgot his original question and followed her. They turned a corner and Efratel was surprised to see a silver-haired man with half-moon glasses reading so docunts he was holding as he walked towards them. The man looked up and shifted his glasses as he peered at them.
“Lucy? And….” He turned his gaze to Efratel.
Efratel realised he was eting a mber of the Silver County and bowed with one hand placed over his heart. “Efratel Vadel, under the Alichanteu. I greet a mber of the Evisenhardt County.”
“Ah. Yes, hello." The man dipped his head in acknowledgnt, and held out a hand for him to shake, which Efratel did. “I’m Vincent Evisenhardt, the thirteenth son of the Evisenhardt main family.” He turned his gaze to Lucille, who smiled cheerfully.
“He needs to visit the Commission Head, so I’m taking him to them,” she said, pointing to Efratel.
Efratel blinked as the silver-haired man gained a strange expression, glancing between him and Lucille. “I see…..?” Vincent Evisenhardt replied questioningly.
Lucille gestured for Efratel to follow, and he was surprised that the Evisenhardt heir also did. Then he had a realisation. “So, if you’re here on this floor, and you’re a mber of the Silver County….” he began.
The man glanced at him. “Yes, I’m the Commission Head’s aide,” he replied to his unasked question, although Efratel was confused about the strange emphasis he placed on the words and the narrowed eyes he had as he gazed at Lucille.
The girl glanced over her shoulder with a broad grin on her face. “Vincent, you’re burning holes into the back of my head.”
The man narrowed his eyes even more. “What are you trying to do here?” he asked her, confusing Efratel.
The girl shrugged and kept on walking. Efratel glanced between the two of them, feeling like the dynamic between them was very strange. Then Lucille stopped before a dark, oak door.
“We’re here,” she said and then opened it.
Efratel hesitated when he saw the room was empty. He slowly stepped in, feeling like sothing was off. “Why is it-”
He stopped speaking when the black-haired girl placed her cane on the room’s desk, and then took off her violet suit jacket. She slung it over the back of the desk chair, sat down in it, and then kicked her legs up on the desk.
Efratel froze as a Cheshire grin erged on her face. She spread her arms wide.
“Tada!” she exclaid. “I’m the Commission Head.”
Lucille watched as the blonde-haired man stared. And stared. And stared. There was silence for a good few minutes. She gave Efratel a small wave, and he didn’t move.
She turned to her aide, who was watching them with an interesting look on his face. “I think I broke him,” she said with amusent. One of Vincent’s eyebrows twitched as he scowled at her.
Then Efratel finally unfroze. “What is this.” he stated flatly. He turned to Vincent with an incredulous expression. “Is she joking?”
Vincent scowled even more at Lucy but sighed, and gestured to her. “This is Lucille Goldcroft, who has unfortunately,” he stressed, “Beco the new Faction Head of the Aurelian Commission. No, she’s not joking,” he added dryly.
Efratel returned to staring at her, who blinked innocently and gave him a casual shrug. “I’m not lying. The Commission Head is yours truly,” she told him.
He just gazed silently at her, his face going through different expressions of emotions every few seconds. As the silence continued, Lucille humd and tapped on her chin. “Also, I rember making an offhand joke about not flouting protocol in front of potentially disguised superiors in that inn where I t you,” she said, smirking. “Funny how that turned out.”
Efratel remained silent while Vincent adjusted his glasses and glared at her. “Lucille, get your boots off the desk,” he stated dryly.
Lucy blinked. “Why? It’s my desk.”
His expression distorted. “You’re going to ruin an expensive piece of furniture that is older than 1500 years.”
“But it’s my expensive piece of furniture,” she replied innocently.
Vincent groaned in frustration and pulled off his glasses, pinching his nose bridge. Efratel glanced between the two of them, and then finally ran a hand through his hair with an expression of exasperation and weariness.
“So, you sent that letter?” he asked. She nodded, making him let out a deep sigh. “Why couldn’t you have told it was you? Marellen and I have been stressing over it the past month, thinking I’m heading to my end!”
“Your reaction was funny though,” she stated nonchalantly, making him glare at her.
“Funny,” he repeated. He gazed at her for a mont, and then sighed again, crossing his arms. “Well, I’m feeling more relieved now. I was worried it would be higher-ups from Alichanteu,” he muttered.
Lucille slowly tilted her head. “Why are you feeling so relieved? Don’t be.” She smirked at his confusion. “Haven’t I specified in the letter that as the Commission Head, I am very, very interested in hearing what exactly occurred during that ‘holiday’ of yours?”
The way his face slowly paled with dawning realisation gave her quite so entertainnt.
…
“-and then after that, we returned to the Barony and didn’t do anything until we received the ssenger for the debut ball,” the man in a grey suit finished, glancing between them both with slight apprehension as he and her aide sat in the two armchairs in her study.
Lucille had straightened up and was frowning as she tapped on her desk with her fingers, while Vincent was holding his chin with a complicated and slightly dark expression. Hearing about the Archmage had not been good news. Unfortunately, though, it had been expected.
Vincent looked at Efratel. “Archmage rkenia has strong ties to an Eternal Duchy, doesn’t he?”
“Ah, yes, that’s true,” he replied with a nod.
His answer made Vincent frown at the ground. “He’s probably Olden then…” he muttered.
Lucille looked up at Efratel. “Your Barony supports Arwen Alichanteu?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes. The Viscounty we’re in has been under Alichanteu’s authority for more than two centuries now, and supports him as well.”
“Hmm.” She stopped tapping, having had a thought. “When would the avalanche have been?”
Vincent looked up from the floor, realising her implication.
Efratel frowned in thought slightly. “This was… two or three weeks after I t you?” he replied hesitantly. “It was soti at the end of July.”
“So, not related to you,” Vincent said to Lucy.
She nodded in agreent. “Yes. This wasn’t an effect of becoming the Commission Head later on.” She resud tapping on the desk. “The only thing I did in July was go to a beast enclave, August was the Inheritance Event, and then on the first of September, I beca the Faction Head.”
This also ans it probably occurred like this in the old tiline. Unfortunately, I don’t have the information on the old Trisroa’s past to compare. The two young nobles might have died last ti.
She sighed and leaned back. “We promised to keep the other Counties updated on the conflict between Olden and Radical within the Blue County, so we’ll have to send it by Ravimoux so they can hear this. The fact that Archmage rkenia, soone who was supposed to have sworn off involving himself in Faction politics after permanently entering All-Aeon Athenaeum, has made a move ans Olden was trying to do sothing big, and needed a bigger event to cover it up.”
“If it wasn’t for the fact you beca the Commission Head after having t Sir Vadel here, none of the other Counties would’ve likely known that Alichanteu even got an Archmage to move,” Vincent added in agreent.
“Uh…” They looked at Efratel as he nervously spoke up. “Could I kindly ask that you don’t reveal that you know this to Alichanteu?” He grimaced. “I don’t want to be responsible for my family’s destruction.”
Lucy and Vincent traded looks. Lucille gave Efratel a dismissive wave. “You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not in our's, or the other Counties' interests to say anything.” She gave him a serious look. “I have already told Alichanteu I will be staying out of their succession conflict, so I would be going against my word if I did that.”
He sighed and seed to relax slightly. Lucille rubbed the back of her head. “As for what we’ll do with this information… I believe we’ll need to think on this for a while,” she told Vincent, who nodded. The room went silent for a while, and then Lucy abruptly clapped her hands together. “Right. Anyway, on to the next topic.”
“Next…. topic?” Efratel asked, puzzled.
She nodded. She picked a pen up and twirled it in her fingers as she leaned her chin on her hand. “Sponsorship. That’s what you and Marellen need to get out of this, right?”
He stiffened, and then his eyes widened. “Wait, are you saying-”
“That I’ll sponsor you? Yes,” she said with a smile.
He put a hand to his head in confusion. “I- but… why would you? We’re only part of a minor force within the Faction. And we didn’t even know each other for more than a few hours before this…”
She intertwined her fingers and stretched them out in front of her. “The specific details of the event I’m organising after the debut haven’t been revealed, but essentially, it’s going to be another way for to ‘sponsor’ younger mbers of the Commission. Think of this like that.”
He stared at her, flabbergasted.
She sighed when she saw he was still disbelieving. “If you want other reasons… it will beco more obvious to you after the debut, but I can’t take much direct action. I know it looks like I have full control over the Faction now, but things are a bit different,” she explained. “Using you and your cousin outside the Commission will give a way to form a group around you that can move on my behalf. But that sort of plan is far in the future, so you shouldn’t worry about it right now.”
He rubbed his chin with a complicated look. “But what about Alichanteu? They could give you difficulty…”
She smirked. “You’re worrying about the wrong person. Not even a sponsorship from another Count would give you as much protection as a sponsorship from . Alichanteu’s heirs are too eager to gain my favour.” She leaned back in her chair. “They would love the chance to have their vassals be placed under my direct authority. Even a potential secret escaping couldn’t change that.”
He sighed and scratched his head. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you,” he said.
She just smiled and opened a drawer from her desk. She pulled out an envelope with a purple seal, and another sheet of paper rolled up in a scroll tied with purple string. “I’ve even written up the official docuntation too. Here,” she said, holding out the scroll.
With a slight frown, he got up and walked over. He took the scroll from her, and then unfurled it, slowly reading through it. His eyes went wide and he turned to Lucille. “This-”
“-is the official docunt that states Commission Manager Efratel Vadel is to be removed from his position as manager over the Commission’s businesses in the Vadel Barony, and instead beco the private manager of Recipient Marellen Vadel, who will be sponsored by the Commission Head to enter the All-Aeon Athenaeum Academy as a grade 1 academic,” she said, gesturing to the docunt. She held out the envelope in her hands. “And this contains an offer of sponsorship for your cousin, along with a certificate for the All-Aeon Athenaeum.”
He stared at her, shocked. Then he registered the outstretched envelope and took it. He furrowed his brows when he felt it. “It’s heavy? And… there’s a small round object inside?” he asked curiously.
“Skill book.” She smirked, her answer making him blanch. “If he doesn’t want to accept, tell him he won’t get the skill inside.”
“Is it…. valuable?” he asked apprehensively.
She tilted her head and grinned at him. “I think Rare skill books often go for the equivalent of a Major Kingdom’s Baron title?”
His face paled further and he tried to hand the envelope back. “I- We can’t-”
“I’m not going to force you or your cousin to accept this,” she replied, leaning back, and avoiding the envelope. “But I hope you understand that this is the best way to protect you both, and by extension, your Barony.”
Her answer made him pause, and he contemplated it with a complicated expression. He looked at the two items he had, and after a brief mont of warring hesitation, he grimaced and placed the envelope in his suit jacket. He bowed to her. “Then, as the heir of the Barony of Vadel, I thank you for your extre generosity.”
She rolled her eyes. “Spare the formalities, please.”
Vincent stood up and leaned against his armchair. “Then, what justification will you use for a ‘puppet leader’ doing this?” he asked her.
Efratel looked between them confusedly while she humd. “This one’s fairly easy. I was happy to et soone I saw before becoming the Faction Head, so I did this. And if they ask any further…” she looked at Efratel. “Marellen can spend as much ti as he wants at the Athenaeum, and I promise I’ll remain his sponsor. But I don’t think you’ll want to be doing absolutely nothing for those months or even years at the Academy, am I correct?”
He gained a strange expression. “That’s… right. Marellen will be blowing up things on Athenaeum property and not mine, so he won’t be my responsibility most of the ti.” He held his chin. “What do you suggest?”
“The Athenaeum has a program that enables nobles to sponsor mages or wizards to go on expeditions, right?” she asked Vincent, who nodded. “Marellen will need to get so practical experience, so if as his sponsor, I say for you to support him as he goes to outer planes being explored by All-Aeon Athenaeum, nobody will complain. It’s a common thing for nobility to be interested in the strange curios brought back from those fallen civilisations.” She shrugged.
“And this ties into your plan for a semi-independent group under your authority?” Vincent asked her.
She smiled and nodded. “That would be correct.”
“Expeditions…” Efratel mused. “That sounds interesting. I like that idea.” Then he shuddered slightly. “Although, please tell I won’t have to go. My one journey through the wilds nearly ended with being squashed by magical snow,” he added sourly.
“I wouldn’t send a non-combatant,” she told him with a grin. She paused and then tilted her head. “Do you still have the contact details of Trisroa Vel-Winteridge?” She registered his nonplussed gaze. “She goes by Roa Winteridge.”
He blinked. “Oh. Sorry, we called her Roa the entire ti, so hearing her original na left slightly confused for a second.” He frowned slightly and then nodded. “I do. She’s working at the Adventurer’s Guild in the Beast Realm, and told she’d likely be there for a few months more.”
“Then, if you can, reach out to her,” she said with a grin. “I’ll sponsor her too. Although, as an elf, she might not want to go to All-Aeon Athenaeum… she might want to do field research on expeditions….” she added thoughtfully.
“Roa?” Efratel asked, surprised.
Lucy nodded. “Don’t misunderstand. I knew of her before she t up with you, but I only found out you were with her after I ca to the Commission. There’s no reason for not to sponsor a mber of the talented noble snow elf bloodline, regardless of family issues,” she said with a shrug. “Also, we haven’t t. I just knew about her,” she added.
“She’ll likely want to co in person to et you if she hears soone wants to sponsor her, especially if she hears it’s the Commission Head. She’ll be sceptical,” he told her.
“That’s fine. I expected as much. If she accepts, you’ll be her manager too,” Lucy replied. She paused. “Do you also have the contact details of the Barbosas siblings? I understand if you don’t, them being part of the Black Hand and all….”
“Ah. Surprisingly, I do. I have Larena’s token.” He nodded. He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you care?”
She shrugged with a smile. “It’s useful to have soone who has a connection with the fad Black Hand rcenaries,” she explained.
Efratel smiled. “That’s interesting. Larena said it was useful to have a connection to a mber of the rich Commission.”
She humd. “Great minds think alike?”
Vincent rolled his eyes while Efratel chuckled at her joke. She opened her pocket watch, which was on the desk, to check the ti. Putting it away, she stood up from the desk. “Well, there’s only one last thing on the agenda. I did promise to have lunch with you, after all.”
“I had forgotten about that,” Efratel replied, an odd expression on his face.
“I think it would be best for to take my leave then,” Vincent spoke up, sighing. “I’m not at liberty to sit down for any longer with all the work I have to do.” Lucy frowned slightly, making him shake his head. “I’m not saying I need help. You do more work than , to be perfectly honest,” he told her. “It’s just I need to continue the preparations for the main County families.”
“Oh. Yes, I’m not exactly familiar with the customs and traditions of the Commission,” she said, holding her chin. She gave him a small wave. “Then, I’ll likely see you soti after this.”
He nodded and picked up the paper on the table near him. Then he left the study. Lucille turned to Efratel. “Shall we head to the rooftop for lunch then?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)