He joined Inquisitor Cooper on their visit to one of the noble houses that had relatively remained ignorant and neutral of the affairs of the Icean Spines. How this noble house was unheard until now was strange. The Inquisitor had called on the forces of Milostiv to handle this threat. Claudel Serran, an officer, led the way while Robert guarded him and the Inquisitor who were surrounded by his fellow Inquisitors.

Gabrio followed the Inquisitor into this cave area when they were welcomed by a strange sight of a manor built under a cave structure. He had expected this area to be cold, but the moderate temperature alongside the brass pipes that were cleanly arranged all over the cave structure. As they went deeper into this area the pipes were placed with copper pipes. Unlike the noble houses of this continent, this manor was left unbothered by the forces of the fleet according to Lord Seke’s request.

As they entered the inner walls of the manor. They were greeted by a gentleman who wore clothing far similar to the one found in Aon… a century ago. Inquisitor Cooper examined the gentleman, and greeted with the typical Aon-greeting. Which is by performing a heart salute, followed by tapping the fist on the palm.

The gentleman returned the salute, which made the Inquisitor have a look of understanding. The gentleman led them to the interior of the manor while keeping their weapons held tightly. The guards of this particular manor held bladed and blunt weapons while they positioned their rifleman on the second floor.

“Halt,” the Inquisitor said, traveling his gaze on the guards. “Tell your master to come here and meet us personally.”

The gentleman gave a meaningful look before he agreed. He went inside the drawing room of the manor, and accompanied a man and a woman out of the drawing room who gave off the air of anxiety at the sight of the Inquisitor’s men. Claudel had his men watch the rifleman, fingers hovering above the trigger.

“I am Inquisitor Cooper Ackie,” the Inquisitor started. “I was told that you are one of the original voyagers?”

The man looked nervously at the Inquisitor. Gabrio thought it couldn’t be helped. The inquisitor’s voice was low and demanding. It carried power and there was experience to that power, one couldn’t emulate so easily. Nonetheless, the man gathered his courage.

“I am Rudi Iphan,” the man said, then pointed to the woman. “This is my wife, Irma Iphan. We are the descendants of Markus Alderic Iphan, one of the original voyagers who had journeyed four hundred years ago from the reign of Goderic the Third.”

That was a long time ago. Gabrio had little knowledge of the history of Aon states, but he could at least understand that the Goderic Age was one of the most prosperous eras of the center city of Aon. The explorer’s age is what they would usually call the age. It was said that many noble clansmen left Aon to go search for the thousand islands and many thought none survived. How a clansman survived and reached the thousand islands was fascinating enough. Being able to stay as a noble house, in a foreign land was worth the praise as well.

Inquisitor Cooper stared at the Rudi Iphan for a long time before turning to the ball of light hovering over his shoulder. Then, without the assistance of the ball of light, he spoke the common script of Aon.

“Do you have any evidence?”

Rudi Iphan nodded, lifting his lips a little, replying in the common script. “Irma, show the good man the original banner.”

His wife took out a wooden case and unfolded a banner from it. The insignia of Goderic overlapped with the banner of the Iphan which was a hawk biting on a wheat. Inquisitor Cooper inspected the banner, and said. “When weaving original banners handed to the noble houses, there is a sewing method where the weaver would criss-cross just below the insignia, giving out the authenticity of the banner. It also,” he sniffed. “Had a smell that is noticeable to a select few.”

The Inquisitor handed the banner back to the wife. He looked at the two, and suddenly raised his left fist, signalling the men to aim their rifle at the two. Rudi Iphan widened his eyes and raised his hands. “Sir?”

“Rudi Iphan,” he said in the common tongue of Aon, “it has been years since Chancellor of Aon had taken the bloodline of Goderic the First, and his sinful line.” He raised a pistol with a metal design. It was different from what Gabrio had seen. Compared to the pistols he was used to, the iron-cast pistol had a cylinder. It was a rather intimidating weapon.

Rudi Iphan stared at the gun barrel. He signalled his men to stand down. “The Goderic line has been defeated?”

“Yes, so that leaves a question. Are you someone who holds the belief of the old line or do you accept the ways of the new aon?”

Join us or die. It was a rather easy choice to make. Rudi Iphan stared at the gun of the barrel and said, “Of course, we have no loyalties to the Goderic line. The madman’s son was the reason we’d been stuck in this continent for far too long.”

“I see,” the Inquisitor holstered his pistol. “You shall be welcomed by the fleet if you choose to desire, however, you shall be under the watch of yours truly. After all, you had sent for us, hearing the name of our Grand-Galleon’s name?”

Rudi Iphan smiled warily, “Of course, it was a chance I must take. If another fleet comes bearing the sign of the old homeland, then it is the end, isn’t it? There is no merit in staying here when the Icean Spine had been breached.”

The Inquisitor studied him. “Perhaps, you’ve a better understanding of the history of this continent? If so, this would give us more time to accomplish what we can here,” the Inquisitor continued speaking the normal tongue. “Claudel, Robert, secure the area, and don’t let anyone come close. Doctor, would you be kind?”

“Doctor?” Rudi Iphan held a disdainful gaze before turning his face back to normal. The Inquisitor caught his gaze and chuckled lightly.

“This is Doctor Gabrio of Fort Rava, he prefers to be called a Doctor, but he is also surgeon and a physician. It would be best if you get to know the doctor if you intend to join us and not meet any difficulties.”

“I see,” Rudi Iphan nodded. “Forgive me, Doctor. It seems that I was too rude.”

Gabrio shrugged, “It’s a matter not new to my profession. You’re not the first one to sneer at the title of a doctor, Sir Iphan.”

His eyes went to the pistols strapped on Gabrio. He didn’t make further comments and guided them into the drawing room where a pair of children left. Blue-eyed, blond-haired, and beautiful children who resemble their mother and father. Gabrio suspected for a moment that they were keeping their line ‘divine’ but they showed no sign of deformation so he kept it to himself as he entered the rather luxurious drawing room.

The two children eyed Gabrio and the Inquisitor with wariness. Nonetheless, they stood three steps before them, and offered a simple greeting, greetings that had quite a sense of carefulness to it. From their size, he thought that they must be around five to six years of old.

“This is my son Markus, and my daughter Alina.”

“Are they the only ones who will join you?”

“If you permit our servants to join us in this righteous journey, then I shall offer you our insights within the years.”

They did not stay long in the drawing room. They navigated this hall with walls with pipes made of copper and brass. Gabrio could hear boiling liquid from the pipes. Following the pipes they arrived in this hexagonal chamber where large vat containers containing strange creatures were drowned in a suspicious liquid. It would have been far nicer if it was only creatures, and not humanoids.

The two children acted as if it was nothing. The woman called Irma stayed silent while apathetically watching this den of experiments. Rudi Iphan gathered his gaze on the Inquisitor and the Gabrio, hoping to find a reaction.

“It seems that you have different studies?” Inquisitor Cooper said. His tone was bland. His facial expressions were like ice. The noble expected this from the Inquisitor surely, but he had quite a strange look to give Gabrio.

“I believe that the Doctor is unconcerned with my studies?”

“I’d seen worse,” Gabrio said flatly. He walked near one of the vat tubs and examined one of the oblong-head monsters whose head reminded him of a veiny egg. “You are testing their nervous system? What is this liquid?”

“It is my concoction, it sedates their limbs.”

Gabrio could smell familiar ingredients in the concoction, but he held back from testing it. He somewhat understood why the Iphan family managed. In a continent filled with monsters, those who knew how to butcher and exploit them were a valuable commodity. No wonder Inquisitor Cooper Ackie had to personally come.

“Doctor,” The Inquisitor said. This time he spoke in a language native to the region of Rava. It surprised Gabrio that the Inquisitor knew many tongues, but at the time expected it because of his profession. “Tell me truthfully, are they going to be useful?”

Gabrio gave the Iphan Family a glance. “I will not make an immediate conclusion. But from what I’ve seen so far, this family is not so stable. How did they survive by creating their own manor here? I don’t know either. But from the looks of it, they are a family who seems to enjoy research. I don’t know how useful this will be in the long run, and I would like to get Miss Ristina’s opinion on this matter first. The children are stable, no, they are used to this, but I have my apprehension towards the father.”

“I can tell. He enjoys our reaction too much, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, I recommend that such families stay on the island instead. Not in the Grand Galleons.”

Some may call this den as abhorrent. But he knew it himself that progress requires sacrifice, and in a way this could be helpful to them. Nonetheless, he refused to conclude until he had Ristina’s opinion of this matter.

“I shall have the Miss called here. On the other hand, I shall have a discussion with the family.”

Gabrio nodded. The Inquisitor led the family back to the drawing room while Robert entered the den, gasping at the abhorrent sight. The creatures moaned in pain. Some were clearly kept alive on purpose.

“Ghastly,” Robert said. “Reminds me of what the people in the Ark do.”

“That’s right.”

Gabrio approached one of the research tables where the Iphan family placed their equipment, partitioned from the equipment. They seemed to be gathering water from a nearby source, which explained the pipes found in the area. Gabrio sat on their work table, opened one of their notes. They seemed to have written their notes in the old common script. There are changes in the vocabulary, but he could at least comprehend their meaning to an extent.

It took time until Ristina arrived in the den. She studied the den for almost an hour before she finally hurried to the work desk where she picked one of the books. She skimmed through the pages, and said. “Hmm, they seemed to have studied monsterology well in the years they have. But it looks like they are land-based lifeforms, they have so little information about the sea-kin we are facing. Hmm, interesting that they have made sedatives from the excretion of these monsters.”

“Should we keep them?”

“Why not?” Ristina commented, flipping the book. “They are descendants of the family from Aon, they have clear knowledge, their own sciences, and ability as well. We can use what they have learned here to improve ourselves. It is interesting enough that they are able to keep up in their studies.”

She placed the book on the table, “I could use what they know here.”

“Maybe. I don’t understand why I was brought here in the first place,” Gabrio said.

“Why not? You know how to heal and if they had expected a fight then you’d come in handy, Gab. Anyway, I shall tell the Inquisitor my opinion of the Iphan Family. Are you going to stay in this place?”

“For a while,” Gabrio said.

“Well then, see you later,” she walked out of the chamber. Gabrio remained in the chamber. He put the notes back down and locked eyes with one of the humanoids in the chamber.

His mind was blank. His hands clenched on the table. “I guess no matter where you go, there is always something like this, huh, Teacher?”

Gabrio said with a rather disappointed voice.

What did he expect from the people of a continent far from home?