The room was exactly as Dallion remembered it. Clean, yet untouched, it was almost as if Hannah was expecting for him to return some day, even after all this time. Apparently, him moving out to Eury’s place and joining the Academy had never taken place.

Hey, Dal! A wave of greetings erupted. Welcome back!

Normally, he had developed a habit of ignoring guardian small talk, but it was a bit different here. These were guardians he knew better than most. Other than the ones he traveled with, these were the among the first guardians he’d spoken with, and as the saying went, one never forgot the first of anything.

“Heya,” he said, slowly making his way to the mirror. “I’m just here for a few days.”

It was ironic that he found the need to provide explanations to low-level guardians he probably wouldn’t see in years, or maybe not at all.

We know, the building guardian replied. Hannah told us.

“She spoke to you?” Dallion asked in a gotcha moment.

She mumbles to herself when annoyed. She comes here every week to clean up, then locks the room again.

So, she really had been keeping the room ready for him all this time. The innkeeper had done the same for Jiroh too, and yet not for Eury. Whatever had transpired there must have been more serious than either of them was letting on.

The stone orchid was also in the room. What little progress had been made in the past was all gone. Thanks to his magic sight, Dallion was able to see the aether threads within the chunk of stone. Unfortunately, that also helped him see how much the big had regressed.

I think that ship has sailed, the armadil shield said. You’re just going through the motions. Which wouldn’t have happened if you had followed my advice.

Dallion looked away, not even in the mood to argue.

“I’ll take a nap,” he said, taking off his gear. “Please keep an eye out for me.”

Of course, the room guardian said, along with several item guardians.

Part of Dallion was afraid he’d get some nasty nightmares while resting. On the other hand, it could hardly be as bad as what he experienced downstairs. The Nox dagger always with him, Dallion lied down on the bed and instantly dozed off.

When next he opened his eyes, it was almost evening. Golden light was shining through the window into the room. In a semi-annoyed state, Dallion grumbled that he should have pulled the curtains, when something caught his attention. A purple thread, no thicker than a hair, had made its way through a minuscule gap in the window-frame into the room. If he didn’t have a magic trait, Dallion wouldn’t have noticed. Now, though, it contrasted to the lack of magic anywhere in the room. Due to his circumstances, Pan made sure to keep a low profile, which included keeping the inn as magicless as possible. Having a magic thread invade the room could mean only one thing: someone from outside was spying on Dallion.

Gem, Dallion thought. Go invisible and follow the thread.

Err, okay, boss, the aether jellyfish replied.

I don’t want you to attack or get too close. I’m fine with a general location.

Yes, boss.

And tell me the moment you see anything strange, not before that.

Err… sure, boss.

Pretending to ignore the thread, Dallion stretched then got up from the bed. For the next minute or so, he went through his exercise regimen—something that hadn’t been doing adequately as of late. Once done, he cast a quick spell to get rid of the sweat, then geared up again.

Seeing that the thread hadn’t reacted in the least made him think this wasn’t so much a spell as natural magic. More than likely a fury was spying on him. As tempting as it was to think that it might be Diroh, Dallion rather suspected it had to do with the general. That would definitely explain how the snob was always so well informed. Thanks to his small army of furies, he could spy on the entire city without anyone knowing. It would take a mage, or at least another fury, to even spot the air current threads; and since mages almost never came here, it was all but certain that he wouldn’t get caught. Adzorg had probably been aware from the very beginning.

So, that’s how you know I was an empath, Dallion thought. Even alone, he had spoken to items out loud.

“See you later, all,” Dallion said, heading to the door.

Wouldn’t it be a bit obvious taking me along? The armadil shield asked.

After last time, not that much, Dallion replied mentally.

A small crowd had started to gather at the inn. Dallion was able to catch some murmurs regarding Di on his way out. From what he could make out, this was the first time the fury wasn’t there to serve. Considering that neither war, nor the Countess’ brutal restrictions had prevented her from doing so in the past, this was viewed as rather unusual.

Dallion didn’t know whether to be proud or concerned. Apparently, his presence was considered far worse than the provincial civil war.

The first thing he did when leaving the inn was to look around for a Mirror Pool agent. Finding one proved a lot easier than expected. The disfocus artifacts that were so efficient at making someone invisible glowed like purple beacons.

You should have spent some time making them mage proof, Dallion thought as he walked directly to a stall merchant. The woman wasn’t someone Dallion had met before—at least the Mirror Pool had the wisdom to get everyone he knew away from here. Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough.

“Hi,” Dallion said in a low voice. “Tell whoever’s in charge to meet me at the Performer’s Plaza.”

“Excuse me?” the woman asked in utter disbelief. This was probably the first time anyone had seen through her disguise artifact.

“Don’t waste time. You know who I am and you know what I can do. Convey my message or I’ll scorch you, then go to the next person and ask the same.”

The threat was a bit too much, but it had the desired effect, causing the woman to rush off. Her figure disappeared among the crowd. Moments later, all other purple glowing members also rushed out of sight.

You definitely have a strong effect on women, Vihrogon sighed. I don’t think you’ll be able to use that trick again anytime soon.

“I don’t have to.” Dallion split in a few instances and looked around. No other members of the Mirror Pool were in sight, although the magic thread from his room had moved so as to follow him. Whoever was following him was rather persistent.

Gem, have you found the source? Dallion walked down the street.

Not yet, boss. It’s constantly moving.

How far have you gone?

Err, not far. It’s just moving a lot.

That made sense. Air currents had a limited range. The fury spy was probably no more than a few hundred feet from his current location. If he wanted, Dallion could easily split into a hundred instances and catch the culprit. For the moment, he preferred to let them be. As one would say at the Academy: better leave someone just enough thread to hang themselves.

Going to the plaza was accompanied with a thousand smells, the vast majority good. The only reason Dallion didn’t stop at a stall to buy something was because he didn’t have the right currency to do so. This represented a huge difference from the time when he had first arrived in the city. Back then, it was a struggle to find anything he could, but with the few copper and silver coins he owned. Now, he could buy entire buildings with what he carried in his pouch.

The sound and music of Performance Plaza hit Dallion long before he reached the location. The place had maintained its undisputed charm, but a high perception turned every small imperfection into an eyesore. Clearly, there was a reason why nobles preferred theater performances to spending time among less skilled performers. As much as he hated to admit it, Dallion could fully understand why top-tier awakened didn’t mingle with anyone else.

Ropes crisscrossed the space above the plaza, creating lines on which performers could dance, play, and juggle often while doing acrobatic tricks. It almost seemed like yesterday when Gloria—Dallion’s childhood sweetheart—had engaged in a performance duel with one of the locals. That was long before her involuntary involvement with the Mirror Pool and subsequent marriage.

You really should see how she’s doing, the armadil shield said. Now that you’re pretty much single.

“I’m not single.” Dallion looked about for a place to sit. Even without the festival crowds, the plaza remained quite packed.

Keep telling yourself that. Either way, you won’t lose anything by paying her a visit. At worst, you’ll be catching up with an old friend. And if it so happens that things between her and Falkner aren’t as rosy as they seemed, maybe it’ll be better for everyone if you stepped in. People fall for mages, trust me on that.

“If that were the case, why’s Katka single?”

Spotting a nice bench, Dallion whispered to the respective item guardian to loosen a bit—just enough to cause the person sitting on it to slip off. The result was painfully hilarious, causing the unfortunate soul to move away cursing. His spot was quickly taken by Dallion, who not only mended the bench but also improved it for good measure.

Smooth, Vihrogon said. And as for Katka, she’s also a possibility. Personally, I don’t think you’ll be a good match, but, hey. Who am I to judge?

“You’ve become very talkative lately.” All the more since we returned to Nerosal. “Anything you’re not telling me?”

Plenty of things. The shield laughed. Sadly, not always by choice.

Dallion was just about to inquire more on the matter, when a fury in a rather elaborately expensive dress appeared on the bench next to him. She wasn’t fast enough to keep Dallion from noticing her approach, although for most people in the plaza, her sudden arrival remained unnoticed.

“Hello, champion,” the fury said with a confident smile. The last time they’d seen each other, Dallion was the one begging to buy magic artifacts from her. “How may the Mirror serve you?”

“You?” Dallion frowned. “You’re in charge of the Mirror Pool?”

“In a way. Our prince decided it would be better to send someone you’re familiar with to discuss matters on his behalf. In that regard, you can consider me as the voice of the Pool.”

Several dozen aether threads spread from the fury, serving both as a lookout and a means to ensure privacy. Unsurprisingly, the thread that had been following Dallion in the last ten minutes had disappeared.

Gem, are you still on the thread? Dallion asked.

Yes, boss. It’s moving around your area…

Keep at it. “I see business is better now that the countess is gone,” Dallion told the fury.

“The Mirror Pool is extremely fond of the Archduke,” the woman stressed. “Just as we are fond of your progress. It’s not often that we deal with esteemed members of the Academy.”

Given that they had dealings with the current archmage on several occasions at least, Dallion found the response hilarious.

“I’ll only be here for a few days and I want everything to be calm during that time,” Dallion said directly. “Am I clear?”

“Of course. It was going to happen, even without your request.”

So far, so good. The Pool was smart enough to acknowledge his current position.

“Tell me everything you know about the Icepicker guild.”

“Are you interested in the official story? Or the rumors?”

Dallion narrowed his eyes.

“Most of the local captains are on their way back,” the woman said, catching his drift. “Officially, many of the banished guilds are expected to make a return, including the Icepickers. Many of the local members who were forced to change guilds are already wearing their Icepicker emblems. The vice guild master has already paid a large sum of money to have the guildhall rebuilt.”

That was interesting information, though not what Dallion was interested in.

“For the moment, the future of three of the guild’s stars remains uncertain,” the fury continued. “It remains unconfirmed, but word is that the guild master has agreed to take the position of viscount and gain control of the city. Given his relation to Archduke Lanitol, there’s little surprise there. The county, though, will fall under the direct rule of the archduke himself.”

“Go on.”

“Captains March and Adzorg remain unknown. Adzorg was said to have left the city long ago. In fact, rumor is that you’ve actively been searching for him ever since the… changes at the Academy.”

It remained a mystery how the Mirror Pool got their information, but they were spot on.

“As for March, matters remain unclear. According to some sources, she’s still in the city’s prison. Others say that she was released when Archduke Priscord was informed of her promotion. Some believe she’s hiding in Nerosal, some even claim that she was killed and secretly buried in an unmarked grave. I’m sad to say that even we can’t say what’s true and what not.”

“You seem to be slipping.” Dallion wasn’t able to miss the opportunity.

“Former imperial soldiers are extremely loyal to one another.” The fury’s smile didn’t falter, but Dallion could feel the faint emanation of annoyance coming from her. “Vend has also been lying low. A few times we thought he showed up, but he vanished before we could reliably confirm it.”

“He’s always been skilled. I heard that he was part of the Mirror Pool at one point?”

“A very minor part a long time ago. Would there be anything else you desire?”

“No.” Dallion leaned back. “You have my thanks.”

“I’m glad. The Pool is always glad to accommodate people of power.”