Early the next morning, Scarlett was led through a series of long corridors by a young woman dressed in plain attendant’s clothing. She felt like she recognized the servant, possibly from her previous visit to Beldon’s house in the capital a few months ago, although she couldn’t be entirely certain.

Following the chaos of the previous night, Scarlett would almost have expected the Tyndall estate to be bustling with activity today as well. However, to her surprise, things appeared strangely calm from what she’d seen. Having left her quarters earlier than most due to her scheduled meeting with Beldon, she hadn’t come across many other guests. The few she had seen seemed largely unaffected by the events of the previous day.

Considering that the majority of the remaining guests were nobles, she supposed that their pride and the need to uphold their image might have played a role in their apparent aloofness. Nonetheless, it caught her a bit off guard how casually everyone was behaving. Discounting the increased presence of guards and certain areas of the castle being closed off, one could almost forget that the place had been attacked the night before.

Say what you will about nobles, but she couldn’t help but respect their ability to shrug off things like this when necessary.

“The young master is inside,” the woman in front of her said, coming to a halt in front of an oak door. “He has had little chance to rest since yesterday, so please be considerate.”

Scarlett observed her for a moment before shifting her gaze to the door. “I will keep that in mind.”

She hadn’t slept at all during the night, so it wasn’t as if she was brimming with energy either. But she could manage it until they were back in Freybrook, at least.

The servant woman nodded, lowering her head as she opened the door. Scarlett entered the room and spotted Beldon seated on a couch in the center. He still wore the same clothes she had seen him in the previous day, though his jacket hung on a rack near the entrance. Currently, he sat in only his white undercoat, holding a stack of papers in his hands. His dark hair was combed to the side, slightly disheveled, but overall, he didn’t look too worse for wear.

As the door closed behind Scarlett, the man looked up at her with a small smile and gestured to a couch opposite him. “Baroness, welcome. Please have a seat.” Leaning forward, he placed the papers he’d been reading on a table in front of him. “It’s unfortunate that our second real meeting had to take place under these circumstances, but I appreciate your presence and willingness to meet. There are some matters that I wanted to discuss with you.”

“No need for gratitude,” she replied, walking over to sit down. “I also have topics I wish to deliberate with you over.”

She briefly glanced at the papers on the table. Even upside-down, she could tell they contained a list of names with descriptions next to them. Some of the names were ones she recognized. Seemed like the man was in charge of damage control.

“I am glad to hear that. Contrary to what people might think, I don’t often receive personal visits from lovely ladies such as you.”

She looked back at Beldon, studying him intently. “You are doing it once more. There is no need for the facade before me. I believe we will both benefit if we can converse candidly today.”

His smile grew, accompanied by a low chuckle. “No, I suppose you’re right. We don’t have all morning.” There was a shift in the man’s demeanor. His shoulders relaxed as he rested an arm on the back of the couch, but there was also a serious air to him now. “It is a shame we couldn’t have this conversation at another time, uncontaminated by last night’s mess. Originally, my intention for wanting to meet with you had no relation to the Tribe of Sin’s attack. But now, it’s difficult not to bring it up.”

Scarlett noted that he didn’t suggest meeting again after the gathering later in the morning, as if he already knew she would be leaving for Freybrook immediately following that.

“First and foremost, I want to thank you on behalf of my father and my family for the assistance you provided yesterday in repelling the Tribe’s attack,” Beldon said.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked completely sincere.

“…I was not aware you witnessed any of my actions yesterday.”

“I didn’t see much, to be honest. I only personally beheld some of your achievements towards the end. But I must admit, prior to that, I had underestimated your capabilities. From what I heard, you were also responsible for saving an entire room of people during the attack.”

She frowned. “‘Save’ is somewhat excessive of a description.”

The man leaned his head to the side. “Based on what I’ve heard, I am inclined to agree. It certainly doesn’t compare to the performances of Iyana Webb or any of the Thackerays. The Second Sword, if the accounts are to be believed, single-handedly dealt with over fifty of the Tribe’s members. However, people have a tendency to talk about the things that surprise them the most, and the individuals you aided were rather talkative. Although I imagine that most of what they had to say will be lost in the buzz that will spread throughout the empire after last night’s event.”

“I do not pay too much attention to what others say about me, whether it is positive or negative.”

“I can believe that. A little bird told me about your encounter with Count Soames. I will say, I’m curious what morsel of information you have that made him cease bothering you.”

Scarlett held back a sigh. There the man went with his ‘little birds’ and all that. Had anyone ever told him it got annoying pretty quickly?

As for the Count…

She glanced down at the bare skin on her left hand. The mere thought of saying something that might implicate Count Soames to Beldon strained the pact she’d made. She could sense that much. Even if she wanted to say something, she couldn’t. But Rosa’s passenger had managed to skirt around those restrictions, so who was to say she couldn’t?

She looked back up at Beldon. “I do not necessarily think that my dealings with the Count are any of your concern.”

“Fortunately for me, I make it my business to be informed of matters that are not of my concern,” the man replied.

“Of that, I am well aware.” Scarlett tapped her finger against the armrest of her couch as she considered him. “But I cannot disclose anything to you.”

He met her gaze. “Baroness, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that you are trying to tell me something right now.”

“I am sure I do not know what you mean. Did I not just now state that I cannot reveal anything? Nor do I have any intention of doing so.”

Beldon scrutinized her quietly for several seconds. “…That’s funny. I had assumed you possessed information that Count Soames wouldn’t want publicised — something that I was unaware of. It sparked my competitive spirit.”

“If you wish to compete with me, do so on your own time. Do not expect me to provide you with all the answers.”

The man placed a hand into his leg pocket and pulled out a gold coin with a flourish, rolling it over his fingers. “I suppose that would make things more boring. Perhaps I’ll pay closer attention to the Count in the future.”

“I advise against that.”

The coin stopped between his right index and thumb. “And why is that?”

Scarlett glanced down at her own hand again. The crest had yet to appear on her skin. She wasn’t exactly sure how this aspect of the pact worked—if it relied on intent or some other mechanism—but clearly, this conversation didn’t violate her agreement to leave Count Soames alone.

While she knew that her words might have the opposite effect, she was also trying to steer Beldon away from the subject. She just happened to be familiar enough with the man’s personality to know that it wouldn’t work. Especially now that he thought he had caught on to something.

She looked back up at him. “I cannot stop you if you wish to do so, but I fail to see what you stand to gain from it.”

“The Count is an influential individual. There is always much to be gained from those.”

“Is that so?” Scarlett replied casually. Beldon continued observing her intently.

“…Powerful people like him always have enemies,” the man said. “I’m sure there are those who would love if damaging information were to emerge about him.”

“I am certain that there are,” Scarlett replied. “I am not one of them, however. Do not expect any favors from me if you act impulsively.”

“I barely know the meaning of the word.”

“I somehow doubt that.”

Beldon resumed rolling the coin over his knuckles, a contemplative expression on his face as he seemed to be trying to decipher her intentions.

Scarlett watched him in silence.

Maybe she had been too insistent on dissuading him there?

Finally, the man flipped the coin up and caught it in the air. “Come to think of it, I’ve always found it peculiar that some of my men tend to mysteriously vanish when they get too close to investigating a certain noble’s connections to a particular group operating in Ambercrest’s Silkspindle Ward.”

Her eyes widened slightly. So he already had some inkling that the Count was involved in something? He just hadn’t been able to gather concrete details?

“You wouldn’t happen to know something about that?” Beldon asked.

At that moment, Scarlett felt a slight sting in her left hand. The crest itself remained hidden, but it was a warning. This was the information she was most restricted from sharing.

She shook her head. “I see no reason why I would. I have very little business or involvements in the affairs of Ambercrest.”

She wished she could provide him with a subtle hint of some kind, but it was far too risky. The best she could do was hope that this slight push would be enough for him to uncover the rest himself.

Beldon studied her for a few more moments, the small smile from earlier returning to his face. “Well, if you say so, I have no reason to doubt you. After all, what reason would you have to lie to me?”

“I sense a lack of sincerity in your words.”

“And are you being entirely honest?”

“Of course. I have not uttered a single falsehood throughout this conversation.”

The man nodded. “That is certainly good to know. If I may have offended you in some way by implying you have, I apologize.”

Scarlett waved her hand dismissively. “I am not so easily offended.”

“Good, good. It would be a shame if that had scared you off, considering there’s something else I wanted to discuss with you.”

She paused, eyeing him. Was this the original reason for his desire to meet with her?

“You are a well-informed individual, Baroness,” Beldon continued. “I am sure I do not have to tell you the value of accurate information, especially during times like these.”

“What is it that you want to have said with this?” she asked.

“You yourself mentioned that you are not easily offended, so I hope you won’t mind when I say that I’ve been keeping a close eye on you since our first meeting.”

“I would have expected no less. And? Did you discover anything of interest?”

“Quite a lot,” he said. “Although I suspect most of it barely even scratches the surface. I am particularly curious about how you succeeded in helping the Withersworths, where generations of mages and priests have failed before you.”

“It was not as challenging as it might sound,” Scarlett replied.

“I am sure it wasn’t. But that only piques my curiosity even further.” Beldon snapped his fingers. The door immediately opened, and the servant from before entered, walking up to and stopping behind the man’s couch. Beldon leaned forward, picking up the papers he had been examining earlier, his attention still focused on Scarlett, and held them up over his shoulder. “Mireya, please have these delivered to my father.”

The young woman took the papers with a neutral expression. “Yes, young master.”

“And do you have the documents I asked you to prepare?”

She produced another stack of papers, holding them over his shoulder. Beldon took them without looking and extended them over the table towards Scarlett.

Scarlett eyed the papers for a moment before accepting them. As she began reading through the contents, the servant woman left the room with barely any sound. It took her a few minutes to read it all, and once Scarlett finished, she placed the documents on the table while maintaining an impassive expression and looked at Beldon. “So, this is what you wanted to discuss.”

The papers contained summaries of reports detailing her movements over the past few months. While they were far from complete, with significant gaps in information regarding her dungeon visits and the like, it wasn’t what was missing that caught her attention. Rather, it was what the reports focused on, and what they implied. In particular, there were accounts concerning some of her activities and preparations that she had hoped would never come to light.

It appeared Beldon had caught on to her involvement in the heist at the Sanctuary of Ittar.

“You seem remarkably calm about all of this,” the man remarked.

“Is there a reason I should not be?” she asked.

The truth was that she wasn’t calm about this, but her concern was easy enough to hide. When she had made the decision to proceed with the heist, she had been prepared for the possibility that someone might uncover it all, and Beldon had been at the top of her list of likely suspects.

“Most people would say yes, but that’s what I appreciate about you, Baroness. It makes this conversation much easier.” Beldon leaned back in his seat, examining her. “So, you won’t deny your connection to what transpired at the Sanctuary?”

“Is there any point in doing so? The evidence you have is far from enough to take any action at the moment, and you cannot share this talk with anyone.”

The man shrugged. “No, I simply thought it refreshing to receive such a straightforward response.”

“So, why did you show me this?” Scarlett gestured towards the papers on the table. “I had higher expectations than you attempting to pressure me with this.”

“I’m flattered that you think so highly of me. And you’re right, of course. While there’s much I would like from you, all of it is information I suspect I couldn’t extract even if I threatened to expose this to the Followers. The reason I showed you this is much simpler.” Beldon’s quiet gaze stayed on her for a moment. “I am impressed.”

She crossed her arms. “You are…impressed?”

“Yes. I had already assumed you were more than what you appeared to be. I just didn’t know to what extent. But successfully infiltrating the Sanctuary of Ittar and stealing several sacred relics…” He smiled. “It’s clear that I severely underestimated your capabilities.”

“I am glad to hear that you think so.”

“Would it be too much to ask why you did it?”

Scarlett met his inquisitive gaze. “…They possessed an artifact that I needed.”

“For what purpose?”

“To achieve my goals. To survive.” She raised both hands in the air. “Does the specific reason matter? It is not something I will allow you to involve yourself with, if that is what you hope.”

Beldon rubbed his chin with his left hand. “I wouldn’t say I want to involve myself, necessarily. But this is a once-in-a-generation occurrence, you see. I find it difficult to be so close to the one responsible for it without learning the details.”

“I trust that you will survive.”

“Most likely. But that will not stop me from trying. Anyway…” His hand paused, and he tapped his chin. “Let me get to the point. We have had some mutually beneficial exchanges in the past, and our relationship has been amicable enough, wouldn’t you agree? But I believe there’s more we can offer each other.”

Scarlett studied him. “You are suggesting we deepen our collaboration?”

“Yes.”

“In what manner?”

Beldon once more started twirling the gold coin over the fingers of his right hand, a thoughtful look on his face. “I’m not asking you to reveal your sources of information if that’s a concern for you. However, I can imagine several situations where your movements and actions as a baroness may be restricted, such as with the Sanctuary incident. In those instances, my associates and I could prove helpful in bypassing those restrictions. I’ve already done you some favors in that regard, just so you know. Likewise, you have demonstrated your ability to acquire valuable information that even my Mirage doesn’t have access to, so we would love to work more closely with you.”

Scarlett furrowed her brows as she contemplated his proposal.

“Of course, if you agree to this, you wouldn’t have to concern yourself with any commission rates when you need something from us in the future,” he added.

“That was not a worry of mine to begin with,” she replied absentmindedly.

Cooperating with an organization like Mirage did sound like a favorable deal, honestly. It would provide her with a lot of resources whenever she needed them. The problem was the cost on her end. In return for their collaboration, she would likely have to be more generous with the information she possessed from the game, but determining what was worth sharing posed a challenge. Most details related to dungeons were things she wanted to keep to herself to acquire the skill points from clearing those. And much of the other information she had could have unpredictable repercussions if she divulged any of it to Mirage.

But it was a very tempting offer. As long as she satisfied Beldon with the information she shared, he wouldn’t know how much she was holding back. It might be hard to figure out exactly where that line was, and which information was on which side, but it would probably be worth it.

However, there was one potential issue that needed addressing.

“What would you say if I told you that I will only agree to this if you do not interfere with the Hallowed Cabal?” she asked.

The man stared at her. “Pardon?”

“You heard me.”

If she became more deeply involved with Mirage, it was only a matter of time before the Hallowed Cabal learned about it in one way or another. While Mirage wasn’t directly opposed to the Cabal, they clashed at times, and any backlash from her involvement with Mirage could prove problematic.

A sharpness appeared in Beldon’s eyes. “…I would have to ask why you’re making such a request.”

“I will tell you if you agree to it,” she said. “If it helps you decide, I can assure you that I possess information that would aid you in evading and staying ahead of the Cabal in the future. However, you cannot directly interfere with their operations for the duration of our collaboration or until I say so.”

He eyed her wordlessly for a prolonged moment, twirling the coin in his fingers. Eventually, he leaned forward and placed the coin on the tabletop, folding his hands. “I can make a compromise. We have no reason to target the Cabal ourselves, but some of our clientele often seek information related to them. In the past, we have tried focusing more on avoiding their members than competing with them, but that usually results in greater costs for us. If you genuinely can assist us on that front, though, I can agree to being more passive in our dealings with them while still offering what information we might stumble upon to our clientele.”

Scarlett considered it for a few seconds. “…That is acceptable,” she eventually said.

Beldon gave her a serious look. “Then may I ask why you made that request?”

“Because I have a prior agreement of non-interference with the Hallowed Cabal. Our conflicts escalated to a point where they threatened to cause irreparable devastation to both parties. So, we agreed to a cease-fire to avoid such an event.”

The man blinked. Then a hint of amusement snuck into his eyes. “I am starting to think I made a very wise choice in approaching you, Baroness.”

“It is good that you realize as much.”

“Then—” Beldon moved his arm in a wide gesture. “Should we discuss details?”