[NC] The Grail of Blood

"Well, investigation is my profession, albeit I'm still a novice. I'll be counting on your support from here on out. And as for whether I've found anything...that is difficult to say. The place is tidy, there was an room adorned with artifacts and paintings, and they don't appear to care very much that we're alone down here. So, it is only natural to assume that this place is low on their priority list, or that we're being quietly observed. Just in case though, I've detailed what I've learned in my head. I appear to have forgotten my notebook in my haste to arrive, however."

Internal Atsa had a slight sign of relief that someone else had trouble with rushing over to the mansion and that it was not just him. More importantly though he was was starting to learn more about this person who was most likely going to be his partner in the investigation. She seemed cautious especially when he thought back to her hesitation when he tried to shake hands and just a moment ago he had notice that she was slowly scanning over the entrance hall. He also noticed she was quite observant being able to tell that the security in the mansion seemed to be low quality for a noble family but he figured that the observation skills just came from her job as an investigator. At of everything she said though he knew one thing for certain and that was they were being observed. Since the moment they walked in and a knight was already in wait for them, Atsa knew they were being watched even if he didn't know how. Return from his thoughts and looking back at Erin he realize she was no longer looking at him but at the staircase in which the knight from earlier had gone up. She was probably wondering just as he was what was taking their employer so long to come and greet them.

"...So you don't know much about what happened either, right? Hopefully you have some means of defending yourself; I have a sneaking suspicion that we may encounter danger during the course of our work. And we can't rely on guards or Knights to keep us safe at all times, as it's not fair to them to make that expectation either."

"What I know about the situation is that all the members of House Tempus and House Godiva were murdered. Considering that the members of Tempus were known for completing seemly impossible missions and House Godiva was renown for it defense magic, the individual or organization that killed these two families would have to be considerable powerful. As for defending myself I will be fine, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and I am proficient with the bow I left outside."

He was going to continue talking but he notice a change in Erin's expression. While before she was just being a bit cautious and formal now she just seemed general depressed. Atsa desperately searched through his memories for what could have brought on the sudden change in mood and even looked around the room to see if there was something she saw that was making her upset. Despite his efforts to find the reasoning for Erin's sudden depression he couldn't find anything and decided to take the direct approach. Reaching out his right hand he placed it on Erin shoulder to make sure he had her utmost attention.

"Are you okay? Something seems to be really bothering you all of a sudden."

He felt extreme awkward doing this especially since they hadn't even known each other until they walked into the mansion. However, he knew it could be incredible dangerous if she went on this mission, one that could very easily become violent, if she was in the wrong mindset and he wasn't going to have any deaths or serious injuries on his hands. Well that is at least what he told himself his reasoning was but truly it was because he hated seeing people upset and if possible he would use all his means necessary to make them happy again.

"What I know about the situation is that all the members of House Tempus and House Godiva were murdered. Considering that the members of Tempus were known for completing seemly impossible missions and House Godiva was renown for it defense magic, the individual or organization that killed these two families would have to be considerable powerful. As for defending myself I will be fine, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and I am proficient with the bow I left outside."

"Are you okay? Something seems to be really bothering you all of a sudden."


Before she could descend even deeper into rumination, our young detective was snapped out of it by Atsa's vocal concerns, not to mention the hand on the shoulder. This display of concern was somewhat unexpected. She didn't intend to actually have her mood be that visible, but since she was still lacking in social skills no thanks to her neglectful upbringing, it was quite apparent that improvement was still needed in her technique. She looked seriously at Atsa and cleared her mind somewhat in order to translate her vagarious thoughts into something comprehensible to his ears.

"My apologies, Mister Atsa Tsinaajinii. I was just deep in thought about the case we're faced with. I didn't mean to concern you."

She withdrew from his reach and began to pace about the grand hall whilst she explained her thoughts and concerns as businesslike as she could.

"It just bothers me that there are people out there who are capable of such horrific acts toward their fellow human beings. Or rather...perhaps capability isn't the issue, it's choice. When faced with abuse, sadness, despair, anger, hatred, it is usually a result of a self-perpetuating cycle or even a feedback loop of negativity. People lacking power will turn to what they can in order to right perceived wrongs, but if successful in their pursuit, they end up only gaining the power to cause further harm and perpetuate what made them suffer so. Ironic that they believe that this is the only way to move ahead in the world, becoming welcoming supporters of the status quo so long as they maintain their faith in coming out on top in the end. After all, with all their suffering, don't they deserve it?"

She then turned around to face Atsa once more directly to look at him in the eyes.

"...But they fail to realize that they're still willfully playing the game of life using rules written by the ones they despise the most. They obtain power, only to use it to further drive the mechanisms put in place by the ones responsible for the way things are. They believe they're free so long as they're strong enough to no longer be the victim. But what does it mean to be on top? In the end, it means you've had to step on others and keep them below you in order to succeed. The game is rigged from the beginning. The reason I bring this up is...well, I feel it will have a great bearing on how events play out as we dive deeper into the case. The nobility is inundated with those wielding disproportionate amounts of power and feeling particularly self-righteous that their might and suffering makes them right. Even an act of mass murder can be justified as self-defense or even righteous with enough cognitive dissonance."

"They were enemies of ours once. Long ago, they saw us as weak because we studied objects and secrets of the past. And like those aggressive lots, they attempted to absorb our family for their own gain. But as you can tell the result of that it never happened. After many years of rivalry, relations seemed to have calmed but they always seemed to feel like they look down upon us. I guess we never proved ourselves in their eyes..." Renavin looked at him for a moment as it did sound like he was a bit saddened at the fact that even a rather stuck up rival was killed by such disgusting methods.

"In any case...while my blood magic is of Aztec decent, evidence shows it most likely isn't the work of knights. Or at least another third party is involved. Though I'm not sure what kind of spell can drain the blood of several able fighting knights nearly in an instant. It must be some sort of magician, or perhaps a magic cabal...." Renavin muttered to himself as he walked among the many doors, trying to find what evidence he can possibly work with, only to suddenly stop at the sound of what seemed like sad whimper.

There were many doors aligned in the hall, and the sound of the voice seemed to be coming from the right. Instead of feeling worry, Renavin expressed danger in his face as he took out a slip of paper and bit his finger lightly, tracing blood along the summoning paper. Low and behold, with a puff of smoke and mist, a wolf emerged immediately sniffing the air. While Renavin pulled out his dagger and began following the wolf.

"We cannot assume whoever is making that noise is safe. It wouldn't make sense for a mass killing to accidentally miss a few targets..." Renavin said, as he gestured Alex to help him take the front, and gestured the Empress to watch their back just in case. Should this be a trap, at least one of them would be able to take initiative. "Wolves aren't just good at tracking someone, they are also experts at sensing immediate dangers. The smell of blood or the sound of a fight will tip them off with highly sensitive ears...." Soon the wolf would come to a stop at a random door a long the hall. He'd grab the doorknob while the wolf was staring at it with a low growl, gesturing Alex to be prepared to run in, as he threw the door open and the wolf going in first.

"My apologies, Mister Atsa Tsinaajinii. I was just deep in thought about the case we're faced with. I didn't mind to concern you."

"It just bothers me that there are people out there who are capable of such horrific acts toward their fellow human beings. Or rather...perhaps capability isn't the issue, it's choice. When faced with abuse, sadness, despair, anger, hatred, it is usually a result of a self-perpetuating cycle or even a feedback loop of negativity. People lacking power will turn to what they can in order to right perceived wrongs, but if successful in their pursuit, they end up only gaining the power to cause further harm and perpetuate what made them suffer so. Ironic that they believe that this is the only way to move ahead in the world, becoming welcoming supporters of the status quo so long as they maintain their faith in coming out on top in the end. After all, with all their suffering, don't they deserve it?"

"...But they fail to realize that they're still willfully playing the game of life using rules written by the ones they despise the most. They obtain power, only to use it to further drive the mechanisms put in place by the ones responsible for the way things are. They believe they're free so long as they're strong enough to no longer be the victim. But what does it mean to be on top? In the end, it means you've had to step on others and keep them below you in order to succeed. The game is rigged from the beginning. The reason I bring this up is...well, I feel it will have a great bearing on how events play out as we dive deeper into the case. The nobility is inundated with those wielding disproportionate amounts of power and feeling particularly self-righteous that their might and suffering makes them right. Even an act of mass murder can be justified as self-defense or even righteous with enough cognitive dissonance."

It immediately began apparent to Atsa that the source of Erin's sudden mood change had been a lot more complex then he had thought. Though what she said struck deep within Atsa just as it would most people in this world as she had spoken one of the dark truths of the world, the powerful crush the weak under foot and the weak try to become more powerful only to repeat the cruelty that they went through on those below them. Atsa had gone through a similar process when he turned to murder and torture to get revenge on those who had destroyed his tribe. However, he train of thought took a sharp turn away from those past memories and back to the case when Erin began talking about the nobilities power. Could these incident have been committed by someone stepping on someone else in order to gain more power like Erin said or was it someone retaliated against forces that was once more powerful then they were like Atsa had against the magic cabal that had wronged him. These two solutions seemed like the most probably reasoning for the attacks but first Atsa was going to have to look at who earned the most from the fall of these two families and he would have to look at who the families had wronged. Sadly, these families had been around for a long time and even just thinking about looking through all that information exhausted him. He decided he would just learn as much information as he could from their employers later.

Quickly, he return his thoughts back to his conversation with Erin and tried to think of a way to respond. For a few seconds he would just helplessly stare at her as he tried to get his words together into a rational and understandable sentence.

"Sadly, I can't deny the fact that it is a dog eat dog world out there nor can I deny the fact that those with power constantly crush the weak without consequence. Considering this it is very well possible that another noble family is responsible for the murder in order to increase their own power." He paused for a second but then continued in a hushed voice directed at Erin "However, we should probably not discuss the possible guilt of the nobility any further in here of all places, considering we are probably being watched right now as we speak."

After saying that Atsa casually walk over to one of the walls and slowly sat down while leaning against it. Honestly, what Erin had said put him a little on edge and directed some of his distrust towards the nobles of the house he was in. As such he began checking to make sure he had on his needed materials in case a fight broke out. He checked his pockets and hidden places throughout his outfit making sure his sand, herbs, crushed minerals, brown bear pelt, gray wolf pelt, and rattlesnake skin were all there. Knowing this probably looked strange to Erin he tried to pull her attention back to their conversation.

"For now lets focus on just finding the one responsible for this case and bring them in. That at least that will bring an end to one cycle of negativity." He paused for a moment and then continued but on a far less serious subject. "By the way, you can just call me Atsa and not Mister Atsa Tsinajinii. I am not a stickler for formality and being fully honest I rarely use it myself but in the end the decision is up to you."

"...I see. So the strongest connection between them is their age. Looking at it by motivation, it could be an old grudge of some sort, but it could also be the requirement for some sort of ritual... Alex, how many other knight families are similar in a-"

Vita had begun to structure a line of inquiry based on the information she'd gained from Alex (while also shortening his name even further), but like Renavin, she instantly became wary when she heard the noise from upstairs. There shouldn't have been anyone there except them, the knights, and the corpses, but there was someone else there. An unknown person, or group of people. As she quickly but quietly rushed up the stairs after Renavin, a certain phrase came to mind.

"The culprit always returns to the scene of the crime, is it?"

"We cannot assume whoever is making that noise is safe. It wouldn't make sense for a mass killing to accidentally miss a few targets... Wolves aren't just good at tracking someone, they are also experts at sensing immediate dangers. The smell of blood or the sound of a fight will tip them off with highly sensitive ears...."

As Renavin allowed his wolf to enter the room first, Vita herself assumed a position behind Renavin as he requested, making sure that no surprise attacks from behind would harm him while he focused on the inside of the room he was inspecting. Fishing a single grape from her bag, she waited impatiently to discover what was on the other side of the door...

(Alexander, Revian, Vita)
The two magicians who now serve as his comrades in arms had rushed up the stairs in response to the wailing sound of someone crying. Alexander was also preparing to follow suit, but unexpectedly he had hesitated for only a moment turning around ever so slightly at the two fallen knights. One still seemed to be knocked out while the other was in a sense of deep depression.

Neither of them was in any position to do anything, especially the one who lost his command of speech.

There is nothing worse than losing a sense of purpose, and that guy had apparently suffered that right now. But what was his purpose and what was the point of trying to commit murder than suicide? Alexander had no idea, but as he glanced towards the frozen bodies of the Tempus family, the knight's eyes were drawn to the top of the stairs that stood before him.

Right at the top stood a figure, something that only he could see with his own two eyes. But he knew this wasn't a reflection of light giving form to what was around him. The truth was he didn't see this at all, but what remained there when he started to climb those stairs was a regretful reminder.

An echo of a distant memory.

But as he had made it to the top, the reflection of a distant memory had already faded away, but the damage had already done. Everyone had some skeleton in the closet and Alexander was no different from anyone in the world of Knights. But he knew what he would've remembered when coming here today. And while it was no surprise, the golden haired knight still hesitated further before making a glance towards the Tempus' symbol displayed above the staircase.

Taking out his sword from its sheath, the knight turned his attention towards his fellow magicians to back them up on investigating the origin of the crying that suddenly filled these empty home.

---

Atsa, Erin and Stiyl

The two new arrival were a welcome sight at the Beathen estate, the home to probably one of the rare families who tolerate magicians. Their sense of curiosity and understanding of all things magical seemed to be one of the crucial traits which the Beathen family admittingly lacked. Sure they enjoy researching and understanding relics of the past, but when it came to the art of magic, they fall rather flat.

Unlike the magicians who focused on the craft just as much the knights were swinging around swords. The Beathen had only dedicated themselves to past magical information, meaning their knowledge on modern techniques and up-to-date was rather lacking, but it wasn't much a hindrance to their power or status.

That is one of the reasons why they enjoyed the presence of magicians because disregarding the Beathen's many faults they're willing to sit down and listen so they can come to a proper solution. The magicians to them are somebody to learn from and to understand how they see the world from their own eyes.

The current situation was one of them, but it was more like a student with both arms tied around their back asking the teacher to solve their test problems. But could you blame them? With what has gone on, the Beathens may have more than just their arms tied around their back.

Especially when a known enemy of the group comes knocking, and the level of concern had quickly deducted the moment another knight came running through the front door. The first once since the two magicians had arrived and the other left on the second floor. But the knight ignored their presence and hurried upstairs faster than anyone they have ever seen.

It was here and then when both magicians had gone over everything they have noticed since arriving.

For Erin, her little trip to the artifact room bore some useful fruit. Numerous paintings displayed the Lord Beathens of the past for almost a thousand years. This lengthy history was backed up by the dates placed next to the various objects on display.

Types of old swords used by long dead Beathens, to souvenirs from past events including the likes of the Crusades, war of the roses, the witch trials and even the brief time the UK was a republic right up to the harsh reality that is the second world war.

What was made clear from her findings was just how old this family was and that with age comes a very long time to accumulate secrets while digging a very deep hole to hide them.

Though Erin's further focus on the surrounding area hadn't given up any clue regarding a form of the typical security measures.

To put it plainly there was none except for something that Atsa had the pleasure of finding during his trip around the estate. There was not only one but three to four bluebirds dotted around the room, remaining silent with their attention focused on the magicians. While had enjoyed a pretty good chinwag with the little birdies in the cage, it was unlikely these birds were here to see the guest who can also speak their language.

They were watching the two carefully, and the fact they hadn't noticed them very well so far shows how well they can simply disappear in the background.

Three of them were on different bookcases, while one other was looking from on top of the stair railing at the corner of the room. But what also became apparent was the real lack of guards except those few that left as they arrived and the one they met along with the other which just came running into the building.

Though this could mean nothing as it isn't unheard off for the families to leave the London estates for time to remain at their ancestral homes.

But any attempt to digest this information further would soon be interrupted by the appearance of a knight, standing at the top of the staircase.

They weren't sure, but it might have been the same one they first met coming here.

"Please come upstairs quickly and follow me to meet the Head Maid and Stiyl Magnus. We are soon going to have some uninvited guests." The Beathen Knight had said following a respectful nod and with his arm casually directed to the right.

---

Though around the time of the knight rushing through the front doors only minutes ago, the meeting between Stiyl and Martha was interrupted with news that the Beathens didn't want to hear about it any shape or form.

When issues of serious concern arise there was no need for formal knockings at the door, the messenger was given permission to barge into the room even if any shape or form of an important meeting was occurring. Though this didn't count for the arrival of guests and was one of the reasons, the knight which met the other magicians had waited outside until the presence of another came barging through the door.

"Martha, there we have a problem. The House Mathews have arrived in London with a grand host and are sending a representative ahead." the knight said who stood next to the other who was standing in front of their room previously. "That's not very good at all, we need to get the magicians up here and out of sight, or they would see it as a reason to brand us as traitors. Especially with what as happened they would believe we had a hand in it all. But most importantly they have a deep hatred of the church. So it's better for their safety to hide. " the other knight said, and Martha nodded as she stood up from her chair.

"Then bring them up, they have waited long enough and when they're here keep them at the door." Martha gave her orders which were strange coming from the Head Maid, but she seemed to have a sense of authority higher than the guards in this very house.

And it wasn't long until the two magicians Atsa and Erin had arrived along with a bluebird which flew through the doorway just before the knights themselves had closed it.

Looking at them all the very old Head Maid spoke with a sense of regret. "I have to apologise my dear children, relations with other houses, in particular with that of Mathews, are very delicate right now, and as long you stand in these very halls we will protect you from the very dangers of our worl---d" Martha said who was interrupted just at the end by the bluebird chirping now resting on her shoulder. Looking at the small creature briefly, she listened to every word it had said.

"This isn't good; this isn't good at all. Knights of Mathews numbering at least thirty are heading to the Tempus estate." Martha announced to the fellow magicians.

---

(Alexander, Vita, Revian)

Back at the Tempus house, the group consisting of the magicians and Knight had broken into the room which the wailing sounds of crying originated. The wolf went first as with the sword in hand, the knight with golden hair had followed with the two magicians as backup behind.

What they saw was typical old Victorian room, that had playtoys for young kids. Teddy bears, puzzles and even a rocking horse. The entire room had the atmosphere fit for a child.

But what was unsettling was the traces of blood on the floor. It was like someone had gotten dragged through it and markings came from the left wall near the display case for little toys, all the way towards the door than the trail vanished.

What they all had noticed beyond that was the fact the crying had disappeared the moment they entered the room. Which means they heard things or there was still someone here.

"SPREAD OUT!" A thunderous roar suddenly was heard coming from downstairs. Followed was a significant amount of clattering footsteps entering the hall below, and quickly Alexander stepped right out of the room to see the arrival of what looked like Knights of Mathews.

They came streaming in one after the other, with numbers reaching the thirty, stationed around the room they secured the bottom floor without much effort. Two knights each for the fallen ones they had to take on earlier had held them up, the one without a tongue was apparently already trying to talk to them, and the one which was knocked out was starting to move only slightly.

"Not the type of people I would invite to an evening cup of tea." Alexander said in a lowered voice as he seems to have purposely stood in front of the magicians but he lowered himself.
Making sure he wasn't seen and the magicians either by standing in front.

And there from that point he saw someone awfully familiar enter the room. He wore slightly more heavy armour and was apparently customed made in comparison to the other knights. To Alexander, it was none other than the heir to the house of Mathews.

Slowly walking in the brown haired knight, the only other one without a helmet looked towards the bodies of the Tempus family.

"Where is the daughter? We're missing a body, didn't the report say they were all recovered?" The Mathews heir said looking towards one of his knights who went to engage in the conversation. Beathen didn't hear much else as he quickly whispered.

"Another daughter? Could it be?" Alexander had mumbled quietly in surprise. Who than looked towards the magicains with him, wondering what their take was on what has just happened and what they had heard.

Renavin and his wolves have entered the room with great haste, checking most nooks and crannies for wherever the noise had come from. However, upon further exception, there seemed to be no one inside the room. There was very poor lighting and whoever it might be, there were well hidden somewhere. Renavin grew slightly more suspicious about this as the whimpering had suddenly stopped upon them reaching the door and entering.

"Hmm...it seems no one is-...hm?" Renavin looked down to see the wolves acting up a bit as they raised their ears and looked back toward the door. He stared at them for a moment before decided to follow match their senses with his. Upon listening to what the wolves were hearing, all he could hear was metal scrapping against metal. Honestly, it sounded more like. "...Armor and chain mail...!!!" Renavin had noticed a little too late, as the sound of the main hall being bursted open can be heard.

"SPREAD OUT!"

"Hm...we got trouble..." Renavin took out his deck of familiar and quickly cut his hand, tossing them up into the air before four more wolves were summon, with a total of six prepared altogether. The knights of Mathews have seemed to taken a hold of the bottom floor, and judging by the fact the fallen knights are trying to communicate to them, that they were the ones that most likely hired the guards to silence them. "That's a lot of knights even for me....And I rather not cause a lot of issues by killing all of them based off their arrival...." Killing 30 knights and an heir to the Mathew house was not an easy task, but even if it was simple they could cause serious political imbalance between Necessarius and the Knights without evidence or rightful cause.

"...Ohoho~...A daughter huh. Hope she's legal~." Renavin teased a bit, but soon turned to a face more ominous as he sent his wolves to separate rooms, but they didn't seem to be searching for anything, rather just tucking away in the shadows. "Quickly. Both of you find the daughter, take one of the wolves to help sniff her out. They don't know we are still here potentially, so for now we must be quick before they notice...The daughter i'm afraid will be a great help to this case. Caesar-sama, any objections to this plan?"

«What!?»

Stiyl Magnus was no fool. While it may be a fact that he had drowned like an amateur swimmer out on the stormy sea over the course of the negotiations with the Beathen’s Head Maid, his mind could easily draw the necessary connection when the bad news had been delivered.

And of course it lead him to grit his teeth in annoyance.

Cursing the rotten luck that came along with this situation, that mountain of a teenage boy kept quite while the host took care of their own business. He may have had the urge to interfere, yet there was still the awareness that they were just the guests and therefore on rather sensitive grounds.

Even hiding, as much as he despised the idea of the investigation getting further obstructed, had to become a possible option…

As the moments passed the flame magician remained silent, turning towards a corner of the room for anger management’s sake.

Only when the two other guests would be brought, he would turn around again, having calmed himself down only slightly. Their sight alone carried along new issues; issues he wasn’t given the time to deal with, due to the Head Maid once again cutting into his accelerating thoughts and mood.

«I have to apologise my dear children, relations with other houses, in particular with that of Mathews, are very delicate right now, and as long you stand in these very halls we will protect you from the very dangers of our worl—d»

Admittedly, being a Magician serving under Necessarius he couldn’t care less about the political relationships among the Knights of England, however…

«This isn't good; this isn't good at all. Knights of Mathews numbering at least thirty are heading to the Tempus estate.»

«That doesn’t sound like a friendly visit at all.»

Clicking his tongue that strange priest finally turned towards the room’s centre of attention, not hiding the thoughts that just crossed his mind in the slightest.

«Technically we’re not here to involve ourselves in the internal troubles of the knights and as it stands things would become even more troublesome if we stayed. Therefore I’d love you to show us the easiest path out of here, Martha. Immediately.»

Indeed, there was nothing to gain from remaining here. If what his gut told him was on the mark, simply hiding during the visit would do no good; thus leaving the sinking ship would make the only logical action to take. Not to forget that there was still the pride of a member of the Anglican Church within him, making it fully unacceptable to lower himself as much as too accept the protection offered by one of their kind.

With even more troublesome events stacked on top of already quite troublesome events, when exactly was his mood supposed to get any better?

Unfazed by the abrupt news, Erin politely followed the distressed Knight up to the second floor to meet her client in a more official manner for the first time. There would be time to respond to Atsa's inquiries later. Naturally, she had already memorized all the possible routes of escape as she was led to their room. She couldn't quite make out the context of what was being discussed on the inside, but it was not pleasant. The small bird which accompanied their trip up the stairs had not gone unnoticed by the young, overdressed detective, but as was her style, she elected not to call attention to it and just move with the flow.

Once the door was opened to allow the two partners in anti-crime entry, the first thing aside from possible escape routes which stood out to Erin was Stiyl Magnus. Curiosity filled her train of thought, and rather than simply approaching the towering man like a normal person in order to introduce herself and try to understand him, she found herself staring momentarily at his perceived strange appearance silently in a manner that would not escape his notice. She couldn't help but try to immediately build a profile on him in her mind; there was simply no reason for the man to look the way he does unless he wanted to stand out and be noticed. Who wore full Priest's robes to a murder investigation? She began to wonder if he too was a Knight, a Magician, another investigator, or even a wandering Priest who for some reason saw fit to get involved in the case. That was when she noticed how much they contrasted. Here was a tall, red-haired young man to her short blue-haired young woman.

However, this momentary curiosity quickly faded once she recalled what she was there for. Turning to meet Martha's gaze, she stood at attention and was about to announce her arrival as professionally as she could when Martha began to speak first.

"I have to apologise my dear children, relations with other houses, in particular with that of Mathews, are very delicate right now, and as long you stand in these very halls we will protect you from the very dangers of our worl—d"

The small blue bird began to chirp, interrupting the Head Maid, which Erin believed to be an odd irony considering she too had been cut off only seconds earlier. However, the look on her client's face was grim, and it didn't take a genius to understand that something didn't go according to plan.

"This isn't good; this isn't good at all. Knights of Mathews numbering at least thirty are heading to the Tempus estate."

"That doesn’t sound like a friendly visit at all."

Being unfamiliar with the politics and inner machinery of the Magic Side, it didn't even take her very long to realize what may possibly be happening, so it was for the best that she act as thought she knew what they were talking about. The irritated reaction from that tall man only reinforced her strategy, as he willfully surrendered even more information in her presence without even needing prodding or creative questioning.

"Technically we’re not here to involve ourselves in the internal troubles of the knights and as it stands things would become even more troublesome if we stayed. Therefore I’d love you to show us the easiest path out of here, Martha. Immediately."

The man wasn't a Knight, then. He too was an outsider, but one already familiar with the politics involved in the case. It is quite probable he belongs to another faction which has an uneasy or even secretive alliance with this Knight family, or at least has some vested interest in making sure the culprit or culprits are found. However, in this agitated state they were now in, Erin would have to ponder this connection later. For now, it was go time.

She cleared her throat in order to get the attention of everybody in the room, taking charge as best she could without overstepping her bounds.

"I wonder if it would be possible to slip out through one of the windows into the back of the property in order to escape their notice. I'm sure none of us would mind making a quick exit for a short time...especially if you could lend us one of your birds to let us know where all the visitors are located on and around the premises so avoiding them would be far more plausible. A bird could also perhaps allow us to keep in contact with one another, particularly if vital information regarding the case happens to slip out of their mouths while we can't be there."

She was thankful to have showed up wearing boots rather than high heels today.

The sudden appearance of the knight and the news of the uninvited guests didn't bode well with Atsa at all. It seemed that his hope of a generally peaceful visit to the mansion was coming to an end very quickly as he went up the stairs with the knight. On his way up he took a curious glance at the blue bird that was sitting on the railing wondering why it was there while the rest of the birds he had seen were in their cages. His glance at the bird lasted a few seconds before he looked ahead and began following the knight to the room again while pondering the presence of the bird in the back of his mind.

Upon entering the room Atsa took a quick glance around the room to see if he could find anything interesting. Afterwards he moved his gaze over to the red haired magician and the maid who were in the room waiting for them. After looking over these two he could tell that the red haired magician was probably one of the members of Necessaruis that had been sent out before him, while maid was obviously the representative of the Beathen's family and as such also most likely the person that hired Erin Lightheart.

"I have to apologise my dear children, relations with other houses, in particular with that of Mathews, are very delicate right now, and as long you stand in these very halls we will protect you from the very dangers of our worl—d" Atsa watched closely as the maid stopped to listen to the tweeting of the bird and his interest peaked when he found that the maid's expression changed to one of displeasure as she listened to the bird.
"This isn't good; this isn't good at all. Knights of Mathews numbering at least thirty are heading to the Tempus estate." Immediately two things became clear to Atsa. The first was just as he had predicted when the knight had called them upstairs, the calm before the storm was over and he it was time to get to work. The other thing he learned was just how the mansions security actually worked, Atsa's had understood what the bird had said as it was chirping on the maid's shoulder and as such he knew that she was able to communicate with it due to her response. It was suddenly so clear that these birds were the Beathen's eyes and ears.
"So it was the birds, the sneaky little bastards" he murmured to himself in voice so quiet it was barely audible.

"That doesn’t sound like a friendly visit at all."
"Technically we’re not here to involve ourselves in the internal troubles of the knights and as it stands things would become even more troublesome if we stayed. Therefore I’d love you to show us the easiest path out of here, Martha. Immediately."

"I wonder if it would be possible to slip out through one of the windows into the back of the property in order to escape their notice. I'm sure none of us would mind making a quick exit for a short time...especially if you could lend us one of your birds to let us know where all the visitors are located on and around the premises so avoiding them would be far more plausible. A bird could also perhaps allow us to keep in contact with one another, particularly if vital information regarding the case happens to slip out of their mouths while we can't be there."

Atsa listened closely as the conversation progressed. It was true that it would probably be for the best for them to leave the Beathen's house as soon as possible in order to avoid sparking any conflict between the Beathen and Matthew Houses. Despite this Atsa was still a bit upset about not getting to take a closer look around the house especially the artifact room Erin had gone in that he didn't get to see. He had decided to stay quiet but he liked the idea about bringing a blue bird with them in order to keep a line of communication up between them and the Beathen House. However, he was hesitant on escape out the window plan wondering if the maid knew a better escape route for them to use.

Vita, Renavin, and Alex all rushed into the room at once, unsure of what they would find beyond. They all likely had their own apprehensions. But the moment she entered, a cold chill ran down Vita's spine. It had nothing to do with her initial impressions of the room, filled with toys and a trail of blood that led suspiciously up to a display case. It wasn't that some sixth sense had gone off. Rather, the cause was the way the cries of the girl had abruptly stopped the very moment they entered the room. That observation, and the sheer coincidence of the timing, bothered her tremendously.

Not moving from the entryway of the room, Vita neglected to search the room beyond her first glance and began thinking, leaving the search entirely up to her companions. First, the two knights who had attacked them. They were still lying downstairs, unattended. Next, the cry from upstairs. It had led them here, but stopping to think about it, that was incredibly suspicious. There had already been a preliminary investigation and clean-up of the case; either Necessarius or one of the knight factions had come and neatly organized the corpses. Would they really have missed a survivor, and one that had remained in the house, at that?

Her premonition was becoming clearer. If her suspicion was right, then that cry, which had lead them here and away from the incapacitated knight was...!

"...Armor and chain mail...!!!"

"SPREAD OUT!"

Renavin noticed before she did, but only by a moment. Noise filled the hall below, and Vita's doubts were confirmed all at once. She didn't know whether or not there really was a survivor or not, but that cry had definitely been made to lure them here. They had completely fell for the ploy, and been thoroughly cornered as a result. But what was the goal? She followed Alex and peeked out into the main hall just as he did to observe, hoping that she could gather some more information.

"Where is the daughter? We're missing a body, didn't the report say they were all recovered?"

"Another daughter? Could it be?"

"So she's real..." she whispered, quietly enough that Alex and perhaps Renavin would hear, but the knights would not. She hadn't missed Alex's remark, but that would have to be tabled for now. There was simply no time to address it in this situation. For now, she had to quickly report a short summary of the conclusions she'd reached after seeing the knights downstairs and overheard their orders. She didn't know if Alex or Renavin had noticed, but in the event that they hadn't it was imperative that they be made aware.

"Quickly. Both of you find the daughter, take one of the wolves to help sniff her out. They don't know we are still here potentially, so for now we must be quick before they notice... The daughter I'm afraid will be a great help to this case. Caesar-sama, any objections to this plan?"

"The daughter was a trap, probably set by whoever set those knights on us. I don't know if the new group downstairs are in on it or not, but I doubt whoever lured us here did it with good intentions. Those two we defeated downstairs are definitely not going to be telling the truth, and the fact that we were drawn here specifically means our presence in this room is significant somehow."

She'd explained in a low voice, emphasizing the importance of what she was saying as much as possible. It was just a basic outline of the situation, and further guesswork would be necessary to illuminate the specifics of their predicament, but that would suffice for the moment. It got the message across.

"I agree that finding the daughter would be good, but we don't have much time. We have to avoid being caught here. If we can't find her, we have to flee!"

(Renavin, Alex, and Vita)

"Quickly. Both of you find the daughter, take one of the wolves to help sniff her out. They don't know we are still here potentially, so for now we must be quick before they notice... The daughter I'm afraid will be a great help to this case. Caesar-sama, any objections to this plan?"

"The daughter was a trap, probably set by whoever set those knights on us. I don't know if the new group downstairs are in on it or not, but I doubt whoever lured us here did it with good intentions. Those two we defeated downstairs are definitely not going to be telling the truth, and the fact that we were drawn here specifically means our presence in this room is significant somehow. I agree that finding the daughter would be good, but we don't have much time. We have to avoid being caught here. If we can't find her, we have to flee!"

Alexander continued to observe the situation as the Knights of Mathews spread out through the bottom level of the estate. His focused remained on the one in charge, and there was a good reason for it. But in his defense, the Beathen Knight had a hard time remembering his childhood. But thinking about it the name of the one in charge was called Sir Robert Mathews.

He was a little older than Alexander himself, and he knew this Knight was rather good at tracking so sooner or later he would find them and the missing daughter. But he wasn't the type of man to act irrationally despite his hatred for the Church.

He's currently waiting out, while discussing the situation with his knights.

Seeing this Alexander stepped backwards slowly, making sure he didn't make much noise as he crept back into that child's play room. Again his mind seemed to have played tricks as shadows of children past his eyes, the sound of them playing was a distant echo from the past.

He had been here before, and despite it being his distant memories trying to claw that fact into him. Alexander knew this wasn't as important now rather than finding out how to get themselves out this mess. He was aware that without any doubt that if any of the magicians get killed it will spark political crises between the two factions. Though the same can be said for them killing the knights, but there was way around it that only would damage his family's reputation.

But there are some things more important than one's family reputation, the survival of this country depended on the stability of the three factions. If one side becomes unstable, it's very easy for the three sides to collapse into chaos.

It was a fragile play of stately affairs and not something Alexander enjoyed. He thought this reality needed to progress beyond this mindless faction politics. So it was important to solve this matter rather quickly, before any damage effects the stability of the three faction system.

But first, it was important to give the other knight family no reasons to establish blame on the church for the actions of these magicians and all those who want to help figure out these murders. So reaching into his pocket, Alexander had taken out two signet rings which had the Beathen mark. But before he can think of it further he had noticed something moving outside the window. The gap between this building and the one next was small, leaving only a narrow passage way which lead to the back of the property. Which mean the windows of the next building was awkwardly close if you weren't use to it. But this also meant it was impossible to hide if you're trying to sneak through the back.

Of course, when knowing this wouldn't the obvious knight from House Mathews even bother trying to creep round the back. But maybe this was a clear message to Alexander who had a heavy understanding of Knight's tactics and methods of approaching most situations.

A knight in full armour was attempting to creep around the side and that only ment one thing.

"Well the party is over, Robert knows we're here. But does he know who?" Alexander had thought knowing it was simply understanding of how knights act. There was no need to creep if they didn't know anyone else was here. If they already knew a mere grandstanding would often get followed by quieter footsteps. But there is also the possibility knowing the target can twist that understanding to suit the target.

Though knowing this doesn't mean they should just give themselves up. So Alexander quietly headed back to the two magicians to object to what both they had planned. Though his voice was lower enough so only the magicians could hear him.

"I have to object to what you two are planning. As I'm sure, you both understands what it means if you end up getting killed here, and I promise you if given a reason the Knights will try to kill you. I'm not sure how powerful either you two are, and I'm devaluing neither of you. But I think it's clear with reason no magician should jump at the chance to be the first to confront the Knights. The action would mean serious political consequences both ways, and we can't risk provoking faction tensions. And I rather not give the Knights more reason to hate you guys, it'd be good for us to get along but as for now that seems impossible I had prepared these just in case." Alexander had said showing the two magicians the signet rings. "Put these on and any action you take against Knights, the consequences would be levied against my house. Of course I plea you don't act recklessly and only take action when there is no other choice. But you have a choice here and that's to allow me to keep an eye on them, while you both find that daughter. As I believe strongly she is real and is too frightened to come out."

---

(Stiyl, Erin, Atsa)

"That doesn’t sound like a friendly visit at all."
"Technically we’re not here to involve ourselves in the internal troubles of the knights and as it stands things would become even more troublesome if we stayed. Therefore I’d love you to show us the easiest path out of here, Martha. Immediately."

"I wonder if it would be possible to slip out through one of the windows into the back of the property in order to escape their notice. I'm sure none of us would mind making a quick exit for a short time...especially if you could lend us one of your birds to let us know where all the visitors are located on and around the premises so avoiding them would be far more plausible. A bird could also perhaps allow us to keep in contact with one another, particularly if vital information regarding the case happens to slip out of their mouths while we can't be there."

The demand to leave was expected, and one which barely surprised Martha in the slightest. She nodded with a casual smile as the magicians spoke in turns. She never expected a warm relationship between the Beathen house and the church but she did expect something of cooperation.

I guess she first needs to give them the willing hand to act in this world.

"I would be happy to fulfil your wish darling, but you now give this old lady a moment as she needs to give you something." Martha said with a tongue in check response and took out a small black box from the drawer of the desk. Opening it to reveal a few signet rings in place with some already missing from the box. There seemed to be more than enough for everyone in the room and with some to spare. "As long you have these on you free reign on do what you must to solve this mystery. Any action you take against the knights, the consequences would be levied against this house and while that's a risk for us. The price is well worth the cost if it means bringing light to this situation. Just don't over due it please, because these can't protect the status quo if you lot get killed in the process." Martha said explaining the purpose of them. It was up to them to either take them or not but doing so was the in the best interest of keeping the status quo between the Church and Knights.

The only issue was if they would get killed it would be a direct attack on the Church, instead of the other way round if they kill knights the blame will be on the Beathen house due to those rings. They were tools to act in their name.

"Now the only reasonable way to get out of here is to leave through the back garden. I would suggest the windows, but I rather not clean the mess up and Lord Beathen would insist we didn't break them either. But I guess know you guys have those rings, we can't exactly complain if you take actions to help solve this situation. Just you know be fair on these old bones... " Martha said who walked to the study door and the moment she opened the door you could hear men arguing at the front door. It had involved a lot of talk about honour and the failings of the church.

And though she would normally wait, the old maid was rather slow at walking so she thought she would leave them to their own devices.

"Sometimes the truth is harder to accept than a lie and maybe sometimes its worth to keep the truth buried. But I'll allow you to figure out among yourselves what that truly means. Right now, these old bones are needed to shut the loud individuals up at the front door. So I can't fulfil your request Stiyl, but you should know there are more than one way to reach anywhere in this house. And good luck Erin, you would find suitable reward for your services the moment you find Sir Alexander." Martha said in response before a small nod and leaving their sight from the doorway. She wouldn't have gone far because she is a fast walker, but she had to leave it to them to act on their own.

She trusted them to act on their own, though it was not her trust but more of the Lord's son. That boy had faith in the church more than any knights, maybe it was faith misplaced but what would an old servant like Martha had the right to question the Lord heir's beliefs?

"The daughter was a trap, probably set by whoever set those knights on us. I don't know if the new group downstairs are in on it or not, but I doubt whoever lured us here did it with good intentions. Those two we defeated downstairs are definitely not going to be telling the truth, and the fact that we were drawn here specifically means our presence in this room is significant somehow. I agree that finding the daughter would be good, but we don't have much time. We have to avoid being caught here. If we can't find her, we have to flee!"

Renavin would look over to the skeptic Empress, as she felt the situation was a bit unreal. Renavin himself did say there was likely no survivors during the massacre, however, the chances that the daughter of the house being alive was not 0. Even if it was merely 1%, it was the lead they needed if they planned on solving this bizarre situation.

The Knights of Mathews have not yet released what exactly they wanted from the daughter. The fact they are searching frantically with a large group is suspicious enough as it is. And the fact that the pair of knights they had dealt with downstairs are trying to converse with them was a giant red flag.

"I have to object to what you two are planning. As I'm sure, you both understands what it means if you end up getting killed here, and I promise you if given a reason the Knights will try to kill you. I'm not sure how powerful either you two are, and I'm devaluing neither of you. But I think it's clear with reason no magician should jump at the chance to be the first to confront the Knights. The action would mean serious political consequences both ways, and we can't risk provoking faction tensions. And I rather not give the Knights more reason to hate you guys, it'd be good for us to get along but as for now that seems impossible I had prepared these just in case." Alexander had said showing the two magicians the signet rings. "Put these on and any action you take against Knights, the consequences would be levied against my house. Of course I plea you don't act recklessly and only take action when there is no other choice. But you have a choice here and that's to allow me to keep an eye on them, while you both find that daughter. As I believe strongly she is real and is too frightened to come out."

Renavin stared at the two rings as what Alexander was suggesting was rather risky. Sure, he was correct on the fact that if magicians are caught fighting against knights without proper verification, there will be a huge struggle to sort things out, and the three major powers in Europe are fairly fragile in terms of their checks and balances. This could turn into a big political scandal if they aren't careful.

On the other hand, the Beathen house may be in the hot seat, if not completely removed from their position among the other knights. The way the young heir had spoke, it was easy to assume that he was okay with the idea of sacrificing one for the many if it ever came to that. They didn't have much of a choice either way, as the Beathen's involvement would be sorted out eventually. "Good thinking. We will try to avoid conflict the best we can for the sake of all of us.~" Renavin nodded to the young man as he looked toward the stairs. "I suggest we prioritize on finding the girl still...While we have a limited window to escape, the fact that they brought so many people to find one girl just emphasizes her importance. Whether or not they already knew we were here, I refuse to take a chance to leave a mourning beauty behind~." He continued to speak in a casual and settled tone, seeming rather carefree about everything, when his actions and ideas were anything but. "However, I cannot do it alone, so if both choose to leave I will have no choice but to let the poor girl go. But think of how your morals will be damage for leaving such a defenseless girl.~"

With the situation’s tension as stressing as it was, Stiyl still felt slightly surprised by the calmness the head maid presented. Not only did she take the moment to fetch something she had to pass onto them, but for some reason he himself could feel her voice invoking a hint of calmness within himself.

«I see.»

There was some hint of surprise and respect in his voice upon taking one of the rings from the box. He knew well what such symbols would stand for in this society. It was rare to be given such a thing, since you’d either obtain them once you’ve gained a great amount of trust, or when there was no other choice left. For them under the current circumstances it would likely be the latter. However that wouldn’t change the rings’ meaning.
While his temper may have gotten him to be a little too rough on the old lady, he now felt inclined to give a slight bow, in honour to that sign of trust they had been given. Then he would put that ring on one of his fingers, adding another to his already outstanding collection; only that this one would hold special meaning.

Listening her speak further, he nodded a few times, before hearing her final words towards them.

«Sometimes the truth is harder to accept than a lie and maybe sometimes its worth to keep the truth buried. But I'll allow you to figure out among yourselves what that truly means. Right now, these old bones are needed to shut the loud individuals up at the front door. So I can't fulfil your request Stiyl, but you should know there are more than one way to reach anywhere in this house. And good luck Erin, you would find suitable reward for your services the moment you find Sir Alexander.»

Stiyl Magnus wasn’t the type to get all sentimental on such occasions. This most definitely wouldn’t be the time for him to change. Yet still, the way Martha Poppins had said it, had felt definite.

«We’re going.»

The moment she had left the room, that strange priest had set his own sights towards a different door, leading them towards a corridor that’d on the other hand lead to a smaller stairway, existing besides the main ones. He hadn’t had much time to spy into the mansion’s exact architecture, but that one was known to him, had he been forced to enter the building through a side path, likely used by the house’s servants.

Indeed, it may have been quicker to simply take a leave through the windows, however even a boy with his temper would occasionally pay respect to the wishes of those that deserved it. Of course he wouldn’t admit.

«Hurry and stay silent!»

He was pressing his company while taking the lead without any consideration for their wishes. They didn’t really have the time to waste standing around like fools, discussing their next steps, only to then be cornered all of a sudden. A few things were currently at stake, a few very troublesome things. Troublesome enough to make him fully ignore that one other issue that was so heavily pressing on his stomach…

…just who was that girl and what was she doing here!?

The overdressed Welsh-Irish guest was somewhat confused by the turn of events, having not yet been briefed on the exact details of the case and even the parties involved. Letting the others get any sort of indication of this confusion was her top priority though, so she simply kept quiet and listened for contextual clues. Those Knights who came visiting were definitely not on any more than barely tolerated diplomatic terms with the Beathens and perhaps even the Church everybody kept talking about, which the impatient Priest probably belonged to.

The intense urgency of the situation however allowed her little time with which to ponder and come up with theories about possible political entanglements and their relation to the current situation. The rings were then bestowed to them rather unexpectedly, and this took her by surprise. She disliked the nobility and its symbols of unequal power and influence, but she was also being paid to work for them this time and did not want to make a scene through disrespecting her client. With obvious hesitation, she took one of the presented rings and looked at Martha.

"I'll make sure to return this when the case is over. I'll absolutely bring it back."

As escaping through the window was not exactly necessary by Martha's own admission, Erin quickly turned to move at a rapid pace toward that other door around the same time the crimson Priest made the same decision. However, there was an awkward moment in which she opened it herself and graciously allowed him to enter ahead of her with a simple gesture. Despite Stiyl's obvious irritated leadership and requests to conduct their escape in a hushed manner, Erin was already silent and seemed to be making her own way out alongside him instead of simply following his lead. Any perceived disrespect to his authority was unintended of course; it was her intention to quietly leave in as quick a manner as possible.

Her polite smile and lack of reaction to his abrasive requests would likely only serve to further exacerbate his curiousity concerning her appearance, role, and identity, however. There was nothing she could do to sate his idle suspicions until they reached safety. It was there that she planned to drill him and Atsa about the details she was lacking about the murders and political situation. Naturally, she didn't plan to have them realize how little she actually knew about the world of Magic, but she had a way with words, didn't she?

A dark and defeated look appeared in Atsa's eyes as he watched the situation unfold. He had gotten himself pulled into a political mess between two Knight families and the Church that he was almost certain would end in conflict between the three groups. Besides that he had also left his bow and quiver by the front door thus making it impossible for him to retrieve it without risking the possibility of running into the Matthew's representative. However, his train of thought was quickly brought back to the scene in front of him as the head maid took out the Beathen's rings.

"As long you have these on you free reign on do what you must to solve this mystery. Any action you take against the knights, the consequences would be levied against this house and while that's a risk for us. The price is well worth the cost if it means bringing light to this situation. Just don't over due it please, because these can't protect the status quo if you lot get killed in the process."

Atsa quickly became very alert as he came to the full realization that it was no longer just his hide at risk anymore and hesitantly took the ring from the box. As he placed the ring around his finger he gave a slight nod towards the head maid to express his gratitude. Then turned to follow Erin and the red haired priest out the door into the halls of the mansion.

As they moved quietly through the halls Atsa took once last glance around the mansion and at the artifact room that he was slightly upset he didn't get a good look at. Nevertheless he still continued to follow Erin and the priest as silently as possible as he entered into his hunting stance he used back when he was stalking his prey while hunting with his tribe. His back was bent slightly forward with his legs moving swiftly but quietly as he moved through the halls. In a few moments they passed out through another door and were outside the mansion near the servants' entrance.

Once outside Atsa movements slowed and came to a sudden stop as he looked up at the large bird circling the mansion. "Sorry to slow you down but just give me a moment."   As he was saying this his hand was rustling through his pocket and in the next moment he would pull out a small container. Quickly unscrewing the container Atsa pulled a dead mouse out of it and held the mouse between two of his fingers with his arm held up towards the sky. At first this would seem very odd to his company but in a moment his reason for doing this became quite clear as a large eagle swooped down from the air, snatched up the mouse, and took it place on Atsa shoulder. "Time to get back to work."   Atsa said to the bird while he pluck one of its feathers out placing it next to the collection of feathers on his head and pulling one of his hairs out and tieing it around the birds leg.

In response to Alex's offer, Vita reached out and moved to grasp one of the rings. When her hand had enclosed the one she had chosen, but had yet to take it, she abruptly stopped and stared Alex straight in the eyes with a clear gaze. Aside from a complete lack of any sort of apprehension, there was no particular emotion to be read from those eyes. And after spending what was merely a half second but had felt like much longer, she spoke.

"I will accept your proposal, on a single condition."

Her tone was the same as her expression; utterly clear, devoid of the slightest ripple. You could look into it as much you would like, but you would only see your reflection, only hear the impressions that you yourself had created. Nothing of Vita's own mind could be gleaned from her voice.

"I have a spell. It is both simple and harmless. When two parties make an agreement, it makes it so that if either breaks it both are made immediately aware. It can only be used if both parties are aware of the full details of its existence and use. So, if we are to give you, who appeared out of nowhere and who could very well be deceiving and stalling us here, our trust, then..."

With her free hand, Vita popped a grape from her bag, and it immediately burned to nothing without leaving even ashes. Now that she'd given her offering, the preparations were complete.

"Do ut des, Jupiter. The terms of the contract are that Alexander Beathen, Vita Vesta Caesar, and Tomokota Renavin shall each give each other our trust, and not knowingly betray it under any circumstances. Do the two of you accept?"

It was a completely harmless spell. No matter what, it couldn't even kill a fly. The contract could not even be enforced; either party was free to break it as they pleased. However, it was precisely because of that that asking someone to accept a contract under the terms of the spell was so revealing. Even more so than the effects of the spell itself, it's true worth lie in the simple admittance of its existence. It's greatest use lie in the attempt to use it.

If the other party refuses to accept the contract, than they implicitly admit that they are not to be trusted. After all, because of the fact there should be absolutely no disadvantage to them if they truly are trustworthy, they should have no reason to refuse in the first place. In other circumstances, then this would serve the purpose of either forcing them to reveal themselves or to place a restraint on their actions from then on, but here and now the very act of accepting the contract would immediately reveal him if Alex were deceiving them.

From the moment those two knights had attacked them, Vita and Renavin had somehow been dragged into a battle where fights were fought not only with the silver swords but silver tongues as well. In such circumstances, even more important than repelling your enemies was confirming whether your enemies truly are your enemies and whether your allies truly are your allies. Switching the two was a standard but deadly tactic with infinite variations. So naturally, before moving on to confront any more 'enemies', Vita had to confirm once and for all that their 'allies' were indeed allies. It may indicate that Vita did not hold faith in Alex or Renavin and damage their relationship somewhat, but this was something that, in her eyes, had to be done. It absolutely had to be done before they took even a single step more.

Atsa, Erin and Stiyl

When anyone first arrived at any of the estate homes in this area, no one wouldn't blame you if you thought it was unlikely there were any back gardens to any of them. How the Estates are positioned, they looked closely packed together and wouldn't have much room for either estate to have a garden. But when the group stepped out to the back, they saw something totally unexpected.

High edgeways that were taller than any man, so big it even made Stiyl seem small in comparison. In fact boxed the view into a long but narrow garden. It was filled with many bright flowers which hid away a small pond with many Lilly pads with thriving family of frogs. There was also a small area with an old fashion table and chairs but what stood out most was the out of place archway which was stationed by two Beathen knights.

It seemed this little hideaway of the perfectly preserved garden is not all that it seemed.

"Tell me again who did this? Martha almost broke the back wall of the estate when she saw it." The Knight on the right said referring to the big gaping hole in the hedge wall. You can see in the middle of the leaves was a hard solid wall, but it was not blasted through or cut through in any shape or form. It seemed like the hole which looked like an Archway appears to have always been there. "It's old magic originating from the island of Crete. It seemed Lord Alexander guest's for the past week had left a parting gift." Said the knight on the left who was followed by a big sigh from his partner.

"....God damn, we all know what happens when that guy drinks. He creates a fucking labyrinth outside your window. But I guess it would serve to stall them prats from trying to get us from behind. Bloody bastards those Knights in Mathews, I have a feeling they are out there in the maze trying to find their way here." the Knight on the right joked as the one on the left followed. "Those Mathews dogs can never only use just the front door. They have to try and go from behind but sucks to be them we had a drunk magician from Greece here this past week. Or maybe just a thoughtful Heir."

Noticing the presence of the magicians, the two bantering knight lowered their voice as they continued to stand guard at the archway which leads to the Labyrinth beyond.  

---

Alex, Vita and  Renavin

"I have a spell. It is both simple and harmless. When two parties make an agreement, it makes it so that if either breaks it both are made immediately aware. It can only be used if both parties are aware of the full details of its existence and use. So, if we are to give you, who appeared out of nowhere and who could very well be deceiving and stalling us here, our trust, then. Do ut des, Jupiter. The terms of the contract are that Alexander Beathen, Vita Vesta Caesar, and Tomokota Renavin shall each give each other our trust, and not knowingly betray it under any circumstances. Do the two of you accept?"

There was no need to think about it more than a second, there was something they had to understand about this situation right now.

"Of course I accept the contract, sometimes in life you have to take a leap of faith and see where it takes you. That is what I have done and that is what these rings represent." Alexander answered in response, the genuine words should of said everything about his intentions. He was here for the purpose to solving the mystery for the sake of his own family.

And he was willing to work with anyone if it meant protecting his family.

But he has a duty more than just his own family, but to the other knights and even magicians. They were all citizens, we're all citizens of this country and it was his duty to protect them. What was clear now is that Robert knew they were here, the small talk between him and his fellow knights was just small talk.

Buying time for his old soldiers to surround the entire estate.

But soon enough they would storm the entire second floor giving us no option to escape, but they couldn't just yet as Alexander had felt it was better for them to find the daughter than leave it to that man.

Turning to the two magicians he spoke to them one final time before making another risky leap of faith. "I'll buy you both time, just do what needs to be done to find that daughter and let me know if you find anything." Alexander said as he move foward while keeping his head down for a brief moment and only before standing tall in full sight of the Knights of Mathews.

The only one who wasn't surprised was Robert Mathews, who watched carefully as Alexander walked towards the top of the staircase with a sword in hand while looking down to him. "I know you were playing hide and seek but did you had to show yourself now? You made the whole idea of surrounding this place seem pretty pointless." Robert said as Alex smirked in response who started to walk down the stairs one step at a time before stopping halfway.

"What's the matter  Sir Robert Mathews, you honestly think a Beathen would be too cowardly to show themselves? It wouldn't be the first time your family underestimates us." Alexander said with a sharp glare in his eyes that never left Robert for a single moment.

"I have a spell. It is both simple and harmless. When two parties make an agreement, it makes it so that if either breaks it both are made immediately aware. It can only be used if both parties are aware of the full details of its existence and use. So, if we are to give you, who appeared out of nowhere and who could very well be deceiving and stalling us here, our trust, then. Do ut des, Jupiter. The terms of the contract are that Alexander Beathen, Vita Vesta Caesar, and Tomokota Renavin shall each give each other our trust, and not knowingly betray it under any circumstances. Do the two of you accept?"

Renavin would turn toward the small Empress, as she began expressing herself and wished to cover up the possibility of betrayal from the Beathen heir. Of course, Renavin never trusted him to begin with, but wanted to use his assistance as much as possible. Caesar, however, had the perfect spell for the instance that he does betray them. He wasn't sure how the spell worked which is why they were given a brief explanation and smiled once they were asked if they accepted it.

"Anything for her majesty~." He smiled and bowed his head slightly, as the loyal servant he was. He made the vow and the spell was ready as he looked at the Beathen boy who seemed to be a bit anxious about those downstairs and surrounding the building.

"I'll buy you both time, just do what needs to be done to find that daughter and let me know if you find anything."

Renavin would nod silently as his four wolves would begin silently skimping down the hall sniffing whatever they can to find a foreign scent, two of them sniffing the room in which the whimpering was heard originally. There was no one there at first glance, but it could be they moved away when they heard them approaching the door. "The wolves will find her, but we must look ourselves if we wish to do this quickly~." He said as once they either found a scent to follow, or found nothing, they'd move to the next area, away from Alex so that he may distract them without them being in the same area as he was.

"Of course I accept the contract, sometimes in life you have to take a leap of faith and see where it takes you. That is what I have done and that is what these rings represent."

"Anything for her majesty~."

Once the other two finished speaking, a small warmth rose on their dominant forearms, then quickly faded. If they were to have glanced at it, they would have seen the word Iuppiter, the name of the god whose power this spell borrowed, appear before fading away in tandem with the warmth. That signified the ratification of the contract and the successful casting of the spell. Renavin's answer was expected, but Alex's was something that had gone either way. She had confidence that no matter, she could have managed it somehow, but this outcome was the easier of the two deal with.

"I see. A good answer." Which is why, with a self-satisfied smile, she spoke those words.

"I'll buy you both time, just do what needs to be done to find that daughter and let me know if you find anything."

"The wolves will find her, but we must look ourselves if we wish to do this quickly~."

"Of course. That goes without saying."

Those words could have been directed to either Alex, Renavin, or both, but Vita didn't bother specifying before she launched into a search of the room just as Renavin had requested. Her actions said what her words didn't. She was tacitly agreeing with both Renavin's desire to find the girl, which she had neglected to respond to in favor of offering the contract to Alex, and accepting the extra time that the knight had offered them. She ignored any heavy objects or furniture, trusting Renavin to check behind them, and instead inspected all open spaces, cracked open any closets or large containers, and looked under the bed and other large objects, searching all places for signs of life or recent activity.

Stiyl Magnus was not amused.

It wasn’t for the short break they actually had to take on his comrade’s request. Neither was it for the fact that they had to make a quick escape for reasons so sensitive, a war could be triggered on any wrong step. No, no. It was far simpler than that.

A fierce glance wandered towards the third member of this group, digging deep into the surface yet leaving the ice only in a fragile state, right on the verge of breaking.

For that act of hostility to last only for a hint of a moment, Stiyl finally settled on caring for more important matters. His eyes wandered around the pompous garden of the Beathen Estate, without any curiosity towards the never seen before landscape it might or might not host. The only interest he held was the discovery of the quickest and most easily handleable escape route available.

Unfortunately, word on that would quickly hit his ears.

The two guardians of what seemed to be the only exit were enjoying their chitchat a little too frivolously, revealing something of great and disheartening importance.

«Of course something like this had to happen.»

Just like the law of this world dictated, obstacles had to grow to insane extents before one could be permitted to arrive at their final goal.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, the red haired priest turned towards his company, as they would set into motion again. He didn’t even spare the time to grow fascinated by Atsa’s presentation of skill.

«Follow me. And don’t act on your own. From the sounds of it we’re about to step into a replica of the Cretan Labyrinth. And whatever that may mean for us, we can’t afford it to get to us just because someone is fooling around.»

Of course that someone was someone that was targeted in particular by the ways of his speech. Stiyl Magnus never went as soft as to hold back on any of his words.

Taking the lead just like before he would be the first to pass through the frighteningly unnatural entrance way the bushes had formed.

He had an idea of what to expect, one that was covered in an emotion of dislike. Magic had many ways, spells many origins. With the knowledge he had already gained, he already knew the meaning behind it. There was a strange taste to this, a really unlikable one.

Stiyl wasn’t daring enough to speak out his fears just yet, but at least he’d cling to the laminated card resting in his hand.