“It’s rather clear that the two, or even three of them, have grown quite close together,” Asterios answered. “Choosing one of them might, at best, introduce a bit of awkwardness into their friendship, and at worst, ruin it completely.”

  “I don’t think you should view them the same as the human females,” Althea offered her wisdom from the side.

  “That’s true, but they are still females from possibly even prouder races,” he countered.

  “In my opinion, they would definitely take that more as a confirmation that there truly is a chance for them to receive your affection rather than be jealous about their friend and create drama,” Grea said, for once without much of her usual bawdiness.

  Meeting their eyes for a while, Asterios exhaled slowly. “I’ll think about this. As I said, though, later. Gwen, can I ask you to take over before they delve even deeper into my love life? This combination placed in the same room is a recipe for disaster.”

  The women laughed, no one choosing to deny his quip, even taking it as a compliment.

  “Well, at least Tina seems reasonable enough not to guide you into my panties.” Gwen chuckled mirthfully. “For now.”

  “GWEN!” The person in question squawked indignantly, getting all red. “We are family!”

  “Still, I have a feeling you wouldn’t really do a lot to stop me if that was my intention, would you?” The younger sister raised a curious brow, seeing the older twin chewing on her lip. “Rest assured, though. While I might fawn a little over at least one person hanging around you, I’m not pinning after your man. Besides, someone has to inherit mother’s craft someday, even if your draconic boyfriend finds a way to somehow extend our lives without mating us.”

  “And what exactly is that craft?” Tina looked between her mother and sister. “How come I know nothing of it while you seem fully aware?”

  The pair peeked at each other too.

  “First of all, please accept my sincerest apology, Tina.” Lady Luna walked closer and lowered her head. “It was solely my decision to keep you out of the loop. Even if it wasn’t something I planned from the start. You were my chosen person for the majority of your life. Things have simply… changed… when you arrived at the academy.”

  “Yeah. That was a shocker.” Gwen snickered knowingly. “I never imagined my perfect sister would be able to fall this strongly. I heard you almost dropped out right before the end.”

  The implications were obvious. Tina’s cheeks bloomed with a rosy tone as her family brought up her obsession with Asterios. Maybe it had been a tiny bit too much to be considered normal by the usual standards.

  “Okay. That’s understandable. I have a feeling it’s something very important, and you did teach me how crucial it is to keep all things in consideration, so I don’t blame you, Mother. You need not apologize.” Tina took a deep breath to recollect herself. “So, what is it?”

  “You see, there’s a side to our family that only several members are aware of. And the new recruits receive full initiation during their study years. Before that, they are trained more covertly, of course. I didn’t push you so hard in certain areas just because of some silly notions like noble pride or superiority,” Lady Luna started to explain. “In short words, I’m the head of a secret organization that specializes in information gathering throughout the realm. Amongst the operatives, I’m called The Director. We originated a long time ago in this region and thus closely worked with the king’s men to ensure the prosperity of the domain.”

  Tina blinked at her blankly. “We… what?”

  Gwen placed a reassuring hand on her sister’s shoulder. “To put it simply, we are spies. Espionage is our craft. We have operatives in multiple places of high standing throughout the kingdom and the realm. Though any missions outside of our borders always come at certain risks because the main force consists of humans, more or less. Our people gather all kinds of information and deliver it to the proper hands if it’s something that might impact the common folk negatively. And no, we don’t really do assassinations or such, even if we might have a unit specialized in extracting compromised agents.”

  “That’s… crazy.” Asterios put his hands on his hips, looking between all the blue-haired women, then at his and Miria’s mothers. “But, I suppose it’s not as unbelievable as it might have been a year ago.”

  Tina, in turn, didn’t seem to be able to find the correct words to form a response, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Her sister and mother hugged her close apologetically.

  “Not that I’m mad or disappointed, but why would… how I behaved in the academy… disqualify me from this position?” she asked as they finally stepped back.

  “It didn’t take me long to realize that your heart has chosen its way. A lot of duties and responsibilities that I was going to bring upon your shoulders would oftentimes go against it. Just look at your younger sister. And no, I don’t mean her not having a lover. Abstaining from emotional or physical bonds isn’t some kind of a rule,” her mother replied.

  Giving her words some pondering, the Summoner girl cocked her head to the back. “You need to be ready to travel to many places and stay undercover there for gods know how long. It’s a difficult thing for relationships. Especially budding ones. You wanted to spare me this trouble.”

  “Exactly.” Her sister smiled warmly. “I mean, at that point, he was still a normal boy who caught your eye. You two needed space, time, and support. Mother couldn’t have expected things to develop as they had. We might have had our secrets, but his? It was the biggest case in the entire history of the organization.”

  “Does Father know?” Silvia inquired.

  “About the organization? Yes.” Lady Luna nodded. “About us? No. If you asked about me by name, he would tell you about our nobility. But if you brought up The Director, he would grow rather concerned. Actually, that might be fun to watch. His expression when hearing his sheltered daughter demanding to know about us would be priceless.”

  Kindra’s eyes glinted dangerously.

  Asterios pointed a finger at her. “Stop. Don’t torment the poor man. His heart is already stressed enough. Just thanks to your very person.”

  She looked like she wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to keep silent for now. From her gaze, Asterios easily discerned that it wasn’t a tease or some comedic quip. This was a topic she would like to touch upon with fewer people involved. Possibly only him.

  Sending her a mental acknowledgment, something he now could do, which felt very nice, he moved his focus to Tina’s mom.

  “Does this organization of yours have a name too, or does it not exist on paper?” he pondered out loud.

  “Noblesse,” both Nobelles answered in unison.

  Asterios deadpanned at them.

  “Really?” Grea cackled. “Don’t you think it hits way too close home?”

  “The darkest place is right underneath the lantern.” Lady Luna shrugged. “Plus, hiding in plain sight is kind of our mode of operation.”

  “No wonder Gwen picked up this specific profession.” Tina chuckled at her sister. “As a wandering guildmaster, you can get in everywhere, as long as our family creates a pretext for it. Brilliant.”

  “But wait, Suanori seemed to recognize her, didn’t she?” Bryn pointed out, and they all recalled the first meeting between the two women.

  “That was a close one.” Gwen laughed awkwardly. “Guildmaster Suanori worked with King Welrond before, and it so happens that we were involved too. I might not have been an operative at that time yet, but she interacted with our organization, and still sometimes submits requests with us. We don’t have the obligation to accept them, though. Nevertheless, she is a clever elf and an S-rank adventurer. I’m not surprised she picked up on the hints, already witnessing one of our swaps during her service.”

  “And so, this supposedly undercover surveillance clan has moved its base of operations to Dragon Valley.” Asterios massaged his forehead. “Now that I think of all this, how much did you know about me from the very beginning?”

  Tina’s mother displayed a dangerous smile, making him shiver.

  “Well, now. As a man who stole my dear daughter’s heart, it can be said that she wasn’t the only one stalking your every step.” She chuckled nobly.

  “I wasn’t stalking him!” Tina objected.

  “To answer your question, we obviously knew every detail of your life that was known in public and in private. I must admit, my friendship with Lady Kindra began for that specific reason, and I apologized for that a long time ago, even if she didn’t hold it against me,” the scheming woman admitted.

  “Oh, you know I would have done the same for Asti if I had the skills for it.” Ast’s mom swatted her playfully. “Just look where it got us. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to locate Radir so quickly.”

  Grea’s jaw hit the floor at the revelation.

  “That’s how you found my old man?!” she questioned in a dumbfounded voice.

  The pair of mothers chuckled mysteriously.

  “Back to you, Asterios, though, do you perhaps remember a lady with the name Ellie?” Lady Luna raised a brow at him.

  “You are kidding?!” Miria gasped loudly.

  Asterios fully shared her surprise. “She’s part of this?”

  “As you know from my daughter’s career path, the guild is one of the best sources of information and places to keep an eye on things.” Gwen’s mom spread her arms innocently. “After the girl who treated you like some underage bum when you first interacted with the guild while delivering that package suffered a tiny accident, we put someone more appropriate in her place. Ellie isn’t the elite, but for just reporting about your visits, she was more than enough.”

  Silvia stared at her with wide eyes.

  “She’s alive,” Gwen cleared up. “But considering the state of her reputation, she might as well wish not to be.”

  “Is that why no matter what my mother tried, Ellie had not an inkling of interest in me?” Asterios asked, multiple of their interactions flashing before his eyes.

  “Maybe a small part of it.” Lady Luna hummed thoughtfully. “But she truly considers you a real best friend and is simply not someone who is easily seduced. I’ve never seen her show any interest in the romantic side. Once in a while, you find a real loner from within the soul.”

  “I guess we’ll have to pay her a visit to let her know she doesn’t have to lie to us anymore, Master.” Miria smiled at him sweetly, and he nodded.

  “We will. That will certainly take a weight off her heart.” He nodded. “Now, I don’t think this is the investigation Gwen had in mind when she told us she had finished her report. Should we move on to more serious matters?”

  In just a moment, the jolly mood was replaced with something more sober and earnest while still remaining fairly relaxed. The time for jokes had ended.

  “I guess we should.” Gwen’s mother agreed with him. “Introductions and explanations behind us, we can finally share with you all we have managed to gather. Sweetie, would you mind sharing what we know?”

  Chapter 45

  The Familiars Have Ideas

  As Gwen reached for a packet of documents, everyone settled down around the coffee table. She hastily flipped through the pages to refresh her memory and organize her thoughts before clearing her throat and resting the material atop her lap.

  “Let me preface this by letting you know that it was a significantly difficult investigation,” she began. “As you know, those dwarves are extremely territorial, suspicious, and even racist. Therefore, don’t expect to hear about the inner confidences of the ruling clan. We never share information that isn’t certain to be true. Unless the client specifies that they wish to include our thoughts on the matter too. Which, in this case, I’ll try to add as often as I can.”

  “No matter how much, any advantage is of great value to us.” Asterios nodded in understanding.

  “Were you the one assigned to this job?” Tina asked with an unreadable expression.

  “No. I was here, learning from Guildmaster Suanori.” Gwen chuckled mirthfully. “But, honestly, I’m glad it wasn’t me. Even if logically, my chances of blending in out there were near zero, I would still do my best to complete the mission if Mother gave it to me.”

  “Did something happen?” Silvia picked up on the underlying tone.

  Lady Luna sighed deeply. “Our agent was compromised. Part of the reason why we haven’t gathered a lot.”

  The girls gasped at the news.

  “He is back with us now,” her younger daughter added. “The extraction team recovered him, and he is already reassigned after recovering. He should be resting until next month, but failure often drives people to do better. Not that anyone blames him for it. We all knew the dangers.”

  “Do they know it was us?” Asterios inquired. “That might complicate things going forward.”

  “Fear not. Our operatives are meticulously trained for the events of capture. It’s impossible for them to reveal anything regarding their task.” The organization’s leader smiled proudly. “Save for a few individuals at the top, no one knows any names, just that they are working for a clandestine society.”

  “There are ways to learn about things without forcing the captive to speak,” he pointed out, glancing at the shadowy form of Tia.

  Lady Luna understood and acknowledged what he was getting at.

  “Allow me to rephrase that statement.” She met his eyes with a fully confident gaze. “It’s impossible to gather any information about the task from our operatives.”

  “That sounds impossible on its own,” Althea commented.

  “Memory Wipe pill.” Gwen recaptured their attention, holding a small translucent orb between her fingers. “They also take liquid form that can be hidden inside a fake tooth or wherever else.”

  Tina’s eyes turned into saucers. “Gwen… Do you…?”

  Meeting her sister’s dreadful gaze, the younger Nobelle nodded gravely.

  The Summoner girl shot up. “This is insane! Are you telling me that you are walking around with something that at any moment can turn you into a mindless husk?! That my sister can disappear forever when I’m not around?! How could you, Mom?!”

  “Hey! Calm down! It’s okay! Listen!” Gwen did her best to take hold of her freaking-out sister, who was starting to tear up while glaring at their mother.

  A pained smile adorned Lady Luna’s lips. “Do you think it’s easy for me, Daughter? But, even so, you have the wrong idea. It doesn’t clean the whole mind. This substance is prepared with the person departing for the job. Usually, a day before they are informed about the mission. When ingested, it erases only the memories gained from that point.”

  “That’s why even reading one’s mind won’t work. The agent has no recollection of anything.” Bryn stroked her chin. “The Elf Queen would love to get her hands on something like this, wouldn’t she?”

  “Certainly.” Althea let out a quiet chuckle. “It would go in line with the current safety measures of her court.”

  Managing to soothe her sister’s outburst, Gwen helped Tina sit back down, affectionately holding onto her hands. “It’s a nasty thing, but you surely see why it’s necessary. The captors won’t have much of a reason to torture or kill the operative when they learn that their memories are simply empty. Mine was blended before arriving in Glimmervale, though it’s more of a memento now, and I should have returned it to be utilized.”

  Taking a few slow breaths, Tina nodded weakly. “I’m sorry for raising my voice at you…”

  “It’s alright, dear. You had every right to. I’m not proud of having my beloved daughter suffer the effects of this thing, but it ultimately makes her safer.” Her mother reached out to slowly brush through her hair. “One day, you might learn how much it pains me. As much as I wish you never would.”

  Tina’s cheeks colored a tad as she understood the meaning behind the other woman’s words. Sneaking a peek at Asterios, she gave her mom a quick hug and urged her to return to her seat so they could continue this interrupted report.

  “Where did we stop?” Gwen consulted her notes. “Ah, yes. Not that far from the very beginning. But, I know the capture and memory wipe parts can be quite distracting.”

  A faint laugh traveled through the chamber.

  “The preparations for the upcoming festivities and challenges are at full speed at this very moment. Our little hiccup doesn’t seem to have affected them, from what we know, and outsiders will still be allowed to visit the city. But, it’s definitely going to be harder than in previous years, and not really because of us.” She released a quiet sigh. “With each iteration, the tension keeps growing. The clans don’t like the current situation. A single family occupying the throne for so long is more than just irritating. We have suspicions that something might happen this year, but we haven’t discovered any signs of a blossoming revolution. Only a bunch of divided cells working on their own.”

  “They most likely are too bound by their traditions to break all of them so soon,” Althea shared her thoughts. “It often takes a few generations unless the oppression is truly inhumane.”

  “Probably. But their tricks will be more serious, so you’ll have to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.” Gwen shrugged. “And I say crossfire because Rubytongs don’t intend to take hits lying down. Their enforcers are rougher and more brutal. Additionally, they introduced some kind of new mechanized spiritual Golems for their guards. They might have been pressured enough to start revealing some of their cards.”

  “It wouldn’t be surprising if they showcased only as much as was necessary during the competitions,” the princess commented. “Now that there’s actual danger, they have to defend their position. And catching spies snooping around further throws their leaders into paranoia.”

  “How do those artificial puppets look?” Grea crossed her arms under her chest.

  “They take many forms. The streets usually witness the sentries being accompanied by metal animals that resemble a wolf made of plate armor with the gaps glowing red as something akin to flames fills the interior,” the undercover guildmaster summarized. “There were sightings of person-shaped Golems too, resembling Living Armor. We heard about but haven’t confirmed even bigger designs.”