Two figures in light-colored robes, one male and one female, stood on a bustling street in the Sarenzan capital, speaking in low voices.
“Well, Tirrence? Did you hear anything?” the woman asked, her features concealed beneath her hood.
The boy shook his head. “Not from my district, no.”
“I see. No luck from mine either.”
The duo exchanged a look and sighed. Under their hoods, they each concealed a pair of characteristic long ears, along with other features that shared a striking resemblance. They were mother and son—on paper, at least.
The woman was High Priestess Astirra, the highest authority in the Holy Theocracy of Mithra, a nation bordering Sarenza and recognized as one of the continent’s leading superpowers. The boy was a fourteen-year-old prodigy and, by all accounts, the Theocracy’s true leader: Holy Prince Tirrence. Although they were operating in secret, it was unlikely that anyone outside the Church of Mithra would recognize them. None of the passersby on the busy street even gave them a second glance.
“I suppose it was too optimistic to hope we’d come across information on the Lepifolk so easily...” the woman mused. “Perhaps we should have thought this through instead of leaving the Theocracy in the heat of the moment.”
“But the intel we received from King Clays and our adherents in Sarenza confirmed the presence of Lepifolk near the capital,” the boy remarked. “It would do us well to gather more, if nothing else.”
“We simply must make sure to thank King Clays properly. If not for him, we might have missed this opportunity entirely.”
“I shall make a mental note of it.”
“The king of a neighboring country makes for a powerful friend indeed,” the hooded woman said, smiling.
A touch of regret seeped into the boy’s expression. “Still, I apologize for having involved you at all. This should never have been your burden to bear. Not to repeat myself, but I hate that I’ve forced you into this situation.”
“Now, now, Tirrence. None of that. It’s not your fault that I got mixed up with what might well have been the root of all evil. If anyone is to blame, it’s that good-for-nothing skeleton. Besides, if I don’t take on this burden, who will? The Lepifolk are family to an old friend of mine, and I’ve spent time with them in the past. I can’t just ignore their suffering.”
“I suppose. That does ease my guilt a little...”
“I should apologize, if anyone. It was at my insistence that we came all this way. It might be a bit late to ask this, but are you sure you can be away for this long?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Matters of government are quite stable, and our presence is rarely required outside of state ceremonies. Sigir and the other members of the Twelve Sacred Envoys can manage in our absence. Right now, the Theocracy’s highest priority should be atoning for its treatment of the Lepifolk—to restore the honor it stripped from them over a century of mischaracterizing them as ‘demonfolk.’ As a member of the state administration, I can’t pretend this doesn’t involve me. It’s also only logical that we, with our superior perception skills, lead the investigation. Naturally, I intend to devote my utmost effort to this endeavor.”
“It’s very reassuring to have you with me, Tirrence.”
“Likewise. I’m glad you’re here too.”
“Still, I must admit...” The hooded woman sighed, her shoulders drooping. “We’ve had our boots on the ground since we entered Sarenza, barely even taking time to rest, yet we haven’t come upon anything useful. Things are starting to seem bleak...”
“The Lepifolk are few in number, to the point that rumors of their extinction began circulating decades ago. There are the odd sightings, of course, but it shouldn’t surprise us that useful information is so hard to come by.”
“Maybe...we could ask someone from House Sarenza? Or are they off-limits? I forget.”
“As the country’s rulers, they must know the Lepifolk’s whereabouts—not that they would tell us. They’ve been playing their cards particularly close to their chest, using the information they have to tempt the Kingdom of Clays. Even getting a straight answer might be too much to hope for, especially knowing how much their attitude toward our nation has shifted since our policy change. It might not seem like it, but our best option is to be patient and wait for someone to let something slip.”
“I see. If you say so, Tirrence, then I trust your judgment.”
“Of course, if simple groundwork continues to prove ineffective, we might need to consider other methods. Infiltrating a slave trader’s shop—or several—comes to mind.”
“Ugh. Slave traders? That brings back memories—and not the pleasant kind. Once, when I was young, I was stuffed into a box and nearly sold.”
“You were almost a slave, mother?”
“Horrid, isn’t it? I don’t know how anyone can assign a price to someone and treat them like an object.” The hooded woman paused. “Of course, I’m quite confident in my looks, so I suppose their noticing me was a credit to how good they were at their jobs. I’m an unpolished gem, as they say—no, a polished gem with room to be polished even more. My wide array of skills would have earned me a reputation in any industry they sold me into. Don’t you think so, Tirrence?”
“M-Me? Well...”
“Don’t be shy. I ask only that you be honest with me. I’m magnanimous enough to accept an objective appraisal of my— Hmm?”
“What is it, mother?”
“Shh. Over there. Listen.”
The woman gestured inconspicuously toward a slave trader’s shop two streets down. The boy strained his distinctively long ears and, sure enough, picked up the faint sounds of a conversation between two men working in the building’s underground storeroom.
“Hey. Did you hear the rumor?”
“You gonna elaborate, or...?”
“House Sarenza’s auction. It’s said they’re going to have demonfolk for sale.”
“As if. They said that last year, didn’t they? And that turned out to be bogus.”
“Yeah, but last year, Lord Zaid wasn’t the one providing them.”
“You mean House Sarenza’s putting them up for sale? Don’t they have a monopoly on demonfolk? I can’t see why they’d give up their assets. It’s not like they need the coin.”
“Don’t ask me—I’m just repeating what I heard. It’s also being said that Mithra’s high priestess had a change of heart about the demonfolk, after years of buying up every one she could find. People claim her turnaround is why House Sarenza wants to shed its excess stock. Others say there’s no truth to any of it, though.”
“Well, who’s right? Pick a side, at least.”
“Look, I’m just saying—this is a big opportunity for regular merchants like us. If we get our hands on a demonfolk, we’ll have our competitors’ secrets on a silver platter.”
“It’s got nothing to do with us, if you ask me. We don’t have the coin to win a bid on a demonfolk. Hell, the deposit we’d need to pay to access the auction would probably bankrupt us. I don’t wanna hear another word of this. We’ve got work to do.”
“A guy can dream, though, can’t he?”
Back on the streets of the Sarenzan capital, Astirra and Tirrence shared a look and nodded.
“Sounds like we’ve finally found a lead,” the former said. “And at quite the opportune moment.”
“It’s not the most reliable source, but it’s certainly worth investigating,” the latter agreed. “Shall we go, mother?”
“Of course. How could we not? Never have I been so grateful for these long ears of mine.”
“We came here undercover, remember. If the auction is being held on House Sarenza’s grounds, we might have a hard time gaining entry without officially registering our presence in the country. And even then, we might be too late, considering how strict House Sarenza is about the appraisal process.”
“So, we don’t have time to be picky about our methods? Well, to that I say: [Float].” The woman gestured with her hand, invoking a spell that lifted her a short distance above the ground.
“Don’t tell me you intend to sneak in...” the boy said, shooting her a look.
“I dare not hesitate—not when my close friend’s family could be sold off at any moment. Come on. It’ll work out, somehow!” The woman paused. “So long as we don’t get caught, that is.”
“I suppose we have no choice, then... [Float].” Tirrence joined his mother in the air. “If we must, we can attempt to negotiate with House Sarenza directly. They shouldn’t be immediately hostile, given the long friendship between our nations.”
“I knew you’d come around. Your [Float] spell is perfect, by the way—I couldn’t fault it if I tried. It usually takes quite some time to master, you know.”
“I owe it all to your thorough instruction, mother. But we should cast [Concealment] on ourselves before we make a scene.”
The duo enveloped themselves in a peculiar light, melting into their surroundings and muffling every sound they made.
“All magicked up and ready to go,” Astirra announced with a chuckle. “We should fly as high as we can so the security doesn’t notice us.” She looked around. “Um, where’s the auction hall again?”
“This way. Follow me.”
“Huh? You know how to get there?”
“I do. When I was little, my former mother brought me along to one of House Sarenza’s auctions.”
“I see... It does seem like the kind of event that rotten bag of bones would have enjoyed.”
Thus, unbeknownst to all, the pair trespassed onto the palace grounds of House Sarenza from above. They approached the temple-like building that would serve as the auction venue, feigned their identities as legitimate guests, and promptly overwhelmed a poor doorman.