Returning to the inn, I have to say that I am quite exhausted. It feels like I have been fighting for the last couple of days.

  I don't know the reason for this exhaustion, Though. After all, I have not been doing anything of note today. The only thing that I did that can be considered exhausting is the negotiation with the vampire. Even that was over in a few minutes.

  Well, I did make a demonic contract today. Those things tend to be very nerve-wracking at the best of times. The demons are creatures of freedom. Controlling their mana tends to be volatile at the best of times. The searchers are good enough at this task. The only problem is that they are still no match for demonic cultivators in this. Look at how many of those tend to be consumed by their demonic masters.

  Well, the benefit of the spell is quite evident. The contracts themselves tend to be impossible to break. (That is, if you negotiate the terms of the deal properly.)

  Well, the contract still might end up taking my life, of course. After all, a demon must be tracking my every move even now. If it feels like I am about to break the contract, then I am going to take a bath of hellfire.

  Then, finally, there is the issue of demonic mana. Mana like that is detected pretty easily. This town barely has any churches. I still shiver in my boots thinking what could have happened if one of the clergy had found me. I might have just popped like a pimple in front of their gods might.

  Well, the contract is now done, and the sigil of furfur has left my body. Now there is no risk of my being discovered by them, at least. That is, unless the vampire turns over a new leaf and goes to confess in a church.

  The output of this is worth it at least. It is the only way that I can be sure that the location written on the sheet of paper with me is legit. The vampire has not tried to trick me by giving me the wrong location. Hellfire is deadly to even vampires.

  Well, the vampire has still tried to game the contract that we have made. I can't make head or tail of what has been written here. Well, I can read each letter that has been written here. It has been written in hexmountain common. I just can't make any sense of what they come together to form. The entire sheet has been filled with a cipher. I am sure that the cipher will translate into the location of the enemy base.

  Well, that is fine since we have the searchers with us. The searchers are the type of folks who specialise in dealing with ciphers. They will be able to crack this cipher in ten minutes.

  That is why I am going to the inn, by the way. Knowing the location of the enemy will allow us to make our plans. Right now, that is more important.

  Otherwise, I would be making my way right back to my ship. After all, I haven't been getting any messages from the place for a while now. I would like to confirm that things are not as bad as they seem to be.

  After all, things have been escalating there steadily for the last couple of days now. More and more enemy ships have been popping up there.

  The only reason that things have not escalated to the next stage is that the Navoks are also out there. Still, with every passing day we cannot be sure if things will escalate further or not. After all, how can we tell if the people guarding our ships will do the same tomorrow?

  In such an uncertain situation, leaving the cannons of the ship unmanned is risky. After all, they are the strongest weapons that we have right now.

  The only reason that I am not there already is that they are too potent a weapon. Using them will immediately escalate things into war. With the Navoks still out there, assuring things, offending them is a risk that we cannot take.

  Also, the negotiation with the vampire was a pretty important thing. I was the best choice in dealing with the lady. (Well, turns out we all were thinking too much about the negotiations. The damn thing went smoothly. Too smoothly if I am honest.)

  Well, the ship is safe for now. I can still go to the ship when things get truly desperate. For now, I have reached the inn and am entering the place.

  (After about a couple of minutes.)

  I have finally entered the room of the searcher Amelia. Entering the place like this is a bit risky since it is supposed to be a lady's room. A mere servant entering the residence of such an esteemed lady is going to raise quite a few eyebrows.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Especially with the rumours that have been spread about me. There is no way that people are not going to notice this. I just have to hope that the rumours about me have been spreading quickly enough. I also hope that it will shield people from the truth as well. Well, it is too late for regrets now. I am thinking too much about him anyway.

  I have already entered the place. The place that I am entering is the largest room in the inn. It is a massive place, large enough to cover half of the floor that it is in. The entire place has been covered with sheets of paper. At the center of the room, there is a small table.

  That is where the rock sword must have been placed until today morning. Both of the searchers under Amelia must be returning from hiding the sword even now.

  The entire place is strewn with the many notes they must have made about the sword. It doesn't take me long to find the lady. The lady next to her leaves me confused, though.

  I am staring at Amelia Mayfire right now. I have not seen her much since the start of this mission. (Well, her abrasive personality would have made quite a few enemies.)

  "Well, Amelia Mayfire is acting as a representative for the Mayfires and sentinels today." The searcher explains as she looks at me.

  "That is fine, my question is, where are John and Alfred. Weren't they supposed to be here with us?" I reply, as I look around the room for a sign of the two men.

  "Well, I will be representing the both of them today." Amelia mayfire replies, with quite a bit of venom in her voice. Well, I guess that I could have asked that question a bit more gently.

  "Well, you can't expect both of them to come here without bringing Anthony in tow. The man has been keeping an eye out for our meeting." The searcher replies. "Anyway, both of them have been shoring up the defense of the ship. Do you want to disturb them now?"

  "No, no. I was just wondering why they were not here." I reply to the searcher. "What are the aegis doing. I hope that it is something productive."

  "They have been busy doing something. There is no use telling you beyond that, right now." The lady replies. "Let us speak about more relevant things. I assume you have succeeded in providing us with a location."

  I nod my head as I hand over the sheet of paper to the lady. The moment that I hand it over, it feels like a massive weight has been removed from my back. Looks like I have been worried about this thing than I had expected to be.

  "I assume that you have put the rock sword where it is supposed to be." I ask. How in the hells had I forgotten to ask about that? I have no desire to bathe in hellfire, you know.

  "Yes, Yes. You need not worry about taking a bath in hellfire." The mayfire replies, giving words to my thoughts. "Now be quiet, this is a half-decent cipher. I guess that I should expect nothing more from vampires. They might have the ages on their side, but they waste so much of their time."

  Hearing this reply, I quiet down as the lady begins to solve the sheet of paper.

  (After about half an hour.)

  "Damn it." A voice echoes out in the room.

  The voice is loud enough that I get on my feet while grasping my sword. I look at the source of the voice with irritation. After all, I had been so comfortable. Five more minutes and I would have had the best sleep I've had in the last couple of weeks.

  The irritation melts away quickly, though, as I see who the source is. It is the searcher who is presently looking at me over a sheet of paper.

  "So what have you found out. Where are our enemies?" I reply, a bit embarrassed and quite excited.

  "Well, the vampires are presently in the casino." The lady replies. "No wonder they managed to plan for the blood echolocation. We were playing around in their garden."

  "Well, how are we going to attack the vampires if it is the ." The mayfire speaks. "I assumed that if the Navoks had made a deal with the vampires, we would have already been attacked."

  "Well, how could the vampires have even made their base there. I was under the assumption that the place was under the protection of the Navok family." I echo the Mayfire's emotion. "They don't seem the variety to collude with such beings."

  "Well, they wouldn't need to do much to enter that place." The searcher replies. "They would just need to pretend to be servants to enter the place. I assume that a place as chaotic as the casino must go through its servants pretty quickly. The Navoks wouldn't even notice their existence. We can't discount that they are colluding, though."

  "Well, that doesn't change the fact that we can't do anything against them." The mayfire speaks. "I am sure the Navok family will not take kindly to us attacking their servant, even if they don't know who they are."

  "No, no, there are still ways for us to attack that place." The searcher replies, looking at me. "I have a little confession to make, studying your sword is not the only thing that we have been doing in the last week."

  As she says this, the lady looks at me. I can't be certain, but I think the lady smirked at me. How could she have found out that I know about her trips?

  "Well, what have you been doing then?" I reply as I look at the lady.

  "Well, there are some things that are better not put on record." The lady replies. "Let's just say that I have been helping the guards in diversifying our options."

  As she says this, the searcher looks at me pointedly. How in the hells, do they always find out that I am recording? I have been practicing with the damn thing for so long now.

  "Well, let's just say that I have figured out a way for us to keep the Navok family busy." The searcher speaks as she gives me an annoyed look. (I am not good with this magic, especially when somebody expects me to do it in an instant.)

  "Busy enough to keep them away from the Casino?" I ask. This question results in a withering look that results in me shivering. Whoever told me that the scholars are the most peaceful in our four groups is an idiot.

  "Yes, young master. If you were to shut your thought logger, I would be able to tell you exactly what I have planned." The searcher replies, irritation clear in her voice.

  "Just a moment, my lady." I reply, as the two ladies stare at me. "I have got it. I am shu..."