“What?” Orrin asked, trying to play stupid and gain some time. He needed any excuse to derail Tony’s question but also needed to figure out exactly how much Tony knew.

“You were yelling in your mind. You were doing it last time you were here too, but I didn’t catch much. Somehow your skill seems...quieter...more controlled this visit,” Tony explained. “Except when you thought about the Dragoon team and then something about a [Hero] and demon. I’ve been stuck in my house for so long that I know a little about a lot.” He waved his hand at the books all around. “Heroes and demons go hand in hand. So...?”

Orrin was sweating but trying his best to not form a coherent thought in front of the mind mage.

Tony pushed a plate with small cookies across the tiny table. “You don’t have to tell me. Like I said last time, I keep lots of secrets here. If you met a [Hero] out there and they made you promise not to share the information, that’s fine. I’m just curious. Everyone loves a good hero story.”

Orrin formed a single sentence, doing his absolute best to not let his mind wander. “Can you stop reading my thoughts altogether?”

Tony shrugged. “Like I said, I only pick up stray thoughts unless I’m actually trying. Most of your thoughts are better guarded.” He pulled his teacup close and looked down at the liquid steaming below his face. “Imagine my ability like this. Your mind and thoughts are this tea. Most people have some natural protection to their mind, like the cup around it. A low-level mind skill would let someone skim your surface thoughts.” He dragged a finger across the top of the tea, watching the ripples hit the porcelain.

Tony looked up from the drink. “Of course, some people have naturally stronger cups or minds. You can also take precautions and get skills that counteract most mind mages.” He turned an empty plate upside down and put it on the cup, covering the tea completely. “Harder to see any thoughts that way.”

He removed the plate. “My own ability lets me see into the mind a bit more, shielded or not.” Tony took a cookie and dunked it into the tea, swirling it before taking a bite. “It’s hard to find specific information and surface thoughts are easiest.” His voice continued his explanation as he chewed and swallowed. “But I hear almost every thought around me within a certain radius. It’s loud. I’ve had to learn to tune most of it out.” He popped the rest of the treat in his mouth.

Tony leaned across the table to grab another cookie. “Some words always cut through though. Hero. Demon. Dragoon. I had a friend on that team a long time ago. Usually, the guard puts the odd ducks on Dragoon. The expendable squad. She died violently.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Orrin focused on the shortbread cookie, counting the pieces as he crumbled it between two fingers.

“No, I can’t turn it off completely. Your skill blocks it better than most and if you focus you can keep me out but any lapse and your thoughts will tumble out. I really do try, but it’s like walking in the rain and trying to not get wet.”

Orrin focused on [Mind Bastion], imaging his thoughts stuck inside a metal box instead of the teacup. An image of Tony sitting on the outside, looking at the shiny steel.

“That’s amazing. You went completely quiet on me. You did level up.”

Orrin ignored Tony and focused, closing his eyes. I already told Sof that Daniel was a [Hero], which was probably a mistake. He did say he basically already suspected though. Tony knows I’m not a [Hero] because he already looked over most of my skills and spells last time. If I don’t tell him or I try to lie, he’ll figure it out if I stay. Now that I know I can’t think about it, it’ll be all I can think about.

He put his head in his hands. I have to tell him or leave. I can’t leave because I need to turn off [Mind Bastion] and pay the piper for all my mana use.

Orrin opened his eyes and sighed. “My friend is a [Hero]. We didn’t know that demons would trigger some sort of attack mode and he ran off after the Fogbinder. I went after him. We ran into Dragoon team and just got back.”

Orrin paused and went for broke. “Oh. I healed a few hundred people in front of the Hospital, so I’m probably on their shit list. A Lord of Dey has already tried to have me killed once and I’m sure will try again. And his daughter knows I’m here. She’s terrified of you by the way. I hear you’re a really scary guy.”

Tony’s smile was anything but scary. “You decided to trust me. Thank you. That must have been hard. I’ll pay you back by telling you a secret.”

Tony stood up and walked down the hallway to his front door. He double-checked the front lock and stood still with his head against the wood. Then he came back into the kitchen and sat as if nothing had happened.

“Sorry. I wanted to make sure this conversation stayed private. I’m guessing other than your friend the [Hero], I’m the only one who knows.”

“Knows what?” Orrin felt ice forming down his spine.

“You don’t have to hide it.” Tony smiled. “You’re a [Hero] too.”

“I’m not a [Hero],” Orrin shot back. “I’m a-“

“Yes. I know. You’re selling your class as something else. But I heard a few thoughts here and there last time I was helping you,” Tony’s voice in his mind stayed calm and unrushed, keeping Orrin from running away. “You landed here with your friend. That’s how heroes arrive. You cried out for your mother when you were sick and begged for I-B-proven, which is not a real word. You also tried distracting yourself by thinking of a small box with moving people inside of it. That’s not something that exists in this world. So you’re a [Hero].”

Orrin sat stunned. His secret was out...had been out. How long has he known and why hasn’t he done anything?

“Why? Why tell me now?”

“You trusted me. I’m not a bad person. I have no desire to go on a Quest or get involved in the politics you’re sure to find yourself in. But I can be a friend. You have a good heart and a strong sense of what’s right. Something I wish I had more of when I was your age.”

Orrin’s metal box was shaking. Keeping the cascade of thoughts in mind safe was seeming more and more pointless. Why had he ever thought that he could hide something from a mind mage? Did Silas have this kind of ability too? Did he already know Orrin was from another world and was just playing them?

“Silas Catanzano?”

“You said you would try to stay out,” Orrin tried not to sneer but his voice was still low and angry.

“Boy, you’re doing admirably with a skill you’ve had for what...a few weeks? But you are screaming into a pillow while I’m right next to you. Some things are going to get through even if I plug my ears. Is Silas the Lord that wants you dead?”

“...yes,” Orrin finally responded.

“Then you have nothing to worry about. If he had no use for you, you would be dead. He’s the most pragmatic man I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting but he doesn’t kill without reason. If he had a reason, you’d be dead already.”

Orrin gave in a little. “I have him backed into a corner. He can’t get rid of me so easily.”

“So he knows your friend is a [Hero] but not you.”

“I’m NOT a [Hero]!” Orrin yelled a little forcefully.

“Shhh!” Tony waved his hands at Orrin then closed his eyes in concentration. They popped back open a few seconds later. “You’re lucky my wards are so good. Don’t go shouting about heroes.”

“I’m not,” Orrin whispered dejectedly. “I have proof. So just move along.”

“Proof? No. We’ll get back to that,” Tony’s voice in his mind was speeding up in excitement. “How’d you pull one over on Silas?”

“You know him?” Orrin tried to dodge the question.

“In a previous life. Don’t change the topic.”

Orrin sighed. “My friend said he wouldn’t help his daughter and let her be part of our team if he tried to keep me away again.”

“Again?” Tony’s eyes were shining.

“Silas...and maybe his daughter...set some goons after us. One stabbed me right here.” Orrin pointed to his chest. “They were testing to see if Daniel was a [Hero] and swore they had healers nearby. Promises and apologies but they also tried to keep me away from him, after the last time you helped me.”

Tony leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. No more questions came at him and Orrin sipped his tea. Tony had put the right amount of honey in again.

“So Silas sets some low level gutter-shit on you, almost kills you, and tries to break the two of you up...” Tony’s voice drifted. “Yep. He definitely thinks you are just a nobody. Idiot.”

Tony tipped his chair back down and looked at Orrin. “Why did you stay with them? Silas has connections and probably flashed a lot of gold at you, but why trust him?”

Orrin shook his head. “I don’t trust him. But I don’t know anything about this world. I didn’t know if he would just kill us or throw us in a dungeon. My friend seems to have completely forgiven them, though. We had another little fight before I came here.”

Tony nodded. “I guess that’s not the worst answer I’ve heard. If you had run, he likely would have tried to just toss you in prison until you did what he wanted. You could have escaped somewhere else, but I’m guessing you were pulled here. Hero Quests usually have a rhyme and reason to them. He’s also higher level than you and has guards around, so... playing it safe was a little smart I guess.”

“I mean, I did kind of scare him into not using his spells or whatever on us. So we might have gotten away with just saying no.”

“His spells? Oh, that [Command] skill? That’s harmless. It wears off after a minute and can’t be reused on the same person over and over or they get resistant to it. I’m surprised he even tried that on you.”

“Wait. That’s all that was? I thought he was a mind mage like you?”

Laugher filled Orrin’s head as Tony’s mouth made odd gasping noises.

“Silas Catanzano...a mind mage. That’s hilarious.” Tony wiped his eyes. “But to more serious matters. Why are you so adamantly refusing that you are a [Hero]? You’ve told me more salacious details than that.”

“I’m not. I’ll admit that I’m from another world. My friend and I both arrived in the forest to the east. He’s a [Hero]. My class ended up being [Utility Warder].”

“That’s odd.” Tony leaned in his chair again. “I know you’re telling the truth but summoned people are always classed as a [Hero]. It just makes no sense... You said you had proof you aren’t one though. What’s that?”

Orrin realized that Tony had steered the topics easily through to this point. The one thing he’d tried to avoid talking about. The one thing he’d crafted his own answers to avoid. The subject of administrator access.

“Can we just say I know and leave it at that?”

“Sure,” Tony responded too cheerfully. “But since you are here and going to be throwing up all over me for the next week or so, I’m sure you’ll be telling me eventually.”

“That’s not fair. The deal is-“

“I’m a man of my word. I don’t listen in on purpose, but now the thought is in your mind.” He smiled evilly. “So you’re more likely to tell me.”

“That’s underhanded.”

Tony shrugged. “I’m a mind mage. Kill me if you’re unhappy.”

Orrin considered going back and taking his chances surviving with Daniel and Madi.

“You could try going back. But part of what saved you last time is my skills. I’m able to shield your psyche from the backlash and keep you alive when your brain tries to turn off. There’s an even chance you survive as a slobbering imbecile or die.”

“This is blackmail.”

Tony held up his hands. “Whoa. That’s harsh. I just like puzzles and gossip. I’m not going to use this against you. I’ve known this whole time we had a [Hero] in Dey and never told a soul. If you truly need to keep this a secret, I’ll show you how to use that box in your mind a little better. You seem to be a quick study. You might even be able to pull it off and keep it quiet. I won’t try picking the lock. On my honor.”

Orrin grimaced. Tony had him over a barrel and they both knew it. “Teach me.”

“Lessons are five gold, upfront.”

“All that just to get some extra money?” Orrin pulled the gold pieces out and slide them across the table. “You know, I’ve got a lot of gold and am in need of a teacher. Someone who can get me caught up on everything about this world I don’t know.”

Tony smiled. “Now that sounds like something that could be fun, but I’m not sure gold would be needed. How about we trade? You tell me more about your class, where you came from, and this big secret you’re holding. I’ll be your personal guide to Asmea. Deal?”

Orrin knew Tony was going to find out one way or another. Even if the man promised to not go searching in his mind, he was going to tell him in a moment of weakness. Better to get something out of it.

Tony’s smile grew wider. “Looks like it’s a deal.”