Rana followed a group of masked men in dark clothes into a secluded alleyway. They were no doubt the personal guards of the duke and were leading her to a place for a secret meeting. She did not like the idea of being surrounded by four marked ones, all of whom were experienced, but she was rather glad she did not have to enter the duke’s mansion. Her disguise was easier maintained in places that promoted secrecy, and the dark made it easier for her to dispose of the guards if she needed to.

When she entered the secret passage and asked for a meeting with the duke, she was unsure if the decision was a correct one. Her first thought was of course silencing the two guards and gain entry to the city. There was a risk of their bodies being found, but she knew that even if the city started a manhunt they would not be able to find her. The City of Nye was a large one and finding a single person was difficult, and trying to catch someone with the ability to sense people with just smell and undetectable by Skills or Spells was nearly impossible. She also doubted the duke would risk escalating the situation enough to a point where her capture was a real threat. Nye was not a territory that thrived with military might. If his people were unhappy, Nye would be the one to suffer the most.

What made Rana decide to take the riskier approach, was the fact that there were guards in the first place. Someone knew of a well kept Church secret, and one only the brass at the top knew about. There many implications, and depending on the answers and her current situation, how she should proceed would be a bit clearer. The problem was that she doubted that was general information and most likely kept close to the heart of Nye leadership. She could dig around and work her way up, but there was little time before the raid on the Dungeon. So, when presented with the opportunity to ask the source of the information directly, she took it.

Now, she only needed a plan for her exit. The questions she wanted answers were already decided and the story she would give to obtain them too. The issue then became how she would be able to not only leave the city without causing much disturbance, but also be in time for the raid. Since she had little information on what to expect the answers to be, she had little idea to deduce how the people she would be dealing with would reach. In the end, it was better to prepare for the worst.

Rana and the group ended up in an isolated hut, broken and among rubble and huts that were in even worse shape. She was surprised to see such a district in the city of Nye. She looked across the sky and saw the dukes mansion up on a hill in the distance. She traced it with the map she had in her head and had a good idea of the layout. The hut was no doubt connected with the mansion through some secret passage.

It was good to know.

The group of men beckoned Rana to enter the house with only their hands. It seemed like they were instructed not to give anything away in regards to their identity. She entered the room and was greeted by a man in a velvet suit. His hair was greasy and his eyes were full of greed. She already didn’t like him. Of course, the man was not alone. He had two guards, hidden behind warded walls and already generating mana. They were either very loyal or forced to take such risks for their master They were also meant to be hidden as the ward had some form of shielding effect that obstructed a marked one from sensing the generation of mana. It was unfortunate that her nose could easily detect their presence. The thing to be wary of was whether the two guards were for precaution or for a fight.

“Greetings. I am the duke of Nye. However, we can drop the honorifics and you can just call me Randal,” the man said as he introduced himself with a slight bow. “I must say, I would love to wish you an excellent time in my city and permit you entrance, but we have a slight problem here. The passage you used to enter is not something that is well known to others. You can even say it is one of my best-kept secrets, and I don’t remember telling it to someone like you. May we have a chat as to who you are and how you came to open it?”

Rana observed Randal. He did not seem like he was lying about his identity. He was indeed the duke of Nye. Good. She was talking to the person she wanted to talk to. However, before she could ask her question, she needed to dissuade their suspicion.

“I am an inquisitor of the Sapphire Order. I have business here.”

“Why, that is certainly most interesting. I do not know if you have been living on the edge of nowhere, but I do distinctly remember, however, is that the inquisitor orders were eradicated a century ago by none other than a traitor paladin. If you wish to tell stories, you should at least choose one that does not instantly prove to be a lie.”

“The traitor paladin has destroyed the orders but not every inquisitor was lost. We remained in the shadows and continued our duties after the fall, unless you want to tell me that there is proof that every one of us are dead.”

“I guess I cannot argue with that,” Randal said, but something about his behavior told Rana that there was more. There was no doubt in her mind that Mara found a way to make sure every inquisitors were dead. It seemed like he knew of it as well but is not willing to share. “However, even then there is no proof of who you claim to be. If we assume some inquisitors had survived, who is to say that you are one of them?”

“I am a high ranking Church agent, the very fact I managed to open the secret passage should’ve lent credence to that claim. However, what would do if I tell you that I am also one of those agents that had to authority to completely seal the passage?”

Randal raised his eyebrows then turned to stalk the room. He pondered with one arm supporting the other that stroked his chin. In the end, he agreed to allow Rana’s demonstration. He and his escorts began the trek back to the passage, after he silenced the objections from his guards, with Rana in tow. They reached the secret passage and Rana walked towards the wall.

“Kill her if she tries to escape or if she fails,” Randal said. He made no attempt to hide his intentions.

Rana sighed. She lifted her hand and placed her palms on the wall. She sent her mana into the walls and into the chaotic runic patterns within them. She could destroy them, but there was a far more effective method. The mana within resonated the order she gave and screamed. There was no sound, but there was no doubt a condemnation from the magic swirling inside the ward. The magical energy began to bleed out into a sign and its soft red glow illuminated the room in a haze of bloody mist.

It was quick, just a flash, and the room returned to its normal torch-lit interior. The only difference, was an ominous symbol that appeared before the walls.

“This is a judgment seal,” Rana said and turned around. She made sure she looked directly into Randal’s eyes. “You seem like the person who knows his history. You should know what this is.”

Randal did know of the judgment seal as there was recognition and excitement in his eyes. The symbol before him was a ward built in those secret passages. When one of these secret passages were either misused or revealed to an unwanted party, the Church did not just collapse the passage, they also sought the traitors out so they could be punished. It was essentially a warning. It also marked the cities that had betrayed their trust. However, it seemed like Randal did not care.

“I apologize for the rudeness earlier, lady inquisitor,” Randal said with a deep bow. She doubted he trusted her story, but at least he believed she was a high-ranking Church agent. “How can I be of service?”