Anissa was pacing around in front of a door. The door leads to her master’s studies. She was the head maid in the mansion of Duke Roland Atlas and currently, she had a predicament. In her hand was a letter, addressed to her master. It bore the sigil of the Nines. She was no clairvoyant nor some psychic but given the recent whispers in the wind, she could roughly guess the contents of the letter. Never before had she wished she was wrong. If her guess proved to be true, it would be devastating for both her and her master.

Finally summoned her courage, she knocked on the door.

“Come in.” A voice beckoned her shortly after.

In a room where the curtains were partially drawn, a man with graying hair and beard sat at the middle end of the room. Swallowing her anxiety, she made her way to the front of her master’s desk. Without lifting his head, the Duke of Atlas merely grunted as an acknowledgment for Anissa’s presence in front of him.

“Lord Atlas, this arrived just now. It was delivered by the Nines’ personal courier, a white sparrow.”

She observed her master’s reaction but as always, he was stoic. She could never tell if anything ever surprises her master. A raised eyebrow was the closest thing to a shocked expression she has ever seen. She handed over the letter. It was difficult. She could barely stop her hands from trembling.

The Duke of Atlas, Roland gaped his eyes at the sigil. Instead of receiving the letter, he nudged his head at Anissa.

“Milord?” She was dumbfounded at her lord’s gesture.

“Read it.”

It wasn’t the first time she had read letters addressed to her master but it was always nothing compromising to the eyes of others. This letter was different. It was meant specifically for the eyes of the intended receiver. She wanted to ask the reason for her master’s permission—she meant to ask, however—

—She knew better. She knew her master well and she trusted his judgment. She nodded slightly and tore open the letter, taking special care to not ruin the sigil. It wasn’t illegal to tear the sigil along with the letter but it was something along the line of gesture of respect in the high society.

Hardening her heart and resolve, she proceeded to read aloud the contents of the letter.

“I see….” said Roland. His expression remained unchanged but his writing has stopped. After taking a deep breath, he put down his quill. He heaved another breath as he sunk back into his armchair.

Anissa had never seen her master broke his composure, no matter how slight. She was surprise but as a trained maid, it was courtesy to not show it. However, her mind was weighing on a different matter. “It can’t be true….could it, milord?”

“It is the testament of Vira Ninehearts, it also bears her signature. It will be highly unlikely.”

“Of course,” Anissa bitterly agreed. “Should I see to the preparations immediately, milord?” asked Anissa. Considering the circumstances, that was the most sensible question to ask.

Officially, Hyx was adopted into the Atlas Household on the whim of the Duke. It was a well-known knowledge among the nobles that Roland had not intention to remarry after losing his first and only wife. Many have thought Roland would be the last of his line until he suddenly took in an exiled from another Duke household.

Hyx was never publically introduced nor has he formally debuted in the high society. Roland and the boy-in-question himself cared neither of such things. Till this day, no one really did understood why Roland did what he did. Not even the head maid, Anissa.

But what Anissa did know was how fond her master is of the boy. Instead of a paternal relationship, the two were more like friends. Their time together was short but Anissa saw the two’s interaction, they seemed to have an understanding between themselves. She had caught their conversation on accident on a certain day by complete accident. The conversation sounded not like one of between a child and an adult but between two philosophers. She had always question it but at times, the boy’s demeanor resembled nothing like that of a child’s.

Despite the various rumors she heard, the boy himself wasn’t as bad as the whispers made him out to be. If anything, it was quite the opposite. In short, everyone in the mansion had a favorable impression on Hyx. This was why the letter which detailed his demise brought sorrow into the household.

“No,” came the unexpected reply from Roland.

“Milord? W-why not?”

“He’s an exile. I didn’t even go through the formalities of making him as my successor. As far as the public is concern, he’s still a nobody. What’s more, he was close to becoming a Ninehearts. Do you understand?”

Of course, she did. She always had but to her good conscious, it was something she can’t simply abide. But knowing where her master stood in the world, his decision was rational. She had no retort that could repel her master’s decision. She could only compel.

In the end, she nodded as her acknowledgment of her master’s judgment.

“That will be all. Everything will resume as normal.”

With those words as the impetus, her master continued back on his work as if the sorrowful news had cease to exist. It wouldn’t be wrong to say this was expected of her master.

As a servant, she could only bow and compel her master’s wishes.

Shortly after the head maid left, a puddle of shadows was forming in the corner of the dark room.

“Shadow.”

A Wraith appeared from the shadow pool after hearing his name being called. “Elder Dusk.” The Wraith even greeted back.

“I want to know what really happened.”

“It is as what the letter has detailed. The truth is not much further than it.” The Wraith told the Duke.

“That—I refuse to believe. If you know the boy like I do, you will know that he wouldn’t shuffle off from this mortal coil with such ease.”

“If you say so, Elder Dusk but nevertheless, unless it’s for the benefit of the Covenant, I can’t abide to it.”

“Trust me, Shadow. The boy will benefit the Covenant.” Dusk said, with a grin subtle enough to not even be noticed by the sharp Shadow.

“Very well, Elder Dusk. I will see what I can do.”

“Much appreciated, Shadow.”

The Wraith froze. He was shock. It was second nature to him in appraising one’s genuine intentions. It was unlike Dusk to show his genuine gratitude. After recomposing himself, he bowed and melded with the shadows. And the dark room was suddenly a bit brighter even if it was still dark.

A knock followed soon after. It came from the door.

After giving his permission, it was Anissa who walked in.

Roland raised an eyebrow on her quick reappearance and on the letter she had in her hand. It was of a different sender this time. He instantly recognized the sigil on the letter.

“Vira?” he asked.

“Yes, milord. This just came shortly after the last letter. Apparently she has a request.”

Roland remained silent as he rummaged through the plausible reasons in his mind. After finishing a walk in his mind palace, he gave his conjecture. “Something that concerns her daughter?”

“No but she did say something about a friend of hers.”

Roland raised another eyebrow. He was wrong. He wasn’t perfect but it was uncommon for him to be wrong with his intuition. The surprises and unexpected for today has been extreme. He couldn’t help but took this as a sign of a huge coming change. Or he could be wrong, again.

“What did she asked for?”

“As a summary—her friend, a Dragon-kin, was falsely imprisoned. The prison approved his released but they would only do so with incentives.”

His quill stopped scratching the paper documents piled on his desk, the words “Dragon-kin” made him did so. Dragon-kins were basically demi-human dragons and they were as secretive and secluded as the Oni-tribes and Fairy-tribes.

“Ah, a Dragon-kin. That is something worthy to be taken into consideration. And by the way, this prison mentioned—the warden wouldn’t happen to be Yoven Atlas, would it?”

“It is precise that prison.”

“That Modred’s Hound. I thought I would never have to have any dealings with him. This is kinda frustrating.”

It was a prison which doubled as an auction house. The products auctioned were the prisoners, mainly peoples with exceptional abilities or skills. For a price, they could be released and made to serve the one who secured their release.

Taking the Duke’s grunting as an answer, she offered “Shall I write up a letter of rejection, milord?”

“No. I’ll do it. Thank you, Anissa.”

After being waved, she bowed and left. Of course, she left the letter with him.

He didn’t want to do it but this was a huge opportunity. A Dragon-kin was not something he could passed up on. In the letter, Vira further told him of her intention to form a Demon-hunting squad named the Night Hunters that answer directly to the Cardinal and this friend of hers will be a vital member.

Given the upcoming Demon season, having the Night Hunters would certainly lubricate the Covenant’s operations. Not seconds passed, Roland had already thought of ways to make the Night Hunters bring prosperity to the Covenant.

Today, he had done things that was uncharacteristic of him and he was about to do so once again.

“Shadow,” he called out.