After making five pouches of gunpowder, each weighing a kilogram, to Martyn, which… I hope he’s not doing something dangerous… I can finally go on to this half a day journey to Mochrumm on horseback with Sir Foulques as my rider.

At first, I wanted to try riding that beast alone, out of curiosity and to ease Martyn’s heart, but… Jesus… I can’t even steer it to the right direction.

So… not having any time and choice, I became the backseat passenger again, though this time with Sir Foulques.

Predictably it of course unease Martyn’s heart, as well as giving him a funny jealous pouty face when he saw me and Sir Foulques off, haha…

I know and he knows that he’s not that kind of man, but it’s nice to see him act jealous occasionally.

We weren’t in a hurry per say because we went off in the crack of dawn, to not give a heads up to Domnall, which is why Sir Foulques is trotting the horse he’s controlling at a somewhat slow and steady pace.

Due to that I could observe and enjoy the surrounding, from the people waking up and setting up shop in the streets of Geamradh, to now, outside of the walls of Geamradh, the empty snowy fields.

Out there I spotted a couple of people working, like lumberjacks with their sharp axes, chopping medium sized trees at the distance, probably to restock their firewood supply, and of course the occasional hunters with their bows, arrows, and spear one guy I noticed with, lurking in the woods to catch their meal for the day.

Time pass while we were trotting through the cold and somewhat windy road, which thank god… I listened to what Miss Marie suggested, wearing at least five layers of clothing and three scarfs this time, to keep Jumque warm who’s cozying up around my neck.

And I think we’re half or maybe even three forth away to Mochrumm, as seeing the map back again, I noticed that we have passed the point of interest that’s in the middle between Mochrumm and Geamradh.

Because of this I briefed with the others, telling them what we should find there.

This time I need more eyes and ears in the castle to watch suspicious actions and hear any stray gossips when we arrive at the castle, because I am going to be preoccupied on searching our murderer’s personal room.

“Halt! Who goes there!” We finally arrived at the castle as one of the guards at the walls shouted for our identities.

“My name is Foulques de Andecavi, the Baron of Andecavi and one of the knights of the white riders, commanded by our Crown Prince! And behind me is one of the second heroes, Lady Eleanna Florens, a royal investigator sent by the Lord Protector!” Foulques informed the guard as well as giving me a bit of shock, that my bodyguard is a baron, not just any ordinary knight.

“The Lord Protector? Who the enfer is that?!” Ohh yeah… I forgot news travel slow in this period of time, though… it’s a bit inconsistent, considering the people of Tournus, who are living in a somewhat rural city, knows who Martyn is.

“He’s the co-sovereign of this kingdom! Now let us in! Lady Eleanna is here to solve the Wynegys murders” Sir Foulques shouted back.

“The Wynegys murders? What brings the death of 9 cityfolks to this beachside castle?”

“We believe that the murderer is a courtier in the castle you are guarding!”

“And do you know who it is?”

“We… know that he is a tall and a somewhat burly man!” I chimed in.

“…sorry we don’t have nor know anyone you are describing m’lady!”

* * *

Sitting there in the snow bedded hill behind a tree, I pondered to myself and felt a bit pissed…. Thinking we were given shit information by that old man.

Damn it… it’s a dead end here…

”That, damn old man…” Jumque was as pissed as me “Wait… what if that guard is in it with the killer?!”

“If that, was it, then the Lord Protector was right about Lord Domnall…”

And as I heard what Sir Foulques said, it clicked on to me.

I still think to some degree that the old man gave us shit information, but… what Martyn said about this being more than just a serial killer on the loose, gave me currently a 50/50 lead.

“We’re sneaking in there!” I said to them both.

“What? But, how my lady?” Sir Foulques, asked with a dumbfounded tone.

“With this!” Me and Jumque quickly turned invincible in his eyes, made him jumped a bit, but he got my message as he nodded back.

As we left the hill and the horse, we went back to the castle on foot, with mimicry already casted to the three of us where the guards doesn’t even notice, but the trouble now is how to get in.

I could go above and went straight to the castle, but I don’t exactly know how to fly nor how to levitate, but thankfully I didn’t need to overthink it when a cart, a supplier cart arrived to the castle, so… we just went in through the gates as the portcullis was raised.

With us finally got inside, Sir Foulques took the lead as he knows the most about castle’s layouts and from what he said before at the hill, “Tuathic castles in the south are like Ousion’s, so I know exactly where Domnall’s study room should be!” can’t really argue with him, cause the only thing I know about castles is that they’re just fortifications and rich people live in them.

We’re still golden?

Jumque, who still holed up in my scarf, asked me telepathically about the situation.

Yeah, we’re just waiting for that maid over the stairs to get down.

Alright! I’ll give you a heads up as usual if someone or something is creeping on us.

As the maid with her basket filled dirty clothes made her way down, me and Foulques can finally continue where we walked slowly at the stairs, as it was made from wood, but we rushed instead as we saw back the maid was far enough from squeaking sound distances.

Finally finishing the last climb at the stairs and entering the second floor hallway, we were now, finally, only couple of steps to Domnall’s study room, from what Sir Foulques pointed at.

But along the way I heard something from another room, it was… quite intriguing from how loud it was, a woman’s and a man’s voice, talking… not only cordially… but quite fondly with one another.

“No, I told you! You are more beautiful and a thousand times more lady like than your cousin!” The man complimented the woman inside while bad-mouthing her cousin.

“That insult you gave to Ruith could land you to the stocks you know! But… Ruith is a noisy brat… haha!” The woman, who must be Domnall sister from what I just heard, laughed delightfully. “Haha… but enough of the courting, you said that you have a message for my brother?”

Hearing that I noticed an opportunity not to be missed, so I sent Sir Foulques ahead to Domnall’s study room and waited by this door to eavesdrop on this juicy bit of information that Martyn could use.

“Ahh… yes… that… but, I need to know if you know what your brother, Lord Domnall, has been doing!” He asked for confirmation.

“Of course, I know! Whatever it is he is doing, whether it is inside or outside of this castle, I will always know, because he’ll always tell me!”

“Ohh… well this will be easy then! My father, the Archcount of Fèidhtìr and his friend, Archcount Duncan macAnndra of Dùnàrd, will support your brother through arms if your cousin, our Grand Duke, doesn’t yield to your brother’s demand!” He said a tad bit excitedly.

Welp… Martyn’s right, his ass going to be really sore… haha… but his ass is in luck because he has a girlfriend to help ease it!

“Wait… arms? My brother’s demand? What…” Huh… I guess she wasn’t a part of the conspiracy. “No… no, no, no… get out! Get out!”

“But my lady… you said you know?!” He asked in confusion.

“I SAID GET OUT! I… need to think!”

I hurried myself from the door as the man, somewhat tall, really nice wavy hair, rushed outside.

“Damn it… what is he thinking, WHAT IS HE THINKING!” I continued sticking my ears to the room, but… I guess it’s over, she’s just in disbelief of her brother’s plot.

I stepped back from the door and headed to Domnall’s study room, opening it and was greeted with a… Sir Foulques lying flat on the ground.

The split second I saw this I rushed straight at Sir Foulques, checking to make sure if he was still alive and thank god, he was and from how he was breathing he was knocked cold to sleep and for the fact I found a dart at his neck.

“Don’t move…” A man with a somewhat deep voice, creeped up to me, threatening me with a knife being pointed at my neck.

JUMQUE!

Shit… sorry Eleanna, I didn’t notice him, fuck… I didn’t even feel his presence! it’s like he doesn’t have any kind of scent… but relax! I am repositioning myself… and… yep!

“Shit!” He cussed and recoiled back as Jumque jumped on him from my neck.

I then dashed as far away from him and pulled out my dagger to prepare a fight and while a couple feet apart from him, I observed him as well, he wore a tattered mud brown poncho with hoods that covered his face, he is also around my height from how perfectly aligned our eyes is, but other than that, he is definitely the one who tranquilized Sir Foulques.

Seeing that combat is the only option after that dashed, I went to the stance that Lady Chloé taught me, with the dagger upfront and one of my foot positioned backwards to take any heavy attacks he is going to inflict, which he actually did.

He came rushing in forward with superhuman speed, swinging the dagger that almost cut my neck before, from above to below.

But thanks to the powers I got from Jumque, I could quickly counter his movement, though narrowly because of that superhuman speed, by parrying and directing that force to somewhere else, making him disoriented though only for a moment, but that moment was enough as I put all of my strength to my right hand to stab his left shoulder.

And it… would have connected if he didn’t have quick reflex like me, he blocked my hand with his left hand, using it like a board to stop the motion of my dagger, and of course he counter as well with his balance finally re-established, by making a forward motion with his right hand that was holding his dagger towards my face.

I quickly dodge by dashing backwards from him in a split second, reverting us back again to where we were before, a couple feet apart and waiting for one of us to make a move.

“So… one of the second heroes… didn’t expect one of you to stoop this low.” He mocked.

“Trust me buddy, you haven’t seen anything from me!”

“I see… well, no point in standing here?” and like before, he dashed forward again

But as he was half way from me I felt something was missing… something that was should be around my neck, and… yeah, he is a snake after all!

“Yeah… no point in standing here…” Jumque in his naga form, tangled the man with his body like an anaconda, while mocking his comment.

“Urghh… I guess we’re even now…” He said while struggling to escape from Jumque.

* * *

After Sir Foulques woke up, we went back to business, from Sir Foulques and Jumque handling the interrogation, which currently they aren’t even getting squat, while I am shaking down this room, desk by desk, drawer by drawer, and oooh… what’s this?!

I noticed a weird looking book in one of the bookshelves, it has this paint look on it and when grabbing it, it felt more like touching a wooden plank rather than leather.

Knowing already what will happen, I pulled this ‘book’ where lo and behold, a secret compartment was revealed, in it were letters from various Archcounts, Counts, and Barons, throughout Tuath where inside… is like what that man previously talked with Domnall’s sister, an oath of support to Domnall when he is going to overthrow Alaxandair.

“Yep… not only Martyn’s hunch was right, but we also found evidence to back it up!” I went to them and showed the letters.

“Woah… where did you find that Lady Eleanna?” Sir Foulques asked in amazement.

“Just right over there!” I pointed at the secret compartment in the bookshelf.

“Huh… that fake book is actually really convincing my lady… how did you notice it?”

“Well, let’s say three years of solving and finding where my school stuffs were being hidden or thrown away, is a great way to exercise my analysing and observation skill!” I pretty much said what I had to go through at middle school. “But enough about that, you guys still haven’t got squat from him?”

“Yes….” Jumque said in defeat while still tangling the men.

“He won’t talk my lady and I think he won’t say anything useful either…” Sir Foulques asked him.

“Ughh… I think this charade is enough…” After saying that he disappeared from Jumque’s grasp, appeared back right in front of me and swiftly taking one of the letters at my hand.

I quickly dropped the letters and went straight back to my dagger preparing for his attack, Sir Foulques as well with him drawing his sword and Jumque about to entangle him again. But instead, he gave us a stop sign to us.

“I’ve already got what I came here for!” The letter he held suddenly burst to flames. “And… though it would give my lord more of a fighting chance if you were to die here, I won’t, not only because he is currently telling me to retreat, but you can also be of use by doing my job.” He paused for a moment. “Go back to Geamradh, Eleanna Florens! The one you are trying to find here is there, you may kill, capture, flay, I don’t care, he has grown pass his usefulness to my lord…”

“Who is he?” Curiosity got the better of me because of the way he said it.

“He is someone close to the Grand Duke… Durell I believe.”