The continued discussions with Dean Godwin went relatively smoothly, all things considered. Scarlett and the man went over what to do with the deceased dragon lying in her courtyard and the remaining artifacts and items from Abelard’s mansion that hadn’t yet been sold off. The Dean agreed to have Elystead Tower acquire a significant portion of it at a premium price. Furthermore, the archwizard showed a keen interest in getting his hands on the keys that Scarlett had used to activate the portal in Lord Withersworth’s cellar. Since she no longer needed them, they struck a deal where she would sell them in exchange for some additional favors from him.

For one, she had taken this chance to inquire more about magic in general and gain insight into what he knew about pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis that could be of help to her. Although the man hadn’t witnessed her abilities firsthand, he had apparently heard of Scarlett’s rather unorthodox use of magic, courtesy of Adalicia. Additionally, he had assured Scarlett of his immediate assistance with the dragon’s disposal, along with arrangements for the Loci.

At some point in their discussions, Empress had seemingly grown disinterested and sauntered off. Scarlett didn’t really think the cat needed her supervision, and she doubted Empress would cause any trouble—hopefully—so she didn’t pay it too much thought.

Upon concluding their negotiations, Dean Godwin accompanied Scarlett to the mansion’s courtyard. Several staff members were busy cleaning up what they could of the dragon’s remains, which primarily meant removing the blood that was seeping into the stonework and storing it in temporary magic containers brought from the city.

There, Scarlett had observed as the man skillfully used his magic to carve the dragon into smaller, more manageable pieces—he was kind enough to warn those faint of heart to leave before he started, because it had not been a pleasant sight—that he then stored away with some sort of spatial spells. According to their agreement, he would ensure the dragon’s materials were properly harvested and then return them to Scarlett before deciding what would go to Elystead Tower.

Once the courtyard was clear of the massive carcass, the staff was left with an even more significant cleanup task. Scarlett instructed the head servant, Marlon, to hire whatever extra help they needed—there was no point in trying to keep all of this secret from outsiders for long—and inform them they would be getting a bonus. After that, she led Godwin to meet Evelyne and briefly introduce him before taking him to the back of the estate and the garden where the Loci was located.

One of his first requests had been to analyze and inspect the artifact. Since he would also be helping her in improving it, she allowed that much and left him to his work. She had offered to assign servants or find an experienced mage from Freybrook to assist him, but the Dean had politely declined. Apparently, he preferred working alone.

Considering everything she had heard about the man, that did not surprise her.

Afterward, Scarlett decided to seek out Fynn and found herself standing outside his quarters in the eastern wing of the mansion. She raised her hand to knock, fully aware that he was likely already aware of her presence.

As expected, the door swung open at the mere touch of her knuckles against the wood, revealing Fynn with his bright-white hair in disarray and his clear, yellow eyes peering at her with a searching look. He tilted his head to the side. “You don’t usually come to my room.”

“There is a matter I wished to briefly inquire with you about,” she said, glancing past him into the room. “May I enter?”

He stepped aside to allow her inside.

Like most of the rooms in the eastern wing, his accommodations were decently large, but they lacked any notable personal touches. Fynn had been satisfied with the furniture that had come with the room when it was assigned to him, and as far as she was aware, he didn’t have any hobbies or particular interests that didn’t revolve around training and doing his job.

That said, her eyes landed on a collection of candles arranged in a circle at the center of the room, facing one of the open windows. Only three of the candles were lit.

She supposed it was better than nothing. “Have you been performing more of your meditation?” she asked, turning to look at him. She still wasn’t sure what this ‘meditation’ of his actually signified.

The young man closed the door and walked over to the candles. The remaining fires flickered out from a gust of wind. “Yes, I’ve been trying to improve my control through the ancestors’ guidance. They won’t allow me to proceed to the next step unless I can do it without their help.”

“The next step?” Scarlett knitted her brow. “Are you perhaps referring to gaining access to the second section of the Howling Gale’s Haunt?”

He paused, as if considering it for a moment. “Maybe? They didn’t say. They just don’t like me using their power too much.”

She regarded him closely for a couple of seconds. “I was not aware that you had been borrowing their power to that extent.”

Fynn gave her a strange look, like she’d said something odd. “I haven’t. They don’t have any power to give.”

“Did you not say a moment ago that you were using their power?”

He nodded. “I am.”

“…But they do not have any power to give?”

“There is a difference in their power and my power, isn’t there?”

Scarlett brought a hand to the bridge of her nose as she released a small sigh. “Fynn, I hope you realize that this is precisely why Allyssa finds you difficult to converse with at times.” She lowered her hand, studying him for a moment. “If I were to posit a guess, when you say you are using your ancestors’ powers, you mean to say you are drawing upon their knowledge rather than their actual power. The abilities they once possessed, as understood by them, are channeled through your own innate capabilities. Am I correct?”

He nodded once again as if that much was obvious. “Yes. I thought you already knew that.”

She shook her head. “I am not as familiar with the intricacies of your ancestors as you are. If I were, I would not have asked these questions. You should keep in mind that others cannot see into your mind to know what you mean when you say possibly misleading things.”

A look of realization appeared on the young man’s face. “Ah, um…sorry?”

Scarlett held up a hand. “There is no need to apologize. Anyhow, I suppose you cannot simply ask your ancestors whether the ‘next step’ is related to the Howling Gale’s Haunt, or how close you are to reaching it?”

She wasn’t certain they would be able to tackle the next section of that place at their current level. If necessary, she could always make some additional preparations. It wouldn’t surprise her if someone like Godwin was willing to accompany them on a trip like that.

“I don’t think they’ll answer. They don’t like you very much,” Fynn said.

Scarlett blinked, and a scowl involuntarily appeared on her face. “…I see.

Those ancestors really were a pain in the ass. Nothing she had heard of them gave her a good impression. But it wasn’t as if she could interfere with Fynn’s tribe business.

Now that she thought about it, it occurred to her that they might even obstruct Fynn from entering the Howling Gale’s Haunt if they believed she had unfairly stacked the deck in his favor. Bringing an archwizard along might be entirely out of the question.

That was frustrating.

“I’ll let you know if they mention anything about it,” the young man said.

Scarlett pressed her lips together. “…Very well.”

He eyed her for a moment. “Was there something else you wanted to ask about?”

“Yes, there was.” She looked out the window at the bare trees that were just outside the estate grounds. “Earlier, I had a meeting with one of the empire’s most prominent wizards to discuss potential collaborations between myself and Elystead Tower. You may have sensed his presence. He is currently examining the Loci in the back garden.”

Fynn nodded. “I did, yes. He has one of my people’s heirlooms.”

“Indeed, he does. It would appear he was familiar with your tribe from before, so perhaps you have even encountered him yourself.”

He appeared thoughtful. “I don’t recognize him, but he has an old scent. The elders might have known him. They’re the only ones who could have given away one of our heirlooms.”

Scarlett eyed him. “You do not mind that it is in his possession?”

The young man shook his head. “It’s not mine.”

“But it once belonged to your tribe.”

“It doesn’t anymore.”

“…I suppose you are right.” She crossed her arms. “However, that is not what I wanted to inquire about. During my meeting with the wizard, did you detect another presence? A woman we have encountered twice before: Mistress.”

Fynn nodded again. “I did. She has an unpleasant scent. You told me she wasn’t bad, though.”

“Yes, well, that description might not be entirely fitting, but she is not our enemy, at the very least. Regardless, you should be cautious around her,” Scarlett said. “What I want to know is this: during your time working under me, have you ever sensed a presence similar to hers near us?”

The other Viles must have learned about Rosa’s existence somehow, and Scarlett wanted to make sure she herself wasn’t the reason behind it. Call it having a clear conscience, if you will.

Fynn should have been able to detect any ordinary demon that might have kept tabs on them, and those would be the ones most likely to manifest in the Material Realm while still remaining hidden.

The white-haired young man seemed to think about it for a few seconds, seemingly uncertain of how to answer.

“…I have,” he eventually said.

Scarlett paused. “When?”

“Sometimes… I feel like I can smell something similar from Rosa.”

Her eyes widened.

He had…sensed Anguish’s presence in the woman?

She didn’t think he could do that. It had never come up in the game or any of their previous conversations. Besides, a Vile would be better at concealing itself than regular demons.

“…Why have you not informed me of this before?” she asked, her tone growing serious.

Fynn met her gaze with a look that radiated sincerity. “I thought you knew. You and her are the same. You always seem to be lying in some way, and the way you interact with her makes it seem like you know what’s wrong. When the scent is strongest, she always seeks you out, and then it disappears.”

Scarlett frowned. There was a lot to unpack there.

First of all, why did he believe she acted differently towards Rosa in that regard? She didn’t think there was much difference in her interactions with Rosa compared to the others, if you disregarded the woman’s distinct personality and how Scarlett dealt with that. And this was Fynn they were talking about. He was the last person she would have expected to notice any subtleties in her behaviour.

Secondly, there was also the bit about lying. “What do you mean when you say that we are always lying?” she asked.

Fynn gave her a long look. “You don’t know?”

She sighed. It felt like he was saying that a lot today. “It depends on what you mean by that.”

“…There is a sense of falsehood in almost everything you say. Both with you and Rosa,” he explained slowly, as if trying to find the right words. “At first, it confused me. It smelled like you were lying when you weren’t, but at the same time, it was different from when you actually lied. It took me a while to realize it was more like you were pretending. I didn’t understand that either, but it made more sense than before. I thought you were doing it on purpose.”

Scarlett stared at him. Was that how she came across whenever she spoke? Like she was acting? Pretending?

And he thought Rosa was doing the same?

She pressed a hand to her forehead. Considering how Fynn’s ability worked, she could somewhat understand why he might get confused when faced with her. It might be generous to call her a contrived mix of two separate personalities thrown into a blender. But Rosa shouldn’t be like that.

The woman did keep a lot of things secret, yes, but it had to be an exaggeration to say that she was acting all the time. Scarlett had seen moments—both in the game and in this world—where the woman had been entirely genuine with her emotions. Rosa’s cheerful persona might serve as a coping mechanism of sorts, but that didn’t mean it was entirely fabricated.

Nevertheless, it was to the level where Fynn could tell something was wrong. That meant Rosa had to be keeping more things bottled up than Scarlett had previously suspected.

Scarlett refocused her attention on Fynn. “You said she seeks me out when the presence is more noticeable? When does this happen?”

“Usually during the evenings and nights,” he replied. His brows furrowed. “She’s strange then, as well. I’ve followed her, and she won’t notice anything unless you get really close. Always smells afraid, like she’s hiding it.”

Scarlett’s frown deepened even further.

Rosa often visited her office in the evenings and nights. Scarlett had never fully understood why that had become a thing in the first place, though she had assumed it was at least partly because the bard simply enjoyed her company. However, there had always been signs of something more, something she had never dared to explore by asking Rosa. It wasn’t an option for more than one reason.

But if Rosa did seek her out when the signs of possession grew stronger, and they subsided in her presence….

Could there be side-effects of the possessions that Scarlett didn’t know about? She couldn’t recall the Rosa from the game ever mentioning anything about it, but the woman was notoriously reticent about her inner demons.

And it was true that Scarlett had always sensed there was more to some of Rosa’s actions and behaviour at times than she could grasp. She wouldn’t put it past Anguish to inflict as much torment as possible on her potential incarnate before being able to seize complete control. It was the kind of sick game that was right up the Vile’s alley.

Without even noticing, a familiar, cold rage had wormed its way up inside Scarlett as she considered the implications of this knowledge.

Say what you will about Rosa’s personality, but the woman was one of her people. The thought that she might have endured even greater stress and suffering than Scarlett had originally believed stirred something deep within her. It reminded her far too much of when she lost control with Gaven or when Garside had been injured in front of her. Before that mess, she had never realized she could feel this protective of those close to her.

She turned her gaze towards Fynn. “Do not bring any of this up to the others. Is that clear?”

He gave a firm nod. “Yes.”

“Good. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will handle it accordingly. If you notice anything else unusual in the future, even if you believe I may already be aware, do not hesitate to inform me.”

“Anything?”

“I would ask that you employ a measure of judgement beforehand, but if you are uncertain, tell me.”

“Alright.”

With that settled, Scarlett sent one last look around the room before turning to leave. “You should inquire with Garside about procuring more effects for your room. It might do you well to grow more familiar with the people here. Also, I ask that you be on guard for any other presences like Mistress or the one inside Rosa in the future. If one appears, and it is neither of the two, you are to immediately inform me and be prepared to defend against or apprehend it.”

“Mm. I understand.”

“Good. Then I will leave you to your meditation for now.”

Scarlett departed from Fynn’s chambers, her mind now consumed with thoughts of demons and Viles as she walked through the mansion’s hallways.

Where were things going from here?