Just before dawn, Akun and Aizen's eyes snapped open. They left the sleeping servants and went outside to get a good look at the papers they stole from Murdia’s room. Akun scanned their surroundings with his eyes as Aizen revealed the first message.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPz1BpzqCx 維尼
“This is from two years ago.” Aizen flipped the paper to read what was written on the back. Then he moved on to the next message. “It first started off with simple tasks, like getting this and that.” He looked through two more.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFerjEkH5c 維尼
“How often are the messages?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU6GP8Qw4N 維尼
“At first they were once a few months. Now they’re once a week, or whenever she has anything new to report. There are no plans discussed in these. She will be charged for is treason, but we haven’t uncovered anything like a battle plan. Perhaps the Chief just wanted us to find the spy within the Vanson household.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnY9j8tABp 維尼
“No, it must be more than that,” Akun said as he read the latest message. He crouched and Aizen took his place as lookout. “This one has ‘Happy Halloween’ underlined. Then it says, ‘it starts soon’. What could be starting?” Akun frowned. “Who is writing these messages? The handwriting is very neat and the grammar is near perfect.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWV2yW0Mbp 維尼
“Not just any old person is using Murdia to send messages then. I can't imagine a servant writing it.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD1NPKmEKI 維尼
Akun stared at the paper a bit more. “I might have seen this handwriting before.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡK226mCf0mC 維尼
Aizen snapped his head to Akun. “Have you? Where?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlSVFMB6p6 維尼
“I don’t remember.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡXruZfc9dKt 維尼
“That’s helpful. Look, someone’s coming.” Aizen pointed to the road.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSlrrfClqT 維尼
Akun looked up as he folded the papers and handed them to Aizen. “That can’t be Leal, could it? The sun is barely up. I didn’t know nobles were awake this early.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaZe8i2iYN 維尼
“It doesn’t matter. We need to get changed. Breakfast will be starting soon.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡPg1of3Mpov 維尼
Luda met them in the mess hall. “Did you enjoy your first night?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡmku6vAk2zT 維尼
Akun grinned. “Yes, thank you. It was much better than sleeping outside in the cold!”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡFN3QQtIoym 維尼
Aizen nodded in agreement for the sake of it. He was more focused on the documents he had tucked under his shirt. There seemed to be a lot more going on here than he first thought.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg5PZJ8dHJ 維尼
“I saw someone coming in this morning,” Akun said casually.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDwRaws6RJ 維尼
“That would be Leal, the Duke’s son. He is Lady Arala’s dear cousin. He visits a few times a year.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNJAMRaSbZ 維尼
Akun's eyes widened. “Have you met him?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡLutlnZYHNC 維尼
Luda bit into his bread. “Yes, I have. A few times, actually. You see a lot of visitors when you’ve been working here for as long as I have. He’s a handsome fellow who is kind to the servants.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡQS3oVEZTwH 維尼
“Does he have any brothers or sisters?” Aizen asked.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0Sr1fPAVF 維尼
“No, not a one,” Luda said. “He is the only heir to his father’s estates.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMH650v9a0 維尼
“Do you think we will see him?” Akun asked.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTUHhyidto 維尼
“So many questions in the morning, young Akun,” Luda said. “And yes, I believe you will meet him.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoZ5JcqU99 維尼
“Don’t mind Akun. He asks way too many questions. I sometimes wonder how I put up with him.” Aizen nudged Akun’s head until Akun had to lean over to avoid a bruise from forming. 8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡni6q11DOBq 維尼
It was then that Akun saw an unknown figure standing outside in the hall who was speaking to Arala’s older brother, Honslau.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡmufxHKYFjq 維尼
“Hey, isn’t that him?” Akun asked and brushed Aizen’s arm away. “The tall one with the sword at his hip and is wearing a cloak,” he said.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMoS7k0JEi 維尼
Luda turned around and smiled. “Yes, that is him.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwJBYK3ZEL 維尼
“Looks friendly.” Akun downed his mug of water and watched Leal move through the different tables the servants occupied. They all stood to greet him and only sat when he waved his hands. Each time, he was smiling and laughing as though enjoying a good joke.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJu3iVX4pW 維尼
“And here he comes,” Luda said with a smile. “Master Leal, it is such a great pleasure to have you visiting the Vanson family again.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhISdmbO1d 維尼
“I’ve been away for far too long,” Leal said when he was close. Akun had been pulled to his feet by Aizen, who for some reason had a very firm grip on the collar of Akun’s shirt. Luda did the introductions and they bowed.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNV9guvxMy 維尼
Aizen’s eyes had hardened as he thought quickly of all the possibilities of Leal, the son of a Duke—the only son—having almost the same face as Jukely, the jerk he cut ties with just a week ago.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2o7bWkZpp 維尼
“Let me see your faces. There, no need to be shy,” Leal said to Akun. Akun tilted his head up and had a smile on his face, although the smile looked triumphant to Aizen’s eyes. He raised a brow in question.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMNZVDyb4Z 維尼
“Welcome to the Vanson household. It is a good place to be.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJq1V2VDpv 維尼
“Thank you,” they said in unison. Leal nodded and went to greet others.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTflLDqP6j 維尼
“I have to find Murdia,” Luda announced after Leal was out of earshot. “There is some trouble with the well in the yard.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76YnsGEEJJ 維尼
“We’ll see you at noon then,” Akun said with the same smile still on his face.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVhJLtuiYR 維尼
“What are you so happy about?” Aizen asked when they began walking out of the mess hall themselves.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iMwHQ3lrf 維尼
Akun gave him a surprised look. “Don’t you see?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrszs8wTn5 維尼
“See what?” Aizen was beginning to get irritated by Akun’s broad statements.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOLbdPDNAG 維尼
“Leal and Jukely.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQyWMD3hNh 維尼
“How do you know about Jukely?” Aizen demanded.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡUu0aRwi0ue 維尼
“I saw you talking to him on Halloween. Talking about me, I suppose. He doesn’t know what he’s missing, having a rat as a partner,” Akun said in a monotone voice.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9VPWNjIeI 維尼
“He’s not missing anything interesting or fun, that’s for sure,” Aizen muttered.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNIkyEcomE 維尼
“They must be brothers. I’ve got to hand it to the Duke, he is one sneaky man. He has two sons born in the same year. I wonder how the Duchess feels about it.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡajcWaljGiA 維尼
Aizen stopped. “What did you just say? Aren’t you jumping to conclusions too quickly?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZlCfWPXp9 維尼
Akun shook his head. “Are you telling me that you haven’t thought of it yourself?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQm1ApFO2M 維尼
“I have, but it’s one of many possibilities!”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvgc2YNDLA 維尼
“Here’s how I figured it out. First, they look alike. Not only that, but the reason why the words ‘Leal, the Duke’s son’, sounds familiar to you, is because there is some relation to the name Jukely chose for himself.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9jDptyLoM 維尼
“I thought Jukely’s name was too weird to be chosen by his mother,” Aizen mused. “Juke, for Duke. And Ly, for…”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwcZ5QhEs7 維尼
“It must be a name he made for himself. Maybe he likes to have everyone call him ‘Duke Ly’?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuTSCcWQhw 維尼
“That self-centred bastard,” Aizen muttered.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡVK74Q4kmdq 維尼
Akun continued, “He must be jealous of his half brother, the one who will inherit their father’s estates because Jukely is not the Duke’s legal son. He is just a "mistake" the Duke made with a woman a while back.” They were in the shed where they collected their supplies. Akun spoke quickly now.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1sR9nU6s9 維尼
“But Jukely doesn't have anything to do with our errand. It's Leal. Leal has the scent of the afterlife about him. That could be dismissed for Halloween, since almost everyone brushed pass a ghost during one time or another that night. However, the scent on Leal is much stronger, even after a day and night of closure to the afterlife. There was also the scent of this on Murdia, which did not hit me until I faced Leal. Leal. He is trying to do something with the afterlife portals that are around the cities.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqp5v6P1iI 維尼
Aizen cursed. “They should just destroy the portals.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMqZh8682g 維尼
Akun shook his head. “Long ago, they thought of doing that. Every night before Haloween, everyone banded together and destroyed all the portals to the underworld where the spirits came in from. But the portals just disappeared and the spirits came through another portal. Each time, the spirits always came out angry. Anger boosts their powers. Many people who had a hand in destroying the portals were haunted by ghosts until they died or were dragged forcefully into the afterlife by more violent monsters.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6oTFDOVSP 維尼
“How do you know this?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSsfm6IFY6 維尼
“I read about it.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2x0jZSfIJ 維尼
Aizen scratched his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Go on.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXYopE8v3Y 維尼
“When they gave up on destroying portals, the spirits came out of the same ones every year. But they were still angry at the people who destroyed the previous ones, so they hunted the descendants, thus the masks that everyone wears.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzu7sUSNh3 維尼
“I know that part. But what does that have to do with the matter at hand?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nPn6JXnST 維尼
“What matter? Ah, yes, you are to blame, Aizen. You made me explain why portals should not be destroyed. Now back to the ‘matter at hand’, as you put it, I suspect that Leal might have a portal open.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0b5JcvyifX 維尼
“They only open on Halloween…and no human can control it.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JaXxoMfhl 維尼
“With magic, it might be possible. I suspect that he stopped one from closing. Although I don’t know where, I know it’s here, or near here. Murdia is his contact. I remember now. I was looking in Lord Vanson’s study and found a letter to him from Leal. It was the same handwriting.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqLthjdIeR 維尼
I can’t believe he was able to piece everything together so quickly, Aizen thought and shook his head in wonder.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLJxQkwXZq 維尼
“And the smell? Why is Leal keeping the portal open?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JQTMQT3MN 維尼
“Most likely he’s trying to bring something over to this side of the world. Maybe there is some sort of agreement, although I’ve never heard of a spirit making a deal with a human.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXC24yP79E 維尼
“Why would he want to do that? And what about the Ician letters?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwnEVpfYy2 維尼
Akun looked at Aizen incredulously. “What makes you think I know that? You’ll have to ask Leal himself about it! But my guess is that this is only a small part of a much bigger plan.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAHZ79ycpK 維尼
Aizen’s arms rose above his head and came back down in defeat. “You were sprouting out answers to every question, so I thought maybe you had an idea of what Leal himself was thinking!”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0PwrXsgwi 維尼
“Anyway, we should close the portal,” Akun said. He looked around. “We’ve been in here long enough. People will wonder where we went off to.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrxJr3Fyto 維尼
“We'll go back to head quarters tonight,” Aizen said. “We need to tell the Chief even if he’s not going to believe that Leal is involved. Do you think anyone else is?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS1YiWuIYy 維尼
Akun thought of that for a moment. “Possibly the magic user. He is rather weak, and I believe that Lord Vanson could have hired a much stronger one. He might be the magician who is keeping the portal open.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWirrj8OQQ 維尼
“Which might mean that Lord Vanson has a part in this, unless the magician is acting on his own accord.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuMfySohGv 維尼
“We don’t know that yet. But that’s it: the magician, Murdia, and Leal are part of some kind of conspiracy against Enzla with the Icians.” Akun stopped in his tracks, deep in thought. “Why would they want to betray Enzla?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRyBLFu5lN 維尼
"We wouldn't know unless we stayed longer. But that's not what the Chief's looking for," Aizen said and bit his lip. "I wish we knew. It's important."8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IIyVMWLLG 維尼
Akun agreed wholeheartedly.8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2mB6cq17j 維尼
“I haven’t exorcized any evil spirits in a while,” Aizen said. “This might be a good time to start again.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGh7AZuEt6 維尼
Akun looked at Aizen sceptically. “Are you sure you’re up to it? You’re not a magic user, after all. Exorcisms would be harder for you.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4N7eLhYP9x 維尼
“Speak for yourself,” Aizen muttered as a servant holding a tray of food passed them. “You’re a rat no matter which way you look at it. How are you going to fight?”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPgF8QlHN1 維尼
“Simple. You will just have to wait and see.”8964 copyright protection650ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIqg6eD6wu 維尼
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