"Who are you?"
Arsh looked at the silhouette sitting in the chair across the dark room.
"I was going to ask the same thing. Who are you, kid?"
"You're the one who broke into my room."
The man stayed silent for a moment.
"Tell me… that wound on your hand, how did you get it? Did someone do that to you?"
Arsh didn't answer.
"First, tell me who you are," he repeated.
The man chuckled silently. Arsh couldn't see his face, but from his silhouette, it was clear that he wasn't someone Arsh could overpower if things ever came to a fight.
"Let's just say I'm someone who looks for people who carry these kinds of symbols."
This made Arsh instantly alert. Will had written in his diary about an organization that looking for these symbols, though he hadn't been sure of their purpose or the extent of their power. Millway was probably a member of that same organization. If the man in front of him was also from that organization, he was likely connected to Millway as well.
"For what?" he asked.
"Hmm... to make sure they don't cause any problems, or that they aren't in any trouble themselves."
'What trouble? You're the one causing problems,' Arsh thought.
"I'm not going to cause any problems."
"Convince me."
Arsh felt a rising sense of danger toward the man. The calmness in his voice and movements was even scarier than a man who might come at him ready to attack. He slowly stood up from the bed and lit the oil lamp on the table. Only then could he see the man's face clearly. He had brown, curly hair, large eyes framed by long lashes, and light stubble along his jawline.
"How long have you been following me?"
"Since you arrived at the gate."
Arsh had felt someone following him earlier that day, but only after he left the bank. He had thought it was just a thief or something like that. But after meeting Nesame, he had lowered his guard completely.
"So you heard me talking to the guard… that's how you found out which inn and room I'm staying in?"
The man gave a quiet "Hmm" of confirmation.
He sat there with one leg crossed over the other, his hands resting calmly on his stomach, watching Arsh with a relaxed posture.
"Then you must have heard the rest of what I told him."
He let out another approving sound.
It was clear that he expected Arsh to explain the missing parts of the story. Arsh hadn't mentioned the symbol or the details of his escape to Nesame or the others. Given the gravity of the situation, no one had questioned those details. But those were exactly the things the man in front of him was curious about.
"I saw this symbol in the ancient burial chamber I told the guard about. I'd heard a legend saying it could grant powers to ordinary people, and… You already know the story, I was in a difficult situation, so I tried it."
The man pressed his lips together and shook his head slowly.
"Not convincing. Did it give you any power?"
"No."
"Good. Another lie. But if you heard that kind of legend, you should know the whole thing. Did you know it could kill you?"
'No, I hadn't heard that.'
"I only heard that worthy people can use them."
"Oh, so you really have heard the legend. You are a native, right? This isn't a legend told in these lands anymore. In almost any land, actually. You must have heard it from someone."
Arsh was silent again.
"So, I am assuming you heard that from those archaeologists— Professor Millway and Will, right? Hmm... what did they find in that burial chamber? Ah, by the way, you should be more aware of your surroundings when you talk about things like that. Otherwise, you might get killed by an adventurer looking for treasure in this city. There are thousands of them, and they would do anything for information about stuff like this."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, no, you've got it all wrong. I'm just trying to be helpful."
The man waited for an answer for a while, but Arsh had no intention of telling him anything. This was someone who had broken into his room in the middle of the night, asking questions that Arsh believed were connected to the deaths of his father and the villagers.
'Not convincing.'
The man took a deep breath and stood up.
"First of all, let me make one thing clear, I am an honorable officer working for the Symran government. I have a steady income so I have no reason to kill a child or choose something as uncertain as chasing after treasure just to make a living..."
When Arsh heard that, he looked at the man's clothes... if they could even be called clothes.
'Not even the village idiot would wear rags like that and claiming you have a steady income... It is clearly a lie.'
The man realized that Arsh looking his clothes
"Hey! I'm on a mission right now. You should see me in everyday life… Whatever. Now tell me at least how you got out of that well."
Arsh hadn't wanted to show it, but he had already been thinking about how he would explain that part.
Still, the shift in his thoughts left a trace on his expression. It didn't escape the curly-haired man's notice. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Got you."
He sat back down on the chair, clasped his hands over his knees, and leaned forward.
"I'm waiting."
"I'm not sure. After I drew the symbol on my hand, I don't remember exactly what happened. I had fallen from a high place, I was hungry, thirsty, and wounded... and I had drunk some kind of alcohol. I only remember passing through some tunnels and ending up near an altar at the temple in my village. I remember seeing Arienne's statue there. I think… the Goddess helped me."
What he had told him was obviously a lie. Arsh was certain of the reality of everything he had experienced.
He just wasn't sure what those lights were or how to learn more about them. For now, his only source was Will's notebook.
He was also starting to feel there was no way to get rid of this man without telling him what he was curious about. And maybe if he couldn't escape him, he might as well learn a thing or two from him.
Besides, he hadn't forgotten what the man had said earlier about the symbol killing him. Will's journal had mentioned something similar.
'If a person is not worthy, his body collapses slowly.'
'So that's what he meant...death. But I feel okay,' he thought for a moment.
"I get it. You've been through a lot lately. You can't trust a man who sneaks into your room in the dark. You shouldn't. It is better that way. The same goes for you, kid. I can't say that I trust you. But since you have that siuni—probably you know that this is the name of that symbol—I'll keep an eye on you for a while. I'll need to file a record of your name to avoid problems you may cause in the future. Also, you look fine, but let's check your health." The man's way of speaking and his seriousness made Arsh think.
"Are you... really an official? Can you prove it?"
"Look, I said that I am on a mission. But I will prove it... later."
"But you are saying openly that you are on a mission. Isn't it supposed to be secretive?"
"Because my mission is to find kids like you. So, it is okay."
"You are not a kidnapper, right?"
"Of course not!" he said, his eyes full of disbelief.
He stood up again.
"There is someone who can check your health. So, will you come without resistance, or should I force you?"
The man was tall and bulky, definitely in his thirties. Arsh scrutinized him; there was no way he would be able to resist. And he really didn't want to die because of this siuni. He didn't have much choice at that moment.
"I will come with you."
"Good."
The man moved toward the window.
"There's a door!" Arsh shouted, but the man already had one leg over the window sill.
"Oh, right. Let's go."
…
They didn't talk much as they walked. They came to an alley in a district where mostly Kurshan people lived. The streets were lined with buildings similar to those Arsh had passed that morning, but the area had grown silent with the night. There was no trace of the chaotic noise and smell of the morning. Occasionally, a drunk passerby or a few night watchmen could be seen.
A few moments later, they arrived at a eatery. Unlike the silent streets outside, the place was crowded and noisy. But it didn't take long for Arsh to realize that it wasn't a typical eatery. It was a tavern. He had never been anywhere like this before. Arsh hadn't expected Juan to bring him to a place like this.
The dim light inside mixed with the smoke from the tobacco, giving the room a hazy, almost foggy atmosphere. The smell of both the smoke and the alcohol hit him immediately, making his throat burn and forcing him to cough. To cover his nose he pulled up the cloth of his tunic.
Arsh followed the curly-haired man toward a small table tucked away in the corner. An older man, probably in his fifties, sat there alone. Like everyone else inside the tavern, the older man was a Kurshan as well.
The man lifted his gaze as they approached. He looked at them for a moment, then, suddenly, his attention shifted. His gaze locked on Arsh's hand. Before Arsh could react, the man reached forward and grabbed his hand without saying a word.