To his surprise, Arthur hadn't found Sion in his office. It took him a while to find someone who knew where the Baron was. It seemed that Sion had left the mansion with the Cardinal.

  "Maybe they went to the Temple?" Catherine offered an insight when he returned. "I only assume so because Lady Elene disappeared as well, and she had wanted to talk with me as soon as possible."

  "You seemed worried about that..." He stated a fact more than asked.

  "Of course I am!" Cate rubbed her face. "I have no clue how to be a noble lady!"

  "What a coincidence! I have no idea how to be a noble lord!" He laughed and sat near her. "Have you tried on your new armour?"

  She almost bit her tongue because she wanted to protest about his noble status, but gave up on seeing his serious expression.

  "Yes, it fits well. I still don't believe how unbelievably easy magic is now with the corresponding skill. But that armour..." She smiled and stood up.

  Her comfortable, but still expensive dress was instantly replaced by sleek black armour. The gold and crimson trim looked stunning and underlined her figure while remaining functional. It was light armour only by Arcadian classification. The cuirass, pauldrons, bracers, tassets, graves, and tall boots perfectly protected all vital areas, while chain mail covered her arms. Technically, her only vulnerability was her exposed hands covered by thin gloves, but that was a trade-off for being a Spell Blade. Arthur held his breath when she opened the visor of her helmet and looked at him. She was simply gorgeous...

  "How can it be lighter than the leather carapace I wore previously?" She asked.

  "Skills, stats, and of course, Arcadian craftsmanship." He explained with a grin. "Besides... This is one of the most advanced gear pieces I obtained that had been unlocked. While you are still under-levelled, and will probably have penalties wearing it, it still provides you with far better protection than anything else could. But don't worry, with each level you gain, the penalty will be less severe until it vanishes completely."

  She changed back to her blue dress and looked at him questioningly, while she looked at herself in the mirror. "Are you sure I should wear it?"

  "The armour? Of course..."

  "No... The dress." She smiled.

  "What's wrong with it?" He felt a strange emptiness as he looked at her, surprised.

  "It's not customary for Saftian women to wear such dresses publicly." She explained.

  He wanted to laugh and call her bluff, but then he realised that she might be telling him the truth. The women in Saftia usually wore long cream or white-shaded long dresses, more akin to togas than proper dresses. He furrowed his brows.

  "Why the hell can you even buy the style dresses I consider normal, then?" He asked in confusion.

  "They are considered formal, for official meals or family celebrations. As far as I know, noble women wear them in their homes all the time. Considering that Lady Howthorns is usually dressed like that whenever I see her, I believe the rumour now."

  "So, what exactly should you wear, considering that you are my official fiancé?"

  "I have no idea." She smiled awkwardly.

  "In Arcadia that dress would be perfectly fine. So if you like wearing it, you can wear it." He finally shrugged. "If anyone has a problem with it, I will personally explain to them how wrong they are. My future wife won't wear ugly clothes because it's traditional or something like that..."

  "Oh, I'm not talking about that!" She laughed. "It's not about making women wear ugly clothes, but sometimes, I swear, it looks like it. This time it's about practicality. While there isn't much sand this far from the desert, the dust is a completely different matter. It's everywhere and it will cover the dress and stain the material. As water is precious, washing clothes often isn't really an option. You can't avoid getting armour or similar work clothes dirty, so people usually don't notice them being dust worn."

  "Oh..." He nodded, surprised. "It's good to hear that there is a sane explanation for once. Water is not a problem. Even if the dress is damaged, getting you a new one isn't really a challenge, so I guess you can wear it if you want."

  "Thanks." She giggled as they were once again interrupted by someone knocking at the door.

  That someone was the members of the retinue, Val'narii, Silfa, and Ben, who were ready to go. They left the manor and strolled to Alabaster's trade company. Arthur didn't notice how the people looked at Catherine's familiar, who followed her closely, so much so that she often brushed against the Nekomi's dress. While Eira was slightly stressed by the new situation and the number of people in the city, she didn't want to stay in the room. They entered the shop and they were welcomed warmly, as usual.

  "It's good to see you, Lord Ives! How may I help you, Sir?" Benjamin donned his best smile as he entered the private room where they had been waiting for a few moments.

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  Eira immediately moved to a spot behind Catherine and curled into a ball while Catherine and Arthur returned to their seats following the customary greetings. The Inquisitor looked at his retinue, but Val'narii, who seemed to have become a sort of leader, only inclined her head towards the doors with a smile. He almost chuckled as he guessed that they wanted to already go shopping.

  "I wanted to buy supplies like arrows and food," Arthur said with a smile after he shook the merchant's hand. "Would you like anything, Cate?"

  "I would like some additional brushes for Eira and perhaps some ribbons..." The Nekomi answered with a thoughtful nod. "I don't think I need anything else. For now, at least..."

  "My retinue will probably have a more extensive list of things to buy." Arthur looked at the trio, who nodded eagerly with wide smiles. "We aren't in a hurry today, so take your time."

  "In that case, I will arrange a clerk for each of them to make it easier." Benjamin smiled and rang a small silver bell exactly three times.

  Moments later, before the bell even stopped resonating, three familiar faces entered the room. Once Benjamin explained everything to the assistants, Val'narii, Silfa, and Ben left the room on their own shopping. The owner of the Alabaster Trading Company smiled at the remaining pair.

  "Do you have anything else you would like to buy, Sir?"

  "Not buy, exactly, but I guess it's possible in this country..." Arthur sighed and grimaced awkwardly. "I would like to hire a few more people. However, no matter what mercenaries usually claim, you can't exactly buy loyalty. I would settle on just trustworthy, but as you can guess, I don't even know where to find people like that."

  Benjamin rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. It appeared he had a ready solution, but his reluctance made Arthur even more curious about what the crafty merchant had on his mind.

  "Honestly, I would normally point out that you should hire some adventurers. Finding the right one shouldn't be that complicated with the help of Miss Val'narii." He said after a time of consideration. "However, I'm well aware that most of the good ones are already in Guilds, while the rookies are way too unreliable for your purpose. Let me confirm one last thing: Are you looking for someone long-term, or just for a short while?"

  "That's a good question." Arthur hummed, taking a moment to consider. "I would prefer to find someone long-term. While short-term employment would provide more candidates, it won't solve the issue."

  "And how many people would you like to hire, Sir?"

  "Two or three. One of them should expect to do basic chores like cooking or cleaning, but in turn, they won't be expected to fight. However, they should be able to protect themselves in case of an ambush or other unexpected situation." Arthur answered, which earned him Catherine's surprised gaze to which he replied with a reassuring smile.

  "I might have some people..." Benjamin started with a sour expression which made Arthur chuckle.

  "But? There is always ‘but’ when people start answering with that tone."

  "Well." Benjamin smiled as well and leaned back in his chair. "But, indeed... There is a little bit of a problem with them. It's not a problem that would hinder someone like you, but it's a problem nonetheless." The merchant took a sip of water and, after a deeper breath, he finally explained. "The people I'm talking about are a young couple. Simply put, they are runaways. Their story isn't particularly exciting or new in Saftia. Just two people who loved each other and ran away from their families. The families that had already chosen for them who they would marry."

  "I’m still waiting for the part where this is a problem, Ben..." Arthur nonchalantly crossed his arms with a smile. "Are they nobles or something?"

  "No, but their families are wealthy enough to try to find them. While the boy's family is less determined, and I believe that they mostly want to let him know they disowned him, or maybe beat him, but I'm almost sure they don’t intend to kill him. The girl, however..." Benjamin said with a sigh. "Her family took it personally and, if found, they will try to kill her for all the troubles they got into. I suspect they hoped to marry her into another wealthy family, or maybe even a lesser noble family, and that second family is involved in looking for her as well. I don't know much about her or what kind of purse her capture would bring, but someone is undeniably looking for her."

  "I pity her..." Catherine said quietly.

  "I would have to talk with them before I decide anything," Arthur said as he softly smiled toward the Nekomi.

  "I can arrange a meeting in an hour," Benjamin said immediately.

  "All right. But before that, I want to know what connects you with them." Arthur looked at the Merchant whose face twisted as if he had eaten something incredibly sour.

  "The girl in question, Jassmina, is the daughter of my late friend who died a few years back. Now, when I think about it, I’m starting to believe that the death of her mother wasn't a tragic accident." Benjamin said with anger in his voice. "But that is a different story. I loved her mother but back then, I wasn't wealthy enough to be married to her. I can't let her daughter meet the same fate..."

  "I'm sorry for your loss, Benjamin." Arthur inclined his head with respect. "What do you plan to do?"

  "I'm so obvious?" The Merchant tried to smile.

  "Indeed. I can tell that you are planning to do something or, at the very least, address the man who stole the woman you loved." Arthur gave him a small smile. "Not that I blame you."

  "I plan to ruin him," Benjamin said without a single emotion. "He might be wealthy, but he can't even dream of competing with me. I have already ruined the man who sold her."

  "Everyone fights with the weapons they have," Arthur said with a shrug. "All right, please bring them in. We can wait."

  Benjamin stood up and walked towards the doors. Before he left the room, however, he stopped and looked at Arthur.

  "Thank you, Sir." He said calmly, but his eyes were full of the tears he held back. "Thank you for not judging me."

  He left without waiting for a reply. Cate, who had been sitting quietly thus far, leaned against Arthur’s side with a sad sigh.

  "Benjamin was right... Stories like that are nothing new in Saftia." She shuddered. "I was lucky to meet you, Arthur."

  "Just another reason to not like this country." Arthur sighed.

  Once again, someone politely knocked on the doors, surprising the Inquisitor. To his surprise, it was Tom, who positioned an elegant table in front of him. It was full of various ribbons, accessories, and brushes. Cate smiled brightly and started looking through the stock with Eira curiously watching from the side. While Arthur smiled at the sight of his fiancée trying to make her familiar wear a ribbon, he considered his situation again. What should he do?

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to and who edited the chapter!