Armand took a sip of water. "As I've mentioned, Lord, I'm currently working on a mission, so it will be difficult for me to take on another."
But Frederick's eyes were grave. "Even if it involves missing children?"
Startled, Armand sat up a little straighter. "Please, explain more."
"The first disappearance was only a fortnight ago, but the number of victims had reached 12. We have not released any information to the public out of fear it would cause mass panic, but we had suffered quite a big loss at our end."
One of the men sitting at a nearby table got up and handed Frederick a leather scroll made of calfskin. Frederick stood up, moved the tableware aside, and carefully unrolled the scroll on the table. On it was a map of Dohara and the surrounding area. He pointed at the north of Dohara.
"The children were kidnapped in a variety of way: from the street, on the way back from guild school, and even from their bedroom at night. They all come from different background, but they always showed traces of moving towards this location."
"What kind of place is it?"
"It's an underground volcanic cave that no one has been using since a long time ago. Around this time, some of the entry passages might be flooded from the nearby Lake Serpent, making search investigations more difficult. "
"What are the results of the investigation?"
Frederick's face darkened. "Very minimal, and we've suffered quite a number of casualties. Magic is definitely involved - the moment my people went in, any magic connection was cut off. No one was able to come back once they went in."
Armand looked down grimly at his reflection on the glass of water. Knowing how much time had passed, this meant that there was a high probability they were dead. Which meant the children, too...
There was no way his conscience, or duty as a holy knight, would let him ignore this. "Is this why you are here with the 'Mother' of the underworld? Are you suspecting that she might be involved in this?"
"Oh, no. Some of the first victims were children under her territory, and what I've heard her anger was immense. The territory is very tense at the moment. It might seem hard to believe, but she plays quite an important role in this city. She's managed to clean up the underworld in such a short time - sure, some petty thievery and shady dealings still exist, but it's hard to avoid in a city like this."
"So you're looking if she could give you a hand in this matter."
Frederick cleared his throat. "I'd much prefer to call it a temporary truce."
"At this busy place?"
"Amidst the crowds, one may speak freely without fear of being overheard. I had to find somewhere out of reach from her people. And not to worry, everyone on this floor are mine." He looked at Armand seriously. "You must've realised that she is not an ordinary woman."
"Indeed. I'm surprised she agreed."
"It seems she's reached the end of the rope for her own investigation."
Armand took a deep breath. "I will go."
"I haven't set the payment for the commission."
"It does not matter. The children are a priority. I will depart right away once you pass me all the information that you have collected." Armand swiftly rose from his seat.
Satisfied, Frederick glanced at two men and a woman sitting close by and tapped the table twice with his finger. They stood up in a disciplined fashion and approached the table. Frederick rolled the map and handed it to Armand.
The first man was heavily-built, with stern look, large beard, and thin lips. His face was expressionless, but his eyes that glimpsed at Armand betrayed a hint of distaste.
"This is my Knight Captain, Sir Kingsley. He will guide you the location and tell you everything you need to know about the case. My vice-captains, Sir Regulus and Dame Ardent, would definitely of assistance too." Frederick gazed at the three knights. "Tell Sir Fontaine everything he needs to know and follow his instructions."
"Yes, my Lord." All three of them spoke in a low voice in unison.
Sir Regulus looked like an ordinary Dohara man in his twenties - leaner built, strong nose, and messy hair. Meanwhile, Dame Ardent had a neatly-cut short hair, medium built, high cheekbones, and a pair of sharp eyes. However, contrary to the distasteful look of Kingsley, her gaze towards Armand contained admiration. It was not the kind of look he received from the star-struck noble ladies or blushing congregants, but a respectful look towards a more skillful knight.
Armand nodded, having lost the timing to turn down assistance. He should have known that dealing with Frederick would not be easy - the sly old man would definitely like to involve his own people to stay on top of the case, even at the risk of losing his best knights.
"..thank you. In that case, I will first reunite with my companions and relay this decision...ah, what a timely arrival."
From the corner of his eyes, he could see the curtain towards the VIP area lifted. Anya of Dohara appeared followed by Seraphine, who was no longer wearing her veiled hat.
"Oho, what an exquisite beauty. After this is over, this old man would be happy if you could introduce this companion lady of yours to me, Sir Fontaine."
Armand smiled was wide but stiff. "It would be the most ordinary of all stories, Lord van Lutmer. Also, I'm afraid I have nothing to tell you about her - in fact, as you remember, I've only discovered her first name today."
Amused, Frederick pressed a smile from surfacing. "I see."
Seraphine went straight to Armand. She glanced at the map that Armand was holding.
"Are you going to look for the children?"
At this point, Armand did not even bother to question how she knew about the missing children or how she came into the conclusion. He nodded. "It seems we have to take a bit of detour, Lady Mizan."
She nodded. Behind her, Istaroth puffed a bout of smoke from her long pipe.
"Then let's go."