For the past few days Aiden has been acting weird to say the least. I'm aware that I don't do emotions well, and can't read them but so much, but even I agree that he has been acting weird after he left for his trip that one day. From the bags under his eyes showing he was having trouble falling asleep to even the most recent event where he suddenly collapsed covered in wounds. The others has been ahead of me at the time, and the others were looking at the princess when it happened but the way Aiden fell was weird.
There was no time to fall, one moment he was standing, and the next he was on the ground with the sound following, his entire body covered in dozens of bleeding wounds as he almost bleeded out. Not to mention that Victor showed up at the same time.
To make matters worse Victor seemed to be just like Ymer as we all got the notifications.
To make it worse, Aiden's expression when he heard that someone had saved us and was still here had him looking panicked and worried.
"Hey Thalia, you seem spaced out, copper for your thoughts?"
Liora asked as she turned around and began to walk backwards to look at me. Selene also looked down at me with a look of curiosity. I took a moment to center my thoughts before I turned to the others.
"I think Aiden saw something, something that caused him to be acting so weird and what caused his injuries."
The others looked between each other as I noticed a flash of recognition on Selene's face as I turned to her. She seemed conflicted as if unsure whether they should say anything before she turned to us and stopped walking.
"I-I think that the place Aiden went to was a bookstore."
Liora and I exchanged a glance before Liora put her hands on her hips.
"A bookstore, like a skillbook store, or a regular entertainment for a long ride bookstore?"
Selene shook her head as she gave us a serious look.
"I don't know, but Aiden had this letter on his bed that said it was from someone named purple, and it said that this Mr. Lee needed to give people power because a war would be starting in 50 years or something."
We both gave Selene a look as My thoughts began to race, well at least what counted as racing for me. I wonder who purple is, are they related to red? Who is Mr. Lee, and why is he both able to pass out power, and willing to do so? What's this about a war?
"Where the hell did he even get a letter like that?"
Liora asked as she walked over and leaned her back against the wall. Selene shrugged as after a moment of silence we continued towards the lunch hall. As we walked we didn't slow down at the lunch hall and instead continued through and started towards the entrance.
"So we are definitely going to see where this bookstore is right?"
I asked just confirming as I was unsure if the others had matched my conclusion. They both nodded as we made our way out onto the street. As we walked we drew a few glances, mainly because we were not in our adventuring gear, and instead wearing clothes provided by the Duke. Liora and I were wearing simple dresses. Mine was a silver color, with blue accents, while Liora's was a nice light blue with bits of emeralds here and there. If anything Selene was the one that stood out as she was wearing clothes like she was about to go ride a horse across the countryside. If not for her figure she could have been mistaken for a guy.
We made our way past several stores until we ended up before an ordinary looking bookstore. We double checked the address, worried we had found the wrong one, but this one was the store in question.
While it didn't seem like long, we must have been standing for a few minutes just staring as the door to the bookstore opened and a polite looking human man stepped out. He wore a simple suit and black tie with a head of well kept black hair and a polite smile.
"Good lady's, I noticed you looking and came to see if you were here to ask for directions."
Liora and Selene looked between each other as if trying to figure out what to day, but from my experience, that just wastes time, so I stepped forward.
"Our friend Aiden came to your store and returned with something weighing him down, we are trying to see what that is."
Selene and Thalia seemed a bit horrified I had just come fourth and said it but the man gave a pleasant smile as he nodded.
"Of course, please come in and make yourselves at home. I am more than happy to explain what happened when your friend last visited."
A part of me had expected some kind of resistance as we the man stepped back and held the door as we all made our way inside.
The room itself was rather ordinary, walls were lined with books of all kinds, a small stairwell lead up to another area in the back right of the room and a doorway underneath it seemed to be where one could access the storage of the store. A simple wooden desk sat in the room as the man gestured for us to take a set of 3 chairs set in front of the table.
The room itself didn't unnerve me, not even the lack of defense against us coming in, but in most stores one chair, if not two is the norm, but 3 chairs already set up as if he was waiting for us is sketchy as hell. Liora and Selene didn't seem to notice, instead looking around the room in curiosity, but I was a bit on edge.
"I noticed that the protection I gave your friend came under quite a bit of strain and broke, so I was a bit worried about how he is doing, and yet he seems to be alive, so I can be at ease."
The man said as he walked to the stairs and after a moment returned with a steaming teapot and a small tray of butter cookies. Selene grabbed a cookie and began to nibble on it while Liora grabbed a cup of tea and began to gingerly sip. I however sat tense as I tried for a bit to subtly let out my strings to sense the room, but the strings seemed disjointed and distorted, like the skill wasn't activating correctly.
"To start it seems like you all are worried about what happened with Aiden while he was inside of my store, as he returned seeming burdened or worried, correct?"
The man asked as Selene nodded. He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling
"Personally, I don't blame his reaction, as he did request some rather taxing information."
"Wait, taxing information, what do you mean?"
Liora asked setting down her cup as she looked the man over as if trying to find a clue.
"Well to start it seems like your friend has come into the good graces of Indigo, as such I was asked to grant him a bit more than I normally would for a standard request. I offered him either knowledge, power, or potential of which he selected knowledge, so I granted him 3 questions. One for himself, one for his sentient skill that also participated in the conversation, and one because of Indigo's request."
"Indigo, by chance are they related to you know who?"
I asked tensing as I remembered back to the strange panic that had occurred in town on the day Aiden had gone out where people said a bunch of families suddenly passed out.
"Yes, but that is not important to your query. Aiden had requested the three questions. What are the fateless, information about the gods, and lastly the cure to Aetheric Expulsion Syndrome."
The man turned to Selene as if he was aware of Selene's condition as Liora held a hand up as if she was back in school. The man turned and pointed a finger at Liora as she asked.
"Ok, so he learned a lot of stuff that would cause him great distress or whatever, what's this about a contract?"
The man chuckled, finished his cup of tea and poured himself a new one as he gave a polite smile.
"It was less of a contract to force an agreement, and more of a way to transfer the knowledge without any baggage to Aiden, as some of the information I shared have some pesky beasts who would rather that information not be transferred to those who are not allowed to know, so the contract served to ensure they knew the information wasn't stolen or in the wrong hands. Though I did add some aspects to reinforce his soul due to the type of knowledge he learned, potentially putting pressure on the soul until it is fully digested."
We all looked bewildered as the man stood up and began to walk along the shelf as he started to grab a book and then put it back before moving onto another one.
"Ok, so why did he suddenly burst into a bunch of wounds?"
Selene asked turning to look over her shoulder to follow the man as he walked and grabbed 3 books before making his way back to his desk.
"I cannot say as I was not there, but from what I can guess, your friend Aiden has caught the attention of some figures in big places."
As he said this he slid the three books across the table to us. Each book was bound in deep blue leather with silver corners. In front of Selene was a book called "Chimeric Cowl", in front of Liora was a book called "tempest soul", and lastly in front of me was a book with a single word "Arachnae".
We all looked up at the man with confusion as I asked.
"What are these for?"
The man smiled as he gathered the cups and small plate of half finished cookies and began to clean up the table.
"Aiden has taken the first step to allow you all to be recognized as a piece in the grand scheme of things, however with that recognition comes higher stakes and danger coming your way. I am simply placing my bet and faith that you all will succeed, nothing more."