I wasn't sure what to expect when Thaddeus pulled open the doors to the dining room and Mauri and I stepped inside. It definitely wasn't a strange sense of warmth, familiarity, and more than a touch of sadness and nostalgia. Yet, for a brief instant, that's exactly what I felt as I looked around the room.

The dining room itself wasn't massive, nor was it even all that fancy, but it was still larger than it really needed to be. The walls were made of a deep burgundy wooden paneling broken by the occasional tall arched window. On the right side of the room sat another set of double doors that—from what I could tell by looking through the windows—led to what I assumed was a garden of some kind. A chandelier hung unlit above the elongated dining room table in the middle of the room. The table was made of polished wood so dark brown that it was almost black, with the majority of it covered by a thin burgundy cloth that matched the paneling.

The atmosphere along with the heady scent of breakfast hit me like a train, and the image of a much fancier dining room with white marble walls superimposed itself over this room in my mind. The smell of hot coffee, fresh eggs cooked over-easy, freshly baked bread continued to assault my nostrils as I made my way further into the room, along with another smell I didn't immediately recognize that made my stomach growl all the louder. My eyes widened slightly in surprise as they passed over the meal laid out before me; several different ceramic plates were placed atop the table—far more than was necessary for three people.

There were certainly eggs to be had, and a lot of them cooked in ways I didn't even know eggs could be cooked. I counted three different loaves of bread, each of them different in one way or another and partially sliced into several smaller loaves. Cheese both processed and creamed, pitchers of milk, orange juice, and coffee, butter both in sticks and melted into small saucers, and many other foods I didn't recognize or had never had—it was all here and it was almost all too much to take in. Some of the dishes I suspected were meat-based and was the source of some of the smells I couldn't place, but I found I was so hungry I didn't even care.

"Ah, so you finally made it!" came a cheerful rasp from across the room, "come, don't just stand there in the doorway gawping like a fish, Miss Sparkle! There's much food to be had, and all of it twice as good as it looks!"

I looked passed the food to see none other than the lean and wizened form of Qaedis sitting at the far end of the table, arms spread wide in an invitation and a bright toothy smile on his face as he greeted Mauri and me. I hesitated for a moment, still reeling from the emotions and sensations that had briefly overwhelmed me. Mauri, however, wasted no time in gliding past me as though she was walking into her own dining room.

"This is quite the spread," the green-haired woman commented as she threw herself down into one of the seats adjacent to Qaedis. She ignored the food and eyed the old man warily, "such a fine breakfast makes me wonder if you mean to put us further in your debt."

"Please, Miss Bandal," Qaedis replied with a light chuckle, "I'm not so bad as you seem to think, really. While I'm not one to pass up a golden opportunity when it's so readily presented to me, I'd like to think I have some modicum of self-restraint," he gestured to the mountain of food before him with a dramatic flourish, "this is just simple hospitality. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Is that so?" Mauri asked, clearly unimpressed and unconvinced by Qaedis' words, "to hear my colleagues tell of you, there have been many fools that have come seeking your aid only wind up crushed under debts far too steep for any one man to pay," her eyes narrowed slightly, "...more than a few of them in quite a literal sense."

"Rumors, gossip, slander," Qaedis scoffed, "all mere speculation from simpering cowards too intimidated by my frankly bloated reputation to actually come and verify these claims themselves," he shook his head sadly before looking past Mauri to where I was still standing near the entrance, "I'm a collector of a great many things, ladies, but I do not count debts among any of them. I merely use my talents to provide people what they want or need for a price, just like any merchant you'd see in any town."

"And those that cannot pay that price?" Mauri challenged, "what of them?"

"What of them?" Qaedis retorted, whipping back around to face Mauri, "I never ask for more than what I would be willing or able to do. The more valuable the item or knowledge, the more difficult my demands in exchange. I make these terms quite clear to any who desires my possessions..."

He paused to stab at a bit meat on his plate before biting into it with what I thought was a bit too much gusto. There was a beat of silence as he devoured the meal in front of him, silence in which I reflected on his words. They made sense, sure, but I still had questions about his line of work and why he operated the way he did. I wanted to know more, but before I could ask, Qaedis set down his fork and sighed in satisfaction before speaking again.

"...it's ultimately up to the 'customer' to decide whether or not the reward is worth the risk," he finished after a minute. He turned back to me with what I guessed was supposed to be a friendly grin, "but if you're still not convinced that I'm just a simple businessman, you can think of this meal as payment for the little magic show you put on upstairs."

"O-Okay, but..." I hesitated a moment but decided I'd been awkwardly standing in front of the entrance long enough. I slowly made my way over to the chair opposite Mauri as I spoke, "...there's still something I don't understand. Why bother putting people in danger like that? Why ask them to do tasks or favors? Why not just—"

"Why not just ask for bits like any other sane person?" Qaedis finished with an indulgent chuckle. I nodded as I sat down and he shook his head at the question, "I don't need money, Miss Sparkle; I don't want it," he sat back comfortably in his chair and closed his eyes as if in wistful remembrance, "...I suppose you could chalk some of it up to the way I was brought up, but the rest..."

He trailed off and I looked over to Mauri, who'd starting to eat, but kept her eyes fixed on the old man. Too curious to let Qaedis' response stand, I refocused on him and frowned in bemusement.

"What do you mean?" I finally asked, "I guess I can see not needing any money living in a house like this, but..." my bemused frown deepened as I looked around the dining room, "...actually, why do you live so deep in a random forest out in the country like this?"

"I've walked this earth a good long while and have seen a great many things," Qaedis replied, his eyes still shut and a small smile creeping onto his face, "the experiences I've had and the things I've seen and collected over the years, no amount of money can buy... ah, but the people?" his eyes suddenly snapped open and he frowned at the ceiling, "the people I can do without."

I waited for him to elaborate further, but he didn't. There was a deep bitterness—a darkness of sorts—in his last statement that said more to me than any words might've, so I left it at that. I guessed Mauri must've felt the same because she didn't say anything either. By some unspoken agreement we both let his last comment pass unquestioned and allowed him to change the subject. Rather than explain himself, he instead shook his head once more and nodded in my direction with another indulgent smile.

"Actions are worth more than their weight in bits, Miss Sparkle," he continued, "I find far more satisfaction in making my 'customers' work for their rewards. Whether or not they agree to meet my terms, whether or not they come back to me with success or failure in their eyes—whether or not they come back at all—it tells me more about the content of their character," he leaned forward towards me, his amber eyes sparkling strangely in the morning sunlight cast through the arch windows, "and that, Amethyst Sparkle, is worth more than all the bits in the world."

"Oh..."

That was all I could muster as a reply in the face of his words. I looked over to Mauri, who scoffed at what she'd heard, but looking closer I could see something besides disdain in her eyes; I could see something akin to a grudging sort of respect, or maybe it might've been understanding. I wasn't quite sure, but I didn't get a chance to dwell on it as Qaedis addressed me again.

"Now, if we could step away from the topic of my intentions and why I operate the way I do," he began in a slightly more formal tone, "I think it's about time we moved onto another subject—namely what I'd like the two of you to do for me as repayment for the generous aid I've provided you."

"And I do not suppose we could call it even given what you have seen?" Mauri asked, no doubt referring to my magic.

"Oh?" Qaedis replied with a look of mock bemusement, "but I'm quite sure I've already repaid that debt with this splendid meal," he turned to me, "and on that note, you really should partake before it all gets too cold, Miss Sparkle. I wouldn't want Thaddeus' efforts and talent going to waste after all."

"Uh... r-right,"

My reply was somewhat muted as I picked up a nearby fork and looked down at my plate. It was already laden with eggs, toast, and a few strips of a type of meat I hadn't yet seen but whose smell drew me in the most out of everything else. One glance was enough to remind me of how hungry I was and the smell of the meat alone was enough to get me started.

It certainly looks good... and it tastes even better!

Both Mauri and Qaedis had been right; the food really was exquisite and I found myself gaining newfound respect for the butler I'd only just met a moment ago. It was so good that I didn't even bother asking what type of meat I was eating—the strange hesitation I'd had when I first ate meat back at Jack's cabin didn't register here in the slightest. Given how hungry I'd been and how good the food was, I was practically inhaling it all and I could hardly stop myself.

That was, of course, until I felt rather than saw two pairs of eyes on me. I paused long enough to look up from my plate and sure enough, both Qaedis and Mauri were eyeing me with no small amount of amusement. It was only then that I realized I'd already been in the middle of reaching out for seconds on everything. Trying to ignore the heat creeping into my cheeks, I quickly pulled the fork and knife I'd been stabbing into the sliced meat away from the large platter and set them both back on my own plate.

"S-Sorry," I said in a barely audible murmur, "I uh... guess I was hungrier than I thought," I cleared my throat, "um... you said Thaddeus made all of this? He's... a really good cook."

"That he is," Qaedis replied with another chuckle, "I'll be sure to let him know you enjoyed the meal. And please, take as much as you want. I won't judge you for letting loose, there's more than enough to go around after all."

"I for one will definitely be taking you up on that offer," Mauri replied, following my earlier lead and piling several more slices of bread and crispy strips of meat onto her plate, "letting all of this go to waste would be a sin."

"Indeed," Qaedis agreed. Rather than follow after Mauri, however, he instead set his own silverware down and dropped the smile he was wearing into something slightly more serious, "but before any of us get too comfortable, I'm afraid I must put a damper on all the good humor for the time being."

I'd tentatively grabbed some more food and was set to continue gorging myself, but stopped myself at his tone and expression. Mauri continued to eat, but at a much more subdued pace than before. Both our eyes and ears were now on the old man sitting at the head of the table. I wasn't sure about Mauri, but I was quickly losing my appetite at the thought of the conversation that was about to occur. Heedless of my growing anxiety, Qaedis began to speak.

"I'm not one to mince words when it comes to business so I'll be frank," he began. He turned to give me a look I couldn't quite place, "while I failed to catch the whole thing, I did overhear enough of your story to know that you're hiding some rather vicious fangs beneath that demure exterior."

I winced and dropped my gaze down to my plate at his words. There wasn't really much I could say to that, given that he wasn't entirely wrong.

Actually there are quite a few things I could say, but I doubt any of it would help my case, and I'd honestly rather not say anything at all if I can help it.

"A little rude to listen in on a discussion held in confidence, is it not?" Mauri asked pointedly, "if you mean to convince me that you are not the scumbag many think you are, then you have done a poor job of showing it."

"I believe I told you before that I am not one to pass up a golden opportunity when it presents itself," Qaedis replied readily, "as a gentleman, I won't hold what I've learned over either of your heads, but make no mistake, Miss Bandal, at the end of the day I am a scavenger and a damn good one."

"So wait, when you say you won't hold this over our heads..." I began, looking for clarification.

"I won't use the information to blackmail you or put you into an otherwise... unfavorable position, so you need not worry about that," he assured. He pressed a hand to his chest and gave me an earnest smile, "believe me, young lady, the fact that there's another Spellblade wielder out there is information I won't part with so easily," then he frowned, "that's said..."

"That said," Mauri picked up from where he left off with a grim scowl, "every man has his price, am I right?"

"Sadly, yes," Qaedis confirmed with a nod, "eventually someone will come along asking me about you—someone competent. I imagine you'd like to keep your status as a Spellblade wielder as a secret at least for the time being, but I have to say, you've done a poor job of it so far," he shook his head and looked at me with no small amount of pity, "I'm sorry to say this isn't the kind of thing you can keep under wraps for long, Miss Sparkle—especially if you continue on as you have been."

"I... yeah, I guess that makes sense," I said after a long pause. I cast a brief, troubled glance at the blade slung across my shoulder, "I don't really want to make trouble for anyone, least of all for myself, but I suppose that can't really be avoided at this point..."

"No, it can't," Qaedis sighed, "...but how about this?"

He leaned forward and both Mauri and I perked up at his words.

"I won't hold onto this information forever—I can't," he said, "but I will keep quiet until you can at least learn to fend off those that would hunt you for what you wield with more than a middling amount of success."

"Really?" I asked, "but I don't know if I could... I mean, being a warrior, it's not really something I was planning on—"

"No, you will become something to fear whether you want to or not. This is the kind of world where the weak are crushed underfoot and the strong are dragged out into the open kicking and screaming," Qaedis interjected, "you're just about as green as anyone I've ever seen, but I can tell you have a terrifying amount of potential without even having seen you fight," he nodded towards Mauri, "I'm sure she sees it too, don't you, my forest-dwelling friend?"

Mauri frowned at that but gave a helpless shrug nonetheless.

"He is right," she said, turning to face me, "I missed the chance to see you take down the bandits, but I know there is more to you than just fancy magic tricks," she then turned a narrowed gaze towards Qaedis, "I must ask though, how will you know when she is ready? And while we are on the subject, how do you determine whether or not someone has completed a task? I am assuming you have taken measures against someone simply coming back with mere claims that they have done what you have asked?"

"Oh, I have my ways, don't you worry your pretty little head about that," Qaedis replied mysteriously, "and getting back to my task for you two," he cleared his throat, "in regards to letting Miss Sparkle rest and recover at my home, I've decided to call it even given that you drove the bandits away. However... there's still the matter of the traveler's permit that'll get you into Ruvenbor."

Oh, right. I... actually completely forgot about that now that I'm thinking about it...

"Now, I do happen to have one or two stamped and unsigned permits squirreled away somewhere," Qaedis explained, "but if you're interested and willing to put in a bit of extra work, I can give you something much more useful."

"Oh?" Mauri raised a brow, "and what would that be?"

I didn't want to get into anything more dangerous than I had to, but I also had to admit to feeling more than a little curious at his offer. After a second of indecision, I opted to stay quiet and wait to hear what he had to say.

Nothing's set in stone just yet. I can always refuse if it doesn't sound worth it.

"Why, I'm so glad you asked, Mauri my dear!" Qaedis replied with a brilliant smile. He looked past the two of us and towards the entrance before raising his voice, "Miriam! Bring them in, would you?"

Bemused, Mauri and I turned just in time to see the double doors creak open, revealing none other than the maid I'd just met. She stood in the doorway, her posture impeccable, her eyes closed and her head bowed ever so slightly. There was a strange sort of regal air about her that I hadn't seen earlier and I couldn't help but wonder for a moment who the master and servant were supposed to be. It took me a second, but I also noticed a small wooden box held in her upturned palms. From where I sat, the box looked much like a miniature treasure chest, complete with a small bronze latch in the front.

"Excellent," Qaedis said, motioning his maid forward, "over here, please. Don't be shy now."

Miriam gave a wordless and graceful bow before stepping further into the room. She only had eyes for Qaedis it seemed, as she ignored Mauri and I outright as she passed and only stopped once she was next to the old man's seat. The moment she reached Qaedis, she leaned down to present the small wooden chest. Apparently the chest hadn't been locked like I thought because Qaedis was able to simply pop the lid open and reach inside. After he'd pulled out whatever it was he wanted to show us, Miriam straightened up with open box still in hand and stepped back to stand behind his seat as if silently waiting for further orders.

"Now then," he began, holding up what looked like two large silver medallions for Mauri and I to see, "do either of you ladies know what these are?"

Confused and curious, I leaned in a bit to get a better look and saw a vaguely familiar image engraved on the front. Something stirred in my memory at the sight of two crossed sabers beneath a large tower shield emblazoned with the image of a crescent moon. Encircling the image, engraved on the outer edge of the coin were the words 'Utrum bonum vel alum, perdere quod destruit omnia'. I'd never seen or heard of those words before, nor did I know what they meant, but I had definitely seen the image of the swords and shield somewhere before.

"Wait a minute," I muttered as realization and recognition began to seep in, "isn't that..."

"Yes," Mauri replied, unable to fully hide the surprise in her voice and expression, "that is the Order's coat of arms, and if memory serves me correctly these are Hunter Medallions."

"Ah, so you're already aware," Qaedis replied happily, "good, good. That makes things easier."

"Actually..." I spoke up before he could move on, "I know about the Order of Nox Atra, but I've never heard of these Hunter Medallions. What are they? Er, what do they do, I mean?"

It wasn't Qaedis, but Mauri who chose to field the question.

"They are given only to the Order's most powerful and prestigious members and grant access to any town in any country that recognizes the Order of Nox Atra as an official organization," she cast Qaedis a look somewhere between awe and suspicion, "from what Darmund tells me, just having one of these in your possession gives you full diplomatic immunity and the authority to work above many laws. How did someone like you get their hands on even one of these, let alone two?"

"I actually have five of them," Qaedis replied with mirth and mystery in his eyes and smile, "but that's neither here nor there, and I'll keep the story of how I got them all in my pocket for another day," he motioned Miriam forward once more and placed the coins back in the chest, "perhaps I'll tell that tale once you've completed the task and returned to me. But for now..."

He dismissed the maid with a flick of his hand and I watched Miriam gently snap the box shut before giving another silent bow. She practically glided out of the room, just as quickly and gracefully and quietly as she'd entered. My eyes were on Miriam, but my thoughts were preoccupied with what Qaedis was offering. I wondered right along with Mauri how he'd gotten hold of not one, but five of these things. How many people would kill for something that valuable? What horrors would he put us through for just one of those?

Not only that, but I feel like walking around with something like that would put us in just as much danger as my Spellblade. Maybe I should just stick with the permit...

As the doors closed behind Miriam, I turned to Qaedis with a sudden question on my mind.

"But wait, if those Medallions are provided by the Order," I asked, "wouldn't we get in trouble if they found out we had one of them?"

"Not unless the Order finds out you're using it for nefarious purposes under their name," Qaedis replied simply, "as I said, they're only given to the highest-ranking members of the Order. If that member in question loses their Medallion to a thief, then it's their responsibility to retrieve it, and really..." he smirked, "who would be stupid enough to try and steal from someone like that?"

Huh... so it's okay for complete strangers who don't belong to the Order to use the Medallions as long as they don't go around committing crimes with it? That's... a surprisingly lax stance given what I've heard about the Order so far. I wonder if there's some kind of catch he's not telling us about...

And wait, if he didn't steal them, then... then does that mean he was—

As I pondered the possible consequences of using the Hunter Medallion and how the man possibly could've obtained them, Qaedis took advantage of the ensuing silence to continue speaking.

"Getting back to the heart of the matter," he began. He stepped his hands over the desk and turned a surprisingly stern gaze in my direction, "you have my thanks for taking care of the bandits camping out near my humble abode, Miss Sparkle."

The unexpected gratitude snapped me out of my troubled thoughts and I fumbled for answer for a moment.

"Oh, it was... i-it was nothing, really," I replied, very much not feeling I deserved any kind of praise for what I'd done, "it was... more an accident than anything else. I just got lucky..."

"A lucky accident, eh? A rather interesting way of putting it," Qaedis smiled knowingly at my response before moving on, "in any case, you have my thanks nonetheless. However, that is not the first, nor will it be the last I see of their ilk. You may have taken out a small camp, but there are most certainly more where they came from."

"Ah, so that is your plan then, is it?" Mauri said suddenly, "that seems a tall order for a novice, do you not think so, Qaedis?"

"A tall order?" I asked, looking between Mauri's grim frown and Qaedis' unreadable face, "what do you mean? What kind of... plan... oh ...oh."

And just like that, it clicked.

Maybe Mauri could do it, but does he seriously expect me to...

The look of horror on my face must've said it all because Qaedis let out a sigh of what I think was irritation or disappointment and shook his head.

"Tell me, Miss Bandal, are you always so quick to jump to conclusions?" he waved her response away before she could make it and forged ahead, "no don't bother with an answer. You have the right of it, but only by about half," he looked at me again, "if it were you alone I wouldn't hesitate to have you take care of the rest of those fools, but I'm not expecting that much from Miss Sparkle."

"Oh... r-right, sorry," I gave a pathetic sort of half chuckle of relief, "yeah, I... wouldn't be much use in a fight."

Not under normal circumstances anyway...

"That, my dear, still remains to be seen," Qaedis answered with another knowing smile, "but no, I'm not looking for you to wipe out the rest of the bandits. In exchange for two traveler's permits, I merely ask you to locate their hideout and return to me with the information, nothing more."

"Wait, so you just want us to find out where they're hiding?" I asked for clarification, "that's it? We don't have to fight?"

"Not even a little," Qaedis confirmed, "though I do expect a detailed report of their whereabouts."

"Alright... okay, yeah," I turned to Mauri with a hopeful smile, "I think we can do that much, right?"

"Not so fast," Mauri replied, not taking her eyes off Qaedis, "if we choose to accept, will we have any leads to go on, or are we going in blind?"

"No need to worry on that front," Qaedis answered, "I have a... contact of sorts within the Guild who will give you the information you need to get started. You'll find him in the branch located back in Thatch, but I'll tell you no more than that until you've accepted the job."

"Fair enough," Mauri nodded in satisfaction, "I think this is a fairly reasonable request all things considered," she finally turned to me, "if you are fine with these conditions, then I see no harm in accepting the task."

"Alright then," I looked to Qaedis, "I guess it's decided. We'll take the job... although..."

I frowned.

I really don't wanna ask because I think I already know the answer, and I get the feeling he isn't mentioning it on purpose, but still...

Unable to bite back my curiosity, I spoke my thoughts.

"So, um..." I hesitated, but Qaedis' expectant look forced me to continue, "so... what would we need to do in order to get those Hunter Medallions? You haven't said anything about it yet..."

"Ah, my apologies," Qaedis laughed, "you both seemed content enough to part with the permits and I'm well aware of the dangers those Medallions would bring you," he shrugged, "I also figured you wouldn't like the task I had in mind in return for them, so I decided not to divulge those details unless either one of you asked."

"Well, she asked," Mauri sighed, "so you might as well tell us."

"Oh, gladly," he replied with just a bit too much enthusiasm for my liking, "I don't expect either of you to accomplish such a feat, but..." he mouth spread in a smile that sent shivers down my spine, "...if you manage to bring me the head of the bandit's leader, then the Hunter Medallions are all yours."

At that point, any remaining appetite I had left completely vanished, and the regret I felt at having asked at all was immeasurable.

Next Chapter: Episode V – The Mansion ~ End Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 30 Minutes