[11 years before the Brevon Incident]
Danny's eighth birthday is a very different affair to his fifth: after lunch, Elias takes Danny to the guild archives deep within Red Scarves HQ, specifically to the historical records section. It doesn't take long to find the books he's looking for: the three volumes that detail the Brock family history sit proud on the shelf among several smaller volumes.
"The Brocks have been in the Red Scarves a very long time," Elias informs Danny as he carefully extracts the trio of heavy books and takes them to a nearby reading table. "Our lineage stretches back almost to the founding of the guild, although contrary to what some have claimed, we weren't involved in the founding itself. Over the years, your predecessors have all played their roles in the history of the guild: some big, some small, but all equally important."
"How can they all be equally important?" Danny questions. "Surely those who did bigger things were more important?"
"I used to think that too," Elias chuckles. "But my father taught me that those who go on to do big things couldn't have done so without the 'forgotten', as he put it, who do the little things that make the big things happen. And today I pass that lesson on to you."
Elias takes a seat and beckons for Danny to sit alongside. As the younger Brock does so, Elias thumbs through the first volume until he finds the entry he's looking for. "Ah, here we go, an excellent case in point: Brendon Brock. Nearly two centuries ago, he helped expose the then King of Shuigang for the cruel and corrupt dictator he pretended not to be."
"Did he kill the King?" Danny asks.
"No," Elias replies, "but he did excellent work digging up evidence that allowed the Scarves to justifiably move against the King. Without Brendon's evidence, the assassination could have been had disastrous consequences: the King was a very popular figure. But with the evidence, the truth was exposed. The assassination therefore benefitted Shuigang both in the short term and the long."
"But he got none of the glory?"
"Not one iota."
"So, why do it?"
"In service to the people of Avalice," Elias explains. "The Red Scarves have a reputation that is not without reason, but also not without an element of falsehood."
"I don't understand."
"Our guild is feared throughout the Origin Kingdoms due to the dark nature of our work," Elias continues. "Rumours abound that we are merciless killers, preying on the weak and helpless. Nothing could be further from the truth however. Yes, it is true that we are thieves and assassins, but it's not as black‑and‑white as the kingdoms' leaders and the popular media will have people believe. There are times when law and diplomacy falls short, and that's where we come in."
"By killing bad people?"
"Only when necessary. Thankfully, it's usually enough to simply dig up the dirt."
"Have you killed people?"
Danny's latest question gives Elias pause. "I cannot deny that I have killed," he eventually answers. "It's part of the job of a Scarf. But do not make the mistake of thinking that these killings were done lightly: each one was meticulously planned, and the victims were not made to suffer."
"Does it get easier the more you do it?"
"A little, but I refuse to allow myself to become numb to the feelings each kill stirs up. Keeping that perspective separates us from common murderers. It makes us selective, quick, and merciful."
"Then why do we have such a bad reputation?"
"Because people don't like to admit that what we do is sometimes necessary," Elias sighs. "It's also very useful, politically‑speaking, for the kingdoms to have a scapegoat when it comes to unexplained deaths and disappearances: it allows them to cover up their own failures. Anyway, I think that's enough on that subject for today. On to Brendon's grandson Aaron…"