Hey, quick update. I've been meaning to do this for a while.

Luna is, what you could say, a collaborative OC created by Krika1119. She was basically made before I wrote the story, so she sort of found her way into it

That's all. Enjoy the chapter.

Roscoe sat calmly at his desk, hands tucked under his chin, and staring anxiously at Matthias, who had just returned from another search through the forest. Over two months, and the search for his daughter became less and less certain. Any hope in her returning diminished with each negative report delivered by Matthias, who himself wasn't pleased with his failures.

Ortwin glanced at his king, noticing the nervous trembling masked under a professional façade. He gripped his cane, took a deep breath, and addressed the black knight. "Sir Matthias, what is your report? Have you made any progress in locating the princess?"

Matthias dropped to one knee and bowed before his king, teeth bared, and eyes shrunken with dread. "Your Majesty, I deserve punishment for my repeated failures. I scoured the forest day and night, searching high and low for the Forester base. I mapped out all locations, all possible positions, but we still haven't come closer to locating their hideout. I fear they may be deploying some form of witchcraft to hide their presence. Not even Sir Nathaniel was able to pinpoint them. The forest is simply too dense and rich with life to discern a probable target."

The Infernape clenched his fist and punched the floor angrily. "Please forgive me, sire! I've done all I could!"

Ortwin frowned for the knight. He glanced at Roscoe, then gestured for him to say something. They both knew Matthias would go into a heated tirade if left to calm himself down.

Roscoe sighed and stood up, hands tucked behind his back. "Sir Matthias, my most trusted knight, you have done all you could. I could not ask for a more persistent knight." He glared. "I am officially dismissing you from the search."

Matthias gasped and stood up. "My king—" Roscoe raised his hand and silenced him.

"This is not punishment for your failure. I cannot risk wasting more of my resources when the safety of my kingdom is of greater importance. I will seek different tactics to carry on this search. For now, you are dismissed from the search."

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, it is my sworn duty to protect the royal family at all costs. I have stained the honor of my family by allowing Princess Penworth to be taken under my nose. I cannot give in so easily. I must make up for my sins."

Roscoe shook his head. "There is no need for that."

"But my king—"

"Because you have a much greater task to uphold." Matthias went quiet as Roscoe balled his fist, sensing the anger behind his clenched teeth. "I want a status report on the identity of the traitor. Have you managed to discern who is transpiring against me?"

Matthias glared, then bowed his head. "No, my king. We have run backgrounds checks on all your staff and anyone affiliated with the princess. Unfortunately, most of the maids come from poor backgrounds. There isn't much information on their histories, not enough to assume treason."

"All of them?" Roscoe asked.

"As far as we are sure. We searched through their belongings as well, several times. Emergency searches when they were least expecting."

"Ah yes," Ortwin sighed, scratching lightly at his cheek. "I have been hearing a lot of complaint from the maids and butlers about violation of privacy."

Matthias flared his nostrils. "A small price to pay for the safety of the princess."

"Our mole is even craftier than I hoped," Roscoe groaned. He closed his eyes and sighed. "And I assume you are running the search?"

"I left the task in the capable hands of Lady Luna. She is currently investigating any leads toward the traitor. We haven't discovered anything incriminating yet, but we will keep searching."

Roscoe nodded. "As soon as you find a hint of a clue, apprehend the suspect immediately. We cannot afford to waste more time. I will resort to force until we find the true culprit."

Matthias bowed his head. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Return to your patrol and keep me informed."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Matthias rose and marched out of his study.

Roscoe sighed and fell back into his chair, gently rubbing his forehead. "This is a disaster, Ortwin. It has been over two months, yet still no sign of Melissa. Perhaps the Foresters are protected by witchcraft."

Ortwin scoffed. "Unlikely, Your Majesty. They are utilizing some trick, but it is not witchcraft. I bet my duty as your royal advisor on it."

Roscoe glared. "Either way, they are prepared for us. They have remained in hiding for four years now, and we have not come close to finding their base despite being in our very own territory. They have mastered the forest as did the mischievous imps who conquered the green. We are but mere mortals by comparison, as foolish as it may sound."

Ortwin hobbled around the study. "Fact remains, as you said, we can't afford to waste our resources further on this search. It's proving futile. We may not be at war, but we could very well soon. New of the war between the New Chariot Empire and Umbra Clock Kingdom has reached far. Blood spilt on both sides and slaves being taken in by New Chariot."

"A disgusting practice," Roscoe groaned. "Umbra Clock is not any better, though. The rumors of their king state he decapitates a worthy opponent and gallops around the battlefield with their heads dangling from his belt."

"They are only rumors, Your Majesty."

"And they will stay as such so long as we avoid conflict." Roscoe faced out his study's window. "Any news regarding the other kingdoms?"

"The Great Gate Empire is mostly quiet, though they have been making approaches on the Subterra Kingdom. Algus and Arcania are the only other kingdoms actively trying to avoid conflict."

Roscoe scoffed. "It amazes me the Arcania Kingdom is still standing. They are a weak kingdom ruled by a weak king. I could easily conquer them through intimidation alone."

Ortwin nodded. "Of course, but they have been strategically keeping their silence. The main aggressors are still New Chariot and Umbra Clock. It's likely all other kingdoms will remain at peace for the time being until a victor is decided. It is too early to decide who will come out on top."

Roscoe crossed his arms. "And if we are to be attacked, should anything happen to me, the kingdom would fall into the hands of Melissa. Without her, I would have no heir, and I refuse to betray my wife to satisfy the need for an heir."

Ortwin glared. "Then we are running out of options. If we cannot task the knights to continue with this fruitless endeavor, we must seek more drastic means of locating her."

The Lopunny king breathed a deep sigh, then faced his advisor. "Sadly, Ortwin, you are correct." He sat down, picked up a bell, and rang it.

A Vileplume dressed in a butler's uniform heeded the call of the bell and entered the study, bowing to Roscoe. "How may I serve you, my king?"

"Retrieve the herald. I have an important announcement to make." The Vileplume nodded and ran off.

Ortwin leaned forward on his cane, asking, "Are you absolutely sure of this, my king? There's no going back once the news reaches the public. We may run the risk of attracting New Chariot or Great Gate's attention."

Roscoe glared. "There is no choice. Either way, I must reclaim my heir. This is the only way to draw the Foresters out. Why have a mortal fight a spirit when you can employ the underworld to carry out the task?"

Ortwin sighed. "Though I suggested the plan, do go into it with caution. You never know what scum such a promise will attract."

A Marshtomp herald soon arrived, carrying a bag of parchment quills by his side. He bowed to the king and asked, "How may I serve you, Your Majesty?"

"Take a note," Roscoe ordered. "I have an important message for my subjects and any prospecting bounty hunters interested."

"At once." The Marshtomp pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and quill and eagerly waited.

Roscoe turned his back and stared out the window. "Subjects of Verde Kingdom and beyond, by decree of I, King Penworth, I seek prospecting bounty hunters and mercenaries to take on a most difficult task. Princess Penworth of the Verde Kingdom has been apprehended by the Foresters and is currently being held hostage. I seek out worthy bounty hunters to pull the Foresters out of hiding and retrieve the princess from their clutches. The princess must be brought back alive and unharmed. Any harm brought to her by her savior's hands will result in instance imprisonment.

"For your services, a reward of 100,000 bits will be given as compensation."

Ortwin's eyes widened. "That much?"

"Furthermore, if the identity of the Forester who carried out the princess' kidnapping is discovered, they are to be captured and brought back to Verde Kingdom immediately. Your pay will be tripled if carried out."

The Marshtomp made a few revisions to the message, quickly read it back to Roscoe, and asked, "Is that all, Your Majesty?"

"That is all. Have the word spread immediately. Get it out as far as you can, as far as our allies and their territories."

Marshtomp saluted. "Yes, Your Majesty." He scurried off.

Ortwin hobbled in front of Roscoe, looking at him worriedly. "A hundred thousand is one thing, but triple for the kidnapper's capture?"

Roscoe clenched his fist. "I will personally punish whoever took my daughter from me. Whether it be the Fairy Knight or some lowly thief, I will torture them until they cannot draw another breath. They will pay dearly for these transgressions."

Ortwin glared. "This personal drive for revenge won't end well for you."

"I understand, but I refuse to have my status undermined by scum. They are nothing but rotten thieves found in the underbelly of the filth that plagues Virdis. They do not deserve sympathy."

Ortwin sighed. "I can't stop you at this point. Please stride carefully further on. We can't afford anymore mistake now."

Roscoe nodded. "Yes. For now, we should focus on reestablishing a relationship with the Senbo Kingdom."

"Agreed, Your Majesty."

Luna awkwardly peered through the wardrobe of a maid's room while said maid, an annoyed Shiinotic, impatiently tapped her foot. Luna quickly, but thoroughly dug through the uniforms and unmentionable garments, searching for any hidden clues.

The Shiinotic was at her limit. "Ugh, you've investigated my room, like, seven times already! I'm not hiding anything!"

Luna closed the wardrobe and faced the maid. "I understand your frustration, but we cannot leave any stone unturned. This is all very necessary for unearthing the mole."

The Shiinotic rolled her eyes. "I swear, you knights are doing this just to be perverts. Peeking through our wardrobes with these surprise inspections."

Luna shrank back awkwardly. "Uh, I'm not here to—"

"Are you done or what?"

"Well, yes, but—" Luna suddenly found herself shoved out into the hall and the door slammed in her face, knocking her on her rear. Her armor rattled as she rubbed her nose. "Ow. Do all the maids think I'm male or something?"

She sighed, stood up, and proceeded down the hall. She searched through all the staff quarters dozens of time and came up with no clues. All she got was angry glares and doors slammed in her face. She volunteered to handle the investigation, mostly to prove herself to Matthias, but now realized she should've gotten Nathaniel or someone else back her up.

She rubbed her temples and went over her mental checklist. "Seven more maids and…three butlers left. Something better turn up soon, otherwise I might have to request time off from all the door-related injuries."

She turned the corner of the hall, but stopped as a cleaning cart rolled by. She immediately recognized the Audino maid wheeling it, Sadie Mailet. Probably one of the few maids that haven't harassed her over the repeat inspections. As far as she was concerned, Sadie was clean of suspicion, though she's one of the rooms she still needs to check on.

Sadie stopped upon seeing the Snivy knight, then smirked. "Oh, is there another surprise inspection today? I was wondering why everyone was all huffy earlier."

Luna sighed. "My sincerest apologies. Orders of the king."

"I don't mind. Feel free to look my room over." Sadie started heading off, but Luna stopped her.

"You know I must have you present in the room during inspection. I have to keep you in sight."

Sadie sighed, smiling irritably. "Can that wait? I've got cleaning to do."

"Your room is next. Put it off for a moment so we can get it over with."

"You can bother the other maids if you want. The king requested we clean out the princess' study, so I volunteered."

Luna raised her brow. "The princess' study?"

"Yeah. Ever since the princess got herself kidnapped, there was no reason for the tutor to return. With everything going on, no one's stepped inside it for the last two months."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "No one's investigated it?"

Sadie shrugged. "What's there to investigate? I'm just cleaning out books and supplies. And dust. Lots and lots of dust." She shivered, then groaned. "Piles of dust is the worst."

Luna rubbed her chin. I was tasked with investigating all staff members, including hired help like the princess' tutor. Not much to go off of, but better than potentially having a door slammed into my face.

"So, I'll be on my way." Sadie whistled and started down the hall, but stopped again as Luna grabbed her shoulder. "I said I'll be by the room when I'm done cleaning. Go snoop through the other rooms—"

"I'm accompanying you to the study," Luna interjected, marching past Sadie.

The Audino maid blinked, then followed behind. "Uh, why?"

"I can't leave any areas unchecked. I've been busy investigating the staff, but I have yet to check any other rooms."

Sadie narrowed her eyes. "What do you expect to find? It's just a bunch of parchment, quills, and books."

"We'll see soon enough."

The two traveled through the halls and found their way to the unoccupied study, left unused for the last two months. It was unremarkably significant, a plain oak door with the iron padlock attached.

As Sadie produced the key, Luna looked the lock over. "Seems normal."

"May I ask?" Sadie teased.

Luna rolled her eyes. "I'm just checking to make sure the lock hasn't been tampered with." She pointed at the key Sadie held. "Is that the only key to this lock?"

Sadie shrugged. "I guess so. The king gave this to me when I volunteered. He had the princess' tutor turn it in some time ago." She tossed the key to Luna, who immediately inserted it into the lock.

"So, not much room to steal it, though I'm not ruling that possibility out."

Luna undid the lock, then pushed the door open. She narrowed her eyes at the state of the study. With weeks of inactivity, dust gathered over the chairs, table, chalkboard, floor, etc. Aside from that, everything seemed to be in its rightful place, or where everything reasonably should be.

Books sat orderly on the shelves, teaching supplies sat on what Luna presumed to be the tutor's desk; nothing remarkably out of place. As far as she was concerned, the room truly was left unattended. Then again, they were dealing with a mole.

Luna crouched down and scanned the floorboards, further irritating Sadie as she held her hips. "So, you going to keep staring at the floor or are you going to let me get to work?"

Luna glared at her. "Keep pushing me, and I may assume you want me to leave to clean away evidence."

Sadie smirked. "I'm not doing a very good job at it, am I?"

Luna rolled her eyes, then continued to study the floor. There's a fine layer of dust. One disturbance to the surface would leave an obvious trace. Even with the weeks in passing, there would likely be footprints left behind. A layer of dust that doesn't match the majority. Layers of dust lighter than the majority, shaped like footprints.

She ran her finger down, scooping up some dust and revealing the concealed, rich brown of the wood. She couldn't make out any footprints, which either meant no one entered or they were dealing with a Ghost-Type.

"Don't come inside," Luna warned before stepping inside.

Sadie groaned and folded her arms. "Whatever."

Luna started with the tutor's desk, checking through the drawers and the materials sitting on top. The drawers were mostly empty, save for spare quills and inkwells. The desktop only held blank parchment or potential lesson plans. Though, given she was desperate for clues, she was willing to speculate.

"Maybe the lesson plans have a cryptic code. A secret message. Perhaps a hidden cipher." Luna shook her head. "Of course, I don't have that kind of time, not to mention the risk of wasting my time."

Sadie looked at her fingers in boredom. "Are you suspecting the tutor of something?"

"I have to consider all staff members as potential suspects."

"Tsk. Why would he have anything that confidential hiding around in plain view of the princess? I don't remember the princess being super perceptive, but the risk of carrying that kind of information and keeping it in the castle is too high."

"That so?"

"It's common sense. He doesn't live in the castle from what I'm aware. He has the privacy of his home."

Luna rubbed her chin. "We've already searched his house, though not as much as the staff quarters. I think we only did so once." Luna shook her head. "Still, I have this inkling."

"Of what?"

"I searched everyone's room dozens of times over, including yours. Nothing indicates a connection to the Foresters."

Sadie shrugged. "They could've incinerated the evidence and got rid of it. They have access to the cleaning supplies. All it takes is dumping the ashes in a bag, mixing it with the trash, and the evidence vanishes."

Luna checked the drawers again, giving Sadie a wary look. "You certainly had a lot of time to think about this."

"Well, why do you think I haven't been harassing you? Aside from having nothing to hide, I actually admire the work you're doing. I always had this little dream of being an investigator of sorts, ever since I was a wee Audino. But, dreams never take off, especially since no one thought much of women taking positions of power years ago."

Luna sighed. "I know that feeling."

"Oh, but how could you? You became a knight. I don't hear much of female knights these days. You very rarely hear that of women taking on those authoritative positions. I'm almost jealous as I'm stuck relegated to that of a maid. I don't exactly like my job."

"So, why did you volunteer to clean the study?" Luna asked, flipping through a book on the desk.

"I was hoping to find some nice trinkets to sell. Maybe if I was lucky, the princess accidently dropped a shiny bracelet or necklace."

Luna deadpanned at her. "You are…surprisingly blunt about your greed."

"You going to report me to the king?"

"If I wasn't busy with a more pressing matter, I would. I better not catch you stealing anything."

Sadie chuckled. "Relax, it was a jest. I haven't stolen a single thing, nor was I planning on it. The truth is, while I hate my job, I need to keep busy to make my due. The maids around here are quite the snitches, and they will backstab the lazier of our group. Stick around long enough, you'll get all the latest gossip regarding the staff."

Luna smirked. "You lead an interesting life, Ms. Mailet." Luna closed the book, then checked the shelves. "Then perhaps you can make yourself useful. If the walls have ears that speak rumors to you, do you have any information on the princess' tutor?"

Sadie shrugged. "Why would I care about that?"

"Rumors are rumors, aren't they? Surely you have something juicy to share."

Sadie tapped her chin. "Hard to say. I barely know the old scribe."

"Scribe?"

"I believe he worked in writing documents before taking up his tutoring job. All I'm aware of is that he and the princess got along well. After all, he sees her essentially everyday for hours, so it wouldn't be surprising they formed a connection. One could say there was great trust between them."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Trust, huh?"

"Why wouldn't there be? The king hired a wandering tutor to educate his daughter. There has to be substantial trust to willing participate in those monotonous lessons and still return for the same torture." Sadie tapped her chin. "They really do have a good bond. I believe she was having a rough time the day before her wedding, but I heard a rumor her tutor went to comfort her."

Luna crossed her arms. "Was he the last person she spoke to?"

"No, that honor goes to her nurse." Sadie tugged on her collar. "Yeesh, that woman has not been the same ever since."

Luna rubbed her chin. "I do wonder. I've come up with nothing from searching the maids, but I think we've been neglecting the tutor's role in this."

Sadie raised her brow. "You really think he did something?"

"Our thought process landed us into believing the mole had to be keeping a close eye on the events around the castle, leading to the notion they were a member of the staff. Though the tutor is only around during a studying session, he is left completely unaccounted for at any other time of the day."

"Huh," Sadie hummed. "Even so, you are only speculating."

Luna sighed. "Sadly, yes." She approached the bookshelf and ran her finger along the spines. "I can speculate all I want about any of the staff, but it won't bring me closer to the culprit."

Sadie snickered. "You know, I actually heard a funny little rumor right after the Foresters' raid."

"That so?" Luna mumbled, pulling out books and flipping through pages.

"You didn't hear this from me, but I got some interesting information regarding a conversation between the head chef and the princess' tutor. I don't know how accurate it is, since information gets muddied when passing voices, but it seemed funny enough."

"What?"

"The chef mentioned that the princess' tutor had the day off during the raid. It's just so funny to think about. He conveniently has the day off on the same day the Foresters attack the castle. It's funny, right?"

Luna glared. The king gave a full rundown of who was absent from the castle that day, and the tutor was definitely brought up. A stroke of luck, maybe. "I suppose it is funny."

Sadie leaned next to the door, stilling in view of the frame. "Of course, it was dismissed. How could the tutor possibly know the king would grant him a day off? King Penworth could've just as easily had Melissa spend time with the prince and attend her lectures. Way too convoluted in my eyes."

Luna ran her finger across one book that jutted out of the shelf. Curious, she pulled it out and read the cover. The title was 'The Inherited Will of Blood'. Huh, I think I've read this book before. She flipped through the middle section, responding, "You make a valid point. Of course, the Foresters wouldn't terrorize one of their own. That's a risk there."

Sadie nodded. "True, true. Though, you'd be surprised what subtle manipulation is capable of. In fact, that's not the only funny rumor I've heard about him."

Luna turned to the partially-in-view Audino, brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"It's just a rumor, don't concern yourself about it."

"You're the one who brought it up."

Sadie chuckled. "It's probably not true. It's too stupid to be true."

"What?"

"You sure?"

"Stop stalling and tell me."

"Looks like I got you hooked on gossip." Sadie laughed at Luna's annoyed groans. "Alright, alright, but I'm telling you, it's probably some stupid rumor the maids started." Sadie folded her arms behind her head. "It's just the darnedest thing, but…heh, they actually think he came from that place."

Luna groaned. "That place? Be more specific—"

"That he came from the ruins of the Great Kingdom."

The book Luna held slipped from her hands and clattered against the floor. She whipped her head around, eyes wide. "The ruins of the Great Kingdom?"

"Told you it was a funny rumor."

"No one lives in the Great Kingdom. It's abandoned."

Sadie shrugged. "I mean, do you have proof?"

"H-Huh?"

"No one goes to the Great Kingdom. It's the only piece of uncontrolled territory. Everyone avoids it, almost like it's cursed." Sadie laughed. "So, how would anyone know someone came from there or not?"

Luna staggered back, pressed against the bookshelves. "That's…That's utter madness." She slid onto her rear and rubbed her temples. "There's no way he's from the ruins."

"I told you, it's a stupid rumor." Sadie hummed to herself for a moment, then clicked her fingers. "Though, you got to admit, all that legend stuff really does say something about the fallen kingdom."

Luna's eyes drifted back to the book she dropped. She sighed, wondering if the stress of finding the mole has gotten to her, and picked the book up. Her heart stopped as a piece of paper slid out from the pages and floated into her lap.

Sadie continued to speak in the Snivy's haze. "I mean, some invisible force keeps everyone from approaching that territory. Why is that exactly? Is it magic? Is it guarded by spirits? Is there still an army there, but the kingdoms are so intimidated that they back away?"

Luna picked the paper up. Her eyes immediately flew to the fancy cursive. She read it over once, then twice, then three times until her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. Her jaw hung open in shock when she turned it over, noting a familiar wax seal on the back.

"Or perhaps, just maybe, the history of its fall remains palpable to this day, and we have yet to realize the gravity of our mistakes. Anyone who hails from the ruins…I imagine aren't the kind of people you want to make enemies out of—"

Sadie cut herself off as Luna raced out of the study and bolted down the hall, starting the Audino.

"What's with you?!" Sadie yelled.

"I have to find Sir Matthias immediately!" she yelled, disappearing around the end of the hall.

Sadie hung back, quite surprised by the Snivy's burst of anxiety, then laughed it off. "Gee, I never knew how exciting knights were. Oh, what fun they are." She picked up a rag and stepped inside the study.

A devious grin stretched across her face. Luna's sudden rush left marks of cleaned space across the floor. Dust scattered across the air, flying out into the hall. Sadie walked along the clear path and picked up the dropped book.

Now that you've entered the room, any marks made will just be written off as yours. Hope that piece of evidence suits your needs, my dear knight. You've found your mole. And like any good rumor, it's time to put this little conspiracy to rest.

Sadie placed the book back, then climbed up the shelf. She grinned at the pair of handprints on the edge of the fourth shelf, blending almost seamlessly in the dim light of the study.

They were an exact match to her own handprints, an accidental memento on her part, but one forever unknown to the truth.

She wiped the rag across the shelf, erasing the prints. She hopped over to the wall beside it and wiped away what little dust there was in the handholds made into the wood.

Like I told Melissa, I've had plenty of practice climbing. Climbing up walls, or climbing into rooms to steal keys. She smirked. Let the show begin.

"Though captivated by the will of the warrior's impeccable charm, Harlow remained silent and retained her gaze upon their campfire. The wounds she sustained have since numbed, gently covered in tightly-wrapped bandages. She pulled on her hood out of habit.

'A shilling for your thoughts, milady?' the warrior spoke, breaking the silence.

Harlow kept her focus solely on the fire. 'It has been a long day, stranger. Do not toy with me after the trouble you caused.'

'The trouble I caused? You may have today's misfortune backwards. You were the one to start the fire, not I.'

Harlow pulled her hood over her eyes. 'I had to. You know what they were planning, yet you fought for their side.'

'I swore my loyalty.'

'Loyalty means nothing in this world.'

'And where did you pick up such wisdom?'

'One of the few things free in this lifetime.'

'You surprise me, thief. How can somebody so cruel and uncaring of the countries socialites also speak so pessimistically?'

Harlow cradled into her hood, withdrawing into the darkness inside. 'I never wanted to get involved in this war.'

'You brought us both into it. What do you intend to do now?'

Harlow didn't have an answer. She just stared into the fire, wondering what comes next. She chose her fate getting involved with the church. Though she lived a life on the run, she was dragged into this war whether she liked it or not.

She can run all she liked, but she knew, deep down in the dark pit of her heart, that nothing will ever be the same."

Theobald smiled and set his quill aside. "It is done." He added the parchment to the stack beside him and held it up. Three years and over four hundred pages of text, his book was complete. He breathed in the subtle smell of ink, sighed in content, and set the papers down.

A loud banging sounded off his front door. Theobald glanced over his shoulder, chuckled, and pulled out a bag and a few bands.

More banging, followed with a harsh, "Theobald Dencourt! By order of the Knights of Verde, you are under arrest!"

Theobald strapped three bands around the parchment stack, two bands horizontal and one band vertical. He placed the stack inside the bag, then set it back on his desk. "I hope to get started on the next part in time." He took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt.

"Theobald Dencourt! Open this door now!" Theobald could recognize the angry shouts of the black knight. A weak-willed man would faint facing such raw anger.

Theobald, however, merely smiled as he placed his glasses back on his snout and faced the rattling door. "Ahem!" Theobald announced loud and prominently, causing the banging on the other side to stop. He leaned back on his desk, soaking in the silence for a moment, then said in a shrill, playful voice, "Housekeeping! Master Dencourt is not present! Shall I take a message for you?"

The silence lingered for a moment while Theobald laughed under his breath. Suddenly, a loud slam smashed the door off its hinges and sent it flying right towards Theobald, who casually moved his head aside and let the door sail into the wall behind him. Wood rained over his desk and bag.

Matthias marched in, accompanied by Luna, Nathaniel, a Corviknight, and an Alolan Golem. Matthias slammed his heavy broadsword on the floor, growling at the nonchalant Nidoking. While the Corviknight stood by silently, the Golem teetered worriedly behind Luna.

"Theobald Dencourt," Matthias growled, though calmly. "You are under arrest for conspiring against the kingdom."

Theobald raised his brow, amused. "Conspiring, you say? On what grounds? You already searched my own, Black Knight. Certainly I couldn't be any more suspicious than your own staff. Perhaps a maid did it, not I."

Luna glared and stepped forward. "Mr. Dencourt, can you confirm you received the day off from His Majesty before the scheduled arrival of the Talbot royal family?"

"Why yes, I did. You are free to speak with the king himself if you so please."

"I already did, and I confirmed the notice was given in written form." Luna presented the letter to Theobald. "This letter bears the king's handwriting and his own official seal."

Theobald nodded. "Yes, it does. This is your evidence against me?"

"Yes. It proves you influenced the king to relieve the princess of her tutoring sessions on that day."

Theobald laughed. "I'm sorry, but I'm not following your logic. If I was the mole, I would've only had one day to relay that information. Letters don't travel fast, and preparing an entire raid in one day doesn't sound likely. I am speaking hypothetically, of course."

Matthias snatched the letter from Luna. "Here's where it becomes suspicious. When Luna presented this to us, we immediately went to the king for answers. As it turns out, the king originally considered having the princess focus on her studies, given she has been lacking in them. You, however, convinced him otherwise."

"Oh?"

"You went to the king a week prior to the royal visit and requested the time off, specifically for the princess. You spoke nothing of your own benefit to the matter, merely suggesting the advantage for the princess herself. The king was busy preparing for the visit, so he may not have thought much of the matter at the time."

"You convinced him to relieve the princess of her studies," Luna continued, "which also gave you the day off, freeing you of any acknowledgement with the Foresters." Luna pointed to the letter. "As this letter states, the king agrees to your request to relieve Princess Penworth of tutoring for the day. You went to him and asked for that time off during the same week he was fretting over the Talbots."

Theobald grinned. "Is that right? Are you sure you're not looking too deeply?"

Matthias handed the letter back to Luna. "If so, we have other reasons for suspicion, such as the rumors regarding your place of birth." Matthias approached Theobald and seized him by the collar. "You hail from the Great Kingdom's ruins."

Theobald closed his eyes and chuckled. "Oh dear, how did that get loose?"

"Do you admit it?"

"How can I lie when you have a Lucario in the same room?" he asked, acknowledging Nathaniel's focused glare.

"Well?" Matthias pressed through gritted teeth.

Theobald sighed. "Yes, the rumors are true. I come from the Great Kingdom."

Matthias glanced at Nathaniel, who nodded. "And are you the mole who has been conspiring with the Foresters?"

Theobald blinked twice, then smiled. "I…have affiliated with the Foresters before."

Matthias looked again at Nathaniel, who now shrugged unsurely. "I'm sorry, Sir Matthias. It's really difficult to pick up lies with aura. He's so unnervingly calm that I can't get a good read off him. I can tell he means what he says, but there's no wavering in his aura, either."

Matthias gripped harder onto Theobald and shoved him against his desk. "Are you the traitor or not?!"

Again, Theobald remained disturbingly cool. "Heh. I suppose…I've leaked information at one point or another."

Once Nathaniel gave another doubtful shrug, Matthias roared and threw Theobald to the floor. "What are you playing?! You're not denying anything, yet you have the gall to mess with us?!"

Theobald pushed himself up and wiped the blood off his lip. Luna saw the tear in his shirt's right shoulder, exposing a bit of skin. She saw something black imprinted on his skin, but couldn't make what it was. It had a familiar shape, but she couldn't place what.

"I can't say I'm not enjoying it," Theobald admitted, wiping the blood on his shirt.

Matthias growled, then noticed the bag on Theobald's desk. "What's this?" he asked, picking it up.

"My novel. I just finished right before you came crashing through my door."

Matthias glared. "…We're confiscating this as evidence."

Theobald sighed. "A shame how things turned out. I was hoping to get it published. Evidence for what, though?"

"An author reveals his lies through his craft," Matthias explained. "How else do you get to know a person without seeing how he crafts a world?"

Theobald grinned. "Ooh, I'll remember that line. If that's the case, I only have one favor to ask."

"What?"

"When you finish analyzing my involvement in this little plot, I ask for your personal opinion on it. I worked many years on it, and I want to know if it's good."

"You can't be serious!" the Alolan Golem gasped. "Are you not taking this seriously? You're one of those Freaks from the ruins! Nothing good ever comes out of those ruins! How do we know he's not a demon, or a ghost, or a—"

"Silence," the Corviknight interrupted, casting a piercing glare onto the paranoid Golem. The knight gulped and shuffled back.

Matthias glared at the calm Nidoking, taking glances at the bag, then nodded. "If you cooperate with us, I will personally read the book and give you my thoughts on it."

Theobald grinned. "You're too kind." He stood up, dusted himself off, then presented his wrists. "I hope the king isn't too mad at me."

Corviknight slapped the shackles onto Theobald and pulled him out the house, followed by the shivering Golem. Nathaniel approached Matthias as he pulled the parchment from its bag. "You're…serious about that?"

"Life's but a Stalking Darkness," Matthias muttered as he read the cover. He turned to Nathaniel and said, "I meant what I said. I'm sure reviewing this book will gather more evidence against him. I might as well humor him into complying."

Nathaniel sighed. "If you say so, sir."

"Report back to the king. I need to question Mr. Dencourt's neighbors to get more information about him." Nathaniel nodded and left. Matthias tucked the papers back inside their bag, then faced Luna. "Lady Luna."

Luna saluted. "Yes, Sir Matthias?"

"Excellent investigative work. I knew I picked the right knight for the job."

Luna smiled bashfully. "Oh! My honor, sir. Do you need me for anything else?"

"If it's not too much trouble, sweep through Mr. Dencourt's belongings and see if you can find any evidence we overlooked." He headed out with a worrisome glare. "That man holds many secrets we have yet to unravel."

"Yes, sir." Luna watched Mattias leave before turning to the scrapped parchment on the desk. "I actually got the right guy. How odd." She narrowed her eyes. "But why hide the request letter in one of his books? Could he not dispose of it? No, that doesn't make any sense. The castle staff is one thing, but Mr. Dencourt can leave without much suspicion on him.

"But there's that matter regarding his background. Ms. Mailet stated it was a rumor, but where did that rumor come from?" She glared. "I may have to keep my eye on her, just to be safe. There's no hard evidence against her, but something about the way she spoke rubbed me the wrong way."

She sighed and opened balled-up papers. "Still, the Great Kingdom ruins? Nothing good ever comes from there. I remember when Mom told me about the rumors there. Strange forces coupled with eerie ruins, lifeless land, and the old castle. Not even she dared to enter the territory when she was still a mercenary. All I know is, if anything came from that place, trouble brewed soon after."

Luna tossed paper scraps over her shoulder, opening and reading each of them. All it was were rough drafts to his book. Grammatical/spelling errors, crossed-out text, and a lot of notes to himself. Luna crumpled drafts one after the other.

"What really unnerves me was how calm Mr. Dencourt was about the accusation. Sir Matthias is right, that man holds many secrets. But what secrets are there?"

Luna sighed, turning from the desk for a moment, but stopped as she spotted one last crumpled parchment. It was tucked behind some books, out of view, but just obvious enough for a third glance. It seemed more neatly balled-up than the other papers. A lot could be told about a person's mood just from the way a piece of paper was crumpled.

Paper nearly smoothed out into a round ball could imply a meticulous boredom, while jagged paper balls could be made in a fit of frustration, like say an author getting fed up with how a page turned out. In this case, this ball applied to the former.

Luna grabbed the ball and opened it up. She smoothed it out on the desk, then set it down. No words, but something else that tickled her curiosity.

An image entirely drawn in ink, not an imperfection in the edges. The image of a crown pierced from all sides by seven swords. Longswords, to be exact.

Luna narrowed her eyes. "What is this?" She held it up to the light. "Art? Is this an artistic visual of assassinating the king?" She paused on the thought. "Or…is this an emblem for something else?"

That's when Luna recalled something. The strange black spot on Theobald's right shoulder. The familiar shape came back to mind, reignited as she stared at the drawing in front of her.

"That shape…was a hilt. The shape on his shoulder was the hilt of a sword."

She gripped the drawing tightly, horror flooding her system. A branding, no doubt, of the very image within her hands. A branding on the body meant three possibilities.

One, a mere tattoo for the sake of it. In their given situation, it was too strange to be written off as such.

Two, the mark of a slave. A branding to indicate ownership. Though possible, it didn't make sense to keep the image tucked away on paper, or go by means to eradicate the branding all together.

Three, and perhaps the answer she feared the most…

"An identifying mark for a group," Luna muttered. "It can't be for the Foresters, though." She bit her lip worriedly. "Theobald Dencourt…either I'm making wild assumptions, or I stumbled upon something far bigger than the Foresters themselves."