Why Murphy told me to follow Diego and Bernardo, I'm not sure. Maybe he too noticed something was off about the way these two have been acting. Like how Bernardo reacted to what people were saying, despite him being deaf, and how Diego says he needs air, when he clearly reacted to Bernardo telling him he needed to see him alone. I followed them going out through the back door, where they were in a back alley. So to not draw their attention, I stayed inside, but looked through the door that was ajar, where I could what was so important. I saw Bernardo covering the few hairs he had on his head, then waved his hands over his body, shoulders to feet.
"Senior Kyrano, yes?" Diego reacted.
Bernardo then appeared to pick something up that was invisible, and placed it in front of him, took something out of his pocket, which looked like one of those old-fashioned fob-watches, then he held what looked like an invisible stick, placed it on his shoulders, then tapped his head with his right-hand finger.
"Yes, him arriving at the same time when the lancers started acting strangely can't be a coincidence." Diego replied, "I thought as much too."
The way this was going, it proved two things to me. One, Bernardo can hear very well. Which raised the question why everyone thinks he can't. Two, although he can't speak, he knows how to tell others what he's thinking.
What happened next, I wasn't sure. Bernardo made this strange shape with his hands, like he was talking about a vase. Then he pretended to put a bag on his shoulder.
"Saya?" Diego asked.
Then he pretended to put on a coat, and tied something around his neck. Was he referring to Merlin's coat and scarf?
"Merlin?" Diego asked.
After Bernardo nodded, I knew that I made the right guess. I was beginning to understand him a little.
Bernardo pointed to the door, then to his head, made this gesture with his hands, like he was talking about something big. Then he pointed to his lips.
"I agree." Diego replied, "They know more than they're telling us."
Bernardo raised his shoulders.
"For now," Diego replied, "we better keep them distracted. I'll talk to Saya and Merlin, see what more they can tell me. You better entertain the quiet one."
Bernardo smiled at the idea. I would guess he didn't know too many other people who don't talk.
"I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about." Diego laughed, but Bernardo stopped smiling, looking at Diego with a surprised look on his face.
"And then tonight, I'll do some more sneaky investigations." Diego added.
As a reply, Bernardo wagged his finger, and made three "woosh" sounds with his mouth, to which Diego nodded.
They turned back toward the door, so of course I had to run away from there.

"... is why it is such a great honor to die for my king." Garcia said, just when I returned to the table, "Of course, honor doesn't give us comfortable beds, or even good food, but what you do get is..."
Saya looked at me when I sat down. Usually, that look on her face scared me, but seeing as Garcia didn't stop talking, I could see why she would have that look on her face.
"Having fun now, eh?" Diego only just returned to the table himself.
"Oh good, you're back!" Merlin sounded relieved to see him. Was he also getting bored with Garcia?
"Why?" Diego laughed, "Was Garcia about to arrest you?"
Suddenly, it was weird to see him this way. He seemed so serious just seconds ago, and suddenly he acted like nothing was wrong. Before I could give it another thought, somebody tapped me on the shoulder. I turned my head to look. It was Bernardo, who pointed at me, then to his mouth, and shook his head. I could only guess, but with the thought that he was asking me if I don't talk, I shook my head. But when he pointed at me, and made all sorts of gestures with his hands, and then shook his head, I had no idea how to answer.
"What are you trying to do, little one?" Garcia asked him.
Bernardo blinked, but didn't turn to look at Garcia. He did what he did before, but I still had no idea how to answer him.
"I think he's asking you if you know any sign language." Diego told me.
My mouth formed an "O", then I shook my head.
Saya shrugged: "It would be useful if we knew what he's thinking sometimes."
"Useful?" Diego questioned, "Not very lady-like, are you?"
I could see Saya making her usual angry face again, but Merlin started talking before Diego could see it: "She just likes being efficient, that's all."
I heard the door open, so I looked in that direction. In my field of vision, I could see Garcia doing the same. What I saw was a man, whose skin was of a light shade of brown (much like everybody else I had seen in this town, which told me he wasn't really a stranger), had absolutely no hair on his head, and wore what looked like a long red dress. Something you'd see a monk wear, if he were from China. But he wasn't alone. With him was a man, who was twice the size of the man in the red dress. He was dressed in the same sort of shirt and pants that most men wear in this village. But he had a gray scarf wrapped around his head, which was covered by one ridiculously large hat (a sombrero, if I'm not mistaken), and large brown gloves.
"Senior Kyrano!" Garcia shouted at him, after which he rose from his seat, "Welcome back."
"Sergeant Garcia." the man in the red dress replied.
So this is this Kyrano that Garcia talked about, I thought to myself.
Merlin looked at Saya, used his head to point at Kyrano, to which Saya nodded, and both rose up as well.
"What are you up to?" Diego stopped Merlin from going anywhere, but couldn't stop Saya, who followed Garcia.
Not wanting to miss out on what was going to happen, I got up from my seat as well. Bernardo spread his arms to stop me, but I ran in the opposite direction.

Once I got closer to Garcia, I could hear him ask: "Who is your friend?"
"Oh, he's just my personal bodyguard." Kyrano answered, "Who is this fine young lady?"
Saya opened her mouth to reply, but Garcia's loud voice spoke before she could: "This? She's named Sa..."
Garcia didn't dare to continue. Maybe because he got her name wrong once before, he thought he shouldn't try it again.
"She's been very interested in you." he said instead.
This was the first time I saw Saya frown the way she did when Garcia said that.
"Is she now?" this seemed to interest Kyrano, "I must say, you intrigue me as well."
He placed his hands together and bowed to her. Given the sneer on Saya's face, I could tell that she wasn't impressed by this. But that wasn't what bothered me. Kyrano wore black gloves. I can't say I was ever an expert on clothes, but I didn't think gloves like those were ever made around this era.
"I have spend a few years in China, where people look as beautiful as you." Kyrano told her, "Are you, by chance from China too?"
Saya didn't answer, but not because she wasn't interested in talking to Kyrano. She was frowning, like there was something else going on, but she couldn't tell what.
"Well, why don't you answer him?" Garcia asked.
"It must be a slight cultural difference." Kyrano explained to Garcia, "Nothing you should worry about."
Saya turned around, just when Merlin arrived.
"You two gotten aquainted yet?" he asked.
I could see Saya whisper something to Merlin's ear, who then looked worried. Both walked toward the far corner of the tavern, and I followed them.
"So, what's wrong, Saya?" Merlin asked.
"It's the heat." she replied.
"What about it?" Merlin asked.
"It heats up the air around here." she explained, "I even changes how people smell."
"Is that important?" Merlin asked.
"If Kyrano isn't from this world, and is responsible for what is happening to these soldiers, I should be able to smell it." Saya answered, "But I can't. Everything smells like it's burning."
"You have more problems than that." Murphy told us.
"Like what?" Saya asked him.
"I could see the conversation Diego had with Bernardo earlier." Murphy replied, "Bernardo isn't deaf, he's pretending to be."
"Why would he do that?"
Saya looked behind Merlin when she answered: "So people would think they can speak without being overheard."
Both Merlin and I turned to see what Saya was looking at. Bernardo was sitting at a nearby window, seemingly enjoying the view.
"So what?" Merlin brought up, "As long as we don't speak Spanish, I don't think he'll get any wiser from us."
"Maybe." Murphy said, "But since he's standing there, it means that he and de la Vega are suspicious of us."
"So we have two parties to worry about." Saya said.
"Three, if you count Garcia." Merlin said.
Speaking of Garcia, he mentioned a man named Zorro, who always shows up when there's trouble. From what our situation looked like, I found myself wishing that Zorro could help us.
"No other choice." Murphy spoked, "Saya, you keep an eye on Kyrano."
"Why?" she asked.
"He seems to like you." Murphy explained.
"Not a mutual feeling." Saya growled.
"Like it or not, you have to pretend that you do."
"What do we do?" Merlin asked Murphy.
"Our silent friend can take up the lessons which Bernardo offered." Murphy explained, "So he can keep an eye on Diego."
Merlin sighed, then looked at me: "I really hate that we can't call you by name."
"Since he's a mute, why not M?" Saya suggested.
Merlin looked at me: "What do you think?"
I raised my shoulders. "M" seemed as good a name as any.
"As for you, Merlin, you better keep the Sergeant talking." Murphy said.
Merlin sighed: "I suppose if even Arthur can have a good heart, despite being a twat, why would Garcia be any different."