The central Bureau belonged to Bergan's Second Division, but the post-conflict department was a central corps. It was best if I stopped wondering about this army's organization…

I headed towards the stairs, but a group of four soldiers soon surrounded me. The building was made of stone, unlike all the others in the administrative area of the Akademy. The soldiers weren't trying to be friendly, or even respectful, given my armband.

'I have a note', I said.

And I took out a parchment signed with Judge Magister Bergan's seal. The content was three words:

Let him pass.

They read them several times, shrugged and returned to who knew where they belonged.

Last floor. Which meant, at that place, third floor.

I adopted the reverse strategy of the one at Bergan's building: knocking at a single door, close to the end of the corridor, I awaited the Judge – because it was still a Judge – to come out, and spoke to him very quietly.

'Welcome to our humble department, my Lord. Have you come for a control mission? The reception is at the second floor, as well as the ones that can assist you', the Judge said.

He seemed very tired.

'Nay. My presence in this place deals with your colleague, Dandun.'

And, as soon as I noticed his panic:

'I showed Judge Bergan's permission at the entrance.'

He looked immediately relieved. What kind of prison was this? It wouldn't take long for me to know, because the Judge walked to a nearby door and nodded at it.

'Ah… People believe Judge Kitso is the most loyal being to Lord Bergan, but whoever knows Dandun realizes it's him. He always has kind things to say about that great warrior, while never have worked under his orders. Have a nice session.'

The door opened. A blinding light drowned the room into truthful anxiety, and thick as Mist mystery.

I made a few paces forward, and the door closed behind me. In front of me, a slow soldier went to sit. I sat in front of him and, as he removed his helmet, I took some time to observe him. He looked, at the very least, more in his sixties than his fifties. By the light in his eyes, his wrinkles, his gestures, he was significantly older than Judge Magister Zargabaath. Dandun had, however, an approachable head, with a broad moustache, hair in cobs of grey and black, a tiny nose, and a gentle smile. He only seemed infinitely more tired that the Judge I had just seen. His face was cut by several scars. How many battles could he have led? Such bravery, and such scars on a face, were certainly not Basch's characteristic.

'This is a tiny place, which cannot fit all that you are seeking'.

His voice was calm, serene, in contrast with the tension that had settled.

'I am not seeking much', I said in a similar tone. 'Judge Magister Larse.'

I purposely did not add anything to that name, to gauge his reaction. But Dandun remained totally still – a proper statue set on keeping the past in its shadows.

'I… I would like you to tell me about them. Three decades ago, you were their dömavän for five years and had to fight difficult battles at their side.'

He still did not move a single inch. I was about to ask a direct question when his low-pitched voice arose:

'The difficulty was precisely being at his side. The nature of the battles mattered little. Always staying alert, anticipating anything that could harm him – that was the reason they chose me.'

'You speak of a man', I said. 'So Judge Larse was a man?'

'Of course!' Dandun retorted, his voice slightly more colored. 'Yes!'

'Did you ever see their face?'

'No.'

Just how stupid could a person be?

'Then…' I tried to explain.

'Then it's the truth', he interrupted. 'You might doubt it because you were not there, but the way he fought was a man's deal, no question about it. This physical power could only belong to a man.'

I was curious to know the reaction of Vicky, her Mighty leader mother, and all their knightly female relatives hearing that sentence. Dandun immediately pursued:

'Moreover, he spent a lot of time with Judge Bergan – only a man could do it, you know what I mean. They were on the front line against tough opponents, and Judge Larse was never afraid to get injured, even heavily. He took all risks for our missions. Do you know many ladies, especially Magisters, who systematically send themselves straight to the enemy?'

He had a point.

'Besides', Dandun added, 'his voice was deep – quite similar to Lord Bergan's, actually. A typical masculine voice.'

'How tall were they?'

'A tad shorter than I.'

He stood up, and a quick look allowed me to estimate his height at 170 cm.

'165 cm?' I ventured.

'Something like that.'

Not the typical male height at the army… however, as he sat back on his chair, I had another question.

'Why was your mission so critical? Every dömavän must protect their Magister at the cost of their life. My task is no different. I will do all I can to save Lady Drace's existence, ensure she is safe, and apply any order she gives me. Several Magisters are known to fight in dangerous conditions. Lord Dandun… you can tell me that the danger was elsewhere. What made Judge Larse so special?'

Like the Judge previously, he blinked in terror. And that time, no paper could solve the situation. Would he dismiss me, ask me to come back later or simply never meet me again? He probably could, given the protection surrounding him and his secrets.

'He was the most powerful Judge Magister the Empire has known', he simply replied. 'That is reason enough.'

I raised a curious look, that I tried to make considerate. Fortunately, he went on:

'The Emperor held him in the highest regard. During councils, Judge Larse had the most relevant answers in many cases. He was particularly aggressive towards the Senate – something that is missing today, if you ask me. Each Magister that has passed shone in some way, but Judge Larse had it all. He wouldn't hold back on anything for victory. Losing that life would have been a state disaster.'

'And you… you were the perfect dömavän for him, was it? Did you know them previously? Perhaps you were under their command when they were a Judge.'

'I had not set a single foot in the Akademy or the army before becoming dömavän.'

It was my turn to be in shock. So all my effort… Military service, soldier, general, the Judge examination… and that man in front of me had jumped over it in the blink of an eye!

'And I did not know Judge Larse either', he said. 'I like to think I didn't really know him even after serving him. I was chosen because Judge Zargabaath and I had a common friend.'

That name again! Even when I was following my own investigations, Zargabaath was part of it!

'A friend?'

'Yes, my Lord.'

'You can call me Gabranth.'

He probably understood my invitation was solely so he spoke more, as he had a brief but wide smile.

'Judge Gabranth… yes, my friend was Zargabaath's friend. A dreadful warrior nicknamed as the Storm of the East, and also the Bladed Earthquake. Oh, and his favorite one: the Cursed Samurai. He fought as a Bushi with a katana, and has been famous for his left hand's speed and very long black hair. His name was… Masayuki. Sanada Masayuki.'

'So this… Masayuki was Lord Zargabaath's friend?'

'Yes, but he cut contact with him as soon as he joined the army. I did the same… reluctantly. Nevertheless, achieving his wish was more important than staying together to live on our adventures. Zargabaath values Masayuki extremely – much more than anyone he deals with today. And Masayuki told me that his plea was genuine, and that it became his own. I did not hesitate. I chose to leave everything to become a Judge, and Judge Larse's dömavän. I had to study law after taking my charge, which the Order approved as an exception. But my sole real task was to make sure Judge Larse's life was spared, in any hour of the night or day. I owed it to Masayuki.'

'And this Masayuki… is he still alive?'

His face darkened. Apparently, cursed samurais weighed a lot in his heart and in Zargabaath's – I just wished they didn't weigh so much in the Order's functioning.

'Nothing is less certain. He was even older than me, and much time has passed. And… his life, all alone, was not a bright one. No one knows what happened to him.'

'What happened in 674?'

His face darkened even more.

'I do not know. Judge Larse disappeared from our quarters from one day to the next. He never reappeared, in any context. Here again, no one knows what happened to him. The only message we had from him was a week after the beginning of his permanent absence. It was his resignation. Judge Zecht took the Order back under his division… and you know the rest.'

The story sounded too ridiculous to be true, but Dandun's face did not show the slightest mark of irony. Therefore, after fighting so many battles to prevent his Magister to get hurt, after so many sleepless nights looking for intruders, after dealing daily with a key personality he didn't fully grasp… all that adrenaline was brutally crushed with an unjustified absence. I understood now why he looked so exhausted. His life in the army, one he barely chose and for which he gave much more than a man's capacity, was stopped; and no one could make it run anew. Because Judge Larse had gone from Ivalice's surface, and would never come back to say a word of thanks, or maybe just hello.

'So Judge Larse was… not close to their men?'

'Absolutely not', Dandun replied. 'But that is not a bad thing. He never disrespected us, and quickly showed great faith in me. Everyone had a mission and the goal to achieve it. He managed the division, and went his way.'

'Did they fight all alone, then?'

'Oh, no. Because I was at his side, of course! But it is true that the rest of the division was often sent to the rear. In that case… he fought with other elite members of the Order.'

He did see my starving face; oh yes, he saw it.

'His main comrades at the front line were Bergan and Zargabaath. There was also another Magister who still serves today…'

Same look. Same outcome.

'It is your Magister, Judge Gabranth. Lady Drace.'

Drace? Drace was fighting at the front line with that exceptionally powerful Magister?