"He's a minister from the Progressive Party. The Minister of Colonies," Bera said.
When Bera said this, Arsh remembered who Thomas Hulston was. In Kurshan, whenever people talked about the colonial government's decisions, Hulston's name always came up right after the King of Symran's. Although the name was familiar, he had no idea how it could be connected to Professor Millway.
"We need to look into this and understand the connection between Millway and him. It's not possible for one of his guards to become a minister's personal bodyguard in just a few weeks. I'll inform Herman as well... For now, let's find the others," Bera said.
They took another carriage and arrived at a neighborhood in the city center. It was obvious from the beautiful streets and manors that this was a place where wealthy and elite people lived.
Arsh told the carriage driver to stop when he saw the golden threads leading into a house. It was a manor surrounded by high stone walls. Arsh closed his eyes again and focused.
"Four of Millway's guards are here right now."
Bera leaned out of the window to check the nameplate above the gate.
"Hulston Family," he said.
"Hulston… that's the minister's manor, right? All of these guards are probably working for him…" Arsh murmured to himself.
"How many are left?" Bera asked.
"Three more."
"They're probably working for the minister as well... Let's check," Bera said.
The remaining three were together as well. Arsh followed the golden threads all the way to the other side of the city. The entire day had passed like this, on the move. By the time they arrived, night had fallen. They found themselves on a brightly lit street. Although it wasn't the same place, it reminded them of the street Walter had taken them to the night before. People were drinking and having fun everywhere.
"Cover your face. Don't draw attention," Bera whispered as they went inside one of the music halls. Instead of taking a seat, they moved to a corner and leaned against the wall.
"Where are they?"
"At the table in front of the stage. Those three over there—the ones with the women," Arsh said, gesturing with his head.
Bera followed his gaze to the table. The men were laughing loudly, one of them pulled a woman up to dance. They looked perfectly content, living a carefree life.
When Arsh felt Bera's eyes on him, he closed his own and lowered his head.
"I can't act with you around," Arsh muttered. "If there's nothing else to do, let's leave. You're going to investigate Hulston's men anyway, aren't you? Like you said, they probably all work for the same person."
Bera nodded. After that, they headed toward the door.
Just as they were about to leave, both of them felt a hand land on their shoulders. Arsh was sure his face was hidden. They hadn't gotten close enough for the men to recognize him. A sudden wave of anxiety rose in him, but it quickly turned into excitement.
'If they recognized me, he thought, this could be an excuse to get rid of them.'
The thought passed just as quickly—less than a second.
Before either of them had time to react, a familiar voice reached his ears, and his brief fantasy ended.
"Just yesterday you scolded me for bringing the kids to a place like this. And now here you are. To what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you in a place like this?"
...
Walter didn't seem affected by Bera's wrath from the night before. Although Arsh hadn't seen it himself, Mes had told him about how Bera chased after him. But once again, he came here.
As he spoke, the heavy scent of alcohol wafted from his breath. His sudden movements and loud voice drew the attention of several people in the hall. Arsh lowered his head and pulled his hat down a little further.
"Walter… keep your voice down. We're working," Bera said.
This time, Walter leaned in and whispered.
"Who are you watching? Let me help."
"You're drunk. Later," Bera replied.
Walter didn't let Bera finish.
"Oh, please. I am the most sober person here—after you two, of course. Let me handle the job. What do you need?"
Bera looked at Walter. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke. "Just names. That would be enough for now."
"Whose names?"
"The men sitting in front of the stage," Arsh said.
"Got it. Sit in the corner and wait for me."
Walter vanished into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared. Bera watched him walk away with a disapproving look. They walked to a far corner and sat at an empty table where they could see what was happening. Arsh wasn't sure what Walter was going to do.
"Walter is actually intelligent. He hasn't put us in danger so far… at least not in any serious danger. But his behavior is... too showy and unpredictable. When he acts on his own, it makes it hard for me or the team to keep control and coordinate the situation. You'll understand what I mean in a moment."
Even though he said that, Bera hadn't stopped Walter. Arsh took that as a sign that Bera trusted him.
Meanwhile, Walter reappeared, staggering slightly, with three glasses of wine clutched between the fingers of each hand. Without worrying about spilling a drop, he waved his hands in the air to the rhythm of the music, slipping through the dancing crowd like an acrobat.
Suddenly, he tripped over something invisible and the wine in his hands poured right over the heads of the two men sitting at the table.
Walter looked at the men with a shocked expression, appearing as if he didn't know how to apologize. The men, on the other hand, were furious and ready to pounce on him, waiting for a single word to come out of his mouth.
"What have I done? I... I am truly sorry! I was taking them to my friends sitting over there," he said, pointing to a table where a group of drunken men sat just behind them. A few of them noticed they were being mentioned and, though entirely clueless as to why, they gave a sloppy wave to the table in greeting.
"But I tripped!" he shouted, this time pointing to the non-existent obstacle on the floor.
One of the men had already stood up, ready to punch Walter. Walter, on the other hand, raised his hands to keep the man from getting closer, backing away with a frantic expression as he continued to speak.
"Please, please let's calm down first... How can I make it up to you? I'll cover the cleaning costs for your clothes. For now, let me buy you a round of drinks… anything you want, the most expensive one. How about…some Eldoran wine?"
Hearing this, one of the men turned to his companion.
"Jim, this young fellow made a mistake. It's only right to forgive him, isn't it? He's trying to make amends."
At that, the man called Jim glanced at his friend, then at Walter, and finally sat back down, seeming a bit calmer.
"How kind of you… just a moment, I'll get your drinks," Walter said.
He stopped a passing waiter and whispered something into his ear. Then, he pulled up a chair and sat down with them, continuing to apologize while helping them wipe the wine from their faces. The earlier commotion had faded, and people had turned their attention away.
When the drinks arrived, Walter had already started a friendly conversation with those at the table. It looked like he was making jokes and laughing with them... but unlike before, their voices had returned to a normal volume, and Arsh and Bera could no longer hear their conversation.
Still, Arsh watched Walter's boldness with admiration.
"Does he have some kind of siuni for acting?" Arsh asked.
"No... he's a natural," Bera replied. It was clear he had witnessed similar scenes before.