"Prepare my carriage after lunch; I'm heading out," Sofman suddenly told his manager post-lunch.
"Yes, sir," the man replied respectfully.
The talk was brief and mundane; nothing else important said.
Reyn sat on a bench near academy dorms, book in hand, pretending to read. Hearing this, he perked up, sensing opportunity.
He'd eavesdropped on Sofman over two weeks, mastering his routine: home, lecture hall, Mage Tower—nearly a straight line. Except that day returning from outside, Sofman never left academy bounds.
As expected, this evil god follower was likely meeting accomplices.
"Finally waited."
Reyn skipped lunch, fearing missing Sofman's departure. He sat hours on the bench, nose in book. Rare passersby ignored him—diligent students abounded.
Around three p.m., Sofman's figure appeared. External transport barred from academy, he walked to gates, boarded carriage, and left.
Soon after carriage departed, Reyn exited Silverstar Academy too.
He strolled unhurriedly to parking by main gates. About a dozen cars and carriages stood there, plus many bikes under special guard watch.
Reyn habitually greeted the guard, fetched key, unlocked a bike.
Since daily Great Library book-hauling, he'd bought this bike for convenience.
Its frame weighed over three hundred fifty pounds; normal bike wouldn't hold. Reyn paid extra for mechanical master to modify and reinforce frame—nearly custom.
He mounted deftly, pedaled twice for speed, chasing.
Voice of All Things had locked Sofman's carriage. To avoid notice, Reyn kept distance, half-street back.
Carriage moved slowly; Reyn easily kept pace.
Half-hour ride later, ahead carriage stopped.
Reyn heard Sofman exit, enter roadside building. Waiting bit, he approached, looked up. A club.
"Fabian's All Souls Cards Club."
"A card-playing spot?"
The three-story building looked utterly ordinary outside. Reyn puzzled slightly.
Due to All Souls Cards popularity, such clubs dotted Empire. Largest rivaled theaters, rich player haunts; small ones in bars or taverns, like Zoltan's Basilisk tavern.
This "Fabian" club seemed mid-sized, but plenty visitors.
Reyn watched from street a while, saw groups entering/exiting. Supers and aristocrats among them. In Soul Eye, all normal humans; no evil god followers.
He listened intently. Inside: card games, drinking, women's laughter.
Sofman joined a card game; nothing unusual.
"Seems normal club. Sofman just picked it for meeting."
Reyn concluded.
Half-month eavesdropping: Sofman never mentioned All Souls Cards in daily life, clearly no true fan. Club visit was cover.
Reyn didn't wait outside club. Idling on bike by road too conspicuous.
He found nearby restaurant, settled for lunch, kept listening to club.
Sofman acted true player: over ten games, switched tables, won/lost, talks solely cards.
Several toilet breaks, but no chats.
Till evening, Reyn found nothing useful. He switched: entered coffee shop opposite club, window table, watched entrants/exiters.
Sofman clearly not there for cards.
Another agonizing hour passed. Sounds: Sofman still at card table, no non-game words.
Reyn stayed patient.
Then club entrance: car stopped. Two club-goers exited one after another, back-seated.
Despite darkness, near-hundred-meter distance, seconds-only action, Reyn discerned faces.
He straightened instantly.
He'd seen both before.
One: thirty-ish young man, impeccably dressed, confident smile—typical success. Companion, slightly older, plain looks, restrained, perceptive gaze, light gait.
First: Reyn spotted accidentally on magic airship—Loxi follower. Later griffon-chased to Sir Ebly's mansion, but tip-off let him vanish.
Second: Reyn met personally—Squall Wind magic swordsman, Wilt.
In Soul Eye, souls wreathed in black-red faith flame.
"These two together."
Reyn mildly surprised, yet logical. Both Loxi followers, in Longsand for purpose; natural they'd connect—likely original accomplices.
And probably who Sofman met!
Car drove off, soon out of sight.
Reyn unsure how they linked with Sofman, but meeting evidently done. He left Sofman at card table, exited to street, biked, pursued.
Car sped; bike Reyn struggled.
Reynforced frame rattled, near collapse.
Reyn sighed inwardly. Without patrol guard notice fear, he'd ditched bike, run himself long ago.
Luckily, car soon reached destination.
Voice of All Things caught it entering big shop's inner parking. Wilt and companion exited, walked bit... vanished.
Reyn stopped pedaling; bike halted curbside.
He scanned surroundings, recognizing familiar spots. Brent Street, Silverstar's busiest district. Even nightly, gas lamps blazed, crowds thronged.
"Where'd they go?"
Reyn extremely surprised. Voice of All Things no longer caught footsteps.
First lost track.
Reyn rode past the shop, glancing at the sign. It was a large general store for superhumans, selling enchanted equipment, alchemical materials, demon souls, soul transformation services, and so on. It resembled the "Violet House," but much larger.
There were only three or four such large shops on all of Brent-street.
"Oath."
Reyn mentally repeated the shop's name. He remembered visiting here a couple of times, but back then he was an ordinary human and understood nothing.
The shop was still open now, with superhumans constantly entering and exiting.
He raised his head, looking up the street. In the night darkness loomed a tall dark silhouette—the Mage Tower.
It wasn't far from here to the "Violet House," just a few hundred meters.
The place seemed safe, but Reyn felt a growing danger. He stayed alert. Traces of car tires were still visible on the ground from a vehicle that had entered through a special passage beside the shop. The car was parked behind the building.
He was absolutely certain that Wilt and his companion had entered the "Oath" and vanished inside.
It was highly likely that this was the secret hideout of Loxi's followers in Longsande!
These people had dared to attack the Duchess of the Silver Star, a powerful Holy Soul mage. They must possess terrifying power; perhaps a legend was hiding among them. If he rashly sneaked in for reconnaissance and his Discord Seal was discovered, he could die without even realizing how.
Reyn decisively turned around and left.
For the next two days, he took no reckless actions, instead secretly investigating the "Oath's" past. Soon he discovered that the shop was owned by several aristocrats, one of whom he knew—Sir Ebly.
"I knew something was off with that Sir Ebly."
Reyn became even more convinced that the "Oath" was a lair of Loxi's followers, that is, the Shadow Blade.
He had no intention of charging in headfirst, but he wasn't going to give up either.
Every follower of the evil god was, in Reyn's eyes, a walking battery. He urgently needed to collect souls, and these people were his only available targets.
Venturing into the "Oath" was dangerous, but he could try luring one or two out and finishing them off one by one.
Reyn checked into an expensive hotel on Brent-street, specifically choosing a fifth-floor room with a window overlooking the "Oath" to watch it from above.
No one entering or exiting the shop could escape his Soul Eye.
Several days of observation filled Reyn with secret awe.
Almost every day, followers of evil gods appeared. All were superhumans disguised in various guises: merchants, aristocrats, commoners, students, guards, soul hunter squad members, and so on. More than half were shadow warriors hidden in various corners of the city, forming a secret network.
And all of them vanished without a trace upon entering the "Oath," only to reappear after some time.
Reyn suspected that inside the "Oath" there was some hidden space or runic array blocking sound waves and detection, concealing their secrets.
During this time, Wilt exited the shop every day.
Reyn tailed him once and discovered the swordsman heading to the Demonic Souls Market, wandering aimlessly as if searching for someone.
This behavior immediately gave Reyn an idea: Wilt was looking for him.
A plan formed instantly. He decided to start with Wilt. A fourth-level magical swordsman—his soul would provide enough energy for Reyn to reach the third level!