Chapter 94: Meeting Lady Vayne
Baron Charles led the group from the entrance hall into a comfortable meeting parlor. Lord Gregor was already there, and seeing RIku and the others arrive, he immediately got up.
"Mister Riku! It is good to see you again," Lord Gregor said, his voice stronger. He gestured towards Lila and Elara, who had entered with them. "And you have brought your charming companions. Welcome, young ladies."
Riku smiled. "Lord Gregor, may I introduce Lila, a dear friend from my village, and Elara, a young traveler we are assisting." Lila and Elara offered respectful curtsies, a little awed by the noble surroundings and the direct address from the old lord.
"A pleasure," Lord Gregor said, his gaze kind.
Riku then asked. "Baron Charles seemed troubled when I inquired on the traces of the stone. Has there been any difficulty?"
Lord Gregor sighed, his expression turning grim. "Difficulty is an understatement, Master Riku. The footman who was primarily responsible for tending my chambers, one of the very few servants permitted unrestricted access... he vanished the same evening you discovered the stone. Simply disappeared, without a word, without a trace."
"Vanished?" Riku frowned. "That is... convenient for whoever planted the stone."
"Indeed," Lord Gregor agreed. "Charles has put out an arrest warrant, alerted the City Guard, and offered a substantial reward for any information. But thus far... nothing. It is as if the man evaporated into thin air. It complicates matters greatly. Without him, tracing the stone’s origin becomes a far more arduous task."
Riku was perplexed. A servant vanishing in such a manner right after a discovery reeked of careful planning and conspiracy.