Chapter 122: Old Chamberlain (2)
Leaving Lysaria at the manor with a promise to return, Riku and Seraphina immediately set out. Under Seraphina’s lead, they proceeded to the former Lord Chamberlain’s grand city residence, a place he had been forced to vacate weeks ago.
The manor was eerily silent. The City Guard posted outside let them pass without question, recognizing the High Archon’s authority.
But inside, they found only emptiness.
The grand home hadn’t been ransacked; it had been professionally and meticulously stripped clean. Every piece of furniture, every rug, every tapestry was gone. More importantly, all personal effects—letters, journals, documents, even worn articles of clothing—had been removed.
"They’ve completely stripped it," Seraphina said as she looked around the hall. "They left nothing."
Riku walked through the empty rooms, a deep frown on his face. He extended his senses, searching for any lingering traces or scents that he could follow.
Tracker’s Scent [-10 Goodwill Points]
He focused on the dust motes in the air, trying to find a single thread of Arnold’s presence. But there was nothing. The air was sterile, wiped clean of any personal signature. The conspirators had been ruthlessly thorough.
After searching for a while, Riku and Seraphina finally gathered in the now-empty, silent study, their first concrete lead having turned into a dead end.
Seraphina turned to Riku, her arms crossed.
"Well?" she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism. "There is nothing here. What now?"