Detective work [Social/Soushui/Private]

After a brief search, Garret's group had found where Lady Soushui was staying. A message was sent to her, requesting that Soushui be available for a discussion in regards to the night of the recent Ball she had participated in. The letter would allow her the choice of both time and place, and informed her that a Kou noble working with national security, named Takahashi Sato, would be accompanied by two guards in order to discuss the matters with her.

Putting it into the form of a request was meant to be a respectful gesture to her, due to her station. It gave her an opportunity to ready herself for the discussion. To choose a time that does not make it difficult for her to perform her normal duties as a diplomat. Lastly, it allowed her to prepare so that she would feel comfortable with the meeting.

Once Garret had received a response, and was informed of the meeting place, he departed with the two guards he would be bringing with him. Both were simple soldiers from Kou, who had been re-outfitted as guards.

Upon receiving the letter informing her of the impending discussion, Lady Soushui formed a general idea as to what the nature of the visit truly would be. She was aware that after her departure there was quite a bit of trouble at the ball, but nothing that directly involved or interested her. Suspecting that this was an investigation as to her potential involvement in these ordeals, Lady Soushui found it in her best interests to not decline the request. The same day the letter was sent out, a runner dressed in the livery of Lady Soushui's servants was sent out with a reply:

"To Whom It May Concern:

I will be available tomorrow at noon. Feel free to meet me at the manse I have procured for my temporary stay in Reim. You are welcome to bring your guards but do leave them at the door. My abode has many sensitive objects within and I'd like them to remain in tact."

The letter was sealed with a wax emblem and then entire parchment was covered in a subtle but unmistakably present tantalizing scent of perfume. The handwriting was Lady Soushui's own and her signature danced across the bottom of the page.


Upon arriving at the slightly less-than-humble abode, Garret would find the outside in fairly poor state. The manse had been abandoned for years and the exterior was in quite the state of disrepair. It was no wonder that the building had gone unpurchased for quite some time as the costs to refurbish the outside of the building alone would have been fairly massive.


Upon arriving at the door there would be no need to knock. A servant would open the entrance and greet Garret with a bow before offering to guide him inside. The interior of the building looked to be in much better shape, pristine even, but it did not have the look of a noblewoman's entrance hall. There were no decorations and no furniture. The entire room was very bare save for scattered magic circles and expensive glass containers filled with strange looking unnatural life forms. This would be a glimpse into the Lady's experiments with life magic but the servant would not accept any lingering to investigate on Garret's part. "The Lady is waiting for you in the first floor parlor. Right this way, sir."

Garret's guards would be allowed in this far if anyone insisted, but upon arriving at the parlor door they would be instructed to wait out in the hall. Inside the parlor Garret's eyes would be able to see a few things. A pair of velvet chairs on either side of a polished marble table. A large fire place. Several book shelves packed full. But these furnishings were all dull in comparison to the vibrantly colored silks Lady Soushui wore.


Seated in one of the chairs facing towards the door, the female magician was dressed in full Kou attire and the same scented perfume delicately radiated from her giving the entire room an alluring scent that somehow managed to avoid being overwhelming or too strong. The aroma quietly lingered in the background scent hiding just behind the smell of a healthy fire blazing strong in the fireplace.

Balanced on the good lady's hand was a strange fluffy looking creature whom she brought to her lips for a peck before sending it on it's way. "Off now child, my guest has arrived~" The noblewoman whispered. The small creature gave an odd giggle of sorts and then hopped down to the floor before quickly waddling its way between Garret's legs and out the door behind him.

With the queer animal dismissed, Lady Soushui stood and greeted Garret with a traditional Kou bow before gesturing to the seat across from her. "Welcome to my home. Please, make yourself comfortable." She then sat back down and poured Garret a cup of tea made with fresh leaves usually only found back in the homeland. There was much one could do with magic that was otherwise impossible after all. She then poured herself a cup and after placing the kettle down took a generous sip from the brew. After letting out a satisfied sigh, the woman sat the cup down and let her eyes flicker up to study Garret silently. Waiting for him to state his business.

Garret approached the estate and looked at its disrepair with a frown. As he walked through the grounds, on his way to the door of the residence, he noted that there were no guards located on the premises. Interesting. There is no doubt that this is a new acquisition, but the lack of guards and security is strange. While he didn't have a large knowledge base in politicians, he did know that their security was generally high-grade. They often had to defend themselves in some manner from those who were dissatisfied with their places in life.

Making note of it, Garret stretched his senses to determine if there were any movements from overgrown vegetation in order to ensure he was not walking into a trap. Though his senses were thus stretched, he felt no lingering gaze on his person as he approached the door. Before he had even knocked on the door, it had opened and a servant greeted him. The guards behind Garret paused, slightly off-put by the knowledge the servant had that they were there, but quickly regained their composure; it wasn't strange for a noble's estate to have somebody watching closely and preparing appropriately to impress visitors.

Garret frowned, slightly, wondering if he had missed something when attempting to keep an eye out for onlookers. The servant gestured to have him follow, and he insisted the guards follow him. The first sight to hit his eyes were the magical circles and lifeforms that were scattered across the room. This is no Noble's estate. This is the estate of a Magician. He noted that there were some familiar markings that showed the research to be based with Life Magic near its core. Garret was given no time to inspect the magical works, however, as the servant ushered him to the room where Lady Soushui was waiting for him.

The guards following Garret were allowed no further, and Garret simply held up a hand to inform them that it was fine for them to wait outside. He handed one of the soldiers the blade that he carried at his side. "It would be inappropriate for me to carry this in with me. Hold onto this until I get back."

The guard bowed, taking the blade respectfully from a superior, and stood at attention alongside the second guard. They were content to simply wait outside, and made sure to not make unnecessary movements. General Hei Lu's discipline was still strongly instilled in many of his troops, even though the General himself was dead. Old habits, after all, died hard.


Garret entered the parlor room. His own clothing was fairly modest in comparison, having a clean-cut military look to it. This look showed very small room for any note of monetary well being, instead being a spartan uniform devoid of flare asides from an insignia belonging to that of those who carried out national security for Kou. He noted that this room was furnished better than the entrance hall, but the most vibrant thing in the room was the woman herself. I can only assume this is Lady Soushui. The woman wore lavish silks that bespoke her station, and gave a striking impression to the Magician. Alone, the imagery was a powerful force that would likely have caught most men off guard. The finishing touch? An alluring scented perfume, much the same as the one he had smelled from the envelope. Even Garret's heart-rate beat faster, if for just a moment.

Though the smell was not overwhelming or too strong, it triggered a memory of an experience Garret had been through. That place, too, held scents and flames that were more than suspicious. A subtle shift occurred within Garret's psyche, likening these two experiences to each other, and causing Garret to unconsciously raise his mental guard a bit higher. It was due to this recognition that gave him the perception that he was in an almost otherworldly place. His cognitive functions and rationality were all that kept this allusion from being at the forefront of his mind.

Garret's primary skills as an operative involved deadening his emotions, but deadening ones emotions and keeping a social mask on were two entirely different things. Though his face did not go through several comical exchanges, a skillful reader of people would be able to tell that Garret was somewhat disquieted by the impression that the ambiance had caused. Lady Soushui dismissed the tiny creature, which waddled beneath his legs. Paying it no attention, the operative and Blue Magician welcomed the comfort of social etiquette. The etiquette was something that a vast majority of those within Kou were trained in, from birth. It was an ingrained lifestyle, and helped set the pace and feelings behind their meeting. Garret returned the bow, making sure to do so as was appropriate for a Noble of her station, before accepting her offer of a seat at the table.

It was an extremely soft and comforting seat; such a seat that he was not used to sitting in. Though there was plenty of room to lay back and relax, Garret kept his posture straight with his feet planted firmly upon the floor. The body language would be clear to Soushui, should she have decided to read it; this man was the type who took what he did too seriously. There were likely a variable number of things that she could determine from his actions to this point. "Thank you. I appreciate the hospitality." Garret spoke, clearly. As she sat down and took a drink from the tea, he raised the tea to his lips as well. It was a false drink he took from the tea, as it was policy to never accept food or drink from someone whom an operative was intending to question, slay or otherwise oppose. A security function that he took seriously, especially after having been reprimanded in the past for not following protocol.

He sat the tea down on the table and spoke to Lady Soushui. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Takegawa Iatsu. As was mentioned in the letter, I am here to ask you a few questions. If you do not mind, I would like to get straight to the point of the matter. I am sure you are busy, and I have quite a bit of work to do as well." Garret gave the woman an opportunity to speak, at this point, but Garret paid close attention to the mannerisms and for any sudden movements.

Garret's caution was unnecessary as the aroma filling the room as well as the tea were as innocently harmless as a fool might expect. As he entered, Lady Soushui observed the man's posture and actions with patient calm eyes reflecting nothing of what she thought about said observations. Soushui saw the lack of a lowered level in the tea cup, the stiffness of his seating position that refused to allow him to relax, and the general anxious worry that briefly showed itself when he first entered the room. In contrast, Lady Soushui lounged back in her comfortable seat and moved her legs to cross them revealing a teasing glimpse at her smooth long legs that appeared to be made of some immaculate porcelain that was free of any blemishes. The female magician's breasts were pressed together as her arms shifted for a moment and she listened to what the man had to say.

There was no modesty of a noble lady here and yet the way Soushui seemed confident in each of her movements would grant her an air of nobility anyways. "You shouldn't make assumptions. I've cleared my entire schedule for the day. You could spend the night with me if you had the time. But since you yourself are busy, I suppose that would be impossible." There was no tone of disappointment in her voice but it would be clear from her expression that Lady Soushui found the fact that Iatsu had time constraints to be a bit displeasing. "Don't let my tendency to entertain distractions keep you. What exactly is the point of the matter?" Keeping the rest of her observations gleaned so far hidden, Lady Soushui prompted the man to get on with his business.

Garret was watching Soushui's movements carefully, determining any form of hostility from the woman. While she maintained a stance of cooperation, she had still openly associated with the man who had challenged King Lagi to a duel, and Garret was on alert for anything that could possibly create a sudden hostile situation. As such, even though his eyes did not directly stare, he kept a decent field of vision following the movements of Lady Shoushui's legs. The 'indiscretion' of his gaze was not imperceptible, yet neither was it overly damning. At the same time, while speaking, Garret took note that the woman had pressed her ample bosom together.

The actions she was performing before him reminded him of the training his "sister" had received. She often tried to tease him in a similar manner when they were younger, and the remembrance of those moments distanced Garret from what would be a normal reaction in most men; an influx of desire that tightened the chest and left a person wondering what else they could potentially discover. Garret held no suspicion that the woman was a spy, or had received any such training, as this was simply the 'natural weapons' women were equipped with to use in social settings.

Though Lady Soushui did not particularly sound disappointed, her facial expression left little doubt that the woman was off-put from his introduction. Garret could only link this displeasure to what she was speaking of when showing such an expression; her clearing of her schedule, and the fact that he would not spend an overly large amount of time with her. When she asked him to state his business with her, Garret clasped his fist in his palm and bowed from his seated position. "Though I am cutting straight to the point of the matter, I would first like to inform you that your dedication and willingness to serve the Empire is much appreciated." The bow was a simple one, which was not quite deep enough to allow any visible part of Lady Soushui's body to escape his gaze. His words of thanks was not an attempt to politically deflect the woman's displeasure, though it could have been seen as such. Instead, it was meant as professional words of gratitude for the Noble taking time out of her day to do her civil duty for their Empire. How well Lady Soushui intuited the minor differences behind this was dependent on how well she understood Garret's personality up to this point.

When the bow was complete, Garret continue with the crux of the situation at hand. "It is my understanding that, at the Ball that followed after the Coronation of King Lagi El Nagi, you attended the festivities with an individual of the Imuchakk nation. Shortly thereafter, this fellow caused quite a commotion by challenging King Lagi to a duel. A security agent had overheard him explaining his distrust of the King... On the same night that a diplomat and his wife were murdered." The report had explained that the Imuchakk man did not care for the Black Rukh that Lagi El Nagi seemed to attract, and worried about such a thing being there. Of course, the King was wounded by yourself as well... Though Garret did not mention this; there was no poison found from the wound, so the act itself wasn't something that was particularly crime-worthy. "Either way, I have a few questions; what is your connection with him? What do you know of him? Is this a man who would commit a crime? Though he challenged the King to a duel, I can only wonder about his scruples. His outburst, while not particularly illegal and, while excused by the King, was suspicious."

Garret had to discern exactly what level of a threat this Imuchakk man was, and what kind of effort he could drum up with his plans.

Behind Lady Soushui's unmoved expression, she felt an irksome irritation as the man before her gave another bow and expressed gratitude towards her loyalty and service to the empire. It was the same kind of dribble spouted by the old men in court who once owned her. It was almost word for word the kind of things they would tell her whenever she finished killing one of their political enemies in cold blood. It was hard to tell whether or not the man genuinely meant what he said, but the context of the situation made her believe that he was simply trying to be polite. Lady Soushui knew almost nothing about this agent of Kou and her ability to read people was not so grand that she already had a window into his inner thoughts after these few short moments of meeting. But while his personal feelings were ambiguous to her, Lady Soushui knew that Takegawa had some sort of agenda at play. If not, then he wouldn't be here at her residence.

Holding her soft eyes and softer smile onto Garret, Lady Soushui waited patiently for his bow to end without giving any response to his verbal gesture of thanks. Such words were like an unpleasant wrapping around a gift. The true content of value would come after they had been cast aside. This silence led into Iatsu's detailing of a few facts he'd gathered about the night of the ball. Soushui remained as a still pond, the only ripples of reaction the initial explanation garnered would be a curious cocking of her head to the side ever so slightly. As though she still didn't quite see the point Garret was trying to make. When he mentioned the murders a "eureka" moment seemed to overtake the noblewoman as she closed her eyes and nodded slowly as her smile grew subtly. Like hearing about the murders granted her an understanding as to why the meeting had been requested today.

Garret's following questions would come as no surprise to Soushui now that she knew the reasoning behind this visit. Her eyes fluttered open as the man when through his various inquiries and she used the time he spent talking to take another drink from her tea. "The boy from the north, eh? I met him on a diplomatic trip to Magnostadt. It seemed as though he was having trouble getting accepted into the academy so I offered him a few lessons. He stayed at my estate in Kou for a short while. The young Imuchakk didn't need much teaching and I was very busy, so I gave him a few hints here and there but for the most part, we did not spend very much time together." This much was all true to a certain extent. Some details were missing but none that made the story seem hard to believe. "After he became upset with how uninvolved I was in his magical studies, the Imuchakk left my estate and I did not see him again for months until I found myself in Heliohapt. I was leaving for Reim soon and as it turned out, he was too and had already arranged for a ship to take him there shortly. When I learned he was on his way there, I revealed that was my destination as well and asked if I could accompany him. On the ship ride over, we talked a bit about his past and I took an interest in him. It's rare for an Imuchakk to be an magician after all and the way his tribe treated him for it was fascinating to me from a cultural standpoint. I extended an invitation for him to join me at the ball when I learned that he sought to help Reim while he was here thinking he could make good connections to begin doing so. We split up right after we arrived and I haven't seen him since he made a fool of himself." Soushui then spread empty palms as a gesture to lay bare all that could be revealed, "That is where my connection to the boy ends."

A sigh of disappointment flowed from Soushui's lips, "I don't know him well enough to answer your questions with confidence. But from what I've seen, you are probably laying your suspicions on the wrong man. You see, that child couldn't kill a fly, much less a person. He's shown me a strong sense of justice and if I had to guess, that was the basis behind his challenge to the king." Suddenly, Lady Soushui's expression lit up as though something came to mind and she began speaking excitedly about an aspect of how Yakuroro's tribe had treated him for being a magician. "Oh! He was branded as a monster you know. The tribe he was born in did not understand magic and they marked him like an animal. He has a tattoo on his chest to cover it up, but I was allowed to examine the original branding. If you look close enough you can tell it from the tattoo by the scar tissue. It's such a unique tribal design! Those isolationists would almost never show an outsider, but to think I got to see something so rare!"

Like she had been transformed into a little girl, Lady Soushui squealed gleefully and wiggled in her seat at the thought. But then she realized she was going off on a tangent and cleared her throat before getting back on topic. "Ah, apologies. The point of the story isn't the markings, but rather how he treated the ordeal. If I am to believe what the boy told me, he did not spite the villagers and instead took to living on his own. After a time, he learned to better his magic with help from a fellow exile and returned to his village to assist them through times of need. While he was never accepted, he still accepted those who shunned him. It was this depiction of his character which made me believe his intent for doing good in Reim was a legitimate one."

With that, Lady Soushui had answered the Kou nobleman's questions as best as she was going to. There was much misdirection in her recountance of it all, but it was all hidden behind convincing half-truths and a lack of inconsistencies. Her immaculate poker face helped as well. When the Lady had said her peace, she wrapped up with a bit of pout that seemed inwardly directed to herself before reaffirming her welcoming smile. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask? I've already sent a full report on what I've learned in Reim so far back to the homeland to be viewed by the emperor himself. But if I could be of further assistance to your investigation..." There would be a gleam in Lady Soushui's eyes as she paused. One Garret might recognize as the look of someone looking to gain political favour. A well practiced fake expression trained to make others believe Lady Soushui's intentions lie in advancing her standing within Kou's power circles. "It would be my pleasure to help."

Garret watched as the woman closed her eyes and nodded. It seemed she was somewhat aware of the situation, and understood the importance of their discussion. When she began to talk, he had pulled out a small notebook and a writing utensil to jot down notes of what she had said. He had a decent memory, but he could not afford to lose track of any important information discussed. He listened through her discussion of how she had taught him a bit on magic, some time back, and how the Imuchakk had stuck around for a while. Garret wasted no time doubting the woman's words; he was simply gathering information, at this point in the investigation. According to Lady Soushui, they had very little contact with each other.

The mention of Heliohapt coincided with the report he had received from Carmen. The Imuchakk had mentioned a competition in which a black beast had caused a stir. Through the use of cross referencing the matter, Garret had been able to connect that with the information he had heard from Serene. It was a part of the incident that had caused Serene to leave the slaver business.

Garret listened to her explanation of how the man had mentioned he was interested only in doing good deeds for Reim, and how she invited the Imuchakk to the Ball in an attempt to allow him to nurture contacts that would provide that opportunity. Garret frowned. The man had lost it when he had met up with King Lagi. His conversation with the other myseterious blond-haired man implied that it was Black Rukh that had set off that trigger. Garret did not believe it to be as frightening as the Imuchakk had made it out to be. Perhaps the man lacks sanity? Or... Perhaps he knows something that is not commonly known? Garret didn't have much of a hard time believing that, and wondered as to the validity of the Imuchakk's concerns. Carmen had not eavesdropped in time to pick up the conversation of Yakuroro explaining to Zadi that he did not know much about the Black Rukh.

It was at this point that she had explained of Yakuroro's inability to gather the will to kill. From his standpoint, he had almost found it difficult to believe. A being who was unwilling to slay an opponent? But then he recalled that there were such people out there; sleeper agents who would not perform those types of duties, as well as soldiers who defected and had to be hunted down due to their dislike of killing. It was simply not something he had encountered in a long time, under his line of work, and the idea of such a person was almost novel to the Blue Magician.

Shortly thereafter, the woman began speaking in an animated manner. Her excitement and passion was very reminiscent of a man he knew, the engineer Seviticus Sextus. When she brought herself back under control, the woman explained why it was that she had trusted him so in the first place. When she mentioned a report having been filled and sent back to the homeland to be viewed by the Emperor, Garret raised an eyebrow. So, she has a line of communication with the Emperor? Interesting. Having no real reason to doubt the words she spoke, as the title of her Nobility counted for the voracity of her oration, Garret took what she had said at face value. His training as an Intelligence Operative was built around the theft of intelligence, such as documents and communiques, as well as the removal of targets. That was where his expertise and foundations had been set. His political know-how and social interactions with politicians were laughable, at best.

With that in mind, it would come as almost no surprise when Garret misunderstood the look on Lady Soushui's face. He was almost moved by Lady Soushui's offer to help, misconstruing the gleam of political maneuvering as a look of genuine interest in advancing the investigation. For the first time since he entered, he smiled. "I appreciate the offer. I would hate to use up more of your time, but if you do recall any other details, or if you have an idea on who was behind the matter, please get in touch with me. I'll owe you one." Garret pulled out a piece of clean parchment from the back of the notes in his book, writing down his primary residence that was east of Remano, nearby a river. He slid the paper across the table, closer to the woman, and glanced down at the tea with longing. While he wanted to drink from it, he refrained. Rules are rules... Passing up on something that reminded him of his country was a difficult thing to do, but Garret had a steadfast heart on the matter. "If you need to get in contact with me, send a message to that location. I'm not there, personally, very often. But my staff there will know how to get the message to me." Garret stood, and glanced away from the woman for a brief moment as his eyes unfocused.

"You know, it is not often I get to meet with a kindred spirit. If you find yourself in trouble, and you need help, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'll do my best to help." Garret believed that returning that favor of her promise for assistance was the least he could do; the woman seemed to want the best for the country, and seemed to be in good enough standing. He bowed to her, once again, though this time a bit deeper out of respect for her assistance. "If you do not mind, I must back track from this dead end and determine the next course of action."

It was at that moment that he heard a commotion from outside. A muffled voice was arguing with the attendant at the door. Frowning, Garret wondered what was occurring out there, until the individual lost his temper and shouted. "COUNCILORS TEN LONG AND SHYLOCK ARE DEAD. MR. TAKEGAWA IS NEEDED AT THE MURDER SCENE, RIGHT NOW!"

Turning back to Lady Soushui, Garret bowed again. Frustration slightly evident on his face. While he had been assigned as an extra member of the security at the ball, it was not his security force that was running the thing. Even so, he felt it a personal attack upon himself that these murders were happening without him knowing anything about them. "My apologies, again, for the disturbance." If she allowed him to leave, Garret would dismiss himself and gather the information on the new issue. He made no effort to hide the information from Soushui, as she would likely be informed of the information anyhow.

"Fufufu, it's a shame such a cute youngster has to depart from my company so soon after we met. But I won't keep you from your duties any longer." Lady Soushui said after some soft laughter. Her words would imply that she found Takegawa physically attractive, but while he was easy on the eyes she meant he was cute in a very different way. The naivety of how he responded to her offer to help was somewhat amusing. Either he had an excellent skill at hiding his true intentions, or this man held little experience in the world of noble intrigue and power struggles. She held a fairly strong confidence that Yakuroro had nothing to do with the murders and knew for a fact that she, herself was not involved in them. This meant that his investigation was floundering like a fish out of water based on misdirected leads. The woman set her tea cup down onto a small saucer and reached for the paper. Glancing it over, she felt a pang of pity for the nobleman and considered making good on her offer after all. While the murders were none of her business, Lady Soushui didn't exactly endorse such actions. Having spent years forced into an assassin profession, Lady Soushui had no love for the work or the people who execute it.

Soon, Garret would make a bow and begin to take his leave, but the chatter from outside the door grew and eventually a shout revealed distressing news of two more murders. This time, the victims were a bit more high profiles. Lady Soushui's expression becomes a bit more serious as she hears the names of two council members called out as the deceased. Narrowing her eyes for a moment, Lady Soushui considers what kind of implications there were behind this. A few people of interest at the ball was one thing, but in the context of two dead council members, the picture seemed to get a bit clearer. As Iatsu apologized, Lady Soushui held up a hand and looked him dead in the eye as she stood. Her breasts bounced from the sudden nature of her movement, but her face spoke purely business. "I must go relay this information back to the Kouen capital immediately. But before you go, there is something I must point out in case you haven't put the pieces together yourself yet." Lady Soushui made her way close to Garret and with only a few swift soft steps she would be close enough to whisper into his ear so that none outside the door could overhear, "If these recent killings are at all related to the ones at the ball, then the culprit is likely trying to destabilize Kou's control over Reim. A coronation stained with the embarrassment of allowing murders to take place and now the the two councilors from respective countries who are known to see eye-to-eye are killed? The goal seems clear...But who has the knowledge of Kou's security patterns, the councilor's schedules, and the ability to strike targets freely so as to pull these murders off leaving no leads to follow? You may be dealing with a traitor among your men. Be weary, Takegawa."

And with that, Lady Soushui would move past him opening the door for her guest, "I apologize again for taking up so much of your time. I wish you luck with your investigation." The smile was back as well as a normal volume speaking voice. Lady Soushui would not keep Garret any longer.

Garret had felt a brief level of discomfort as he perceived Lady Soushui compliment him. While he was somewhat flattered by the woman's compliment, he was also put off that the descriptor 'cute' was used on him. Even so, Garret had a strong sense of keeping business and pleasure separate.

Though Lady Soushui's sudden standing had caused a sight many men would stare at, Garret was already turning to the door and had missed it. She began speaking, informing Garret that it was information that she would have to relay back to the capital immediately. Her approach to Garret was swift and made little noise, which surprised him to a degree, yet it wasn't at the proficiency level to be much more than a normal person walking lightly across the ground. She explained to Garret, through the whispering in his ear, that the murders at the ball and the murders here had a high chance of being connected. The woman continued by explaining to him her concerns that it was likely that there was a traitor among the Kou security agents. The reasoning was the use of what seemed to be insider information on security movements and Councilor schedules.

It gave Garret pause. Not because it was an off-setting connection to make, but because the woman had hit the nail on the head far stronger than what she could possibly imagine. He recalled his encounter with Takahashi Sato in the forest clearing, over a week ago. A majority of the agents here were, in fact, traitors. Though they had hid it extremely well, to this point. Even so, Garret looked at the matter from another angle; while the security was certainly good, there were gaps within it that any skilled assassin could have made. Kou's presence, insofar as security was concerned, was limited to that of Garret and one other agent, as per the Council's agreement. They were meant to be there more as a means of handling any outbursts that came from Kou citizens, in order to keep flames of hatred from bursting out due to their differences.

Garret planned on finding out if anyone had any grudges, if there were any who would gain from their deaths, and if there were any common occurrences with these deaths as compared to the other deaths. "I will keep your advice in mind."

Garret made his way to the scene...

OOC:

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