The Eclipse Moons Grimoire: Lilith's Soft Whispers

Codex 0: Sequentia II: Fragmentum XIX: Tia's Uniqueness

Back in the present.

"I hate doing this behind my friend's back, but I understand it's for her own good," Emma said with a sigh.

"Alright, don't worry too much about it" Alaric ruffled Emma's head trying to comfort her.

"So, did you find anything?"

"Yes. The sealed letter bears the insignia of RavenShield. It was sent by Eleanor RavenShield, the wife of Baron Roland."

"And what does it say?" Alaric asked, leaning in slightly.

"To summarize, it contains information on three different matters.

"First, Madam Eleanor reports that a vast number of demonkin who fled during the cleansing of the Marquiss household have gone missing. It's very bizarre, so she's advising Sera to take precautions.

"Second, she provides an update on the progress of sewage systems in other territories.

"Lastly, she includes regular information about various bandit groups, as per Sera's request."

Alaric considered this for a moment. "What do you make of it?"

"I understand the first two points," Emma said thoughtfully. "Considering that Malachi got caught in this territory, Eleanor's warning makes sense. We don't have a clear picture of what is going on but, it might be better to increase vigilance for safety. At Least, we need to be careful till Sera returns."

Alaric nodded.

"And since Sera initiated the sewage system project, the update seems routine."

"But I don't understand the third point, why would Sera request regular updates on bandit activity?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's probably gathering intelligence to ensure security in our territory."

"That would make sense if it were just about our territory or the neighboring ones," Emma agreed. "But Sera's request covers a vast area, from here all the way to the capital, and includes all possible routes throughout the entire southern region."

Alaric frowned, "Why would she need such extensive information?"

"I don't know, there's no explanation in the letter."

As they continued to mull over possible explanations, a thought suddenly struck Alaric. "Wait, you said the letter was sealed with an insignia. Won't Sera notice it's been tampered with?"

Emma smirked, "I managed to open it without breaking the seal."

Alaric looked intrigued, "How did you pull that off?"

"At home, when we use candles, the wax drips and hardens, making it tricky to remove. My mother taught me to gently heat the wax to make it pliable again. That got me thinking—since the seals on letters are usually made of wax, I could use the same method.

"So, I practiced a lot at home with wax and paper. Then I tried it with the wax and insignia Sera uses. And guess what? It worked perfectly."

Alaric's eyes widened in admiration. "Wow! We've got a skilled thief on our hands. Maybe I should take her into my custody."

Emma shot him a playful glare. "What do you mean by Thief? I just peeked at the contents—I didn't steal anything."

"You did, though," Alaric teased.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly did I steal?"

"My heart," Alaric grinned.

A blush crept up Emma's cheeks, and she turned her head away. "Glib tongue," she muttered, trying to maintain her composure.