>>6228015>“Wait a minute.” As you place the wine bottle on a shelf out of Chelsey’s reach, your attention is drawn back to what she’d mentioned earlier. “What do you mean Bronte needs my assistance? What is this matter that you speak of?”“Right. Business.” Chelsey sniffles, straightening herself out of her depressive mood. “You might be familiar with most of this, given that your letter made mention that you had been in Ithaca when it was attacked. There was a certain mage there you might have met. His name was Andreas. Does it ring any bells?”
Andreas. You recall that was the man who’d been arguing with Nadia. He’d used the Riahi’s attack as an opportunity to steal her research, and then fled the camp while the Djinn Orb had been deactivated. Nadia wanted his head on a spike, and you promised her you’d help retrieve what he’d stolen. But what would Bronte want with a weirdo like that?
>“It does. The guy was a real asshole.”“When the mages of Ithaca made their report back to Morfis, they’d mentioned that Andreas was missing, and that he’d stolen research pertaining to quintessence that was of particular importance. The general consensus back home is that he was somehow involved with the Riahi attack. It’s likely that he was the one who deactivated the Djinn Orb to allow the assassins in. Right now, there are several people looking for Andreas and the research that he stole, but no one seems to know where he is. Bronte, though, believes it likely that he is hiding here, in Shangri-La.”
>“Why would he come here? And is that research he stole really that important?”“Bronte believes Andreas is sitting on something that has the potential to be an existential threat to all Morfis.” Chelsey says darkly. “As for why he’d come here, he likely knew that he’d be targeted immediately if he ever stepped foot back in the capital. She believes Andreas is being given shelter by the Merchant Consortium. And they’ve recently shackled up with Klement. They believe him to be the likely victor of the Competition, and wish to buy their way into his good graces before he becomes king. I don’t know whether he knows about Andreas, but I do know he’s standing in our way of finding him.”
>“So, what does she want me to do? Kill him?”“Find him first.” Chelsey says. “Find Andreas, and find out who he’s working for. This goes deeper than just one mage and his lofty ambitions. The Royal Palace believes a conspiracy is afoot. And they wish to uncover the culprits immediately.”
>“Okay. Let’s say he is actually hiding here. How do I go about finding him? Do you have any leads to go on?”“If he is here, he’d likely be in Shangri-La’s underground vault. I’ve heard rumors of a magic lab down there where illegal sorcery is practiced. The vault is strictly guarded. Visitors are not allowed anywhere near there.”
