Percy's eyes opened to an unfamiliar ceiling.
He sat up immediately letting out a breath, he grabbed his coat from the wall , and pulled out his pocket watch , while adjusting the holster , which seemed to have been a bit crooked by his forcefully pull yesterday.
6:24 AM.
There was still plenty of time before work.
he proceeded to properly examine the room.
A simple wooden table stood in one corner , his eyes linger on the table as he slowly went and lifted it to see , and sure enough there was nothing under it , he shook his head and started ro examine the room once again.
A chair occupied another and the furnishings were plain and reminded him somewhat of the room he had first awakened in after becoming Percy.
Though admittedly, these conditions were much better.
After getting dressed, Percy stepped outside.
Several identical doors lined the corridor. He ignored them and headed downstairs.
But felt his legs were still sore, fortunately they felt noticeably better than yesterday.
The tavern below was already open, though only a handful of customers occupied the tables.
Walking up to the counter, he reached into his pouch and handed over three copper crowns along with the room key. The cashier accepted both with a smile .
Percy, meanwhile, stared at the few remaining coins in his pouch. After a moment of silent calculation, his expression turned solemn.
"I'm now exactly one copper crown away from officially being considered a beggar."
As Percy walked through the streets, the surroundings felt vaguely familiar.
He was certain he had been in this part of town before, though he couldn't quite remember the details of it .
After a few more minutes of walking, however, he began recognizing some of the buildings.
A sense of relief immediately followed. At least the workshop wasn't far from here.
"Mr. Percy Valemont."
A gentle voice came from behind him.
Not recognising it he turned around cautiously and saw a young man roughly around his age.
He wore a black suit beneath a dark overcoat and carried himself with a composed confidence.
Percy recognized him almost immediately.
" Isn't he the younger investigator who was with Charles?"
A trace of caution entered his expression.
"Yes?" Percy replied. "How may I help you?"
The young man smiled and extended a hand.
Percy hesitated , which made him retreat his hand back.
"My name is Lyro Derm . A pleasure to meet you."
He said with a polite and gentle smile .
Percy returned an awkward one of his own.
"A pleasure."
"Damn he is good-looking"
After a brief pause, he decided to get straight to the point.
"So, what is the matter?"
Lyro released his hand and adjusted one of his gloves.
"Nothing too serious."
His smile remained unchanged , which somehow was getting into Ronan's nerve .
"I was hoping we get a cup of tea together."
Percy's guard immediately rose.
"That doesn't sound like he just wants to drink tea together"
Sensing his hesitation, Lyro chuckled lightly.
"I'll be brief."
He took off his hat and kept it close to his chest and spoke :
"Mr. Valemont, would you be interested in joining the Syndicate?
"Syndicate?"
Percy was genuinely taken aback. Of all the things he had expected to hear this morning, recruitment to the syndicate was certainly not one of them.
And not just any recruitment. It was The Syndicate. Percy had not known of any other force with a syndicate attached to it .
"The Union Laws Syndicate? "
"Wasn't this man an investigator?"
Percy had assumed Lyro worked under the local police or some government office.
But the Union Laws Syndicate was an entirely different matter.
That organization was enormous with it's influence stretching across nations.
Even ordinary people knew its name. Jobs within the Syndicate were generally reserved for highly capable individuals, it was like a job at a Google or something , and from what Percy had heard, the pay was exceptionally generous.
Which only made the offer more confusing.
His brows knitted together as he wanted to confirm.
"Do you mean the Union Laws Syndicate?"
Lyro's smile remained unchanged.
"Yes."
"Although our branch is a little different. Ultimately, however, we still work under them."
That somehow raised more questions than it answered.
"A little different?"
"What exactly was that supposed to mean?"
"And why did it sound vaguely ominous?"
After a moment, he spoke.
"Should we discuss this over tea?"
Lyro's smile widened slightly.
"Sure."
He placed his hat back on his head.
"I know a place nearby."
---------
"Martin's Cup"
Percy looked up at the sign of the café where he sat. The place reminded him of someone. As it had been her favorite café.
He quickly shelved the thought and took a sip of his tea.
"So," Percy said, lowering the cup slightly, "can you explain this work of yours?"
Lyro set his cup down before answering.
"First, I would like to know what you saw in the alleyway that day."
Percy remained silent for a moment, deliberating about it for a moment before deciding it was better to be honest.
"I'm sure that thing was not human. Or even if it was, it definitely wasn't a normal one."
Lyro nodded.
"Correct. And I appreciate your honesty."
Percy shrugged. There was no point hiding it. Charles had probably found out everything already.
Lyro took another sip of his tea. Before placing the cup back on the table, he said, "You see, the work we Syndicates do is a bit different from what you might think."
"Probably something like handling supernatural matters for the government in secret," at least that's how it is according to the novels I've read."
Not knowing Percy's train of thought Lyro continued .
"We work for the Union Syndicate from the shadows, dealing with matters related to the things you have seen. I cannot go into detail here in public, but I can tell you this much."
"Bingo"
"And , you are connected to it. Whether you like it or not, you will continue to be."
Percy frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you seem to attract things related to them."
"So I'll be in danger?" He asked with a bit of discomfort visible in his eyes .
"There is a reason I am trying to recruit you," Lyro said. "The ability you possess is rare. The Syndicates seek people like you, though not many have it. But it can be either a curse or a boon."
"For an ordinary tailor like you," Lyro continued, "it will eventually become a curse. But with us, we can turn that curse into something useful. We can make it a boon."
Percy's cup was empty now. His legs had begun to fidget under the table.
How could he stay calm after being told that the strange sensation he had felt was, without doubt, a curse?
"You do not need to answer right away, "But you do not have much time either. You never know when you might attract something again."
Percy looked him in the eye, slightly startled.
"My apologies," Lyro added, "but I have been following you for some time now. And I must say, you seem to find yourself in trouble quite often."
He leaned back.
"You would probably be, let's say, not very healthy right now if either I or Senior Charles had not interfered."
Percy remained silent, thoughtful.
"Since I don't know anything, it might be better to go with the flow.
" If I have no idea what I'm dealing with, then it's better to follow someone who does even if they seem suspicious."
"Besides, if they wanted to harm me, they could have done so any day they wanted."
After a moment, Percy looked back at Lyro.
"So, how much is the pay?"
Lyro smiled as he extended his hand across the table.
Percy took it and shook.