Charlie and I quietly scanned the room, searching for any sign of Bora or Tara. Unfortunately, neither of them appeared to have arrived yet.
With no better option available, we selected an empty table near the side of the inn and sat down to wait. From our position, we had a relatively clear view of both the entrance and most of the main hall, making it easy to keep watch without attracting attention.
Time passed slowly.
Customers continued entering and leaving the establishment while servers moved between tables carrying trays laden with food and drinks. Every now and then, the entrance would open, causing my gaze to shift instinctively toward the doorway, only for another group of customers to walk inside.
Despite the passing time, there was still no sign of Bora or Tara. Just as I began wondering whether something had delayed them, the entrance opened once more.
Two figures stepped into the inn.
Both wore dark hooded cloaks that concealed most of their features beneath deep shadows. Their appearance wasn't particularly unusual considering the number of travelers passing through the district, yet something about them immediately drew my attention.
The newcomers paused near the entrance for a brief moment.
Without speaking, they swept their gazes across the crowded interior as though searching for someone amongst the sea of customers. Their movements were subtle and unhurried, but there was a clear purpose behind them.
A few moments later, their eyes found our table.
The two hooded figures made their way toward our table through the crowded inn.
They slipped between packed tables and busy servers with practiced ease, drawing little attention from the patrons around them. As they came closer, Charlie and I exchanged a glance. Even before they reached us, there was something familiar about the way they carried themselves.
By the time they stopped at our table, any doubt had vanished.
Without a word, they pulled out the empty chairs and sat across from us. Once seated, they reached up and lowered their hoods.
The faces beneath were exactly who we expected.
Bora and Tara.
Charlie and I instinctively sat a little straighter.
"Greetings, brother Bora, sister Tara."
Tara's lips curved into a warm smile as she looked between us.
"It's good to see both again."
There was a noticeable sense of relief in her expression, as though she had been looking forward to finally meeting us. Bora, on the other hand, remained much the same as ever. He acknowledged our greeting with a small nod, his calm expression revealing little.
"How is work at inn?" he asked, his gaze settling on me.
"It's going well."
Bora nodded once. After confirming that Charlie and I hadn't encountered any problems, he immediately shifted his focus to the true purpose of the meeting.
"We spent past several weeks investigating throughout Astravia and few other cities," he said calmly. "We even sought help from underworld."
"And?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.
Bora's expression remained unchanged.
"We found little."
A faint frown formed on my face. Considering the amount of time they had spent investigating, that wasn't the answer I had been hoping to hear.
Bora seemed to notice my reaction.
"Most of leads led nowhere," he said, lightly tapping his fingers against the table. "We chase down countless reports, but nearly all of dem turn false information, dead ends, or rumors."
The atmosphere around the table became noticeably more serious. After weeks of investigation across multiple cities and with assistance from the underworld, discovering almost nothing was hardly encouraging.
Before Bora could continue, Tara spoke from beside him.
"But we find one clue."
My attention immediately shifted toward her.
"What is it?"
"The Caelthorne Family."
A faint frown appeared on my face as I repeated the name under my breath.
"The Caelthorne Family?"
Beside her, Bora gave a slow nod.
"Till now, every lead we able to verify eventually traces back to dem. Whether direct or indirect, every credible lead point their direction."
The answer immediately caught my attention.
"Unfortunately," Bora continued, lightly tapping his fingers against the table, "that where the problem begin... the Caelthorne Family is not easy to investigate."
Tara nodded in agreement.
"They one of most influential noble families in Elysis."
The atmosphere around the table became noticeably heavier. I slowly nodded in understanding. The name wasn't unfamiliar to me, nor was their reputation. The Caelthorne Family wasn't merely influential within Astravia itself. Their influence extended far beyond the capital and reached throughout much of Elysis. They possessed wealth, authority, political connections, and a level of influence that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
More importantly, noble families of that level weren't organizations that could be investigated casually. If everything truly pointed toward the Caelthorne Family, then this situation had suddenly become far more complicated than I had initially expected.
Bora continued speaking without wasting time.
"So I want two of you to keep eye on the Caelthorne Family."
The request wasn't entirely unexpected. Since they would be continuing their investigation elsewhere, it made sense for Charlie and me to focus on the only lead they had managed to uncover so far.
Charlie and I exchanged a brief glance before looking back toward Bora and Tara. Neither of us had any objections. Although investigating a powerful noble family wouldn't be easy, there was little point in hesitating when this was currently the only direction available to us.
We both nodded.
Bora seemed satisfied with our response.
"Meanwhile, we continue investigating from our side."
His gaze moved between Charlie and me.
"If you notice unusual anything or discover something worth reporting, contact us with mirror artifact immediately."
"I understand."
Bora gave a small nod before leaning back slightly in his chair.
Not long afterward, a server approached our table to take our orders.
Once the orders were placed, food and drinks began arriving one after another. Plates filled with roasted meat, bread, and various side dishes were set upon the table, accompanied by several mugs of alcohol. Bora, Tara, and Charlie each ordered drinks, while I settled for food alone.
As the meal progressed, the atmosphere gradually became less tense.
The discussion regarding the Caelthorne Family had already concluded for the moment, leaving the four of us free to speak more casually... or at least as casually as Bora was capable of. True to his usual nature, he remained a man of few words, speaking only when he felt there was something worth saying. Most of the conversation was carried by Tara, who proved considerably more willing to talk.
For a while, the discussion drifted between various topics related to their travels and investigations. Occasionally, Tara shared a few amusing incidents they had encountered while moving from city to city, while Bora mostly focused on eating, only contributing the occasional comment when necessary.
At one point, however, Tara's expression gradually became more serious.
"Arthur."
I looked up from my meal.
"The Caelthorne Family is not ordinary noble family."
There was a clear warning in her voice.
"They have so much influence, not only in Astravia but entire of Elysis."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"If you going to keep eye on dem, be careful. Don't do anything that draws unnecessary attention yourself."
I nodded, "I understand."
The warning wasn't unnecessary. In truth, I had already reached the same conclusion myself.
The Caelthorne Family was not the kind of target that could be approached carelessly. Investigating a powerful noble family was very different from asking questions about ordinary merchants or criminals. If Charlie and I weren't careful, even a small mistake could reveal our intentions and create problems far beyond our ability to handle.
For a while, the conversation drifted away from the mission and returned to lighter topics. The tension that had settled over the table gradually eased as food disappeared from plates and drinks slowly emptied from mugs. Around us, the lively atmosphere of the inn remained unchanged, with laughter and conversation continuing to echo throughout the establishment.
There was one matter I had been wanting to ask about since Bora and Tara arrived.
"What about Sister Vaela and Brother Rokar?"
The moment the question left my mouth, the atmosphere at the table changed subtly.
Tara's expression became somewhat complicated. The faint smile she had been wearing disappeared, and after a brief hesitation, she slowly shook her head.
Beside her, Bora remained silent.
For several moments, he simply stared at the table as though organizing his thoughts before finally speaking.
"We still not able to contact dem."
I nodded slowly.
The answer wasn't particularly surprising.
After all, if Bora and Tara had succeeded in reaching them, they would have informed us long ago. Even so, hearing the confirmation directly from them still left a faint heaviness in my chest.