Elin-4

"Sorry for not receiving you earlier," Galin said. "It's not the best time for visits, Mr. Elin."

"No worries, I understand you have a lot on your plate," Elin replied.

Elin idled for five days in Stromgarde before finally getting an audience. He hoped his words of understanding sounded convincing enough, as it was wise not to expose his true nature in front of Galin. Upon entering the reception room, he noticed a painting on the wall—a scene described to him by Jorgen—centered around the prince and a struggle with an ogre. Elin thought, perhaps there should be more enemies on the canvas now.

"I heard you spent a day in Refuge Valley before coming here," Galin said.

"I had to pass through there, didn't I?" Elin replied.

"I doubt it was that simple. Have you spoken with Captain Niaes?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. We discussed some matters regarding the killer—someone continuously tormenting and killing guards. She hopes I can help her find the culprit, which I haven't hidden from you."

"And have you helped her?"

"Not yet. After all, that's not the purpose MI7 sent me here for, at least not until I fully understand the situation."

"I'm glad you haven't rushed to conclusions. Niaes has committed serious treason. Not only did she organize illegal protests, causing chaos and panic among the people, but she also detained my herald, Lieutenant Varokar— I heard he's been greatly tortured both physically and mentally. If you were to assist Niaes on your own, it wouldn't benefit our honest communication."

"You can rest assured, I believe nothing will hinder me from speaking honestly with you."

"Mr. Elin, are you acquainted with Jorgen?"

"We've worked together a few times, maybe once or twice. We cooperated smoothly, as there was no other way to remain in MI7. But personally, we didn't have much interaction."

"Is that so?"

"We were respectful colleagues, I would say."

"Then, was it him who sent you this time?"

"I received orders directly from our leader. A direct detective, just like Jorgen."

"Six months ago, when he came here, we had some minor disagreements. I hope you're not here to continue some of his strategies."

"No, of course not. I represent MI7, not the personal will of my colleague."

Elin wasn't sure if the prince would believe him. But at least he had to make this statement clear.

"So let's get down to business, Mr. Elin," Galin said. "I remind you that you promised me honesty. This isn't the first time dealing with someone from MI7, so I don't want to beat around the bush. I want clear answers like 'kill or not kill,' 'yes or no.' My country is facing a crisis, and I don't want to waste time on word games with your MI7. Just tell me what you're here for."

According to Jorgen's information, Elin didn't remember Galin being the kind of person to speak like this. Perhaps the situation was urgent, causing him to temporarily set aside the habit of embellishing antagonistic language from the past, or perhaps after experiencing struggles with Jorgen, he realized it was better to lay his cards on the table.

"Well, since you put it that way, forgive me for being blunt. You must have realized I'm here for our plans. Now we're facing the risk of plan leakage and related technology theft. However, this is just my unilateral judgment because of your limited information, and I don't fully understand what's going on here. The first thing I need to do here is to gather some key intelligence."

"So the intelligence you want includes?"

"Lawrence Romano, Tusha, the experimental subject. Where are they, whether they're still in Stromgarde, what they're doing, and their current status. I need to know everything you know. Let's take it one by one. First, six months ago, Jorgen wanted to bring the subject back to MI7, but the subject disappeared in the city. Do you know where he is?"

Galin remained silent.

"The questions about Lawrence, Tusha. They're the same."

"Mr. Elin," Galin said with a brief, almost self-deprecating smile. "Are you planning to interrogate a sovereign ruler?"

So this is the great prince image I heard from Jorgen, Elin thought. When faced with troublesome questions, he finds it hard to resist using his status to suppress the effectiveness of the other party's words.

"You asked me to be frank. And I only mentioned wanting to know these things, without insisting on your answer, let alone any interrogation."

"If you don't know their current status, can't you complete MI7' mission?"

"Perhaps there might not even be a beginning. I just want to know if you're willing to answer any of these questions."

"One thing I think we both understand. I have no obligation to assist a MI7 detective in completing his mission."

"Of course, this isn't just about MI7, but about both of us. If you think this is entirely the affair of the Kingdom of Stromgarde and doesn't require any interference from outsiders, fine, I won't ask you again. But MI7 will handle its own troubles one way or another—whether through formal cooperation like this or otherwise."

"That sounds like a threat."

"Of course not, it's just saying if we can't cooperate, then we'll go our separate ways."

"Tell me, what are your current thoughts on this whole matter?"

"My main concern is why the enemies knew about this plan. Their demand for Lawrence isn't something a simple rumor can push forward. Plus, the thief who stole the Tolkar Sword, including a troll, and the assassin who is likely a troll—"

"How do you come to that conclusion?"

"You don't know yet?"

"Niaes even detained my herald. She couldn't possibly assure me of the circulation of this information."

"I've seen those bodies, and deduced the killer's race through the method of killing. Anyway, these facts lead me to believe that Tusha is no longer within your territory. In fact, I'm very sure. You can continue to refuse to answer this question, but I'll proceed with my mission under the assumption that it's true. The initial foundation of the research plan is the potion unique to the Tusha tribe. He has been researching its practicality and still hopes the stalled research can continue—except he's grown tired of serving you."

Elin understood that these things were easy to think of, but once said, they closed Galin's retreat. If he continued to remain silent about Tusha's whereabouts, it would only seem awkward and stubborn. If he claimed Tusha was still in Stromgarde, it would almost certainly be a lie that served no purpose unless Elin could see Tusha with his own eyes. His only way out was to admit the truth.

"Prince Galin, that's my view. What about you?"

"If that's the case, what do you plan to do?"

"The trouble is they've been demanding the exchange of the Tolkar Sword for Lawrence for some time now. We're running out of time, I'm sure you understand better than I do. If there's a way to capture all the masterminds in one fell swoop, that would be the best scenario, but it's not practical, because we don't know who they all are or where they're hiding. Of course, unless you want to declare full-scale war on the tribes of Arathi Highlands, that's another matter..."

"I have my reasons for doing so. The Tolkar Sword is a symbol of the kingdom. I don't have a crown or scepter, Mr. Elin, but if they stole those two items, it wouldn't be any less of a blow to our dignity."

"But would you do it? March out when our army is at odds with the Refuge Valley? I certainly won't interfere with any of your major decisions, but please don't forget one thing in your favor: as far as I know, most of the people of Stromgarde are still unaware of the theft of the Tolkar Sword. If we can recover it now, we can minimize the loss."

"Stealing it back would be like them volunteering for war."

"I can't argue with you on that. Although the theft seems to be the work of a few, no one knows if the thieves have received support from the tribal elites. I think we've strayed too far from the topic, Prince Galin. We shouldn't be talking about war. I can't help you on that topic."

"I suggest you start investigating where those thieves are."

"To be honest, I don't hold out much hope for tracking their whereabouts. We're talking about a highland with countless hills and caves. Not to mention they might be hiding in Hammerfall."

"MI7 sent someone who can't get things done?"

"I don't know how you came to that conclusion. As I've said, I need to gather enough intelligence before proceeding with the mission. Now that it's known that Tusha is not in the city..."

"When did you confirm this? I didn't tell you."

Elin frowned. "We've discussed it to this extent. I thought you tacitly agreed."

"No. You asked where he was, and I'm not interested in answering. That's it."

"So you're not going to answer whether Lawrence is still in the city."

"No."

"Obviously," Elin stood up, "we can't continue this conversation. Sorry, I think it's time for me to leave."

"Very regrettable."

As Elin reached the door, the prince called out to him.

"I also have a question. When Jorgen left six months ago, he said he would continue to support the research plan. That was a lie, wasn't it?"

"You'll have to ask him yourself."

"Fine, maybe I will. Whether you're heading to Refuge Valley or back to MI7, I hope you stay safe on the road. After all, this is a battlefield, anything can happen."

As Elin left the room, his first thought was to take a few deep breaths outdoors. Talking to Prince Galin was too uncomfortable. It's hard to understand why they kept hiding the truth about Lawrence and Tusha. Perhaps his mention of going to war halfway through wasn't just a casual remark. Undoubtedly, he wanted both the Tolkar Sword back and to continue his research—even though he already knew MI7 wouldn't assist him in that plan anymore. But fortunately, Elin didn't think the prince would use this matter to harm MI7, because what would strike the people of Stromgarde even harder than the loss of the Tolkar Sword was the knowledge that their ruler once used soldiers' corpses for experiments under the guidance of MI7. Galin wouldn't overlook that, perhaps that's why they completely avoided this topic. Jorgen's first request—to ensure that MI7 wasn't anyone's target—Elin found it not difficult to fulfill. But as for the second request, to prevent the tribes from acquiring the burial technology, due to Galin's non-cooperation, he had no idea where to start.

Perhaps the most convenient way was to simply goad him into starting a war. Of course, to Elin, this was like a lame joke that only he could hear.