[A chilling silence radiates around the room]
"No way…"
The entire room was dumbfounded. The thing that Egan had in his pocket this entire time was the key to solving this mystery. There are still some other grey patches involving the Fire Emblems self-destruct sequence, but now they have a lead, and a massive one at that.
"S-So this is how they knew…" Olivia said, staring at the ground, trembling even further, "They're picking us off one by one based on our strengths."
Her eyes were frightened, staring daggers into the floor.
"There is no way to keep anything a secret from these monsters," Egan added, looking back at the disfigured form on the Fire Emblem.
Ser looked at the device for a second, it was roughly around the size of a hand, so he tried examining it to see how it worked. Looking at it closer with his monocle, he noticed a grooved section of the cylindrical device. Gliding his fingers along the surface, it turned, a bright light following soon after.
It blinded the room, everyone was stunned by the sudden flash. Except for Ser, who stared through the glass on one side of the device. Looking through it, he gasped.
He dropped the device on the floor.
It slowly rolled back and forth after the plummet.
"Why did you do that?" You could have broken it!" Egan yelled, questioning Ser's motives.
"My… My apologies, this is just…"
"Just what?" Egan said curiously.
"After I scrolled on the dial, it flipped what its purpose was."
"What do you mean?"
"It… It can measure what kind of soul… You possess."
***
The entire room fell into a deafening silence. The crickets once again return for their encore.
"What?" Liz said, curious about what that means.
"…"
Egan stared at the floor; something sent shivers down his spine. If this thing does what Ser said it does, then Egan could be in danger of being found out. He doesn't entirely know what he is himself, but he knows that whatever he is, he is dangerous. Because what he knows he possesses is a strength every mortal would jump to obtain.
"Let's see here," Ser added, picking up the device with trembling hands.
Ser switches the mode back again, reinstating the 'Talent' feature it has. He looks through it, first staring at Olivia.
[Unique display ~ Model: T-53, Soul translator prototype]
[Target Identified… Calculating Catalytic Attribute…]
[Talents: Innate = 3 {See details…} ~ Evolved = 0]
"Huh…"
"W-What is it, Sir Valegrim?" Olivia asked, curious at the intense look being pointed at her.
"It seems like… it can only go up to an 'Evolved talent'. Luckily, you do not possess one."
"I can also check and see the details of it…"
Ser looks through the glass again, using another grooved dial closer to the eyeglass he's looking through, and moving it. In doing so, he selects the details icon he saw before.
[Unique display ~ Mode: T-53, Soul translator prototype]
[Talent summary:
Memory Enhancement - Perfect memory
Excel Fire - Fire essence proficiency
Enhanced Perception - Track minor essence density]
***
Ser kept looking through the glass, shocked at the intricacy of this device. How in the world could some thug possess such an elaborate Catalyst? This could easily fetch a very high price at an open auction, so how does someone like him have it? It baffled the Guildmaster. Trying to make sense of this device made his head hurt.
He turned over to Liz, looking at her and sliding the same dial again.
***
[Unique display ~ Mode: T-53, Soul translator prototype]
[Target Identified… Calculating Catalytic Attribute…]
[Talents: Innate = 2 [See details] Evolved = 0]
[Talent summary:
Sensory Enhancement (Hearing) - Increased audio perception
Essence control (Minor) - Increased essence manipulation
***
Liz's stats were nothing to scoff at. Ser has known Liz for a long time. After she graduated from the academy top of her class, she went on to clear a ton of high-ranking dungeons just from pure skill. She had intermediate essence density, but her control over it was incredibly precise. That 'Innate Talent' definitely makes sense.
'Now… Egan'
At this point, Ser is just having fun with this new trinket Egan found. It is incredibly useful, but equally concerning. The organization they were tracking just got a whole lot bigger than they expected.
***
[Unique display ~ Mode: T-53, Soul translator prototype]
[Target Identified… Calculating Catalytic Attribute…]
[Error…]
****
'What?'
Ser thought to himself for a moment.
'This couldn't be broken… can it? I mean, the others worked just fine a moment ago."
"'m?" Egan remarked, looking over at Ser, who is now sitting in his chair at his desk, looking at him.
'Let's try this again.'
***
[Unique display ~ Mode: T-53, Soul translator prototype]
[Target Identified… Calculating Catalytic Attribute…]
[Error…]
***
'No way… Could it be?'
Ser looked up at Egan, not through the glass, but face to face.
'Could it be… That his stats are also too high to measure?'
Earlier, when Ser tried to look through the glass, he gazed at himself through the blinding light. His stats also came back as [Error…]
'I wonder what the connection might be.'
***
Egan and Liz stare at each other, confused. After Liz gets up from the floor, brining Olivia along with her, they look at Ser. Egan had noticed he was contemplating something. After a short silence, Ser got up and walked over to the deceased Fire Emblem. While everyone was watching, he grabs the corpse and strips him, taking the cloak off. Everyone with shocked looks on their faces gaze at the slightly perverted scene in front of them, Olivia shielding her eyes.
With a slam, he places the bloodied Fire Emblem coat on the desk. Along with that, he lines up all the other things they have found since starting the investigation. The Soul Decipher, the assassin's blade, and, last but not least, the slave collar.
"With the stuff we have presently, I can think of a scenario where this can all be stitched together," Ser said, looking out over the crowd circling his desk.
"First, the Soul Decipher. I'm guessing very few had selected scouts who would go out and find targets with a strong soul and lots of talent. Armed with a blade coated in a paralyzing agent, they would sneak up and attack the target, rendering them incapable of defending themselves. After which, they are taken from wherever they were found and brought somewhere to be turned into slaves."
"Is everyone in agreement with that story?"
The crowd looks at Ser, contemplating.
"It would make sense as to why Sarah and I were targeted when we first got into town. Considering I match the description they're looking for. And I'm positive Sarah has a few powerful abilities up her sleeve."
After thinking about Sarah for the first time since getting back, he notices she isn't in the room. He looks towards Ser's bed to find no one snoring away under the covers. Beginning to get nervous, like a lost puppy with separation anxiety, he looks around the room again.
No sign of her.
"A little off topic, but where is Sarah?" Egan asked, looking primarily at Liz.
"Oh… About that-"
[The sound of a door swinging open echoes throughout the quiet room]
Egan looks through the doorway that was just forcibly shattered open.
He gazes at a face he hasn't seen with open eyes in some time. His heart begins to race. He is confused about what this sensation is. Longing? Relief? The emotions confused the young dragon, for nobody had ever made him feel this way before. It was scary, but also breathtakingly beautiful.
Adorned in a new outfit, with her mother's warm cloak covering he arms.
Was the mighty Sarah Chatsworth.
"You guys are discussing something new, aren't you?!"
"And I want in.