‘A secret of House Findleston,’ was it?
I entertained a number of thoughts as I tilted my glass. It would have been one thing if nothing came to mind, but there were far too many possibilities I could point to immediately—especially so soon after witnessing Alphenhauser’s ‘Record Revision.’
Findleston was special.
They had entered into a pact with the Empire’s ‘Progenitor,’ handled all manner of filthy work as a result, and ultimately reached a point where even the promise made at the Empire’s founding was on the verge of being erased.
The Marquis’s words therefore carried enormous implications.
‘Our family has a secret.’
Could he be testing me? Entirely possible. Drinking together could be used to foster a sense of familiarity. But my counterpart was no greenhorn like me.
Naturally, he must have anticipated my reaction as well.
He would not have raised this subject merely to engage in some clumsy attempt at misdirection. Perhaps he was about to attack me in a manner I could not even imagine.
Tensing every muscle in my body, I asked him a question.
“House Findleston handles an enormous amount of information. Would it…