Zack Adder confirmed to himself the limitations he was going to put on his information sharing.

  He had to share at least something with his team—the [Hero’s Party]. If he couldn’t do that, he should just leave the party entirely.

  The first limitation was that he would only inform his [Trainer], Barclay, of skills that he learned that they planned and intended for him to learn.

  So, [Running].

  But there was no need to share that he had picked up [Private Conversation] that morning, as well, not with him.

  Second, he wanted to limit who had that information as much as possible.

  Zack had no intention of blowing any of the suspected spies’ covers, but he also had no intention of making their work any easier, either.

  Maids could listen in on his bedroom, but he felt no need to monologue all his thoughts and plans to them.

  After a short walk through the castle hallways and corridors, they returned to the training courtyard. Here and there grey-cowled priests lurked in the shadows, and several of the knights, though not looking directly at him, were definitely keeping him in their field of view.

  “Welcome back, Sir Zack! Ready to get that [Running] skill?”

  Zack could see that Barclay’s smile was forced, and his shoulders were just a little tense. He continued with his [Trainer] to the far side of the courtyard while the [Hero], the [Guide], and the [Priestess] headed over to the racks of weapons and shields.

  As much as he wanted to restrict sharing of his own information, there was another side to that coin. Information gathering. One of his specialties back on Earth.

  As important as [Running] might be, in this world without wireless headphones and podcasts and audiobooks, time spent running was time spent not gathering information.

  And so, he feigned an upset stomach.

  “You know, Barclay, I think I may have overeaten at lunch. Instead of [Running] first thing, can you tell me more about the training plan until the Hunter’s Guild [Trainer] arrives?”

  A harmless little white lie.

  Barclay frowned. Several [Priests] in the shadows grew still.

  After a moment, Barclay sighed.

  “Alright, let’s take a seat. Only until your stomach settles, okay? You really do need to get this skill…”

  Zack smiled. “Thanks, Barclay.”

  They sat on a bench, out of earshot of most everyone else in the courtyard.

  Barclay looked frustrated.

  “Look, Barclay.”

  Zack whispered such that none could overhear them, so far as he could tell.

  “What?” Barclay whispered back, barely moving his mouth, looking out across the yard.

  “I already have the skill.”

  “Huh?”

  “[Running]. I already got it earlier.”

  “Then—”

  Barclay was confused. Why…?

  “Look.” Zack sighed and cut him off. “It’s personal, alright? I’m a private person. Anyway, we’re not falling behind, since I already have the skill. So let’s just relax and chat. What’s the training plan after [Running]?”

  Barclay’s expression shifted several different ways as he processed what the [Otherworlder] had told him. Eventually, he settled on an exasperated sigh. He was looking over at the [Hero], who was ignoring Rosimund’s pleas to focus on [Swordsmanship] training and loudly insisting on [Shielding] training.

  “I suppose I should trust in the Goddess’ wisdom a bit more, eh?”

  Zack remained silent.

  Barclay turned to look at him directly, and…

  He was relaxed now. “Even if She said She doesn’t have a plan for you, maybe She just trusts in your judgment for yourself.”

  Zack shrugged. “Who knows?”

  Barclay turned serious again, but in a professional manner, rather than frustrated. “So you’re certain you got the [Running] skill?”

  “Yes. Now, who are you going to report it to?” Zack glanced at the [Priests] lurking nearby.

  “Captain Rosimund, of course. But I don’t have to report it to anyone other than him. He’s the [Guide],” he said as though that explained everything.

  Zack was satisfied: that was about as good as it could get. Only his [Trainer] and the party would know.

  Hopefully.

  And so the two young men talked for a short time about the training plan. There wasn’t much to discuss, as it turned out. [Running] until his legs wore out, then perhaps some [Archery] practice. More specialized skill training was best done with the expert [Trainer] coming from the Hunter’s Guild.

  “You’ll still need to run, Sir Zack. Level one won’t be enough in [Running], not for a [Scout].”

  “That’s fine, but I’d like to do other things, as well.”

  “You want to take up the bow now, then?”

  “No. I need background information.”

  “‘Background information?’”

  “You know, like common knowledge. For instance, is this really the Royal Castle of Forti?”

  Barclay made a complicated expression.

  “Yes, this is indeed the Royal Castle of the Kingdom of Forti…”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  And so Zack learned a little of the history of the Castle. It was simultaneously the seat of government, the King’s home, and perhaps most importantly, the headquarters of the knighthood and the army.

  “And what about the Pope? Does he live here, too?”

  Even as he said it, he felt that little twitch.

  Another knight hurried over to where they were chatting, having overheard them.

  His [Private Conversation] skill clearly needed more training, as well.

  “Hey, keep it down a bit!”

  He was a nervous sort, with a resting expression that suggested a fundamental pessimism at the core of his being.

  “Yes, Sir Zack, please,” Barclay also pressed.

  “Whoa, sorry!” Zack whispered.

  The two knights sighed.

  “I’m Zack, what’s your name?” he said to the new knight.

  “Thomas,” the other knight said even as his eyes roved around, checking if anyone was looking at them.

  “Hey, Thomas, can I ask you something?”

  “Er, uh, certainly, o member of the [Hero’s Party]…”

  “Oh, no, please, call me Zack. If you must, Sir Zack, and nothing more than that!” Zack winked at him.

  Thomas looked even more concerned, and Barclay clapped him on the shoulder. “Best give up and do it, that’s just how Sir Zack is.”

  “Right, Sir Zack…”

  Zack gestured him closer, and they huddled up together.

  “Hey, so why can’t we talk about, well… you know who?” he whispered, as though it was all a bit of a joke.

  Thomas groaned quietly. “Because the shadows have ears, you tw—I mean, Sir Zack.”

  Barclay elbowed him. “Hey!”

  And then Zack elbowed Barclay. “Barclay, don’t worry about it. I saw them, those grey guys who came out when I toppled the [Hero].”

  Thomas narrowed his eyes. “Then you already know.”

  Zack lied, seeking to corroborate the maid Emma’s information from the previous night. “No, I saw them, but that’s it. Who are they? Do they work for… you know who?” He affected a bit more seriousness, now.

  “They work for the Church. They’re [Priests], obviously.”

  “And they say we can’t talk about…”

  “No,” Thomas groaned again. “You can talk about anything. Just, there will be consequences if you say the wrong thing. The smart move is to just keep quiet and avoid attention…”

  “Is the Church headquartered here, too?”

  Barclay snorted. “Of course not, in the Royal Castle? No, they’re in the Grand Cathedral, on the hill.”

  Zack poked his head up and looked above the roofs ringing the training courtyard.

  Empty sky.

  “Well, you can’t see it from here. But it’s up on a hill, can’t miss it from anywhere in Fortinium.”

  “Fortinium? I thought we were in Forti.”

  Thomas shook his head. “No, we are. Forti is the Kingdom, Fortinium is the city.”

  “Ah.”

  “Anyway,” Barclay said loudly, standing up straight. “You need time to digest, right?”

  “Yep!” Zack smiled disarmingly.

  Thomas stood up and frowned… no, that was just his normal expression. Looked neutrally at Zack. “Just watch what you say, [Other—Sir Zack. For your own sake.”

  And he quickly walked away, shoulders hunched.

  Zack pointed at him with his thumb. “Is he always like that?”

  “Don’t mind him, he’s a bit overserious. More importantly, training. What do you want to do?”

  Zack rubbed his jaw a moment. Maybe…

  “Does the Castle have a library?”

  “Well, it has a book room, but...” Barclay also rubbed his jaw. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’s your reading?”

  “Reading?” Zack raised an eyebrow.

  “Yeah, do you know your letters?”

  “Uh, yes.”

  “Oh, really?”

  Barclay grabbed a nearby wooden sword and scratched a few words into the dirt.

  Faith. Courage. Honor.

  Zack read them aloud.

  “Oh, you can read!” Barclay exclaimed, smiling now.

  “Can not everyone read, here?” Zack asked, puzzlement on his face.

  “Well, the knights can… more importantly, this is great! Do you think the [Hero] can read, too?” Barclay leaned in eagerly.

  “You know, I daresay I believe he can.”

  “Oh, most excellent! Captain Rosimund will be thrilled to hear that! That will save quite a lot of time.”

  And so, Barclay decided that Zack could spend the rest of the afternoon studying from books while his stomach settled. They informed Rosimund of the good news, and Rosimund directed Barclay to take Zack to the book room with a distracted mien.

  He was far more concerned with [Hero]-wrangling at the moment.

  The book room, it turned out, was a storage room with several crates haphazardly filled with books. A thick layer of dust covered everything.

  This was the book room? Perhaps his time would be better spent cultivating sources—talking with people directly—after all.

  Zack coughed. “So, do you know which books I should study?”

  Barclay frowned. “No… I mean, I know that people can learn skills from books, but I’ve never seen it, myself…”

  Zack bent over to pick up one dust covered tome—

  “Sir Zack, please, wait!”

  And so they waited while maids were called and the room was dusted.

  A trio of young maids arrived and set to work. Zack, of course, distracted them terribly, learning all their names and whether they liked being maids (they all said they did) and what duties were the best (an even split between attending at mealtime and tidying the barracks wing).

  “Really, tidying the barracks wing is a popular duty?” Barclay asked.

  He had been sucked into the conversation, despite himself.

  “Oh, yes, sir Knight,” a young maid by the name of Cassie replied, “any task where a girl can present herself is, ah—” She flushed bright red and clamped her mouth closed.

  “Hey, Barclay,” Zack stage-whispered. “Do any of the knights ever… you know, with the maids?”

  Both other maids also blushed.

  Barclay furrowed his brow. “Wed them? Actually, come to think of it, that does happen every now and then…”

  “And what do we have here?” A cold voice cut through the air like a knife, and all the maids flinched before standing ramrod straight.

  Zack turned and saw an older woman also wearing a maid’s uniform, hair black but streaked with grey, and bearing a severe expression. Her eyes narrowed as she swept the room before she paused for just a moment on Zack’s face.

  He smiled, and felt himself judged.

  But only for a moment. After just a moment, she turned back to the maids and clapped her hands, causing them to flinch once again.

  “Move your hands, girls, you’re delaying a member of the [Hero’s Party]!”

  She turned to Zack directly and gave him a look. “Sir Zack, please don’t tease my girls when they’re supposed to be working.”

  How had she known his name? He had never seen her before, and he had been keeping careful track of everyone he met.

  He smiled guilelessly. “Aw, I was just asking questions. May I have the pleasure of your name?”

  She gave him a perfectly professional smile, wearing it like a mask and revealing nothing. “My name is Eleanor.”

  Zack felt his own smile grow stiff.

  That was the name Emma had said, when he interrogated her after catching her spying on his bedroom, that first night.

  Eleanor.