The conversation started when Fern spoke up. "So, what’s the first question you’d like me to answer?"


    Mika was caught off guard but managed to hide her surprise. She expected Fern to help them get inside The Lost House, but she didn’t expect her to answer any questions they will asked, and even volunteer for them to ask her a question.


    Mika seized the opportunity and asked, letting out a deep sigh. "Can you tell us about the person you knew inside The Lost House? Who were they? What was their role there?"


    Fern answered without hesitation, despite the number of questions. "She’s my childhood friend. Her name is Karla. She’s a recruiter and leads a small team of five people." She shrugged casually. "I don’t really know who the other four members are."


    The group listened intently, not interrupting.


    Fern continued, "The Kent Family needs many trustworthy members, so they have recruiters like Karla." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "If I’m not mistaken, the four other recruiters are all former members of the White Knight."


    Azrael suddenly remembered that Qedue had mentioned the White Knight and its leader. It was something he had forgotten to tell the group. With their constant pressure for Mika to trust Fern, he had let it slip from his mind.


    Azrael stayed silent, pretending this was the first time he had heard about the White Knight.


    Mika, still processing what Fern said and asked, "White Knight?"


    "Yeah," Fern replied. "The Kent Family has four divisions of the White Knight, with each division being led by Arsenal Kent’s children." She paused, counting on her fingers before continuing, "If I’m right, Arsenal Kent has four children. One of them is Dabric Kent, the leader of the White Knight division in Tancki Valley."


    Kyle''s hands twitched as they rested on the table. Azrael noticed the change in his demeanor but decided not to ask about it. He also noticed that Kyle’s mood shifted the moment Dabric Kent’s name came up, which piqued his curiosity.


    Before Azrael could think further, Mika spoke up again. "Do you know the other three children of Arsenal Kent?"


    Fern shook her head. "Sadly, I don’t. My information doesn’t go that deep into the Kent family’s family tree. Sorry about that."


    Mika shook her head in response. "No, you’ve given us a lot of information. Thank you."


    Fern smiled brightly, her tone cheerful. "I’m glad to hear that." After a brief pause, she added, "Want to know more?"


    Azrael spoke up this time. "What do they do besides owning the only ship here in Tancki Valley?"


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    Fern replied, "The ship is massive, so they have various businesses on board, all owned by the Kent Family. From casinos, bars, to other entertainment. They also own fifty percent of the shops here in Tancki Valley. Of course, their employees run the stores."


    Azrael pressed on. "Can we know how your friend became a recruiter? How important are the recruiters? If they’re that important, how did your friend get involved?"


    Fern chuckled lightly at the barrage of questions. "Sorry, I just laughed at how many questions you have."


    Azrael gave her a surprised look before awkwardly chuckling himself.


    Fern continued, "Well, her family has been serving the Kent Family since she was a child. So, when the White Knight was assigned to Tancki Valley, Arsenal Kent brought her here to serve young Dabric Kent. She was his first assistant before she was eventually replaced by Creselya, when Dabric assigned her as a recruiter."


    Once Azrael processed what Fern had said, she continued, "The position of a recruiter is much higher than a regular member or guard in the Kent Family. That''s why they selected some of the strongest members of the White Knight for this role. And to answer your question before you ask it... yes, Karla is strong. Three times stronger than me."


    *


    Kyle had been silent this entire time, but Azrael could feel the tension building in the air. He almost asked if Kyle was okay, but he thought better of it. He didn’t want to disrupt the flow of the conversation or risk making Fern lose interest in answering their questions.


    Fern smiled and asked, "So, are those all your questions?"


    Mika asked the most important one. "Why?"


    Fern tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean, why?"


    Mika pressed on, "Why did you let us ask so many questions when all we originally talked about was you helping us get into The Lost House?"


    Fern’s smile softened as she answered, "It’s all part of the deal."


    The group was taken aback by her response.


    She tilted her head again and continued, "Information like this in the black market isn''t cheap, you know. You can get a lot for the right price." She smiled again, adding, "And the information you wanted isn''t that valuable. Maybe because you don''t know much about the Kent Family, you think it’s more important than it actually is."


    Mika and Azrael exchanged glances, both nodding. Mika spoke up cautiously, "Then... can you tell us something about the other businesses of the Kent Family?"


    Fern raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by their sudden shift in questions. It seemed like they had some idea about the Kent Family’s other operations.


    She smiled. "You mean... that business?"


    The group exchanged wary looks. They all had a strong feeling that Fern was referring to the Kent Family''s involvement in the illegal slave trade that was happening in Tancki Valley. There was a chance they were wrong, but there was also a chance they were right.


    Mika and Azrael exchanged uneasy glances once more.


    Mika hesitated before asking, "What do you mean by ''that'' business? Are they involved in something illegal?"


    Fern smiled, her tone almost playful. "This information... is something else. So maybe... your payment isn''t enough for this one."


    Mika sighed deeply and placed three silver coins on the table. Fern hesitated for a moment, as if considering whether the payment was enough. After a few seconds, she took the coins.


    She let out a sigh and said, "Alright, I’ll give you a discount because you’re friends with Hafa."