Ewan had just had enough time to go back and sit on the bed that had been lent to him, before a soldier came knocking at the door to fetch him.
He was then taken to a different building from the one where he had been welcomed the day before by Carciem.
The Ylesse military barracks had a round structure, consisting of a huge square where outdoor training and workshops were held, and which was itself bordered by several buildings, such as dormitories, stables, classrooms, and the large building he was currently being led to.
The sun was grazing the roofs of the houses and buildings of the city, already tinting the windows and the water of the moss-covered fountain placed right in the middle of the big square with an orange color. Birds had also perched in numbers in some of the huge trees placed in front of each building - sycamore trees, if Ewan wasn't mistaken - and were flapping noisily at every human who passed by.
He was escorted to a large wooden double door, where the city's coat of arms was still present; carved precisely into the material.
It depicted a man with a sword emerging from the mouth of a creature, in reference to a feat the city's founder had performed long ago. But the young man had forgotten almost everything about the history of the city. He was more a man of action than a man of letters, after all.
He stepped into what appeared to be a small lobby, and passing through a second swinging door, arrived in the amphitheater.
To his surprise, most of the seats were already taken - which must have numbered between 200 and 300 people, at the very least - and he reluctantly had to settle for a seat in the front row. A little too close to the podium, for his taste.
And a few minutes later, the ambient hubbub caused by the light chatter of the soldiers around him suddenly ceased, at the sight of a certain man entering the room and climbing onto the stage.
The Quartermaster General himself, Carciem Balgoranth, dressed in his official attire reflecting his rank and achievements by all the pins and medals that adorned his chest.
"I see that everyone is here," he pronounced loudly so that the whole assembly could hear him.
He nodded discreetly to Ewan, then walked to the stand in the center of the stage, before placing a bundle of documents on it, as well as a flat crystal circle that he placed directly on it.
Immediately, several images were projected on the wall behind him.
'A projection stone, eh?' Ewan thought.
The barracks had become well equipped, since his departure. Or maybe Carciem had thrown a tantrum until he got the equipment he wanted.
"Well, we're going to go over the details of tomorrow night's operation together," Carciem began. "First of all, let's review together the main targets."
He then pointed to several pictures of people Ewan didn't know, and who were probably the main targets. He was relieved to see that Carciem took the trouble to explain everything again from the start, to include him in the operation.
"These are our priority targets at the intervention site," he introduced. Then, pointing his hand to the second set of photos, he added, "These secondary targets will be handled directly at home, by units 1 through 5."
A section of the amphitheater behind Ewan quickly whispered, creating a small buzz of sound, and he suspected that those in charge of said nuisance must have been part of the aforementioned groups.
Then, sweeping away with his hand the photos on the stand to make them vanish from the wall behind him, Carciem revealed a precisely drawn map of the city of Ylesse.
"We will have 6 intervention zones," he explained. "The 5 residences of the suspects who financed the room and the people working there, and the auction room itself, whose exact location we discovered a few days ago."
The blond man then pointed to a street near the commercial district, and one building in particular, already highlighted by a circle drawn with a pencil.
"It was under our noses all along, but in the basement, hence our difficulty in locating it," Carciem continued. "But thanks to the hard work of our agents, we were able to not only find the accesses, but also the next auction date."
So that's what it was all about? Illegal auctions in the middle of the city?
Ewan understood better the large number of people dedicated to this mission. They were probably planning to arrest both the employees and the customers. Just to clean everything up in one fell swoop.
"The auctions will be held tomorrow night, which will allow us to catch all these rascals at once! "exclaimed Carciem, with a carnivorous smile. "And during this operation, we will be assisted by Mr. Jesabell here."
Ah. He really had no choice, after all.
Now, dozens of curious eyes were focused on him, and he felt a wave of discomfort wash over him. He really didn't like being the center of attention.
"His help will be invaluable to us if wild creatures are offered for sale, but also in preventing our targets from escaping," the Quartermaster General quickly explained. "I feel that is the bare minimum, when dealing with these kinds of people...."
This kind of people?
And as if Carciem had seen Ewan's questioning look, he smiled.
"Don't forget that we're going to face the Circle tomorrow, so I don't want any slacking off, is that understood?" Warned Carciem.
There was a murmur again, running up and down the assembly, before the barracks' Commanding officer slapped the desk in front of him with the flat of his hand. And with a stern look that Ewan did not know of, his former classmate said in a detached tone:
"That's all for now, so don't dawdle too much about getting some rest."
With that, the spring chairs all around Ewan began to creak and clatter as the 250 or so people in attendance rose as one to leave the lecture hall.
And soon he found himself alone, still seated, facing Carciem.
"I guess you still need some information about our common enemy, right?" Asked the man with blond hair, while approaching him.
Ewan frowned.
"Considering that someone literally threw me into this without asking my opinion first, I don't really have a choice," he said with a dry tone.
"Now, now," Carciem said quickly, "I'm sure you would have agreed without flinching just knowing what the Circle is plotting."
That word again. Was this an organization he was supposed to know about?
And again, his friend anticipated his question.
"The Circle is a cult. Sure, there are lots of them, and that's nothing new," Carciem said. "But trust me, this one stands out, and it's really dangerous."
"What makes you so sure of yourself?" Ewan asked.
"Oh, believe me, having faced them before, I know how to be wary of these fanatics," said Carciem. "And to tell you the truth, we've been waiting for the perfect opportunity, like this new sale, so we could catch them."
If what he had just said was the truth, then...
"The auction house employees are not your real target, are they?" Ewan deduced.
"Bingo!" Carciem exclaimed. "They're part of the customers!"
This indeed explained the need to wait for a specific date and time to intervene with sufficient force. But it didn't really explain the extra precautions. Like his own presence, for example.
"You seem to have enough manpower, so why ask me to take part in this operation?" Eventually asked the young hunter. "I specialize in fighting creatures, I remind you..."
Always with a serious tone, Carciem then asked him a question.
"What do you know about mages?"