"The Order of the Librarian?" Amber repeated. Daniel nodded, then leaned back in his chair. He left his food alone, for now, as the mood of their conversation took a deep dive into the realm of seriousness.
"It's supposed to be a secret order, so I would like it if you kept its name out of your mouth. I only told you once, to express my trust and hopefulness to get you involved," Daniel said, "I will explain further once we're in a more... private location. But for now, please, eat."
Adrian and Amber glanced at each other, each of them slightly nodding.
Later, after their meal, Daniel led them to his room on the first floor. There, standing just in front of the door, were two guards. Each of the guards wore heavy plate armor, though there were no defining characteristics about either of them. They were tall and strong, but that could be expected from anybody capable of wearing plate armor.
The armor wasn't dyed like some other sets of armor Adrian had seen so far. The guards wore a simple leather aketon underneath, but neither of them had a coat of arms hanging from it. They were as simple as they could be, which set off Adrian's alarm.
"Ignore them," Daniel said. Adrian couldn't tell if he was speaking to him or Daniel's guards. Adrian nodded, then followed Daniel through the doorway and into his room. Amber followed behind, her eyes still glaring at the guards behind her.
Daniel noticed and closed the door, "They might become jumpy if they think something is wrong. Don't worry, you two are my guests."
"So? What is the Order of the Librarian?" Adrian asked. Daniel smiled, then put his hands behind his back and straightened his posture. Amber turned toward the chair beside the window- their room had the same chair- and sat down while she folded her arms.
"Let me ask you two a question first. In your world, how was the spread of knowledge controlled?" Daniel asked. Adrian looked at Daniel, then brought his gaze down as he thought of his question.
"It wasn't, really," Adrian answered after a moment, "With the internet, it often became free and easy to find. So long as somebody was able to record it, everybody could see it."
"Anything that wasn't recorded or anything that the government didn't want people to see wasn't well known, though," Amber said. She leaned back, "Sometimes it was strictly kept from the public, or sometimes only certain people had access to it."
"The public would usually make a big fuss if they found out, but whenever that happened the authorities would get involved pretty quickly," Adrian nodded. He looked to Daniel, then asked, "Why?"
"Simple curiosity, really," Daniel shrugged, "The Order of the Librarian works similarly. Our trade is the spread and containment of knowledge. Sometimes, we keep secrets for ourselves and our members. Sometimes, we spread knowledge to the common people as we see fit."
"You do both? Why?" Amber asked.
"To remain in control," Daniel answered, "The Order knows everything- it will remain that way."
"Everything?" Adrian asked. For a moment, he saw a great opportunity before him. Over the past few days, they could only use their Record to learn more about the world- but it was limited and vague. Now, however, was a walking encyclopedia standing in front of them.
"Everything, like how you killed Derek Brewer to rob him of his possessions," Daniel said. Adrian and Amber froze. First, they became confused. Then, they became threatened. Amber quickly stood up, but Daniel had already summoned his guards with a snap of his fingers.
They walked into the room, slamming the door open as they did so. Amber halted, then turned to Adrian with eyes wide with desperation. Adrian took a step toward the window as the beginnings of a plan began to form in his mind.
'Shit,' Adrian thought to himself. Even on Earth, he wouldn't expect anybody to find him out this quickly. Regret began to form in his heart- not for killing his victim, but for being caught doing so.
"Relax, I don't care about what you did. I've done you the favor of keeping this secret from spreading. The authorities won't learn of what you've done, nor will they ever come to know. Sit down, I come as a friend, not a threat," Daniel said. Adrian looked to Amber, who turned toward him. Both of them doubted Daniel, but they both knew that they weren't in a position other than to follow his orders.
Slowly, they sat down. Amber, upon the chair she sprung from a moment ago. Adrian, upon the bed. The guards, seeing that Daniel wasn't threatened, returned to guard the hallway. As they closed the door behind them, Daniel turned to look at Adrian.
"I found out when you left Mr. Phan alive," Daniel explained, "After you left Derek's home, he got curious and waited. When Derek didn't show up, he went to Derek's workplace and began asking around. That caught my attention, so I began investigating as well. It only took me an hour to find the body."
"The body?" Adrian muttered. He felt anger rising in his throat, but he didn't dare show it.
"I already disposed of it. Mr. Phan, as well as everybody who learned of Derek's disappearance, has been disposed of, as well," Daniel smiled, "If anything, my trust in your character has only been deepened by this event. You won't be stopped by the moral qualms of murder, so I can only assume you're fine with doing anything else. You're a perfect fit."
A few seconds of silence passed before Adrian realized what Daniel meant. Slowly, a smile formed on his face. He had met a kindred soul, after all. He looked to Amber, then slowly shook his head.
"He's a friend, Amber. You can stop staring at him like that," Adrian muttered with a smile. He turned back to Daniel, "You've piqued my interest, Daniel. Now, what exactly is it you're offering?"
"A position in the Order, as I told you," Daniel said, "but it won't be any simple position, but I'll explain the specifics on some other date. For now, let me start talking about the Order itself."