Legacy Information Guild, Azmar Village. Evening.
A secretary walks to the front of Tayoshi's office, and she knocks on the door. A woman stands behind her patiently, they hear a voice from inside. "Master, the madam is here again."
Tayoshi looks up from his documents. His eyes immediately glanced over at the raven in the corner of his room, she happily perched atop one of the chairs. He received a notice of her visit alone, but he was already aware that she was here for information on someone or the other. "I should have known it would be soon when you didn't return to your master."
The door opens and Laila steps inside, as usual she walks very lightly and gracefully. Tayoshi always found it unsettling that you watched her walk without any sound of footsteps. "I did not expect to see you back so soon Ms. Belladonna." he comments with a tired voice.
"Well, you know what they say. No rest for the wicked. I have an urgent job and I need information as soon as possible."
"Who do you need information on?" Tayoshi moves around to his desk and opens a drawer picking out a very thick and heavily bound book. "Your raven, Azrael? Delivered your note, I thought our means of communication would have been through that."
Laila laughed at the idea of seeing Azrael carrying a large file, but knowing Tayoshi he would have condensed that volume of information and cram it into a tiny letter. "I'm looking for information on a certain unfaithful baron." Laila says and strokes Azrael.
"Which one?"
Laila laughs, "I forget it's quite common for nobles to be unfaithful and you're privy to all of it. It's for Chester Colritch."
Tayoshi sighs "Ah, him." The obvious distaste was blatant in his tone, he flips to a specific page and begins listing off the points of information that Laila would potentially need.
The request was so simple that Tayoshi could have done it with his eyes closed, it didn't require much. The man in question was incredibly sloppy and tangled himself in his own web of corruption and hedonism. The evidence practically served itself on a silver platter.
Looking back on all of Laila's previous requests, Tayoshi knew exactly what she was going to do with the information but he didn't mind. He helped her willingly all the while he feigned ignorance and actively aided them. He could not fully hide how candid he appeared, depending on the target. Some of the people were truly wretched and he had no qualms in offering a hand to erase them.
A carriage steadily is dragged to the guild's entrance. The horses looked exhausted and an equally weary coachman stepped down to open the door for the dandy nobleman. A few knights bearing the Birdwhistle emblem share pitied glances to one another. One steps towards the carriage and offers their hand to help him step down.
Behellagh scoffs and swats away the knight's hand. "Put your filthy hand away, I'm not a woman."
The knight holds back a sigh. Damned if you do, damned if you don't is a very apt term. He offered his hand expecting the rude refusal and yet also knew that had he not offered Behellagh would admonish the knights for their lack of manners.
"Wait here. I will be back now." Behellagh instructs the coachman and walks into the guild with his knights following close behind him. Various employees try to stop the nobleman who pays no heed to their pleas that attempt to dissuade him.
He stands in front of the office door and glares at the knights "What are you waiting for?! Kick the door down." They obey his command and kick the door in. Neither Tayoshi nor Laila look surprised when Behellagh stomps into the room. The Birdwhistle knights keep their heads down and honestly find the actions of their master shameful, however they were unable to go against him. So long as they were under his family and that name, they could not defy him. A knight's creed could sometimes be a curse if a troublesome master presided over them.
Laila lowers her cup of tea "You are intruding on my appointment time."
Behellagh turns his attention to face the mysterious woman. She showed no courtesy that is expected of the lower class nobles towards the higher nobles. A fair amount of the nobles still looked down on Laila, she was of the common class and she was lucky enough to make a few astute investments; these accumulated enough wealth to purchase a title of nobility. However, before Laila was able to attain a title she was given a marriage proposal by a baron, stating she had caught his eye. Even after he passed, she used the money to maintain her position as the baroness.
To people like Behellagh, she is still very low on the societal ladder.
"Someone as low as you has no right to address me in such a rude manner."
He chides her and makes sure she knows her place. Laila chuckles and stands up from her seat. "Try to keep things civil." Tayoshi mutters to her.
Laila steps towards the arrogant man, two knights shield him and prevent her from going further. They are ready to defend him albeit with reluctance, they believed he deserved whatever would happen to him when one considered how Behellagh treated people. The knights however, in a position to save a noble's face had to fulfil their duty.
Tayoshi reaches out to grab his cup as the two knights slam into his desk. The towers of carefully stacked papers and books topple over in response. Behellagh babbles incoherently, warning her not to step closer.
She smacks him over the head. His mouth is agape, "What do you think you are doing!?" He yells, he receives another smack. His voice dies down and he reaches for his sword, Laila responds with another swift slap. He sinks into himself.
"Sit down and shut your mouth." Laila says coldly watching how he lacks the earlier pep in his step and he obediently sits in the chair. 'Seriously it is like dealing with a child.'
Tayoshi quickly drafts up a summarised report of the information that Laila wanted. Handing it off to Laila, she reads over the contents, beaming at the information. A truly dark smile that hinted towards something else but he feigned ignorance. He had no right to comment on the dark underside of her excitement.
She pulls out a neat little purse of money and hands it to Tayoshi, "Thank you as always." She prepares to head out and glances over at Behellagh to silently demand his manners be appropriate. He murmurs out a goodbye. Laila casts a sharp stare at Behellagh, he sits up straight and clears his throat, "Goodbye Ms. Belladonna."
Right before opening the door, she recalled an important point regarding the payment. The door is assaulted by a series of frantic knocks that startle the people inside. Tayoshi knew everyone who works at Legacy would never knock with such urgency unless something significant or dangerous took place. "Come in-"
His secretary stepped into the room, looking absolutely flabbergasted. "Sir...Someone from the temple arrived, Along with some guests." The manner in which they spoke held a perplexing inference that piqued Tayoshi's interest. The situation itself held too many unknown variables, the first step would be to meet the people in question and take it from there. He is a man who arguably knows everything, there was no whisper nor crumb of information that went unheard by Tayoshi. He already heard that someone from the temple was responsible for freeing Khio and Rhetta from their death sentence. The sudden visitor from the temple raised more questions than answers, all of which depending on who that person was.
Laila wasn't willing to miss out on something so interesting, she sunk back into her chair and delayed her departure. Whatever had flustered the employees along with Tayoshi would have been a sight to see. Rennier heard the commotion, he saw the befuddled workers and the buzzing chatter. Rennier thought something big must have happened so he slipped into the office in hopes to catch whatever it was.
He saw Tayoshi, Laila and a blonde nobleman recognisable by the pin on his jacket. Rennier awkwardly shuffled off into the corner awaiting his chance to speak to Tayoshi, though the crowded office did not allow for comfortable conversation.
Rennier managed to catch the tail end of someone mentioning the temple. He is very aware of how intertwined the temple is with the imperial family. The spiralling depths of its corruption that facilitated many atrocities and now he had even more reason to be curious as the person who came knocking on the door. He dreaded the idea that maybe his hiding place had been discovered.
The buzzing had given him hope that this uproar related to his request to save the first prince. Sadly, it was not so.
"Please escort the guests to the third floor drawing room." Tayoshi instructed firmly, trying to calm the madness. The secretary took note of his words and rushed to prepare the drawing room as well as an escort for the guests. The office felt cramped and constrictive with four people in it. It was not feasible to comfortably welcome another handful. Laila offers a hand to Azrael who obediently perches on her arm.
Tayoshi led the way, followed by Rennier, Laila and a lost looking Behellagh who had yet to find his golden opportunity to leave. The door to the drawing room is opened and they all step inside. A few staff members are quickly cleaning, straightening and making the drawing room presentable.
A pleasant and light earthen scent lingers in the room. Two large sofas face one another with a long table in between, this is paired with various single seated chairs organized around the room. Small oak tables decorated with simple floral arrangements that were hurriedly thrown together. A large light hangs from the ceiling, illuminating the room and highlighting the various artworks that line the walls. All the furniture within the room kept a constant colour scheme of browns and greens, complimenting the oak that they are made from. A large fireplace rests against the wall with a fire already crackling and warming the room.
Behellagh shambles off to the lone seat in the furthest corner of the room. Tayoshi takes the centre seat of the sofa, Rennier stands by the window while surveying the outside and notices the carriage accompanied by a hearse. Laila sets Azrael on the back of her chair and takes the seat closest to the door, she sits upright and gracefully. Staying true to her role as a noble.