“You seem to know who I am,” said Joshua, unconcerned.

“You’re the most talked-about person in the Empire. If I didn’t know that much, I’d be out of this line.”

That was both good and bad in equal measure. A lot of planning had gone into keeping his arrival secret: his small company had been divided into smaller groups before they arrived at Arcadia, and he had even prepared for Joshua a family crest of “Viscount Frederick”. They had even brought minimal personnel along so as to not attract unwanted attention. Yet, despite his best efforts, this man already knew his identity.

‘From a client’s perspective, it’s a warm welcome. It implies that they’re credible. But, on the other hand, that information could be sold at any time. It’s almost certain that someone else knows my whe...