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‘But why not tell anyone, then?’ said Diego. ‘Did he think we wouldn’t understand? It’s his daughter.’

‘Maybe. Or maybe he was worried that some of us would try to go with him.’

‘Hmm. And the Monster of the East just accepted that? The offer was for all of us to leave, not Zeff by himself.’

‘You’re right. That does seem strange. There could be more to it.’

Indeed, that seemed likely. The timing couldn’t have been more peculiar. While it might’ve made sense on the surface that the Lord Elroy would’ve done anything in order to reunite with his lost daughter, Diego hadn’t forgotten the other news that Zeff had shared with them before.

About Field Marshal Graves putting Zeff in contact with his other lost daughter, Gema.

That one had not been an offer in exchange for anything. Graves had merely promised to make it happen, free of charge, whenever Gema became available.

And from the uncharacteristically happy way that Zeff had been when talking about it, Diego felt that there was precisely a snowball’s chance in lakefire that the man would have completely disregarded that in favor of going after Emiliana.

Granted, that would’ve been another impossible call. Choosing between children. But that was also why Zeff would have told someone about it, Diego thought.

If he knew he might miss his opportunity to meet Gema, surely Zeff would have informed someone of his intentions so that that person could go in his stead, no?

Agh. Or maybe not. Maybe Zeff expected to return soon and still make his meeting with Gema?

Or... maybe this disappearance was the meeting with Gema?

The more he thought about the matter, the more questions Diego had. And there was at least one person here who could provide some answers.

Talking to him alone didn’t seem like the greatest idea, though. Diego didn’t have any experience with meeting people that powerful. Amicable though the guy appeared, Graves did not strike Diego as the kind of person that one should speak to casually or unprepared.

And the man did not have much in the way of free time, apparently. As one might’ve expected, Graves was rather important to this entire warfront, now. Some would even call him the linchpin on which all their fates rested, though Diego and his fellow Rainlords, as well as the RPMP, would probably have something to say about that.