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It was Marlizia’s dream, sure--as well as his own, at this point--but he would not succumb to something as moronic as the sunk cost fallacy. Even if he spent the rest of his life struggling for that answer and never found it, then so be it. This was the survival of the human species that they were talking about. Nothing was more important than that. Not even freedom from tyranny.

So to say that the Black Artisan of Vantalay was feeling conflicted at the moment would have been quite the understatement. He absolutely could not do anything that might jeopardize the secrecy of his work, and the Water Dragon’s mere presence here was rather strong evidence that someone was already snooping around. Searching for weaknesses in his defenses.

How much did they already know? Certainly not everything, or else Ridgemark would already be a crater.

And it was furthermore obvious to Daro that Zeff Elroy here was not at fault. Whether the man realized it or not, he was a pawn in some greater player’s game. But who? Graves? Daro had been intensely wary of the Pale Hawk from the very moment of the man’s arrival in Vantalay.

From all of Daro’s surveillance of him, Graves appeared to be quite preoccupied with the war effort. It seemed unlikely that he would even have the time for this at the moment, especially considering the risks involved. Toying with his own allies? Endangering their fragile partnership in this corner of the war?

Hmm. It was possible. A hell of a juggling act, perhaps. But possible.

Yet there was another threat that came even more readily to mind. The silent figure in Ridgemark. The one who’d all but disappeared since her arrival here, around the same time as Graves.

Daro had been wondering what she was up to all this time. But perhaps that was her goal. Why bother even revealing herself at all if she was only going to vanish throughout this entire conflict? Or maybe something had befallen her in secret? Neutralized her? Or killed her, even?

He was thinking of Jun. The Wandering Phantom, as some knew her. One of the famed Kubi, which were the five most powerful servants under Sai-hee.

Why, precisely, Jun had decided to come here to Ridgemark after the outbreak of the war, Daro had been trying his damnedest to discover.