Purpose. As Anvis studied the map and considered his next move, there came a sudden knock at the study door.
"Esteemed Man in the Mirror, you have a letter."
After receiving Anvis's permission, a man in the uniform of a senior commander of the Embers Organization entered the room. He bowed respectfully and placed an envelope stamped with the Glory Alliance emblem on Anvis's desk.
Once the man had left, Anvis glanced at the letter.
The envelope floated into the air, and the pale silver Secret Art seal on its surface automatically unraveled. Accompanied by a faint, elusive fragrance, a sheet of special pale-black stationery emerged from within.
The paper was made from the petals of Black Rose buds and carried a subtle floral scent. The handwriting upon it was also elegant, though every word ended in a sharp stroke.
The letter was brief. After reading it through, Anvis put it away.
Simply put, it was an invitation to visit a castle in three days. The inviter was Madam Mandel, a high-ranking member of the Glory Alliance responsible for regions including Rockhelm, Maires, and Wind Valley.
Anvis knew something of her as well.
Pomona Mandel, an Eighth Rank Mid Spellcaster of the Illusion School, a widow whose three husbands had all died. The outside world commonly referred to her as Countess Mandel.
Though she possessed breathtaking beauty, those who truly knew her understood that she was a genuine poppy flower, with a deadly nature concealed beneath a beautiful exterior.
"At a time like this, she's inviting me to a private meeting?"
His fingers tapped against the desk as Anvis revealed a somewhat amused expression.
Every action inevitably had its purpose.
His current identity as the "Man in the Mirror" was that of a leading figure in the Embers Organization. Strictly