When the people inside heard that it was "Old Man," a small wooden panel in the door slid open. A pair of brown eyes peered out, scrutinizing the young man and the woman for a while before the door swung inward.
A man wearing an iron mask glanced at the woman and said hoarsely, "Since you're already wearing a robe, that saves us the trouble."
He was holding a hooded robe, evidently intended for participants to change into.
"Follow me."
The man beckoned. Once the woman stepped inside, he shut the door and led the way.
They passed through the dark reception room and entered a sitting room on the first floor. A candle burned on the coffee table, but its faint, yellowish glow was naturally insufficient to illuminate the room.
The woman looked around. Sofas and chairs stood in the shadowy room, occupied by a dozen or so people. All wore hooded robes and iron-colored masks, making it impossible to tell them apart.
"Find yourself a seat anywhere." With that, the doorkeeper left.
The woman quietly found an empty chair and sat down. Rather than rushing to state her request, she watched from the sidelines as the gathering's participants occasionally exchanged information or conducted transactions.
"Things have really been unsettled lately. Those lunatics from the Aurora Order actually assassinated Duke Negan! Good heavens, they assassinated the Intis ambassador not long ago, too. Now I have to be extra careful when I go home at night, worrying that I might run into one of those lunatics from the Aurora Order."
A tall, thin figure in the corner sighed.
A participant beside him, clearly a woman, chuckled. "Aren't you overthinking it? The Aurora Order only targets important people. Are you one?"
A man sitting at the edge of a sofa spoke