At Amon's invitation, the clan heads of the Eight Clans of the Serpent gathered once more in the elegant Shrine that had previously hosted the headquarters' specialists. The heavy oppression and invisible unease hanging in the air were even worse than last time.
Erii was there as well, sitting quietly in a corner. Unlike the other clan heads, whose brows were furrowed with solemn worry, she seemed somewhat distracted, her vacant gaze cast beyond the veranda.
A clear spring flowed over white stones outside, with clusters of green moss scattered between them, forming a tranquil miniature garden.
She could vaguely sense an emotion called "something terrible has happened" permeating the room, but her limited common sense and experience could not piece those fragments together into a comprehensible story.
Amon sat leisurely in the seat of honor, as though he were the master here. Under everyone's silent watch, he reached into an inner pocket and pulled out a stack of documents.
There were a great many documents, thick as a dictionary. He had prepared them long ago and kept them inside the Nibelungen.
Erii's attention was drawn over. She took out her little notebook and wrote, "Amazing! You can hide so many things. Are you a magician?"
Amon looked at her, and the faint aloofness and pressure he displayed toward the other clan heads instantly faded by more than half, replaced by a gentler smile. He nodded slightly. "I'm a magician. It's my honor to be praised by such a beautiful young lady."
He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, then reached once more into the pocket connected to the miniature Nibelungen and fumbled around. This time, what he took out was not a document, but the latest game console on the market.
"I think the rest of the meeting may