"Ailand, this isn't an ordinary dagger. It's a powerful magical item, and clearly one meant for Professionals like Rogues. Your father wasn't a Rogue, was he?"
Allen's words shocked Ailand. His voice was incredulous, with a hint of regret as he replied, "My lord, isn't this just an ordinary dagger? How could it be magical equipment? Father only said that this dagger was important and that I must never sell it, no matter what."
Ailand's answer made him realize that there was something amiss with Ailand's background. After returning the dagger to him, he continued, "Ailand, I don't think I've ever heard you mention your mother. Could you tell me about her?"
Seeing him return the item so readily, Ailand felt touched and a little ashamed. "My lord, Father told me that Mother died not long after I was born. Whenever he mentioned her, he would be very upset. I thought it was because he had never come to terms with her death. Thinking back now, though, he seemed to feel more regret than sorrow."
"By the way, since your father served in the army, did he ever mention his comrades, or go to visit them?" he asked.
But Ailand still shook his head. "My lord, for as long as I can remember, Father and I always stayed in the village. We never left, and no one ever came looking for him."
In the end, he could get no more information from Ailand. But from what Ailand had just said, he could sense that Ailand's father seemed to have been running from something, or avoiding certain matters.
The details were still unclear, however, so he finally told Ailand, "Don't casually tell others about your father, and don't show that dagger in public either. If I get the chance later, I'll