The two dice were still on the wooden floor. Isaac walked over, hesitated, then bent down and picked them up.
The dice were heavier than he had imagined and exquisitely crafted, with intricate, ornate engravings on every face. The concave and convex surfaces were clearly designed to serve some other purpose as well.
Fenn looked around, then, seeing no further sign of trouble, came over and leaned in for a look. "You still dare to touch those things?"
"I have to find out what they are." Isaac turned the two dice over in his hands. "Besides, since that guy left them behind, they might lead us to something."
Fenn snorted. "Who knows what corner that guy's holed up in, laughing at us? He conjured up a vengeful spirit, then vanished without a trace."
"What, were you hoping I'd show up?"
Carlo's voice startled both men in the room. Fenn cursed, "Damn it, hiding in a corner and playing ghost? If you've got the guts, come out here!"
"Eh, no."
"Fuck!"
"Anyway, I've seen just about everything I wanted to see. Get a good night's sleep tonight. Hmm... Asa."
Isaac said, "...Who?"
"You. Your name's Isaac, right?"
"Yes." Isaac nodded. He wasn't surprised that the man knew his name. Given what he had shown he could do, he probably had plenty of ways to find out. And, failing that, Isaac had given his name in person at the bank entrance.
"So isn't 'Asa' easier to say than Isaac? I've decided to call you that."
"Don't go changing other people's names on a whim!" Isaac finally couldn't hold back.
"What I call you is my business. All you need to know is that I'm referring to you. Ten tomorrow morning, at the café on the eastern street corner."
Carlo clearly had no intention of arguing with Isaac over whether he had the right to call people whatever he pleased. After that, he said nothing more, as though he had simply left.
Silence lasted for a moment. Fenn was still a little nervous, glancing around. "That guy... he's gone, right?"
Isaac said nothing and looked at the dark gold dice in his hand.
Ten tomorrow morning, at the café on the eastern street corner... I don't know what he wants, but judging by what I've seen of his personality so far, he definitely won't just hand the books back.
Seeing Isaac's silence, Fenn clicked his tongue. "A-cough, Isaac."
"Hmm?"
"Are you planning to meet that guy tomorrow morning?" Fenn jerked his chin toward the window.
"Yes," Isaac said. "He still has the books, after all. Mr. Fenn, would you like to come along?"
"Me? Forget it. With what I can do, I'd just get toyed with if I went. I might as well admit I failed the job." Fenn waved a hand, still visibly shaken.
"Won't the... lord behind you blame you?" Isaac asked.
Fenn shrugged. "What can I do if they do? I'm just an ordinary mercenary. My abilities are limited, and there's no need to get tangled up with a transcendent over a job. Besides..."
He stopped himself before finishing. "Anyway, this has nothing to do with me anymore. You're the one he wants to see, not me."
Naturally, Isaac had no desire to keep inviting him. The force Fenn represented coveted his books too, so it was just as well that Fenn knew when to back off.
Early the next morning, Isaac set out for the café Carlo had mentioned. Before leaving, he thought for a moment, changed into a looser work jacket, and tucked his revolver into an inner pocket.
The café on the eastern street corner looked rather old, its sign faded. Isaac pushed open the door, and the scent of coffee and toasted bread greeted him. A few customers sat scattered among the small round tables, while Carlo was flipping through a menu by the window.
Isaac sat down across from him. Carlo didn't look up, his eyes still on the menu.
After waiting a moment, Isaac saw that he still had no intention of speaking and had no choice but to say, "Mr. Schuster..."
"Quiet, I'm pondering a question." Carlo finally looked up at Isaac. "Black tea or coffee?"
Isaac was taken aback. "Uh, black tea, I suppose."
Carlo shook his head. "Wrong. I'm ordering coffee."
Isaac said, "..."
Wait, was he asking what he should order for himself?
"And honestly, coming to a café and planning to drink black tea is terribly rude of you." Carlo snapped his fingers.
However rude that is, it can't be ruder than conjuring up a vengeful spirit in the middle of the night... Isaac watched Carlo order a coffee from the waiter.
The waiter wrote it down and turned to Isaac, who ultimately followed the strange rule that one must drink coffee in a café and ordered a cup himself.
Carlo tossed the menu to the waiter. "How did you sleep last night?"
Isaac recalled the previous day's experiences. Besides his misfortunes during the day, there had been the vengeful spirit at night, the dice, and those inexplicable checks... For a moment, he didn't know how to describe the quality of his sleep. "Not very well."
"Understandable." Carlo nodded. "But you did better than I expected. You even knew to use a prayer to solve the problem."
"You were nearby watching at the time?" Isaac asked.
"More or less. I won't tell you exactly where. Anyway, congratulations on passing the test."
"Test?"
"Of course. Why else did you think I sent you to Amorton Manor?" Carlo tilted his head. "Naturally, it was to see whether you could gather information and handle unexpected situations. The employee I hire can't be entirely lacking in the basic ability to adapt, after all."
Isaac had already guessed as much. "So you planned all of this from the start. You sent me to Amorton Manor, had me draw Fenn's attention by asking for your name, and made me face that vengeful spirit."
"I wouldn't call it a plan. I just anticipated a few possible scenarios and made some adjustments according to what actually happened." Carlo picked up the coffee the waiter had brought and took a sip.
"What about my books?"
"They're somewhere very safe."
"Where?"
"My office."
"...You said your office was in Vista."
"Yes, and?" Carlo raised an eyebrow. "Is it really so difficult for a transcendent to send books home from a thousand miles away? Or do you lack even the most basic understanding that I'm a transcendent?"
How is that not difficult? I've never heard of any other transcendent doing anything like that... Isaac took a deep breath. "Then do you intend to return the books to me?"
"Of course not. Someone has their eye on those books. You should have heard that from the mercenary already." Carlo put down his cup. "What your foster father left behind is far more valuable than you imagine, and not just in academic terms. With your current status and strength, keeping it safe won't be easy. You'd be better off leaving it with someone reliable for now, like me."
Isaac frowned. "...Is that what you asked me here to tell me today?"
"Of course there's more. I also wanted to let you know the result of your employment test. So far, I'm quite satisfied," Carlo said. "You could say you're much smarter than my last few employees."