Sabo sat in the tent at the northern border. Things were mostly packed and he was finally ready to return back to his estate for a time. The expedition had been a success despite the suddenness of it and the lack of bodies, though it had required a lot more focus and work from him than was usual.

Koala wouldn't have let him take half the risks he had if she'd been able to stay. He had to send her back though, once word had come through about their new guest. It wouldn't be fair to leave Hack to face the brunt of whatever entitled bratty aristocratic spy his father sought to hoist upon him again. Though perhaps calling them spies was a bit of a stretch. While all had loyalty to his father, none had been particularly skilled in extracting information from anyone.

Not that it was an easy feat in the first place. Half of the staff at the Estate was directly linked to Sabo in terms of business, personal, and secret matters. None of them would betray him even if the wealth offered was substantial. Other employees were often residents of Aquilegia, and were paid handsomely.

Pay aside, Sabo's work in the last decade for the village had certainly risen him to almost uncomfortable heights with the residents. His father had effectively banished him to the remote area when he was fifteen, and it had taken an immense effort to make the strides he had.

It all worked out in the end. He'd connected with The Network a few years before he'd been sent to Aquilegia, and the town's distance from the capital gave him a lot more freedom than he was sure his father had intended. The border expeditions weren't even that bad, aside from requiring as much of his attention as they did, but even these events gave him opportunity to take care of other aspects of his business.

He finally had some time to read the reports Koala had been sending. None of them had been marked priority so he hadn't bothered reading them until now. Nothing had been tied in black either, so Koala hadn't been on the verge of murdering anyone.

His fingers wrap around the handle of a cup of coffee forgotten from the night before, since he was due to leave soon he hadn't bothered to brew a morning pot. Grimacing at the bitter, and cold, coffee he begins to read the reports. Confusion furrows his brow for a second, but more than that there's a grin.

I'm sure you're ignoring most of these, but that's alright.

Lady Lulusia has been nothing but good. She requests no more than what she needs, and I even caught her cleaning her room this morning! She practically apologized for waking up early and had explained that tidying in the morning was such a habit she hadn't even realized she was doing it. I would've taken it for hogwash honestly, but she's been voluntarily taking walks with Hack and asking him questions about the estate.

Things like who built it, and what kind of stones were used. He's smitten. Completely smitten. You're not going to marry this lady because Hack will elope with her.

Sabo nearly snorts, taking another sip of coffee and making a face. He'd forgotten the damn cup was cold he was so focused on Koala's report. Sliding the cup further away he picks up another random letter and reads it.

Good news, I think.

She hasn't tried to bribe anyone yet. This is the second day and all she's done is ask everyone their names, and I mean everyone. I think the stable boy was about to wet himself honestly. If this is some kind of power play or intimidation tactic, I have no idea how it's meant to work. She hasn't caused any issues or delays with anyone's work.

Oh, and I forgot to mention this in the first letter, but she only had three trunks. Inazuma said he had to have almost all her dresses repaired. I can't say if the King's using her, or if it's him, but I'd lay money that your mother loathes her.

"Huh." He reaches for the cup until remembering the contents were cold. Pulling off his glove he sighs against his finger, igniting it, and drawing a line of flame around the rim of the cup. Putting his glove back on he shuffles through the reports and puts them in order, giving the spell a moment to warm up the coffee before taking a careful sip.

Having the reports in order the most immediate thing he noticed was how Koala's tone changed. Deeply suspicious in the first letter, she was convinced that the lady was playing at being a pauper. The second day he'd already read so he moved past that. The third day she thought Hack had accosted her and was forcing her to take a walk through the estate, much as he could force any noble to do anything.

The fourth day caught his attention.

I can't [something is written here, but it's been effectively crossed out].

I'm not sure the King actually sent a noble this time. She's going to turn out to be an assassin or something. Her manners are solid, and she's got the capacity to speak that way that you hate, but she doesn't seem to really care. She's not an animal or anything, but this morning-

No, never mind. You'll see when you get back, but don't worry, we're okay. I'll keep sending letters, but I don't think you have anything to be concerned about.

Sabo taps the report on the desk, finger against his lip in thought. Koala would only omit information for a small number of reasons. The reports being intercepted was always a risk, but not really a concern. Another possibility was that whatever assumptions or hypotheses she had, she wasn't ready to share them.

The letter itself was a mess. The scratched out part, the interrupted flow of her thoughts. Setting his concerns aside he picked up the report after it. It was the one where she was joking about Hack eloping with Lady Lulusia.

He grunts, a smile on his face. Whether it's what his father truly wants or not, this uninvited guest might just be the one that stays. Unfolding the next report he laughs, putting a hand over his mouth and nearly shaking trying not to just howl.

It's a very short letter, and it appears to be the last one. Koala hadn't even bothered to send a report the last two days.

If you don't, I will. Not even Hack could stop me.

Sabo murmurs a few words quietly, and the reports flutter into the air, catching fire and swirling away in a small twist of ash and dust. A severe looking man steps into his tent once the reports are gone. Karasu is a tall man with no love of the cold. He's wearing a large feathery fur coat with a hood, and a scarf that covers a good bit of his face.

He doesn't even bother to remove any of the articles when he regards Sabo. It's just as damnably cold in the tent as not as far as he's concerned.

"Nothing more for the archives then?" He prompts and Sabo shakes his head.

"Koala had no concerns of note, certainly nothing that required preservation." He answers. "Father has seen fit to push a different kind of noble into my home it seems."

"Will I not be needed then?"

Sabo's silent for a moment, and then shakes his head. "No, I still want you to do as you had been. You're the best suited for it, but I would start off easy. I want to see how this plays out."

"Oh? Your curiosity is actually piqued?"

Sabo shrugs, giving Karasu a devious grin and nothing more as the two exit the tent. There's no nearby Teleportation Station, for safety reasons there aren't any within twenty miles of the northern borders. Beasts can activate the circles just as easily as humans, even if it could be purely by accident.

Both Sabo and Karasu, however, can cover the distance from the main estate to the border in short order. What would be a day of hard riding, or almost three days by carriage, is, for the two of them, just a couple of hours. Sabo's way of doing so, however, is reserved for emergencies only, since it can easily cause a massive forest fire.

So the two return to the estate, with Sabo riding Karasu's raven form. The ride would be cold for Sabo, but his specialization kept him warm even in the most frigid of climes. Karasu was a specialist as well, and paired well with Sabo, since his power was over soot and cinders - even to the point that he could himself become that very substance.

When the two land at the Estate's main gate, Koala is already coming out to greet them.

"What perfect timing!" She calls out, waving them to hurry along. She pulls out a feather duster, drawing lines against the feathers with her fingers until she smacks it into Sabo and knocks all the dust and soot off him. "No time to freshen up properly, you need to come see this."

Koala holds the duster up to Karasu and he puts his hands up and shakes his head. Tucking the duster away she begins leading Sabo.

"Did something go wrong in the last two days?" Sabo questions, following along at Koala's hurried pace.

"Well, yes and no." She gives him a sheepish look. "It's really best for you to see this, instead of me trying to explain it."

"Some context, Koala, would be helpful." He grumbles.

"The Lady Lulusia has taken to practicing her sword forms in the morning before breakfast." She begins.

"Her -." He starts, nearly tripping over his own two feet, but Koala cuts him off.

"And a couple days ago one of the estate guards requested to spar with her."

Sabo remains quiet, he's still trying to process that a royal from Lulusia is practicing their swordsmanship in his backyard. All manner of possibilities run through his mind. She's skilled and holding her own, she's not skilled and berating his guards for it, she's an utter disaster and isn't skilled enough to know it, or she's moments away from beheading someone for their insolence.

"Context was, perhaps, not needed." He admits, as Koala guides him onto the viewing deck of the training grounds.

The Lady Lulusia, or so he assumed because he didn't recognize the young woman in training garb with her hair braided and coiled neatly against the back of her head, was currently instructing his guards if he was seeing things properly. The guards appeared to have volunteered for the instruction, given the way they were paying attention to it.

"Koala?"

"Mm, yes?"

"Why are my guards taking instruction from our guest?"

"... The Lady had requested I not speak on that, your grace." She answers. The tone in her voice is business, but her smile is wide and full of delight.

"Gone for a week and my authority is already in question." Crossing his arms he gives her a stern look.

"Alas, it is a manner of honor, I gave my word, your grace."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighs. "I'm going to have some breakfast," he nearly groans the words, walking back into the estate with Koala close behind. "After Lady Lulusia is done and has had time to clean up and eat, I would like you to bring her to my office."

"Perhaps... the tea room?"

Sabo flinches, his shoulders dropping as he looks up to the ceiling for a moment. It was certainly more polite that way, and he did tell Karasu he was going to come at this situation a little more gently.

"The tea room, then. I'll be in my office in the meantime." He corrects, walking away.

Even as he walked away, he let his mind wander back to the training grounds. Her ease around the guards, and the gear, was evident. He couldn't see her face from where he and Koala had been, but appearances were the least of his concern.

He was, after all, the Scarred Beast of the North, who was he to judge?