It was the weekend, and I found myself having tea at the Gray family manor in Bowerstone North. Supposedly, I was meant to meet Elvira’s father today, but I was informed that urgent business had arisen suddenly, forcing him to leave. A similar story had been told about her sister, who had to attend a funeral for a friend’s family member who passed unexpectedly. The whole thing felt suspicious, and Elvira was acting more nervous than usual.

  She fidgeted in her chair across from me at the small round wooden table, her fingers twisting the napkin in her lap. I could tell she thought I was still angry with her, but there was no reason for her to be so... worried.

  “What's wrong?” I asked, leaning forward.

  “Nothing! I... I just am not feeling very well,” she replied, avoiding eye contact.

  “Then I should head back to the Guild so you can rest,” I reasoned, hoping to ease her tension.

  “NOOO!” she yelled, panic flashing in her eyes.

  “Why?” I asked, squinting suspiciously. She was up to something; I just knew it.

  “Um, I wanted to apologize for not being upfront about what I’ve become,” she stammered, her words tumbling out in a rush.

  “You did that already, and I said I forgave you.”

  “…But I decided to bake a cake and stayed up all night making it,” she lied. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape. I noticed a fleeting glance at the maid who was attending us this evening—a maid I didn’t recognize.

  Blond hair, a thin frame, purple eyes... That’s when it hit me. That’s not a maid at all, but Elvira’s older sister posing as one. If she was Amanda Grey, then did that mean Lord Grey was here too? I scanned the room, but only the familiar faces of maids and… her butler met my gaze.

  I recalled the letters my mother had received in the past, those that mentioned the Lord’s approval of me, as if we had met before or he had appraised me at some point. Then it clicked—Ronald was Lord Grey, disguised the whole time.

  “So, Honeybun, when are you going to introduce your family to me?” I asked, using the teasing nickname I had chosen for her.

  Picking up on the cue from my tone, Elvira tried to deflect. “Why are you asking all of a sudden? I thought you didn’t want to meet them anyway. How about another slice of cake?”

  “Come now, Lord Grey, surely you’re tired of this farce by now,” I stated, my gaze sharp.

  “Clap,” came the sound of hands coming together—Ronald revealing himself at last.

  “What gave me away?” he asked, a sly grin spreading across his face.

  “The girls are terrible actors, and they look too much alike to not be sisters,” I replied, crossing my arms.

  “Ah, I’ve tried to teach them the arts of deception, but it takes a lifetime of experience to master,” Lord Grey shrugged, his tone casual.

  “Why do this? What did you gain from it?”

  “At first, it was to determine if you were worthy of my daughter. Secondly, to see if you had what it takes to rule. Lastly, I was fascinated by your capabilities. The fact that even Death would grant an immortal body and magic to my girl just to align her with your destiny—it’s remarkable. You are no mere man, and it’s rare for one such as myself to be in awe of someone else.”

  “I am many things, Lord Grey, but someone who likes to be manipulated is not one of them,” I grumbled, straightening my flashy suit.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Yes, I understand your reluctance. But you see, you are more than I could have hoped for. Civilization has recently collapsed, leaving the people and towns disunited. With creatures such as Balverines running wild, human populations have nearly depleted to nothing. Bowerstone is the only location faring well, but the aristocrats would ruin everything if I left them untended for even a moment,” Lord Grey explained, his voice laden with urgency.

  “What does any of this have to do with me?” I demanded, my frustration rising.

  “Because it was William Black who first unified the people, and Nostro after him—albeit to a lesser extent. A powerful hero such as yourself, with great intellect and an incorruptible Will, could change everything. Until you arrived, I feared this madness would persist for centuries. Now, it may be possible to see my dream become a reality within my own lifetime.”

  “Do you think that’s my responsibility? That because I have the potential, I must fulfill your desires?” I asked, my tone belittling as I let the question hang in the air.

  “Let me explain something to you, Lord of Bowerstone: there are two Wills in this body. I died a long time ago, and I am just here to vanquish evil—ONE LAST TIME!” I emphasized the last few words strongly before getting up to leave.

  “Looking forward to getting to know you better, future son-in-law,” Ronald said, a smirk playing on his lips. Elvira and her sister Amanda appeared slightly less enthused.

  I glared at him before turning to walk out. I had a meeting with Maze to attend.

  ...

  Arriving at Maze's tower, I hurried up the stairs, anticipation bubbling within me.

  “Ah, Arn! There you are. I’ve been waiting for you,” Maze exclaimed as I entered his chamber at the Guild.

  “Why did you want to see me all of a sudden? We weren’t going to experiment with new spells for a while,” I said, urging him to explain the situation.

  “Well, I’ve been considering a way to cut ties with Jack entirely. You see, he recently found out that you and your sister were here and demanded I send you both to him. With you both as hostages, your mother would rush to save you, and he would have all three of you. He doesn’t seem to know about your baby brother yet, or it simply doesn’t matter; he only needs three of you anyway and the knowledge your mother possesses about the sword.”

  “So he knows we’re both here this time around. Good thing I have the Guild’s demon door to provide shelter for my parents, but this still poses a serious problem,” I exclaimed.

  “Yes, clever using the door to keep them safe, but it won’t fix everything. Here’s my idea: Jack fears the mage who defeated him in Oakvale. If that mage is granted Hero status by the Guild and I ally myself with him, declaring Jack a mutual enemy, then that bastard won’t set foot here until he is sure of his victory.” Maze stated matter-of-factly.

  “But I’m just an apprentice right now…”

  “That’s the genius of it, BOY! He won’t know you are the mage he fears!” Maze raised his voice, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

  “How?”

  “I’ll have you MOVED from regular training sessions to private lessons with me due to your advanced skills. At least, that’s what we will tell the others. In reality, you’ll be ceremonially added as a hero in your disguised garb. My private lessons with you are just an excuse for you to undertake quests so Jack sees you actively growing stronger.” Maze grinned.

  So I’ll be a magical Batman-like vigilante with a legitimate and legal system to save people? I asked myself internally.

  “What do you say, Arn? Do you believe it will work?”

  “… Yes, I do,” I answered after rubbing my chin thoughtfully.

  “Then there is one last thing to settle,” Maze said, his gaze penetrating.

  “What is that?”

  “Your heroic vigilante’s name,” Maze said pointedly.

  “I see…” A few ideas flickered through my mind, but only one stuck. “Then I shall be called Grey Cowl.”

  “Hmmm, why Grey Cowl?” Maze asked, intrigued.

  “Well, it’s vague, and the color of the robes I wore during our battle was grey. My mother’s hero name is Scarlet Robe, which is another clothing item, and Grey is also the last name of my girlfriend,” I explained.

  “A name with hidden meaning that even Jack would fail to understand. How fitting,” Maze smiled, clearly pleased with my choice.

  “So what about the skills I train here? I can’t have them look too similar to what Grey Cowl uses,” I questioned.

  “That’s simple. You’ll just train your might skills and learn the lightning spell. It never hurts to have more skills, and they are some of the easiest to train,” Maze replied.

  “Looks like I’m going to have a lot of time spent training over the next few weeks after I join the Guild. I can’t let others think you saw talent in me and yet I never display those skills—especially since you are not known for taking an apprentice directly under your wing.”

  Maze nodded. “That is indeed the case. Others will be jealous and seek to test you, and if you are found lacking, they will make demands.”

  “Why is nothing ever simple?”

  “Yours is the life of a hero, and that is never simple. Yet those whose lives are would give anything to be like you. People, it seems, are never satisfied with what they have,” Maze said, his expression turning contemplative.

  Then my dear Watson it seemed obvious that Ronald was Lord Grey after all in disguise the whole time.

  So I'll be a magical Batman-like vigilante but with a legitimate and legal system to save people? I asked internally.