Locke went into his study and retrieved the amulet artifact. It was a communication tool for the nobility. Using the established procedures he connected to a specific noble. Soon, the communication request was accepted without much hesitation.

"Baron Locke Mith, it is truly a delight to hear from you." The man used his fingers to groom his beard while smiling.

"Viscount Bilary. The pleasure is mine." Locke replied.

"To what do I owe your call, Baron?" The Viscount asked.

"I presume you have heard about the disaster in the Mid West?" Locke asked.

The Viscount looked perplexed. He quickly looked sideways, perhaps trying to confirm with his administrator.

"I am truly unaware." He eventually said.

Locke sighed. "The Kingdom is facing a severe challenge in the Ghone Forest region. I believe we should consider our future defensive positions. I hope you can request the count or even the Marquis to call for a meeting."

"Is the matter as serious as you say?" The Viscount now looked both worried and also angry. His own Baron knew more about this seemingly dangerous matter than himself!

"You can look into the troop movements in the Mid-West in the past two weeks." Locke replied.

After the call ended, Locke made several similar calls to other Barons and contacts he had made over the months. It was only then that he relaxed.

His mind was roiled by the message from the capital. He was just too far from the capital to know what was going on in concrete details. At times like this, being a Baron just felt like a burden, since he was tied down by the title.

Sighing, Locke began browsing through new books he acquired. After finding out about his condition, Locke had been using the Dream Trading Company to procure books for him about poisons, curses magical creatures and otherwise not easily available texts.

According to Beluriel, the healing mage, Soulseekers could be his only hope in figuring out the nature of the soul poison. However, from all he had come across, Soulseekers were a very secretive tribe.

Molard's words had caused another question to crop in his mind. We're Soulseekers some kind of legacy holders or were they perhaps another adapted ability like magic and battle aura?

What was more puzzling was the Sun Temples almost crusade like prohibition on even the word Soulseeker. Just what exactly did this occupation do?

"I can't depend on humans for an answer. Unfortunately the Dryad Hibiscus is actually still a child and doesn't know much about the world. Perhaps, meeting the Dryad Queen is the only way out of this mess."

In conversation with Hibiscus, Locke found out that she was eighty two years old, a full eighteen years before she became an adult Dryad. He was momentarily jealous of their long life span, but got over it quickly.

He quickly sent for Girald, his manager of the DTC. The old man soon arrived. 

"You look terrible old man. Have you found a reliable assistant yet?" Locke asked Girald.

"My lord. I have found three capable students. I'm still training them." Girald replied.

"Good. I need an administrator for the Barony as well. They don't need to be radical like me, but being able to maintain a profitable status quo is good enough. " Locke quickly changed topics. "I need you to find out all the information you can about Legacies."

"Legacies?" The old man's eyes lit up.

"Oh, you seem to know something already?" Locke asked.

The old man nodded. "I do know something about it. The previous Baron had asked me to look very deeply into the matter when I used to be his administrator."

"Oh? My father was actually looking for Legacies?" Locke asked as he crossed his knees and adjusted his position on the chair. "Go on."

"The previous Lord had tried for years to become a knight, however he failed. He had no magical talent either. Eventually, he found out about Legacies from Marquis Tasmodius." Girald said carefully. "The Marquis is the owner of a legacy."

"Interesting. Why haven't I found these documents in the Barony?" Locke asked.

"I suspect...the previous Lord hasn't given up his search for a Legacy. He probably took the documents with him to the capital." Girald, who had a good understanding of the previous Baron speculated.

"Hm. Father's sudden abdication was out of the blue as well. Very interesting." Locke muttered to himself before returning his gaze to the old man. "What about the Marquis' Legacy?"

"Back when I had investigated the matter, it was rumored that the Marquis had the ability to find out if any statement someone said was a lie." Girald said thoughtfully. "If My Lord wishes, I can investigate this matter to its depths."

Locke was inwardly shocked, but outwardly his eyes only narrowed. He was lucky to find out his Superior Liege had such a terrifying ability! Being able to detect lies was the absolute perfect ability for politicking. 

"No wonder Molard said that Legacies are extremely weak. Perhaps in absolute power they are weak, but if used correctly they could have tremendous applications." Locke immediately began to calculate.

"Girald, I want all details about Legacies as well as all known owners of Legacies. Find all information about the matter as quickly as possible." Locke ordered. "Also, find out information about those three brothers. Aldebaran, Alderamin and Algol, I believe their names were." 

As Girald bowed and left. Locke stayed in his seat, tapping on his chair while thinking. A disaster in Ghone Forest, Ghost and the Dragon's curse, a conscious poison slowly consuming his soul and now all this mess about Legacies. After some time he reactivated the communication amulet.

Without fail, the other side accepted the call. It was an old and frail man. His real age wasn't more than forty five, yet his features would betray him as a ninety year old.

"Father." Locke respectfully said. Since the old man had officially recognised Locke as a legitimate heir, such an address was a responsible one.

"Son." The old man Mith acknowledged Locke's address. "I suppose you have received my letter."

"Yes." Locke was brief. He waited for the old man to speak.

"The King is on his deathbed." The old man finally said. "The fewer who know this the better." 

Locke raised an eye. The King was on his deathbed at this time? There was no hint of the matter at all. The timing was extremely suspect as well.