An Imposter Among Us

Arriving in front of an open space with a single dead tree, Orsted turned to face us. His gaze cut through the darkness with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. The atmosphere felt dense with tension as we stood there, waiting for him to speak.

Unable to mask my apprehension, I broke the silence first, asking, "So... What do you want to discuss, Sir Orsted?"

He remained silent for a moment, his expression obscured under the moonlight. Then, with a solemn tone, he began to speak.

"I want you two to be careful. There is an enemy in the refugee camp."

His response struck a chord of fear within me. An adversary? In a place meant for a haven? It was unsettling to think that danger could lurk so close to where we sought refuge.

"What do you mean by that, Sir Orsted? Why is there an enemy?" I inquired, my voice tense with concern and uncertainty.

Orsted sighed, explaining further, "Among the refugees is an apostle of Hitogami. They blend in the camp to gather information and execute specific acts in favor of their master's future."

Feeling confused by the absurdity of the information, I solicited, "Why are you telling me this? Who is this Hitogami? And what does it have to do with us?"

His expression darkened as he continued. "Hitogami is my main enemy. He exploits people in their sleep, coercing them into trusting him and doing his bidding. Thus, I want you to remain vigilant and trust no one, understand?"

Hearing this revelation left me speechless. I turned my attention to Nanahoshi and informed her of everything I had learned, and as expected, she was equally disturbed as well.

{"What?! So, you're telling me there's an imposter among us?!"} she exclaimed, taken aback by the information.

I nodded solemnly, sharing her apprehension. {"That's right, Orsted told me to be vigilant and trust no one."}

{"Yeah, but does he know that there's an imposter? For all we know he's simply overthinking things,"} she argued, her frustration evident.

The uncertainty gnawed at me as I pondered her question. Turning back to Orsted, I shared with him about Nanahoshi's trouble, and he nodded curtly, showing an arrow from his coat.

"Someone tried to shoot me with a poison arrow but failed," he solemnly explained. "I didn't get to see their face but I am very certain they fled to the refugee camp."

Sweating profusely, I tried to compose myself as I pressed onward. "If that is the case, what should we do about them?"

Orsted paused for a moment, considering my inquiry seriously. Later on, he spoke again.

"I want you two to track them down but don't be too conspicuous. Determine the most likely suspect in the refugee camp and report back it to me."

"But how? If we caught them in the act, how do we call you in time?" I asked, urgency clear in my voice.

Reflecting on my inquiry, Orsted reached into his breast pocket and took out something small before handing it to us. Nanahoshi and I received the items and realized these were rings.

Confused, I looked up and asked, "What's this?"

"Those are reconnaissance rings, wear them and whisper the word 'recall' to send a signal to me," he instructed, teaching us the mechanics of the artifact.

We nodded, both of us slipping the ring onto our fingers. The gravity of the situation settled over us like a thick fog. Nanahoshi and I couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

"Thank you, Sir Orsted. We'll do our best," I declared, my voice resolute despite the pressure gnawing at my insides.

He merely nodded before turning and began to walk away from us. However, I remembered something a while back, prompting me to chase after him.

"Sir Orsted, wait!" I called out, prompting him to stop in his tracks.

He glanced back at me, curious. "What is it, Dante?"

"Do you remember your promise to teach me more magic, right?" I reminded him.

Orsted sighed wearily, reassuring, "I'll do it the next time we meet. For now, head back to the camp before anyone notices you are gone."

"Understood."

With those words, Nanahoshi and I watched as the Dragon God faded into the night, leaving us rather uneasy yet resolute.

Right now, we had a new mission, one that required our utmost caution. Turning around, we began our walk back to our tent, the weight of Orsted's words heavy on our minds.

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As we strolled through the quiet, empty pathway leading to our tent, fear gnawed at me. My mind raced with thoughts of who the apostle could be, hoping it would be easier to identify than it seemed.

Nanahoshi walked beside right me, her usually confident stride now uncertain, mirroring my apprehension. The shadows cast by the moon danced eerily around us, adding to the sense of foreboding that hung in the air.

{"Who do you think it could be?"} I whispered, my voice barely audible over the rustle of the leaves in the gentle night breeze.

Nanahoshi glanced at me, her eyes reflecting my apprehension. {"Honestly, I have no idea at all,"} she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. {"Everyone in this place appeared so genuine that I couldn't tell if anyone was pretending."}

I understood her sentiments. It was genuinely difficult to figure out who to trust when faced with such suspense.

When we arrived at the tent, Nanahoshi pushed aside the flap, allowing us to enter. We then settled down on our beds, the weight of the day pressed heavily upon us.

{"Dante, we need a plan,"} Nanahoshi declared, breaking the silence. {"It is strange to just go around and accuse anyone without any proof."}

{"You're right, we have to be subtle about this,"} I conceded. {"Tomorrow, we'll ask everyone mundane questions and observe their reactions closely."}

{"Okay, but where do we even begin?"} Nanahoshi wondered, her brow furrowing in thought.

Considering her question, I thought about all the possible suspects within the refugee camp, temporarily sacrificing my trust in those I had met.

{"We'll start with Alphonse,"} I suggested. {"Though my suspicion towards him is somewhat low, we still have to make sure he doesn't do anything questionable."}

{"Understandable."}

With that said, Nanahoshi and I went to sleep, trying our best to save up enough energy for our mission and uncover the imposter within the community before it was too late.

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The following day, we woke up early and prepared ourselves for what lay ahead. After taking a bath and getting dressed, we left our tent and made our way towards where Alphonse was likely to be.

After a brief search, we found the butler engaged in conversation with the Fittoa Lord Sauros and a group of workers responsible for setting up the refugee tents and clearing debris from the ruins of Roa.

Exchanging inquisitive glances with Nanahoshi, we silently agreed to approach our first two suspects of the day.

"Good morning, Sir Alphonse, Lord Sauros. How are you two this morning?" I greeted, trying to appear agreeable.

The two men noticed my voice and halted their conversation with the workers, shifting their attention to us.

Alphonse gave a polite bow, responding, "Ah, good morning to you too, Master Dante. We are doing well, thank you. Is there something you need?"

"Yeah, what brings you here this early?" Lord Sauros added, glancing between us.

"No reason. Just wanting to check in and see what's going on," I answered, keeping my tone agreeable. "It's wonderful to see the camp coming together so quickly. Say, have you noticed anything unusual today?"

I observed their reactions closely, searching for any signs of unease or guilt. However, to my surprise, their responses seemed rather normal. Alphonse remained calm and collected while Sauros retained his tough and serious demeanor.

"Something unusual, you say? Well, let's see... I suppose there's nothing out of the ordinary," Alphonse answered calmly.

Sauros huffed confidently, crossing his arms. "Everything is running smoothly, Dante. As you can see, the workers are doing a commendable job, so there is nothing to worry about."

Upon listening to their responses, I found nothing suspicious. Satisfied by this, I decided to change our plans.

"That's good to hear, Lord Sauros," I commended him. "If you excuse us, we'll also go to do our tasks, so you can praise us as well."

"Hmph, you wished," Sauros taunted before smirking. "Very well, move along now." 

Given the permission to leave, we moved on and blended into the activity of the camp.

As we walked away, Nanahoshi leaned forward and whispered, {"What do you think, Dante?}

{"Well, they don't look suspicious,"} I replied, my mind thinking about our next steps. {"Let's just leave them alone for now, and move on to other the suspects."}

{"Understandable."}

With that decided, we focused our attention on the next set of individuals to solicit, keeping our true intentions hidden as we worked to uncover the imposter among them.

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Heading towards our next pursuit, we arrived at the makeshift kitchen earlier than expected to question our next suspect, Ramdon Gorsey. As we approached, the sounds of a bustling kitchen greeted us, filled with the clatter of pots and pans and the chatter of cooks.

"Where's the damn sauce?!"

Ramdon's booming voice cut through the racket, and we saw him standing at the far end of the chaos. He was a commanding presence, barking instructions and keeping a sharp eye on every detail as he supervised the preparation of the day's meals.

"You call this a sandwich?"

The chef's voice carried a note of incredulity as he confronted a nervous junior chef. He then grabbed two slices of bread and dramatically squished them against the sides of the hapless chef's face.

"What are you?"

"An idiot sandwich, sir..."

"Good, now do it again. We don't want to dissatisfy the refugees."

The scene, though harsh, revealed Ramdon's dedication to maintaining high standards, even in the chaos of the kitchen. Nanahoshi and I nodded at each other before moving forward.

"Morning, Sir Ramdon," I called out, raising my voice to be heard over the ruckus.

The man turned to us, his stern expression softening slightly. "Morning. What do you want?"

"Nothing much, just a question," I commenced. "Have you noticed anything unusual in the camp recently?"

Ramdon paused, wiping his hands on a towel. "Unusual? Everything's unusual in a place like this. But no, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the everyday chaos."

I scrutinized his face and tone for any signs of deceit, but the chef's gruff demeanor stayed consistent. There was no hint of suspicion in his straightforward manner.

"Alright, thanks for your time," I bid farewell, feeling slightly deflated as we moved on to our next suspect.

"Wait," Ramdon called out, causing us to stop and look at him. "If you want to see something unusual, go to that damn nurse's place."

"Miss Florence? Why her?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

Ramdon rubbed his temple and explained, "That woman offered me some 'essential oil' after I told her about headaches last night. I tried the damn thing but it didn't work. Basically, my head hurt even more because of it."

I exchanged a look with Nanahoshi, noting the information. We thanked Ramdon and headed towards the open clinic, where Florence would be our next focus.

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Upon arriving at the clinic, we expected the area to be tranquil. However, something was not right as we heard an altercation.

"Damn woman, you made me look bad!"

The voice, assertive and angry, unmistakably belonged to Eustace. We hurried inside, finding him and Florance in a heated argument. 

"Mister Eustace, please calm down," she pleaded, her tone tired but restrained. "Letting you use water magic at your age is dangerous."

"Tch, if you and that damn boy can do it, so can I! Now teach me, woman!" Eustace snapped back, frustratedly grabbing her by the shoulder.

Feeling the urge to intervene, Nanahoshi and I ran towards them. They noticed our presence and turned to us.

"Ah, it's you two, great timing. Please help me out here," Florence requested, her expression grateful but exhausted.

Understanding her plea, I turned to my companion and instructed, {"Nanahoshi, grab him!"}

Nanahoshi nodded and swiftly moved to restrain Eustace, who struggled against her grasp with unexpected strength for his age.

"Let me go, you brat! I won't be bossed around by the likes of you!" Eustace protested, his face turning red with anger.

Meanwhile, I pondered for a solution, my mind racing for ideas. Eventually, I decided to give what he wanted.

"Sir Eustace, I'll teach you water magic," I immediately proposed.

Hearing that, the old man suddenly paused, turning towards me. "Really?"

"Yes, if only you calm down, then I will tell you the incantation?" I reasoned, hoping to diffuse the tension.

Eustace, albeit reluctantly, yielded to my proposition. In exchange, I gave him a crash course on chanting the beginner water spell, Water Ball.

"Ah, so this is water magic," he remarked, fascinated by the ball of water he just conjured. "I can now finally water my crops without needing any help from you brats."

"But remember, don't overexert yourself like Dante the other day," Florance warned.

Clicking his tongue, Eustace reluctantly complied, "Yeah, whatever. I'm out of here."

As the old farmer stormed off, I turned my attention back to Florence, who got up and dusted herself off. She seemed relieved but exhausted from the encounter.

"Thank you very much, you two," she declared gratefully, offering a tired smile. "Eustace was like this after I healed his injury earlier, insisting me to teach him magic."

"Is that so? Well, good thing we arrived just in time," I reassured her. "Anyway, have you seen anything unusual today?"

"Unusual, you say?" Florance tilted her head playfully. "Hmm, not really. Just the usual hustle and bustle. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just a thought," I replied, observing her closely. She seemed genuine, despite the exhaustion on her face. "By the way, Sir Ramdon mentioned you giving him some essential oil for his headaches."

Raising her eyebrows, Florence looked confused before realizing. "Oh, that's right. I did give him some. Why? Did something happen?"

"He said it made his head hurt more," I informed her, watching for any reaction.

Florence's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "Oh dear, I must have given him the wrong prescription. Wait here."

With those words, Florence quickly rushed towards a backroom. Feeling curious, I motioned for Nanahoshi to peek inside. She nodded and stealthily moved to the door, peering through the crack. After a while, she returned to me with a nervous expression.

{"Well, what did you see?"}I asked in a hushed tone, eager for any insight.

But before she could say something, Florence reappeared with the essential oil. "Here it is!" she affirmed lively, handing it to me. "Thanks for informing, Dante."

"O-of course, we appreciate your help, Miss Florence," I replied nervously, taking the bottle from her. "We'll be leaving now."

"Sure, come again next time."

As we said our farewells and left the clinic, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right. Florence's behavior seemed genuine, but everyone's reactions say otherwise. 

No, it can't be her, surely not.

Shaking my head, we headed to deliver the correct essential oil to Ramdon and decided to talk to Eustace next.

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After dropping off the essential oil with Ramdon, we headed to the small patch of farmland where we found Eustace exuberantly casting magic to water his crops.

The sight of the previously grumpy old man now eagerly using his newly learned skill was somewhat amusing.

"Nice work, Sir Eustace," I called out as we approached.

Eustace turned to us, his face breaking into a rare smile. "Look at this! I'm doing it! No need for you young brats to help me anymore."

Nanahoshi and I exchanged a glance, amusement evident in our eyes. It was good to see him in high spirits after the earlier confrontation.

"That's amazing," I complimented, keeping my tone light. "How do you feel?"

"Better than ever!" Eustace replied, his grumpy behavior replaced by genuine happiness. "But don't think this means I'll go easy on you two."

"Right... Anyway, have you seen anything unusual?" I asked, keeping the interrogation direct.

In response, the old man's joy suddenly faded, only to be replaced by unease. His eyebrows furrowed as sweat trickled down his forehead. Breathing heavily, he spoke.

"I saw something last night. It was big and scary."

Exchanging worried glances with Nanahoshi, I turned to Eustace and asked, "Can you tell us more about what you saw?"

He looked around nervously, lowering his voice. "I was out here late, checking on my crops, and I saw a shadowy figure near the edge of the camp. It moved silently, so I ran away."

"And then what happened?" I pressed, eager for more details.

Eustace grimaced, averting his eyes. "Don't know. I tripped and hit my head, then I ended up in that damn nurse's clinic and she healed my wound."

Exchanging another glance with Nanahoshi, we felt that the information, though interesting, didn't bring us any closer to identifying the apostle. Still, it was worth noting.

"Thank you for telling us, Sir Eustace," I voiced, trying to keep him at ease. "We'll keep an eye on this individual, so stay safe out here."

"Yeah, yeah," Eustace grumbled, his earlier enthusiasm dimming slightly. "Just be careful not to go outside at night."

With that said, we left the farmland and headed back to the refugee camp. While walking, I couldn't help but think that Orsted's last night's appearance and Eustace's sighting were just a mere coincidence. Regardless, the true imposter was still out there, hiding in plain sight.