The black raven feather, tied with its single, gleaming silver wire, was a declaration of war. It was not left on Hobb's broken body by chance; a guard had found it placed neatly on the man's chest after the "accident." It was a calling card. A signature. And everyone in Greywood Keep who mattered understood the message. The keep, which had been tense before, was now drowning in a sea of silent, suffocating fear. The guards patrolled the walls with their hands constantly on the hilts of their swords, their eyes darting towards every shadow. The servants whispered in huddled groups, their work punctuated by nervous glances over their shoulders. Lord Alistair had locked himself in his study, refusing to see anyone. He understood the message perfectly: the Hand had demonstrated that they could touch anyone, anywhere, at any time. The next "accident" would not be aimed at a disposable guard.

Ray watched the terror unfold from his usual quiet corners, his mind a whirlwind of cold, furious activity. The attack on Hobb was a brutal act, but it was also a gift. It was a direct response to his provocations. It meant the Argent Hand was taking the rumors of strange magic and forgotten wealth seriously. His ghost story was working. But it had also placed everyone he cared about in mortal danger.

“They’ve taken the bait,”

The Gritty Detective’s voice growled in his mind, the thought a low hum in his Ambient Presence.

Detective: “They sent a warning, which means they're not ready to just burn the house down. They're confused. They want to know more before they act. That gives us one last chance to control the narrative.” Courtier: “Control is no longer sufficient,”

Courtier:“We must dominate it. The next agent they send will not be a passive observer like Silas. They will be an interrogator, a specialist sent to unravel this mystery. We cannot simply react to their questions. We must present them with a performance so total, so overwhelming, that it replaces their suspicions with a new, more profitable fear.”

The Scheming Courtier countered, its tone sharp and precise. The time for whispers and breadcrumbs was over. The finale of his grand deception was upon him. Ray knew he needed to prepare for the arrival of the Hand's next agent. He needed a script, he needed props, and he needed to perfect the most challenging role of his life: the unassuming mouthpiece of a terrifyingly powerful, unseen Magus.

His days took on a new, frantic, secret rhythm. He spent hours in the library, not just reading now, but working. He activated Concurrent Partial Immersion, the Eccentric Scholar and the Scheming Courtier working in tandem, the strain a familiar, dull ache behind his eyes. He sat at a small, secluded desk, a piece of charcoal and fresh parchment, procured by Rina, who believed he was practicing his letters, spread before him.

Scholar: "The script cannot be a simple threat. To be believable, it must be layered with authenticity. We must weave in historical precedents, legal arguments from the era of the Second Kingdom, and obscure magical theories that would be known only to a house that has been in seclusion for centuries."

Courtier:"And the tone must be perfect. It cannot be overtly hostile. It must be a tone of ancient, unshakeable authority. The condescension of a true predator speaking to a lesser one. It should feel less like a threat and more like a generous offer to avoid mutual inconvenience."

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He began to write. His nine-year-old hand was clumsy with the charcoal, the letters large and childish. But the words they formed were a masterpiece of layered intimidation. He wrote of the "Lumina Compact," an ancient, magically binding agreement that superseded all mortal, mercantile contracts. He cited precedents from forgotten legal scholars and referenced theories of ‘Aetherial Resonance’ that would make a conventional mage’s head spin. He wasn't just creating a lie; he was building an entire fictional legal and arcane framework around it. While the script was being written, he worked on the props. The World-Weary Healer was his guide here. A powerful Magus would have artifacts, items of subtle power. Ray couldn't create a flaming sword, but he could create the illusion of protection.

He tasked Rina with a new list of "curiosities." He needed a smooth, black river stone, a sprig of dried nightshade (which he claimed was for a "drawing project"), and a length of silver wire, identical to the one found on the raven feather. Rina, now his utterly devoted follower, procured them without question. In his room, he set to work. He used his forgery skills to meticulously carve the symbol of the open eye into the face of the river stone. Then, using a technique described in the Eldorian Herbal for creating alchemical reagents, he crushed the poisonous nightshade into a paste and used it to fill the carving, polishing it smooth. The result was a "warding amulet," a piece of smooth black stone with a dull, matte black eye on its surface. It looked inert, but the Healer knew that anyone with even a trace of magical sensitivity would feel the dangerous, toxic energy humming within the nightshade. It was a bluff, but a potent one.

The final touch was the silver wire. He carefully wrapped it around the stone, mimicking the signature of the Argent Hand.

Conman:“Now that’s a statement! the voice cheered in his mind. You’re not just showing them your power; you're throwing their own signature right back in their face. It’s a power move. It says, ‘Your symbols mean nothing to my patron.’”

[SKILLED APPLICATION DETECTED]

[OPERATION: 'THE WARDING AMULET']

[PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: INSPIRED]

[Host successfully combined multiple disciplines Herbology (Healer), Forgery (Conman), and psychological warfare (Courtier) to create a highly effective strategic prop. The symbolic appropriation of the enemy's signature is a mark of exceptional creative deception. Largest Mastery Gain.]

[MASTERY GAIN: Herbology +8%, Deception +12%, Performance +5%]

[INSPIRED RESULT: Your deep understanding of symbolic manipulation has unlocked the Scheming Courtier skill: 'Psychological Parry'. You are now better able to turn an opponent's tactics and symbols against them to create confusion and doubt.]

For a week, he lived this dual life. By day, he was a frail, quiet child. By night, he was a master forger, a brilliant scholar, and a master strategist, preparing for his one-man show. He memorized his script until the complex, archaic language felt natural on his tongue. He practiced his performance, using the Stoic Assassin’s discipline to achieve a state of unnerving, preternatural calm. He had to be more than a boy; he had to be an enigma, an empty vessel through which a much older, more dangerous power seemed to speak.

The day of the performance arrived without warning. A carriage pulled into the courtyard. It was not the opulent carriage of a lord, but a plain, black, functional vehicle, drawn by two perfectly matched black horses. A single man stepped out. He was tall, dressed in the severe, dark robes of a high-ranking magistrate or scholar. His hair was streaked with silver at the temples, and his face was sharp and intelligent. Where Silas was a ghost, this man was a judge. He was met by Lord Alistair, who seemed to shrink in the man's presence. They exchanged brief, clipped words, and the man was led inside. Not to the study but to the grand hall. The summons came minutes later. Rina delivered it, her face pale.

"Your father requests your presence in the great hall, young master.”

“He… he says to come at once."

Ray took a deep breath. He tucked the black warding amulet into his pocket. He had rehearsed this moment a hundred times in his mind. He walked from his room, his small footsteps echoing in the silent keep. The show was about to begin. The house lights were down, the audience was seated, and the lead actor was making his way to the stage.