At least that's what you've been able to find by eavesdropping while invisible. Making you and the rest of your slaves invisible for more than fifteen minutes was a bit beyond Mel's current power, but she was still useful enough to help you.

As you walked around and spoke about these things, a homeless guy approached you.

"Who are you? What do you want? Who sent you?" A greying, grizzly beard and wide eyes adorned this human's face. He wore tattered clothes, not an uncommon thing in this plaza. "By the gods, I knew this day would arrive. It was too naive of me to think none would know that I knew the truth."

"State what business do you have with the Savant Lord known as John Doe, or be gone. Be happy you are allowed so much as his presence, as he has graced this place with his being after purchasing it." Gerty replied before you had any chance to.

"Another Savant bought this place?" He said aloud to himself, then turned to Gerty. "Is this Master of yours also want to collect everyone's souls so he can power a battery that makes chocolate and pudding pie?"

Gerty frowned. "Are you mad? Or simply daring to make the fool of Master?"

"By the gods! How did you know my name?"

"Your name?" Gerty repeated, confused.

"Mad Codger Ragpicker, is my name. And you best not waste it, Eastian lass. You are an Eastian, are you not? Yes, I can hear the whispers of the slime and boar spirits tell me of the gears in your mind and clockwork run behind your eyes, lady." Said he to Gerty. Your Holy Knight seemed annoyed at the comment.

"Who sent you?" He turned to you. "They tried to get me to speak, but I said nothing. And by the Four I'll keep saying nothing!"

"And if I told you I was sent here by one of those Four deities?" You replied, finding that the man reminded you of an uncle you had back in your old world.

"Then I'd say you had a good imagination, though with a touch of exaggeration." Said he. "Now excuse me, I have to see if the shrubs are willing to talk to me again and show me the secrets of their treasures."

He went on about a few different conspiracies, each sounding more unhinged than the prior one. He warned that you and your wives should all keep their voices down, unless you all wanted the Will-O-Wisps to steal your hair while you all slept. "I invite you all to my humble abode, where I have put endless defenses against the neo-troglodyte mana teleporters. There we can speak freely over a game of Everlasting cards." He mentioned that card game you didn't fully understand.

"You play cards?" Ayane said.

"Indeed I do, fox-tails. But not because it's entertaining, no no. But because you can see the past and the future if you look at the cards right." He coughed, then shifted around, glancing quickly to his left then his right. "Staying in one place at night can be deadly, and try not to speak out too much. The floor and walls will begin talking and telling you to jump over your laundry every morning to get rid of the curse of baldness."