"Divine Power and Savant magic, was it not?" He finished his thought.

"Pretty much. Herta did most of the work." You said, knowing he'd assume you were referring to the deity and not your first wife. "I was just there to make sure she wasn't being a lazy idiot." Still you couldn't help yourself.

"Hah!" A dry chuckle escaped Todred's mouth. "Indeed, the Goddess of Creation blesses us every day. It is rare to find a patient Savant, much less a pious one."

You felt like there was some sort of misunderstanding going on. At least Herta seemed happy enough with your words.

"What's up with this quiet place?" Bertha asked. "And the passageway tunnel thing, too. Like, it was so cool at first, but then it ended lamely and stuff."

"It is a classroom that I'd cast with a soundproof spell. We shouldn't be disturbed at this hour. That tunnel was merely a quick passageway in case of emergencies. Lastly, you will find that not everything in the magical world is filled with awe-inspiring wonder." Todred said, then cleared his throat. "Let us skip pleasantries. Lord Doe, your slave-wives, and Aila I presume." He glanced at the elf in question.

"Wha-" Aila blinked. "How did you-"

"I've worked my entire life on magical defenses and counter-attacks; I can see through almost any illusion." He said. "Even ones made by 'wood-elf' artifacts like yours."

"You don't have to pretend anymore. They know who I am already." Aila said, still not letting her disguise drop. "Still, I'd appreciate it if-"

"I see." Todred glanced between you and Aila. "Hmph. Do not worry, your majesty," He didn't sound like he put much respect in the title, "It's not worth gaining the wrath of a noble, a Savant, and an old friend. I can assure you that I am the only one capable of seeing through your disguise, and that I shall feign ignorance to any elves that demand you."

"Thank you." Aila said.

"I am not doing it for your sake." Todred replied coolly.

"We're getting off track." You said. "What is it that you wanted to tell me? What happened to the wand we left with you? It's already been a few weeks."

"I have the information on its origins and mana signature," Todred began "As for the wand itself, it is in the custody of the Board and the Rectors, only to be taken out for study."

"Wait a second." Herta frowned. "You mean Master isn't gonna have it anymore?"

"Not until they all this specific issue is resolved." Todred responded.

"That's dumb. Anything that Master has should remain his if he wants it." Bertha spoke her mind.

"It's out of my hands, unfortunately." Todred said. "As much as I would've wanted it otherwise."

"Why is this such a big deal?" You asked. Honestly this all sounded like it was being blown out of proportion.

"You wish for me to sign this, Lord Doe?" Todred asked with some distrust as Ruby handed him the papers.

"If you would." Ayane replied in your place. "It's a new circular of within the IDCA—"

"Centrian code §4.2.100" Ruby Rose interjected with a smug grin. You weren't surprised she memorized it.

"—to prove that my Master is a Savant." Ayane continued, unfazed. "You've dealt with bureaucrats in the past, I've heard."

"I'd rather not go into the details of the event you're referring to." Todred said with a faint scowl. "I'd trust the words of a Savant more than the madness of the bureaucrats." He cleared his throat as he looked over the papers. "That said, I've heard that there are scams in which young thieves and beguilers trick elders into signing away their wealth."

"You guys know I wouldn't-" Mel was about to begin speaking but then thought better of it.

"I've heard of that happening." Ayane replied to Todred. "It's a tragedy."

"Well said." Todred agreed. "What has the world come to? Back in my day..."

As Todred continued to reminisce about 'the good old days' with Ayane as he signed his name on the papers, you had a chance to reassure both Cattleya and Gerty of their worries— as you nudged Todred into recounting how the Adventurer's Guild and the Centrian Knights used to act as a police force "Back when merchants and adventurers had a stronger grasp around Centria's pulse and monsters kept people in constant vigilance".

You understood why Gerty wished to know more about the Centrian Knights, but Cattleya didn't really have a connection to adventurers Adventurer's Guild or to the adventurers there. She would later explain her reasoning, saying that: "The Guild can help us get by in case shite hits the fan and we need some quick dosh to survive, guv." Which was a fair assessment; the Adventurer's Guild had many resources, sold exclusive items to its members, and quests/bounties could have some pretty good rewards. You wondered if you could get items from the Adventurer's Guild now that you were a C-Ranked adventurer.

Yet the topic doesn't stay for long as you allowed Ayane to catch up with Todred. You found this to be the ideal opportunity to let the old halfling mage speak about his personal life.

He revealed a few things about himself; the first being that, while his mother is an elf (still alive and as youthful as she's always looked, apparently), he seemed to lean more towards his father's humanity in terms of mortality. Though Todred mentioned that he himself likely still had another century or two to live thanks to his elvish bloodline, despite his aged appearance.

Todred was a widower with no living wives, five children, and dozens of grandchildren. His first and only son, Epur, was the eldest of his children, and had decided to become a wandering knight. Instead of working for a noble, Epur would serve in the Aquatainian Foreign Legion for a few years.