Irwyn was at a loss for words as Bhaak made his entrance. He had not seen the man since before the attack on Abonisle, though the peddler appeared completely unchanged. Down to every strand of hair and clothes, actually. Irwyn didn’t have perfect recall for those details, but he was almost sure the man was like a frozen image of his past, despite many months passing.“Who are you?” Alice questioned, at least clearly unfamiliar with said peddler.“Just a friendly traveling merchant with debts to keep,” he answered. “My customers call me Bhaak.”“Who has told me he couldn’t find me in the past,” Irwyn warily pointed out.“And that was the sole truth,” the man nodded agreeably. “Because it was not you I came looking for, but rather Alice. Of course, you are welcome to browse as well, Irwyn.”“Me?” the Steelmire heiress paused, startled.“This might be our first meeting, but that hardly means there are not long overdue things to settle between us,” he nodded, then paused, gauging their suddenly wary expressions. “No need to look at me that way, this is purely positive in nature.”“If your debts are so urgent, why have you only come to speak of them now?” Irwyn asked“Well, when was the last time you lot were out of the earshot of the Blackburg girl?” Bhaak inclined his head.“Do you have a problem with her?” Irwyn immediately frowned.“Hardly, and she would make a lovely customer,” Bhaak nodded. “Except I value my life a little too much to try.”“Because she is an extreme threat to someone who can teleport at theoretically impossible distances and at least a stage more powerful than her,” Irwyn gave Bhaak his best unconvinced look.“The good Duke has rather explicitly warned me away from interacting with any of his children,” the peddler explained. “And while that is rather slanderous and downright paranoid, I prefer my body and soul continuing to exist - and thus fully respect (...)