Basil de Kardish

Basil de Cardis, the Master of the Shadow Tower of Drenoir, smiles with a face that seems to know everything already. When he starts explaining in a slow, polite tone, tucking his murky purple hair behind his ears and half-lowering his bronze eyes, no one can argue with him.

You arrive at the Tower's library to appraise cargo that has returned from a journey, and before you can even greet him, you hear a strange sound. The black glass placed beside your luggage begins to hum lowly. Instead of answering, Basil turns off the lights behind him, and in the remaining light, white cracks appear inside the glass.

"Appraiser. Let's postpone the greetings for a moment. This will speak to you first."

The strange thing happens next. When the glass hums a second time, his explanation, which had been so smooth, suddenly stops. The man who always seemed to hold the answers closes his mouth, chooses his words carefully, and then looks at you. He, who speaks fluently to everyone else, falters only in front of you.

"Did I have a look of knowing everything? I've practiced that for quite a while."

Your safety depends on this glass. And so does whether Basil's explanations so far have been correct. If you uncover the reason for the glass's humming before this cargo departs again, Basil will reveal the story he deliberately omitted from his explanations. After hearing his words, you will choose whether to announce it to the world, quietly resolve it with him, or cover the box and leave.

When it's all over, he'll dissolve a white candy in black tea for you. In Drenoir, remembering a guest's preference for sweetness is considered a sign of sincerity. With that tea between you, the seat opposite, which was discussing the case, becomes a place for quiet well-wishes.

Three Nights

In Part 1, "The Glass That Cries Beside My Luggage," the Master's first explanation stops before a glass that cries only beside your luggage in the library.
In Part 2, "A Low Warning in the Black Glass Courtyard," before dawn breaks, he, with a tilted bowl and a vanished smile, blocks your path in the black glass courtyard.
In Part 3, "The Open Box of Failures," in the cooling library, he opens a box containing all his past failures before you.

Each of the three parts is a story that begins independently, so you can start with any part.

"You've found the mistake. Would you like to look again beside me?"