The structure between the ten lords wasn't as uniform as it appeared on the surface. According to Cici's notes, two factions were vying for power. The larger faction was only larger because this lord's territory happened to encompass the capital city. Thus, he had a larger population and more votes. Although his group only consisted of three allies, making them the minority among the territories, they held more of the votes overall against the other six.

This had created a great deal of tension between those six, who were commonly being outvoted by them. This country didn't have checks and balances like a senate that balanced a house of lords, so the high population areas were suppressing the lower population areas. Her notes didn't go much beyond the basic relationship between each of the lords, and a few other allies they might have, but for a few hours of spying, this could have been said to be an incredible wealth of information.

"You're certain you weren't seen?" I asked, remembering my conversation with Anne and Mary and how everyone was secretly watching us out of the corner of their eyes.

Cici quickly shook her head. "Not at all. They don't pay as much attention to maids as they do to anyone else. I didn't leave through the door or window. I can also do this."

With those words, she closed her eyes, and a moment later she turned transparent. I let out a cry of surprise. Cici was full of surprises. I knew that she had a lot of mana and would probably be a great apprentice for some kind of grand mage, had the only grand mage from Aberis had unexpectedly been killed. It was almost embarrassing that girls who had so much potential were being trained up as maids. However, these were maids being trained by Faeyna, so I had thought they would be capable.

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I had never imagined their capabilities would be at such a level. She couldn't just walk through walls, but she could also make herself invisible. Was this not the perfect spy? She could move in and out of any secure area at will and leave no presence behind. I had felt when she had gone invisible, and even her mana signature decreased to the point where my Sense Life wouldn't have noticed her if I wasn't going out of my way to look for her. She had the same kind of powerful mana control that Celeste did.

"I don't want you to do anything too dangerous." I cautioned carefully, remembering that a crossbow had been set up in my room earlier, and had she been the one to enter it might have been dangerous.

"I won't, Master!" She straightened her back at attention. "I'm being extremely careful. I even asked for advice from the aunties. I've also been teaching what I learn to the other girls and teaching them to keep their ears open and to learn as much as possible for Master's benefit."

"Aunties?"

"Faeyna says that we're welcome to expand our roles as long as we are dutiful in our maid studies." She replied defensively. "Shao has also taken a bit of interest in us."

"I see…"

Shao always had a strange attachment to children, or maybe it was only children I hung around. I calmed a bit knowing that Faeyna knew what was going on as well. She'd probably consider being an international spy to be within the duties of a maid.

There was another knock, this time on the door. "It is time to leave."

The voice was Marina's voice. I gave Cici a look, and she curtsied before silently backing up through the wall, leaving no evidence we had ever had a conversation in the first place. I had only casually thought about creating an information network. It was something I was planning for the future, but it looked like it was already in the works. Had I unexpectedly created the beginnings of a deadly spy association?

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