{Are you able to read this clearly, No.69? I'm concerned that I'll be looking down at my wrist a lot by doing this. So I'm going to type without looking from now on}
Because she was now facing the windows, she could make it seem as if she was admiring the view outside of them. No.69 seemed to understand her intentions, as it darkened its screen and moved in front of the nearest glass pane.
[Yes, there are no problems, Delphina. I'm sure I will understand even if there is a typo or two!]
{Are oyu sure? Im sure ill ge used to it eventually}
[ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ]
[(•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)]
[Yes, you've got this! Anyway, Delphina what can I do for you?]
{I suggest you take a look atth ememory database for the past hour r so…}
[Yes! Just a moment…]
[Ah, I see. How exactly do you want me to help in this situation, Delphina?]
{Do you want to tell me the truth now or wait untill I hear it from uke Medinador?}
{Or shuold I tell you my hypothesis abuot what the Administration/system is?}
[…]
[(ಥ﹏ಥ)]
[This system doesn't have the authority to clarify certain matters. Please tell me your hypothesis.]
{I almost feel bad for you, then Ill cut a long story short. Most likely, the administration is formed from or by entities that come from a hgier plane of existence than this World}
{As such, the people who operate the systems that contact people, like yourself No.69. are likely to be individual entities or AI's created by said entities}
[How did you come to think that?]
[┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ)]
{I read alot, tbh it was a common subgenre that I liked to read}
[┬─┬ ︵ /(.□. )]
[I, I see…]
{I gues Ill just wait and see what Duke Mediandor says for the rest, then. I assume you can confirm or deny the information he gives me on the system right?}
[Yyyes!! I can do that much!]
{Do you want to just communicate in emojis if its difficult for you? Or would that stil count towards being blocked by the authority}
[…]
[(ʘ‿ʘ)]
[IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTROL HOW YOU INTERPRET THE EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION ICONS!]
{Oh? Oho, lets try that, shall we?}
{We better hurry, I can hear the Duke starring to head back towards the starirs}
[(ง'̀-'́)ง]
[(ಥ﹏ಥ)]
[(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻]
[┬┴┬┴┤ ͜ʖ ͡°) ├┬┴┬┴]
[(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)]
[(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:✧]
[(._.) ( l: ) ( .-. ) ( :l ) (._.)]
[(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)]
[( ﾟヮﾟ)]
[≧☉_☉≦]
[(>人<)]
[〆(・∀・＠)]
{Uh, so is this your side of the story?}
[(ʘ‿ʘ)]
{Okay I see, ill think about it depending on what Duke Medinador syas. Sounds good?}
[Yes!]
Just as Delphina was going to reply, she heard Medinador's footsteps start down the stairs. Sword Master level senses were certainly very handy when utilised well. Unfortunately, Medinador was just as able to hear her downstairs as a Sword Master himself. So she had tried this cumbersome method of communicating with No.69.
Thankfully, it wasn't awful. But the Administration's authority restrictions certainly had slowed their conversation down more than she had hoped.
{Spk later, go back}
"Delphina, please bring that chair over to the desk, there's not enough room on the sofa table."
Turning around to face where his voice had come from, Delphina could see Medinador had one arm full of scrolls, and one very old-looking book held in the other hand. So she was happy to oblige by simply moving a chair.
However, he was pointing at a rather comfy-looking deep armchair that was back near the staircase. Raising an eyebrow at him quizzically as to why it had to be that chair, whilst plenty were nearer. Medinador just looked somewhat ashamed for a moment before just ignoring her and moving to seat himself behind the desk again.
A flash of clarity or even inspiration came to Delphina at that moment. She guessed that was the least recently 'used' chair available in the room. Heavens above, did they have a rotation going on?
Rolling her eyes up towards the ceiling, Delphina sighed before shrugging and moving on towards the chair Medinador had pointed out to her. Not her business in the slightest what he and Elvira did in here, but she was changing every piece of furniture when she inherited the study for herself.
Lifting the dark wood and deep blue velvet armchair was no issue for Delphina. She simply balanced it on one of her shoulders with her arm underneath the middle, holding onto the armchair's seat tightly.
Whilst the stone flagstone floors were old and worn, they weren't slippery from being polished by the feet of time. So she could confidently walk her way back to the front of the study desk with ease and place down the armchair without much fuss.
Once she had placed the armchair at a suitable distance and sat herself down. Medinador immediately began organising the scrolls he had freshly strewn across the desk.
"The reason for my concern with your system, Delphina, is that it reminded me of something my own Father mentioned when I was being educated as the Heir."
He gestured to some of the scrolls he had partially unrolled.
"A large amount of documents pre-2000Ma were kept in scroll format before the Empire transitioned to printed books; despite them being more fragile, they were easier to store and even hide."
"As such, our Family kept a lot of scrolls before The Darkening. But Maria and Donovan changed that tradition and moved on to metal-bound books such as this one."
As he said this, he lifted the old-looking book she had seen him carrying earlier. Even with him lifting it in one hand, it looked considerably hefty.
"The reason being that the tradition for the Heir Apparent must be the first Sword Master in that generation. That meant that only the Head and Heir could even access the metal-bound books."
Delphina nodded; she could easily understand the logic behind the change. Whatever information was stored in the books had to be very sensitive. Such that even if they were invaded or a thief 'somehow' made their way into this heavily secured and fortified study, only a Sword Master would actually be able to take the book away.
This meant only copies could be made on the spot, and any copies would be in someone else's handwriting. Therefore, they would not be valid in an investigation, as it could be explained away as a frame-up.
As for a Sword Master taking it away, wouldn't all the Sword Masters in this Family or the Knights have to be dead for that to happen? So, quite frankly, no one would be left to care if the de Valesques went down because of some old, potentially forbidden books.
Not that that would ever happen. She was here now.