Jade still didn't feel quite convinced that the stone had nothing to do with Ib. Why would it have such a specific shape? Unfortunately, the results of the scan appeared to prove him wrong. He'd have to give it some more thought...

In the meantime, he was likewise glad for the change of topic. The knowledge that Ales had met the same end he had wasn't much of a comfort.

"Mograma got his from Kalki, who was part of the Triumvirat... And I'm sure Palitutu had no difficulty getting hers, given her connection to Garland." Jade tapped his chin. "There's a good chance the other two ended up in the hands of someone high up in the Empire."