Private Finished Rumor Has It

A strange thing has happened. Rumors were floating about Helmut doing some things in the shadows quite recently. Though they may not be unfounded, Helmut wasn't worried. Strange rumors pop up every time. And it was true that Helmut had some shadowy visitors before. Some had reputations that were not entirely angelic, as moot as that may sound in a place like Manta Carlos. If anything, it was possibly just him being a little too careless with his hidden assistance. However, now that the spotlight was hovering around him, he'd have to be selective with the people he has contact with, as innocent as their exchanges would be in case this would lead to some undue harm. But he couldn't turn down his visitor for today. An individual known as Kon, one of the rescued Nek0s, he believed. He remembered taking a glance on his report when he was brought in. Kon was asking to talk about the recent rumors. Apparently, they've been popping up for a few people as well. Undoubtedly concerning to learn about. They set the meeting at the mansion in the afternoon. He had Celia prepare the tea, and had Duke tidy up the parlor for the guest. When Kon arrived, Celia ushered him to the parlor, which simply had a large ornate window with a good view of the front garden. The room itself was quite spacious, with a fireplace, and some artworks that came with the mansion when Helmut had won a bet. The floor was polished hardwood, with the concrete walls being a nice cream color. There were book cases lined up in a corner, with a table and a chair for comfortable reading. In the middle of the room was a carpet with a subtle geometric pattern. On top of that was a coffee table with a pair of armchairs that looked quite luxurious and well-crafted. Not to mention comfortable with the cushions. They were positioned so the window was to the side, giving both spots a good amount of natural light. Helmut joined Kon in the room, followed by Celia with the tray for the tea and some cookies and biscuits. As Helmut seated himself across from Kon, Celia set the cups on the table and pour the tea for Helmut and Kon before leaving. "Please, make yourself at home," Helmut told Kon before easing in. Helmut was dressed as he normally was, except for the trench coat and the orange tie. His gloves however, were still on. "So, how shall we start this interview?" he chuckled.

The rumors have started to involve crime? Well now this has gotten serious. Perhaps a series of pranks gone too far? Worst case scenario would be whoever was behind it was impersonating people, and that was particularly concerning, especially for Helmut. His face showed a bit more worry at this news. At first he thought it was just some harmless thing that concerned just him, but if its starting to ramp up, then who knows what would happen next? Something to distract from the implications of his situation was Kon's admittance to wanting to become a scout. "That is admirable," he said. "I'm guessing you wish to be a scout in the field then? Gathering information on a particularly stealthy candidate for the school is definitely a skill you must hone. It's not always as easy as asking for a name and address." He looked approvingly at Kon. Helmut went back to listening as Kon shared his findings on how the rumors were built on actions that were already attributed to something the person was known to do. So, again, a little bit concerning for a number of reasons. One being what people thought he was. He let out a quiet chuckle and sighed. "Well, perhaps it has something to do with my line of work before becoming a scout. But before I go on a tangent down memory lane, how much do you actually know about me? It's just to give me an idea how far back I should reach."

Helmut nodded, but left no clue to what he's thinking. It was just his second nature at this point, not giving anything away he didn't want to through his body language. "I see. Well, I suppose I'll start with... the most probable point of mistrust." He took a sip of tea and thought for a moment. "I don't particularly share this, but at the same time, it doesn't really matter to me. Then again, I'd prefer to avoid any mass panic, so please use discretion if you choose to tell anyone. Anyway, when I was still a boy in Germany, when the second war broke out, I was one of a group of super soldiers kept to the shadows. A secret weapon, so to speak. I'm sure you might be able to see why I'd be seen as a shady character. It definitely doesn't help that I was an information broker after the war. And then... this." He opened his arms and motioned to the room around them. "This didn't originally belong to me, but to someone else with a bad reputation. I simply won it over a bet." He chuckled. "I'd find myself untrustworthy too." He took another casual sip from his cup.

Helmut gave a closed-eye smile and chuckled. "Quite the coincidence, isn't it?" he said. "Though I would advise against pursuing being an information broker, if you were ever considering it. Even if you focus on the mundane, trouble will usually show itself to you. And even if you don't know it, someone is still going to be threatened. Second life or no." He didn't mean to make the moment sour, however he felt he needed to offer that warning. After all, he himself knew how dangerous that kind of life is. And he's seen the measures to silence people like Helmut evolve over the last few decades. But to lighten the mood a little, he decided to pick at Kon's consideration into gambling. "Responsible adults will tell you to never tie yourself into that. However, life is a game of chance anyway. If you do try getting into gambling, the most important thing to learn is knowing when to stop. Or at least knowing how make yourself disappear." He laughed a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sidetrack the interview"

Helmut seemed unaware of the bitterness in Kon's reply. "That's why I said if you considered it." He poured some more tea for himself and eased himself back on his chair. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to find the kind of people that would put a house and everything in it on the line for something novel." There was a quiet tapping at the door close to the corner with the book shelves. "Come in," he said without turning to look. It was the butler, and he stayed by the door after closing it behind him. "A letter has arrived for you, sir." "From Sarah?" "Yes, sir." "Very well. Put it in my study." With a courteous bow, Duke left from the same door, and once Helmut heard the click, he turned his attention back to Kon. "My apologies for the interruption. Where were we?"