The preparations are progressing well, though far more slowly than I had anticipated. So many wish for the Commander’s downfall, for the Nameless Company to be erased from the pages of history once and for all, yet so few are willing to risk anything and assist me in my efforts. Most people are opportunists. Still, among that mass, there are some who do not fear a fight. I make it my task to find them, one by one. They hide well, I will grant them that. Then again, is that not precisely what I need now? Discretion. Cunning.

  I cannot comprehend how the Nameless Company continues to function. Nothing there is organized as it should be, and yet everything works exactly as it must. An abomination no less dangerous than the Black Mage. I am entirely convinced that if any other mercenary band operated in such a manner, it would fail to complete even a single contract. Why are the Commander’s men different? What sets them apart?

  My mind cannot find rest. The nights have become a struggle between the weakness of the body, which demands sleep, and a head filled with racing thoughts. I know the anxiety is caused by the delays in the delivery of the components I require. The device I am constructing is nearly complete, but… there is always a “but,” always some uncertainty I cannot afford now. I have sent for sleep incense from the Atolls themselves. I must quiet myself. I must sleep properly.

  But to return to the preparations. By calling in several outstanding favors, I managed to purchase components of the highest quality for the trap I intend to build. That part was not overly difficult. The true challenge lay in getting my hands on the schematics. There, I had to exert real effort. I feared most that even if I succeeded, I would be unable to decipher them. Unnecessarily so. The person who delivered them ensured that both the graphical representation of each element and the subsequent assembly steps were clear and precise.

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  Then another problem arose: sourcing the parts. I could not allow myself the luxury of finding a single skilled craftsman. The risk of their discovering the device’s purpose would have been too great, and inconvenient questions are the last thing I need. In the end, I managed to commission every component separately. I will not pretend it cost me little. It required a great deal of time and even more money. I have shared none of my plans with my associates. They will learn of them after the fact. That is better.

  I dismissed the servants. Temporarily, but dismissed them nonetheless. Paradoxically, that was the most difficult decision I have made in recent days. I have grown accustomed to them and appreciate their daily efforts. Yet I could not risk someone’s constant presence in my house. The device I am working on is exceptionally sensitive. A foolish door slammed at the wrong moment could throw it entirely out of alignment. I know this, but…

  Patience is a virtue I once believed I possessed. The last few days have shown me that perhaps I misjudged myself. With every passing hour, I grow less composed. The message I received this morning about difficulties in acquiring the proper metal alloy and the resulting delay in delivery nearly unbalanced me. I must exert better control over myself. I must take greater care to preserve my inner calm. Like the Commander, whom nothing seems capable of surprising or angering anymore.