[ Ah. That latter part certainly sounds like a familiar possibility in a way Claude doesn't care for.

That likely goes without saying so, he assumes, given the pause which only emphasizes it. There's now a long pause on his end of the conversation where he considers this and the rest of what Elrond has told him. ]

I can't say there are exact parallels from what I know either, though there was a... group, I'll say, known for operating in the dark. Somewhat figuratively, but also literally as well. [ There might be a sense he's choosing his words with great pains as well, paired with a glance to look for Sylvain who fortunately seems to be occupied elsewhere for this conversation and means it can continue on mostly without the fear of revealing too much. ] They weren't ones to scour the land as those aligned with the dark lord of your home were, but they were nefarious all the same. I had hoped there were no similar groups here, but.

[ That certainly seems to not be the case. ]