Theron did not answer immediately. His steps remained steady through the corridors of the mansion, as if Ivan's question was not important enough to respond to immediately. Only after a few seconds, he finally spoke without turning his head at all.
"Forgot to do something?" His tone was flat, almost sounding like an empty mumble.
Ivan nodded slowly. "Young Master Lucian is over there."
Theron finally stopped, but not out of surprise—more like someone who just realized there was a small interruption in his journey. He sighed, then finally turned his head slightly towards Ivan.
"So? Did you expect anything from me?"
Ivan was silent for a moment, suppressing his urge to sigh again. "At the very least, a greeting, Master."
Theron did not answer right away. There was something in his eyes—not anger, not hatred, but rather cold indifference.
Finally, he just chuckled, but without a trace of warmth. "What for? I think that child doesn't need it."
Theron walked a few steps then said something without turning his body around, "Oh right, prepare dinner for today, and tell Julian and that child too. I have something I wish to discuss." Having said that, he continued walking.
Ivan was silent for a moment at the command. His eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, a glimmer of hope appeared in his mind. "What is this? The Great Lord will open his heart to Young Master Lucian?" he thought, hardly believing what he had just heard.
"Yes, Master. I will prepare it immediately." Ivan bowed and waited until the Duke's footsteps had completely disappeared down the hallway. After that, he stood up straight and let out a long breath.
He then turned around, and stared toward the outer door of the mansion. His gaze went to Lucian, who was still standing upright there, currently appearing as still as a statue amidst the dispersing crowd. The evening breeze rustled the black cloak Lucian wore, casting long shadows under the slanting sunlight.
"This is a good start," Ivan said to himself, his eyes not leaving the figure. There was a glimmer of hope that he tried to hold onto, no matter how small it was. "Stay strong, Young Master...!" murmured Ivan, his eyes shining brightly at that moment.
With the renewed spirit rising within him, Ivan began to continue his steps to prepare the banquet requested by Theron earlier. For him, this might be the opportunity that would repair the relationship between father and son.
Meanwhile, Lucian noticed Ivan's current behavior. He raised his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes as if trying to read something hidden within the butler's expressions and movements.
"Why is he suddenly acting like that?" Lucian muttered to himself while watching Ivan walk away.
He stood where he was for a while, letting the evening breeze make his slightly messy hair float in the wind. After welcoming Duke Witte and the family troops, the servants quickly returned to their respective duties, leaving the front courtyard noticeably quieter now.
Lucian let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly as his flat expression turned weary. His eyes still gazed at the backs of Ivan and Theron as they disappeared behind the mansion door, then he touched the mask that covered half of his face.
Then, casually, he stepped away from where he stood. He had many things to think about at the moment. He walked towards his room with calm steps, though his mind was filled with various considerations.
Once he reached his room, he closed the door and removed his mask, placing it on the table. He then stretched his body a little before sitting down in a chair.
"Huh, really unreliable." Lucian clicked his tongue with an annoyed expression, his eyes narrowing sharply as if judging something disappointing. Casually, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs in a lazy yet elegant gesture.
"There isn't even any information from the guild yet," he muttered softly, his fingers tapping the armrest of the chair in a slow rhythm. His sharp eyes flashed with impatience. "Is it really that hard to find someone? No matter how you look at it, such a person should be easy to find anywhere." He continued, then clicked his tongue softly.
He leaned his body against the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling of the room as if hoping that something he desired would fall from above.
"Though if I can establish a partnership with that guild, I will gain a valuable ally," he thought to himself. His gaze turned toward the glass window, watching the golden rays of the evening sun. "Especially if it manages to attract Reynald Florance's attention directly."
He then looked down, his fingers interlaced in front of his face, which had returned to a flat expression. "I hope he isn't a troublesome person..." he murmured softly, exhaling a breath while resting his head in his hands.
In The Luminous Hero of Avandor, Duke Reynald is one of the most influential characters, although his role is not always prominent. However, for Lucian, who knows the game's storyline, he is one of the few nobles reasonable enough to consider working with.
"In the game, he is quite helpful. If I can gain his trust, then..." Lucian let his sentence hang, composing various possibilities in his head. "At least I will have one ally strong enough to face the coming changes."
Of course, gaining the trust of a Duke was no easy feat, especially for someone like Lucian Witte, who had a bad reputation. However, with this information regarding the flow of illicit funds, he had an opening to build a favorable relationship. Lucian grinned faintly.
"But now I haven't even received any information from them yet; is it because it has only been a few days since the investigation began?" His expression fell again; he leaned against the table and let out a long sigh. Without sufficient information, he could not take the next step. It was like playing chess in the dark—one wrong move, and he might be trapped in a scenario even worse than the original game.
Lucian looked back up at the ceiling of his room while thinking. Time kept moving forward, but he still did not have a strong foothold in this world. If he wanted to survive, he had to be more aggressive in seeking information—he could not just wait for everything to come to him.
"I suppose I should prepare another plan," he muttered softly, his eyes closing as he tried to recall the future plot of The Luminous Hero of Avandor. Suddenly, the tapping sound of a beak was heard from his bedroom window; it was a messenger bird sent by the guild servant.
Lucian turned his gaze toward the window. A repetitive knocking sound came from the beak of a black bird with sharp eyes looking straight at him. It was a messenger bird—one of the communication methods used by the Servant Guild to transmit information securely.
Rising from his chair, Lucian walked over and opened the window. The bird immediately hopped inside, gripping the edge of the table with its sharp claws before extending its leg, which was bound with a small paper scroll.
Lucian deftly untied the scroll and unfolded its contents. His eyes immediately scanned the lines of text written in dark ink.
"Thanks to you, our investigation into the flow of funds was resolved, correct. Just as you said, the culprit is the Queen. We found transaction evidence in the form of confidential documents and financial records pointing directly to her. In addition, we have secured several key witnesses who are aware of the illegal flow of funds. Thanks to you, we also obtained additional information regarding the Crown Prince, and all of that is now in our hands. By the way, we can play chess again later; I look forward to it."
Lucian tapped the tip of the letter with his finger, his eyes narrowing as he digested the contents. "Playing chess, huh...? That means they agreed to work with me."
He unfolded the paper further, discovering the rest of the letter.
"Young Master, regarding your previous request... we are quite doubtful about what we have found. Because the information you sent us regarding him was scarce, we had a hard time finding the person you are looking for. But do not worry—we wouldn't call ourselves Servants if we couldn't fulfill our client's requests. You can meet him to confirm if he is the person you seek."
Lucian stared carefully at that line; a faint smile curved his face, which now looked satisfied. "This... is finally what I have been waiting for. Damn it... you made me wait too long."
He then read the final words written inside the letter, looking at them for quite some time.
"To be honest, I was hesitant to write this, but I suddenly remembered what you said earlier. The Empire truly has performed summoning magic capable of calling people from another world. I will not ask further about it, but I feel I must tell you this.
Signed, Alpha."
Lucian closed his eyes for a moment, then chuckled—not a laugh of happiness, but more like a long sigh wrapped in bitterness. "Of course..." he murmured softly, placing the letter carefully on the table. "I myself would be surprised if he didn't exist in this world."
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling while pressing his fingers to his temples. "Even though it might have made my life more peaceful..."
A moment of silence fell over the room; the evening breeze blew once again through the open window. A smirk appeared on Lucian's face now; he rubbed his face, then looked up at the ceiling of his room, maintaining that grin. "If it is true that this has entered the game scenario, then soon other important events will also begin to occur."
Lucian stared at the letter now clutched tightly in his hand. His mind spun rapidly, trying to find an opening within this developing situation.
Lucian's eyes returned to the bird currently perched on his desk. He stared at it sharply, then hurriedly picked up a piece of paper and searched for a pen and ink to reply to the letter from the Servant Guild.
"Thank you for sending this information to me; our last game of chess was very enjoyable. I also look forward to playing chess with you again. Oh, regarding my previous request, please keep an eye on that man for a few more days; I will meet him as soon as possible. And also, if you find any interesting information regarding that knight, would it be alright if I knew as well?
Signed, Lucian Witte."
After making sure the message was clear enough, Lucian rolled up the paper, tucked it into the small cylinder attached to the messenger bird's leg, and then let it fly back to its sender. He sighed softly, leaning his back against the chair, his fingers tapping the table in a slow rhythm. "Now it is just a matter of waiting for their report..."
The game scenario of The Luminous Hero of Avandor did indeed involve summoning the protagonist at the beginning of the story, and the main problem faced by the guardians was the case regarding the Empire's illegal flow of funds. But Lucian had already taken this step even before the story began—would everything proceed exactly according to what he knew? Lucian turned his gaze outside the window, looking up at the blazing sky that was slowly fading.
"Very well," he murmured, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile. "Let's see what kind of game this is now."