The present.
Silence filled the dining hall. Elias stared. Jamie stared harder. She had pulled a chair beside him at some point—Elias didn't remember when. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open. She slammed both fists on the table.
"HOW IS ANY OF THAT NOT FUN?!"
Dante laughed.
"Well the fight ended too quickly."
"QUICKLY?!" Jamie looked genuinely offended.
"That was the coolest thing I've ever heard in my life!"
Dante burst out laughing instantly.
"HAHAHAHA!I like this one." he said lookin at Alaric.
Jamie leaned forward excitedly.
"So wait—you actually brought the giant fish back alive?!"
"Yep."
"Can I see it?"
"I don't have it here with me right now. But It's in my office. Hey, wanna come to the HQ?"
"Yes!" Jamie answered instantly.
Dante slapped the table.
"Perfect! We'll leave after I take a shower."
He stood, stretching, Maria standing up beside him with a sigh.
"We'll come back to pick you two later."
"Eh? Me too?" Elias pointed at himself. Maria flashed him a grin and left with her father.
The moment the dining hall doors closed—
Jamie rounded on Elias instantly.
"This is your fault."
"Eh? Wait wha?"
"You abandoned me to Gyan."
"You survived didn't you."
"Barely!"
They began walking upstairs while Jamie continued ranting furiously.
"You saw her carrying those trays and looked away!"
"I was busy."
"You were sitting there listening to stories."
"Important stories."
"You're evil."
"You're dramatic."
Behind them Emma watched quietly. Then spoke.
"Elias, he seems...soft."
Alaric hummed thoughtfully and smiled.
"Looks can be deceiving."
Then his expression hardened slightly.
"So why did you really come to see me? I know you didn't come here just to share stories and enjoy breakfast."
Emma folded his arms.
"I submitted the mission report. The High Commissioner called the entire incident coincidence."
"And you disagree?"
"Yes. The artifact has sealed within the Forbidden Vault for research and the Pirate we captured to the inquisition but…"
He paused.
"Something funny is going on. I can tell this won't be the end."
Alaric's smile widened.
'Thats my student. Sharp as ever.'
"So," Alaric said. "You think there's a traitor."
Emma did not hesitate.
"A likely possibility."
Silence settled over the room. If Emma was correct, then the implications were severe.
The Royal Enforcement did not casually leak operational information. Missions of that level were compartmentalized heavily. Very few people within the Seventh division itself knew that a Strike Team had been deployed.
Which meant one of two things. Either someone extraordinarily capable had uncovered the operation independently. Or someone inside was feeding information outward.
Alaric leaned back slightly.
Alaric leaned back slightly.
"And you believe this is connected to the Revolution?"
Emma's fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"The timing is too suspicious."
The Revolution had been growing increasingly active of late. Smuggling operations. Political destabilization. Underground movements. Anti-government rhetoric spreading through poorer districts. And now Artifact trafficking.
Emma continued.
"The automatons are the largest issue."
"Patchwork flesh and Mechanical augmentation to the point that the can be considered grade five constructs." He paused.
"That is not the work of amateurs. And given the number we encountered, they seem to posses resources."
Alaric's expression became thoughtful.
"That type of research should have been discontinued decades ago."
"It was," Emma replied immediately.
"Officially."
Alaric hummed softly.
"Officially...That word tends to cause problems."
Emma nodded once.
"There was one individual involved in similar research years ago." Alaric continued.
"Igor Patrovski."
"The former researcher associated with the Church. Brilliant. Morally questionable. Specialized in artificial Flow integration and living artifact theory. That Igor Patrovski?" Emma asked.
"Seems you've done your research." Alaric said.
"Patrovski is a cripple now. He cannot wield Flow. So unlikely to be directly responsible." he continued.
"Unlikely yes."
Emma paused.
"But not impossible."
That was the problem with intelligent people.
Even ruined geniuses remained dangerous. Especially if their research survived them. Alaric's gaze drifted toward the window thoughtfully.
"Living artifacts… automatons… coordinated pirate activity… information leaks… All in the midst of this political unrest." He tapped the armrest once.
"It is troublesome," Emma replied.
"Potentially catastrophic depending on how deep the situation goes."
"So now, its either someone was able to get thier hands on and replicate his research. Or has his help." Alaric said
Emma nodded slowly.
"Either way, it is worth investigating."
Alaric paused for a moment before he spoke again.
" You want me to go and see if the Church is involved as sending Inquisition or you as an Enforcer making an appearance will alert them if they're involved."
Emma nodded.
"If you were the one to appear, they'll assume you're a concerned Lord, paying his respects and if you ask questions, they'll assume you're digging into local politics or noble concerns. They'll be cautious, but not panicked. Nothing more."
After several moments, he finally nodded once.
"My student really has grown quite bold, being able to come and ask a favor of me like this. Fine, I'll see what Ican do."
"I will follow up on the artifact we captured. And I will check on the Inquisition's interrogation of the pirate as well."
Alaric's expression flickered.
"Ah. The Interrogation."
Even Dante, had he been present, would have shuddered at the word. The Inquisition's reputation for extracting information was... effective. And thoroughly unpleasant.
Then footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Heavy.
Unhurried.
Then Dante entered. He wore fresh clothes now though his presence still somehow carried the lingering feeling of a natural disaster attempting casual socialization. He looked between the two men.
He looked between the two men.
"Oh?"
Dante grinned.
"You two talking about something interesting?"
Emma stood and paused.
"Do not interfere further than what I have requested of you." He said to Alaric.
Alaric just smiled.
"I'll pass by the Church sometime within the week so don't worry."
"Request? Church? What are you two twalking about?"
"It's nothing particularly interesting, don't bother Dante."
Dante stretched lazily.
"Shame. I like interesting things."
"I'm returning to headquarters."
Dante blinked.
"Already?"
"I have work to do."
"Even when you can take a day off after operations?"
"And what about you, you're going toe the Hunter Bureau aren't you?"
Dante blinked then laughed loudly.
"Gods, you really are stiff."
Emma sighed tiredly.
"You're twenty-something years old acting like a retired grandfather." Dante pointed accusingly at him.
"If you keep frowning like that your face is going to wrinkle permanently."
"I'll survive."
"Doubtful."
Before Emma could respond, voices echoed from upstairs.
"I SAID IT WAS YOUR TURN!"
"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO BROKE THE PLATE!"
"I BROKE IT BECAUSE YOU SCARED ME!"
Elias and Jamie descended the staircase mid-argument.
Jamie looked furious. Elias looked exhausted in the specific way only someone accustomed to Jamie could look. Dante immediately grinned.
"Excellent. The children are ready."
"We are not children," Jamie complained instantly.
"Can you proove it?" Dante asked mischievously.
"Please don't encourage her." Elias said with a sigh.
Jamie crossed her arms while glaring at Elias.
"You still owe me help with chores later."
"I absolutely do not."
"You will."
"Otherwise?.."
Dante burst out laughing again.
Emma quietly moved toward the exit.
"I'll be taking my leave. Another time, if God permits."
Dante herded the children outward moments later while Jamie continued arguing with Elias the entire way down the hall.
Their voices gradually faded into the distance.
Then silence returned.
The dining hall suddenly felt much larger.
Much emptier.
Alaric remained seated quietly for several moments before another figure appeared near the doorway.
Gyan.
She glanced around the now-empty room.
"Well," she said lightly.
"What will you do?"
Alaric leaned forward slightly, fingers interlocked.
"I suppose it's time I speak with the king again."
Gyan raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds troublesome."
"It usually is."
"But?"
"Not today."
He stood slowly from the table.
Gyan blinked.
"Oh?"
Alaric smiled faintly.
"I haven't properly spoken with my darling wife in several days.I think I would check on her and my daughter. Before anything else."
Gyan immediately groaned.
"Then the day might as well be over."
Alaric looked offended.
"That is an exaggeration."
"You lose all sense of time because Lady Elara. Ironically."
"Incorrect."
"You once vanished for eleven hours because she smiled at you."
"That is not true."
"It is absolutely true."
"It is not."
"You spent three hours describing the way her hair catches the light."
"That was—" Alaric paused. "That was different."
"That was last week."
Alaric coughed lightly and ignored her. He stood, stretching his shoulders.
"The house is yours, then."
"You say that every time too."
Alaric laughed. His laughter echoed softly through the manor as he disappeared deeper into the estate.
But behind the warmth of the household—
Behind the casual conversations and laughter—
The shadows of revolution, living artifacts, corrupted research, and betrayal continued to grow quietly in the distance.