The office felt quieter than before.
Not empty.
Just… still.
Cain stood across the desk, posture straight, but not rigid.
Lucien Valencrest studied him briefly.
"…You've recovered."
"I have."
A pause.
"…Good."
Then—
The Duke lowered his head.
Not deeply.
But enough.
Cain's eyes widened slightly.
"Your Highness…?"
"I must apologise," Lucien said. "For the conduct of my soldiers."
Cain blinked.
"They spoke out of turn. And to you, of all people."
His tone remained calm.
But firm.
"That is a failure in discipline."
Cain immediately shook his head.
"No, please. That is unnecessary."
"They questioned your worth," the Duke continued. "Within my own estate."
A brief pause.
"…That reflects poorly on me."
Cain hesitated.
"…I lost my strength to something as simple as a dagger."
His voice remained steady.
"It is only natural for them to doubt me."
Silence.
Then—
"…Just like you," the Duke said quietly. "To dismiss such matters."
Cain didn't respond.
But his gaze lowered slightly.
Over the past two weeks, he had observed Lucien Valencrest closely.
A man who did not ignore failure.
Even when it was not directly his own.
"…He is worthy of respect."
"Your Highness," Cain spoke again, "please… refer to me as Cain."
"I cannot."
"I insist."
A brief pause.
"…Very well. Cain."
The Duke straightened.
The moment passed.
"Now," he continued, "regarding the assassination attempt."
The shift in tone was subtle.
But clear.
"The Salazar Barony did not act alone."
Cain's attention sharpened.
"They received assistance."
"…From another house?"
Instead of answering directly, the Duke placed something on the table.
A fragment.
Dark.
Cracked.
"…This was recovered from the assassin."
Cain studied it.
"…An artifact?"
"A broken one," the Duke replied. "Used for infiltration."
A brief pause.
"Even in its current state, its residual mana suggests a high-grade origin."
"…How high?"
"…At least A-rank."
Elias froze, as he looked at the artifact on the screen.
"...An A-rank artifact Stealth artifact?"
"With... A dark gem..."
He pursed his lips.
"No way."
Silence.
Cain's fingers tightened slightly.
"…A barony should not possess such a thing."
"They should not."
Another pause.
"…Which is why they did not act alone."
The room fell still once more.
Cain's gaze lingered on the broken fragment.
"…Which house?" he asked.
The Duke did not answer immediately.
"…This matter is not yet concluded."
A pause.
"But understand this, Cain—"
His eyes met his.
"The Salazar Barony does not have the reach to involve themselves in such matters alone."
Cain remained silent.
"There are only four powers within the Valentia Empire capable of moving resources of this level without drawing immediate suspicion."
A brief pause.
"The Four Ducal Houses."
Cain's attention sharpened.
"Valencrest," the Duke continued calmly. "Ravenwing. Arcanis. Nightveil."
Each name carried weight.
"Any one of them could have facilitated this."
"…Including yours."
The words left Cain without hesitation.
Silence.
Then—
"…Yes."
No denial.
No offense.
Just acknowledgment.
"That is why I will not speak prematurely."
A quiet finish.
"We are not yet at the point where certainty outweighs consequence."
Cain inclined his head slightly.
"…Understood."
The Duke stepped back slightly, shifting the conversation.
"This, however, leads to a separate issue."
Cain looked up.
"You have already been targeted once."
A pause.
"It will not end there."
"…Then I will deal with it when it comes."
A straightforward answer.
The Duke studied him for a moment.
"…That is one way."
"However."
His gaze sharpened.
"What would you do if you were confronted by someone stronger than the assassin they sent?"
"If it wasn't for Knight Captain Malthus, you would have died."
Cain flinched.
He did not have any memory of the attack, yet, he knew that his strength was nowhere near enough to be certain of victory.
He couldn't argue, even though he wanted to.
"My suggestion is... The death of the Knight of Light."
Cain looked up with a perplexed expression.
"What do you mean?"
"We will fake your death."
"I will announce to the world that you succumbed to your injuries from the assassination attempt."
The Duke opened his desk drawer, pulling out a bracelet.
Simple.
Unadorned.
Yet—
"Use this... Till you are strong enough to protect yourself."
Cain's gaze fell onto it.
"Is this... An artifact?"
"One used for disguise, yes. It's a B rank artifact which should prevent people from recognising you. Although, people with the caliber of a swordmaster or a grand mage would be able to see through it."
Cain picked it up.
It felt… ordinary.
Too ordinary.
"…Understood."
"In the meantime, avoid unnecessary exposure. Until your 'death' is made public, your presence must remain limited."
"I will keep that in mind."
"I have looked into positions where you can remain hidden while continuing to grow stronger."
"I assumed scholarly positions did not suit you."
"It doesn't. I am a knight."
"Yes… I expected as much."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"In that case…"
A short pause.
"The Royal Academy of Valentia."
The name lingered in the air.
"A structured environment. Controlled. And removed from the reach of most external threats."
Cain remained silent
Thinking.
"…You would enter under an alias," the Duke added. "Registered under a house loyal to me."
"…And train."
He paused for a second.
"…My son is currently in his second year there."
That caught Cain's attention.
"…Your son?"
"Yes."
A short pause followed.
"…We are not close."
The statement was delivered plainly.
Without elaboration.
Without emotion.
"And yet," the Duke continued, as if nothing had been said, "the academy remains the most suitable option."
Cain lowered his gaze slightly.
"…I will consider it."
"That is sufficient."
"…Your Highness."
The Duke looked at him.
Cain's grip around the bracelet tightened slightly.
"…Why are you doing all this for me?"
For the first time—
The Duke did not respond immediately.
His gaze lingered.
Not on Cain—
But somewhere distant.
"…I owe your father a favour. One I intend to fulfill at all costs."
Cain, who had lost his father at a very young age, knew little to nothing about him.
His mother, until her death, never really said much about him.
"You knew... My father?"
Cain's voice lowered slightly.
"Yes. A tale of old times."
"I will tell you everything when the time is right."
Cain stood in silence.
He wanted to know more.
But-
He respected Lucien's wishes.
"...Understood."
"And," the Duke added, his tone returning to normal, "the world still has use for you."
A quiet finality.
Cain inclined his head.
"Thank you, I appreciate your trust."
The conversation had ended.
The corridor felt colder.
Or perhaps—
Quieter.
Cain walked slowly.
Measured.
"…A false death."
It made sense.
Logically.
Clean.
Efficient.
And yet—
His grip tightened slightly around the bracelet.
"…To disappear…"
His steps slowed for just a moment.
Then resumed.
"…So be it."
Strength could be regained.
Names could be changed.
He turned.
Toward the training grounds.
"…Royal Academy of Valentia, huh."
Elias leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen.
"…Now that I think about it…"
He tapped the armrest lightly.
"…Something's off."
His eyes narrowed.
"Everyone here starts late."
Training.
Combat.
Even mana usage.
"…At first I thought it was just weird design."
A pause.
"…But no."
"They live longer."
That alone changed things.
"If people here live over a hundred years…"
"…then starting at twenty one isn't late."
He exhaled.
"…And then there's the Royal Law"
A faint frown formed.
"No combat training before eighteen."
"No mana usage either."
"Only theory."
He leaned back.
"…I always found this weird. But again, I'm not from this world. All my knowledge about it comes from the game."
"If I had to guess..."
"It would have to be for safety reasons. A growing body's mana frequency can change, or so I've read in the cutscenes. Only a monster could adapt to those shifting mana patterns and train through them...".
"…Yeah. That makes sense."
His gaze flickered back to the screen.
Cain was already moving again.
Training.
"…Seriously?"
Elias let out a breath.
"…You're insane."
His eyes shifted slightly.
Toward the bracelet.
"…That thing…"
A pause.
"…That's not normal."
He leaned forward slightly.
"…And it reacts to mana."
A faint grin appeared.
"…I might be able to work with that."
The screen flickered softly.
And the training continued.