Eurukus didn't wait.
He stepped in, reached forward, and snatched the papers from Quentin's hands.
Quentin froze again, but he forced his shoulders to relax a moment later, as if nothing was wrong.
Eurukus flipped through the documents. His eyes narrowed.
"These aren't Gravenheim reports," he said. "These are privately drafted notes from some an unknown group. And this—"
He held up a page. "This looks like a list of subjects like ages… conditions… and observation intervals."
Quentin lifted his chin. His face stayed calm, but his eyes moved too fast. "Ah. Those are medical surveys for the slums. The mayor ordered a health review. Poor districts often hide sickness."
Eurukus lowered the page. "Then why aren't these registered with the city's name nor Vorhalla Seal? And why is the mayor's daughter's name circled here?"
Lucian felt the air tighten. Quentin's fingers twitched.
But his reply came smooth. "Fise? She often visits the slums. I mark names of nobles who appear in cross-district data. It helps me avoid errors, and plus it makes the observation more accurate."
His tone was polite. Even slightly annoyed, like someone tired of explaining simple work.
Eurukus turned another page. "And this… this looks like dosages. These substances aren't part of any known treatment."
Quentin leaned closer, pretending curiosity. "Those are comparative formulas. The alchemists wanted proposals on alternative mixtures for winter illnesses. They haven't approved any yet, so I kept them separate."
Lucian watched him. He hides reaction with words well... This guy is really trained...
Eurukus didn't back down. He shuffled the papers again and pulled out a thin parchment with scribbled notes.
"What about this one?" he asked. "These numbers. These aren't for medicine or for anything."
Quentin smiled. It was a small smile.
"That page is research leftover from my academy days. I use the back for notes when I draft reports. Old habits."
Eurukus's jaw tightened. He flipped the parchment around. "Then why is Louis' name here?"
Quentin blinked once. "Because he is my son. It's normal for a parent to keep records. Is that suspicious?"
Eurukus stilled.
He couldn't argue with that. Not without pushing too far.
Quentin continued before the silence could grow heavier. "All of these are drafts, Commander. If I intended something improper, would I be walking around openly with the papers?"
He gave a soft laugh. "Anyone could stop me, just like you did."
He looked at Eurukus as if the entire situation was a misunderstanding.
Lucian held his gaze. He's good. He's really scary too.
Eurukus lowered the stack slowly. The suspicion hadn't vanished, but Quentin had dodged every direct hit.
"You should register these," Eurukus said finally. "All of them."
"Of course," Quentin replied. "I'll do it now. No need to worry."
His smile stayed steady, but Lucian saw the tension at the edge of his eyes.
Quentin stepped past them with calm footsteps, but halfway through the doorway, he glanced back.
His eyes locked onto Lucian.
There was no expression on his face. Not anger. Not fear. Just a slow, cold stare that lingered one second too long.
The kind of stare that said he remembered everything. The kind that said he hadn't forgotten the warehouse, or the crossbow bolt, or the crate.
Lucian kept his posture still. His fingers curled.
He knows I'm not done.
Quentin turned away and walked down the corridor with a steady pace, leaving the room in silence.
A moment later, Eurukus's three knights rushed in.
Tharion, the tallest among them, stopped first. His armor rattled lightly when he turned his head toward the hall. "Commander. Who was that man we just passed?"
Kael frowned. "He looked like he didn't want to be seen."
Jerrik, short and quick-eyed, added, "His eyes were weird. Like he was hiding something."
Eurukus exhaled through his nose. "He's suspicious."
He held the papers closer to his chest. "And he walks around with these documents like they mean nothing."
Tharion crossed his arms. "Is he connected to the issue in Lillypose?"
"Possibly," Eurukus said. "Too early to say."
They stepped out of the room.
The corridor stretched ahead, lit by pale lamps, and there—only a few meters in front of them—Quentin Rupert walked alone.
He didn't turn back again, but his shoulders were stiff now. He moved with an unnatural straightness, like a man forcing himself to be normal.
Every step echoed louder than it should.
Lucian stayed slightly behind Eurukus and the knights, eyes fixed on Quentin's back.
He's pretending nothing happened.
Eurukus whispered to him, "Stay close. Don't let him notice."
Lucian nodded. "I know."
Quentin's pace remained steady, but Lucian noticed something. His right hand was tight on the strap of his satchel.
The kind of grip someone used when they carried something important… or dangerous.
The group continued walking.
The distance between them never changed.
Quentin stayed ahead. Eurukus and his knights followed, keeping their voices low.
The narrow corridor made their footsteps overlap, and for a moment it felt like they were all walking in sync toward the same inevitable confrontation.
Lucian's eyes sharpened.
He's definitely scared. But I'll make him more scared!
Eurukus watched Quentin's back as they walked. The man's shoulders didn't move an inch. His steps were too calm.
Eurukus frowned.
"He's definitely suspicious," he muttered. "But how do I prove it…?"
He had documents, but nothing solid, no witnesses, or no direct evidence. Quentin acted harmless, polite, calm. The kind of man who could slip out of any accusation with one smile.
Lucian walked beside him, silent for a moment. Then he spoke.
"Commander," he said quietly. "That guy… Quentin Rupert's initials."
Eurukus looked down at him. "What about them?"
Lucian continued, "They match one of the criminals Mayor Mavis mentioned earlier. One of the names he said was dangerous. The one listed only as Q.R."
Eurukus stopped walking.
Kael blinked. "Q.R…?"
Tharion raised an eyebrow. "That actually fits."
Jerrik muttered, "So he's not just suspicious. He might be on the wanted list."
Eurukus tightened his grip on the bag he carried. "Why didn't I notice that sooner?"
Just ahead of them, Quentin suddenly twitched.
It was small, barely noticeable, but Lucian caught it. A slight shake in his shoulder. A pause in his stride. The tiniest reaction of someone who absolutely did not want to hear what they were saying.
Eurukus saw it too.
"So he heard us," Eurukus whispered.
Tharion nodded. "He definitely reacted."
Kael's hand shifted instinctively toward his sword. "Should we call for backup?"
"No," Eurukus said quickly. "Not yet. If we act without proof, he'll slip away. We need something firm before we confront him."
Jerrik glanced at Lucian. "Kid, good catch."
Lucian kept his eyes on Quentin. This is working.
They resumed walking, but now every step carried tension. Quentin's back seemed straighter than before. His pace slightly faster.
Eurukus leaned down just enough for Lucian to hear. "Your observation helped more than you know. But be careful. He's listening."
Lucian nodded. "I know."
Ahead of them, Quentin Rupert kept moving, but his right hand was shaking.
Quentin Rupert, Louis' father, had always been like this.
Lucian remembered it clearly. Whenever he visited Louis' house, Quentin was never relaxed.
He walked fast, spoke short, and kept every door closed as if hiding something. He scolded Louis for small mistakes, demanded perfect manners at the table, and never allowed anyone into his study.
Louis used to whisper, "Father's busy again," every time Lucian asked where he was. Busy with what? Lucian thought it was because he worked under the king.
Quentin would leave the house early before sunrise and return late at night. Sometimes Lucian would hear strange metal sounds from the basement. Sometimes he saw Quentin carrying locked boxes. Louis said even he wasn't allowed to open them.
Back then, Lucian only thought Quentin was strict. Harsh, yes, but just a father with too much work. Someone who served the capital.
But now…
Lucian watched Quentin walk ahead of them in the citadel hallway. The man looked like a normal official.
But Lucian had seen the real face earlier.
The cold smile, the quiet threat, and the way he talked about killing his own son without a hint of hesitation.
He was like this even before, Lucian thought. But I never knew how deep it went.
Eurukus whispered, "So he worked under the king all this time… while doing crimes in the shadows?"
"It's crazy," Kael muttered. "A man trusted by the capital turned out to be one of the criminals we're hunting."
Tharion crossed his arms. "And he looked completely normal."
Jerrik shook his head. "No wonder the black market could operate even here."
Lucian stared at Quentin's back. "He hid it well," he said. "Even Louis didn't know."
Eurukus looked at him. "You knew him personally?"
Lucian nodded. "Louis and I grew up together. I visited that house a lot. Quentin was always strict and busy, but… he acted like a normal father."
Eurukus clenched his jaw. "A father who experiments on children and hides it behind a smile."
Quentin took a turn down a corridor. His steps never faltered, but Lucian noticed something. His shoulder twitched again.
He heard everything.
Lucian's hands tightened.
Then, a faint chime rang in Lucian's ears.
A blue screen appeared in front of him.
[Quest Completed.]
[Target: Quentin Rupert — Exposed.]
[Reward Granted: Principle Power Up.]
Lucian stopped walking. The knights didn't notice, but Eurukus glanced at him. Lucian's breath hitched as more words formed in front of him.
[First Quest Complete.]
[You have finished Stage 0 of the Death Loop System.]
[Advancing to Stage 1.]
The letters glowed, then faded into his chest like a pulse.
Lucian felt a sharp rise of heat inside his core. His principle stirred, shifting like it had gained weight. His body didn't change, but he felt something new settle inside him, steady and firm.
I'm becoming stronger.
He clenched his fist slowly. The strength wasn't physical. It felt deeper.
Stage 1.
His Death Loop System had just awakened again after ten long years.
He was moving forward.
Lucian kept walking with Eurukus and the knights, but his eyes drifted down.
He whispered in his mind.
What does Stage 1 give me?
The screen flickered.
[Stage 1 Information Restricted.]
[You must discover its functions through experience.]
He sighed inside. Of course. The system never handed answers. It only pushed him.
He suddenly remembered something heavier. His real goal. Guinevere Von Meranne.
She was still suffering somewhere in a distant timeline. And here he was, caught in a side quest involving criminals, experiments, and nobles.
But he knew how this world worked now. Side quests weren't really side quests.
They changed everything.
The screen pulsed again.
[Additional Reward Granted.]
Another one...?
[Unlocked Feature: Artifact Spin.]
[You may gamble for weapons, artifacts, or tools with unique attributes.]
Lucian blinked. This is like a game.
He remembered games he played back on Earth, like gacha pulls.
The dopamine rush...
Now it felt real, which made it twice as nerve-wracking.
The system displayed a floating list.
[Rarity and Chance]
- Common: 52%
- Uncommon: 32%
- Rare: 10%
- Epic: 5%
- Mythic: 0.9%
- Legendary: 0.1%
Then the system asked.
[Do you want to spin now?]
Lucian answered in his mind. Yes.
A wheel appeared.
Symbols flashed of weapons, wings, cloaks, and crystals. Then the wheel slowed.
Rare.
[Artifact Acquired: Midnight Dream]
A small object formed in front of him, visible only to him.
A dark crystal pendant on a thin silver chain. The gem looked black at first, but when the light hit it, it shimmered with faint violet and deep blue, like a night sky trapped in glass.
The system explained:
[Midnight Dream - Rare Artifact]
[History: A relic from the vanished kingdom of Somnaris, forged by a Principle-user who walked the border between dream and reality. Legends say he sealed the last memory of his dying world inside this gem, creating a charm that hides one's presence from hostile senses during critical moments.]
[Effect: Slightly reduces the user's presence when in danger.]
Lucian stared at it. Hiding presence?
Did the system just give me a stealth item?
It felt unreal. It felt like Earth, but not.
Eurukus looked at him. "You alright?"
Lucian nodded slowly. "Yeah… just thinking."
He clenched the pendant.
This world was getting harder.
But so was he.