Hero return - 09

Lucian stepped out of the dining room with a calm expression, even though his mind was still filled with what just happened. As soon as he was in the quiet corridor, his hand went up, wiping the cut on his cheek.

"I figured Lucian's relationship with his dad wasn't great, but I didn't expect it to be this bad." He let out a quiet sigh, noticing the thin blood on his fingers. The cut might be small, but the sting felt sharper than he expected.

"Damn, it's just a little scratch, why does it hurt so much?"

Natty, who had been waiting outside with a worried look, quickly stepped closer to him. The girl's eyes widened as she saw the scratch on Lucian's cheek.

"Young Master, are you okay?" her voice was filled with concern, her expression tightening a bit as she noticed the blood slowly trickling from the wound.

Lucian lowered his hand and turned to Natty, giving a faint smile that was barely visible. "I'm fine, it's just a small cut."

But Natty didn't seem satisfied with his answer. She bit her lip and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Young Master...!" then added, "I'll get you some medicine."

Without waiting for approval, Natty quickly turned and walked briskly towards the medicine supplies. Meanwhile, Lucian remained in his place, staring at his servant's back with an expression that was hard to read. He touched his wound again, feeling the sharp sting.

Lucian could only smile at Natty's reaction, then he let out a soft sigh. His gaze shifted to the window, where the moon shone brightly, illuminating the empty corridor with its silver light. The night breeze blew gently, bringing a calmness that contrasted with the chaos he had just experienced.

He stood there for a moment, letting his mind wander. The moonlight seemed to offer a bit of peace amidst the various intrigues he had to face.

"Guardian... So the Empire has called him."

Lucian leaned his back against the wall, squinting his eyes for a moment. The arrival of the Guardian signaled that the main story was finally starting to unfold. And he knew, from this point on, nothing would go smoothly.

Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings was heard above his head. Lucian turned and saw a small black bird flying in through the open window, its claws carrying a scroll. The bird hovered down, perched on the corridor railing, then stretched out its legs as if asking for the message to be taken right away.

Lucian opened the window and reached out, quickly grabbing the scroll. The bird shook a little, then flew away silently, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

His fingers deftly opened the wax seal embossed with the Guild Servant emblem, and his eyes quickly read the contents of the message within.

"To Lucian Hale,

Thank you for your enthusiasm. Regarding your request, the Guardians have indeed arrived in the Empire. They were received directly by the palace with high honor, as expected. Currently, they are under strict surveillance, but their movements are beginning to attract the attention of various factions, including the Order of the Holy Knights and the Imperial Tower of Magic.

As you requested, I will continue to monitor them and report any developments promptly. Concerning the evidence of the fund flow and what I mentioned earlier, everything is safely in our hands.

I'll wait for your confirmation if you want to continue this investigation. See you in the next game.

PS : One of our clients would like to meet you, he hopes to thank you in person

—Alpha."

Lucian read the message slowly, "So far, it's going according to the story in his game." A faint smile was etched on his lips at that moment, until he found a small note in the letter, he raised his eyebrow, "Wait, Client? Could it be?"

His eyes widened as the smile that was once thin grew big while he held the letter. He wanted to reply to it right away, but it was impossible to do so here, so he approached the messenger bird that was still perched on the balcony railing of the mansion.

"You know my room already, right?" he said softly. The bird nodded its head as if it understood what Lucian was saying. "Wait there, I'll write the reply soon."

The bird flapped its wings and flew off to the place Lucian pointed. In an instant, its figure disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Not long after that, quick footsteps were heard from the end of the corridor. Natty suddenly came in, slightly out of breath, carrying a box of medicine in her arms. Her face was full of worry as she saw the wound on Lucian's cheek.

"Young master, I brought the medicine." She hurriedly opened the box, looking for something inside.

Lucian raised an eyebrow and gave a faint smile. "Oh? You really came back." His tone sounded relaxed, as if the wound on his cheek was nothing to worry about.

Natty let out an annoyed sigh. "Seriously, why are you so chill about this?" She took some cotton, poured antiseptic on it, and carefully pressed it against the wound on Lucian's face.

Lucian just raised an eyebrow without much protest, but the stinging pain made him frown a bit.

Natty then quickly grabbed a band-aid and prepared the medicine. She approached Lucian before saying in a serious tone, "Young master, please lean down a little."

Lucian stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, then complied. "Alright, alright..."

Natty carefully applied the band-aid to his cheek, making sure his wound was properly covered. "All done," she mumbled as she stepped back a bit, still wearing a dissatisfied expression. "Please don't act recklessly again, Young Master."

Lucian touched his bandaged cheek and looked at Natty with a slight smile. "Thanks, Natty." His tone was light, but there was sincerity in it.

Natty, who had shown a worried expression, let out a soft sigh. "It's my job, Young Master," she mumbled, but her eyes were still focused on Lucian.

Lucian then glanced out the window. It was getting late, the moon was still shining bright, casting a soft light over the corridor. "It's late, isn't it? You can go back to your room. I'm going to rest too," he said while stretching as if he really was about to sleep.

Natty hesitated before asking, "Are you sure you want to rest?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, looking at Lucian with suspicion.

Lucian chuckled softly, then looked at her with a meaningful expression. "You're too suspicious," he said casually. "What if you check it out for yourself?"

Natty immediately huffed softly, then shook her head quickly. "No, I'm going back to my room," she said firmly, as if reluctant to get caught up in Lucian's wordplay. She then quickly tidied up the medicine box and closed it. After making sure everything was in order, Natty lowered her head slightly. "Good night, Young Master."

Lucian just smiled faintly without saying anything else. He then turned around and walked away from Natty, casually heading to his room.

Once he got to his room, Lucian quietly closed the door. He took a deep breath, feeling the silence enveloping the space. Without wasting any time, he took off his vest, tossed it onto the bed carelessly, and quickly went to his desk.

His hand grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, his eyes shining sharply as he started writing a reply to the Guild Servant. With the soft flickering candlelight, he swiftly yet neatly penned letter after letter.

"I understand. Make sure you keep sending me the report, and also I ask for a copy of the evidence, I hope you don't ask why. Also, for the meeting with your client I will meet him soon, so prepare a copy when I meet you

Signed, Lucian Hale."

Lucian reread his message for a moment before finally rolling up the paper and sealing it quickly. He then turned his head to the window, the bird was already perched on the balcony of his room. He immediately tied the letter to the bird's leg, making sure the bond was strong enough but not hurting it.

With one gentle movement, he rubbed the bird's head, then whispered softly, "Go. Get my message across quickly."

The bird flapped its wings, as if it understood Lucian's command, then flew through the darkness of the night, disappearing among the shadows of the buildings and the moonlight. Lucian watched its figure getting farther away, his eyes full of contemplation.

Lucian sighed, leaning back in his chair with a blank stare at the window, which now only showed a stretch of dark sky sprinkled with stars. He tapped his fingers on the table, his mind still busy processing all the information he had received.

With another sigh, he got up from his chair, shedding the rest of his clothes until only a thin shirt remained, then walked towards his bed. His footsteps sounded soft in the quiet room.

As he was about to close his eyes, a quick image of Cedric flashed in his mind—the Guardian summoned by the Empire, the guy who once killed Lucian in the original game plot.

"Well, for now, all I need to do is stay focused on my goal. I have a plan to avoid my downfall in this world."

With that thought, Lucian finally let himself drift off to sleep, ready to face whatever would happen the next day.