Arthur's distress

"What the hell is he on about?"

That was probably what Ralf was thinking—at least, that's what Ethan assumed, judging by the man's expression. His face twisted in a way that screamed disbelief, as if his brain simply refused to process what Ethan was saying.

And Ethan?

He loved it.

Ralf was clearly trying to understand, but at the same time, completely failing to.

Of course, Ethan was bullshitting, but he couldn't exactly admit that out loud.

So instead, Ralf sighed and said, "I think you might have misunderstood the servants' actions, young master. They're probably just entering your room to clean it, nothing more."

Ethan shook his head firmly, his expression as serious as ever.

"No. I'm pretty sure they're stalking me."

Ralf pinched the bridge of his nose, looking thoroughly exhausted. "Young master… I can't exactly punish people for cleaning your room. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Ethan crossed his arms. "I want my privacy back."

Ralf sighed again. "Well, you could just warn them—tell them not to enter your room when you're inside."

Ethan's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?" he exclaimed. "What if they do something to my room when I'm not there? You know how weird stalkers can be!"

Ralf stared at him, completely done with this conversation. "…I don't have any ideas then. So, again, what do you want me to do?"

Ethan thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. "I know! You could assign some guards in front of my room to keep watch."

Ralf blinked.

That… actually wasn't a bad idea.

Normally, guards inside the mansion weren't necessary—after all, the estate itself was well-secured. But as Ralf thought about the sheer headache it would be to deal with this issue any other way, he found himself considering it.

A moment later, he nodded.

"Fine. I'll assign two guards to stand in front of your room."

"They'll inform you if anyone tries to enter, and you can decide whether to let them in or not."

Ethan nodded in approval. "Yes, that's a good idea."

He turned to leave but then paused.

"Actually, I have one more request."

Ralf sighed. "What is it now?"

"A sword."

Ralf raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Don't you already have a sword?"

Ethan scratched his head awkwardly. "Well… I kinda forgot it back home, so I need a new one."

Ralf narrowed his eyes slightly, as if debating whether to question that statement.

In the end, he decided he didn't want to deal with it.

"Fine. You want a sword."

Since they were already in the training grounds' equipment room, Ralf simply turned, grabbed a sword from a nearby shelf, and handed it to Ethan.

"Here. You can use this for now. I'll see if I can find a better one for you later."

Ethan took the sheathed sword, testing its weight in his hands.

It was slightly heavier than he expected.

Drawing it from its sheath, he caught a glimpse of his own crimson eyes reflected on the blade.

"Thank you, Sir Ralf." He sheathed it again and nodded. "I wish you a pleasant day."

With that, he turned to leave.

But just as he reached the door—

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about, Master Ethan?"

Ralf's voice was suddenly serious.

Ethan didn't turn around.

"Yes. That's it."

A brief pause.

"Very well, then."

Ethan pushed open the door and stepped out.

Behind him, Ralf remained standing in place, his brows furrowed as he muttered to himself:

"Something's wrong."

---

Later…

Ethan walked down the hallway, carrying several books in his arms.

After leaving the training grounds, he hadn't returned to his room immediately.

Instead, he had gone to the library.

The original Ethan Mijuri hadn't exactly been the most knowledgeable about the world beyond what was necessary. And if Ethan wanted to survive and thrive, he needed to learn more.

And the best way to gain knowledge?

Books.

So, after spending some time gathering information, he now had a small stack of books on different subjects—ready to explore.

Though the library wasn't huge compared to those in his previous life or even the grand Mijuri family library, it was still enough to give him a solid foundation.

Turning a corner, he arrived at the hallway leading to his room.

Two armored guards stood in front of the door, their spears held firmly.

As he approached, they straightened and spoke in unison.

"Good morning, young master. We were sent here by Commander Ralf."

Ethan nodded in approval.

"Good. Inform me if anyone wants to enter my room. And if you find me not answering, it means I don't want them in."

"Understood, young master."

With that, Ethan pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Click.

He closed it behind him and sighed in relief.

His plan had been a success.

If his assumptions were correct, this setup would be enough… for now.

Placing the books on a desk, he decided he'd read them later.

For now, there was something else he needed to do.

He walked into the bathroom, shut the door, and took a deep breath.

It was time to go meet Arthur.

Activating his ability—

OmniMark.

In an instant—

Ethan vanished.

---

An Alleyway

A faint blue glow flickered in the air, marking the collapse of a teleportation circle.

And then—

Ethan appeared.

He glanced around.

"Will I see that cat again?"

Unfortunately, there was no sign of the black-and-white spotted cat he had seen here before.

Instead—

He saw Arthur.

Ethan froze.

Because Arthur… did not look well.

The man stood a short distance away, his posture tense, his expression dark.

And his deep frown—

It was the kind of expression someone made when they were facing serious trouble.

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell happened?"