Meanwhile...Duchy of Ebonreach. Also known as the Duchy of Nightfall.
Situated on the western frontier of the Aurelian Empire, the Duchy of Ebonreach had been ruled by House Nightfall for centuries.
It was a land renowned for its disciplined knights, intelligence network, and unwavering loyalty to the Empire.
At the heart of the duchy stood Silverbrook City, the residence of the Nightfall family.
Currently... Kaelan Nightfall was effectively under house arrest.
Not because he had committed any crime. But for his own safety.
During the practical examination at Novaris Academy, demons had infiltrated the testing grounds with a single objective.
To assassinate Kaelan Nightfall.
Since that incident, security around the young heir had become stricter than ever. Elite knights patrolled the estate day and night.
Magic barriers surrounded the mansion. Every servant entering or leaving underwent inspection.
Kaelan wasn’t even allowed to leave the estate grounds.
"Haa..."
Kaelan wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel after finishing another exhausting training session.
"I really feel like I’m living inside a prison."
His complaint echoed throughout the spacious training hall.
Standing nearby was a man in his early thirties.
He wore simple training clothes instead of armor, yet his muscular physique and composed posture immediately revealed that he was no ordinary knight.
He was Drake Steelborn.
Captain of the Nightfall Knights and currently...
Kaelan’s personal bodyguard.
Drake smiled helplessly.
"Young Master... Everything we’re doing is for your safety. I know."
Kaelan sighed. "I understand why Father made this decision."
He tossed the towel toward a waiting servant before walking out of the training hall. "But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t leave the estate."
Drake quietly followed behind him. His current mission was simple. Protect Kaelan at all costs during the summer vacation.
The two walked through the long stone corridors of the mansion. After several minutes of silence, Kaelan spoke again.
"By the way... Has Father returned yet?"
Drake shook his head.
"Not yet. He’s still investigating your uncle’s whereabouts. Cassian Nightfall."
Kaelan’s expression immediately became serious.
"Any progress?"
Drake nodded.
"We recently received intelligence suggesting Lord Cassian was seen in the eastern dukedom Raigamine. The territory ruled by House Narukami."
Kaelan stopped walking.
"...Really?"
His eyes widened in surprise.
"How? He disappeared years ago. No matter how much we searched, we never found a single clue. So how did Father suddenly obtain information about him?"
A faint smile appeared on Drake’s face.
"Young Master... There are eyes everywhere throughout the Empire. Countless people make their living gathering and selling information. They trade secrets to noble families, merchants, and even governments."
Kaelan looked thoughtful.
"You mean... An underground intelligence organization?"
Drake nodded.
"Something like that."
"What are they called?" Kaelan asked.
Drake gave an apologetic smile.
"I’m afraid I don’t know. Only your father deals with them directly."
Kaelan studied Drake’s face carefully.
For just a brief moment. He felt Drake wasn’t telling him the whole truth.
But he chose not to pursue the matter further. If Drake wished to keep it secret.
There was probably a reason. By the time they returned to the residential wing...
The sun had already begun setting beyond the western mountains. The sky glowed with shades of crimson and orange.
"I’ll freshen up."
Kaelan stopped outside his bedroom. "Please have dinner sent to my room."
Drake bowed respectfully. "As you wish, Young Master."
The knight turned and walked away. Kaelan entered his spacious chamber before heading directly toward the bathroom.
After a relaxing bath. He changed into comfortable clothes. Not long afterward, servants delivered his dinner.
The meal passed quietly. Night had completely fallen. The moon hung high above the sky.
Its silver light illuminated the estate gardens beyond the enormous bedroom window.
Kaelan slowly approached the glass. Looking outside he couldn’t help admiring the peaceful scenery.
The moonlight reflected across the fountains and flower gardens, creating an almost dreamlike landscape.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"
A calm male voice suddenly spoke.
"I mean... The moon. Oh also that moon is mine."
Without thinking, Kaelan answered.
"Yeah...It really is. But how can be it you-"
Then he froze. His pupils contracted. A chill ran down his spine. That voice it hadn’t come from outside. It had come from inside his room.
Almost instinctively, Kaelan summoned a pair of twin daggers from the storage ring on his finger. The weapons instantly appeared in his hands.
He spun around.
His sharp gray eyes scanned every corner of the chamber. "...Who’s there?"
There was only silence. Nothing other than silence.
No one was there.
"Oh my~"
The same male voice echoed again.
"Why are you so tense? I’m not here to hurt you."
Kaelan’s heartbeat accelerated. His grip tightened around the daggers. He couldn’t see anyone.
He checked each corner of the chamber. No one was present. Yet someone was definitely inside the room.
Mana immediately surged through his body. He prepared to shout for help. How had anyone entered?
The Nightfall Estate was protected by countless elite knights and multiple layers of magical barriers. It should have been impossible.
"Don’t shout, young man."
This time the voice came from directly behind him.
Kaelan instinctively turned. The instant he moved—
Darkness erupted from beneath his own shadow. Shadowy hands burst from the floor like living creatures.
Before he could react they wrapped around his arms.
His legs. His torso. Another hand covered his mouth.
Thud!
Kaelan lost his balance and fell heavily onto the floor. The living shadows completely restrained his body.
Only his frightened gray eyes remained visible.
Slowly he looked toward the window.
A lone figure stood there. Wrapped in a cloak darker than the night itself. The cloak seemed almost alive, blending perfectly with the surrounding darkness.
A simple black mask concealed his face. Only pitch-black eye sockets stared back at Kaelan.
His black hair gently swayed in the night breeze entering through the open window.
Most terrifying of all Kaelan couldn’t sense the slightest trace of mana.
There was no aura. There was no presence. It was as though the man standing before him didn’t exist.
Cold sweat rolled down Kaelan’s forehead. His heart pounded violently.
He wanted to ask who this person was. He wanted to scream. But the shadow covering his mouth prevented even the smallest sound from escaping.
The mysterious man spoke calmly.
"Relax. I’m not here to kill you. If I wanted you dead... You would’ve died long before you realized I was in this room."
Those simple words made Kaelan’s blood run cold.
He knew the stranger wasn’t bluffing.
Someone capable of infiltrating the Nightfall Estate without alerting a single guard was unimaginably dangerous.
The masked man tilted his head thoughtfully.
"So... How should I introduce myself?"
He chuckled softly.
"For now...You can call me..." He pasued.
The said. "...Shadow. Yes. Shadow."
He casually leaned against the window frame. "I’m only here because there’s something important we need to discuss."
He glanced at the restrained young noble.
"I’ll remove the shadow covering your mouth. But only if you promise not to scream."
Kaelan remained silent. His mind raced.
Calling for help would likely be pointless. If this man truly intended to kill him... No one in the estate would arrive in time.
After several tense moments. He slowly nodded.
Seeing that Shadow let out a low, eerie chuckle.
"Hehehe~...Good."
The darkness covering Kaelan’s mouth slowly withdrew.
Shadow smiled beneath his mask.
"Now then. Let’s talk. Kaelan Nightfall."
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