When the guard entered the room, Julius narrowed his eyes. He let SIBYL run a full biometric scan. Within seconds, confirmation appeared across his display.
The readings were inconsistent, stating the facial structure, heat signature, and mana imprint all mismatched. It was a projection layered over another form.
In other words, the man before him wasn't who he appeared to be but a disguise utilizing advanced holographic technology to conceal his features.
Was it really this simple? Was it really this anticlimactic? There was no guarantee this person was Nameless, or even connected to them. For all Julius knew, it could just be someone with a grudge against Adler, or someone desperate to erase their own traces.
Julius's gaze turned toward Krüger, whose pale, anxious expression said enough. Julius had already verified through SIBYL that the man wasn't lying.
"What do you need, Warden?" the guard asked.
But unlike Krüger, the guard showed no sign of unease, as if he were genuinely confused about why he had been summoned. If Krüger's information was accurate, then this man had clearly been through situations like this before.
———!
In the next instant, Julius moved. Before anyone could react, he had the guard on the ground, twisted his arms behind his back, and locked him in restraints. Julius pressed a knee into the man's spine, keeping him pinned.
The suddenness of the motion left both Krüger and the nearby officers frozen.
"Hold him," Julius ordered, standing up while keeping his eyes fixed on the subdued man. "And get me a holo-disruptor."
"Yes, sir!"
Even though none of them fully understood why they were obeying his commands, given that Julius's rank or position wasn't known to them. All they had been told was to allow him entry.
However, to stand on the good side of the future Chancellor's son meant security, promotions, and comfort in the years to come. To oppose him, even unknowingly, meant risking everything.
So, they obeyed.
It didn't take long before the holo-disruptor activated, breaking the holographic interference. The man's true face came into view. His features, eyes, skin tone, and expression all reverted to their original form.
In that instant, Julius understood.
"...."
This man was Jakob.
"You…"
But he was not Nameless.
Julius's eyes widened. The truth revealed itself the moment Jakob smiled. There was a piece of candy in his mouth. Julius didn't need an explanation to understand what it meant.
Having worked in intelligence for years, he knew what came next.
Just as quickly, Julius reached forward. He forced the man's jaw open, trying to retrieve the candy. When his fingers couldn't reach far enough, the nanites in his armor extended, shaping themselves like a small mechanical claw to dig deeper.
Jakob's body trembled. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he struggled to breathe. His throat constricted as Julius fought to save him from himself.
But it was too late. The candy had already dissolved too far down. If Julius sent the nanites any deeper, they would tear through Jakob's organs. Reluctantly, he pulled the nanites back.
Julius grabbed Jakob by the collar, pulling him up with a jerk.
"Where is he?! What are you plotting?!"
Jakob's face twisted in pain. Veins bulged at his neck as the poison began to take effect. His lips trembled, foam forming at the corners of his mouth.
Julius shook him harder, but the man's eyes had already begun to lose focus.
"Answer me!" Julius demanded.
Jakob tried to speak, but only a choked sound escaped his mouth. Within seconds, his body went limp in Julius's grip. His head fell forward as the life drained from his eyes.
The room fell silent. Krüger and the officers were frozen, unable to speak or move.
Julius released his hold, letting Jakob's body slump to the ground.
"Another dead end."
If Jakob truly had infiltrated the camp under false pretenses, his suicide could mean only one thing.
They had already accomplished what they came for.
Outside, the sounds of footsteps and voices echoed from the other room. Gabriel and his squad emerged from the interrogation chamber.
"...Julius?" Gabriel said, startled to see him.
Julius ignored him and brushed Gabriel aside. He pushed open the interrogation room door, where Friedemann Adler sat alone at the table.
Immediately, Julius seized Adler by the collar and forced his jaw open. SIBYL activated instantly, running a full biometric scan.
Just in time, Julius spotted the glint of a candy pressed underAdler's tongue. He reached in and snatched it before the man could swallow. SIBYL's results flashed before his eyes and confirmed what he already suspected.
This wasn't Adler.
"Damn it!"
Gabriel entered behind him, placing a hand on Julius's shoulder. "What's going on?"
"Forget whatever this bastard told you," Julius said, still staring at the imposter. "It's a fake."
Gabriel's brow furrowed. "A fake?"
Julius released his grip, letting the man slump back into the chair.
"Adler is most likely dead."
The fake Adler suddenly let out a mocking laugh. "Hahaha… did you get Adam too?"
Julius's eyes narrowed. "Adam?"
"Ah, damn," the man muttered with a crooked smile. "A slip of the tongue. Don't mind me, officer."
"...."
Julius said nothing. But in his mind, the pieces were already falling into place. If this man had mentioned Adam, then the one who called himself Jakob earlier hadn't been Jakob either.
None of them were who they claimed to be.
Without another word, Julius turned and walked out of the interrogation room. The Revenant Knights standing guard outside instinctively stepped aside.
"Young Master, hold on," Gabriel called after him, following quickly. "What the hell is going on?"
Gabriel's confusion was understandable, but Julius had no time for explanations.
"Keep an eye on that bastard," he said. "Don't let him kill himself."
At this point, Gabriel could only nod. Julius had already proven himself capable, and his actions spoke louder than any explanation could.
In Gabriel's eyes, there was no reason to doubt him anymore. Julius had changed. He was no longer the reckless, impulsive young master he once knew.
Julius made his way back to the warden's office, where officers were cleaning up the aftermath. The body of the fake Jakob, or Adam, or whatever his real name was, was being examined.
Guards surrounded the corpse, running scans and logging data, while Krüger oversaw the procedure.
Julius entered the room without a word. The officers stiffened at his presence, instinctively making way for him.
"Warden, I need a word with you in private," he said.
"M-Mister Schneider—" Krüger began, but Julius cut him off.
"Adler is dead," Julius announced all of a sudden to everyone present in the room. "Someone locate his body and check every available security feed. Pull the data logs from every terminal and cross-check for tampering. If the files were deleted, recover the residual data from the cache."
He turned his gaze toward the officers.
"If it's gone completely," he added, "then we're fucked."
The room fell silent. The officers exchanged uneasy glances before hurrying to carry out his orders. Julius didn't wait to see if they complied. He turned back to Krüger.
"Now, Warden. Let's talk."
"...Yes."