Sera's face was grave as she spoke again. "We don't have concrete evidence yet. The traitor hides behind noble blood; they move in shadows and bribes. That is why we must guard every door and gather proof quietly."
Seraphina's voice was steady. "That's why we asked him to stay. We need time — and someone who can act without hesitation."
Haru listened without surprise. A noble among nobles, begging for help — he only gave a short, flat answer.
"Haru: Sure."
Sera reached for a chest beside her and opened it with careful hands. Inside lay two things that made the whole room feel colder: an A+ ranked sword, the Valcrest family artifact — its blade humming faintly with trapped mana — and a deep-blue robe embroidered with the Valcrest crest. She set them before him.
"Sera: Wear it," she instructed, voice soft but absolute. "With this crest and the blade, people will no longer see you as an outsider. They will know you are one of us."
Haru accepted the sword and robe in silence. He let the weight of both sit where it would be noticed. He bowed once, brief and measured, then turned and left the chamber without a backward glance.
As the door closed, Sera called softly into the quiet room. "Lyn."
A shadow detached itself from the dark, sliding into the light—Lyn, one of their deadliest assassins. Tall, expressionless, and wrapped in garments that drank the light, she moved like a thought given shape.
"Lyn: Yes, madam."
Sera's eyes pierced her. "Did she see you?"
Lyn's voice was low, clipped. "Yes, madam. She looked me in the eyes. It wasn't chance—he knows."
Sera's lips tightened at the report. Her glance flicked, for the barest moment, toward the door Haru had taken. A cold calculation formed.
Sera: "That monster…Call seraphina and come to this room ."
"Lyn: Yes, madam."
Lyn melted back into shadow as quickly as she'd come, and Sera remained alone for a breath—studying the window, Her face was unreadable, then settled into a hard line.
"Maybe this time," she murmured to herself, voice flat with resolve, "we will find who betrayed us—and we will cut them out by the root."
When Haru stepped out of the manor, the morning sun struck the blue of his robe — the Valcrest crest glimmering faintly at his back. The air was calm, yet every step he took felt heavy enough to ripple through the courtyard.
Near the training grounds, a group of soldiers and captains had gathered. At their center stood Joseph Valden, one of the younger nobles, barking out orders with an air of command.
"Spread the scouting lines wider!" Joseph called. "There's a hidden boss-type monster near the forest ridge. Our task is to clear everything before it reaches the farms. Move fast!"
The men nodded and began checking weapons, but as Joseph turned, his voice faltered. A sudden chill rolled through the air — not from the wind, but from something walking behind them.
Bootsteps. Slow. Controlled. Each one echoing like a drumbeat.
When they turned, they saw him.
A man in a deep-blue robe bearing the Valcrest crest — walking with the calm authority of someone who belonged in power. His gaze was cold, quiet, and absolute. For a moment, even the clatter of armor and shouting of soldiers died away.
Joseph's pulse skipped. The mana pressure surrounding the stranger made his own skin tighten. He recognized that aura from rumors whispered through the manor last night.
("A new elder… no, that elder…?") Joseph thought, eyes widening.
He forced himself to speak, though his voice wavered slightly. "H-Hello, Elder. May I… may I know your name? Do you need something here?"
Around him, the soldiers who had been training moments ago stood frozen — not out of defiance, but reverence. Some even bowed slightly, not daring to meet Haru's eyes. They could feel it — the same instinct all warriors shared — the awareness that a single wrong move might be their last.
Haru stopped beside Joseph, his expression calm but unreadable. The faint wind brushed his hair, revealing the faint scar at his neck — a mark of countless battles.
"I'm just looking around," Haru said quietly. His tone wasn't loud, yet it carried effortlessly through the courtyard.
That simple reply was enough. The soldiers straightened, saluting instinctively as if before a commander. Joseph bowed his head deeper, sweat collecting at his brow.
("So this is the monster the elders spoke of…" he thought. "Even standing near him feels like drowning.")
Haru moved on without another word. Only when he disappeared down the path did the soldiers finally breathe again — some letting out nervous laughter, others still trembling in silent awe.
Joseph wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered under his breath, "To think that kind of man now carries our crest… Valcrest might actually stand a chance."