I had no words to describe the sheer luxury and opulence emanating from the Summer family’s main mansion. Although many believed I had grown up in similar wealth due to my connection with the Neuvak family, the truth was that they had always kept me in smaller, more distant properties; I had never once set foot in the main estate.

Chitosane took care of speaking with the mansion’s butlers through the intercom. There was a brief, tense wait before the main gate opened, allowing the car to proceed toward the main building.

The road was breathtaking: a long street flanked by majestic trees, busts of family members, and carefully sculpted hedges in the shapes of animals. They hadn’t held back in the slightest when it came to decoration—they had gone the whole nine yards to flaunt their wealth and status.

—We still have about five more minutes, Mr. Kailen. I’d like to know if you’re still in the mood to entertain me. What are your next steps? Perhaps I might be inclined to work with you.

—I don’t hold a grudge, old man. I know full well that in this city, it’s dog eat dog. But you threw us straight into the fire, and we rolled in the ashes with pleasure. Once is fine… but I’d be a fool to do it again. I’d have no one to blame but myself.

I paused, taking a second to organize my thoughts.

—I need firepower. Upgrades. I need to enhance my combat capabilities. So, for now, I’ll focus on that… and on exploring my options with the Academy. As much as I hate to admit it, there were moments when I actually enjoyed being an investigator. Gathering information, cross-referencing sources, putting my hands to work… there was something about it.

—I understand, Mr. Kailen. If it’s any consolation, and even if you don’t believe me, not even I knew the full extent of what was going to happen. However…

—However, no one’s stupid enough to see two exterminators and not assume something was going to explode.

Chitosane smiled with that old fox demeanor of his.

—Did you know from the start, Mr. Kailen?

—I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. But I’ve seen similar things in the military. Even if their implants weren’t obvious, their presence was unmistakable.

—You become more intriguing by the second, Mr. Kailen. Like a Gragar among zebras.

I didn’t respond. I just kept looking ahead, letting his words settle.

Surprisingly, the one who broke the silence was little Summer.

—Gröder, will you come play with me in the future? —Her voice was soft, laced with that shyness that kept her from making eye contact.

—As much as I’d like to… I don’t think I’d be welcome around here. Once I hand you over, it’ll be impossible for me to get close to you again.

I noticed a flicker of sadness in her eyes. I had never fallen for these kinds of manipulations before, but this time… I couldn’t resist adding something more.

—But if you’re ever in trouble, don’t hesitate to contact me. Maybe I can help you.

Summer lifted her gaze, meeting mine. She smiled.

—Gröder… do you think I can ever be as strong as you?

—Of course. Strength doesn’t come from the size of your muscles, but from your fighting spirit. As long as you keep fighting, they’ll learn to fear you.

—But my brothers say I’m weak because I’m a girl…

I couldn’t help but laugh.

—That’s nonsense. My mentor is the strongest, most skilled soldier I’ve ever seen. Her feats are nothing short of something out of a fictional story. What she taught me isn’t even one percent of what she’s capable of. So, if you think I’m strong… she’s much stronger. And she’s a woman, just like you.

Summer remained silent, absorbing my words. For the first time since I met her, she seemed truly confident.

Finally, we arrived at the front of what I assumed was the main mansion. To be honest, it didn’t look like much. If it weren’t located at the center, it could have easily passed for a servant’s quarters.

—Welcome, Mr. Chitose, Mr. Neuvak. The master is expecting you in his study, —a man in his forties greeted us. His expression was polite but impassive, his gestures impeccable.— Also, could the young lady accompany me to…?

—No.

—Pardon me, Mr. Neuvak?

—The girl will not accompany you.

—But she must, it's for the…

—Are these your master's orders?

Silence.

—Just lead the way.

From the moment the butler greeted us, I felt Summer pressing against me from behind. She was hiding. It was obvious he wasn’t someone close to her.

The little cordiality in the butler’s expression vanished in an instant.

Inside the mansion, a countless number of servants moved from one place to another. The activity was impressive. Although the house itself wasn’t small, compared to the others, it seemed insignificant, and yet, it buzzed with movement.

Suddenly, I felt a subtle pull. I barely managed to grab the hand of a maid who, taking advantage of my distraction, had tried to snatch the girl away.

—What do you think you’re doing?

My voice came out filled with hostility, without the slightest effort to conceal it.

—Forgive me, sir, but I was ordered to take the young lady to change before she presents herself to the master.

—Are these your master's orders?

—These are the orders I was given. I am certain they come from the master.

She was playing with her words. A relatively useful trick among the servants of great houses. No one could use the master's name to fulfill their own objectives.

—Then no. Leave.

Simple as that. I didn’t know who or why, but it was evident that someone inside the house didn’t want the girl to meet with the master immediately—probably because they had something to hide.

I didn’t have much time to dwell on this thought. Suddenly, I noticed that with a subtle movement, the butler had slightly diverted us from the original route—or at least, I thought so.

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Abruptly, all the activity around us began to fade.

A young man, about my age, appeared in our path. Blond, green-eyed, with the face of a model—white and pristine. His pale skin made it clear he had never been exposed to the sun in his damn life.

—You had one job, butler, and you still managed to fail.

His tone dripped with disdain.

Then, he turned to me with a condescending look.

—From now on, I’ll call you “scrapper.” I don’t care about your name. All you need to know is that you’ve done me a favor by bringing my little sister back. Now, you may leave. I will be the one to deliver her to our grandfather. You’ll receive your payment soon.

He waved a hand dismissively, signaling for us to leave, then turned ninety degrees, as if he no longer wished to see us.

All that theatrics really took me by surprise. I almost burst out laughing. Fortunately, I managed to save my reputation and hold back... though a small chuckle did escape me.

—Hey, Chitosane, who’s this clown?

—One of the lord’s grandsons. I know you don’t care about his name, but I’ll tell you anyway: Reinhardt Von Feuron.

—Doesn’t ring a bell.

—Obviously. He hasn’t accomplished anything noteworthy.

It seemed even old Chitosane disliked these brats.

—You damn bastard! What did you say? How dare you insult me in my own home?! You will pay dearly for this humiliation!

What happened next was interesting.

The young man was surrounded by five bodyguards. Two of them, seasoned-looking, remained still, unfazed. Even when the brat ordered them to stop us, they didn’t move. Their expressions, however, made it clear they were monitoring us at all times.

The other three, however, were younger. It showed in their expressions, in their posture, in the way their hands clenched upon hearing the order. They were eager to prove themselves in front of their master. It was evident they hadn’t been hired by the true owner of the mansion. They lacked the discipline, the uniform demeanor the others possessed.

That meant that if things got ugly… those three would be the first to jump in.

And with the young man's insistence, they did.

They drew their weapons, though they hadn’t disengaged the safeties yet.

I wasn’t afraid of those bastards, but I didn’t like getting into a fight without my weapon either. I moved my hand to my revolver holster, ready to draw.

Before I could, I felt Chitosane’s hand on my shoulder.

—That won’t be necessary, kid.

He raised his index finger and pointed to the second floor.

Descending from there was a woman with an unfriendly expression, visibly irritated.

—Young Master Reinhardt, your grandfather wants you in the study. You’ve been assigned twenty more hours of study this week.

The little bastard looked at us, his face twisting with sheer frustration.

I couldn’t help but smirk at him. I wanted him to know I found him pathetic.

For a moment, he seemed like he was going to defy the order. But in the end, he didn’t.

That was my cue to know that this woman, although she didn’t seem to be part of the family, was someone to take seriously.

—Chitose-san, it is my master’s pleasure to have you here once again. I appreciate your intervention in this matter.

—Oh, Emma-san, there’s nothing to thank me for. On the contrary, I must apologize for my friend’s boldness.

—Oh, don’t worry, Chitose-san. I understand that hot-blooded young men don’t always know the proper manners. You are quite fortunate to have them under your guidance.

They exchanged pleasantries for a couple of minutes.

Honestly, I didn’t see why they didn’t just go to a room and settle things properly.

—Aunt Emma!

For the first time, Summer stepped away from my side and stood in front of me, greeting the woman enthusiastically.

Though what truly surprised me was that, despite her joy, she never moved beyond arm’s length from me.

Even in front of this person she clearly cared about, she still kept her instinct for caution.

—Miss Summer…

Emma looked the girl up and down, and her expression changed.

For a moment, I thought maybe she was one of the abusers too.

But then she spoke, and everything made sense.

—Don’t tell me you brought her all the way back dressed like that.

I didn’t see the problem.

—Of course. The armor protected her from all dangers.

My answer seemed to take her by surprise. She looked at Chitosane for support, but he simply shrugged with a half-smile.

—Whatever… Please, follow me to the master.

—I hope so. I really want to get this over with. —I replied.

—Patience, young one. It will soon be over. But now, you must reap the fruits of what you’ve sown. —Chitosane intervened.

We passed through several areas, but no other staff attempted to bother us or approach us recklessly for another maneuver. Eventually, we reached a rather simple study on the fourth floor.

The office was not what I expected from a Von Feuron, or rather, from the head of one of the great families.

Simple, yet elegant. No excess, no unnecessary luxury, just the essentials.

The walls were lined with dark, high-quality wood, aged and polished to just the right point where it conveyed prestige without ostentation. A large window behind the desk offered a panoramic view of the city, though it was partially covered by thick curtains, filtering the light into a warm, muted tone.

The furniture followed the same pattern: a spacious desk with clean, straight lines, its surface clear except for a few meticulously stacked documents. To one side, a built-in bookshelf housed a collection of books in perfect order, not a single volume out of place. There were no superfluous decorations, no family portraits—only an old pendulum clock marking the passage of time with an implacable tick-tock.

And in front of that desk, sitting with his back straight as if age had no right to weigh on him, was the patriarch of the Von Feuron family.

Eckhart Von Feuron.

His face was a map of wrinkles. His skin, though weathered by the years, retained a healthy tone, lacking the sickly pallor of his grandson. His snow-white hair was perfectly combed back, revealing sharp gray eyes.

He did not move when we entered.

He did not speak immediately.

He took his time examining us before finally saying:

—Chitose-kun, you have surpassed every expectation I had for you.

—Eckhart-dono, I am glad everything has been to your liking.

—Though I truly never thought you would involve the Neuvak— then he turned to me —Tell me, young man, what does your family seek from me?

—I don’t know.

The old man raised an eyebrow, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

—Do you truly expect me to believe that you have renounced your family?

—First of all, I don’t "expect" anything. What you believe or not has never been my concern. Secondly, you can’t renounce something you never had. And third, I’d rather talk about my payment.

—Calm yourself, young man, you will be paid as agreed. However, there are things I’d like to discuss… if you’re not in such a hurry?

I really wasn’t in the mood. Nothing good could come from talking to a seasoned statesman—I had no desire to become a pawn on his board. However, before I could refuse, I once again felt Chitosane’s hand on my shoulder.

—Of course, Your Excellency.

Somehow, it came naturally to call him that. It was the way I had heard outsiders refer to my grandfather countless times.

—Putting that aside for now— he finally focused his attention on the girl —Come here, my dear.

—Grandpaaaa!

Summer finally let go of me and ran toward her grandfather, tears in her eyes.

The old man welcomed her into an embrace, gently stroking her cheeks as he said:

—Come now, my little one, don’t cry. I need you to be strong for just a little while and help me with something.

Summer’s eyes lit up as she eagerly asked:

—Sum Sum can help Grandpa? What can I do?

—For now, I need to know whether these people did a good job or not. Tell me, my precious girl, do you think the people who rescued you deserve to be paid? Were they bad and need a deduction? Or maybe they were very good and deserve a reward?

At first, it seemed like a sweet interaction between family members. However, I noticed that Eckhart’s previously silver eyes began to glow a deep yellow—the exact same way Summer’s did. And though I couldn’t see hers at that moment, they were probably the same. They must have made some kind of connection.

—Interesting— the old man murmured after a few moments.

—What did you see in her memories, Your Excellency?

I couldn’t help but ask. Chitosane clicked his tongue at me, clearly displeased with the way I was addressing our employer.

—You’re quite intelligent, young man. Perhaps too much. Though, for now, it doesn’t bother me. In fact, it might even prove useful.

Great. Just as I suspected, I was about to become a pawn.

—The Six Great Houses have organized a competition with government sponsorship. Each house must send a team on an expedition, and that team must be led by a member of their respective house—

When our eyes met, the old man must have seen my "I couldn’t care less about the Houses" expression, because he deigned to clarify:

—This is because the chosen members of each house performed terribly as officers in the last war.

And that didn’t surprise me. If every one of these spoiled brats was so used to opulence that they couldn’t be even remotely productive during the war, then even as officers, they could never handle rolling in the dirt like I had, time and time again.

—I understand that there are governmental matters between the Houses, Your Excellency, but could you please explain how this involves me? … Are you perhaps trying to hire me to assist your house?

Eckhart pondered for only a moment before dismissing the idea.

—I would like to, young man. The fact that my granddaughter was able to depend on you shows that you are trustworthy. However, that would create undesirable problems. Instead, my proposal is different. I saw something rather interesting in my granddaughter’s memories—a certain facility.

He was bluffing. I was sure of it. The girl had been unconscious for most of the time, only waking up at the very end when we were about to leave. At that point, the facility didn’t seem remarkable in any way.

Which meant the old man was fishing for information.

Well, two can play that game.