Dawn painted the Lionhart Estate in shades of gold and amber as Nicholas approached its imposing gates. He had spent a restless night reviewing Captain ros's report, his mind churning with the implications of what Alexandra had witnessed. If her testimony was accurate—if Klaus had truly been possessed by an entity called Gluttony—then everything Nicholas thought he knew about the tiline was thrown into question.
He needed to see Klaus for himself. To confirm his suspicions with his own eyes.
The Lionhart Estate sprawled across acres of manicured grounds, its ancient stone architecture a testant to centuries of power and influence. At its center stood the main residence, a fortress-palace that had withstood wars and upheavals that had toppled lesser dynasties.
Two guards in Lionhart livery stood at attention before the main gate. As Nicholas approached, recognition flashed in one guard's eyes—the trials at the Lion Arena had made many of the trainees recognizable throughout the empire.
"Halt," the guard called, his tone respectful despite the command. "State your business."
Nicholas offered a polite bow. "Nicholas Davoss of the Crimson Owl. I bring a formal communication from Captain ros regarding the Northern Territories assessnt." He produced a sealed docunt bearing the Crimson Owl insignia.
The docunt was genuine, though its contents were deliberately vague—a standard regional security assessnt that required no imdiate response. Captain ros had signed it without question when Nicholas had explained his need to visit the Lionhart Estate, though his knowing look suggested he understood there was more to the request than Nicholas revealed.
"Davoss," the guard acknowledged with a nod. "Lady Erina's son. I rember your performance in the Aequalis Array." There was respect in his voice for both Nicholas's achievent and his mother's reputation as the "Blind Blade." Nevertheless, he accepted the docunt with firm professionalism. "Wait here."
Nicholas maintained a calm exterior as the guard disappeared through a smaller side entrance. His true purpose—to sohow gain access to Klaus—would require careful maneuvering. The Lionhart family was notoriously protective of its own, especially in tis of crisis. If Alexandra's report was accurate, Klaus's condition would be treated as a matter of utmost secrecy.
Minutes stretched into nearly half an hour before the guard returned, accompanied by a figure Nicholas knew all too well—lo, Roman Lionhart's right-hand man. The white mask that concealed his features revealed nothing but his cold eyes, which assessed Nicholas with clinical precision. Nicholas rembered lo from the trials that had determined their ard group placents, but his mories from past lives told him much more—this was the second strongest swordsman in Rikxia, surpassed only by Roman Lionhart himself.
"Nicholas Davoss," lo said, his voice slightly muffled behind the expressionless mask. He held the sealed docunt between two fingers as if it were sothing distasteful. "An unusual courier for a routine assessnt."
Nicholas inclined his head respectfully. "Captain ros thought it warranted personal delivery, given recent events."
"Did he?" lo's cold eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask. "And this assessnt couldn't have been delivered through standard channels?"
"The captain preferred discretion," Nicholas replied smoothly. "Particularly regarding certain observations about rift energy patterns following the Northwatch incident."
It was a calculated risk. Nicholas knew that before becoming Roman's enforcer, lo had specialized in rift monitoring. The ntion might pique his interest enough to grant Nicholas entry.
There was no way to read lo's reaction behind the expressionless white mask. "I see."
He stood motionless for several seconds, his cold eyes the only visible feature conducting their assessnt. Then, without looking back at the guards: "He stays at the gate. I'll take the docunt."
Nicholas felt a flare of disappointnt but kept his expression neutral. "I was instructed to deliver additional context personally."
"Then speak," lo said, making no move to invite him inside.
Nicholas recognized defeat when he saw it. lo was not a man who changed his mind once decided. Whatever he had hoped to accomplish by entering the estate would not happen today.
"The Crimson Owl's assessnt notes unusual energy fluctuations in the northern regions following the Northwatch incident," Nicholas said, fabricating plausible information. "Captain ros thought it prudent to inform the Lionhart family directly, given your oversight of the territory."
lo said nothing as Nicholas continued with his improvised briefing, detailing fictional energy patterns that posed no imdiate threat but warranted monitoring. Throughout, those cold eyes behind the mask gave away nothing, offering no hint whether he believed the fabrication or saw through it entirely.
When Nicholas finished, lo simply nodded once. "The information is noted. Is there anything else?"
Nicholas hesitated, then decided on a final attempt. "I was hoping to inquire about Klaus Lionhart's condition. We trained together before joining our respective ard groups."
It wasn't precisely a lie. They had indeed trained in the sa cohort, though Nicholas had always maintained a certain distance, observing the silver-haired boy with the wariness of one who recognized an anomaly in the tiline.
"Klaus Lionhart's condition is a family matter," lo stated, his tone making it clear the subject was closed. "Your concern is noted."
Nicholas recognized the dismissal. "Please convey my wishes for his swift recovery to the family."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Then the Lionhart family thanks you for your service. The guards will see you out."
With those words, lo turned and walked back through the side entrance, taking the sealed docunt with him. There had never been any real chance of Nicholas being allowed inside, much less gaining access to Klaus. The Lionhart family's protectiveness of its mbers was legendary, and in tis of crisis, that protectiveness beca an impenetrable wall.
As he prepared to leave, Nicholas scanned what little he could see of the estate grounds from his position. Beyond the manicured outer gardens rose the central tower of the main residence, its upper floors wreathed in the faint blue shimr characteristic of the Frost Chamber. Sowhere within those walls, Klaus Lionhart lay unconscious, his mind perhaps still entangled with the entity that had consud Northwatch.
A movent caught his eye—a lone figure crossing between buildings, her fiery red hair unmistakable even at this distance. Alexandra Lionhart moved with the weary determination of soone carrying a great burden. The toll of her experience at Northwatch was clearly visible even from afar.
"Sir," one of the guards prompted, gesturing toward the road leading away from the main estate.
Nicholas nodded and began his departure, mind already turning over alternative approaches. He had expected resistance, but the absolute refusal to allow him even past the gate confird his suspicions. The Lionhart family was protecting sothing significant—sothing they feared could destabilize more than just their family if revealed.
As he walked away from the estate, Nicholas's resolve hardened. If Klaus Lionhart was indeed Gluttony's Apostle, his ergence had already shattered one fixed point in the tiline. That alone made him potentially the most significant figure Nicholas had encountered across all his lives.
He couldn't reach Klaus directly—not yet. But there were other avenues to explore, other sources that might provide insights into the nature of Apostles and their Arkdieu masters. The answers lay sowhere in the ancient texts and forgotten histories that docunted the previous appearances of these entities.
Nicholas cast one final glance back at the Lionhart main Estate, its towers standing proud against the morning sky. Behind those walls, an unprecedented disruption in the flow of causality lay unconscious in the Frost Chamber. And Nicholas was now more determined than ever to understand what it ant for the future he had experienced so many tis before.
"This isn't over," he whispered to himself. "Whatever you are, Klaus Lionhart, I will find the truth."
Reviews
All reviews (0)