"I helped you because I know," the middle-aged man answered vaguely.
"Know what?" Gabriel pretended to be ignorant as if wondering what this guy was talking about.
The middle-aged man slowed down, keeping up with the slow pace of Gabriel. It was only after making sure that no one was near them that he spoke, "The story that you used... It was all a lie."
"Oh, and you know that because...?"
Gabriel had already expected the answer, but he still wanted to hear it from the man.
"Because I've heard about Lord Novius... Things that are unknown in this Empire," The man grimly stated. "I know what he was?"
"And what was he?" Gabriel asked, slightly amused. It was just as he had expected... This man knew that Novius was a dark Mage in the past and a well-known one at that. Not many people knew about it, but it wasn't hard for Dark Mages to know this since it was related to their element and their history.
