To be honest, Gawain was quite surprised to see Amber bring someone back alive. Had he seen this an hour ago, he might not have been so taken aback, but after watching the so-called "Shadow Master" get casually swatted away by a bank agent named MyLittlePony, his faith in Amber's combat prowess had reached an all-time low. Putting her on guard duty felt more like setting up an alarm system than anything else.
He assumed Amber's shadow skills would allow her to detect a spy or assassin and raise an alarm, but he never expected her to capture one herself.
As Amber dragged her catch into the room, another set of hurried footsteps sounded outside the study. The door swung open as Knight Byron burst in. "My lord, is everything alright?"
He'd been guarding the entrance downstairs, but the commotion on the roof had drawn his attention. When Merita visited earlier, Amber's immediate knock-out meant she hadn't made much of a fuss.
"It's nothing, just a small thief. We've already caught him," Gawain reassured Byron. "Head back to your post. Tonight's turning out to be rather lively."
Byron looked around the study, spotting Amber, who was positively glowing with pride beside the unconscious figure on the floor. Though visibly puzzled, he nodded. "Understood…"
After Byron left, Gawain turned to Amber with an intrigued expression. "How did you manage to catch him? Did you win a fight?"
Amber shot him an indignant look. "What's that look supposed to mean?! My combat skills may be a little rough, but I'm not completely hopeless! I even took down that 'Aberration' monster you pointed out!"
Gawain raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"Alright, fine," Amber huffed. "He was pretty dumb. Instead of attacking head-on, he tried showing off his shadow step, so I just kicked him out of his shadow form. His mind couldn't handle the transition between the Shadow Realm and the material world, and he passed out."
Gawain stared, bemused, thinking that only a one-of-a-kind trickster like Amber would come up with such a crude yet effective tactic.
Shadow Step was a signature rogue skill, and nearly anyone in that line of work possessed some level of "shadow walking" ability. Most rogues, however, couldn't reach Amber's unique skill set. Normally, Shadow Step allowed a person to temporarily vanish from sight, slipping into a liminal space between the physical world and the Shadow Realm—a technique as dangerous as dancing on a knife's edge.
A single misstep could lead them into the Shadow Realm entirely, where unnameable horrors would tear them apart. Rogues simply focused on their own footing, as "shadow walking" was called the "solitary path" for a reason; even the most skilled shadow masters couldn't enter another's shadow steps.
But when you're dancing on a knife's edge, having someone with "combat power equal to 15 geese" boot you off is another story entirely.
Amber, still basking in her success, regaled them with the story. "It was hilarious! This guy was all crouched down, sneaking up on me in shadow form with a little knife in his hand, and I just pretended not to see him. Then, as soon as he was at the edge, I kicked him right out…"
Rebecca ignored Amber's bragging and knelt by Gawain, inspecting the unconscious intruder. "Do you think he'll wake up?"
Gawain shook his head. "Hard to say. For most, a shock in the shadow threshold could leave them dead—or brain-dead at best."
As he spoke, the intruder twitched and gradually came to. In normal circumstances, a trained rogue would have feigned unconsciousness, seamlessly regulating their heartbeat and breathing to avoid detection. But the shock had impaired his focus, and he found himself meeting Gawain's gaze the moment he opened his eyes.
The young rogue looked stunned, clearly caught off-guard by his current situation. Realizing he'd been captured, he instinctively tried to bite down on the poison capsule in his mouth—only to discover it had already been removed.
Left with no choice, he clamped his mouth shut, remaining silent.
"What's your name? Why are you here? Who sent you?" Gawain fired off several questions, but the young man acted as though he couldn't hear a word.
Amber twirled a small dagger between her fingers. "Want me to rough him up a bit? I'm not exactly a pro, but I've seen plenty of it done back when I used to break into dungeons for loot…"
Rebecca looked at her, puzzled. "Why would you be stealing from dungeons?"
"You wouldn't understand," Amber replied smugly. "Guards sometimes stash loot they take from prisoners in dungeon corners, waiting for a shift change to sneak it out. I'd always hit the stash before they could—"
"Don't bother," Gawain interrupted her. "Interrogation won't work. He's a Royal Shadow Guard—elite operatives trained for the king's service, adept in special ops and possessing near-unbreakable willpower. I'm surprised you managed to catch such a skilled agent by accident; you'll have plenty to brag about at the tavern."
He then glanced down at the young man, who wore a look of mild surprise. "But back when I was alive, the Shadow Guard were only royal bodyguards—at most tasked with intelligence gathering in hostile environments. Since when did they stoop to petty sneaking around?"
The captured rogue looked at Gawain in shock, but before he could respond, Gawain continued, "You want to know how I knew you were a Shadow Guard?"
The rogue gave a subtle nod.
"Simple. I came up with the name myself, and I created your original training regimen…" Gawain said, lightly slapping the rogue's face. "I was the first instructor of the Royal Shadow Guard!"
Amber gawked at Gawain's towering frame. "A knight… teaching rogues? Did you teach them stealth?"
Gawain smirked. "No, I taught them endurance training and dual-wielding sword techniques."
Amber's eyes widened. "Why would a rogue need to learn dual-wielding?"
"For when they get discovered. Then, they can just eliminate any witnesses."
Amber protested, "But as a rogue, if you're discovered, doesn't that mean you've already failed the mission?"
"No. For Ansu's rogues, being discovered is when the mission truly begins… Though, clearly, this one didn't perform well in training. Or perhaps my lessons have simply become obsolete after seven centuries."
The young Shadow Guard's face twisted with pain, realizing the same man who had devised his grueling training regimen was now before him. Though the training had evolved, certain fundamental elements—like physical conditioning and dual-wielding—remained unchanged.
Seeing the rogue's expression, Gawain knew his lessons hadn't been forgotten. "I assume Francis II sent you, correct?" Gawain offered a kind smile. "But I doubt he's foolish enough to send an assassin with half the kingdom knowing I'm here. So your orders were probably just to keep an eye on me?"
The rogue remained silent.
"He should've advised you to keep your distance. The risk is too high. Even if the Cecil family has fallen, Gawain Cecil hasn't. So is this overconfidence on your part… or disobedience?"
Finally, the rogue spoke his first words, "I have failed in my duty. I am prepared to die; you need not trouble yourself."
"Die? What nonsense!" Gawain slapped the rogue across the face. "Has peace softened you this much?"
The rogue looked at Gawain, confused.
"The Royal Shadow Guard's purpose is to protect the king, this kingdom, and these lands. Your duty is to defend against those who threaten Ansu, not spy on the founding duke! If you'd said that on a foreign battlefield, I'd consider you honorable. But here? In my own home? Are you implying that capturing you dishonors Ansu—or that Gawain Cecil himself is a threat to the kingdom?"
The rogue, clearly shaken by Gawain's righteous rebuke, stammered, "No… that's not what I meant…"
"Your opinion doesn't matter," Gawain cut him off, standing up. "I'm not petty enough to hold a grudge against my own descendant. You're free to go."
The young Shadow Guard blinked, dumbfounded. This wasn't the outcome he'd anticipated (though it seemed tonight had defied his expectations entirely). He stared at Gawain, unable to believe what he was hearing. Even Amber and Rebecca looked equally shocked.
Gawain repeated himself. "I said, you're free to go. Do you need me to escort you?"
The rogue slowly stood, still hesitant. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. I can't kill Francis II's men here, and I don't plan to parade you to Silver Castle tomorrow, tempting as that might be. I'm beyond such rashness at my age, so you're free to leave."
Rebecca looked like she wanted to say something, but a stern look from Gawain silenced her.
As the rogue approached the window, Gawain added, "I have no interest in tonight's events becoming public. How you report to your king is up to you."
The rogue paused, offering a curt nod. "Thank you for your mercy."
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
Gawain sighed, "Another one out the window."
Finally, Rebecca found her voice. "Ancestor, you're really letting him go?"
"Of course," G
awain said, a faint smile on his face. "I have every reason to let him go."
"But he won't face any punishment? And the king's order to spy on you…"
"Rebecca, if you want greater gains, you must take the long view." Gawain patted her on the head. "Letting a mere pawn go costs nothing. But there are inevitable benefits."
"Inevitable benefits?" Rebecca blinked. "Like what?"
"It depends on how our young Shadow Guard reports back. Either Francis II won't get a wink of sleep tonight, or… he'll have a less-than-loyal guard by his side from now on."
Turning to the window, Gawain looked out into the moonless night of this other world.
"Relative loyalty is absolute disloyalty," he murmured.