Lucian leaned back against the cold wooden chair, his expression calm even though his mind was racing. Alpha, the leader of the Servant guild, looked at him with a hidden interest. There was a thin tension in the air, the kind only felt by those used to playing with strategy and deception.
"So, Young Master Hale," Alpha said, his voice calm but with an implied sharpness. "What brings you to this place? Don't tell me you just want to play chess with me."
Lucian smiled slightly. "Of course, I want information."
Alpha tapped his fingers on the table, the rhythm random, but Lucian knew it wasn't meaningless movement. It was probably a code, right? Even though it seemed like it was just the two of them in the room, there could be Alpha's guys watching. Most likely, yeah.
"Information, huh..." Alpha leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the table's surface with a slow but calculated rhythm. His gaze remained locked on Lucian, as if weighing something. "I don't know where you got the info about our guild, but..." Alpha continued, this time his tone more serious, with a hint of curiosity.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his facial expression hard to read. "You should know that we don't do any requests for free." Alpha smirked slightly, his tone sounding like someone enjoying the game. "Every piece of information here has a price, and that price isn't always in gold coins. So, Young Master Hale, what can you offer in return?"
Lucian gave a small smile, one filled with confidence and a hint of sarcasm. He looked at Alpha with a sharp gaze, as if reading the man's mind. "Of course," he replied in a flat yet meaningful tone. "Only a fool would come here without knowing that."
"Interesting," Alpha finally spoke up, his tone softer but meaningful. His eyes remained focused on Lucian, as if judging whether the young man could really fulfill his promise. "What offer do you want to make?" he asked, his voice now sounding more open, though there was a keen eye that remained behind the question.
The atmosphere around them became more tense, as two hunters observing each other, looking for an opening to attack. Alpha waited, twirling a coin on his finger, a movement that seemed to indicate calmness, but also indicated that he was ready to move quickly as the opportunity came.
Lucian was in no hurry. He realized that Alpha was testing the limits, assessing whether the offer he would make would be attractive enough to pay a high price. "You've heard about the illicit money flowing to Duke Reynard, haven't you?" he asked, his voice calm but full of pressure.
Alpha watched Lucian with a sharper gaze, as if trying to read every movement and word that came from his lips. Lucian's reaction made him more alert, and even though Alpha remained calm on the outside, inside, alarms were starting to ring. An uncomfortable feeling began to creep up. He knew that in this world, nothing was truly safe, even in an isolated room.
Suddenly, two figures appeared behind Lucian. With quick movements, they pointed sharp swords at the left and right sides of Lucian's neck. The swords glinted under the dim light of the room, as if reminding Lucian that he was on the edge of a cliff, trapped in a game he couldn't fully control.
Lucian remained silent, showing no fear at all. Instead, a faint smile was still etched on his face, even though the situation was now more serious. "I figured we weren't the only ones in this room," he said, his voice calm despite the sword that threatens his neck.
Alpha squinted his eyes, his body leaning back a bit, but he wasn't in a hurry. He preferred to analyze the situation more deeply. "That information..." Alpha stepped a little closer, looking at Lucian intently. "How did you know that?"
"I figured as much, something I read when I came to the capital about the kingdom's financial issues, it means the Guardian won't be long in coming to this world." Lucian murmured, a faint smile etched on his lips at that moment.
Of course, Alpha was shocked to hear that. But the dark fund flow is the first quest in the main story of the luminous Hero of Avandor, instead of calling the player or in this world referred to as the debutan guardian. The Avandor kingdom suffered unexpected losses, and the Player learned about this from the system, and this case is a tutorial case that the player solved.
Duke Reynard Florence became the main target in this first main quest, and in the game, the player accidentally heard about this case not long after being summoned to this world, and Lucian, someone who had previously boosted this game, knew very well that it wasn't a true accusation.
"Ah..." Lucian said, his voice calm and a bit sarcastic. "It's a little secret that's not hard to get if you have someone to ask." A thin smile spread across his lips, even though in his heart he knew it was all just a lie. He got all that information not from investigation or conversations with others, but from his knowledge of The Luminous Hero of Avandor—a game he played in his previous life.
"Oh really?" Alpha said in a flat tone, his eyes still sharply fixed on Lucian. "Is that what you want to hear, Mr. Hale?" He crossed his arms, showing no interest at all in Lucian's further explanation. "Our conversation ends here, now please go back."
Lucian raised an eyebrow, still unshaken. "You sure about that?" he asked lightly, though behind his sharp eyes, he was already picking up on the change in the room's atmosphere. "I can help you with this, you know?" Lucian said, his voice seeming unhurried but full of unspoken questions.
Alpha just snorted softly. "What nonsense are you talking about?" he replied mockingly.
Lucian gave a slight smile, feeling the tension starting to fill the room. "By the way, can you move the sword next to me?" he asked, his voice calm as usual, even though there was a bit of tension he couldn't hide. "My neck feels like it can't move," he added, diverting a bit of attention from their conversation with a casual comment that was somewhat distracting.
Alpha paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Lucian carefully. "Gamma, Delta. You can put away your swords now," he commanded in a flat yet authoritative voice. The two who had been pointing their swords at Lucian quickly sheathed their weapons, letting the swords hang at their sides.
"But master," said one of them, a slightly anxious voice, as if not entirely agreeing with Alpha's decision.
"It's okay," Alpha interrupted, his voice remaining calm but there was a definite tone that echoed. "I want to hear an explanation from this master." His eyes remained focused on Lucian, like a predator who was measuring every move, ready to decide on his next move based on what Lucian was about to say.
Lucian carefully observed every movement, a faint smile still adorning his face. "Alpha, Zeta, Gamma, Delta...," he said, his voice full of calm. "Are there also people here named Beta, Eta, and so on? It seems like the developers of this game are not good enough at choosing a name." In his mind, Lucian chuckled a little, considering it a funny flaw, because he knew very well that all these names were just part of a game that was so familiar to him.
"A good choice," Lucian replied in a relaxed tone, though he was aware of the tension that still surrounds the situation.
Alpha showed no signs of anger, instead seemed to be increasingly interested in Lucian's puns. "So," Alpha continued, keeping his guard but also showing curiosity. "How can a troublemaker young master like you help us Servents?" Alpha asked, his voice sounding more like a challenge than a request for an explanation.
"I did say, I can help, but not voluntarily, right?" Lucian said in a flat voice, but his sharp eyes showed determination. "Going back to the initial conversation, I want information." He continued, ensuring that the goal remains clear and firm even though the atmosphere is still full of tension.
Alpha, who was still standing tall before him, narrowed his eyes slightly. "What information do you want to get?" he asked in a cautious tone, as if weighing whether the requested information would bring him closer to or even further away from the goal he wanted to achieve.
Lucian took a moment to look around the room, making sure there were no distractions that could interrupt this conversation. In his mind, he pondered, figuring out what he really wanted. "Here it is..." he murmured to himself, even though his face remained calm. "First, I want the Servant to work with me, I emphasize again, with me, not with the Hale family." He paused for a moment, ensuring that this step would benefit his goals.
"Second, I want to get all the information about the Guardian," he continued in his mind, feeling that this was the key to the next steps in his plan.
"Guardian?" Alpha repeated the word with a hint of surprise, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Lucian nodded slowly, his voice calm yet loaded with hidden meaning. "Whether you believe it or not, but in a few days, or a week? Or a month? Ah, whatever, the point is there will definitely be a Guardian called to this world." He spoke confidently, as if he knew exactly what was going to happen even though it sounded like a prophecy.
Alpha stared at Lucian more intensely, doubtful and curious. "How do you know that?" he asked, looking for a flaw in Lucian's seemingly confident statement.
Lucian gave a slight smile, as if he had already anticipated that question. "Sorry, but I can't answer this one," he replied, his voice still cool and calculated. "One thing you need to believe right now is to trust me."
"Huh, fine, I agree," Alpha finally said, though with a somewhat reluctant tone. "So, how could you answer my previous question?" He looked at Lucian with a sharp gaze, as if wanting to make sure this wasn't just a game of words.