CHAPTER 968: SUSPICIONS

Adrien leaned forward and scanned the dossier again with newfound urgency. The weight of Erend’s words was still heavy in the air.

Billy’s brows furrowed as he followed the line Erend had circled. His lips pressing into a thin line.

Then both of them looked up at the same time, meeting Erend’s gaze with the same unspoken realization that something was buried there. Something even the people who were clearly in charge of this ultra-secretive project hadn’t been told.

"The people in charge of M-HAP don’t even have access to this clinic’s full report," Adrien muttered, his voice low but intense. "That’s not normal."

"Not just not normal, captain. That’s suspicious as hell," Billy said, shaking his head slightly.

Erend’s expression didn’t change, but the silence that followed confirmed they were now all on the same page.

"We need to question him," Adrien said at last. "Directly. Something like this can’t be ignored."

"Yeah. I agree," Billy said. "But maybe we should call him in soon so it doesn’t disrupt the project’s momentum. They’ll throw a fit if we delay the experiment, right?"

"Right," Erend nodded.

The three of them fell into silence again. The hum of lights above, the soft shuffle of pages, and the faint whir of processing terminals filled the room.

Adrien and Billy both turned to comb through the other dossiers, looking if there were any overlooked patterns, names, or keywords. Perhaps Marcus wasn’t the only anomaly.

Erend didn’t move. He sat with his arms folded, his thumb brushing his chin slowly, eyes still locked on Marcus Vollen’s file.

It was just like someone had polished the edges until no roughness remained.

He had seen this kind of thing before. When something looked perfect it meant someone had worked hard to make it that way. And in a project like this—where Magic was being awakened forcibly in a world that never knew it—perfect was a warning.

"This won’t be small,I hope I’m wrong but I’ve learned not to ignore this feeling." he thought grimly.

As a Dragonborn, Erend knew the price of ignoring instinct. His powers were meant for war, shaped by powerful unknown Magic, and trained to sense disturbance in a Magic kind most people couldn’t even know. If he had a bad feeling about Marcus it wasn’t just a suspicion. It was a premonition.

"I’ll watch him closely. No matter what the higher ups say... I need to know what he really is."

—

Far away from the cold halls and sterile air of the research facility, Eccar sat comfortably in a wooden booth near the window of a warm, bustling tavern in the heart of the Qomore Kingdom’s city.

His table was cluttered with empty plates, the last bits of roasted meat and seasoned root vegetables scraped clean. A foamy mug of golden ale glinted in the sunlight as he took a long drink, then sighed in satisfaction.

The city outside was lively. He can see merchants haggling, children playing in the cobbled streets, and the pleasant hum of a peaceful realm going about its business.

Eccar smiled faintly as he leaned back and watched it all through the window. But a sliver of unease tickled at the back of his mind. It was too peaceful.

Sylmirra had passed by his room this morning before going with Arty to the academy, giving him an update on Arty’s progress.

The Archmage had been surprisingly pleased with her progress.

"She’s picking it up fast. A little more time and I think she’ll surpass even me," Sylmirra had said with a subtle smile.

Eccar had been glad to hear it.

"That little girl will be using Magic as well as Erend and me in no time," he thought.

A distant rumble of thunder rolled across the horizon, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced upward through the window. The skies were still bright but far away, past the rooftops and tree-lined streets, he saw the slow approach of dark clouds.

Storms were coming. Not just rain.

"Huh. Feels like a sign," he thought.

The tavern door opened and the bell above it chimed.

Eccar turned, his brow rising slightly as familiar faces walked in. They were Jan, Annette, Esther, and Hund. They looked well, energized, and smiled when they spotted him.

"Eccar!" Jan called. "Mind if we join?"

"Not at all," Eccar said with a smile, waving them over.

They slid into the booth beside him, clapping him on the back and grinning. The tavern’s atmosphere shifted subtly, growing more animated as the adventurers caught up.

"You look like you’ve been eating better than us," Esther teased, eyeing the empty plates.

Eccar chuckled. "The food is good here. You should try the stew. I don’t know its name but it’s good."

"I know," Esther said with a smile.

Annette leaned on the table. "You doing okay after the last mission?"

"Yeah," Eccar nodded. "I could ask the same of you."

"We recovered already, man," Hund said, cracking his knuckles. Then said in lower voice, "Adventurers heal fast, not just you Dragonborn types."

"Good to hear," Eccar said with a grin.

Esther leaned forward then, her tone curious. "Hey, we heard a rumor. The Archmage’s taken on a private apprentice recently. She is a young girl. Is that true?"

Eccar raised an eyebrow but didn’t hide it. He nodded once. "It’s true."

Jan looked surprised. "The Archmage? Sylmirra’s never had an apprentice before. Who is it? You know her?"

Eccar took a sip of his drink before replying, casually. "I do. It’s Erend’s sister."

The table fell silent. The four adventurers blinked in surprise, then looked at each other in disbelief.

"You’re serious?" Esther asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course I’m serious," Eccar said with a grin. "She’s talented and just needs some time."

A mix of excitement and curiosity bloomed on their faces.

Erend’s sister. The other Dragonborn beside Eccar who had helped them solve the problem with the unknown forest god. The being who has the strength equal to Eccar.

Erend was still in another world but right now his sister was here studying Magic. And it was under Archmage Sylmira teaching.

They already know that Erend’s sister was also a monster in terms of talent and power.

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