The grand doors to Duke Valenhart’s study swung open, revealing a tall man in his early forties. His silver-streaked hair was slightly disheveled, and his royal-blue robes looked hastily thrown on. His eyes darted immediately toward Drake and Arin.

  “Drake! Arin!” the Duke exclaimed, voice cracking with emotion.

  Drake barely stepped forward before the Duke wrapped him in a tight embrace. “I heard about the attack… I feared the worst. Are you hurt? Are you alright?!”

  Arin rushed in next, hugging her father tightly as he knelt to check them both with trembling hands. His eyes were glossy, and for a moment, the room was silent save for the relief in his breath.

  “We’re fine, Father,” Drake said with a smile. “But it’s all thanks to them.”

  He turned and gestured to Kazuki, Garron, and Elara, who stood just behind. The Duke turned, quickly regaining composure as a nobleman, but his eyes remained warm.

  “I owe you a debt I cannot repay. Thank you—for saving my children.”

  Kazuki nodded slightly. “We only did what was right.”

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  But the Duke stepped forward, hands behind his back. “Still… it must be rewarded.”

  He clapped once, and two attendants entered, each carrying a polished wooden chest.

  “One thousand gold coins per person, and rare enchanted gear from my personal vault. These are not charity—they are tokens of gratitude.”

  However, Kazuki’s team stood still. Elara took a step back, hands raised. “We… we didn’t do it for money.”

  Garron scratched his head awkwardly. “Yeah, saving people’s what we’re supposed to do, right?”

  Kazuki remained silent, but his eyes were fixed on the Duke—not with suspicion, but unreadable calm.

  The Duke smiled softly. “That is precisely why you deserve it. True kindness asks for nothing, and yet that very humility makes it all the more deserving.”

  There was a pause before Kazuki finally stepped forward and placed a hand on the lid of the chest—not to reject it, but to accept it with quiet respect. The others followed, hesitantly at first, but ultimately agreeing.

  The mood softened into light conversation, but just as they began to discuss future visits and trading tales of battle, the butler burst through the door.

  “Duke! It’s the lady—her condition… it’s worsening.”

  The Duke's cheerful demeanor vanished instantly. “What?! Take me to her.”

  They all followed swiftly through the manor’s halls, eventually reaching a large chamber where a frail woman lay resting on a silken bed. Her breathing was shallow, sweat glistening on her forehead. Maids rushed about with towels and potions.

  “Liana…” the Duke whispered, kneeling by her side.

  Drake and Arin clung close to the bed, while Kazuki stepped to the back of the room. Something felt… wrong.

  Search.

  He activated the skill silently, scanning her body with a precise and focused pulse. What returned shocked him.

  [Plague Identified – Strain Unknown]

  Magic Resistance: High

  Mana Drain: Active

  Mortality Risk: Critical]

  Kazuki's eyes narrowed.

  This isn’t a regular illness… it’s magical. Someone infected her. Deliberately.

  He looked up, gaze shadowed, jaw tightening. For the first time, his calm cracked—not with fear, but with a burning curiosity and suspicion.

  The chapter ends with him whispering to himself:

  “This... was no accident.”