Hours later, Solved sat on the palace balcony, elbows on his knees, talking to himself — or rather, to the two palace guards posted nearby, who stood motionless like carved figures.
"I didn't do anything wrong," he muttered. "I was just… stressed, you know? Anyone would be."
The guards said nothing, their faces unreadable.
"I hate politics… badly." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "
From below, a faint sobbing sound reached his ears. Solved leaned over the railing.
Elera stood near the courtyard gate, her arms wrapped tightly around her father. She clung to him like a child refusing to let go of a dream. The cart waited beside them, horses pawing the stone impatiently.
"I'll miss you," she cried, voice cracking. Henrik smiled weakly, patting her head. "Be brave, okay? I'll visit soon."
Solved watched in silence, something heavy pressing against his chest.
When Henrik finally climbed into the cart, he looked up — and their eyes met.
For a moment, neither man spoke. Then Solved looked away first, the soft light of the setting sun washing over his face as the cart rolled down the path and disappeared into the dusk.
Roderick stepped onto the balcony, his boots clicking softly against the marble. The faint breeze carried the last warmth of the sunset, fluttering the curtains behind him.
"Dismissed," he said curtly to the guards. They saluted and left, closing the door behind them until only silence — and the hum of the fading day — remained.
"You're her guardian," Roderick said finally, his voice calm but firm.
"Am I?" Solved asked without turning, his gaze still fixed on the distant horizon. His face looked pale under the dimming light — tired, worn.
"You might not really know," Roderick continued, stepping closer, "but maybe it's destiny."
Solved didn't answer. He just leaned back in the chair, expression unreadable.
"Everything happens for a reason," Roderick added, resting his hands on the balcony rail.
Solved's jaw tightened. He knew those words were meant to comfort — but they only reminded him of how lost he was. The truth was, the only reason he'd met Elera, Henrik, or even stepped foot in the palace at all… was the System.
The System had been guiding him, always nudging him toward something — something bigger.
But what?
He didn't know.
Right now, all he wanted was to put his head in a case file, drown in work, and forget the weight pressing down on him. Forget destiny. Forget prophecy.
Just breathe.
Roderick leaned against the rail, watching the fading sun melt into the horizon. His voice came quieter now, almost reflective.
"What's your goal here, Solved?" he asked suddenly.
Solved's eyes widened — the question hit deeper than he expected.
Did he just read my mind? Solved thought, glancing at him sharply.
Roderick didn't wait for an answer. He pulled out a chair beside Solved and sat down, his armor creaking softly.
"Can I tell you mine?" he asked.
"Sure," Solved said, leaning back, cautious but curious.
Roderick chuckled under his breath. "Or rather… what was my goal."
He paused, staring at the glow fading over the palace walls. "I used to fight against the Crown. Believed they weren't ruling Valamore right. Thought I could fix things — bring balance, justice, something real."
"Was a rebel," Solved muttered, half-smiling.
"You could say that," Roderick admitted, a shadow crossing his face. "But truth is, I didn't have a real goal. Just passion. Anger. The kind that burns everything, even yourself."
Roderick's gaze drifted toward the horizon again, his tone soft but heavy.
"We succeeded for a little while," he said, a bitter smile touching his lips. "Tore down the old order. Thought we'd made history."
He clenched his fist slowly. "But power… it never stays pure. It slipped into the wrong hands, and someone close to me lost her live."
Solved stayed silent, the weight in Roderick's words cutting deeper than any lecture.
"I realized then," Roderick continued, his voice low, "that I was never fighting for justice — I was just chasing passion. Blindly. And that blindness killed her."
He looked down at his hands for a moment before straightening up. "So I made her a promise — that I'd protect Valamore, no matter what it cost me. That I'd make choices with reason, not rage."
He turned to Solved, his eyes calm but piercing.
"And that promise became my goal. To protect this land till my last breath."
Roderick leaned back slightly. "So, Mr. Solved… what about you? What's your goal in all this?"
The question hit deeper than Solved expected.
His chest tightened. Back on Earth, his goal was simple — to become a detective, to uncover truth no one else could see. He'd achieved that. But here… this wasn't Earth. This was a world of crowns, councils, and magic.
And for the first time, he didn't have an answer.
Only driven by passion to solve mysteries with no goal—just blindly following the system. That thought lingered in Solved's mind as he nodded at Roderick.
"Thanks," he said quietly. "That was… encouraging."
Roderick gave a faint smile and stood, adjusting his coat. "Think about it, Solved," he said as he made for the door.
He paused halfway through the exit, turning slightly. "Oh—and though it's early, the Council's ordered Elera's training to start tomorrow. At the training hall."
"Really?" Solved raised a brow, half-surprised, half-amused.
"Council orders," Roderick replied with a casual shrug.
Solved smirked, leaning back in his seat as Roderick's footsteps faded down the hall.
"Training, huh?" he murmured to himself, eyes flicking toward the sunset. "Guess the real work starts tomorrow."
He stared up at the sky as the moon bled its pale light across the palace roofs, staining the night like a wound.
Then the system flickered before his eyes.
[Enigma seed system.]
[Cases Available: 7]
[Awaiting…]
"Oh, you again…" he grunted, rubbing his temple.
He waved the interface away with a flick of his fingers. "Not now. Can't you wait? I've still got things to do…"
"I should apologize to Elera," he muttered under his breath. "And find Andre. I've been a bad partner." He exhaled. "That's for another day."
He turned to leave the balcony—but as his foot crossed the threshold, something caught his eye.
A talisman on the wall, faintly glowing. Its light pulsed, slow and steady, like a heartbeat.
"Does this protect the mansion, or what?" he muttered.
[Truth Sight: Environmental Protection Detected.]
The System's text hovered before his eyes.
He reached toward the charm—
[Recommendation: Avoid Contact.]
Too late. His fingers brushed it.
A sting shot through his palm, then a sharp jolt tore into his skull. His vision warped.
And then he saw.
White threads wove through the world around him—thin lines of light sketching everything in motion.
The guards. The maids. Even the birds—each wrapped in glowing outlines, shifting like puppets on invisible strings.
But one thread stood apart.
Alive. Vivid. Ever-shifting in color, forming a delicate triangular pattern—
—the outline of a young girl.