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As I waited for breakfast, snippets of conversation floated over from a nearby table, catching my attention.

"Did you hear? The Baron\'s son\'s been kidnapped by Korvan\'s men," a man whispered, his voice barely audible over the clatter of dishes.

"Yeah, I heard. They say Baron Edris is offering a huge reward for anyone who can take down Korvan and bring his son back."

"Gold and land, no less! Every fighter within a hundred miles is going to be flocking to Rackenshore to try their luck. It\'s going to be chaos."

My lips twitched into a faint smirk as I leaned back in my chair. \'So, they\'ve finally started to make their move,\' I thought, mildly amused by the desperation of the baron\'s offer. Of course, gold and land would attract all kinds of riffraff, but none of them would be capable of doing what needed to be done. Still, it was amusing that they were willing to go so far.

Just then, Greta approached, a warm smile on her face as she set a plate of food in front of me. "Good morning, sir," she greeted cheerfully. "Is there anything else you\'d like?"

I nodded toward the table of gossipers. "What\'s all this talk about a decree?" I asked casually, picking up my fork. "Something about a reward?"

Greta\'s smile faltered slightly, her eyes darting to the other table before returning to me. "Oh, yes," she said quietly, lowering her voice. "Baron Edris Wyndhall\'s son was kidnapped last night. The baron\'s offering a reward to anyone who can bring him back and put an end to Korvan\'s bandits."

She paused, her brow furrowing in concern. "It\'s dangerous business, though. Korvan\'s men are... well, they\'re not to be trifled with."

"Dangerous," I mused, taking a bite of the bread. "And yet, there\'s a reward."

Greta nodded, her hands fidgeting nervously. "Yes, a large one. Gold, land... enough to set someone up for life. But... it won\'t be easy.

Those bandits have terrorized this town for years, and now, with the baron\'s son taken, they\'re more vicious than ever."

I glanced at Greta, her concern genuine. "And what do you think will happen?" I asked, leaning back slightly.

She hesitated, glancing around the room as if to make sure no one was listening. "I don\'t know," she admitted softly. "But I fear that things will only get worse before they get better. With so many mercenaries and fighters coming into town, it\'s bound to bring more trouble."

Her words hung in the air, but I could sense that there was something more, something she wasn\'t saying. "It seems you\'re worried about something else," I noted, watching her expression carefully.

Greta bit her lip, then sighed. "It\'s just... the baron\'s son, Ron... he\'s not exactly... well, people say he\'s... how do I put this politely..."

"An arrogant fool?" I finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

Greta winced but nodded. "Yes. He\'s... made some enemies, even among those who should be helping. If it wasn\'t for his father\'s influence, well, let\'s just say he\'d be in trouble more often."

I hummed thoughtfully, absorbing her words. So, the baron\'s son wasn\'t exactly beloved, even by his own people. That made things more interesting. Still, none of that mattered in the grand scheme. The bandits were my concern, not the boy\'s personality.

"Well," I said, finishing my food, "thank you for the information."

Greta smiled, though it was more subdued this time. "Of course, sir. Be careful out there."

I gave her a nod and stood, heading for the door. \'A bounty, huh?\' I thought, amused at the idea of being rewarded for something I\'d planned to do anyway. \'I\'ll take care of the bandits... and the rest will fall into place.\'

As I made my way toward the door, Vitaliara\'s voice echoed in my mind, her tone laced with amusement. [A reward for something you were going to do anyway? Sounds like you\'re about to make an easy profit.]

"Seems like that," I replied, adjusting the grip on my estoc. "Although I\'ve already taken care of two of Korvan\'s subordinates, Lothar and Loren. It\'s only a matter of time before the rest of them come looking for revenge."

[They will,] she agreed, her tail flicking lazily as she perched on my shoulder in her cat form. [Though I have to say, these humans are quite interesting. You\'ve already done the hard work, and now they\'re scrambling to throw gold and land at you.]

"I doubt they know I was the one who killed Lothar and Loren," I mused. "And if they did, they wouldn\'t be so eager to offer a reward. After all, who would pay a man who\'s already taken care of half the problem?"

[True,] Vitaliara purred, [but it\'s amusing, isn\'t it? The baron is desperate to save his son, and yet he has no idea that you\'ve already done more than any of these so-called mercenaries could dream of.]

I smirked at her comment. "Humans tend to rely on grand gestures when they\'re cornered. They don\'t realize the quiet work is already being done behind the scenes."

[Still,] she continued thoughtfully, [you\'ve drawn more attention than I expected. With the baron issuing this decree, it\'s only a matter of time before more people start sniffing around. Not just for Korvan, but for you.]

"That was the main point."

[The main point?] Vitaliara asked her tone a mix of curiosity and surprise.

I glanced around, noticing how more and more people were gathering in small groups, clearly buzzing about the baron\'s new decree. "The reason I asked for an identity and a letter of recommendation isn\'t just for convenience," I explained, my voice lowering slightly. "It\'s about legitimacy."

[Legitimacy?] she echoed a soft purr accompanying her question. [You\'ve never seemed too concerned with how others see you. Why now?]

A small smile tugged at my lips as I considered her words. "It\'s not about how they see me, but how I position myself in the world," I said. "My reputation will spread, especially after dealing with Korvan and his men. That\'s part of the plan—build a name, attract stronger opponents, and rise through the ranks."

[But without legitimacy,] she added thoughtfully, [you\'ll just be seen as another outlaw. A powerful one, but a criminal nonetheless.]

"Exactly," I nodded. "If I don\'t establish myself with proper recognition, I\'ll constantly be hunted, not just by enemies, but by the authorities. I\'d spend more time running than fighting, and that\'s not what I want. That\'s why it\'s crucial that this whole series of events—the baron\'s decree, Korvan\'s downfall—spreads far and wide. It\'ll give me the legitimacy I need."

\'And it is also important for me to have legitimacy and connections so that I can enter the academy.\'

This world is a world of romance fantasy, and it is from a book named Shattered Innocence.

\'For the sake of the promise, I must enter the academy.\'

At first, I did not want to have anything with the main cast or the storyline of the novel, but then, after Master was involved and requested that I look after his daughter at his last breath, it became a promise.

\'And while I am at it, I will also close those ends.\'

Family…..

It was indeed a word that I did not like.

But at the same time, it was something that I would eventually need to face.

That is why I need to build a reputation.

\'So that you can understand what you have lost.\'

The revenge I want to take.

I don\'t want to destroy those who abandoned me.

That would be too shallow.

What I want is different.

\'That will be my path.\'

But before that, I need to talk with someone.

"Let\'s go and meet that Roderick. He owes me an explanation."

I need to be informed of what happened, and I am sure that he wants the same.

********

The morning sun cast a pale light over Rackenshore as I made my way to Roderick\'s quarters, the city still bustling with the baron\'s newly issued decree. Whispers of mercenaries and hunters filled the air, the scent of greed and desperation lingering like an invisible fog.

Vitaliara padded softly at my side, her ears twitching at every hushed conversation we passed. [You seem troubled,] she remarked, her voice sliding into my thoughts. [Thinking about your next move?]

"More like thinking about how Roderick managed to get this tangled mess started," I replied. "Issuing a decree like that while Ron\'s still in enemy hands—it\'s reckless."

[Do you think they\'ll retaliate?] she asked, her tail flicking behind her.

"They will, without question. Korvan\'s men are no fools. If any of them hear about this decree, they\'ll realize the baron\'s playing a dangerous game. And that puts Ron in serious danger."

We reached Roderick\'s quarters, the guards standing aside as I pushed open the door. Inside, the knight sat behind his desk; a map spread out before him, his brows furrowed in concentration.

"Roderick," I called out, my tone firm. "We need to talk."

He looked up, his eyes narrowing as I approached. "Lucavion. I was expecting you. I assume you\'ve heard about the decree?"

"I have," I replied, taking a seat opposite him without waiting for an invitation. "And I also know you\'re smart enough to realize how reckless it was."

Roderick\'s jaw tightened, but he remained composed. "Reckless? We had no choice. Baron Edris is desperate to get his son back, and we needed to make a bold move. The decree will draw in the kind of manpower we need to finally deal with Korvan."

I leaned forward, my gaze piercing into his. "And what happens when Korvan\'s men, or worse, Korvan himself, find out about this? What do you think they\'ll do when they realize the baron is calling for their heads? They\'ll kill Ron. You\'re gambling with his life, and you know it."

Roderick\'s expression faltered for just a moment, the weight of my words sinking in. "We… we\'ve taken precautions," he said.

I shook my head, letting out a frustrated sigh. "You\'re dealing with bandits, not fools. If there are any of Korvan\'s men within the city—and I\'m certain there are—they\'ll know soon enough. They\'ll put two and two together, and when they do, Ron\'s life is forfeit."

"We know that."

"Then…."

"There is someone amongst Korvan\'s men that is working with us."

At that moment, a bomb was revealed.