Chapter 484: Empty
"A potentially useful pawn gone completely to waste because of my stupid brother," he muttered quietly.
William’s petty feud had grown far beyond anything it should have become.
A talented young man had been turned into an enemy, and the family’s reputation had been placed at risk.
And now their father was mobilizing an armed unit in the middle of Grimholt to settle what had originally begun as the foolish grudge of a spoiled child.
Xavier slipped through the crowd without drawing attention.
Considering this little spectacle was taking place directly outside Elion’s manor, it was not difficult to guess what would happen next.
The unit of mages and warriors his father had brought would storm the estate.
First, they would bring down the powerful protective formation surrounding the property.
That probably would not take long.
His father had brought a formation expert for precisely that reason, likely after Gale informed him in advance about the protections surrounding the manor.
After that, the soldiers would search every room.
They would seize anyone they found inside.
If Elion was present, his father would attempt to execute him publicly, though perhaps he would be stopped by Maximus if the old man who got here on time.
If he was absent, then they would occupy the manor, take his companions prisoner, and use them to draw him out.
The plan was cruel, but he had to admit that it was simple and very effective. At least, it would have been effective against an ordinary academy student.
Xavier paused briefly at the edge of the crowd and glanced back toward the manor. Something about the whole situation felt wrong.
Elion had disappeared without a trace for a month.
Then he had returned openly, taken Mira from her father’s entourage, and vanished again before anyone could stop him.
A cautious fugitive would never behave that way; A terrified heretic would not casually walk through the city in broad daylight.
And someone who believed Duke Dawncrest could threaten him would not have kidnapped the daughter of one of the Duke’s allies so openly.
Either Elion Nova had become completely insane during his disappearance...
Or he had returned with enough power that he no longer considered Dawncrest a meaningful threat.
Xavier’s gaze lingered on the silent manor. Perhaps this spectacle would not end as cleanly as his father believed.
At the front of the crowd, Duke Dawncrest finally lowered himself toward the ground. His speech had achieved its purpose.
The people were angry.
The witnesses were gathered, and the story had already been decided. Now all that remained was the execution.
The Duke turned toward the thin, elderly man standing near the front of the armed unit.
The formation expert wore long grey robes stitched with countless golden symbols. Several metal plates floated around him, each engraved with complex patterns and connected by thin streams of mana.
"Master Orwin," Dawncrest said.
The elderly man stepped forward.
"My Lord."
"Bring down the formation."
Orwin looked toward the manor.
His eyes glowed faintly as he studied the invisible protective barrier surrounding the estate. For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then his expression changed slightly.
"This formation is more complex than I was led to believe."
Gale frowned.
"You said it could be broken."
"It can," Orwin replied calmly. "But it will require more effort than expected."
Dawncrest’s expression darkened.
"How long?"
The formation expert lifted one hand.
The floating metal plates spread around him, arranging themselves into a wide circular pattern.
"Less than an hour."
The Duke’s expression relaxed. "Proceed."
Orwin nodded.
The symbols on the metal plates began to glow as thin golden lines stretched outward, striking the invisible barrier surrounding the manor.
A deep hum spread through the upper district, and the air rippled.
For a brief moment, a vast translucent dome became visible around the entire estate, covered in elegant red-and-black formation lines.
The crowd gasped in amazement.
Gale smiled grimly.
Very soon, Mira would be back where she belonged.
Duke Dawncrest watched the formation with cold satisfaction.
The heretic had made the mistake of returning. He had made the mistake of humiliating his son, and he had made the mistake of opposing a Duke.
Now he would finally understand the difference between a talented commoner and a member of one of the great noble houses of the kingdom.
The events unfolded almost exactly as Xavier had expected, except for one part.
The formation barrier was quickly dismantled, and the armed unit stormed the manor. Mages and warriors spread through every corridor, kicking open doors and sweeping each room with their weapons drawn.
However, Dawncrest was soon given a shocking report not long after.
"There is no one inside, my lord." Dawncrest’s expression stiffened. The warrior who delivered the news lowered his head before continuing.
"In fact, it almost looks as though no one has been living here. The house is practically empty, and the furnishings are minimal."
Dawncrest frowned deeply. He immediately released his senses and performed a thorough sweep of the entire estate.
Nothing.
There was not a single living presence inside.
"Where could that damned bastard be!?" he roared. "Are you certain there are no hidden rooms or a concealment formation hiding them from us?"
The man hesitated.
That silence was all Dawncrest needed. "Search every nook and cranny of that house!" he barked. "Take Master Orwin with you this time!"
The soldiers immediately returned to their task.
Those gathered outside waited with expectant gazes, watching as warriors moved through the manor and mages repeatedly scanned its walls. Master Orwin inspected every room for hidden formations, secret compartments, and spatial distortions.
Yet an hour later, they emerged empty-handed once again. Orwin shook his head as he approached Dawncrest, who was practically fuming by now.
"There is nothing, My Lord. There was no concealment formation or trickery that I could detect with my eyes."
Dawncrest’s face twisted. "Gale!"
His head snapped ferociously toward the merchant. Gale flinched when he met the Duke’s malicious gaze.
"Are you certain this is the place?"
Gale nodded nervously, wiping a bead of sweat from his face with his handkerchief.
"Y-Yes. This is definitely the place. I even asked a close friend of mine to confirm it. This house is registered under his name."
"Then he must have escaped before we arrived!"
After venting his anger at the unfortunate mages and warriors and ordering them to sweep the estate yet again, Dawncrest began to rack his brain.
He immediately sent several groups to search Grimholt City in case Elion had not traveled far.
After that, he could do nothing but float above the estate and wait while the crowd murmured below.
That was perhaps the worst part.
He could hear their whispers, speculation, as well as their poorly hidden amusement.
"He escaped again?"
"They gathered all these people for nothing."
"Perhaps the Duke warned him by making such a spectacle."
"Was the heretic even here?"
Every quiet comment felt like mockery, and every whisper sounded like laughter directed at him.
This defeat was a bitter one for Dawncrest to swallow.
He had brought an entire unit, gathered witnesses, and announced himself as a savior before the whole city, yet Elion had slipped away once again, leaving him standing before an empty house like a fool.
He needed to make the boy suffer somehow.