Leon watched the trees move past the carriage window.

A month had gone by till he entered Eclipse.

He wondered how much had changed in that time.

But one thing that did change, was he himself. Talk about him being ranked two must have already reached all the noble houses. His mother's sudden change of behavior was proof of it.

"Haaah…" He sighed just thinking about it.

Their reaction was indeed valid and reasonable. A boy who was not awakened a month ago was now hailed at such a position and rank was not at all normal.

Some people may doubt, while few would just look at the other side.

No matter good or bad, they would talk behind his back, criticize him, doubt him, or maybe call him a fraud.

But that didn't matter to Leon.

What they believed had nothing to do with him.

He had already seen it once, the cycle of admiration turning into jealousy, and jealousy turning into fear.

People always judged what they did not understand.

Leon closed his eyes for a moment. If they wanted to deny him, they could. If they wanted to worship him, they would.

In the end, they would all end up doing the thing he wanted them to do.

Strength didn't need validation.

It only needed to exist.

"You seem calmer than I expected," Myra said quietly.

Leon shifted his eyes toward her.

"Should I be nervous?"

Myra kept her gaze forward.

"Most people in your shoes would be. You are returning not as the same person you were. Back then, you were simply Young Master Leon. But now, you are ranked second in Eclipse. Be prepared, Master, the household will treat you differently."

She was aware of it as well.

Leon rested his chin on his hand, eyes half toward the window.

"Myra."

"Yes, Master?"

"If the twins challenge me this time, who do you think would win?"

Myra didn't hesitate. "You."

Leon blinked once. "That was quick?"

Myra faintly sneered before answering, "there's no need to think much."

Leon looked at her, and saw her looking at him with pride.

This made Leon smirked.

'Guess I was not the only one looking forward to it.'

— — —

[Shinra Detective Agency]

4th floor, Chief Detective's Office.

A glass nameplate was fixed on the door, written clearly.

[Ezra Holmes — Chief Detective]

(Yes, the detective and Leon's mother share the same name. Full name first mentioned in the chapter: What could have gone wrong? [1])

Shinra Detective Agency might look like an ordinary private investigation firm from the outside. A small building with clean walls and a quiet entrance. Nothing at all eye-catching.

But inside, it was different.

This place served as the operational headquarters of The [Authority], handling national issues, and international cross-border disputes including both humans and demons.

Five people of different age groups including one female were inside the room.

The atmosphere inside was serious, as the three looked at the old man standing beside Detective Holmes.

He coughed lightly before speaking.

"I would like you all to meet your operation leader. I believe he does not need much of an introduction."

The three detectives looked up.

Their eyes widened, and their jaws slowly fell open.

They knew him. How could they not?

The old man standing beside Ezra had black hair tied loosely behind his back. His coat was plain, sleeves rolled up.

"Hoho, Ezra, stop teasing them," the old man said with a small laugh.

His voice was warm, familiar, almost casual, yet the room stiffened even just by listening to him.

"Greetings," he continued. "Starting today, I will be leading the special task force assigned to track and capture the Twilight Order."

Silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

He gave each of them a brief look.

"The name is Raizen Nightson. Former Chief Detective of Authority. Returning to the field."

No one spoke.

Raizen Nightson.

The head of the Nightson Dukedom. The current Headmaster of Eclipse Institute. A man recorded in textbooks. A living strategic weapon of the nation. A legend among the Authority's history.

And he was here.

One of the younger detectives finally swallowed, his voice trembling slightly.

"S-sir, is this operation that critical?"

Raizen nodded once. "If it were anything less, I wouldn't be here."

Ezra crossed his arms and leaned back on the desk.

"The Twilight Order is no longer a national issue, they never were. Their operations are structured, and coordinated had changed recently, they had now become more invisible."

At first, the involvement of Twilight Order in any case would easily be identified, but now, it has changed. For the past month, there was no trace of them in any cases.

Many would think that they finally stopped, but the truth was the opposite. They had become more disciplined. Their movements were now planned in advance, leaving no evidence behind. Not even a rumor leaked.

It's as if they have a new leader.

The room went quiet.

"Then how do we catch them?" one of the men finally spoke. His tone was calm, but his fingers were gripping the edge of the table tightly.

Raizen turned his gaze toward him. The man stiffened immediately.

He straightened his posture and introduced himself.

"I am Ryuke, the assigned member for this special joint operation, sir."

Raizen nodded.

"Ryuke, huh. I have heard of you."

Ryuke blinked, taken aback for a second.

"You handled the West Border intel leak case. Controlled fifteen of your 'ghosts' at once to track a single contact point. That was impressive…"

Ryuke lowered his head slightly. "Thank you, sir."

Raizen continued, "To gather this much information about the Twilight Order without any official informant or surveillance clearance is not something just anyone can do. Your work was solid."

Ryuke tried not to show it, but pride flickered in his expression.

Raizen went quiet for a moment.

"But as for how we catch them?" he said simply. "I don't know."

Silence filled the room.

He wasn't joking. He genuinely didn't know. Raizen had just arrived, he needed to hear everything first.

He took a seat.

"But I will know soon."

Ezra didn't react, but the others caught the meaning.

Raizen didn't return to fieldwork unless the situation had already crossed a silent line.

Raizen clasped his hands together.

"Compile all reports into one timeline. Every incident. Every disappearance. Every movement of funds. Every ghost relay."

Ryuke nodded.

"I'll have it done."

Raizen's gaze swept across the room.

"Remember… The Twilight Order does not move recklessly. Their silence these days means they are preparing something larger. They have a leader, and that leader is thinking several steps ahead of us… That's who we are dealing with."

He leaned and then answered.

"And that's how we would catch them."

No one knew who that leader was. No one knew how many members this Order had. No one knew who they were. No one knew their actual goal.

Regarding the Twilight Order, the citizens have divided opinion. Some called them terrorists, while the other saviour.

At the same time.

The carriage slowed as it passed through the main gates of the Valentine Dukedom.

Tall white pillars lined the entrance, engraved with the family crest.

Leon watched the guards bow deeply as the carriage rolled through.

He didn't react.

He had seen this once already.

But this time, it felt different.

Myra leaned slightly toward the window. "Looks like they prepared a welcome."

Leon followed her gaze.

The courtyard was filled.

Knights in full armor stood in rows, servants lined the path, and a few nobles had gathered near the entrance stairs. They were all here to greet the Duke's younger relatives, but Leon knew whose name they would be whispering the moment he stepped down.

The carriage stopped. And the door opened.

The servants and maids bowed.

"Welcome back, Young Master Leon!" They said in unison.

Leon stepped down calmly, his black coat settling around his shoulders.

His gaze moved forward.

One hand in his pocket, the other resting lightly on Moonblade, Leon stepped down from the carriage.

Knights standing in formation straightened their backs by instinct. Servants lowered their heads a fraction deeper than required. Even the nobles near the entrance paused mid-breath.

Leon didn't acknowledge any of them.

His expression remained calm, and uninterested. He adjusted his glasses with a slow, quiet motion as he walked forward.

He can feel the gazes lingering on him.

Leon knew this sensation, he had felt this before.

Before he transmigrated here.

At that time, the media reporters, and the general audience were giving him the same look.

The look of awe.

When he first made it. When he proved himself.

The Leon who left and the Leon who returned were not the same.

Within just a month, he had achieved what his other siblings couldn't.

Leon found his mother Ezra stood beside the Duke, watching him approach.

The Duke's gaze was unreadable. His hands were loosely behind his back, yet his shoulders had straightened slightly.

Leon's eyes moved, taking them all in.

He came to a stop a few steps before them.

'Would you look at that,' Leon thought.

"It has been a while. Father."

Leon didn't smile.

.

.

[A/N: Drop power Stones. will upload TWO more chapter if we cross 100 PS with in 24 hours!]

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