CH361 Final Prep

***

"Very well. I won't interfere then," Drake said simply.

Alex frowned, a thought forming in his mind.

"Father, are you sure Duke Wastelander won't support Alric?" he asked. "I hear he's the duke's favourite son."

"I'm sure," Drake replied without hesitation. "It doesn't take a genius to understand why the Wastelanders are so fixated on your lass, Zora. Anyone who looks at a map of the east of the empire would see the reason. But attacking you—or our House—won't guarantee Alric her favour. If anything, it'll alienate her.

"She's not a fool. If something were to happen to you while she's still fond of you, the Wastelanders would be the first suspects."

He leaned back slightly, "Siegmund may be proud, but he's not foolish enough to play a losing hand."

"I see…" Alex murmured, his expression thoughtful.

He recalled the Auction House incident—the look in Alric's eyes, and the faint but unmistakable malice he'd sensed.

'Alric might just be reckless enough to do something stupid. And Helmut? That one's not exactly the brightest sword in the armoury,' Alex thought. 'Even if he had the sense, I doubt he could stand up to Alric anyway.'

He sighed quietly to himself. 'Too bad those three scions are even more paranoid than Josiah Kellerman.'

In the past week since Alex's meeting with Alpha, the Drow had carried out a covert mission—under Alex's direct approval—to secure the private Rune Phone IDs of the three noble heirs.

Aside from the official Rune Phones registered under their names within the Golden Palace's sales records, Dark Water had managed to trace another, more secret set of devices belonging to each scion.

These hidden Rune Phones contained evidence of shady dealings, but nothing concrete about any plot targeting Alex or House Fury.

After reviewing every recording and data log pulled from the hacked devices thanks to OmniRune, Alex reached three possible conclusions.

First: each scion might possess yet another, even more concealed Rune Phone reserved for their most confidential communications.

Second: they might be using an entirely different communication tool or method—something other than a Rune Phone—to coordinate their plans.

Third: the most concerning possibility—they were meeting in person to discuss their schemes against him and his family.

Alex instinctively wanted to dismiss the last one. Dark Water had been monitoring each scion closely, after all. But experience told him that the higher the nobility, the more elusive their movements tended to be.

Scions of Ducal and Grand Ducal Houses were rarely out of sight—but that didn't mean they couldn't vanish when they wanted to.

If they didn't know how to move unseen through that constant web of attention, they wouldn't be able to get anything done in the first place.

As for the other two possibilities, either one suggested a level of paranoia beyond what Alex had anticipated. After all, he doubted anyone had discovered—let alone proven—that he could hack Rune Phones and retrieve full records of their communications.

From his past discussions with Haggleworth and Alpha, it was clear that most people in this world didn't even consider such a possibility. Such remote communications had after all always been assumed to be unhackable.

So, if the three scions had already grown cautious enough to use multiple communication channels, that meant they were far more paranoid—and far more careful—than the average noble heir.

And that combination was dangerous.

People like that struck when their target least expected it—and from angles their enemies couldn't predict. Their attacks were never random; they were deliberate, devastating, and most importantly, timed to kill and destroy in one swoop.

'And it's not like I can move on a pre-emptive strike,' Alex mused grimly. 'I don't have any solid proof of a plot, only suspicions stemming from the fact that the three scions have met. If I act rashly now, they can use that to escalate things even further before I can make any decisive moves.'

He exhaled slowly.

'The ball is in their court for now.'

Alex didn't like it one bit. But with nothing concrete to act on, he forced himself to let it go—for now.

'I can only deal with whatever comes… when it comes.'

"How's your preparation for your… 'sabbatical'?" Drake suddenly asked, drawing him out of thought.

"Preparation is almost complete on my end," Alex replied. "I've already gathered the general supplies I'll need, based on deductions from the travel records of various family members you shared with me.

"The only remaining part is my direct party. There hasn't been much progress there since you said you'd handle it, but I might have found a few potential companions from within the Enclave."

He paused briefly before adding, "Once I meet the people you mentioned and prepare any necessary equipment for them, I should be ready to depart at any time."

"Good." Drake nodded, thoughtful. "I don't like the idea of a scheme brewing around you. It's best we send you off before the circle tightens."

For a moment, Alex froze.

A sudden, uncanny feeling of déjà vu crept up his spine.

"Come on. Let's go meet the travel companions I promised you," Drake said.

As Alex suspected, his father intended for the introductions to happen immediately. Drake was always the type to act now, no matter the hour or circumstance.

Then again, moving under the cover of darkness had its advantages — it made it much easier to avoid unwanted eyes.

"You brought the Agoge trainees with you? Is that why you came to the Enclave personally?" Alex asked.

"One of the reasons," Drake replied. "The main reason is to oversee your marriage engagements before you head off on your travels. Ideally, I'd have preferred you to… impregnate the women and secure an heir before you leave. But time and circumstances make that unfeasible. At the very least, we can't allow you to remain unwedded for too long."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why the rush? You were at least twice my age when you got married."

"I was a commoner at your age," Drake said flatly. "And my bloodline wasn't nearly as potent as yours. Getting you married sooner ensures the old fogies in the family stop breathing down my neck. Your marriage will assure them that you're cognisant of your duty to expand the bloodline."

The elders of the Fury Family couldn't do anything to Drake as Head of the House, but that didn't stop their endless nagging. Unfortunately, unlike his soldiers or subordinates, he couldn't silence them with his fists. He had to endure their complaints until they were satisfied — or until they lost their voices.

Drake would much rather not endure that.

"We'll discuss your marriages later," Drake concluded, waving the matter aside. "For now, let's meet the Agoge trainees so you can choose your primary party members."

Alex barely had time to throw on a proper coat before following his father out of the dormitory.

They walked briskly through the Enclave city's night lit streets until they arrived at a modest courtyard in a quiet, middle-class district of the city.

The area was peaceful — the kind of place where residents were well-off, though not wealthy. The homes here were spacious enough to offer privacy, but not opulent enough to draw envy.

As soon as Alex and Drake stepped through the courtyard gate, Alex felt it — a wave of gazes locking onto him.

And most of them were anything but gentle.

**(11/70)**

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