<h4>Chapter 74: Viin Simtor, Ch 74</h4>
[That evening, you returned to your long-missed bedroom. Although you had been away for a long time, the room remained spotless. Your mother regrly cleaned it, even though she knew your return wouldn''te any sooner because of it.]
[The nket carried the fresh scent of sunlight. Just as you were enjoying the moment, a sudden cold draft swept through the room. When you turned around, E had already appeared behind you.]
[You embraced her tightly and a fiery passion ignited in your chest. In moments like this, words became unnecessary; through action, you both expressed the intense longing you had for each other.]
[Downstairs, Mrs. Schubert nced up at the ceiling, puzzled, muttering, "That child''s really attracting mosquitoes; he''s been swatting non-stop sinceing home..."]
[After an hour and a half, when things finally quieted down, you and E basked in the afterglow of your reunion. You took the opportunity to ask about your wedding.]
[However, E showed a hint of hesitation. She told you that although she had earned the title of heir, she was still too young. She needed a few more years of experience before formally taking on the role of head of the family. She asked if you could continue waiting.]
[Noticing your subtle change in expression, the usually frosty family heir showed a softer side, whispering, "It''s okay, even if the wedding is dyed, I''ll find other ways to make it up to you."]
[You understood E''s implication, and from that day on, your window was never locked again. Like the Teyvat version of Romeo and Juliet, you and E often met under the cover of night.]
...
[Age 19: Time passed quickly, and before long, you had been back in Mondstadt for some time. One day, your father, Schubert, approached you very seriously, telling you that it was time to demonstrate what you had "learned" and serve the family.]
[In truth, you had been waiting for this day, already prepared to build your legacy in the Lawrence family. This wasn''t just to support E by removing any obstacles, but also to increase your chances of marrying her.]
[However, your father led you to a hidden underground chamber within the family estate—a ce that, as someone who once ruled the Lawrence family a thousand years ago, you were very familiar with, including this basement.]
[This secret chamber was an interrogation room where the Lawrence family once tortured those who posed a threat to their power. You were surprised that even after a millennium, the chamber still existed.]
[Of course, you couldn''t reveal your knowledge of this due to your reincarnation, so you had to pretend as if it was all new to you.]
[Inside the interrogation room, a man in his thirties, wearing sses, was bound to a chair. He looked schrly, not like a criminal at all.]
[Your father, Schubert, informed you that this man''s name was Hudson, and he had been secretly spreading rumors about the "Millennium Lie," tarnishing the Lawrence family''s reputation. He was, without a doubt, a heretic.]
[You were already familiar with the "Millennium Lie" theory. Some Mondstadt schrs, based on leftover clues, believed that the current history of Mondstadt was fabricated by the Lawrence family to cover up their past sins.]
[You knew that this wasn''t exactly a lie, but to maintain the family''s control, the Lawrence family hadbeled such ims as dangerous heresy.]
[Your father exined that the Lawrence family had always maintained a secret organization called the "Enforcers." Their sole purpose was to eliminate, in the shadows, any threats to the family''s dominance.]
[Operating in darkness, the Enforcers often did things that couldn''t be exposed to the light. They were the "necessary evil" to preserve the family''s status.]
[This revtion didn''t surprise you, because the so-called "Enforcers" were an organization you, as Eberhart, had personally established.]
[Your father, Schubert, was the current head of the Enforcers. He had brought you here because he wanted you to be one of them, and torturing Hudson was your first lesson.]
[However, Hudson remained defiant, ring at you and your father with hatred, shouting, "You liars! You thieves who stole the nation! I will never yield to you! The truth... cannot be defeated!"]
["At first, their mouths are always tough," Schubert said expressionlessly, pointing at the surrounding torture devices. "But no one eversts past the third one."]
[Over the centuries, torture devices had evolved. Besides some familiar instruments, there were many new designs that even you hadn''t seen before.]
[Indeed, humans had a natural talent for inventing new ways to torment each other.]
[Schubert expertly demonstrated the use of the tools. You found it hard to believe that the refined and courteous man who cherished etiquette was now like a cold-blooded butcher, torturing the heretic in front of him without hesitation.]
[Blood sttered onto the protective coat he had prepared in advance. His face was calm, as though he was merely teaching you how to prepare a chicken for ughter.]
[You finally understood why Schubert had sent you to the military academy—to harden your will. He had nned all along to shape you into an Enforcer.]
["Leave the rest to me," you said, taking your father''s wrist. "Within the hour, I''ll make him submit."]
[Schubert seemed surprised but nodded in satisfaction. He left the interrogation room, and soon after, blood-curdling screams echoed from within.]
[When Schubert returned to the interrogation room, Hudson, who had been so defiant earlier, had already pressed his bloodstained handprint onto a written confession. He had revealed all the information he knew.]
[There were typically two ways to deal with these heretics: the first was to have them admit their crimes and repent, after which they would be imprisoned ording to the severity of their offenses.]
[The second, for those who refused to yield even unto death, was a public execution by fire, meant to serve as a deterrent to others.]
[This method might be cruel, but the Lawrence family had no other choice. Their only option was to uncover the source of the "Millennium Lie" and eradicate itpletely.]
[Over the years, the Enforcers had been searching for the origins of the Millennium Lie, but the leads they found were scant. Instead, the number of heretics who believed in the lie seemed to be growing.]
[You knew the full truth, but to maintain the Lawrence family''s rule, especially for E''s sake, you had no choice but to bury the truth yourself.]
---
[Age 20: You had only been part of the Enforcers for a year, but your aplishments were already impressive. Your ruthlessness instilled fear even in your seniors.]
[Though the Enforcers were a secret organization, rumors about them circted among the popce. Your ruthless methods had earned you the nickname "The Smiling Reaper."]
[The reason was simple: it was said that every time you conducted an interrogation, you smiled, but your actions were as merciless and terrifying as death itself.]
[In your previous life, your hands had long been stained with blood, so torturing prisoners carried no burden for you.]
[However, you kept your role as an Enforcer a secret from E. You knew her sense of justice was strong, and she likely wouldn''t understand your choices.]
[You told yourself that once all the heretics were eliminated, you could be with E without any worries.]
---
[Age 21: You received a new mission. A heretic who had been imprisoned for over a decade had recently been released. It was said that he had been one of the first to propagate the heretical theories, and he might have ties to the source of the "Millennium Lie."]
[Your task was to observe him secretly and gather evidence.]
[This wasn''t your first mission of this kind. Generally, those who had been imprisoned and experienced such suffering wouldn''t dare repeat their offenses.]
[Still, as always, you reviewed the target''s dossier.]
[His name was Rafal. Thirteen years ago, he had been arrested and tortured for secretly spreading the "Millennium Lie" and was imprisoned thereafter.]
[His father was none other than the famous cksmith in Mondstadt—Wagner.]
Wagner?
Lucas furrowed his brow slightly.
Isn''t that the same cksmith shop where he bought a dagger in the simtor when he was a kid?
Looks like things havee full circle.
---
[You disguised yourself as amon customer and entered Wagner''s cksmith shop, ready to investigate.]
[Despite the shop''s high-quality products, it hadn''t expanded at all over the past decade. This likely had much to do with Wagner''s temperament. Since his son was imprisoned, he had be reclusive and irritable, never showing his customers a kind face.]
[Now entering immersive mode]
[Mission objective: Gather useful information during immersive mode. The quality of your rewards will depend on the amount of information you collect.]
"Wee!"
As soon as Lucas stepped inside, he was greeted by a middle-aged man swinging a hammer. "What can I get for you?"
The middle-aged man was none other than Wagner, the cksmith. His hair had grayed over the past decade, but his body remained strong from years of forging.
However, his unusually friendly attitude puzzled Lucas. Since when did this ill-tempered cksmith start greeting customers so warmly?
"I''m just browsing," Lucas replied casually.
"Take your time! Everything''s 20% off today!" Wagner said with a grin as he hammered the red-hot iron before him.
"What''s going on with your boss?" Lucas asked the shop assistant, Schultz, who was busy with inventory. "I remember he didn''t used to be like this."
ording to the dossier, Schultz had been an apprentice at the shop for over a decade. Despite his hard work, hecked the talent to learn Wagner''s full craft.
"It''s because Rafal, his son has been released from prison," Schultz sighed. "Even though the master doesn''t say much, he''s been overjoyed inside."
Schultz, although honest, had worked for Wagner for many years, and in some ways, he was like a son to him.
But Wagner rarely showed Schultz any kindness, often criticizing and belittling his work. Schultz sometimes wondered if Wagner was deliberately holding back, saving his true skills to teach Rafal once he was released from prison.
"Do you need any help with anything?"
At that moment, a polite voice came from behind Lucas. Turning around, he saw a man in his thirties, smiling warmly at him.
Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly. This was Rafal, the target of his mission.
Compared to the photo, Rafal appeared thinner, with sunken eyes and visible scars on his arms. Clearly, he had endured a lot during his years in prison.
"Rafal, you shouldn''t be out here," Schultz quickly helped him to a seat. "The doctor said you need to rest and recover."
"I just want to help out around the shop," Rafal replied with a weak smile. "I can still manage sales."
It seemed... nothing unusual was happening.
Could he have been overthinking it? Has Rafal truly turned over a new leaf?
But since the system assigned this mission, there had to be something suspicious about him.
At that moment, Lucas''s attention was drawn to a shiny golden bracelet on the counter. He picked it up curiously and asked, "Does your cksmith shop sell gold jewelry too?"
"Sorry, that one''s not for sale," Wagner said with a wave. "A kid left it here over ten years ago. I''ve been holding onto it, waiting for him toe back and im it."
Lucas suddenly realized...
Wasn''t this the bracelet he left behind years ago when he came here to buy a dagger?
Who would have thought that after all these years, Wagner had never sold the bracelet and was still waiting to return it to its owner?
For some reason, Lucas felt a sudden wave of emotion.
For a brief moment, he truly wished that Rafal was innocent. If not, this father, who had waited over a decade for his son, would surely be heartbroken.
"Master, it''s been so many years. That kid''s probably grown up by now. How could you possibly recognize him?" Schultz said helplessly.
"Besides, the owner of this gold bracelet is probably some noble who doesn''t even care about a little money. You''d be better off selling it and expanding the shop."
"You fool! The most important thing in business is honesty!" Wagner snapped, clearly displeased. "And my memory is sharp as ever. If I ever see that kid again, I''ll recognize him for sure... huh?"
Suddenly, Wagner''s eyesnded on Lucas. He murmured, "Wait a minute... that face... there''s no mistake. You''re that little kid from all those years ago, aren''t you?"
Seriously? This isn''t just a good memory—this is insane!
I''ve grown up over the past ten years, and he can still recognize me?
Lucas instinctively stepped back, and with a soft clink, the dagger he always carried with him, the "Dagger of the Unfilial" slipped from his waist and fell to the ground.
"Isn''t that the dagger I sold you back then?" Wagner instantly recognized his handiwork,ughing. "You''ve kept it in such good condition! I knew I didn''t misjudge you! Hahaha!"
What a rookie mistake... I can''t believe I slipped up like this.
Realizing that his identity could no longer be hidden, Lucas picked up the dagger and, a bit awkwardly, said, "I didn''t expect you to remember me after all these years. As for the bracelet, I knew it was made of gold from the start, so you can keep it. It''s fine."
"Well then, I won''t be shy about it. You nobles really are generous!" Wagner''s personality was straightforward as always, and he nodded with a grin. "This gold bracelet wille in handy when Rafal gets married."
At those words, both Rafal and Schultz''s expressions subtly shifted.
The jealousy in Schultz''s eyes was obvious, while Rafal''s look of panic did not escape Lucas''s keen observation.
He was definitely hiding something.
"Ahem..." Rafal coughed twice, his brow furrowed. "Sorry, I''m not feeling well. I think I''ll go rest."
Uneven breathing, a change in expression, even his movements had be stiff.
There was no doubt.
"It seems there''s no point in hiding it any longer." Lucas suddenly spoke coldly. "Mr. Rafal, in my capacity as a member of the Enforcers, I''m requesting to search your room."
The moment he said this, the three people in front of him were all taken aback.
Wagner, who had been all smiles just moments ago, was now beside himself with anxiety. "Th-there must be some mistake! My son has reformed, I swear! He would never have anything to do with those heretics again!"
"I''m sorry, but I''m just doing my job," Lucas replied coolly. "Mr. Rafal, please lead the way. Don''t worry, if you''re truly innocent, I won''t trouble you."
Though Rafal''s expression was grim, he nodded and led Lucas to his room.
The room''s furnishings were simple. On the desk were several open books, and the firece crackled warmly. It all seemed like the typical home of amoner.
Lucas conducted a routine search but found nothing suspicious. The books on the shelves were merely popr novels and poetry collections.
"I... I told you!" Wagner followed them into the room, clearly agitated. "Rafal promised me he wouldn''t get involved in that stuff again!"
Just as Lucas was about to give up, he noticed Rafal''s gaze. It seemed to flicker toward the firece—intentionally or not.
Feeling a sudden surge of suspicion, Lucas extended his hand. A st of icy air shot from his palm, instantly extinguishing the fire in the hearth.
Kneeling down, he sifted through the ashes and found some partially burned papers, though the writing on them was no longer legible.
"Care to exin?" Lucas held up the charred scraps. "What were you burning? Trying to destroy evidence?"
"It''s nothing," Rafal said, his voice steady. "I ran out of firewood, so I used some old books for fuel."
----
Author''s Note: Sigh give that old man wagner some rest...