<h4>Chapter 76: Viin Simtor, Ch 76</h4>
"You''ll never know who he is," a trickle of ck blood suddenly slid from the corner of Rafal''s mouth. "It seems... the poison is finally taking effect."
Suicide by poison?
For Lucas, a seasoned enforcer, such situations were nothing new. Faced with terrifying torture, death often seemed like a form of release.
However, enforcers rarely allowed their prisoners the opportunity to take poison. Even if they managed to ingest it, there were a hundred ways to force them to vomit it back up.
Just as Lucas was about to make Rafal expel the poison, Rafal said calmly, "No need to bother. I took slow-acting poison long before I arrived. By now, it''s spread throughout my body. Even the Anemo God himself can''t save me."
From the beginning, Rafal had known there was no chance of survival, so he had long prepared himself for death.
"You sacrificed so much just to uncover a piece of history that can no longer be changed," Lucas sighed. "Was it really worth it?"
"I have no regrets," Rafal said with a peaceful smile. "I only feel sorry for my father. I apologize... for being such a foolish son... cough!"
As he spoke, Rafal spat out another mouthful of ck blood.
"Since you''re about to die, I might as well tell you the truth," Lucas said indifferently. "Your theories are all correct. I could tell you even more, but... you don''t have enough time left."
Upon hearing these words, Rafal''s pupils dted, his body wracked with agony as the poison coursed through him, twisting his facial muscles into an uncontrolled grimace.
Yet, amid the pain, a smile spread across his face.
Rafal took hisst breath, his expression frozen in a strange mix—one half contorted in suffering, the other half in bliss.
Is this what they meant by "to know the truth in the morning, and to die content by evening"?
Unlike the people of Mondstadt a thousand years ago, who blindly sought freedom, Rafal and those like him merely sought "truth." They had no intentions of rebellion, yet they still became casualties in the pursuit of it.
However, just because they didn''t seek to overthrow the Lawrence family didn''t mean others wouldn''t. If an ambitious individual used this information as leverage, the Lawrence family would face severe consequences.
And that individual could very well be "G."
To Rafal, perhaps "G" was a fellow seeker of truth.
But Lucas had a feeling that "G" merely wanted to use this group''s thirst for knowledge to achieve his own ends.
At that moment, the door to the interrogation room opened. The two enforcers entered, visibly nervous. One of them avoided eye contact as he reported, "Sir, the old cksmith... he took his own life by smashing his head against the wall while we weren''t looking..."
"I understand," Lucas said, his face expressionless. "Give them both a proper burial."
However, as Lucas prepared to leave the interrogation room, something caught his eye. On the floor near the chair where Wagner had been tortured were a few twisted, bloody words, seemingly written with a toe.
A secret message?
Lucas rushed over, and after carefully examining the writing, he recognized Wagner''s final message to his son:
"I don''t me you."
...
Hourster, Lucas was riding in a carriage, leaving Mondstadt with Schultz.
"Here''s the reward I promised," Lucas tossed a pouch to Schultz with a smile. "Thanks for your cooperation. But to avoid any trouble, I suggest you leave Mondstadt for a while."
"Th-thank you." Schultz opened the pouch and, after seeing its contents, finally rxed. "I was worried... you''d kill me to keep me quiet."
"We work with principles," Lucas replied coolly. "It''s unfortunate your master died, though."
"I don''t care anymore. That old man never even looked at me properly anyway," Schultz said bitterly, as if this entire ordeal had unleashed the darkness lurking inside him. "Let them reunite in the afterlife... this money is rightfully mine."
Shing!
The sharp de of a knife suddenly pierced Schultz''s chest.
"You..." Schultz gasped, unable to believe his eyes. "You tricked me..."
"The one who spared you was the Smiling Reaper," Lucas said, his face emotionless. "not Me."
It wasn''t vengeance for Wagner and his son. After all, Lucas was the real executioner.
It was just... for amusement.
After all, the principles of viins areughable at best.
---
[Mission Complete. Based on the amount of information obtained, your rating is: B-Level.]
[Reward Skill: Interrogation Technique (B-Level)]
[Effect: After using this skill, you can force a target to answer one question. The weaker the target''s mental strength, the higher the sess rate. (Usable once per day)]
Only B-Level?
Well, it made sense. Although he had gathered a lot of information, the most crucial detail—the identity of "G"—remained a mystery.
---
[Entering text mode...]
[The contents of Rafal''s stone chest provided important clues. You handed them over to your father, Schubert, hoping to work together to uncover the identity of "G."]
[ording to Schubert''s analysis, you need to use reverse reasoning. Who stands to benefit the most from overthrowing the Lawrence family? That would likely be the mastermind.]
[Suddenly, inspiration strikes. You blurt out a surname: Gunnhildr—the letter "G" corresponds to this family''s initial.]
[A thousand years ago, the Gunnhildr family assisted the rebel Vennessa. However, after the true history was erased, this fact was buried along with it.]
[As a result, although the Gunnhildr family still holds a noble title, they''ve never risen to prominence. Nevertheless, over the past millennium, the Gunnhildr family has maintained close ties with themon people and enjoys a great reputation in Mondstadt.]
[If the Gunnhildr family were to lead the charge,bined with the truths revealed in the "Millennium Lie," it could spark a massive rebellion.]
[Though the enforcers are granted immense power by the Lawrence family, without concrete evidence, they cannot act against the Gunnhildr family.]
[Atst, your father lets out a long sigh. He looks into your eyes and asks, "The enforcers exist to serve the Lawrence family, sacrificing everything for them. I''ve thought of a solution, but it may cost you the happiness of the rest of your life... That is, to marry into the Gunnhildr family, infiltrate them, and gather intelligence."]
[You have to admit, this is indeed a viable solution. If the Gunnhildr family truly harbors rebellious intentions, your presence within them would prevent them from making any reckless moves.]
[However, you''ve already secretly pledged your heart to E. Faced with your father''s request, your decision is...]
[1. Agree]
[2. Refuse]
Ahhh!
Why must there be such a painful choice?
Isn''t this a bit too melodramatic?
Lucas felt a deep sense of internal conflict.
If it were simply a matter of choosing between "good" and "evil," it would be a lot easier.
But decisions like this—where emotions are at stake—are far moreplicated.
If he refused, the Gunnhildr family might truly use the "Millennium Lie" as a pretext to rally support and overthrow the Lawrence family. If that happened, it wouldn''t just be E''s position as head of the family in jeopardy, but the entire existence of the Lawrence family would be at risk.
At this point, Lucas was strong, butpared to Eberhart from his past life, who had absorbed over a thousand sources of power (including the evil dragon Ursa), he was still far behind. Solving this crisis through sheer force was not an option.
But if he agreed...
Even if he seeded in disrupting the Gunnhildr family''s ns, before that could happen, he''d bebeled a "traitor" and likely be struck down by E herself.
"I..." After much inner turmoil, Lucas sighed in defeat. "I''ll agree."
If he could solve the problem with the Gunnhildr family, there might still be a chance to salvage things between him and E.
[You fall silent for a moment before finally agreeing to Schubert''s request.]
[For the first time, your father shows a hint of guilt as he pats your shoulder, saying, "To ensure the secrecy of this n, you cannot reveal the truth to anyone."]
[You know full well that "anyone" includes E. With her personality, if she learned the real reason, she would never agree to this n and might even leak the secret.]
[A few nightster, on the evening of your next rendezvous with E, you decide that tonight you will tell her about your impending engagement to the Gunnhildr family.]
[Forcing entry into immersion mode...]
Hey, hey!
Are you serious?!
Can''t we just skip this awkward conversation in text mode?
Why must it be in full immersion mode? Is there some kind of mission tied to it?
[No mission, just a little system wanting to enjoy the drama! Pyo!]
You''re a system! Stop using weird sound effects to act cute!
Before Lucas could finishining, he was once again in that familiar room.
For some reason, even though he had always looked forward to E''s arrival, tonight he felt nervousness.
The clock hands pointed to 10 PM, and a familiar cool breeze blew in through the window.
Before Lucas could speak, E threw open her arms and rushed into his embrace.
"Just let me lean on you for a bit," E said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Having to deal with all those old guys in meetings is so tiring."
Though she was only 24, as the next in line to be head of the family, E had already earned the right to attend important family meetings. It was all preparation for her future leadership.
Who could have imagined that the stern and stoic E, the one who rarely spoke in front of others, could show such azy side?
It seemed she only allowed herself to be like this around Lucas.
"Hey, if you''re really that tired, how about you take a little rest?" Lucas gently patted her back.
"No, this is fine," E said softly, holding Lucas tightly. "Just hugging you like this recharges my energy."
Hearing this made Lucas''s heart twist in even more guilt.
Crap... there''s no way I can say it now.
Sensing something off, E smiled slightly and whispered in his ear, "Little brother, you seem down today. It''s okay... I''ll make you happy."
"Sister E" Lucas finally steeled himself, pushing gently against her shoulders. "There''s something very important I need to tell you."
It was rare for E to see Lucas act so serious. Her heart skipped a beat with excitement.
Could he... be proposing?
Although she hadn''t officially be head of the family yet, today''s meeting had confirmed the date for her session.
If he proposed now, it wouldn''t be entirely uneptable.
"Really?" E asked, barely able to contain her excitement. "Actually, I have something important to tell you too. Let''s count to three and say it together, okay?"
Before Lucas could respond, E had already started counting.
"Three... two... one..."
"I''m going to be head of the family next year!"
"I''m going to marry into the Gunnhildr family next year..."
As soon as the words left their mouths, the temperature in the room plummeted to freezing levels.
And it wasn''t just the atmosphere—there was an actual drop in temperature. E, overwhelmed by her emotions, had subconsciously activated the power of her Vision.
Ayer of frost even began forming on the floor by her feet.
"This... this has to be a joke, right?" E''s face darkened. "Tell me... this isn''t true!"
"This is all my father''s decision," Lucas said, forcing himself to act cold. "I''m sorry."
"No... no, I know you. You wouldn''t do something like this!" E''s voice trembled with conviction. "There must be some reason behind this, right? Tell me!"
Looking into E''s tear-filled eyes, Lucas sighed inwardly.
Though he couldn''t reveal the truth, he also couldn''t let her believe he had truly betrayed her.
"E, listen to me," Lucas said, grasping her shoulders firmly. "There''s indeed a reason, but I can''t tell you right now. Just know one thing—I haven''t forgotten the promise we made."
"What''s the reason?" E asked, her emotions calming slightly. "Why can''t you tell me, even now?"
----
Author''s Note: Drama alert... just kidding! No drama here! ??
Everyone''s favorite dragon waifu will be back soon! ??