Time passed, and it was now a quarter after nine in the afternoon.

"Listen. I need you to answer each one of my questions truthfully. As a member of the Ten Vanguards, I need to report with the utmost accuracy."

By the time Cassien awoke, he was tied with rope, strapped to a chair, and forced into a room with only one table lamp that worked properly.

It consisted of three people: one beautiful young woman, and two top-ranked guards protecting the barrier behind them.

It was a small room, one meant for investigations.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The materials were quite old and rusted, but Cassien sensed some mana around, as if a magical circle was being used to hide their specific location.

It didn’t take Cassien long to realize where he was, because the main character had been sent here early on in the story as well.

It was where the royal capital’s justice service team conducted all serious investigations.

"What’s your name?" she asked, her eyes sharp and her expression dark.

Cassien smirked. "Not even a hello? Isn’t it common courtesy to treat your guests nicely?"

The guards stepped forward, but the woman raised an arm.

"Leave it. He’s attempting to act intimidating. Let the boy be."

Cassien laughed. "Untie me from these ropes, and I wouldn’t mind fighting the two behind me."

The guards grew increasingly angry, but the woman gave them a serious look, and they backed off.

"You’re quite the intimidator," he said.

"Answer me!" she yelled. "What’s your name?"

Cassien looked at her. "Law of equivalent exchange. I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

She sighed, then gave in.

"My name’s Victoria Armstrong."

"Nice to meet you, Vicky. My name"

"I never said you could call me that. Speak to me professionally."

Something about the man before her was really ticking her off.

"Fine." Cassien exhaled calmly. "Nice to meet you, Victoria. My name’s Cassien. Cassien Artfold."

She tapped her jaw, then remembered where the last name came from.

"A third-degree noble? Interesting..."

She checked something off her list.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"What are your elemental affinities?"

"None."

"Be honest with me, or you’ll face serious punishment."

"I’m being honest. I have none." Cassien couldn’t feel any equipment on him. "I’m guessing you took my pistol and knife? Those were what I used to kill. That’s it."

She checked and marked two more things.

"How many of those bandits did you kill exactly?"

Cassien thought for a moment. "I don’t remember."

The questions continued for a couple of minutes until she finally came to a halt.

"That’s good enough. You’ll be sent back to the Artfold household via a carriage we’ve provided. Safe travels."

She stood up, walked over to him, and began untying him.

Cassien was finally able to study every one of her features closely.

’Dark purple hair...’

’Big breasts...’

’A tight black royal armored outfit...’

’Dark purple eyes...’

’Thin and quite pale...’

He tried piecing everything together.

"Purple..." he began whispering. "Wait... the purple... no, it went something like, ’The Purple Darkness.’"

A knife struck just beside his neck, ready to pierce his skin at any moment.

"Where did you hear that name from?" she asked.

Cassien looked down, and the rope suddenly fell off him, as if the knife had sliced it and stopped just an inch from his neck.

"What could you possibly mean? I like naming almost everyone I meet based on their appearance. And that was exactly what I gave you."

She sighed, then pulled off the mask of a guard standing beside her. Victoria shoved him forward.

"If you can give people impressively accurate names based on their appearance, name this guy right here."

Cassien smiled.

The man was older, not old enough to have gray hair, but his light brown hair, mustache, and beard all matched. He had dark black eyes and a muscular, scarred body.

Cassien studied him closely, standing up and examining the edges of his frame.

Victoria glanced at her watch. "Let’s see..."

"I got it." Cassien raised a finger, drawing everyone’s attention.

"It is..."

He held their focus.

"It is..."

"It is..."

"Just say it already!"

"Fine, fine." Cassien smiled. "Brownie with no black."

They stared at him.

While everyone else looked disappointed, Cassien seemed proud of what he had just said.

Then Victoria told him to leave, as the carriage outside was ready for his departure.

She also stated that all of his equipment had been placed inside.

’At least that answer was enough to lower the tension.’

Cassien smirked, thinking about Victoria. She was exactly as the novel described, though more beautiful than he expected.

Her real last name wasn’t Armstrong. It was Platini, a name well respected throughout Htrae itself.

She was only in her First year at Nosguard Academy when she received an offer to join the Ten Vanguards.

The Vanguards were individuals who observed and watched over everything. This time, she had arrived a little late for some unknown reason, but usually, they were always present.

And only ten people were given that title each year. Sometimes, individuals were demoted based on their performance during that time and replaced, as it caps at ten.

The only reason Cassien even vaguely remembered who Victoria Platini was was that she helped the main cast defeat a third-rate villain and held a crucial role, which was coming up soon, right after the academy trials, where nobles do not participate.

As the carriage was about to move with only two guards, someone outside called for it to stop.

It was Victoria, again.

She opened the curtain, meeting Cassien’s gaze.

"Are you going to the royal banquet tomorrow?" She asked, steady.

"Yes," Cassien answered without hesitation. "But I have a question. Where did those groups of bandits come from? How did they know the exact moments when everyone’s guards would be off? They must have received that information from someone more advanced. Those guys were too weak."

Victoria sighed, realizing Cassien had picked up on the hidden detail.

"The Esters."