Noel shifted slightly in his seat, straightening his back. The room was still quiet, the table between them solid and grounded—just like the weight of the truth about to be shared.
"Well… guess it's my turn," Noel said, his tone even. "I'll start from the beginning. Just like you did."
Balthor glanced sideways as Noel cleared his throat.
"This all goes back to Valon. One day, I told Balthor that his brother was still alive. That I had proof—or at least, strong reason to believe it."
Nicolas raised an eyebrow, interrupting immediately. "Who gave you that information, Noel?"
Noel hesitated.
He couldn't say the truth. That he just knew, because the System told him.
So he lied.
"There's a vagabond network," he said simply.
Nicolas leaned back slightly. "And what would vagabonds know about something that sensitive?"
Before Noel could answer, Balthor jumped in.
