The forest thinned after half a day of careful travel.
Lucius crouched at the edge of a slope, eyes narrowed at the quiet valley below. Tucked among the trees was a stone-walled estate—not large enough to be a main household, but far too fortified to be just a country home.
A minor duke's side property. One used for quiet business. Discreet. Hidden.
Exactly the sort of place he didn't want to be near.
He exhaled slowly and adjusted the satchel. The beastkin girl remained curled up inside, still dozing in her small cat form. She hadn't stirred once since they left the cliffside.
Good. One less thing to worry about.
Kael reappeared beside him with no warning.
No footsteps. No sound. No shift of air.
Just—presence.
Lucius didn't flinch, but he did give the dragon a brief glance. "Report."
Kael smirked faintly. "Two gates. One manned. Magic barrier active. Subtle. If you weren't looking, you'd miss it."
"Guards?"
"Ten. Maybe more inside. Nothing impressive. They're not soldiers—just muscle. But someone's keeping things organized."
Lucius tapped a gloved finger against his knee. "And the inside?"
Kael's voice dropped lower. "Three locked rooms. All underground. Stone-reinforced. Soundproofed. I caught a scent down there. Burnt iron. And blood."
Lucius closed his eyes.
This wasn't just about trade. It was experimentation.
Illegal ones. Dangerous ones.
He remembered this estate. Barely a footnote in the novel. A place mentioned once, during a rushed investigation by the original protagonist. Hidden away. Forgotten.
Because the victims never escaped. And the nobles who ran it had protection higher up the ladder.
Lucius opened his eyes again. "You didn't get seen?"
Kael snorted. "I'm Veilborn. I don't get seen."
"Just making sure. Your ego's so big it might've left footprints."
Kael rolled his eyes and dropped into a resting position, tail flicking lazily. "You planning to blow it up?"
"No."
"Shame."
Lucius pulled out a small journal from his coat and opened it to a blank page. His handwriting was neat—sharp lines, military spacing.
He drew the estate from memory. Walls. Guard rotations. Entry points. Then added Kael's information. Underground structure. Scent trails. Barrier symbols.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough to start watching.
He didn't need to fight.
He needed to wait.
"Three days," Lucius said.
"For what?" Kael asked.
"Movement. They'll rotate staff. Open supply lines. Maybe transfer one of the… prisoners. When they move, we follow."
"And then what?"
Lucius didn't answer right away.
The mana in his chest stirred weakly—like a hibernating beast trying to wake in a cold winter. It would be weeks before he could rely on it for real strength.
But for now…
He had patience. And a dragon that could vanish into thin air.
Lucius tucked the journal away and stood.
"We ruin things quietly."