There was a moment of silence in the room.
Then Shirou broke it.
"The Crimson Eclipse. What are they?"
Liam looked at him, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I can't lie and say I'm not surprised. I mean, almost everyone in the kingdom knows about them. They're infamous. But... if your claim about being raised on the outskirts is true, then I guess it makes sense that you wouldn't know much."
He leaned forward, both elbows on the desk, his tone shifting slightly. "I can tell you about them. But before I do, there's something I want to know."
He narrowed his eyes. "What do you intend to do once you find out who they are?"
The answer came without hesitation. "Kill them all."
Liam raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "And you think you can do that?"
Shirou didn't reply. He just stared at him, unwavering.
The room stayed quiet for a second longer before Liam let out a small chuckle and sat up straighter.
"Alright. I'll tell you," he said, "but only after you answer a few more questions."
He held Shirou's gaze. "So let me get this straight. You were abandoned by your parents. Raised on the outskirts. No knowledge of your clan or your family, and trained by someone whose identity we both know but won't say aloud, right?"
"Yes," Shirou answered simply.
"What about your connection with Snowwhite?"
"I met Amelia after I came to Velgrath. She took on Lucus's mission but couldn't reach Archie. I happened to be nearby, and they—"
Liam raised his hand. "Okay, I can guess the rest."
He continued. "Now my next question. Why did the Crimson Eclipse attack Lucus' mansion?"
Shirou went silent. Then said, "I'm bound by a contract. But you probably already know about the mana stones."
Liam nodded. "Yes, we know. We searched the whole mansion. And since Lucus is dead, that contract no longer holds."
He leaned forward again. "But my real question is: did the Crimson Eclipse actually come for the mana stones?"
"Yes," Shirou said after a pause. "As far as I know, that was the reason."
"Let me get this part straight. Elliot was killed by Daito. You somehow managed to kill Daito. Then outside the house, you encountered Adrian, who killed Amelia... and spared you. Correct?"
"Yes."
Liam nodded slowly. "But here's the part that bothers me. You were missing for 14 days. Then one day, we find you near the field surrounding the mansion, severely wounded. Any explanation?"
"None," Shirou replied. "I thought I died from Adrian's attack. Then I woke up here."
Liam folded his arms, his expression unreadable. "We found Daito's body in an underground chamber beneath the mansion. There was a broken transparent orb beside him, covered in enchantments and seals. What was that?"
"No idea. It was already broken when we got there. Daito was standing in front of it. Whatever was inside—if anything was inside—might've been taken by him."
Liam tilted his head slightly. "Any guess as to what could've been inside?"
Shirou looked at him. Calm on the outside, but his thoughts ran deep.
"He's tied to Highlord Cedric. That explains how he knew I was only an early Adept during the mission. From Cedric's warning and what Amelia said, it's clear that trapping a magical beast like that isn't legal. This isn't just about the report. He's deciding if I should be kept alive."
Out loud, Shirou answered, "Probably mana stones."
Liam tapped the table with his fingers. "But if they were mana stones, wouldn't you have sensed them?"
"My priority wasn't investigating the orb. And besides, everyone has different skills. He might've had a way to hide it."
"Fair enough," Liam said. "That's all I need to know. If you don't have anything else to add, then we can talk about the Crimson Eclipse."
"Yes."
Liam took a breath. "Who they are or what they want is still a mystery. But what we do know is that the Crimson Eclipse appeared shortly after the Third War ended. No one knows how many members they have, or who leads them. They leave no tracks. Except Adrian, of course."
Shirou listened carefully.
"They first got noticed when powerful clans began to disappear. At first, we thought it was infighting. But then the pattern became clear. This was the work of a group—and that group was the Crimson Eclipse."
He continued, his voice quieter. "Some believe they want to rule the world. There were even assassination attempts on the king himself. All of them failed."
"Still no sign of their base?" Shirou asked.
Liam nodded. "Exactly. But here's where it gets strange. Survivors who managed to escape describe something terrifying. Each member of the Crimson Eclipse has abilities never seen before. Unique ones. Not elemental variations. Something else entirely."
Shirou frowned. "That doesn't make sense. How can they have abilities that no one else has?"
"We don't know," Liam said. "But every report says the same thing. Powers that aren't even recorded in the history of magic or combat. That's why they're so dangerous."
He paused, then asked, "Anything else you want to know?"
Shirou nodded. "One more. Why are there no healers in VSID?"
Liam burst out laughing. "Oh, there are. We just don't use them on people we're still suspicious of. You were considered dangerous. We had to be careful. But now that everything's cleared, you can get proper healing."
He stood up slowly.
Shirou watched him. "That's it? You're just letting me go?"
"Yes. And if you're serious about going after the Crimson Eclipse," Liam said, turning toward the door, "then I suggest you join the Sovereign Order."
He stepped out, then paused and turned back. He tossed something toward Shirou.
Shirou caught it.
His eyes widened slightly as he saw it—a golden coin marked with a bold letter "V."
It was the same as the one Highlord Cedric had given to Elliot.
Liam's voice echoed from the hallway. "Highlord Cedric sends you his regards."
Then the door closed behind him.