But Why?

Leon's voice was very calm, as if he were merely discussing what to have for dinner, yet it made Thomas's body stiffen.

He let out a dry laugh and asked, "Young Master, what are you talking about?"

Leon stared at Thomas with his dark, bright eyes and remained silent.

Under his gaze, an unnatural expression flickered across Thomas's face. He forced a smile and said, "Young Master, how could I have known about the gray mist invasion in advance?"

"If I had known the gray mist would invade, I would have left Solainem long ago. Why would I place myself in such a perilous position?"

"True." Leon turned his head, no longer looking at Thomas, and instead focused on the thank-you gifts sent by the residents of Solainem. "If you had known, why wouldn't you have taken me away from Solainem?"

Thomas let out a quiet sigh of relief at Leon's words. He was just about to speak again when Leon continued:

"So, there is only one possibility: even though you knew the gray mist was coming, you had to stay in Solainem to maintain the appearance of ignorance."

Leon slowly stood up and took a box tied with a ribbon from the gifts. Inside were pastries handmade by the residents.

Leon took a piece and tasted it slowly before saying, "By staying in Solainem, you had to deal with the multiple threats of gray mist monsters, vampires, and the Black and White Hand."

"The gray mist drastically compresses visibility. Even a peak Silver rank bloodline warrior like yourself couldn't guarantee my safety—as evidenced by the fact that you couldn't return to my side in time when the noble Ronan ambushed me."

"Therefore, to maximize my safety, you brought a small Gray Mist Barrier from the Imperial Capital."

Listening to Leon's analysis, Thomas's face turned rigid. He said, "Young Master, your speculation is truly far-fetched..."

"It is." Leon took another bite of the pastry; it was sweet, sour, and delicious.

"If this were just my imagination, it might sound far-fetched." Leon turned his head and continued, "But what if we combine it with the kidnapping of the girls by the vampires?"

"After little Juliet went missing, if Viscount Clyde had still been in the city, the warriors of the Lionheart Warband could have entered every noble's manor without hesitation to search for hidden vampires!"

"However, Viscount Clyde just happened to be away—at the exact moment the gray mist was about to spread, at the time when he should have been in the city to stabilize the people's hearts, he suddenly left."

"And it was a departure that made no attempt to hide, proactively revealing his whereabouts!"

Leon's voice carried a suppressed fury.

"When does a bloodline warrior with peak Gold rank strength, who is the guardian of a city, announce his absence to everyone so loudly?"

"Is that not the same as saying: Look, I'm not in the city, you can destroy whatever you want!"

Leon thought of the young girl in the cellar, drained of all her blood and buried in a dark, filthy corner, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

"As the strongest person in Solainem and the ruler of this city, how could Viscount Clyde not know that such a large number of vampires had infiltrated? How could he not know!"

Faced with Leon's angry shout, Thomas fell silent.

Leon took a long, deep breath and picked up another pastry, placing it gently into his mouth.

This piece wasn't as well-shaped as the previous one, its edges full of cracks.

It was as if the first pastry had been made by a skilled hand, while this one was a clumsy child's first attempt.

"With Viscount Clyde gone, the vampires and the Black and White Hand were like hyenas smelling the stench of an anus, unscrupulously pushing forward their plans."

"And that device... the small Gray Mist Barrier used to protect me, was naturally brought into the manor as a result."

"Hah, what a great excuse—saying it had to be personally delivered to the Viscount, and since he wasn't here, it would be temporarily stored in the manor's warehouse."

Leon looked at Thomas, his voice low.

"My father truly went to great lengths. To ensure my safety, he not only sent you, Uncle Thomas, all the way to Solainem, but he also specifically sent a small Gray Mist Barrier through the Imperial Ministry of Magic."

"I am very grateful that my father cares for my safety, but..."

Leon remembered the people who died in the explosion and Granny Taylor, who had said she would bake him delicious bread once she felt better. He lowered his eyes.

"...But why?"

"Why did you know, Uncle Thomas, yet you only had the Falcon warriors fully arm themselves before the invasion, while being unwilling to inform the citizens who were most likely to die in the mist?"

"Why did Viscount Clyde know, yet he still chose to leave, proactively giving those vampires and cultists an opportunity?"

"Why did His Majesty and my father both know, yet they didn't send anyone to stop it? To stop this disaster from happening?!"

Leon's shouts echoed in the hall, but Thomas remained silent, his head bowed under the questioning.

"Answer me, Uncle Thomas!" Leon stared at Thomas with his dark pupils, his eyes filled with confusion and anger.

"Answer my question! Why did you all know, yet you all pretended not to! Sending the living people of Solainem into these dark, oppressive coffins!"

Under his interrogation, Thomas raised his head. His eyes held complex emotions, like guilt mixed with pain.

Thomas let out a long sigh.

"Young Master Leon, your sharpness and insight are exactly like the Master's when he was young... only, you lack the Master's decisiveness and ruthlessness."

"If so-called decisiveness and ruthlessness mean sending people I know to their graves, then I'd rather not have it!" Leon said coldly.

Thomas sighed again and asked, "Young Master Leon, what do you want to ask?"

"Tell me, when did you find out the gray mist would invade?"

"Before we set out for Solainem, the Master summoned me to his study and told me then."

Leon's dark eyes narrowed as he asked, "What did my father say?"

"The Master instructed me to ensure your safety at all costs. If the situation became urgent, I was to take you and evacuate Solainem using the power of the small Gray Mist Barrier. The invasion wouldn't cover a vast area; we would be free of the mist once we reached the neighboring city of Altheus."

Evacuate, evacuate! It was always about evacuating!

Leon said irritably, "Why evacuate! Why, when you already knew the plans of those vampires and cultists, did you only think about evacuating!"

"I... also asked the Master that. But the Master said..." Thomas paused for a second before saying, "...that it was His Majesty's will."