Chapter 258: 258. A Debt Unpaid – 1

START OF ACT – 3

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Klembred Empire, Imperial Capital.

The capital stood like a living wonder, filled with the brilliance of dwarven technology and masterful engineering.

William had expected something far less impressive, but now that he stood here, seeing everything with his own eyes, he could not deny how wrong he had been.

At that moment, he stood at the top of a tall spire. It was one of the most famous taverns in the dwarven capital, known not only for its height but also for its strict policies.

The building had several floors, and each level was reserved for people of different status and wealth. The higher one went, the fewer people they would find, and the more luxurious everything became.

William rested his hands lightly against the railing and looked down at the city below.

A gentle wind passed by him, pushing his hair back and brushing against his face. His expression remained calm, and he was slowly adjusting to the steady rhythm of the heartbeats that were a sign of some impending crisis.

Even so, they still made it difficult for him to relax completely.

For a while, silence surrounded him, broken only by the distant sounds of the city. Then, the soft echo of approaching footsteps reached his ears.

William turned around and saw Maximus and Ethan standing a short distance away. A faint smile appeared on his face as he gave them a small nod and stepped forward to shake their hands.

“Long time no see.”

Maximus let out a short laugh. “What do you mean long time? It has only been three days.”

William chuckled softly. “Three days is still a long time.”

The light exchange eased the mood, and soon the three of them took their seats together.

As they settled down, William’s gaze shifted toward Ethan. Something about him felt slightly different today. After a brief moment, he noticed it. A few strands of red were mixed into Ethan’s blond hair, and he had to look very carefully to notice them.

“What happened to your hair?” William asked in a casual tone.

Ethan blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard. He quickly pulled out a small mirror from his storage and looked at his reflection. His expression turned slightly flustered as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Oh, this? It is just Leila’s doing. She wanted to try some strange cosmetic on my hair.” He forced a laugh that sounded awkward.

Maximus joined in with a small laugh. “I really do not understand why girls enjoy doing things like that.”

His voice faded near the end, and a quiet silence followed. A memory had surfaced in his mind, and the change in his mood was easy to notice. Ethan’s smile disappeared as well when he realized what Maximus was thinking. Without saying much, he placed a firm hand on Maximus’s shoulder.

“Do not worry. Lia will be with you soon.”

William watched the two of them, but his attention was no longer fully on their conversation. The moment he had seen those faint red strands, his thoughts had already begun to drift elsewhere.

He knew exactly what it meant.

Ethan had finally started awakening his ancestral physique.

From what William remembered, that physique was powerful in every possible sense. However, it did not awaken easily. It required certain conditions to be fulfilled, and it seemed that Ethan had finally reached that point.

Even though it was not a divine physique yet, it carried the potential to become one. It was a growth-type physique, something that would evolve over time, and it was deeply connected to Ethan’s past, a past that had not been revealed in the novel up to the point William had read.

“System, when will I receive the 100x returns of this physique?”

[Once the physique fully blooms, you will awaken a better one directly.]

William remained silent as he recalled the condition required for that awakening. It was simple in words but difficult in reality. Ethan had to defeat a divine physique holder three times while that person was actively using their power.

His eyes returned to Ethan.

“Did you fight Galeion recently?”

Both Ethan and Maximus looked at him with clear surprise.

“How did you know?” they asked almost at the same time. From Maximus’s reaction, it was obvious that he had witnessed the spar himself.

William simply shrugged. “I heard people talking about it in the capital.”

Ethan’s brows drew together slightly, but he chose not to question it further.

After a brief pause, William spoke again. “By the way, how did you manage to book a place like this?”

Ethan’s expression brightened. “It is surprising, right? I told Desmond that I wanted to do something special for Leila, so he helped me arrange everything.”

William nodded with a small smile. “That sounds like him.”

He quietly made a note of the place in his mind. It was peaceful, elevated, and perfect for spending quality time with his women.

The conversation continued for a while as they spoke about simple things and shared the latest news, including the fall of the Clayman cult. Time passed easily between them, but eventually, the tone shifted.

William leaned back slightly and looked at both of them.

“So, why did you call me here? I doubt it was only for a casual meeting.”

Maximus’s expression turned serious almost immediately.

“Recently, the ancestor of the Sinclair house came out of seclusion to bless the younger generation.”

“He asked the Duke about his plans for each child of the family. The Duke declared Edward as the next heir. As for the others, all of them were to receive titles such as Marquis or Viscount, while I was supposed to become a Baron.”

William brought his hands together and smiled. “That is good news. You are becoming a lord.”

Maximus shook his head slowly. “I refused.”

Ethan stiffened and stared at him in disbelief. “You gave up the title of a Baron?”

Before Maximus could answer, William spoke calmly.

“It would have been a restriction.”

Ethan turned toward him.

“If Maximus accepted that title, he would have been forced to leave the capital and stay far away from the main house. That is where his enemies are. Staying close to them, even as a servant, is far more useful than ruling a distant piece of land.”

Maximus nodded in agreement. “The Duke was furious, but the ancestor allowed me to speak. He let me make a request within certain limits. I asked for an official position within the main house.”

He took a breath before finishing.

“I have been assigned as one of the future Knight Commanders of the Sinclair Duchy.” There was determination in his eyes, steady and unshaken.

“It will be easier to break the house from within and eventually take control,” Maximus spoke.

Ethan remained silent for a few moments, then slowly nodded as he understood the reasoning behind it.

William, however, shook his head slightly.

“Do not be too confident. Do you think the Duchess cannot see the hatred you hold for her and her children?”

Maximus’s face darkened. “Then what should I do to make her believe otherwise?”

“You do not need to do anything,” William replied. “Soon, her attention will be drawn elsewhere, and she will not be in a position to interfere.”

Maximus narrowed his eyes as he listened carefully.

“Wait. Edward has been acting strangely lately. Did you have something to do with it?”

He remembered how William had once spoken about dealing with Edward after he returned to the academy. At that time, both he and Ethan had been too caught up in their lives to pay attention. But recently, Edward’s behavior had changed. It felt as if something was troubling him deeply, like something haunting him.

Now, everything seemed to connect.

William only smiled and gave no answer.

Instead, he spoke with mild annoyance. “Is that all? Did you call me here just for the view and the food?”

Before Maximus could respond, Ethan leaned forward and took out a parchment from his storage. Without a word, he handed it to William.

“What is this?” William asked.

Ethan did not answer. His expression had turned tense, far more serious than before.

William had noticed that tension from the very beginning, and now it had become impossible to ignore.

He unfolded the parchment slowly and began to read.

As his eyes moved across the words written on it, the faint smile on his face faded. His expression gradually hardened, turning into a deep frown. A few moments passed in silence.

Then his eyes widened.

His fingers tightened around the parchment, gripping it so firmly that it seemed it might tear at any second.

A burning rage rose within William’s heart, he looked at Ethan and asked.

“Where did you get this??”

Ethan shivered for a moment “My master wanted to know more about you, he wondered how a normal knight could raise a prodigy, so he started investigating the Kaiser surname and found this”

“It was him that wanted me to hand you this, he said that you had every right to know about this” Ethan spoke.

“There are no free lunches in the world, what does he want” Willaim asked without any hesitation.

Ethan’s gaze shifted between the parchment and William’s face and gulped nervously.

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