LONG CHAPTER AHEAD

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3.

After sending Enzo off, Jaynie began reviewing Berner’s completed homework. He flipped to the last page, then tilted his head in confusion. Something felt off. Flipping back to the first page, he carefully examined the work again.

There was definitely something strange.

He summoned Berner.

The difficulty of the homework Jaynie assigned to Berner had been gradually increasing. It started with learning the basics of magical calculations for someone with no knowledge of magic and progressed to solving equations by applying arithmetic.

Even so, the problems were relatively easy.

Jaynie stared at Berner’s homework with a puzzled expression.

Why did he solve it like this?

Berner entered the study nervously. It was the first time he’d been summoned twice in one day. It didn’t feel like a good sign.

Jaynie asked, “Do you dislike doing the homework?”

The problem lay in how it was solved. Problems that could easily be solved using basic formulas were instead answered with excessively long, written-out calculations.

This wasn’t the work of a mathematician teaching a young student or trying to prove a formula was correct. No student would solve problems this way.

One of Berner’s eyes twitched.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked, his tone uncertain.

He didn’t sound defiant, which made Jaynie suspect something else.

“Don’t tell me… you’ve never learned arithmetic?”

Berner’s face turned red, then immediately drained of color. His pale face betrayed his embarrassment as he replied, “I’ve had a short education, and my studies are incomplete. If you give me more time, I’ll redo it.”

Jaynie hadn’t intended to scold Berner.

“The answers are correct.”

“If the process is wrong….”

“That’s correct too.”

“…?”

Berner looked confused but quickly clamped his mouth shut and stared back at the floor. His attitude seemed to say, ‘I know I’ve done nothing wrong, but if you want to punish me, do as you please.’ But Jaynie wasn’t trying to torment him without reason.

He was simply puzzled. ‘Why didn’t the Grand Princess assign an arithmetic tutor to the child she adored so much?’

“Do you dislike studying arithmetic?”

Perhaps the Grand Princess had been so indulgent that she let her son skip studies he didn’t enjoy.

“No,” Berner replied flatly, showing no intention of elaborating.

‘What a troublesome child,’ Jaynie thought, narrowing one eye.

Over the past few months, Jaynie’s opinion of Berner had changed. People tend to judge others based on appearances, and Jaynie found it increasingly difficult to dislike this child.

Berner always acted like a punished child in Jaynie’s presence. Perhaps the rumors about him were fueled by his own demeanor.

“I’ll assign you a tutor. The problems I’ll assign in the future won’t be this easy to solve this way,” Jaynie said.

Berner flinched, then gave a small nod.

Keeping him close only seemed to frighten him. Jaynie dismissed Berner. Despite his attempts to create opportunities for interaction—shared meals or homework discussions—Berner always appeared uncomfortable.

‘He seems to fear magic,’ Jaynie thought.

And if he was afraid, the object of that fear was likely Jaynie.

‘Should I send Berner back?’

But doing so would mean losing control over the timing of Berner’s awakening.

Jaynie summoned Hansen and ordered him to find a student from the Imperial Academy to serve as Berner’s arithmetic tutor. Hansen nodded in understanding.

‘Younger tutors tend to work better with children,’ Jaynie mused. The elderly scholar who had taught Jaynie arithmetic had been exceptionally skilled at putting students to sleep.

Hansen seemed unsure of Jaynie’s intentions.

‘Is he really planning to sponsor the Grand Princess’s son?’

His expression conveyed doubt, but he left to carry out the order as commanded.

Left alone in the study, Jaynie leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. He rubbed his head against the backrest, trying to alleviate the throbbing pain.

There were three people essential for the dragon hunt. Two of them were currently problematic.

But neither issue was insurmountable. And one of them could likely be resolved by the end of the day.

“My lord, a priest from the Mawin Temple has arrived,” Hansen announced.

The silk and gold Jaynie had sent in the carriage had evidently satisfied the temple. It seemed they were not only willing to accept the child Jaynie was sponsoring but were even eager to personally escort him. ‘That’s the least they could do to make my money feel well spent.’

Priests, after all, were a group that always reciprocated in proportion to what they received. Jaynie had always thought of them as little more than merchants.

‘Joachim should be well cared for at the temple.’

“Bring Joachim here,” Jaynie ordered.

Hansen returned a short while later. In the meantime, Jaynie was having tea with the priest, who kept talking about how fortunate the child was to have such a generous patron.

The priest, looking puzzled, asked, “Where is the child? I thought you were going to introduce him to me.”

No one was standing behind Hansen.

“My apologies, please excuse me,” Hansen said, his face pale as he hurried past the priest. Rushing to Jaynie’s side, he whispered into his ear.

“My lord, the child has disappeared from his room… It seems he’s run away.”

Jaynie closed his eyes. His head throbbed.

* * *

Rain began to fall from the sky. The servants, now tasked with a midnight search in the rain, were full of complaints. Meanwhile, the servants who had been guarding Joachim’s room were pale with fear.

Joachim was such an angelic child that it was hard to believe anyone could harbor ill will toward him. The guards couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Why did the young master bring this child here?’ and ‘Why is he tormenting and monitoring such a kind, obedient child?’

The servants who had initially been in charge of Joachim had been scolded harshly and removed from their post, so the guards had no way of knowing Joachim’s true nature. Now that they understood the truth, they found no comfort in it.

The duke’s mansion in the capital was located on a street lined with noble estates. During the day, the area bustled with carriages, errand boys, and servants constantly coming and going, making it difficult to track anyone’s movements. No one could say where Joachim might have slipped away.

Avenhall, the capital, was a sprawling city. Its vast, intricate streets were always teeming with people. Finding a missing child in such a place was an impossible task. But orders had been given, and the servants knew that they would have to return with the child, even if it meant fabricating one.

Jaynie remained seated in his bedroom after sending the servants out.

He was perplexed.

Joachim was clever. A child who only had his looks wouldn’t have been able to affiliate with a guild. Nor would he have been able to deceive adults with far more life experience than himself.

He was bold and skilled enough to sneak into a nobleman’s bedroom. Judging by how he bowed his head immediately when caught, he was also quick-witted. If he had made more of a fuss back then, the punishment would not have ended with just a few hits.

And yet, he had run away. Joachim had to know that being caught again could very well cost him his life.

‘Why did he run?’

It’s natural for someone held captive to want to escape. But Joachim was different. He had no reason to run.

Wasn’t it Joachim who had sought Jaynie out first? If he intended to escape, he would have done so back in Westville when the servants were searching for him.

He had come looking for Jaynie. He had asked, ‘Which noble family do you belong to?’ Though he hadn’t explained why he was working as a runner at an inn, it was clear he’d been waiting for a noble who was searching for him.

Joachim was looking for someone. That someone was a noble, and the only clue he had was Jaynie.

Joachim would come back.

“……”

His personality was as audacious as it was intelligent.

And a person’s behavior doesn’t change easily.

‘Sneaking into a bedroom?’ Jaynie thought.

He called for his bodyguard.

“Stand by in this room.”

“Pardon?”

* * *

The night had grown deep. Even the servants, who had returned to the mansion saying, “We’ll search again at daybreak,” had long since ended their search. The mansion was so quiet that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Joachim emerged from the lower shelf beneath the study’s bookcase. As he stretched his curled-up body, his joints cracked audibly. He rotated his shoulders to check his movements.

“Still usable,” he muttered to himself.

The “young master’s” two most frequently used rooms—the bedroom and the study—were connected by a single corridor. Because the master was highly sensitive, the servants avoided this hallway altogether. Other than during designated cleaning hours, they did not approach it, and even those cleaning hours were scheduled for times when the young master absolutely would not be using the area. If the young master happened to be there, the cleaning would be canceled regardless.

Today, the young master had spent a long time in the study. The servants wouldn’t dare come near this area.

Joachim had learned all of this from the servants themselves. Those tasked with watching over his room struggled to adapt to the task of staying still. They often twisted their stiff bodies and grumbled out of boredom.

To one of the servants who brought his meals, Joachim had sweetly remarked, “Are you okay? You must be tired because of me.” He played the role of the good boy. The servant, who initially intended to treat him coldly, couldn’t help but warm up to him—Joachim truly looked like an endearing child.

Before long, they let their guard down and began chatting with Joachim about all sorts of things. After all, what else could they do to pass the time while on watch? The townhouse wasn’t overflowing with staff, so the servants had to take turns watching over Joachim. Sitting alone for hours was no easy task.

“Guests will be arriving today, so you have to be especially quiet. If you get on the young master’s bad side again, you’re really in trouble.”

“What noise could I possibly make…? Locked up like this. I’m scared of the young master too, you know.”

“Right. The young master is frightening, isn’t he? But he’s fair.”

Thanks to that conversation, Joachim learned that there would be a guest visiting the study today.

If only Joachim could sneak into the study before the young master entered, the servants would never find him.

Joachim had heard the sound of the young master entering while he hid beneath the shelf. He suppressed the overwhelming urge to grab him immediately with superhuman patience.

It was still daytime. There was a considerable distance between the bookshelves and the desk. If the young master screamed, it would draw attention from outside.

Joachim waited—for the moment when they would be alone.

And then night fell.

Silently, he exited the study and slipped into the young master’s bedroom. Exhausted from their earlier search, the servants had collapsed into deep sleep. Even a little noise wouldn’t wake them.

The young master lay on the darkened bed, sleeping like a picture-perfect painting.

Joachim was unarmed, but it didn’t matter. He pressed the pen he had swiped from the study against the young master’s neck.

The pen’s tip rested just below the ear, where the pulse beat strongest. With each breath, the delicate skin throbbed lightly, making the sharp tip of the pen all the more noticeable.

“Wake up. Let’s have a quick chat,” he whispered.

But something felt wrong. He couldn’t sense a heartbeat.

“…?”

An intense sense of unease overtook him. Joachim immediately pulled back.

“An illusion spell!”

But before he could react further, someone from behind moved faster. A knight restrained him in an instant.

“What the…!”

“We’ve captured him, young master! We’ve confiscated his weapon. Should I dislocate his arms?” the knight asked.

“Just tie him up,” a voice replied calmly.

From the armchair facing away from the bed, someone rose and turned around.

It was the young master Joachim had been looking for.

Realizing his plan had completely fallen apart, Joachim wasted no time opening his mouth to plead.

“Young master, I’m sorry! I was just going to ask for carriage fare! I was dragged all the way to the capital, but I have no way to return to my hometown… Ahk!”

The young master kicked him squarely in the stomach. The blow to his solar plexus forced Joachim to stifle the urge to vomit.

This noble looked like he couldn’t even hurt a fly, but his temper and kicks were ruthless.

“Don’t spew nonsense about a hometown. If you wanted money for travel, you should’ve been out on the streets, picking pockets.”

“Sounds like you’ve tried stealing before,” Joachim retorted sharply.

“Shut your mouth. Stop earning yourself a beating. Your mouth is the real problem,” the young master snapped.

“…!”

Joachim was kicked again.

Curled up like a shrimp and coughing, Joachim couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Why is he keeping me alive?’

This young master knows who I am.

Joachim was a fugitive. His enemies were nobles, and when he heard rumors of “a young master searching for Joachim,” he was convinced it was someone from his past.

But he was wrong. This “young master” wasn’t the person Joachim had been seeking.

Still, there had to be a connection. No—there was a connection. Without a doubt.

Joachim couldn’t leave the inn because of that thought, and it had led to his capture. Even after being confined, he couldn’t bring himself to think about escaping.

Then, the young master asked him, “Do you not like the temple?”

“What did you say?”

Joachim had completely forgotten about the temple. His mind was so preoccupied with other things that the nonsense the young master had spouted before hadn’t stayed with him.

The young master frowned as though he was entirely clueless.

“What’s the problem? If you become a priest, you won’t need to steal anymore. You can leave the slums and live a life of comfort without any worries.”

“Comfort?”

Joachim couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Anger surged within him, but his arms were tied by the knight. Consumed by rage, he began slamming his head against the floor.

“You people killed my family!”

“What?”

“Stay still, you brat!” The knight pressed him down harder. Joachim thrashed wildly.

He had been searching for a noble—a wealthy one who could afford to stay at the best inn in Westville. He had been waiting for that noble’s return, the one who had killed his parents, his sworn enemy.

The young master before him wasn’t that person. But he couldn’t hold back. Weren’t all nobles the same?

Then, the young master asked, “If I capture your enemy for you, will you go to the temple?”

“…?”

Joachim, panting heavily, lifted his head.

“What do you know? Do you know where they are? The person I’m looking for….”

“I don’t know. I don’t care.”

“…”

‘What is this man?’

Something felt off. The situation wasn’t going the way he expected.

“I’m asking you. Is that your only complaint? If there’s another reason you can’t go to the temple, tell me now.”

“And if I do?”

“If it’s not something ridiculous, I might consider it.”

The young master’s face was twisted into an irritated scowl. His hair was slightly disheveled, making him look like someone who had just woken up. It wasn’t the face of someone angered by a life-threatening situation but of someone annoyed at being disturbed in their sleep.

This wasn’t the image of an enemy Joachim had imagined.

Of course, Jaynie wasn’t angry because his sleep had been interrupted.

‘Is this really that Joachim?’

It was hard to believe, no matter how much he thought about it. Jaynie had resolved to reason with Joachim logically, but a person who tries to stab someone’s throat with a pen doesn’t exactly scream “reasonable.”

Joachim opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.

“Did you really track me down just to send me to the temple? And even if I go, what for? You don’t exactly seem like the type to devote your life to charity….”

Before he could finish, the young master’s foot pressed down on his neck.

“Use respectful language.”

“…What will you do?” Joachim managed to say with a hint of sarcasm.

The young master fell silent for a moment, blinking before responding.

“You’ll become a priest. And I need you to be a priest.”

“Of course, you would,” Joachim retorted reflexively, biting his lip. But this time, he wasn’t hit. Instead, he received a glare full of contempt.

“Do you happen to have a twin?”

The young master’s sudden question caught Joachim off guard.

“…No? How would I know? I don’t even know who my father is—how would I know if I have a twin?”

“I don’t care about your backstory.”

“…”

Joachim stared silently, unable to figure out what was happening. Something about this man—and this entire situation—felt utterly incomprehensible.

“Is that enough? If I find them for you, will you listen to me?”

“…How am I supposed to trust you?”

Joachim swallowed hard. The moment he asked that question, hadn’t he already shown hesitation?

“How dare you question him?” the knight scolded harshly, but the young master interrupted.

“Leave us.”

“Pardon? Young master?”

“Leave the sword.”

“It’s dangerous… I mean, are you sure—”

“Leave. Now.”

When the young master shot him a look, the knight closed his mouth and left, though he unbuckled his sword and placed it beside the young master before leaving.

Joachim, now released from his restraints, stood up. But before he could fully rise, the tip of a sword was pressed to his throat.

The young master, gripping the hilt, asked, “What will you do if you still don’t trust me?”

‘What kind of…?’

This person was undeniably a noble.

“Are you sure you’re not my brother?!”

“I’m not.”

“You’re telling me there’s no connection between us at all?!”

“There isn’t.”

The young master raised the sword slightly, making the area beneath Joachim’s chin feel cold. Joachim flinched instinctively.

“What now?!”

“Speak respectfully.”

“….”

Joachim was on the verge of blurting out the secret of his birth but managed to hold back.

Deep down, he knew. If this young master had wanted to kill him, he would have done so long ago.

For some inexplicable, insane reason, this young master needed him.

Joachim licked his dry lips and glared at him.

“Make an oath.”

“What kind of oath?”

“A thief’s pact.”

Being a thief didn’t always mean working alone, but the nature of the job made it hard to build trust. To collaborate, thieves would invoke a mystical ritual passed down through the guild—a thief’s pact. It was a mutual agreement, sealed by wagering their lives.

The young master’s foot struck Joachim again, and he felt his anger flare.

“Now what?!”

“You are a thief, aren’t you?”

What did that matter now?

But the young master glared at him and added, “Then you swear, too. Promise never to steal again.”

“I won’t! I only did it because I had no choice while hiding!”

“Don’t do it again.”

The young master spoke as though granting mercy just this once. Then, he extended his hand.

“Seal the pact.”

The sword was lifted from Joachim’s neck. He staggered to his feet, clutching his throat. The spot he touched stung and was damp with blood. It wasn’t a deep wound, but it was enough to remind him of the moment.

The day Joachim first met this young master, he had inflicted a similar wound on the young master’s neck.

And this young master—he never forgot a grudge.

Joachim took the young master’s hand, feeling its soft, callus-free skin against his palm.

“If you help me catch my enemy, I’ll join the temple.”

“Not enough.”

The young master, whose hands were as refined as his noble status, spoke coldly.

“What isn’t enough?”

“Swear that you’ll become a priest and assist me.”

Joachim was now convinced that this man was completely unhinged.

But there was no way out. The young master still held the sword. Joachim reluctantly opened his mouth.

“If you help me catch my enemy… I’ll become a priest and help you.”

Only then did the young master’s delicate eyelashes lower slightly.

“Good.”

“…”

“Let’s do that.”

The clasped hands grew warm. The pact was forming.

The young master was dead serious.

‘Truly insane,’ Joachim thought, swallowing a sigh.

A mysterious energy brushed past them, forming two circles that etched glowing symbols on both their necks. The markings shone briefly before sinking into their skin and disappearing.

The mad young master dropped the sword.

“So, who’s your enemy?”

“My biological father.”

But this wasn’t just any madman. This was a madman with power.

“He’s a noble, abandoned me in Westville, and I know he’ll return there someday. Other than that and his appearance, I don’t know much.”

“What do you mean he killed your family?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Thanks to him abandoning me, I gained a new family. The parents who took me in and raised me as their own son. And my little sibling.”

Joachim didn’t need to close his eyes to recall that day. The burning house, the screams of his family, the men shouting, ‘Kill the kid! Where’s Joachim? Tell us!’

Joachim had been abandoned. His adoptive parents had found him crying in the forest and raised him. They’d assumed he came from a wealthy family because of the fine swaddling cloth he’d been wrapped in.

“Brother, are you rich?”

“No.”

“If your parents come looking for you, will you go with them?”

“I won’t.”

“You can’t go.”

“I said I won’t! Go play somewhere else.”

He had peeled his whining little sibling off his leg and gone to town with his friends. There, he saw a noble’s carriage. As a man stepped into the carriage, their eyes met—or at least, Joachim thought they had. The man’s startled gaze followed him as he boarded. The man’s hair was red, just like Joachim’s.

Two weeks later, Joachim’s house burned down.

“Kill the kid! Where’s Joachim? Tell us!”

“Run, Joachim!”

His mother’s screams. Smoke covering the sky.

There is no god in this world. If there were, something like that could never have happened.

‘And now I’m supposed to become a priest?’

This young master didn’t know anything.

Feigning innocence, Joachim asked, “Can you really find him?”

“Yes,” the young master answered without hesitation.

Joachim’s heart leaped with excitement.

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Though the young master looked visibly annoyed, Joachim meant it.

‘He can find him? Just like that?’

Joachim had searched for over a year for his enemy.

The world was cruel, but this young master—being a noble—could truly make it happen.

If the young master found his enemy, Joachim planned to kill the man and then end his own life. The pact’s price would be paid regardless.

Jaynie didn’t know what Joachim was thinking.

‘Isn’t the temple’s teaching about forgiveness and compassion?’

The future Cardinal Joachim would one day be a man of sacrifice and generosity, but the boy he was now seemed like an entirely different person.

But it didn’t matter. Jaynie’s goals would be fulfilled, as Joachim had sworn.

Jaynie gave an order.

“For now, take a bath.”

“What?”

“Someone from the information guild will be here soon. They’ll bring information about you.”

“You… you investigated me?”

“How else do you think I found you?”

“…”

Of course, Jaynie didn’t mention that it was thanks to his second life. He had no reason to explain that.

“I’ll have them bring information about your father. If you want to see and hear it for yourself, clean up and present yourself properly. I can’t have you looking like that next to me.”

Joachim, who usually prided himself on his appearance, held back a retort.

Hansen, summoned at dawn, was dumbfounded by the young master’s orders. It was shocking enough that Joachim, who had escaped earlier that day, was now back on his own. But to be told to prepare him as a personal servant? No ordinary person was allowed to work in the duke’s mansion, let alone directly serve the young master.

More importantly, Jaynie never kept strangers close.

But an order was an order.

The young master had changed.

Yet, the strangest events hadn’t even begun.

* * *

Rick Linnerman, the head of the capital branch of the Information Guild, received an urgent summons from an important client.

The client was pushing for a quicker response to their inquiry.

“Nobles…” Rick muttered under his breath.

He sent a polite reply, stating that the investigation was proceeding diligently but that they had not yet gathered enough information to provide a satisfactory report.

The client responded with another question:
“Have you not completed the investigation on the birth records either?”

Raw information held no value until it was processed. Answering a single question required the collection of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pieces of data. The guild’s job was to sift through the fragments, determine what was reliable and useful, and piece it all together into a coherent hypothesis. This process required skill, time, and sharp intuition.

Of course, esteemed clients had no interest in such tedious details.

Instead of simply replying that the investigation was incomplete, Rick cautiously answered, explaining that they had completed the initial phase but needed more time to expand the scope and revisit certain findings.

The client’s response was curt:
“Good. Come and report in person.”

Rather than cursing the client for being obtuse, Rick replied with a simple “Understood.”

He then stared at the pile of papers on his desk, brainstorming how to turn the raw, scattered details into a presentable report.

But why was the Blurwin heir so interested in this boy?

Rick had worked in information for over twenty years. One thing clients often overlooked was that their very inquiries could be valuable pieces of information themselves.

The duke’s mansion in the capital had been built by the emperor for his elder sister, the Grand Princess Yerenia. It was constructed by the finest architects and artists of the time, intended as a comfortable residence for his sister whenever she visited from the distant Blurwin estate.

But Grand Princess Yerenia had never had the chance to use the mansion. Her relationship with the emperor soured after her marriage, and she passed away at a young age.

As a result, the current occupant of the mansion was the Blurwin heir.

As Rick approached the estate, he recalled the details of Jaynie Blurwin.

Jaynie Blurwin, the nephew cherished by the emperor due to his striking resemblance to the late Grand Princess. However, he was known to have a personality completely different from hers—most notably, his obsessive perfectionism.

Grand Princess Yerenia had been the most beautiful Omega in the empire. She had enjoyed her popularity in social circles and was always surrounded by suitors. Even after marriage, she longed for her days as the queen of high society rather than fulfilling her duties as a duchess. This led to a famous love affair that people still talked about.

Jaynie, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He rarely attended social gatherings, and when he did, he kept to a small circle of acquaintances. He scorned romantic advances and lived like a monk. In fact, his lifestyle was so austere that even a mountain hermit might not have been as chaste as Jaynie Blurwin.

Rick speculated that this behavior might have been a rebellion against his mother. It was no secret that the relationship between the Grand Princess and her son had been strained.

Whatever the reason, Jaynie was either a perfectionist or impotent—or both—and such people were notoriously difficult to please.

Rick entered the study with a nervous heart, only to find two people waiting inside.

“Sit,” said Jaynie Blurwin.

Jaynie was a delicate and striking beauty. His hair was a faded, almost silver-gray, and his eyes mirrored the same pale tone. His skin was so pale it appeared faintly blue, making his lips—the only part of him with color—stand out in a soft crimson hue.

The other person in the room was, in stark contrast, a lively young man. When he asked, “Would you prefer tea?” Rick responded with a distracted “Yeah, sure,” and the boy smiled brightly as he served the steaming tea. He placed the cups in front of both men before standing behind Jaynie.

A servant?

However, the delicate embroidery on the boy’s clothing and the fine craftsmanship of his shoes didn’t seem like attire a servant would wear. Even most nobles wouldn’t dress in such a manner.

The only servants who could dress like that were those highly favored by their masters.

“Report,” Jaynie’s voice, tinged with annoyance, cut through Rick’s thoughts, snapping him back to attention. He quickly shuffled through the papers.

The Blurwin heir had brought a servant into his presence?

“Here’s what we’ve gathered so far. First, I’d like to note that all the information has been collected under the assumption that the conditions you mentioned in your request are accurate. The subject’s name is Joachim, and he resides in Westville. His estimated age is around 17 to 18 years. He is presumed to be the illegitimate child of a noble. You requested that we find information on Joachim’s ‘family.’”

“Go on.”

Rick could tell Jaynie wasn’t particularly interested in the process. Like most clients, he wanted results, not the details.

“We first tried to determine Joachim’s date of birth by locating the small village where he lived before coming to Westville. Joachim grew up as the child of hunters, though it was well known in the village that he was not their biological child. We wanted to speak with the hunting couple, but unfortunately, they died in a fire about a year ago. From various testimonies, we pieced together that Joachim was abandoned in the woods. The hunting couple must have found him crying and taken him in as their own. The place where he was abandoned was a forest between Westville and the village. Since it’s unlikely that his parents would have crossed the borders of the territory to abandon him, it’s reasonable to assume they were residents of Westville at the time. Since you mentioned that Joachim is an ‘illegitimate noble,’ we will focus on finding nobles who lived in Westville about 17 years ago.”