Noah stretched lazily where he stood, feeling his muscles protest with a familiar ache.

His mana had mostly stabilized overnight thanks to the healing and the potion, though the deep exhaustion still lingered beneath the surface.

He rolled his shoulders, testing the stiffness in his joints before slipping his hands into his pockets and heading for the door.

The infirmary ward was quiet, the air smelling faintly of herbs and disinfectant.

He paused briefly by the reception desk, where the same nurse from the previous night was flipping through a ledger.

Her head shot up at the sound of his footsteps.

"Leaving already?" she asked, mildly surprised. "You're supposed to rest for another few hours."

"I've rested enough," Noah replied with a faint smile. "Thanks for patching me up."

She sighed, shaking her head, but didn't try to stop him.

"You heroes are all the same," she muttered. "Always walking out before the bruises fade."

He gave a short nod of gratitude before pushing the door open.

The morning sun greeted him like a silent flame. It streamed through the trees in golden shafts, warming his skin and making the dewdrops on the grass sparkle.

Noah walked slowly, his steps unhurried.

His body was still tired, but his mind was already running ahead, calculating and turning over thoughts like stones in a stream.

He'd killed the Minotaur. But the next time he entered that monolith, there was no guarantee the creature would still be there.

Monoliths didn't stay static. They adapted, restructured, and replaced their guardians almost immediately after a mage cleared them.

That was the problem. He needed more abyssal essence.

The Minotaur's had been potent, dense enough to evolve Devour into Feast, but one infusion wasn't enough.

If he wanted to continue growing, he needed more creatures like that.

But to get another Minotaur…

He frowned. "I'd have to run the monolith again."

And even then, there was no telling what kind of creature he'd face next.

The monoliths' regeneration cycles weren't predictable. They drew from an endless well of abyssal possibilities.

For all he knew, the next boss might be something far weaker, or something that didn't possess abyssal energy at all.

Which meant he might have to clear the same dungeon multiple times until he found the right prey.

He sighed softly, brushing a hand through his hair. "Troublesome."

But that wasn't the only complication.

Captain Roderick.

That man wasn't normal. Even after their short clash, Noah could still feel the weight of that power. The solid, immovable strength of someone who'd been tempered through countless battles.

His instincts told him Roderick wasn't just some mid-level guard playing watchman at a remote monolith.

That kind of strength belonged on the frontlines, not babysitting recruits.

So why was he there?

The more Noah thought about it, the less it made sense.

"Politics," he muttered to himself. "It's always politics."

Camelot's upper echelons were riddled with it. Noble houses, royal factions, military chains of command all vying for control over who led what and where.

It wouldn't be surprising if Roderick had stepped on the wrong toes or gotten caught in the crossfire of someone else's ambition.

Whatever the case, Noah didn't like having a man like that guarding the same monolith he needed to revisit.

If Roderick decided to involve himself next time, things could get messy.

He reached the cafeteria, pushing the heavy doors open.

It was nearly empty.

Most students had already left for the holidays, eager to return to their families or enjoy the rare freedom outside the academy walls.

Only a few scattered figures remained. Students who, like him, had chosen to stay behind.

Noah took his tray, grabbed a modest serving of eggs, bread, and fruit, and made his way to an empty table near the window.

The light poured over the table, washing the room in gold.

He sat and began eating in silence.

For once, he allowed himself a small exhale, closing his eyes briefly as he tasted the warmth of the food.

He was halfway through his meal when someone pulled out the chair across from him.

The scraping sound drew his attention, and he looked up, only to find himself staring into a familiar face.

Jack Daniel.

One of his classmates from Earth.

Jack had been part of their summoned group. The same one that had landed with them in Camelot from Earth.

Unlike Noah, Jack had managed to blend in quickly, and was now so integrated with the locals that it seemed everyone had forgotten he was also a summoned hero.

He was grinning now, that same casual confidence on his face as he sat down.

"Well, I'll be damned," Jack said, leaning back in his chair. "Didn't think I'd find you here, of all people."

Noah frowned slightly. "And why's that?"

Jack smirked. "Word around campus says you're climbing the ladder fast."

"You know, getting close to the Royal family. Private lessons with Professor Cecilia, the princess dropping by to see you…"

He made a vague gesture. "You've got the makings of a noble already."

Noah said nothing, tearing another piece of bread and chewing calmly.

"But I guess that was all smoke, huh?" Jack continued, his grin widening. "Seeing you sitting here alone proves the rumors were wrong."

Noah set his fork down with deliberate slowness, his expression unreadable.

"Jack," he said quietly, "stop pretending we're friends. Say what you came to say."

Jack laughed softly, the sound dripping with amusement.

"Always straight to the point, huh? Fine, fine." He leaned forward, lowering his voice as his grin turned darker. "You caught me."

Noah's gaze didn't waver.

Jack's tone shifted, taking on an almost conspiratorial whisper. "You see, I've been... hearing things, Noah. Well, seeing things is more like it."

He glanced around the mostly empty cafeteria, as though making sure no one else was close enough to hear.

"Something about a certain student in the Gold-tier dorms."

Noah's eyes narrowed slightly. "Get to the point."

Jack leaned even closer, his grin stretching wider now, not friendly, but gleeful, like a child about to drop a secret he knew would sting.

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Noah blinked once. "What?"

Jack's voice dropped to a near-whisper, his words filled with accusation. "It was you who killed Galahad Lawless."

For a moment, their table was silent.

Noah didn't move. He didn't blink. His gaze simply locked onto Jack's, calm, cold, and utterly blank.

Jack held the stare, but his grin flickered slightly at Noah's lack of a reaction.

For a brief, flickering instant, he realized that he might have stepped too close to something dangerous.

Noah tilted his head slowly, his voice quiet, almost gentle. "That's a bold thing to say, Jack."

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