I studied the House Sturm retainer in front of me. He was in his mid-twenties, with tanned skin, short dark hair, and dark eyes. Bandaged wounds and injuries covered his entire body. His clothes, a House Sturm uniform, looked ripped and torn. The smell of medicine wafted from him. He hung his head, looking ashamed and embarrassed.

The two of us were in Father's study in the House Sturm townhouse. It was smaller than his office back at Sturm Manor, and far more spartan. Well, spartan by House standards. It had the minimum number of furniture, which included a few bookshelves that lined the walls. A thick rug covered the hardwood floor. Glowstone lamps protruded from the walls, glowing with warm yellow light. Windows revealed the midnight sky.

Father sat behind his desk, wearing comfortable and casual clothing, with a dark expression on his face. I stood behind him, still wearing my pajamas, while the House Sturm retainer sat on a wooden chair in front of the desk. Trent Jeffers, in his usual uniform, stood off to the side.

Earlier this morning, a servant woke me up and said that Father wanted to see me in his study. Confused, and a little tired, I followed the servant. When I arrived and saw the bandaged House Sturm retainer, I became alert right away. Something had gone wrong. This retainer was the one that Father assigned to watch over Harvey and his family.

"Now that my son is here," Father said after I took my place behind him. "Repeat what you told me before."

The House Sturm retainer nodded, still looking down.

"Yes, Lord Sturm," he said. "Last night, a group of thugs kidnapped Harvey. I tried to stop them, but they overpowered me and knocked me unconscious. When I came to, I rushed here as fast as I could to report what happened."

As the retainer spoke, I clenched my fists so hard that it felt like my knuckles would pop.

"Were these thugs Awakened?" I asked.

The retainer was at Third Circle, which was more than enough to deal with a group of regular people. Hell, a Third Circle wizard could deal with a small army of regular people.

"Yes, Lord Gabriel," the retainer said. "They must have specialized in internal magic, since they overwhelmed me with physical strength and none of them cast any spells."

Father and I shared a look at that. Both of us thought the same thing. These thugs were martial artists. Internal magic allowed wizards to reinforce their bodies with mana and increase their physical prowess.

However, internal magic paled in comparison to martial arts. In fact, Mother once told me that the number of internal magic users was actually quite low. Most were martial artists pretending to be wizards. It made for the perfect cover.

"How did these thugs take Harvey?" I asked. "Did they break into his house?"

In that case, I wondered what happened to Harvey's family. Were they hurt as well?

"No," the retainer said, shaking his head. "Harvey was attending a night market with his older brother when the thugs appeared out of nowhere and took him."

A night market? I heard of those, but never attended one myself. I knew that they were special events, where items and goods that weren't usually available could be found and sold.

Night markets were supposed to be fun and cheerful, not terrifying. I couldn't imagine what Harvey must be feeling. I hoped he was okay. If he wasn't…

I shook my head, cutting off that train of thought. No. Harvey was okay. He had to be. I would make sure of it. If not, I could kill everyone involved in his kidnapping.

Filled with killing intent, I marched towards the study's door.

"Gabriel," Father called out. "Where are you going?"

"To find Harvey," I said without looking at him.

"And do you know where to start looking?"

I stopped in place.

"I understand how you feel," Father said. "Harvey is your friend, and you want to rescue him as soon as possible. I feel the same way. He was our responsibility, and we failed him." His tone grew sharper. "However, you won't help anyone, least of all Harvey, by rushing off like this."

I whirled around and faced Father.

"What do you want me to do then?" I asked him in a clipped tone. "Stay here and twiddle my thumbs while Harvey endures who knows what?"

Father gave me an even look.

"No," he said. "I expect you to come up with a plan before taking action."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them again.

"You're right," I said. "I apologize. I let my emotions get the better of me. It's just…None of this would've happened to Harvey if it weren't for me. If I hadn't gotten involved with him…"

I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.

"You don't know that for sure," Father said.

I gave him a self-deprecating smile. We both knew he just said that to make me feel better.

"I apologize, Lord Sturm," the retainer said. "This is my fault. I will accept any punishment you deem fit."

"No," Father said, making a dismissive gesture. "It's not your fault. It's clear that whoever is behind this was prepared. We're lucky that these thugs didn't kill you."

The retainer looked up at Father.

"But my lord-" he started to say, but Father cut him off with a sharp gesture.

"Enough," he said. "I won't punish you for this incident." He gave the retainer a sharp look. "If you still feel guilty, use that as motivation to improve yourself and grow stronger. That way, something like this won't happen again."

After some hesitation, the retainer nodded.

"Good," Father said. "You may go now."

Dismissed, the retainer stood up and left the study. He wore a determined expression on his face. A part of me wanted to blame him for what happened, but that would be just lashing out. I knew it wasn't his fault.

"So," Father said. "Now that you've had a moment to center yourself. What is your plan?"

I nodded.

"First, we need to find Harvey," I said. "That's our first priority. We also need to send people to protect Harvey's family, just in case."

Father nodded.

"As soon as I heard what happened, I sent people to scour the city for any news of Harvey," he said. "I also sent a team of retainers to watch over his family."

I let out a relieved sigh. Here I was, ready to run off half-cocked. Meanwhile, my father had already addressed the most urgent issues. We might have lived for almost the same amount of years, but it was clear that I still had a lot to learn.

"Thank you," I said.

Father gave me a small smile.

"No need," he said. "As I said earlier, Harvey is our responsibility. If nothing else, the honor of our House demands that we make every effort to rescue him." His expression darkened. "Or avenge him, if need be."

I clenched my jaw. If those thugs hurt Harvey, or worse, I would make them suffer before they died.

"We should also have people look into the other side of things," I said, referring to Murim. "You heard what that retainer said. The thugs specialized in internal magic."

Father nodded.

"I'll leave that to you and your mother then," he said. "I'll take care of things on this side."

I nodded.

"In that case, I'll head out now. By your leave."

Father gestured for me to go. I turned around and left the study. My mind whirled as I headed back to my room, so I could change my clothes and grab my sword. Right now, Clan Sturm was in its infancy. We didn't have many connections in Murim. There was Mother, but even she had her limits.

This meant we needed to borrow Clan Thorne's strength. They had eyes and ears all over Sunheart Undercity. If a group of martial artists kidnapped Harvey, then they were our best chance at finding him. I felt bad about asking Clan Thorne for a favor so soon after Anna and I became engaged, but Harvey's safety took priority.

Just before I reached my room, Kaylee intercepted me. She also wore her sleepwear, meaning she must've just woken up as well.

"What's going on?" Kaylee asked, a little groggy. "Why is there a commotion?"

In my impatience, I almost dismissed her. However, then I remembered that Kaylee was a regressor. Maybe she knew something that could help. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. If nothing else, she could help Father.

For privacy, I brought Kaylee to my room, before giving her a brief rundown of what happened. The moment I mentioned that a group of thugs kidnapped Harvey, her grogginess disappeared and she became alert.

"Who do you think is behind this?" Kaylee asked.

"I suspect either House Montgomery or Clan Leone," I said. "The former because they had an interest in Harvey, and the latter because they have a grudge against us."

While a group of martial artists kidnapped Harvey, that didn't mean much. Perhaps House Montgomery had connections to Murim and hired some muscle. I mean, mainstream Luminian society and Murim weren't as separated as some people liked to believe. This included the dark sides of both.

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"I think I know someone who might be able to help you," Kaylee said with a reluctant expression on her face.

I gave her a skeptical look.

"You do?" I asked.

Kaylee nodded.

"A comrade of mine from the First Timeline," she said. "He's an informant with eyes and ears all over the Solarian Empire, including Murim. I believe he established himself a few years ago, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get hold of him."

I gave Kaylee a questioning look.

"This comrade of yours," I said. "Is he also a regressor like you?"

Kaylee shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "It's possible. He survived until the end. That's one of the things that I have in common with Anna and Cally." She shrugged. "However, even if he isn't, his current connections should still be enough to help you find Harvey. My comrade operated out of Sunheart before it fell. This is his home ground."

I frowned as I considered Kaylee's words. While making friends with an informant sounded like a good idea, I didn't know if this comrade of Kaylee's was reliable. It would be safer to go to Clan Thorne. Then again, I could ask Mother to handle that while Kaylee and I met with this informant. In a situation like this, spreading as wide a net as possible seemed like the best idea.

A part of me also wondered what the criteria was for regression. There was little knowledge about it available. I mean, this made sense. Regression was a phenomenon that took place when a god, or gods, rewound time for an entire realm. It wasn't something that occurred all that often. Hell, even regressors themselves didn't know much about regression.

How did one become a regressor? Was it random? Or did the god(s) in question choose? If I prayed for answers at a Church of the Sun, would the gods answer?

"Honestly, it would be ideal if Crawford wasn't a regressor," Kaylee said, her words pulling me back to the present. She wore a complicated expression on her face.

I assumed Crawford was the informant.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well," Kaylee said, dragging the word out. "I'll just say that Crawford and I have…history together."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What kind of history?" I asked.

Kaylee shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Do you want his help or not?"

While I wanted to press my sister for answers, we had more important matters to worry about. However, I made a mental note to ask about this later.

"Let's meet with him," I said. "The more people searching for Harvey, the better. I'll ask Mother to contact Clan Thorne and ask them for help."

Kaylee nodded.

"In that case, meet me at the back entrance in ten minutes," she said. "We're going someplace rough, so dress appropriately."

Half an hour later, Kaylee and I found ourselves in the Earth District, along with Leroy. Given the situation, it seemed prudent to bring him along with us. I was glad too. When Kaylee said that we were going someplace rough, she meant it.

When I finished changing out of my pajamas and retrieving my sword, I fetched Leroy and gave him a quick rundown of what happened. While he readied himself, I went to Mother and asked her to send word to Clan Thorne. Afterwards, Leroy and I met up with Kaylee before taking a carriage to the Earth District. When we neared our destination, we left the carriage behind and proceeded the rest of the way on foot.

Unlike the part of the Earth District that I saw when I visited Harvey's family with Father, this area seemed dirtier and seedier. The air reeked of despair and desperation. It was late, well past midnight at this point. While there were glowstone street lamps here, a few of them were broken. Shadows pooled together in the areas between the still working street lamps. The light from the waning moon wasn't enough to dispel the darkness.

The people here seemed dangerous. They eyed each other with wariness, as if afraid that someone might attack them if they let their guard down.

Small groups of rough looking men and women loitered about, often drinking, eyeing others with predatory gazes. I saw several lone men and women walking the streets, all dressed in gaudy attire, who looked as if life had beaten them down. More than one offered to show us a good time. There were emaciated figures dressed in rags, who huddled in corners and stared off into the distance, their eyes blank. Everyone else kept their heads down and avoided eye contact as they hurried to their destination.

As we walked through this area, I kept alert. So far no one had troubled us, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. A few looked like they wanted to approach us, but they took one look at Leroy and decided not to. His size served as a deterrent in this place. Good thing too.

The three of us attracted attention. A dangerous thing, in a place like this. It was clear that we didn't belong. Leroy and I both wore our adventurer attire. While tough and rugged, perfect for the wilderness of the Icefall region, our outfits were too clean cut for a place like this. Meanwhile, Kaylee wore nondescript clothing. The three of us also wore hooded cloaks, to hide our hair and faces.

"My lord," Leroy said in a low voice. "Why are we in this forsaken place?"

"Looking for a friend of Kaylee's," I said.

"Comrade," Kaylee said. "Crawford and I weren't friends."

Leroy gave her a skeptical look.

"What kind of friend lives in a place like this?" he asked.

Kaylee glared at him.

"I told you, he wasn't my friend," she said, before looking at me. "You must be a lax master, if your bodyguard is this familiar with you."

I shrugged.

"I don't see the problem," I said. "Leroy is my friend."

Kaylee rolled her eyes.

"The problem, dear brother," she said. "Is that you need to maintain a clear relationship with your servants. Blurring the lines like this will only lead to trouble later down the line."

"Mother is casual with her bodyguard," I pointed. "In fact, Caitlyn is closer to family than a servant. She's like our aunt."

"That's beside the point," Kaylee said.

I sighed.

"Listen, you'll understand when you become an adult and get your own bodyguard," I said.

Kaylee looked at me in disbelief.

"You of all people should know that I'm older than I appear!" she hissed at me.

I grinned at her.

"You're still four years younger than me," I said. "As far as I'm concerned, you'll always be my little sister."

Kaylee scoffed.

"You're impossible," she said.

The three of us fell silent as we headed towards our destination. I didn't know much about it. Kaylee told Leroy and I that it was a tavern named The Crow's Nest, but little else.

A few minutes later, Kaylee stopped and squinted down an alleyway.

"There it is," she said, pointing.

Leroy and I followed her finger. We saw a wooden sign that depicted a crow sitting in a nest. It hung above the door to a building tucked deep within the alleyway, almost hidden away. A few figures lingered about. Most of them ignored us, but a few watched us with suspicion.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Kaylee nodded.

"Yes," she said. "I came here once, before…" She trailed off. "Well, before everything. It's been a long time, but I recognize that sign. This is Crawford's place."

"Alright, let's get going. I'll take the front, Leroy you take the rear. Kaylee, you stay in the middle."

The two of them nodded. Together, the three of us headed into the alleyway. The moment we entered, all eyes turned towards us. I could practically feel their hostility. We were outsiders intruding on their territory.

None of them were Awakened, so they weren't much of a threat, but I wanted to avoid a fight if at all possible. While I was willing to kill people, that didn't mean I enjoyed it. The less blood we shed, the better.

Even as I thought that, a rough looking fellow approached us and blocked our path. He looked like he hadn't bathed in weeks, and smelled like it too. Otherwise, it was difficult to discern his features underneath the grime and dirty clothing. He grinned at us. Oddly enough, the man's teeth looked perfect.

"Well, what do we-" he started to say, but I cut him off by drawing my sword and placing it against his neck.

"Move along," I said in a cold voice.

The man stumbled back and touched his neck, before running off.

"Crazy bastard!" he yelled, before disappearing from sight.

I glared at the other people in the alleyway. They turned away from me. Satisfied, I sheathed my sword.

"Crawford knows we're here now," Kaylee muttered. "That man was likely a lookout for the Crows, Crawford's people."

"Well since we're here to see Crawford, that should make things simpler," I said.

Kaylee sighed.

The three of us continued on our way. The Crow's Nest was a small, one-story wooden building with thin windows. We saw lights glowing from inside. However, we didn't hear anything, which was unusual. In my experience, taverns were loud and boisterous places.

When I opened the door, I saw why. The place was almost completely empty. The main room took up most of the building. There wasn't much to it. Just a wooden bar that ran along the far wall, with wooden tables and chairs scattered about. Crude glowstone lamps hung from the ceiling.

To its credit, the tavern was clean. I didn't see any dirt or grime anywhere. It smelled better in here too. All I could detect was the faint scent of beer. However, that just added to the place's uncanny atmosphere.

An empty tavern that was clean and open despite the lack of customers? Yeah, something fishy was going on.

The only person in the entire place was a man who stood behind the bar, polishing a mug. He was about in his late thirties with short brown hair, a bushy beard, and brown eyes. He had a burly build with a large belly, and wore a red short-sleeved shirt that revealed his hairy arms. Most importantly, he was a Third Ranked Awakened.

The burly man didn't look in our direction when we approached the bar.

"What do you want?" he asked in a gruff voice.

Kaylee pulled out a gold sol and placed it on the bar.

"We offer a shiny," she said.

I blinked in surprise, before raising an eyebrow at my sister. However, she maintained a serious expression on her face.

The burly man took the gold sol and nodded, a solemn expression on his face.

"Follow me," he said.

With that, he walked over and opened a trapdoor that had been hidden behind the bar. We walked over and I saw that the trapdoor revealed a stone passageway, with a wooden ladder leading down. The burly man started climbing down the ladder. I gestured to myself, then Kaylee, and then Leroy. They nodded.

I followed the burly man, taking care not to accidentally kick him. The four of us climbed down for several minutes, before ending up in a small stone chamber with a single wooden door. The door had a metal panel.

The burly man knocked on the door in a particular pattern. The metal panel opened up, revealing a pair of dark eyes.

"Someone offered a shiny," the burly man said.

I held in a sigh.

The person on the other side of the door nodded, before closing the panel. A moment later, the door opened revealed a lean woman wearing leather armor. She had short dark hair and sharp features. Like the burly man, she was a Third Ranked Awakened. However, what caught my attention was the absurd amount of daggers she wore. I counted over a dozen alone, and that didn't include any hidden ones that she might have.

The burly man turned around and started to climb back up the ladder. The lean woman, who I nicknamed Dagger in my head, jerked her head.

"Follow me," she said in a sharp voice.

We entered the door and found ourselves in a grand hall, one that looked like it belonged in a manor or palace. The sudden change from stone chamber to this caught me off guard. This hall was a stark contrast to the tavern above, let alone the rest of this area of the Earth District. Beautiful and expensive artwork decorated the hall. Paintings, sculptures, decorative suits of armor, etc.

Dagger led us out of the grand hall and through a series of hallways. They were also decorated with beautiful and expensive artwork. If someone had told me that I was in a House's estate rather, I would've believed them. The only sign that we were underground was the lack of windows. It must've taken a lot of money and effort to set all this up.

Soon, the four of us stopped in front of a door. Dagger knocked on it.

"Boss," she said. "Someone is here to see you."

"Enter."

Dagger opened the door, revealing a study. At least, I think it was a study. It had a desk at the far end and several bookshelves, complete with books. However, the rest of the room looked like it was meant for rest and recreation. There was a small bar area, stocked full of expensive looking alcohol. Nearby sat a number of comfortable couches and chairs.

Lounging about on the couch was a young man in his early twenties with tanned skin and amber eyes. Like Dagger, he had a lean build and short dark hair. He had a rakish charm about him. He wore a white shirt, with the collar open to reveal his upper chest, and a pair of black pants. A golden earring hung from his right ear.

I disliked him on sight.

However, I kept my thoughts to myself. The young man was a Second Ranked Awakened. Despite the difference in strength, he had two Third Ranked Awakened working for him. That meant that he wasn't a simple person.

"You may go now, Dagger," the man said, his voice rich and smooth.

Wait, the woman's name was actually Dagger? That was just a nickname I gave her because of all the, well, daggers.

"And leave you alone with outsiders?" Dagger asked. "You can't be serious."

The young man looked at Kaylee and gave her a smug smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "The young lady is an old friend of mine."

Dagger gave him a skeptical look, but nodded and left the room. Soon, the three of us alone were alone with the young man.

"Hello, Kaylee," he said. "It's been a long time."

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