Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 94: Unforeseen Circumstances

Chapter 94: Unforeseen Circumstances

Velren exhaled through his nose, stabbing his fork into a piece of seared meat. Of course. Of all the times someone could have shown up, it had to be now.

Was it too much to ask for a peaceful meal without interruptions? Just once? He had barely taken a few bites, let alone begun to properly enjoy his well-earned indulgence, and now this guy was here, acting like they had something important to discuss. What could Mikhail possibly want from him, anyway? As far as Velren was concerned, they had nothing to talk about.

Well... that’s not entirely true, per se.

Without waiting for so much as a nod of acknowledgment, Mikhail set his tray down and took the seat across from him, as if they were the best of friends.

Velren sighed, barely sparing him a glance.

"Sure... help yourself..." he muttered, resting his cheek against his hand as he poked at his food. His appetite, once so eager, now wavered slightly at the unexpected company.

Meanwhile, Mikhail wasted no time, cutting straight to the point.

"Did Alistair show up this morning?"

Velren, who had more or less expected the question, leaned back slightly before shaking his head.

"No, he didn’t."

Mikhail clicked his tongue in frustration, tapping his fingers against the side of his tray. His expression was tight, his focus was elsewhere, and Velren, watching his reaction, figured he might as well ask:

"Something on your mind?"

For a moment, Mikhail didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on his untouched meal. He let out a sharp exhale before finally speaking.

"I... lost the alloy."

That caught Velren’s attention. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"The alloy... You mean that weird chunk of material from the Kaovus?"

Mikhail gave a firm nod, but before Velren could say anything else, he hit him with another question.

"How did the match end?"

Velren recalled the final moments of the fight, thinking back to the chaos of the arena.

"Once you went down, one of your projectiles managed to catch Alistair off guard. He was completely open, so he dropped too. They called it a tie since both of you were knocked out."

Mikhail’s jaw tightened, flexing his grip on his fork for a brief moment.

"When I woke up in the infirmary, the alloy was gone. It was supposed to be in my pocket, but it wasn’t there anymore."

Velren frowned, considering the implications.

"You think Alistair took it?"

Mikhail shook his head almost immediately.

"When I regained consciousness, he was still out cold. It’s unlikely it was him."

Velren leaned back slightly, idly tapping his fingers against the table as he turned the situation over in his mind. The alloy was gone, but Mikhail was certain Alistair hadn’t taken it. That left two possibilities: either someone else had stolen it, or it had simply... disappeared. The latter didn’t sit right with him. He doubted something that valuable would just get misplaced in an infirmary of all places. Someone must have taken it. But who?

It wasn’t like just anyone could recognize its worth. Even Velren himself had only connected the dots after hearing Mikhail’s explanation. The knowledge of its significance was limited—hell, before their conversation at the arena, even he hadn’t realized it was tied to the Rhaegis House. That alone made it unlikely that a random staff member had taken it out of pure curiosity. Which meant that whoever took it had either known exactly what they were stealing... or had at least suspected its value.

Still, was it really such a big deal? Velren exhaled through his nose before shifting his gaze back to Mikhail.

"What’s the problem, anyway? You already know where it comes from. It’s a Rhaegis thing, right?"

Mikhail let out a short chuckle, shaking his head before fixing Velren with a look that was both amused and exasperated.

"You really are an idiot."

Velren blinked. He wasn’t exactly expecting gratitude, but getting called an idiot for stating what should’ve been the obvious conclusion? That was a little much.

Mikhail leaned forward slightly.

"Knowing where it comes from isn’t enough. That alloy wasn’t just some noble family’s specialty—it was found embedded in the Kaovus.

"Yeah, and? You already tracked it back to the Rhaegis House."

"That’s the problem," Mikhail said, lowering his voice.

"I don’t have proof. I had a specialist analyze the material, and sure, they confirmed it was something only the Rhaegis House could produce. But a name alone isn’t enough. If I took this to the authorities, what do you think would happen? A high noble house, with centuries of influence, accused based on one piece of alloy? They’d brush it off, spin the narrative however they wanted. Hell, they might even claim I stole it and try to turn it around on me."

Velren hadn’t considered that. He wasn’t exactly an expert on noble politics, but he knew enough to understand how much power the major houses held. Without solid proof, calling them out was the same as painting a target on your back.

Mikhail clicked his tongue.

"That alloy was the only physical evidence I had. And now? It’s gone. Someone took it before I even woke up. Maybe it was just a random thief. Maybe it was someone who knew exactly what that thing was worth. Either way, until I get my hands on another piece, I’ve got nothing."

Velren exhaled sharply. He never cared much for politics or noble disputes, but something about this whole situation didn’t sit right with him. A high-ranking noble house’s exclusive material ending up in an assassin’s hands? And now the only proof of it had mysteriously vanished.

That wasn’t a coincidence.

His fingers drummed idly against the table as another thought surfaced—something Mikhail had mentioned back in the arena. It had been thrown out in the middle of their conversation, but Velren hadn’t pressed him on it at the time. Now, though...

"What you said back then on the arena... What did you mean by that?"

Mikhail was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet sigh, he leaned back in his seat.

"You really wanna know?" He exhaled through his nose before continuing.

"This isn’t just about some botched assassination attempt. The Rhaegis House isn’t just dabbling in some shady business—they’re preparing for something. You think high nobles just let their specialty alloys end up in the hands of Kaovus by accident? Hell no. That was deliberate. That means they’re supplying someone. And if they’re supplying someone, it means they’re backing a side."

"A side in what?"

Mikhail scoffed. "Use your head, genius. The princess was the target. Not the king, not some other noble—the princess. She’s the heir to the throne. If she dies, the power struggle starts. And if the Rhaegis House is already involved at this level, that means they’re betting on a shift in power. Whether it’s an internal coup, a full-scale rebellion, or even a war with another nation, one thing is certain."

He lowered his voice before continuing.

"...A big war is coming."