"We have arrived at Obsidior Main Stop."

The announcer’s voice echoed through the train speakers calmly while the sound of steam releasing from the lower engines spread across the station.

The train gradually slowed before finally stopping completely.

Pshhhhh...

White steam burst outward from beneath the train while the metal doors slowly opened.

Passengers immediately began stepping out one after another.

Some carried luggage, others dragged sleeping children behind them.

Workers moved carts across the station floor while guards monitored the crowd from different corners.

Ezra stepped out of the train first while carrying one of Lucy’s suitcases in his hand.

Lucy followed behind him quietly, her eyes moving around curiously at the large station filled with noise and movement.

"Let’s go."

Ezra spoke calmly as he continued walking forward through the crowd.

"Master Ezra..."

Lucy looked up toward the high station ceiling while speaking awkwardly.

"You should’ve allowed me to pay for my own train ticket too."

She tightened her fingers together slightly.

"We orphans were also rewarded with one hundred gold coins after the trial, and after my points got converted into extra rewards..."

She looked toward him.

"I received almost two thousand gold coins."

"It’s okay."

Ezra replied flatly without slowing his steps.

"And don’t worry."

He raised one hand toward a passing horse-carriage taxi moving near the station entrance.

"You’ll be paying for this transport instead."

Lucy blinked once, then sighed helplessly.

The carriage rider quickly stopped after noticing their Ashenlocke crests.

He immediately got down and bowed respectfully.

"Where to, Sir?"

The man asked politely before taking the suitcases toward the carriage boot.

"To the Sterling Mansion."

Ezra replied calmly.

Lucy paid the driver ten silver coins afterward.

The man’s eyes brightened seeing the amount before he respectfully opened the carriage door for them.

"So that’s why you made me convert part of my gold coins into silver after we arrived here, Master Ezra?"

Lucy asked curiously while entering the carriage behind him.

"We need silver more than gold right now."

Ezra leaned back comfortably against the seat.

"Using gold carelessly attracts unnecessary attention."

Outside the station area, it remained extremely lively.

Steam carriage engines roared constantly; train whistles echoed across the platforms.

Workers shouted at one another while loading cargo, Vendors sold food loudly near the roadsides and mixed between all of that...

People continuously moved through the streets like flowing water.

This was clearly a major city.

The carriage soon began moving.

The horses stepped forward steadily while snow lightly fell from the sky above.

Lucy quietly stared outside the window while the city scenery passed them by.

Tall buildings, short apartment structures, small factories releasing smoke, workers carrying metal tools and steam vehicles rushing through the roads.

Everything felt alive.

The morning sunlight reflected off the snowy streets while cold wind swept through the city roads.

Hours passed before the carriage finally slowed down.

They arrived before a large mansion gate.

Ezra quietly stared at the familiar place from inside the carriage first before stepping down slowly.

The moment his boots touched the ground...

Old memories resurfaced naturally.

The large gate before him looked almost exactly the same as before.

It reminded him of the day his mother handed him over to the Main family guards of Ashenlocke to be taken to the Trail of Steel.

At that time...

He was still weak and confused, not even knowing where he was going.

Now...

Everything felt different.

Ezra stretched his arms slightly before exhaling.

"Let’s get this over with."

He glanced toward Lucy afterward.

Lucy still looked confused about why they truly came here.

"You wrote your real identity and your relationship with these people inside the contract, Master..."

Lucy looked toward the mansion carefully.

"You said this is Baron Sterling’s Mansion."

Then her eyes shifted toward the approaching guards in the distance.

"Are we fighting?"

Her eyes sharpened slightly afterward; intent slowly rose from her body naturally.

"Relax." Ezra waved lazily. "We’re just here to cut off an ill fate."

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

The two finally reached the gate and were immediately stopped by the guards stationed outside.

Both men carried swords at their waists while staring at Ezra and Lucy suspiciously, but the moment they noticed the Ashenlocke crest on their clothes...

Their attitudes instantly changed.

"Greetings."

The first guard bowed respectfully.

The second one quickly followed.

"Do you perhaps have an appointment with the Sterling family...Or are you related to them?"

The guards politely opened the gates slightly while speaking.

"You two seem new."

Ezra calmly scanned the courtyard while replying.

Everything looked familiar...Yet unfamiliar at the same time.

The flower garden servants trimming the plants...

Were different faces.

The maids watering the grass fields...

Different faces.

Even the workers cleaning the mansion windows and outer walls...

All strangers.

Ezra smiled faintly afterward.

He already understood why.

"Yes, we’re new."

The guards answered honestly.

At that moment...

A senior guard standing farther ahead near the mansion entrance noticed the approaching group.

"Who are they?"

He asked seriously while walking closer.

One of the guards quickly pointed toward Ezra’s Ashenlocke crest.

Immediately the senior guard’s stiff face changed completely.

"What brings members of the Main Family here?"

He asked politely.

Ezra sighed softly afterward, then he slowly removed his black cap and scarf before handing them over to Lucy.

The moment his face became visible...

The guards froze and the maids nearby widened their eyes.

"Young Master Zara?!"

The senior guard instantly dropped to his knees in shock.

The others quickly followed.

Confused whispers immediately spread around the courtyard.

"Wasn’t the Young Master supposed to be with the Lord and Mistress?"

"Did he secretly got out again?"

"Wait..."

A maid lowered her voice.

"Did he bring another girl again?"

"But she’s wearing the maid uniform of the Main Family."

The whispers became louder little by little.

With Ezra and Lucy’s current senses... every single word entered their ears clearly.

"What’s all this commotion?!"

A familiar irritated voice suddenly echoed from inside the mansion.

The large doors opened roughly.

Then...

Ezra saw him.

"You’re still here, Dan."

Ezra calmly walked up the steps toward him.

"Young Master... Zara?"

Dan stared at Ezra in confusion, then his eyes slowly widened.

Wait...

Young Master Zara is literally inside right now.

His gaze carefully noticed the white strands mixed within Ezra’s hair.

No...

No fucking way...This has to be a joke.

Dan slowly stretched his hand toward Ezra’s face almost like he wanted confirming whether he was real or not.

Smack!

Lucy instantly slapped his hand away fluidly before he could touch Ezra.

The movement happened so naturally that the surrounding servants became stunned.

Dan quickly retracted his hand while holding it painfully.

"Don’t touch my Master with those filthy hands of yours."

Lucy glared at him coldly.

Dan stared at her afterward.

His face unconsciously reddened slightly.

Wow...She’s hot.

Dan’s face reddened slightly from the shameless thoughts that flashed through his head after seeing Lucy properly, but he quickly shook those thoughts away.

Right now...

This situation was far more dangerous.

"You!"

He suddenly pointed sharply toward Ezra.

"How dare you impersonate the Young Master!"

His voice echoed loudly through the mansion entrance hall.

Several maids nearby flinched from the sudden shout.

If this is truly Young Master Ezra...Then aren’t we all finished?

Dan felt cold sweat slowly gathering behind his neck.

The weak trash son that was supposed to die in the Trial of Steel actually survived?

No...

No, calm down first.

I just need to hold things together until the Head Butler arrives.

Yes...

That old man can think about how to explain this disaster to the Lord himself.

Dan’s eyes brightened slightly after thinking of that solution.

He even felt proud of himself for coming up with it so quickly.

"Guards! What are you doing?!"

He turned sharply toward the nearby guards angrily.

"Arrest these imposters immediately!"

Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly at Dan’s shouting while Lucy quietly adjusted her footing behind him.

Even though she still carried luggage in one hand...

The intent in her eyes had already sharpened.

The guards nervously pulled out their swords after hearing Dan’s command.

At the same time...

Dan secretly whispered something into a maid’s ear.

The maid quickly nodded before running deeper into the mansion.

But...

Before anyone properly reacted...

Ezra already moved.

Or rather...

Nobody even noticed him move.

In one blink...

By the time the maid opened the mansion doors wider...

Ezra had already walked inside calmly with Lucy directly behind him.

The guards froze and other maids froze, even Dan’s face became blank for a second.

"How?!"

He sharply turned backward in shock. His heart instantly tightened.

Is he actually a ghost?!

Cold sweat slowly dripped from the side of his face.

No idiot...

Ghosts don’t leave footprints in snow.

"Stop right there!"

The guards immediately rushed inside after them while shouting loudly.

The noise quickly spread through the mansion hallways.

Footsteps echoed.

Servants looked around in confusion and several maids panicked after seeing armed guards suddenly charging through the entrance.

"What’s happening?!"

One maid screamed nervously while moving away from the center hall.

The guards already lunged toward Ezra and Lucy.

"What’s with all these accusations?"

Ezra calmly stepped sideways, smoothly avoiding the hand of a guard trying to grab his shoulder.

At the same moment...

Lucy moved.

Boom!

She grabbed another guard’s wrist before cleanly flipping him over her shoulder.

The guard crashed heavily onto the floor with a painful groan.

The movement was smooth, fast and clean enough that even the other guards became startled.

"I am the second young master of this house."

Ezra spoke calmly while dusting invisible dirt from his sleeve with a faint sarcastic smile appearing on his face.

"Although technically...I’m supposed to be dead."

"What?!"

The surrounding servants gasped loudly.

Several maids immediately stared harder at Ezra’s face.

"He really does resemble the Mistress and Young Master Zara..."

The whispers exploded again.

"No..."

"Look at his eyes."

"And the white strands in his hair..."

"It really matches..."

"LIES!"

Dan suddenly stepped forward loudly again.

His voice practically cracked from panic.

"He’s obviously a fraud trying to impersonate the dead twin brother of Young Master Zara!"

Dan angrily pointed toward Ezra dramatically like some stage actor trying too hard.

"How dare you?! How dare you impersonate the precious brother Young Master Zara treasured so dearly!"

His performance honestly looked emotional enough to fool some people.

But...

Only at first glance.

Lucy stared at him like she was looking at an insect.

"What kind of nonsense is this idiot saying?"

She tilted her head slightly with clear irritation in her eyes.

"For someone working under a noble family...You’re surprisingly stupid."

Dan’s face twitched immediately.

The insult struck harder because she said it so casually.

"Seriously..."

Lucy glanced around at all the servants gathering nearby.

"Think properly for once. Why would somebody openly walk into a noble mansion dressed exactly like a dead person while loudly claiming to be the second young master if they were truly an imposter?"

Her tone became colder afterward.

"Has anything like that ever happened before?"

The servants exchanged uncertain looks.

"She actually has a point..."

One maid whispered quietly.

"Even if someone wanted impersonating the Young Master...How would they perfectly copy his appearance like this?"

"And since when did Young Master Zara have a twin brother anyway?"

The confusion among the servants increased rapidly.

Dan immediately felt the atmosphere turning against him.

"I’ve worked here longer than all of you!"

He quickly shouted defensively.

"I know the truth better than anyone here!"

But...

The doubt had already started spreading.

And the servants weren’t completely stupid.

"Young Master Ezra..."

An elderly familiar voice suddenly echoed from the upper floor of the mansion.

The entire hall instantly quieted slightly afterward.

Ezra, who had calmly listened to all the noise until now, finally lifted his head upward.

Standing there...Was his father’s personal butler and three armed guards stood behind the elderly man.

Unlike the others downstairs...

These ones carried themselves differently.

More disciplined and more dangerous feel to their presence.

Lucy quietly narrowed her eyes while observing them.

"They’re all Novice Rank Alchemists."

She whispered softly toward Ezra.

"Two Half-Stars... and one Full-Star, but none of them are Full Alchemists yet."

"Head Butler."

Ezra looked at the elderly man calmly afterward while the Butler stared back at Ezra with visible disbelief and terror hidden inside his old eyes.