I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 266: Empty Seat

"Very much so. And very closed." The Baroness walks slowly across her dimly lit study as she speaks. "Even I, the Baroness, cannot meet them. Ever since they cleared the St. Lucas dungeon, they have not met with anyone. They are being closely guarded."

She pauses, looking out over the city lights.

"Makes one wonder why."

She smiles faintly.

It does not reach her eyes.

Lucien shifts the conversation carefully. "Do you know any of them personally? Have you met them?"

The Baroness tilts her head.

"Not all of them. I have met and interacted with Thea Montrose and Arthur Montrose." She allows a slow, deliberate smile to form. "I must say, Lucien. I like them both."

The smile turns predatory.

Lucien hears it.

It sends a faint chill down his spine.

"About the Hunters, Stel. Well?" he presses. He has known her for years, and yet she still unsettles him. Even as friends, she remains unreadable.

The Baroness hums softly.

"It is... interesting. Teaching them, I mean." She walks toward her grand piano, fingertips gliding lightly over the polished surface. "But I must confess, Lucien, I do not have experience teaching. Let alone teaching magic. You Custodians possess the theories. I learned some. The rest..." She shrugs lightly. "Instinct."

Lucien smiles, and it carries through his voice.

"Perhaps that is exactly what the Hunters are lacking, Stel."

She falls silent.

Below her window, the city glows under the night sky.

After a moment, she speaks again.

"How about this? Since I am uncertain whether I can truly help, allow me to meet a few of them first. I will observe their skills before committing to teaching. How does that sound?"

Lucien considers it.

"That is actually a good idea. Perhaps you could meet five of them? Ethan is concerned about Rhaenas, and they are five."

The Baroness laughs softly.

"Very well. I admit, that is clever."

"Deal, Stel. I will inform them and return to you. Thank you, Stella. We will speak soon."

The line disconnects.

The Baroness lowers her phone and crosses her arms loosely.

Her gaze drifts back to the window, where her reflection stares back at her.

"Arthur," she murmurs.

"You have not answered nor replied to any of my messages."

She pouts faintly.

"I am hurt."

Her reflection mirrors the expression perfectly.

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If the Baroness knew what Arthur had been dealing with these past few days, she would not be surprised that he has not replied to her messages or answered her calls.

Arthur has been battling Arthur II.

And for the last two days, he has also been consumed by Alicia and Captain Chambers.

After both of them collapsed in the living room, Rhaenas’ daily rhythm shifted.

It was subtle.

But it shifted.

They moved Captain Chambers into Julian’s room, since Julian is rarely there. More often than not, he sleeps in his lab rather than his assigned bedroom.

Alicia was placed in the guest room.

The same guest room she occupied on her first night with them.

That was two days ago.

A full forty-eight hours.

And neither of them has woken up.

Theo checks on Captain Chambers periodically, but not out of concern alone. He monitors for any lingering traces of green mist. He wants to ensure that the corruption has been completely purged.

The purification appeared successful.

But appearances mean very little now.

Which leads to a more troubling question.

How many others are infected?

And how would they even begin to identify them?

With both the Chief and the interim Chief of Solarys DEU unconscious, the entire division has effectively been left without leadership.

Solarys DEU stands hollow.

The Concordia Dungeon Department, which oversees all DEUs within the country, finally intervenes. They dispatch an official to serve as interim Chief.

But the appointed official is not a Sentinel.

He lacks field experience.

He does not understand dungeon volatility. He does not understand corruption. He does not understand Sentinels.

He is a bureaucrat.

And he is drowning.

Within hours of stepping into the position, he finds himself overwhelmed by reports, confused by protocol, and intimidated by seasoned Sentinels who do not take him seriously.

Eventually, in quiet desperation, he reaches out to the Department of Defense for assistance.

The Department of Defense reaches out to Linus Monfort for assistance. Linus is one of the most prominent figures in the world when it comes to Sentinels. His name alone carries authority.

But Linus himself is occupied with far larger matters. Concordia’s internal leadership crisis is not something he has time to personally handle.

He does not intend to play house with the Concordia Department of Defense.

Instead, Linus names Arthur as his successor for the position.

And that decision circles right back to Arthur.

Arthur agrees immediately.

Officially, it is because Solarys DEU requires stability. Because Sentinels need experienced leadership. Because the city cannot afford disorder.

Unofficially, he needs to stay busy.

He needs to be busier.

He does not want to sit still long enough for Arthur II to start talking again.

So, approximately thirty-six hours ago, Arthur Montrose was appointed interim Chief of Solarys DEU.

And he has not returned home since.

Today is the third morning since Alicia and Captain Chambers collapsed in Rhaenas’ living room.

The damaged furniture has already been replaced. The new sofas sit neatly in place, pristine and unscarred. The coffee table gleams under the morning light. There is no visible trace of the violent altercation that shattered the room three days ago.

Only memory remains.

Claudia is sprawled across one of the new sofas, lying on her stomach, chin resting on a cushion. She exhales loudly.

And then exhales again.

Maeve, who is in the kitchen whisking pancake batter from scratch, finally gives in.

"Okay, Manager. I will bite. What is wrong?"

She moves with practiced ease, but there is a subtle stiffness in her shoulders. She still has not forgiven herself for the chaos of that morning three days ago. The pancakes she had made then were never eaten. The batter had gone to waste.

It bothers her more than she admits.

Claudia exhales even louder before answering.

"I am worried about Rhaenas, Maeve."

She rolls onto her back dramatically.

"I mean, look at us. It has been more than a week and we have not cleared a single dungeon. Not one."

She suddenly sits up and turns toward the kitchen.

"And now our leader is out there leading another dungeon-clearing team." She places a hand over her chest in exaggerated betrayal. "He abandoned us."

Her tone is theatrical.

Her pout is even more so.