The Legendary Method Actor

As the heavy doors clicked shut behind him, Ray let out a slow, controlled breath.

Gino, who had managed to catch a brief glimpse inside before the doors closed, looked at Ray with surprise. Seeing Bastian calmly sitting in his chair, sipping water, the senior staffer assumed the interrogation had been entirely cordial.

"Seemed polite enough, Did he give you any new information, my Lord?"

Gino whispered.

Ray started walking down the quiet corridor toward the main ballroom, his expression grim.

"He gave me enough. He is our killer. I am ninety percent sure of it."

Svane’s heavy footsteps paused for a fraction of a second. The large warrior caught up to Ray in two massive strides, his brow furrowed.

"Then why are we walking away? Why leave him sitting there?"

"Because he knows that we have no proof that connects him to Warren’s murder."

Ray replied softly, keeping his voice down.

"He feels no fear, no pressure. A confession is impossible right now. I know he did it, but if I bring him to light without a shred of evidence, Master Alvon will think that we are just using him as a scapegoat and we will have tipped our hand for nothing."

Ray stopped and turned to Rina. The young attendant stood perfectly straight, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I will find the proof, Rina. I will do everything in my power to clear your name."

Ray said, his voice softening with genuine reassurance.

Rina offered a brave, stoic nod.

"I know you will, young master. I am not worried."

In the Ambient Presence, the Charismatic Conman sighed softly.

Conman: "She is terrified, Ray. Look at the micro-tension in her shoulders. She is just bracing herself so you don't have to carry her fear on top of everything else."

Ray felt a sharp pang of protectiveness in his chest. He turned his attention back to Gino.

"Is there any news on Hannah? Has the junior maid been found yet?"

Gino shook his head, looking troubled.

"No, My Lord. The staff has scoured the servant quarters and the kitchens. It is like she vanished like smoke."

Ray cursed under his breath. He had hoped they would catch her hiding in a broom closet, but it appeared she was smarter, or more desperate than that. It was entirely possible Hannah had slipped out of the manor in the initial chaos, long before Master Alvon had established the perimeter.

"Gino, I need you to go back, keep your eyes on Bastian discreetly. Do not engage him under any circumstances. Just watch who he talks to and where he goes."

Ray commanded.

"Understood, my Lord."

Gino bowed swiftly and hurried back down the hall.

Ray, Svane and Rina then proceeded to make their way back to the gala but by the time they arrived, the atmosphere had completely soured. The orchestra was still playing a lively waltz, but the joy in the room was dead. Guests stood in tight, paranoid clusters, whispering furiously behind feathered fans.

Near one of the exits, the tension had finally boiled over. A high-ranking noble, his face flushed with anger, was shouting at one of Alvon's guards.

"Do you know who I am?!"

The noble roared, jabbing a finger at the heavily armored guard.

"You have no right to detain me in this estate without cause! Step aside immediately!"

The guard stood like a statue, trying to maintain protocol without giving away anything, which only infuriated the noble further. Other guests were beginning to crowd around, feeding off the hostility. It was a powder keg seconds away from a spark.

"Lord Croft."

Ray turned. Headmaster Andrade was striding toward him, her face a mask of control. Master Alvon shadowed her steps, looking thoroughly exhausted and violently impatient.

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"The guests are becoming unmanageable. Give me an update. Have you found anything?"

The Headmaster said quietly.

"I have a prime suspect. But I do not have the definitive proof to link him to the murder yet."

Ray answered evenly.

Master Alvon let out a harsh, derisive scoff.

"This is a farce. I told you from the beginning, Headmaster, this boy is playing at being an investigator while we waste time and my men are being abused to the extreme."

Alvon stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Rina. He didn't look at her like a person; he looked at her with the cold, predatory stare of an executioner appraising his next victim.

"End this charade. We already have a perfectly viable suspect. Lock this attendant and let these people go home."

Seeing Alvon look at Rina that way, seeing him casually threaten her life just to make his own job easier, triggered something primal in the darkest depths of Ray's mind.

He didn't consciously initiate Partial Immersion and select which archetype to use and its skill. His protective fury simply bypassed the mechanics entirely.

The Grizzled Commander’s absolute, unyielding authority (Command Aura) and the Primal Naturalist’s terrifying, lethal bloodlust (Apex Predator Aura) bled out full blast directly into reality.

The air in the ballroom instantly turned to lead.

Fifty feet away, the shouting noble suddenly choked on his own words, his knees buckling as an invisible, suffocating weight crashed down on his shoulders. The armored guard opposite him fared little better, dropping to one knee as the sheer, crushing weight pressed down on him. The entire room went dead silent. The orchestra stumbled to a halt, instruments lowering as a wave of pure, instinctual terror washed over the crowd.

Standing right next to him, Ray's allies took the brunt of the uncontrolled blast. Headmaster Andrade’s eyes widened, a shimmering, localized barrier of Arcanum mana instinctively flaring around her to push back the crushing weight. Svane let out a low, guttural grunt, his massive frame trembling as he was forced to plant one knee on the floor, relying entirely on his Gold Aegis constitution to keep from blacking out.

Master Alvon was not spared the initial shockwave. The Academy Head of Security gritted his teeth, his own high-level 'Aegis Conditioning' flaring to life. His muscles locked tight as he used his advanced physical constitution to fiercely resist the terrifying intent, though a cold sweat immediately broke out across his brow.

But Rina didn't have such a high-level constitution to protect her. Despite the mental resistance training Ray had put her through, the sheer density of the killing intent was too much. She gasped, her face draining of color as her legs gave out, clutching her chest as she struggled to breathe.

In the Ambient Presence of Ray’s mind, The World-Weary Healer worriedly called out to Ray.

Healer: "Ray, snap out of it! Your killing intent is indiscriminate! You're suffocating Rina!"

Ray blinked, the red haze of fury shattered by the World-Weary Healer's voice. He looked down and saw Rina trembling on the floor. A spike of cold horror pierced through his anger as he suddenly realized what he had subconsciously just done.

With great effort Ray immediately reeled the aura’s back in, snatching it off the innocent guests and his struggling allies, leaving a vacuum of stunned silence in its wake.

All across the ballroom, the sudden release of pressure caused a collective, ragged gasp. Fifty feet away, the noble that was on the floor collapsed to his hands and knees, greedily sucking in air alongside dozens of terrified, trembling guests.

The guard pushed himself up, gasping for breath as he used his weapon for support. While the guests looked around in blind confusion, having no idea what invisible force had just crushed them, the trained guard's combat instincts kicked in. He traced the lingering pressure across the room, his eyes widening in shock as he realized the monstrous killing intent had originated from a young boy.

Headmaster Andrade let her shimmering mana barrier dissolve. She took a sharp, deep breath, her composure momentarily shaken as her eyes locked onto Ray with a mixture of shock and profound warning. Beside her, Svane pushed himself off the floor with a heavy grunt, he recovered his footing, rubbing his chest.

Ray ignored all of them. He immediately dropped to one knee beside his attendant. He gently gripped her arms, pulling her up.

"Rina, breathe. I've got you."

Ray murmured, his voice tight with guilt.

Rina took a ragged, shaky breath, gripping Ray's forearm to steady her trembling legs. She looked up at him, her face still pale, but offered a weak, determined nod to show him she was alright.

Seeing her recover erased the last of Ray's panic. The uncontrolled, blinding rage did not return. Instead, it condensed into the cold, calculated fury of a commander defending his own. He gently positioned Rina behind him, stepping squarely between his attendant and the Academy Head of Security.

Ray locked eyes with the man who had threatened her, and hammered the concentrated pressure entirely onto Master Alvon.

Alvon, who had just recovered, staggered backward. His face drained of color as the weight of a warlord and an apex predator hit him like a physical blow. He stared at Ray, his eyes wide with sudden, breathless shock.

Impossible, Again with this pressure... It feels exactly like Master Hadrick’s Valorian Aura technique.

Alvon thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Before Ray could completely crush the man's pride, Headmaster Andrade stepped directly between them.

"Enough!"

Andrade snapped, her voice cracking through the tension like a whip. She glared at Alvon.

"Master Alvon, stand down. I gave Lord Croft jurisdiction to this case and he still has four-hours, and I will honor it. Do not do this and threaten my authority again."

Alvon swallowed hard, slowly regaining his footing. He didn't say another word, simply stepping back, casting a deeply wary glance at Ray.

Andrade turned her sharp gaze back to Ray.

"However, Alvon is right about one thing. I cannot hold these nobles hostage without cause. They will riot. What is your recommendation?"

Ray let the last remnants of the aura fade from his shoulders.

"Drop the veil. Tell them the truth."

Andrade's eyes narrowed.

"Announce the murder?"

"The secrecy is only protecting the killer, I believe the murderer didn't act alone. Someone gave him the keys, and the maid who informed Lady Jane of murder is still missing. I need the whole picture, and keeping these people in the dark is crippling my investigation. Tell them what happened, and force their cooperation."

Ray argued.

The Headmaster considered this for a long moment. Finally, she nodded.

"It is the logical next step. But respect is due to the host. I cannot announce a murder in House Starr without the explicit consent of the Manor's Matriarch."

Ray looked at the headmaster.

"Then let's go ask her."