God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 516: Scarlet Wants Answers [2]

Gabriel anticipated this very moment he awoke in her chamber.

Scarlet wouldn't have dragged him from that dire spot, patched up his injuries, concealed him here, and just let it slide. She possessed too keen an insight for such oversight. Above all, her strong links to the Valerian Kingdom prevented her from dismissing the chaos within that fortress.

He nodded faintly and faced her completely. "Sure."

Scarlet shut the door gently and lingered beside it briefly. The waning sunset through the window bathed the room in a muted orange hue, as the wall lamp cast a gentle radiance on the opposite side of her visage.

"The first question is straightforward," she stated. "What business took you to the castle?"

Gabriel maintained a stoic expression.

He foresaw that inquiry. Fabricating a response recklessly would prove foolish. Though Scarlet might refrain from summoning Alice, the option remained hers. Thus, his reply needed truth enough to withstand scrutiny without revealing excess details.

"I headed there to retrieve something," he answered.

Scarlet showed little response, yet her stare sharpened a touch.

"What exactly?"

Gabriel met her gaze steadily before responding.

"I'd prefer not to reveal that."

A hush descended. Scarlet stayed motionless, arms at her sides. Typical folk would demand more after such a retort. Not her. She acknowledged the boundary and proceeded.

"Fine," she uttered. Her tone stayed even, though the following query bore greater gravity.

"What befell Darius?"

Gabriel's stance remained unaltered.

Scarlet inhaled deeply and paced from the door. She halted beside the chair, her palm lightly upon its rear.

"His armor adorned you when I discovered you," she noted. "I witnessed his glare toward you in the banquet hall too. Fury burned in him prior to your joint departure."

She hesitated briefly. "Did rage drive him to assault you?"

Gabriel regarded her in silence.

This query held true significance. Not the castle visit. Not the item sought. Darius Aston, offspring of General Aston, whose vanishing stirred ripples beyond, and Scarlet grasped sufficient clues to connect the dots.

"You've already pieced it together," Gabriel stated evenly.

Scarlet held her silence at first. Her gaze locked on him. Quiet enveloped the space anew, the evening breeze's whisper beyond the pane growing distinct. Moments later, she breathed in steadily via her nostrils.

His words sufficed. No further affirmation required from him on the clash's nature. The delivery, absence of rebuttal, and his composed demeanor all converged on one truth. Darius had challenged him, and matters intensified.

Precisely what fate Darius met now dominated her thoughts.

Scarlet's grip briefly clenched the chair's back before easing.

"Where is he at present?" she inquired.

Gabriel delayed his response.

For the initial instance since her entry, a subtle falter crossed his features. No alarm. No remorse. Merely a fleeting, restrained pause, yet tangible enough for Scarlet to detect instantly.

"That..." he began, then trailed off. His words halted there.

The chamber appeared to suspend its breath alongside him. Scarlet poised by the chair, eyes riveted to his countenance, as the final sunset rays dimmed across the window at his back. Gabriel lingered against the frame, one hand casually upon it, his form resolute despite the wrappings encircling his chest.

Multiple paths lay open for his reply.

None promised to lighten the burden.

Scarlet refrained from pressing. She merely abided, visage unaltered, though the quiet between them thickened, and the atmosphere's strain escalated. Distant urban murmurs ascended via the ajar window far beneath, yet within reigned utter stillness.

One could wonder why Gabriel, ever indifferent to repercussions, now wavered. Pursuers of any rank or sway had met his unyielding retribution.

He favored striking preemptively, consequences be damned.

Then why this reluctance?

The reason stood plain. Fear of Scarlet played no part. His present power allowed him to overwhelm her effortlessly.

Rather, this revelation's framing risked forfeiting a crucial partner.

Darius's absence transcended mere loss. It marked the nexus where turmoil could erupt catastrophically, a fact both recognized.

Gabriel dropped his eyes momentarily, then raised them to hers once more.

Scarlet's countenance stayed icy and immobile, yet the room's aura altered. Her knowledge ran deep already. She awaited only the extent of his candor.

Gabriel let out a soft breath through his nostrils. His fingers loosened their hold on the window frame, yet his body stayed rooted in place, refusing to advance or retreat. Pretending not to grasp the true meaning behind this question was utterly pointless.

Dusk at last overtook the waning light outdoors. The room grew even darker, the lamp by the wall now serving as the primary illumination. Scarlet’s shadow extended subtly over the floor, whereas Gabriel stood partially bathed in the window’s glow.

"He’s dead," Gabriel finally stated. "I killed him."

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