Roberts stared at Noel with a stern expression, awaiting his response.
He hadn't lied to Irvin when he said Noel had no hand in the death of the other Hunters, but he was definitely curious. How could a Necromancer, who was barely at the Novice realm, survive the slaughter that wiped out several stronger Hunters?
"So? Are you not going to speak?" Roberts asked sternly, his tone low and firm, crossing his arms when Noel remained silent.
"I'll have to inform you now that if you're still unwilling to respond, the Hunter Association will have no choice but to restrain you. This issue won't be easily resolved then." Roberts warned coldly.
Noel shifted slightly, a bitter smile playing at his lips. It wasn't that he was trying to be difficult. He simply needed time to sort through the truths he could tell and which secrets he had to bury deep.
Roberts was an official of the Hunter Association, and a highly ranked one at that; therefore, he had to tread carefully with his words, otherwise he would be in serious trouble.
There was no way he could mention the system or the miraculous healing he received. He didn't even dare entertain the thought.
He didn't know what the consequences might be if he exposed the existence of the system, but he was sure that it would be something he would not be able to handle; therefore, he had to keep the system's existence a secret, no matter what.
"There's no need to be so cold, Mr. Roberts," Noel finally said, offering a calm yet somewhat strained smile.
"Then? What happened here?" Roberts asked, his gaze sharpening as he swept a glance over the ruined necropolis, his frown deepening at the level of destruction that lay around him.
Noel inhaled slowly, then began recounting everything — from the party's entrance into the rift to the moment they encountered the Undead Knight, a Marshal-level guardian.
He described how the knight had massacred the hunters, but when it came to his survival, he fabricated a believable lie: the ancient seal suddenly flared with golden flames, burning the knight to ashes before it could reach him.
He carefully omitted any mention of the system or the true miracle behind his survival, redirecting the thoughts of Roberts and the other officials to the presence of the ancient seal.
As Noel spoke, the official's expressions darkened. Roberts, Bennett, and the two other officials could hardly conceal their unease. Noel's description of the Undead Knight was a little bit too terrifying.
Typically a fractured rift would only raise the danger level of the guardian by one, and since F-rank rifts were usually guarded by Warden-level guardians, they should have faced a Sentinel-level guardian. However, this Undead Knight was a Marshal-level guardian— a guardian found in D-rank rifts. It was definitely a terrifying anomaly.
"I see." Roberts finally said after a long silence. "I'm glad that you were able to survive such a harrowing experience."
"You can leave now. We'll stay behind to handle the cleanup." Roberts nodded calmly and gestured toward the exit.
He hesitated, then added in a softer tone.
"As for Irvin, don't trouble yourself over him. He's frustrated and mourning the loss of his younger brother, so it's normal for him to be upset and lash out."
"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Roberts." Noel said, bowing his head lightly, but instead of leaving, he lingered, standing there, his eyes fixed on Roberts with a quiet, expectant look.
Still inspecting the ancient seal, Roberts felt the prickling sensation of someone watching him. He turned and caught Noel's unwavering gaze.
He stared at Noel with a confused look on his face. He had no idea why the young hunter was staring at him with such an expectant look.
Wasn't the matter resolved already? Why is he staring at me like that?
"Is something the matter?" Roberts asked, frowning slightly.
"Of course not, Mr. Roberts," Noel replied innocently, but the expectant gleam in his eyes only grew.
"Then why are you staring at me like that?" Roberts' eyebrow twitched, and he couldn't help his irritation.
"Like what?"
"Don't play dumb with me, young man. What is it?"
"Since you've been so courteous with me, Mr. Roberts, then I naturally cannot shrink back, can I?" Noel cleared his throat lightly and said smoothly, putting on a look of practiced politeness.
Roberts narrowed his eyes, and somehow, he could sense that the situation wasn't going anywhere good.
"Previously, you promised Mr. Irvin sufficient compensation for his loss. Yet, despite me losing all of my teammates and nearly my life, you haven't offered me compensation of any sort. Isn't that a little unfair, Mr. Roberts?" Noel continued, his voice calm but cheeky.
"Are you threatening an official of the Hunter Association? Mr. Roberts—" one of the officials stated angrily, but before he could complete his statement, Roberts raised a hand to silence him.
What's wrong with this kid? Didn't he just narrowly avoid certain death? Is it even possible to consider compensation in this situation? Roberts pressed his lips into a thin line, studying Noel closely.
"You should know, Mr. Roberts, that the circumstances here arose due to the Hunter Association's poor evaluation of the rift. The walls have ears, after all. If the reporters catch wind of this incident, and the story comes from the sole survivor, it would be very troublesome for both parties, wouldn't it?" Noel asked cheekily with a faint smile.
Roberts inwardly rolled his eyes at Noel's question, as he perfectly understood the underlying message Noel was trying to pass across.
Such a cunning kid.
The Hunter Association was a behemoth organization, and naturally, they had enemies lurking everywhere. Any blunder—even a small one—would be seized and blown out of proportion by the media and various top Guilds.
Besides, as the sole survivor of the incident, Noel was well within his rights to demand compensation.
Roberts suppressed a sigh and weighed his options for a brief moment, then exhaled through his nose.
"Naturally, the Hunter Association will take full responsibility. Once we conclude our investigation, you will receive your compensation," he said coolly.
"Mr. Roberts—!" The official protested again, but Roberts shot him a flat look.
"I said it's fine." Roberts stated dismissively.
Noel's smile widened slightly, and he bowed again, unable to hide the excitement gleaming in his eyes.
"Thank you, Mr. Roberts. Then, I'll be taking my leave."
Without wasting another second, he spun around and left, his footsteps quick and light, almost as if he feared Roberts might suddenly change his mind.
Within minutes, Noel disappeared into the distance, leaving only a faint echo of his footsteps behind.
Roberts stared after him for a long moment, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"What an interesting kid," he murmured curiously. Then, shaking his head slightly, he turned back to the ancient seal, pushing all thoughts of Noel aside.