After Vicente left the Hogan estate, the patriarch kept looking in the young man's direction, puzzled.

'He didn't ask for anything, even though my family is considered one of the richest in the area.' Thought the patriarch.

Even though the Hogan family was a house of soldiers, i.e., direct subordinates of the king, they had a long history in the army, which had earned them many privileges and resources over the years.

Because of their history, the Hogan family of Saltstar City was as wealthy as some Count families, even though they had no noble title or territory to exploit!

'That young man is definitely strong or prosperous. I'd better investigate him further to know how to deal with him next time.' He looked at his butler at the entrance of his house and went back inside.

"Investigate that young man. I want to know who he is and if he's worth bringing into the family. After the deaths of Christopher and Arthur, he may be our hope for continuing the family line." The patriarch said, while the middle-aged butler, a Low-level Mage, looked at him meaningfully, understanding what these words meant.

"Patriarch, don't tell me you want to..."

"That is up to him. But in our current circumstances, nothing is impossible. Do as I say and come back with information as soon as possible."

...

After leaving the Hogan residence, Vicente had one less weight on his shoulders, having told his mother's family of her death and having learned the last location of his maternal grandmother.

He didn't mind possibly meeting the Hogan patriarch again in the future. As much as he didn't want to have anything to do with that person, any kind of contact could be beneficial for a merchant like him.

At the very least, he could maintain the facade of his business better if he were a more successful merchant. That alone would be enough for him to consider meeting that man again and even doing business with him.

Of course, that would depend on the patriarch himself since Vicente wouldn't try to do business with the father of two of his victims.

Vicente had acted against Christopher and Arthur to protect himself from people who wanted the worst for him. But that didn't change the fact that he had murdered the two sons of the Hogan patriarch.

So, he sincerely preferred not to use the patriarch or have a friendly relationship with such an individual.

But he would do all that if the patriarch himself insisted!

Anyway, as he walked along the local sidewalks, he had in mind a trip to Dryhaven to meet his maternal grandmother and break the news of Kate's death.

'I'll see Nova and see if we can make the trip together. It might be an opportunity for me to meet the rest of her family while I end this matter.' He thought, feeling that he should do this before avenging his mother.

He was planning to take revenge against Bone Mountains in one to two years from now. Why so long? He felt that by then, he would be close to reaching the 4th stage, but not only that, but by then, Nina's situation would be more stable.

In a few months, she would graduate from the basic academy and it would be time for her to apply for a place at the local Royal Academy. Even if she were accepted, she would need time to adjust. So Vicente intended to be there for Nina during this adjustment.

Only after that did he intend to take a trip further away from her to solve the first part of his revenge!

So he still had a while to go before he left for Chutha Dynasty and would have enough time to go to Dryhaven with Nova.

I'll talk to her about it later...'

He was thinking about that when he passed an alley in the middle of the city and saw something that caught his eye.

As he stopped moving, Vicente felt his previous thoughts disappear from his mind as his warrior senses kicked in.

His eyes glowed with mana, and he saw the field lines around him, realizing that someone powerful was nearby.

'Is it Snow Claw? Or is it the other fugitive who is still alive?' His eyes narrowed as he associated the metal weapon he had just seen with this man.

Vicente had just seen a metal weapon he had made during his escape from Long Bay Correctional Facility!

That would hardly be considered a clue from a provincial prison escapee, but for Vicente, who had created such a thing, it was a clue that was hard to ignore.

He walked over to where the dagger lay and picked it up, remembering when he had made it.

"Hand over everything you have!"

He heard this voice as he realized the strong aura nearby was there to rob him.

Vicente felt the sharp point of a weapon at his neck and said. "You caught the wrong prey today. But I'll give you a chance."

The hooded man behind Vicente heard this and frowned as he felt the dagger in his hands crumble into tiny particles.

At the same time, he felt a powerful aura emanating from Vicente's body while an orange pentagram emerged from the young man's body.

"You!" He wasn't frightened by his victim's reaction but by the nature of this person's power.

"Cesar!" Saying the name louder, the hooded individual showed his face as he smiled at the young man who had rescued him from Long Bay Correctional Facility.

"Snow Claw... I knew it." Vicente smiled back at the man he hadn't seen in months. "I didn't expect to find you in this place trying to rob people."

Jonah laughed when he heard that. "You don't know how much people let their guard down around beggars disguised like me... Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were dead."

"I did what I had to do to keep unnecessary attention away from me."

"Right. I should have done that when I killed some former enemies..." Jonah said, aware of the news of Cesar's death and how a Sovereign had strangely fallen days before the Mazzanti and Millfall family incident.

Soldiers from the capital were already in Millfall, investigating the fall of Adams. News of this investigation had already reached the ears of the entire province, including the infamous Snow Claw.

"I hope you'll keep my vital status a secret..."

"Don't worry. We have the same enemies, so I have no reason to harm you." Jonah said as he sat down on a log in the alley. "Since we've met, how about we talk about a partnership? I need an ally, and you're perfect for that."