Reboot: Mechanic

With the surveillance footage in his possession, Theobold had a powerful tool at his disposal to unravel the mysteries behind the incident at the Horology Restaurant. 

The cameras would have captured crucial moments and actions that could shed light on the identities of the attackers, their motives, and any potential connections they had.

And as Theobold followed the trail left behind by the people involved, Shi Tian, Vanessa, and Gerald returned to the apartment complex. 

Within the entrance of the apartment complex, Shi Tian finally had the opportunity to thank Gerald's assistance.

"Thank you, Gerald. Had it not been for your timely arrival, we might have died at the hands of Kralos Tal." Shi Tian thanked him sincerely.

"Yes, thank you for your assistance. I owe you one for assisting us." Vanessa added, grateful for Gerald. She had miscalculated terribly this time, and the price was nearly her life and Shi Tian's life.

Though if things had truly gone that drastic, she would have resorted to using her Ancient Technology to ensure their survival. Luckily, she wasn't forced to use it in the end. 

Meanwhile, Gerald shook his head, "No need to thank me, Nathan. It's what I should do for the apprentice of Mechanist Isaac." 

"Not to mention, Kralos Tal and I have a deep grudge, so even if his target this time wasn't you, but someone else. I would have still intervened and made sure Kralos Tal failed his objective." He added, his tone filled with a mixture of anger and frustration. 

"Even if you had a deep grudge against Kralos Tal, it remains a fact that you have saved us." Shi Tian shook his head and refused to take back his thanks. 

One must not be ungrateful to someone when they have lent you a saving grace. Only an imbecile bastard would bite the hands of their savior and remain ungrateful. 

"Alrighty then, you can just treat me to a meal to repay me." Gerald laughed softly, seemingly putting behind the emotion that he had felt earlier. 

Although frustrated about Kralos Tal escaping, there was always a next time. And Gerald wasn't going to be a stubborn fool that can't move forward. 

So long as Kralos Tal was still living in this world, there was always going to be a chance for revenge. 

"Sure, I'll buy a scrumptious meal even if it means breaking my wallet." Shi Tian chuckled softly. 

"Well, we can think about that later." Vanessa suddenly interrupted, her eyes glancing at a far distance. 

"It seems like someone had caught up to us with the trail we left behind. Though it's a bit weird that they arrived so fast." She added. 

Gerald nodded his head. 

"If it was people related to the incident, then they wouldn't show up this quickly. This means the person following our trail is a third party, someone uninvolved with the incident and merely wants to solve the case." Gerald deducted. 

He might not be someone from the military, but his way of thinking was similar to them. In fact, what he did was no different than any commander soldier, aside from not having the title or rank. 

A few seconds later, a formidable figure arrived in front of the trio. 

And to Gerald's surprise, it was someone he recognized. 

"Theobold huh…" Gerald muttered, clearly stunned by the latter appearance. 

As for Shi Tian, he recognized the badge that was pinned on Theobold's chest, recalling that he had seen a similar badge in the wilderness.

'That badge should be from the Flameheart Vanguard, the one that Mary explained to me.' Shi Tian thought to himself. 

Meanwhile, Theobold glanced at Vanessa and Shi Tian, identifying them to be the main people involved in the incident. 

His eyes then trailed upon Gerald, showing a somewhat complicated expression. 

"We haven't seen each other for a long time, but never did I expect our reunion would be like this," Theobold said. 

Theobold's remark about their unexpected reunion hinted at a deeper backstory that had yet to be revealed. 

And it naturally came as a surprise to both Vanessa and Shi Tian. 

After all, they didn't expect Gerald to know so many people. 

First, it was Kralos Tal, and now it seemed like even a military commander of the Flameheart Vanguard knew or was acquainted with Gerald. 

Vanessa exchanged a quick glance with Shi Tian, and it was evident that they were both curious about Gerald's background and the extent of his involvement in various circles within Gearits City.

Nevertheless, now was not the time to question Gerald or even pry for information. 

Theobold's tone currently might sound mild, or even soothing, but they knew his appearance here meant something else. 

"Although we might not have seen each other for a long time, I supposed you owe me an explanation of the scene in the Horology Restaurant, right?" Theobold focused his attention on Gerald and asked.

Gerald nodded his head. 

"Regarding the surveillance footage in your hand, do you mind doing me a favor and deleting the image of these two?" Gerald stepped forward and asked, pointing at Shi Tian and Vanessa. 

"What are you talking about?" Theobold attempted to feign ignorance, but Gerald was no fool either. 

"Oh please, did you think I would believe that you rushed all the way here without obtaining sufficient evidence and information?"

Gerald's astuteness and his ability to see through Theobold's facade were quite evident. 

Theobold's attempt at feigning ignorance was quickly dismantled by Gerald's straightforward response.

The atmosphere had quickly shifted from a casual reunion to a more serious exchange. 

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Shi Tian remained observant, understanding that the dynamics between these two individuals were layered and complex, tied to events that had unfolded long before the incident at the Horology Restaurant.

Theobold's expression hardened slightly, and he sighed. 

"Fine, you caught me. The footage I have does indeed include images of these two. But I'm not here to make things difficult for them, given that it was quite evident that they were ambushed during their meal time." He explained.