"Lucille, are you going to the palace?" Sudiya asked casually, as if it were an offhand question.
Lucille's hand, holding a soup spoon, paused briefly before he resumed eating, his expression unchanged. "Who told you that?"
"Aina. She said you and Night Star are going to the palace," Sudiya replied, her innocent look betraying none of her quickness to throw Aina under the bus.
"Don't listen to her nonsense," Lucille said, brushing off Aina's rumor-mongering but offering a brief explanation. "I'm not going to the palace. Don't forget, I'm just an ordinary person."
The palace "dungeon" was high-level. Even if Lucille became a Tier One Duty Wielder, he wouldn't wade into that mess.
As for Aina's meddling, he made a mental note of it.
Sudiya considered his explanation and found it reasonable, her worries easing. "So, what's your plan, Lucille? Staying in the tower?"
"I need to go out," Lucille answered frankly. "It's time I gathered materials to become a Duty Wielder. Plus, I have some personal matters to handle."
He glanced at Sudiya, catching her intent before she could speak. "You stay in the tower. The Shadow Cult and royalists are still hunting you. It's not safe to go out."
Sudiya thought for a moment before countering, "Lucille, if you need mana materials… I have plenty. Most are in the palace, though."
"You could ask Miss Night Star to retrieve some for you. If she knows my passphrase, she can access most places in the palace."
"That way, you wouldn't need to leave the tower."
Lucille bit into his bread, staying silent.
Night Star already knew the palace's passphrase, but Sudiya's offer eliminated any potential issues.
Still, gathering mana materials wasn't Lucille's true reason for leaving.
"Sudiya, I still need to go," Lucille said with a sigh. "As long as the Shadow Cult exists, it's a threat. I can't sit idly by."
"But… you just said you're an ordinary person," Sudiya said, confused. "The Shadow Cult is massive. How can you take them on?"
"Tomorrow, the Shadow Cult will launch an assault on the palace. Most of their Duty Wielders will leave their strongholds, leaving only ordinary members behind."
"That's why I need to leave the tower quickly. Seizing this opportunity will let me strike at the cult effectively—and use the Golden Ring to boost my strength."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. My current strength slightly surpasses a Tier One Duty Wielder. Against ordinary people, as long as I don't get reckless, I'll be fine."
But I'm worried you'll get reckless.
Sudiya couldn't voice the thought, swallowing her words instead.
She suddenly regretted giving Lucille the Golden Ring.
"Are you ready?" Night Star asked, watching Aina, buried under a pile of bags, as she idly tossed a few Duty Crystals, trying to hide her impatience.
"Almost, almost," Aina replied, her usual refrain. In the brief pause, she stuffed a bunch of grapes into a bag, making Night Star raise an eyebrow.
"Do you really need to bring grapes?" Night Star asked, baffled. "We're going on a mission, not a vacation."
"Of course I do!" Aina said firmly. "Grapes are nutritious and hydrating. Without them, how will I maintain my beauty?"
Night Star watched, dumbfounded, as Aina packed four or five bags, storing them in her bracelet. The only thing that impressed Night Star was the bracelet's ability to hold such a large space.
But when Aina pulled out several bags of soft bread, Night Star's patience snapped.
"Enough! Why bring so much food? This isn't a picnic."
"But without enough food, how will we keep our strength? Starving to death out there would be the most pathetic way to go!" Aina protested.
"Magic can handle that," Night Star said.
"Magic can only conjure water, right? Drinking alone won't fill our stomachs. We need other food—nutrition is essential!"
"Magic can conjure food too," Night Star said with a scoff. "Summon a dragon and butcher it. That's enough for ten days or more."
Aina froze, stunned by Night Star's brutal plan.
Butchering a dragon—was that so simple? No, wait—summoning a dragon was already absurd!
"Don't believe me? Fine, I'll summon a dragon right here and show you how I get ingredients," Night Star said, switching to her mage class and preparing a summoning array.
Seeing Night Star was serious, Aina finally relented, tossing aside a bundle of bread.
If Grandma Luo Lin found out she'd caused Night Star to summon a dragon in the tower, she'd be scolded to death.
"Sigh…" Aina sighed, disappointed. "I still feel underprepared. I should've brought more…"
Night Star shot her a look, and Aina quickly shut up, though her eyes still brimmed with regret.
Night Star felt a metaphorical mask of pain slide over her face.
Now she understood why Aina's mission had failed. It'd be a miracle if she succeeded.
Tenth Floor
Lucille had been waiting for a while. When Night Star arrived, they exchanged a nod, no further words needed.
It was a necessary act for outsiders. Their true purpose was for Night Star to place a Swap Mark on Lucille.
This was his final precaution for venturing out alone.
Then, they parted ways. Night Star and Aina headed to the palace, while Lucille went alone to the residential district, teleporting away.
Few knew that this day would shape the future of the Kingdom of Fire and Steel—whether it would ignite a flame of hope or sink into deeper darkness.
Even having experienced it all in the game, Lucille couldn't guarantee the outcome.
As someone who'd escaped "fate," he was the greatest variable. Even the most skilled astrologer couldn't predict this night's destiny.
But he was ready.
It was 7:23 AM, Fire Moon Calendar, Day 32.
Everything was in place. Time to depart.