"Do we really not need to go check on Jarilo-VI in advance? What if... what you saw in the script... has changed?"
Kafka spoke with a hint of skepticism as she recalled the incident at Herta Space Station. Back then, Elio's script had been completely thrown off course because of Lucian's unexpected appearance, causing events to unfold in a way no one had anticipated.
Even though Elio had later explained that it had been an accident, caution was never a bad thing.
At her question, Elio stopped licking his paw, then slowly raised his head, his golden cat eyes flickering with an unmistakable glint of intelligence as his gaze settled on Kafka.
"Of course not. Last time was an accident. Lucian, that variable, interfered with my perception."
Elio spoke calmly, his voice carrying a peculiar rhythm, as though every word had already been rehearsed countless times before being spoken.
"No need to worry—the river of fate is clear to its very bottom. Jarilo-VI has no Lucian, so this time will be different."
As he spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Every stroke of the script has already been etched into the flow of time. All we need to do is wait patiently for the appointed moment, for the curtain is about to rise."
Kafka quietly listened to Elio's explanation while observing his confident demeanor, and after a brief moment of silence, she lowered her gaze and took another slow sip of wine from her glass.
Since he was so certain, there was little point in continuing the discussion.
Elio was the boss, after all.
And when the boss spoke, his word stood.
===
Izumo, Lucian's Hillside House.
On the sunlit terrace, Lucian lay lazily in a soft lounge chair, his eyes half-closed as he basked in the warmth of the afternoon sun. Gentle golden rays poured down from above, draping his body in a pleasant warmth that seeped all the way into his bones.
It was so comfortable that it made even the slightest urge to move feel unnecessary.
On the small table beside him sat a pot of freshly brewed tea, thin wisps of steam slowly curling upward from the spout—the faint fragrance of tea leaves drifted through the air alongside the occasional breeze, adding a touch of tranquility to the already peaceful atmosphere.
Unlike usual, however, Acheron was nowhere in sight accompanying him as she always did, and the others were nowhere to be seen either.
Needless to say, without their voices and presence, the surroundings seemed unusually quiet, leaving only the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds to break the silence.
As for why they were absent, it was mainly because his wives had all been thoroughly 'well-fed,' leaving with deeply satisfied expressions to attend to the various affairs they had neglected over the past few days.
As a result, the house had become exceptionally peaceful.
"Hahh..."
Lucian let out a lazy yawn, then stretched his body to the fullest, causing his muscles to tighten briefly before relaxing. A comfortable series of cracks immediately echoed from his joints, making him feel even more refreshed.
"Ahh, feels good..."
He sighed contentedly and smacked his lips.
With nothing urgent demanding his attention for the moment, his thoughts naturally drifted toward the Astral Express, and he found himself wondering whether the crew had already decided on their next destination.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a familiar soft chime suddenly rang out within his mind.
[DING! Script cooldown complete. You can now activate the script again.]
[Script: 1]
[Activate?]
Lucian, without even lifting his eyelids, shifted his thoughts slightly.
'Activate.'
[Random character script starting...]
[Cipher]
[Randomly drawing a conceptual ability...]
[Omnisteal: Folds space into a pocket dimension, allowing the user to reach out and steal a random item from any target within line of sight with a 100% success rate. The stolen item is determined after ten seconds, and the same target can be stolen from up to ten times within one year, including but not limited to lifespan, intelligence, memories, or body parts.]
As soon as he learned that it could even steal someone's intelligence, Lucian's eyes snapped open, his interest immediately piqued.
'It can even steal something that abstract? What if I went and stole the intelligence of the Genius Society's members? Is that even possible?'
However, knowing that the same target could only be stolen from ten times, and that the stolen items were also completely random, it seemed it would not be so easy to obtain exactly what he wanted.
Still, it did not matter.
Considering it was a zero-cost acquisition anyway, anything he managed to steal would be pure profit.
'If there's a chance to steal the Knowable Domain from Polka Kakamond, or even snatch the authority of an Emanator from another Emanator...'
As Lucian lost himself in thought, pondering who his next target should be, his figure abruptly vanished from where he sat.
A gentle breeze swept past, and a fallen leaf drifted down onto the now-empty lounge chair.
===
Ever since the world-ending crisis brought about by the black tide, Amphoreus had once again enjoyed nearly a hundred years of peace.
Even though the world's population had been greatly reduced, no one worried about it because they believed that as long as the Deliverer arrived and saved the world, Amphoreus would return to its most glorious era.
For now, they simply lived their days in peace and enjoyed life to the fullest.
"Stop right there, you kitten fish!"
A clear, angry shout broke the morning calm of Okhema as Hysilens's graceful figure shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, skimming across the land like riding waves. Her target was a nimble gray-haired catgirl whose cat ears stood stiff with tension while her cat tail stretched straight behind her due to her high-speed sprint.
It was none other than Cipher.
"Give me back my fish!"
Hysilens shouted, her voice carrying gritted fury.
It was only natural for Hysilens to be furious, as the fish Cipher had stolen was a rare catch she had worked extremely hard to obtain, and because fishing was something she had learned from Lucian, it held special emotional meaning for her, making its theft all the more infuriating.
"Heehee! Just lemme borrow this one to try! You're so stingy! I'll pay you back ten next time!"
Not even looking back, Cipher ran swiftly like a gust of wind, weaving agilely through stacked wooden crates and busy fishermen, leaving behind a string of triumphant laughter with half of a shimmering fish still clenched in her mouth.
"Who wants your repayment! Stop!"
Just like that, Cipher fled while Hysilens gave chase, both moving at astonishing speed, the airflow they stirred causing nearby bystanders to stagger.
Just as Hysilens was about to grab the tip of Cipher's tail, Cipher suddenly made a sharp turn.
*Whoosh!*
Cipher darted into a nearby inconspicuous alley, and at the far end of it stood a building covered in climbing vines, bearing a golden spindle emblem.
It was the Goldweaver Workshop, Aglaea's place.
As soon as she saw it, Cipher did not hesitate.
*Swish!*
*BANG!*
Cipher squeezed through the half-open door, then shut it behind her.
Inside the workshop, the lighting was bright, and the air carried the pleasant scent of incense threads and fabric. Countless golden threads appeared and disappeared in the air, flowing slowly as if alive.
Aglaea, the owner of the workshop, sat before a massive loom.
Her expression was calm and gentle as she enjoyed a long-lost pleasure, while her fingers deftly manipulated the golden threads, weaving intricate and splendid patterns.
Now, Okhema no longer had the parasites known as the Council of Elders, nor did it have to endure the black tide, so everything was peaceful. All of this was thanks to Lucian, and Aglaea, who understood this well, had engraved it in her heart and gradually come to regard it as a form of faith.
Unfortunately, that peace was interrupted.
*Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!*
Cipher slipped skillfully into a shadowed corner and hid just before urgent knocking sounded at the door.
"Aglaea! Did you see that thieving kitten?!"
Hysilens shouted from outside the closed door.
Yet Aglaea, having heard both the knocking and Hysilens's voice, did not pause her hands in the slightest, merely lifting her eyes—eyes that seemed capable of seeing through fate itself—and casting a glance toward a corner.
Over there, Cipher was crouched behind a large basket filled with soft fabrics.
Covered in dust, her cat ears pressed low against her head, and a fish skeleton still clenched between her teeth, Cipher blinked frantically at Aglaea while silently mouthing the words, 'Save me, seamstress!'
Seeing that, a trace of helpless amusement flickered across Aglaea's eyes before she turned her head and answered the door.
"A thieving kitten? You mean Cifera? Yes, I saw her," Aglaea said calmly, her face serene and utterly devoid of expression. "I saw her heading toward the Marmoreal Palace. No wonder she didn't even stop to greet me—so you were chasing her."
Thankfully, Hysilens seemed to believe it.
"Hmph, she runs fast. Next time I catch her, I'll yank her tail right off!"
And so, with the sound of water vapor shifting, Hysilens's presence quickly receded into the distance, clearly heading toward the Marmoreal Palace.
In the next moment, Cipher climbed out of the fabric basket with a thump, leaving the cloth inside in complete disarray before collapsing onto the fine fabrics nearby and letting out a long, weary breath.
"Phew… that scared me…" Cipher said, patting her chest, then wiped the dust off her face before flashing Aglaea a grin, showing off a mouthful of snowy teeth. "Thanks, seamstress. You're pretty reliable when it counts."
Aglaea glanced at the silk fabrics scattered across the floor, now dirtied and thrown into disarray by the troublesome cat, and let out a helpless sigh as she rubbed her forehead.
"Cifera, you really can't stay calm for even a moment after coming back. Look how angry you've made Hysilens. You know she's nowhere near as easygoing as I am."
As she spoke, she stopped the loom, rose to her feet, walked over to Cipher, and handed her a cup of water.
"Don't push her too far. If she ends up borrowing one of Mr. Lucian's abilities to deal with you, you won't even have time to cry. By then, even I won't be able to save you."
Aglaea's voice remained as gentle as ever, unchanged from when they had first met a thousand years ago.
"Heehee…"
Cipher giggled, took the water, gulped down several mouthfuls, wiped her mouth, and began complaining while gesturing animatedly.
"You don't get it! I was just tryna tease her a bit! Who knew she'd gotten this strong now!"
"Y'know what, she's way faster than before—she almost grabbed my tail just now!"
"I got tired from running, and she still wasn't tired at all, like she's got crazy stamina."
"Lucian's blessings are seriously useful—those red and green glows... honestly, I kinda want them too~!"
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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