Upon receiving word from his subordinate that Sylvia had agreed to meet, Sunday let out a quiet sigh of relief, though a thread of tension still ran through him.
According to Robin's account, Sylvia was coming only because of a private request—to investigate the anomalies in Penacony.
Had she been invited by the head of any other Family, Sunday would have had her escorted off-world without a second thought. But Sylvia shared a close personal bond with Robin.
As Robin put it, Sylvia was capable and easy to get along with—and, more importantly, she had once saved Robin's life.
That made things… complicated.
Sunday wasn't a madman, nor the type who cared about nothing but his sister.
It was simply unfortunate that Sylvia's purpose here and Sunday's own actions were bound to put them at odds.
Of course, Sylvia was on Robin's side—meaning there might still be room for discussion. But before anything else, Sunday needed to understand the meaning behind that earlier glance.
What exactly was Sylvia after?
Was she simply warning him not to watch her?
Or was she signaling that she'd already seen through everything and intended to take things further?
When had she noticed? Before arriving in Penacony, or after?
If she'd sensed their plan before even coming here… did her appearance at Robin's side carry some deeper meaning?
And if she'd only realized something was amiss after accepting Robin's request, during her time in Penacony… what choice would she make, standing as she did within Robin's camp?
Sunday turned over every possibility in his mind.
As for the slim chance that this was all just coincidence—the moment that thought surfaced, he dismissed it outright.
There was no doubt about it: in that momentary exchange of glances, Sylvia had noticed she was being watched. And in that same instant, she'd used a means of piercing the dreamscape to issue a warning to whoever was observing her.
Perhaps she merely suspected the watcher might be the one behind this layer of the dream, and was testing the waters.
But that very probe was one Sunday couldn't ignore.
The plan had already reached its final stage.
All that remained was for the actors to take their positions before the final act could begin.
At such a critical moment, the sudden appearance of someone who could easily tear through the dreamscape—and an outsider at that, openly claiming to be "investigating the Family's traitors"—was something Sunday could never simply overlook.
What's more, he had sensed Sylvia's wariness toward him from their very first meeting.
It hadn't been obvious, but as a Family head who had dealt with countless people, Sunday could read it clearly.
At first, he hadn't understood—why would Sylvia be wary of Robin's own brother, yet trust Robin so readily?
Later, after learning of Robin's intentions, he'd simply assumed Sylvia was suspicious of everyone in the Family, and that professional ethics compelled her to maintain a basic caution toward him.
But now… Sunday couldn't help wondering if Sylvia had already learned certain secrets long ago.
That would explain her wariness toward him—and her sharp discernment that Robin's stance differed from his own.
What a frightening woman.
In his mind, Sunday had already elevated Sylvia to a position of considerable importance.
Aside from her still-unrestrained emotions, her intelligence network was likely the most terrifying aspect of all.
According to the records, Sylvia had only recently been brought onto the galactic stage by a woman calling herself a Galaxy Ranger.
To possess such intelligence capabilities so soon after entering the cosmos?
Her past was blank in a way that seemed almost unbelievable—too fabricated, like a deliberately placed flaw.
Sunday didn't trust that dossier, nor did he believe Sylvia's outward demeanor reflected her true self.
He didn't doubt Robin's judgment of a person—someone embraced by Harmony would know—and likely Sylvia bore no ill will toward Robin herself.
But aside from that, everything else was suspicious. Sunday didn't buy it for a second.
--+--
In the empty room, Sunday sat in his chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, steadying his restless thoughts.
The surveillance feed showed Sylvia had already been escorted into the mansion by a Family member.
Sunday had long wanted an opportunity to speak with this outsider his sister had unexpectedly brought into the fold.
Just then, the raven perched nearby—without opening its beak—let out a resonant, almost harmonic sound:
"The plan is now in its final phase. How do you intend to handle that outsider brought here by the Chosen One?"
Sunday raised his eyes toward the raven on the desk.
"We'll know after we speak. What we pursue should never be built upon needless violence, Mr. Gopher Wood."
"I agree with your sentiment, but I must remind you—that individual's presence has grown much stronger in the days since she left Penacony."
The Dreammaster's tone held a note of caution.
Sylvia's current strength still posed no direct threat to him, but her rate of growth was enough to warrant vigilance.
Some time remained before the plan's activation; if Sylvia continued improving at this pace, then a mere conversation might not suffice.
"Grown stronger?" Sunday looked toward the Dreammaster.
Earlier, when learning about Sylvia from Robin, he'd been told she grew stronger rapidly.
He'd braced himself for that—but if the Dreammaster himself was mentioning it now, that was the surprising part.
It meant Sylvia's power had likely crossed a certain threshold, becoming something even the Dreammaster viewed with caution.
"Yes. Should I deem it necessary, I will have her expelled from Penacony. The plan cannot tolerate a variable of this kind."
"That formidable?" The Dreammaster's words caught Sunday off guard.
The Dreammaster had remained behind the scenes for years, seldom taking direct action. For him to speak of expelling Sylvia now made Sunday all the more wary.
But if they simply drove Sylvia away… what would Robin say?
"With all due respect, given Sylvia's relationship with Robin, if we handle it that way, Robin may refuse to sing for Order."
"…"
The Dreammaster fell silent for a moment.
"That is only a last resort. The premise of the Chosen One's song is that the plan can at least proceed."
"I understand, Mr. Gopher Wood."
The Dreammaster said no more. He had given the necessary warning, and trusted Sunday to manage this variable.
From beginning to end, neither of them ever considered the possibility that all of this was mere coincidence.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.