“You know, I think we should take a step back.” Scytale crossed his arms and nodded to himself. They had left the Stages and were standing in the Obelisk space above the Stronghold they had originally come to. “Explain everything from the start.” He squinted at his bond and pointed to her. “If we’re going to be going on a mission to steal Sedric back from the Light Tower wizards, I’m going to need to know exactly how this skill will help you.”

Lucille resigned herself to explaining. It wasn’t like they didn’t have time in the frozen space of the Obelisk. “Fine. What exactly are you confused about? I created a skill while in my simulated body, so I technically never created a real skill. But the System considered it a great enough feat that they awarded me that skill for a bonus reward.” Lucy glanced at the skill description. “That has happened for others, on occasion. I’ve only heard it happen with those who achieved 100% completion though.”

“Okay, but what is all...” He gestured vaguely to the end of the first subskill. “...this, about not being able to create magical materials?”

“I’m sure I can change that eventually,” Lucy replied lightly. “Creating magical materials straight from mana is easier than creating purely non-magical materials, because magical material emissions are just a case of solid mana particles reverting to their original energy state over time. The Influence within the skill was likely only enough to focus on powering that one function.”

“But how did you get the skill?” Scytale scratched his head. “I was busy fighting Amoria so I don’t know what happened.”

Lucy planted her hands on her hips and began bringing up the User Skill Selection list. She wasn’t going to select one just yet, but she wanted to start looking. “I was actually attempting to use my Gemstone Processor skill on the vessel fragment. I assumed that the double utilisation of Prodigious Archmage’s First Steps and Reward would do something. Prodigious Archmage because it would generate a spell from my objective, and Reward to make it a demonic spell.”

“And then?”

Lucy gained a thoughtful look. “The System began sending messages that some kind of destabilisation had occurred. I decided to use the chance when I had it, in case a repeat of the Stages wouldn’t allow it to happen again.”

Her bond clicked his tongue. “I can’t make heads or tails of this. Why did the destabilisation even occur in the first place? Neither of us are anywhere near the power needed to destabilise it. Hey, the Stages were fully functional when we were undergoing our Rank-7 Stages so we didn’t even have the strength then to do anything!”

She stared at Scytale.

He stared back. “You’re doing the thing. What did you do wrong?”

Lucy put a hand to head and hesitated, realising the only possible answer in their situation. “I... failed to account for one of my major differences in this timeline.”

“Then spit it out already!” Scytale angrily replied.

She wordlessly pointed at her right eye. They both went silent.

“I couldn’t use this in the Beast Realm Stages,” Lucy stated. “But I used this on the Ancient Daemon’s statue a few Stages ago. This might’ve all began then.” She put a hand on her chin as she pondered this train of thought longer. “In fact, it’s possible that the Ancient Daemon’s attention landed on us due to the use of the Shard of Totality. This... may or may not be beneficial.”

She had been unable to use the shard in the Beast Stages at all. At the time, she assumed it was the System’s doing, but she also failed to account for what her Rank-ups would do. Lucille had told Count Ravimoux she expected her body to adapt to the shard as she ranked-up, but her tale of the shard fusing with her body might’ve been more accurate than she thought. The abilities of the Shard had long since expanded past simply observing mana, spiritual energy, and User’s information.

“I don’t like the idea of an unknown object changing my capabilities,” Lucy said. “My only solace is that the System likely knows what this is, because it was never brought up between myself and the Authorizer.” She paused as a scary thought came to mind. “Unless it’s unobservable to the System just like the Hero.”

She was broken out of her thoughts when Scytale pushed his face past the holographic Skill Selection page between them.

“How did you end up with this skill though? A magical spell skill, crafting skill and demon skill don’t exactly scream ‘Transitional State Malleability’ to me, whatever that means,” he asked.

“I’m going to assume it was because of the type of Influence that the skill formed out of.” She closed the skill information and focused on only the Skill Selection page. “It still would’ve been spiritual information particles, but it was... ‘false Influence’ or whatever mimics skills in the Stages. It’s like I took a fundamental part of the Stage creation process out of the Stages and turned it into a skill, considering the mental design aspect of it bears resemblance to the Stage simulations.”

She crossed her arms and gave her bond a serious look. “We’re now Rank-2. What class do you want to select next?”

Scytale rubbed his neck and gave her a sheepish grin. “I... kind of want an illusion class this time.”

Lucille raised an eyebrow. “Not a melee beast class or direct improvement to your physical combat abilities? I would’ve thought STR improvements would be high on your list.”

“My Primal Descendent subskill seems to be doing well enough with that, but...” He crossed his arms. “I want more mana. I can regenerate as long as I have mana, and I know I already have that light mage class, but I want to use my illusion magic more. I’m still better at using illusion magic, even if my Caladrius bloodline gives me high talent for light.”

Lucille considered it and sighed. “I don’t have a say over your choices. I only suggest you work hard to increase its rarity soon.”

He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, I took an illusion mage class around here last timeline.” Scytale pointed at the Skill Selection screen. “What are you going to do though?”

She took one last look at the screen and tapped on one.

[Available Primary Skill: Transient Formation]

Desc: This main skill was a skill created as a byproduct of a craftsman attempting to create a weapon made entirely out of their arcane mana, not unlike a Heroic Weapon. They failed due to a misguided and misinformed attempt to utilise their crafting knowledge to design the weapon. They created a skill that generates an environment for crafting temporary mana constructs, but never obtained the weapon itself. The craftsman rejected the offer of this skill to create another one from scratch. Power and flexibility scales with DEX.

Info: Accepting this primary skill occupies one main skill slot, and grants the User the Arcane Workshop and Substance Fusion subskills.]

Scytale squinted at it. “That’s it?”

“Yep.” Lucille turned away from the skill description and set to work finding the Aspects she wanted. “Pick your Aspects, then we’ll leave. I need to make some preparations,” she added, selecting three for herself.

[Aspect: Prototype Construction Exchange| Type: Sealing/Attribute]

Prerequisites:

* Crafting Class

* Combat Class

Desc: Occasionally, there will be a time that the User needs one stat more than all the others. In this instance, it’s Dexterity.

Bonuses:

* Increases DEX by 50% of the User’s highest default stat. All innate special stats do not count.

* Grants the User the ability to multiplicatively enhance their DEX by sealing away all physical stats. Ability may be cancelled at any point, but ability gains a two-week cooldown.

[]

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[Aspect: Dimensional Entity – Realm Fabric Dissector| Type: Spiritual/Spatial]

Prerequisites:

* Demon, spirit, fae or soul beast lineage

* SPRT > 1000

Desc: Some Users with thin lineage of the spiritual non-mortal races find it difficult to sense the spiritual and magical leylines between realms and dimensions. This enables those without this innate ability to sense spatial interference in the realms and dimensions, as long as their minds can comprehend it.

Bonuses:

* Enhances User’s ability to detect traces of space mana.

* Grants the User interdimensional and intradimensional spatial awareness through the use of the spiritual realm. Allows them to perceive their location in the spatial strata of realms.

[]

[Aspect: Connective Energy Wireframe Moderator| Type: Mana/Mechanical]

Prerequisites:

* SPRT > 200

* Atmospheric Mana Manipulation

Desc: The mind is limited in its capacity to multi-task. If one has both a grimoire and staff, they cannot use both. This Aspect allows the User to connect to multiple artifacts and items at the same time, deftly using the mana round them to activate any objects within their Field of Influence.

Bonuses:

* Passively creates a mana net connected to the User’s mana signature to control all branded items within their control zone.

* Links all items and artifacts through the use of the mana net. Effects of selected objects may apply to compatible objects and enhance their effects.

[]

“I can sort of understand the first and third Aspects, but why do you need the second one?” Scytale asked when he saw her selections.

“Finding Sedric when he’s on another plane will be difficult. Besides, I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to experience a new sense.” Lucille turned her neck to relieve stress and stretched her arms. “When you’re done, let’s go.”

...

Four people sitting in the Black Lily’s VIP lounge flinched when they heard an argument between two familiar voices right outside their door. The silver-haired man among them quietly sipped his drink, expecting a new argument to soon occur once his boss steps through the door.

“Do you really underestimate me that much?! I was a genius of bloodline enhancement in the past! I’m sure I’ll reach Superior-ranked next year!”

“But your priority should be obtaining more strength now, then you can gain the Superiority of Species Aspect after you’re Rank-3! Leaving one Aspect slot empty right now is just daft, Scytale.”

“Oh yeah? What about you, leaving all three Aspect slots empty until you reached Rank-1!”

“My situation was differen-”

“Hm? Lucy? Why’d you stop?”

Vincent sighed as the door was slammed open.

Lucille marched inside. She narrowed her eyes at Annaliese and her two companions. “Get out.”

Annaliese stood up. “Lucille, I know about Sedric and I-”

“I don’t care if you know what happened to Sedric.” Lucille swept up the bronze jug she had left behind to interrupt their relaxation and pointed at the door. “This is no time for the seventeen-year-old Prophetess of Fate to be on Gilded Dome plane. Return to the Aeternus plane and work on staying safely holed up if you want to help.”

The Prophetess slammed her hands on the table. “I can be useful! I know it was the Light Tower who kidnapped Sedric!”

Lucille’s face was cold and expressionless. “You’ll have to try harder than that to convince me. As it happens, I know it was them too. You can’t use your Fate essence on any of us by mandate of the Sages, and in case you hadn’t noticed the giant hole in the side of the Headquarters on your way here, we are in no way prepared to house the living symbol of one of the Supreme Institutions.” Lucy picked up her suit jacket she had left draped over a couch and packed it away into her dimensional bag. “You may want to help, but right now you’re doing more harm than good-”

“But did you know that it was because of the Protection sub-division here that the light wizards could kidnap Sedric?” Annaliese argued.

Lucy slowly turned around. “Why?”

“Protection hid them and their hired men here,” Annaliese retorted. “Besides that, I’m not going to help you until you promise we can stay.”

“Then how do you know this?” Lucille stressed. “Annaliese, the fact someone let you in on this plane meant they intentionally wanted you to become mixed up in this. It’s possible they might have ill intentions for-”

“If the person who told us this did have bad intentions, we’d be in a ton of trouble.” Raegan slowly stood up and walked towards them. He crossed his arms. “It was Sir Albrecht who told us this.”

And as always, Jasten Albrecht was an enigma to Lucille. She could never understand his motives. She glanced at the blonde-haired man, who was frowning deeply at them with a distracted look in his eyes.

Lucy turned to look at Vincent, who slightly shook his head, informing her that he hadn’t known about this either. Lucille sighed and ran a hand through her fringe. “Sir Jasten Albrecht, if I could have a word?”

He glanced at his two wards and nodded. The Paladin followed her out to another room, where she spun around and gazed expressionlessly at him.

“If this is your attempt to ‘discover’ what I’m planning, by involving those two-”

He coughed lightly to interrupt her. “I was... well, requested to do this, Count Goldcroft. Closer to ordered.”

She slightly tilted her head. “By who?”

“A royal.”

She continued staring at him. “You’re a member of Radical,” she stated.

Albrecht grimaced and rubbed the back of his head, his metal gauntlets chinking. “No, I’m not. But I can understand why it appears that way.”

“Someone as careful as you wouldn’t act out like this alone. Yet informing me of who worked to hide the Light Tower wizards is clearly in conflict with the Sages desires – who are clearly behind this,” Lucille continued coldly. “As such, there’s only one more faction that would have the power to plant a spy in a Supreme Institution.”

He frowned. “I’m not a spy.”

She scoffed and looked away. “Sure. I suppose telling Radical about all my interactions with the Prophetess is slightly more favourable than revealing it to the Sages. Is Radical cultivating Raegan into their own hidden weapon, corroding the Citadel from the inside?”

“I am not a spy!” He marched closer and glared at her. “I have done nothing to put those two in harm’s way. I may be a Paladin, but I hold my duties as their guard as the highest priority. I will not have two innocent kids’ blood on my hands!”

“Yet you’re fine with one’s,” Lucille replied quietly.

He stiffened and fell silent. Angry blue eyes gazed at her but he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t.

She turned away and paced, holding her arms against herself. “You accompanied Rolland Louveste to the Prophetess’s location and watched as she succumbed to grief, her only brother about to die any minute. You didn’t move, though. If you had, you may have been struck down by Louveste where you stood, or worse, demoted! Even though a Rank-5 Prodigy such as yourself surely has a life or two to spare, an innocent boy’s life was clearly worth less than your title.”

“Don’t make this about my title,” Jasten Albrecht said through gritted teeth. “I couldn’t care less about being a ‘Paladin’.”

“The fact remains that you never stepped forward to be the guard Annaliese and Raegan truly needed.” Lucille turned back to face him with wide eyes. “Was it a relief, to see me help them? Did it comfort the small seed of guilt beginning to sprout? Not enough, clearly. Otherwise you wouldn’t have stepped forward to take on the position of their private guard afterwards.”

The Paladin’s mouth twisted in a sardonic smirk. “I don’t believe it takes a genius to assume all of that. But is there a point to all this mockery? I’m failing to see where you want to take this.”

“It’s because while it’s strange that I know this, it’s not strange that someone else in particular knows this.” Lucille gave him a sweet smile. “How much have you interacted with Rolland Louveste these days?”

He flinched but then looked away with a sigh. He spotted a couch in the room and marched over to sit down in it. “How did you figure that out? I didn’t think I gave anything away.”

“A blind shot in the dark, perhaps?” Lucille replied.

She wasn’t lying. There wasn’t much she knew about Jasten Albrecht, and the times they had met in the past, they were always fighting. Lucy had always disguised everything about herself, from her voice to her gender. She chose the Templar of High Justice as he was Albrecht’s most notable enemy in the past.

Jasten ran a gauntleted hand through his hair. “The former Commander of my contingent... he left the Citadel and works for the royal I mentioned. I... owe him a great debt.” He crossed his arms. “I owed him a great debt. He chose to use my debt for this. Involving the Prophetess in this and... involving you.”

“I see.” The dots were quickly being connected in Lucille’s mind, but she wasn’t smiling. She walked forward and leaned down slightly so Jasten Albrecht couldn’t avoid her gaze. “You’ve rid yourself of one debt, but did you think that would be the end of it?”

He grimaced and stood up. “You’re referring to the fact I listened to Radical instead of the Sages. Do you want me to owe you something too?”

“I’m not a fool enough to believe only a debt to someone could move someone of your calibre.” She calmly inspected a speck of dirt on the fingertips of her gloves. “There has to be another reason why Rolland Louveste’s knowledge of your decision regarding Raegan is a threat. I’d hazard a guess that Radical knows Louveste is going to do something with this knowledge.” Lucy tilted her head as she observed him. “Louveste is not the only leak you have to consider, however.”

“I was informed that the Templar of High Justice plans to reveal I was one of the chosen observers of the Prophetess before she met you. Normally the observers’ identities must be hidden, but if he reveals this it will place blame on me for not retrieving the Prophetess before you were involved,” he stated solemnly. “The Sages will also suspect I have ulterior motives as being the two siblings’ guard, and I won’t be able to protect them any longer.”

“Your guilt must be especially strong if you want to stay by their sides at any cost,” Lucy remarked dryly.

Albrecht’s expression grew grave and he placed a hand on his chest. “It no longer has anything to do with my conscience. I sincerely believe that out of anyone in the Citadel... I am the best choice for their guardian. I can’t trust anyone but myself.”

Lucille stared when he kneeled down before her.

“That is why I don’t want the siblings to know the part I played in Raegan’s near death – until I’m ready to tell them,” he said sternly, his hand still on his chestplate. “So, Count Lucille Goldcroft, I request that you refrain from telling them my intentions, and that you aid my attempts to protect them until they can shoulder burdens themselves.”

She studied him for a while. “I just said I want to hold you accountable for involving Annaliese and Raegan in Radical’s scheme against me, yet you’re proceeding with a asking a request from me. You accept owing me a debt?”

“Anything less than the lives of my wards or myself I will accept, if you desire it,” he confirmed.

She pressed a hand against her temple. “Fine. I don’t know what I want to request from you, though. I suppose I’ll have to use it for something worthwhile.”

Jasten blinked. “I assumed you already had something in mind.”

“No, I don’t use my debts without adequate thought behind them.” She held her chin as she pondered what to do next and then sighed. “Using Annaliese and Raegan for your scheming with Radical is one thing, but bringing them here? Now?”

Jasten shook his head. “The Sages don’t know we’re here. It was Annaliese’s clause in her contract that she has to be allowed anywhere that enabled me to use it as a pretext to bring them here and tell you that this was Radical’s doing.”

“Aha, so this royal from Radical wants me to owe them a favour,” Lucy stated dryly. “If they knew me better, they’d realise involving two teenagers in deadly politics is not how to get on my good side. But I suppose this means you haven’t been telling Radical about me either?”

“I’ve told you I’m not a spy,” he replied wearily.

Lucille glanced at the door behind him. “I’ll believe you for now. I still don’t know why Annaliese was so adamant on visiting us now, but I can afford to hear her out now.”

As she walked forward to open the door and leave, Jasten spoke up. “I believe Raegan is the more important of the two regarding your crafter’s kidnapping.”

She glanced back with surprise. “Raegan? But-”

“We’re not too late, are we?!”

Lucille and the Paladin stopped when they heard the nervous voice of a navy-haired young man. They blinked when faced with Marellen, Roa, and the mercenary siblings, looking rushed.

“Would an attack on the Commission’s Headquarters not be something worth informing us of when urgently summoning us back through that unusual ability of yours?” Trisroa said, sounding slightly miffed.

Lucille gave them a slight smile. “...sorry. Receiving my summons in such a fashion would be shocking, I suppose.” She pushed the door of Black Lily’s VIP lounge open to usher them in. “Let’s get to work discussing what needs to happen. Because I will bring Sedric back here, whether the Light Tower wizards like it or not.”