“Protocol dictates action, but when we can’t break protocol, we just move the target around…probably.” Her lips twitching, Dia looked at the man in front of her, who had the emblem of a yellow circle on his armour. “Nice to meet you, Count Daybreak.”

“My guard decided that bringing me out here was the best course of action.” Count Daybreak glanced at Nero. “I see he had a very good reason. So, unnamed tetra-folder, what news do you bring me?”

“It’s a long story. Can we go in and talk?”

Count Daybreak let out a long sigh, and eyed the energetic guard. “You could have brought them inside, right? It’s not like they were exuding any hostility. Never mind. It’s indeed more polite for me to receive such a distinguished guest at the doors.”

He gestured once. “I’ll skip the formalities. Let’s go.”

Leading the way into the palace, Count Daybreak made for the nearest set of tables and chairs, before sitting down on it. “So, what bad news do you guys bring? Is it related to the random disappearances, the impenetrable sky above us or something else?”

“Both, as well as the presence of the great Dark,” Nero replied. “Uh, Risti, you’re the professional here.”

“Risti, huh. Right, names. Who are you guys?”

“I’m…Nero.” Nero paused. “Hmm. Any issue with reporting our origin? I mean, we were here for a different set of business, after all. It might be a problem if we report our origin.”

“True,” Risti muttered. “It’ll be a problem if we end up creating even more chaos somehow. What do you think, Dia?”

Dia shrugged. “Names are fine, in my opinion.”

“…For some reason, the names of you ladies are quite familiar to me,” Count Daybreak muttered. “Are either of you the princess of the Lustre Dukedom?”

The conversation about names and origins stopped right there, at those words. Once again, someone had discovered the truth, which was a good thing. Dia really, really wanted to say yes and put an end to this charade, but this would be the dumbest place for a reveal, given the circumstances and events going on right now. Therefore, she simply forced out a smile and a simple ‘No’. Risti did the same thing too, although she was a tiny bit gleeful at how someone had mistaken her for the real deal.

Who was incidentally standing right beside her, but that was a detail that no one needed to know at present.

“So, hardcore fans…I’ve heard of them, but I also want some too. How unfair.” The count shook his head. “Anyway, do continue your recount.”

Risti nodded and started to narrate their observations so far. Skilfully leaving out the bits where they were supposed to cause trouble at the lifestone mines of Dawn Barony, she talked about the missing people and the near-impenetrable dome that covered them, which was tentatively named Absolute Entrapment. The count, who had evidently heard of the Bearers of Destiny and the Absolute skills they wielded, paled slightly when Risti touched on that bit, and once Risti was done with her short narration, the count held his head.

“What bad luck.” The count brought his fist down on the table lightly. “First, we have a blood sacrifice, and then that Nightfall asshole decides to ramp up his export, and now this. Do the Moons want my territory ruined? At this rate, we’ll all be done for.”

He paused and looked at them. “Speaking of territory, there’s not much that will interest you in my measly Daybreak. That damned City of Trades is a vortex of trade and trade; there’s little for me here. Why would the three of you come here?”

Dia cleared her throat, pre-empting the others. “We’re on a trip to check out your sunrice. It’s famous, and it’s said that the Lustre Dukedom loves it. So we decided to go down to the area of production personally.”

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“Like a pilgrimage,” Risti chipped in.

Nero’s lips simply twitched.

“Hmm. How boring. And here I thought you three wanted to spruce up your sex life by going into some farflung county, enter the wilderness and give voice to your inner desires there,” Count Daybreak replied.

“That’s awfully specific,” Nero replied, his face a touch of red.

“You have no idea how many people treat my county as the default place to do the down and dirty in the wild. In fact, my people have even capitalised on it; there is a plot of sunrice faraway from the others that’s left uncut and unharvested.” The count chuckled. “Which is a good thing, since no one wants to eat sunrice that’s been potentially fertilised by the wrong species.”

Dia shifted on her chair, but after hanging around Schwarz’s bar a few times when she was free, such talk didn’t really disturb her that much. It was a tiny bit of a shock to note that Count Daybreak was a lot more open with his carnal desires, but Nero was far more vulnerable to such speech than her and Risti for some reason.

“Ahem.” Nero rubbed his face. “Please pardon me. Conversation of such a nature isn’t really…my thing.”

As the Holy Son of the Black God, Dia would have been surprised if he was…although now she wanted to see Count Daybreak’s face at the precise moment in which he learned about Nero’s true identity. She had a feeling that the face, if viewed by anyone who was in the know, would delight them for the entire day to follow.

“Anyway, back to our main topic,” said Risti. “We’ve captured the mana used in the invocation of the skill suspected to be Absolute Entrapment or something similar. We’re hoping to use whatever artefacts you might have in your possession to seek out the culprit.”

“…You three are familiar with Nightfall County.” Count Daybreak narrowed his eyes. “Specifically, the Nightfall Palace.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe you three came here for some reason…and then decided to drop it because worse things are happening here right now.” The count mulled. “Yes, let me guess. That old coot is angered at my blatant provocations and decided to send people to provoke me back…am I right?”

Dia forced herself to remain still, but Nero had narrowed his eyes on instinct, an action that didn’t escape Count Daybreak’s eyes. The count clicked his tongue, and then folded his hands. “Nailed it, then. The only thing I can’t figure out is why a tetra-folder is here.”

“How did you guess?” Nero asked, having realised that his reaction was the part that gave it away.

“That young lady’s words. Nightfall Palace does have a tool that can lock down mana signatures. Other than that, however, only really big powers have them, like the churches of the Coloured Gods, the Folders’ Association and some important names.” Count Daybreak shrugged. “And I was just testing you three. I can’t believe I really nailed it.”

“Tch.” Nero folded his arms. “Be at ease. We did nothing.”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” The count paused. “No, really. I really meant that. Things are bad enough here without you guys doing anything. Ever since the Moon Emissary descended, people have been fleeing.”

“…Maybe we should have just not come after all, then,” Nero muttered. “You guys would have collapsed or died out on your own, and Count Nightfall would have been free. Instead, we’re now stuck here with you.”

“We can probably protect ourselves well,” Risti replied. “I grabbed Claud’s emergency toolkit right when we left, since you guys didn’t see fit to take it. It’ll come in useful. We can build a shelter, hide out in the wild for up to a month without stepping out of said shelter, and then leave when the Bearer of Destiny is done.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dia replied. “But what’s in that—”

“Please wait!” Count Daybreak called out. “I need help. And you guys are probably the best people now. The people will be soothed if they know that a tetra-folder is holding down the fort!”

“Since you know I’m a tetra-folder, you should be aware that lifestones don’t carry that much charm now, right? Just putting it out there, but I have over a thousand years of life to go.”

“…There’s some prana jades sitting around in my treasury.”

“Excellent.”

“And some lifestones for your lovely companions.” Count Daybreak let out a sigh. “Please lend me your aid.”

“What do you think?” Nero asked, turning to Risti. “Should we, or should we not?”

Risti frowned. “To be honest, if I really needed prana jades, I think my dad can get some for me.”

Count Daybreak blanched.

“But he’s absolutely sincere right now, and we weren’t really intending on extorting him to begin with. I mean, we did come to offer help in the first place.” Risti smiled. “I think we can help him. What do you think, Dia?”

“My thoughts exactly.” Dia grinned. “But ever since I arrived here, I’ve always wanted to see something.”

“Something?” everyone else echoed.

“Risti, Nero, can you two state your origins? I want to see Count Daybreak’s face when he hears them.”

The two of them eyed Dia, and then laughed at the same time.

“So it’s like that, huh.” Nero grinned. “Very well. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Nero, Holy Son of the Black God.”

“And I’m Risti Cadenza.” She paused. “You should know that last name very well, right?”

Count Daybreak’s head lolled backwards a moment later, revealing the white of his eyes.