Overwhelming Firepower

Lucen went to a few places to do some scouting. He wanted to see if the other scenarios in other routes were still happening at the moment.

A few no longer existed, as many things changed, but of course, there were still quite a number that had a chance of happening still.

As he moved from one street to another, Lysette remained at his side, matching his pace without the slightest sign of impatience.

To anyone watching, they likely looked like a noble pair taking a peaceful stroll through the capital.

Only Lucen knew that while Lysette appeared relaxed, her eyes were quietly taking in everything around them, while he himself was comparing the city before him to the routes he remembered.

That’s what he thought, and that would have been true if it were the usual Lysette. Right now, Lysette was simply enjoying walking around with Lucen and teasing him every now and then.

Over the years of conversation with Lucen, Lysette figured out that Lucen was wary of her, but at the same time, he seemed to be quite happy when she said words that might have many meanings.

It was obvious to her that Lucen knew of her hobby of gathering intelligence. Still, she found it quite enjoyable to listen to how he would answer certain questions.

Despite Lucen being able to control his expression to a great degree, so that one would find it hard to even glimpse at Lucen’s true thoughts, Lysette had a certain sense of what he was truly thinking at times.

It was one of the things that made speaking with him so enjoyable.

Most people who tried to hide their thoughts ended up becoming predictable the moment they believed they were in control. Lucen was different.

He remained difficult to read even when he was cautious, which only made the rare moments when she could glimpse the shape of his thoughts all the more precious.

In the past few years, Lucen has been linked to several other noble women. Since he was one of the most popular bachelors in Norvaegard.

Among the women of rumors, three stood out. They were, of course, Lysette Crowlorne, the social butterfly. Elyra Runescar, the fiery flower of the battlefield, and Mireya Aeromont, the doll-like seeker of knowledge whose curiosity seemed endless.

Lucen had been meeting with the three of them more than he did with others. He met with Elyra usually for sparring.

He would meet Mireya in creating new games like board games, and they are also trying to figure out how to use better illusions.

As for Lysette, she would suddenly pop out like she did today and follow him around while talking about seemingly random stuff, but of course, nothing with her was ever random.

Lucen, who was thinking about such things as he glanced at the people looking at them, sighed.

’I didn’t want to become some kind of harem-type protagonist. Now rumors are going around, despite most of them not being true...’

Lucen looked around again and sighed. ’Well, even without that rumor, I guess I’m famous enough that people will always keep on staring... Yeah, now that I think about it, it’s also not bad to have rumors of me being liked by beautiful girls. Oh, I guess among the rumors about me, this one doesn’t have much demerits.’

While Lucen was thinking about random things like that, he and Lysette had arrived in the lower district of Caelhart.

Even this place has changed as Caelhart had advancements, so did the lower district.

Back then, the lower district had felt like a place where the lights did not reach, where drunken shouting, the smell of cheap ale, and the scent of perfume mixed together beneath the dim glow of a few scattered mana lamps and torches.

Now, even though the atmosphere of the place had not completely changed, it had clearly improved.

There were more mana lamps installed along the main streets, making the roads less oppressive than before. Some of the old buildings that had once looked ready to collapse had been repaired, and the filth that used to gather in the corners of the streets had lessened.

Merchants still stood around with sharp eyes, drunkards still laughed too loudly, and the occasional rough-looking figures still lurked in the alleys, but the lower district no longer looked quite as abandoned by the capital as it once had.

Even so, it was still the lower district.

The people walking here still looked far rougher than those in the upper parts of Caelhart, and behind the slight improvements, Lucen could still feel the same restless atmosphere beneath it all. It was simply a little cleaner, a little brighter, and a little harder for danger to hide in plain sight.

He and Lysette stepped foot in the lower district. ”Are you perhaps going to the Arena again?”

”No, that’s not where I’m going,” Lucen replied.

”Is that so... Did you know the first time I saw you again was when you were fighting in the underground arena. Back then, I was quite surprised that the one everyone called talentless had changed so much. Not only had you grown stronger, but the atmosphere around you had become entirely different. You no longer looked like the boy people pitied. You looked like someone who had stepped into a story of his own.”

Lucen glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He was a little surprised that Lysette was there that day; he had imagined that she would send someone to confirm the results of the match instead of going in person.

”That sounds rather dramatic coming from you.”

Hearing Lucen’s response made Lysette giggle as she showed a bright smile. It was normal for Lysette to smile; she does it almost all the time, but for some reason, when Lucen saw Lysette’s current smile, it felt somewhat different.

”You know, when I saw you hit Sir Faust, it felt truly incredible. It was like I was watching the birth of a legend. In the end, I was right. The ruby-eyed monster, the ever-victorious, Lucen Thornehart. I don’t know about others, but for me, it truly feels like no matter what happens, you’ll always find a way to victory.”

”I did not know you thought so highly of me,” he said.

Lysette tilted her head a little, her golden hair shifting with the movement. ”Would it surprise you if I said that I always did?”

Lucen glanced at her from the corner of his eye. That line sounded far too smooth. Naturally, that only made him more cautious.

”With you, I find it difficult to know when something is praise and when it is another kind of move.”

Lysette let out a soft laugh, though this time there was less teasing in it than before. ”That is unfair. There are times when I simply say what I think.”

”That may be true,” Lucen replied calmly. ”The problem is that those times are hard to distinguish from the others.”

Lysette smiled at that, but instead of looking amused, she looked almost a little helpless. ”You really are difficult, Lucen.”

As Lucen was about to respond, someone suddenly interrupted him. ”Sir Lucen!”

Someone approached the two; for some reason, the person who approached looked familiar, but Lucen could not remember where he had seen that person before.

”Sir Lucen! Do you need me to guide you around again?”

The second Lucen heard what the other party said, he had a vague memory. ’It’s that thug that I beat up and made to guide me. What was his name again?...’

Lucen stared at the man for a brief moment longer before the memory came back to him.

”Jay,” Lucen said.

The man’s face immediately brightened, as if he had just received some great honor.

”Yes, Sir Lucen, it’s me!” Jay quickly bowed his head and showed a smile that was far more flattering than sincere. ”I did not think you would remember someone like me.”

Lysette’s gaze moved between the two men, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. ”You really do know all sorts of interesting people, Lucen,” she said lightly.

Lucen ignored her comment and asked Jay a question. ”Since you’re here, can you tell me about what’s going on in the lower district. Tell me everything you know, any rumor you might have heard.”

”Of course, I will tell you everything that I know, but before that, how about we change locations, Sir Lucen? There are many prying eyes here.”

Jay lowered his voice even further after saying that, his eyes flicking toward a pair of men leaning against a nearby wall and then toward a merchant pretending not to listen.

Jay then guided Lucen and Lysette to his place. While they were walking, Lysette came close to Lucen and spoke softly.

”If you wanted information, you could have just asked me. I know almost everything that goes around in Caelhart.”

”Emphasis on almost. Jay is a true resident of the lower district; he might know a thing or two more than you.”

Hearing Lucen’s reply, Lysette shrugged her shoulders and did not continue pressing him.

As they followed Jay deeper into the lower district, the main roads gave way to narrower alleys.

Lucen and Lysette sensed that they were being followed, but they didn’t think too much of it, since that was normal here in the lower district. The problem was the number of people following them.

Even without seeing them, Lucen had a rough guess regarding their abilities, based on how sloppily they were tailing them.

While the two were thinking about what to do about the stalkers, Jay spoke as he stood in front of a worn wooden door.

”This is my place, Sir Lucen. We can talk inside.”

Before he could move, footsteps echoed from both ends of the alley. Lucen turned, while Lysette gave her guards a signal not to make a move. It was then that a group of rough-looking men appeared, blocking the path behind and ahead of them.

Jay’s face paled upon seeing them. One of the men stepped forward and smiled coldly. ”There you are, Jay. We’ve been looking all over for you.”