In the darkness, a car drove towards the most luxurious hotel in the city. Yang Zicang, dressed in black, alighted and stepped inside as a waiter slightly bowed and opened the door for him.

The driver in military uniform watched the tall, slender man’s back disappear into the hall before starting the engine and driving away. Once the car was gone, several nearby figures—some chatting and laughing, others just passing by, and a few checking in—casually made their way into the hotel as well.

At a turn in the corridor, a brass key had already appeared in the hand of the young man in black.

He cast a sidelong glance at the spies and reporters from various nations who were following behind him.

｛I give a tip of 10 N to COSTELLA HOTEL’s lock pick.｝

As these individuals—some still laughing and talking, others walking alone—turned the corner, their expressions shifted slightly. The long corridor stood empty, and the Fogfolk was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Yang Zicang had already appeared on the second floor of the Fei’s Hotel, which was eerily quiet. After inquiring with the front desk manager that his association members were downstairs in the music hall drinking fruit wine, he set aside his worries. Without disturbing them, the young man changed his coat, used the personally invited Room 202 for the month, and directly returned to the rented house outside the city.

“I just left the divisional headquarters; they shouldn’t expect me to appear here directly. “

With a sweep of the Musing Night, the nearby scene emerged in his mind. He expanded its range slightly to cover the entire street, and all sorts of feedback flowed back. The probing was retracted as quickly as it had extended.

There were no dangerous figures.

He began to infuse his lifespan into the cognitive model.

His face rapidly aged as Yang Zicang looked into the old mirror in the room and put on the human skin mask given to him by a Steffen person. It clung tightly to his face, feeling a bit foreign initially, but he quickly grew accustomed to the sensation—it felt like a breathable mask.

He then attached slightly pointed ear shells, and his entire demeanor shifted dramatically. He appeared old, refined, and elegant.

“That doesn’t look bad at all. So, what’s your name? “

Yang Zicang gazed at the native resident in the mirror, who wore a smile, laughed, and whispered in a hoarse, aged tone.

“Hello, Medwiser. “

……

Medwiser trod along the old city’s outer streets, deliberately taking a longer route to the city gate. Two guard sentinels stood tall in the chilly wind of dawn. The young man bearing this visage approached a few steps but fell silent as they raised a hand, palm upright, signaling a halt before he could speak.

“It’s not open hours yet. Please enter the city after five in the morning. “

“Oh, ahem, right, I’ll wait around then, ” replied Yang Zicang, wearing Medwiser’s face, rubbing his hands as he walked back onto the old streets. By now, some commoners were already rising, busying themselves with chores like sorting vegetables.

No one questioned this new face—not even the tone of its skin, which had been so well-tuned by the Steffen people that it matched his own exactly.

First, he chatted with a couple of vegetable farmers about when the city entry time had changed, only to get an earful from them about the “big event ” that had unfolded in town, filling him with sheer astonishment.

“I heard it’s those Fogfolk causing trouble again.“

“But if they can make those foreign soldiers scram, then this time I’m all for the Fogfolk.“

“Yet I’ve heard the Fogfolk are all pretty bad,” said the crouching “Medwiser,” lending a hand as he sorted the vegetables.

“Oh brother, that’s where you’re wrong,” one of the farmers said, handing him a cup of warm tea. “There are good Fogfolk, too. Anyway, they’re not evil—just a bunch of drama makers, annoying as flies, but sometimes they’re not half bad.“

“Aw, thanks for the tea.“

After killing time until a little past four, “Medwiser” spotted someone approaching. He looked up, and as the owner of the Youpomo Noodle Shop—who was there to buy vegetables—met his eyes with a slightly piercing stare, the man broke into a grin and said, “Well, well, you’ve hired some help, eh?“

“As if I could afford that! This is Mr. Medwiser here, he’s intending to buy medicine in town. The thing is, he didn’t know the entry rules had just been tightened up—arrived way too early.“

“How do you do, Mr. Medwiser?” the noodle shop owner offered on his own. “These greens you’ve picked look great. I’ll take the lot today.“

“Alright, I’ll pack ’em up for you.“

“Medwiser” stood up and pat the dust from his pant legs. “These next couple days, I’m planning to head back to my hometown, so I figured I’d bring along some good medicine. I never expected such tight restrictions over here.“

“Of course. With the Terranoxi army in the city and that big parade going on, you can never be too careful. Don’t want any troublemakers sneaking in. Isn’t that right, Mr. Medwiser? ” A grunt of acknowledgment came from across the counter as the noodle shop owner took the vegetables, speaking almost as a reminder, “When are you heading back home? Things aren’t exactly peaceful lately. I’d say you should wait a couple of days. “

“Hearing you say that, it really doesn’t seem like the right time. Sigh. The boss here is saying there’s a war coming. I guess I’ll head back after this mess here calms down in a couple of days. “

The farmer stacking vegetables on his stall looked up and grinned, “That’s right, that’s right! I said it yourself, you shouldn’t be traveling far at a time like this. Take my word for it, you won’t regret it. “

“Medwiser ” and the noodle shop owner shared a chuckle, “Thanks for the heads-up. “

……

At dawn, a Grainwood man who had entered the city to buy medicine slipped through the gate under the guards’ watchful eyes; soon after, he disappeared into a side street, lost among the shadows of that neighborhood.

No one would spare a second glance at such an unremarkable figure.

At ten o’clock sharp that morning, the parade surged through the streets once more. This day brought an even larger crowd swelling forth, their voices louder, more fervent. New banners and unmistakable slogans emerged, peppered with chants supporting the Grand Duke’s bold and decisive reign. The security detachments worked tirelessly to keep order, constantly urging everyone to voice the fierce spirit worthy of a true citizen of the Grand Duchy.

“Good work. “

Back in the Fogfolk Quarter, the blonde-haired “Zonal Affairs Liaison ” Schmidt spotted Yang Zicang entering at once. He rushed over and fiercely clasped the man’s hand tightly, giving it a vigorous shake.

“Well done, truly well done, Mr. Yang. I reckon it won’t be long before we witness the birth of another Radiant One. “

“Does birthing a Flash make someone a Radiant One? “

“A Flash isn’t the end goal, but without it, you can’t prove your capabilities. “

“Thanks. But what’s the point of becoming a Radiant One anyway? “

Schmidt gently placed a hand on Yang Zicang’s back, leading him shoulder-to-shoulder toward a small meeting room.

“It means you qualify to be entrusted with the fate of the old world. “

Yang Zicang sat down on the soft leather sofa and said, “I need some Mana Crystals. I wonder if you can help me get them? “

“Roughly how much do you need? “

“Hmm… ” Yang Zicang pondered for a moment. He wasn’t sure how to craft the magic arrays needed to open an Ether Beacon channel. Since this was the Fogfolk settlement, they were bound to know about the Ether Beacon. So he just said directly, “I need them to open an ‘Ether Beacon’ channel, but I don’t know the exact amount. “

“Oh? You already have your own Ether Beacon? You didn’t just randomly pick a ‘Trait,’ did you? “

“No, it’s fine. I chose a Trait that perfectly complements my abilities. And that Trait was originally born from the model’s capabilities anyway. “

“Good, good, good. Well, this information needs to be exchanged for. The more advanced stuff you’ll have to uncover on your own. You understand that, right? Think of it as a kind of training. “

“You know I’m in the process of mastering that thing. “

Schmidt smiled. “I know. Let me apply for a special-use magic pattern of this grade for you; it shouldn’t be a problem. As for magic crystals… you won’t need many. Although there’s hardly anyone left in White Violet City, there’s still a small stock consigned by other ‘Chosen Ones.’ It should be enough for now. As for the future, you’ll need to find someone to trade with yourself, or entrust us to acquire them. “

“Consigned? ” he asked. “You mean for sale by other folks from home? If your stock is insufficient, could your courier gentlemen deliver from other cities? “

“Of course you can, provided you don’t mind the increased Chronos Cost. Every hundred kilometers of additional transport will raise the fee a little. Philiree will fill you in on the details when the time comes. “

……

A garrison now stood on the road in front of the settlement, holding back a crowd of enthusiastic citizens.

“I want to go in and find someone, ” the old man said. “Someone who can help me. “

After deferring to the sergeant on guard multiple times, an elderly gentleman in a hat was finally escorted inside.

The gatekeeper sized him up and said, “Swear you won’t reveal anything you see or hear in here to anyone else. “

“I’ve been here before, and I know the rule. “

The man, whose entire body was shrouded in a cloak, placed his hand most solemnly on a book—more seriously than even the Fogfolk themselves—recited the oath, put on his hat, and stepped into the towering stone building whose edges were gilded with a faint golden tinge by the morning sun.

Though he was joyful to have successfully entered, he could feel his initial zeal to share this place slowly waning.

……

“This mission is also well done. Hmm, the division headquarters has already informed us yesterday that they will contact you, ” Schmidt said with a smile. “So, do you still need us to help you contact the division headquarters regarding work matters? “

“Uh, well… that won’t be necessary. I asked them last night to handle the procedures for setting up an investigation company for me. My company is already up and running, so I’ll be able to come collect my first paycheck in three days. “

Yang Zicang smiled brightly. “I set my own salary pretty high, you know. “

“Ha ha, so do you have the money to pay that first paycheck yourself? “

Yang Zicang’s face froze for a moment.

“Alright, I’ve got it ready for you. Just go ahead and do what the Colonel has arranged for you. “

Schmidt, as if he had already known, opened a small square box, inside which lay five neat rows of Silver Coins.

A glance over each row of twenty coins, totaling one hundred coins in the box. They were all stamped with the portrait of the current Grand Duke in his mid-life ascension. Yang Zicang couldn’t help but think of the coins he had made—what if they were arranged like this…