"Young master Luca Frey?"

I turned toward the voice and smiled at the familiar middle-aged woman who approached. She had her usual bright customer service smile, and her black hair was pulled back such that not a single strand was out of place.

"Yes?" I replied.

"If you'll follow me, there's a private card game in the back awaiting your arrival."

She gestured for me to follow her to a more secluded area of the casino, toward the VVIP section tucked behind a gilded archway.

I smiled at the complete drop of the pretense of choice. Saga Duex, no doubt, was waiting for me.

"What, no complimentary food and refreshments?" I repeated the concierge's missing words from earlier Rounds.

Her smile brightened a touch. "Ah, of course. I'll be sure to have something brought over shortly."

As we walked, I let my gaze drift over the casino floor—a kaleidoscope of color and noise. Thousands of tiny glass orbs glittered above, scattered like water droplets frozen mid-descent, casting prismatic light across the marble floors. Chips clinked, cards snapped, and dice rolled across blue-felted tables while laughter and shouts of fortune—or loss—spilled into the air. Nobles lounged at the card tables, sipping cocktails far too early in the day. Their idle amusement was bought with the comfort of estate coffers and on the backs of their people's unseen labor. Or stolen altogether, as was the case with Lord Blanche.

My eyes moved toward the staff, tending to their every order and demand. Working silently and moving invisibly, such that I never noticed their presence until now.

I blinked as I did a rough count in my head.

The staff, servants, and guards far outnumbered the actual patrons. Yet they blended into the background and were rendered invisible while the pompous nobles took all the limelight.

"Also, could you escort my guard to The Cage to place a bet? He'll be wagering on the fight as my proxy."

I handed Henry the ten golden chips. He received them with the same gravity he'd worn since I'd outlined his orders in the carriage—place the bet on Kleave, request a Hanged Man's bet to collect 240 phoenix eyes prematurely, then leave immediately to purchase the Stealthy Pull Tab from Orla Rex. While I was confident he'd follow through with the tasks he was given, the confidence in him succeeding wasn't shared by Henry. His brows were knitted together and there was a slight tension in his jaw. He would not fail me, having succeeded splendidly in the Round prior—but he didn't know this, and the pressure settled over him like an iron blanket.

"Given he'll be betting in my name," I added, fixing my eyes on the concierge, "see that he is treated with the same courtesy you would offer me."

"But of course, young master," she replied without hesitation, already speaking into her cufflink's embedded communication rune.

Within moments, another concierge appeared—equally polished, equally smiling—to take Henry away to the fight.

"I'll see you at home, young master Luca," Henry murmured softly as he turned away with the second attendant.

I watched him go for a brief moment, then turned my gaze toward the VVIP doors.

"Please continue down the hall to your right. It will be the room at the very end," the woman instructed, having opened one of the large silver doors.

I took in a deep inhale and slowly breathed out, relaxing my facial muscles and bearing a mask of indifference.

It was time to face Saga Duex.

***

"Ah, Luca Frey! The prior loop was certainly eventful."

Saga's golden eyes wrinkled in amusement as I entered the circular room whose curved glass walls provided a view into the aquarium on the other side. Instead of the prior Round's school of fish, large semi-translucent jellyfish floated in the water with their long tentacle trailing behind them like drifting silk.

I discreetly taped my middle finger against my leg and nodded toward Saga as I settled into the seat across from her.

With the signal given to the System, the Random Character Checker began rolling above her head.

Saga Duex wore a mesmerizing gown of glittering gold, each subtle shift in posture setting the fabric ablaze with light. The blue glow from the aquarium made her look almost otherworldly.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You timed the reset perfectly," she continued, pouring bright green tea into a delicate porcelain cup. "I was half‑afraid the jig would be up for you before you managed to evade detection."

[ Saga Duex's guilty pleasure is reading novels authored by Jill Coiles. ]

I sighed internally.

A useless bit of insight.

Given the context of it being a guilty pleasure, I suspected Saga enjoyed some raunchy romance novels. At the very least, that was my experience, having once stumbled across the sort of novels Gina, my family's head cook, read in secret.

Nonetheless, I pocketed the insight in case the bit might actually come into use one day.

"I did what was necessary," I said, pouring myself a cup of the same green tea.

The table between us held a comfortable spread of food—finger sandwiches, mini tartlets, and crystal dishes of cheese and olives. Given my breakfast with Chase was insufficient, I welcomed the opportunity to make up for my lack of a proper meal.

I lifted a cucumber and smoked salmon sandwich and took a bite.

Saga's smile grew as she observed me. "You have certainly become more relaxed around me since our last meeting."

I shrugged, my mouth full of the sandwich.

"Our interests are aligned," I replied after swallowing my food. "And I haven't had a chance to eat properly yet."

In reality, I was still guarded around Saga. But I didn't see any benefit in showing that in my body language and expression; instead, I pulled in all the monk's training to relax my face and body, erasing any tension and clues about what was running through my mind.

Saga leaned back, her reflection shimmering in the aquarium behind her. "Is that so?"

"And yet," her voice turned a notch sharper, "You have failed to send even a single Duex coin into other realms. Moreover, a cat had broken into an area he shouldn't have. And I know he is one of your people and wouldn't have gone where he wasn't supposed to out of his own morbid curiosity."

By 'cat,' she obviously meant Chase Daylan.

I kept my expression calm as I reached for a slice of grilled fish dusted with smoked paprika, sliding it onto my plate alongside a few wedges of aged cheese.

"What benefit was there to me to send any coins beyond our realm?" I asked, taking my time to savor the food. "I didn't need your funding, especially given how abruptly the loop ended."

Saga's eyes narrowed.

"As for Chase's visit," I continued, cutting myself a new piece of fish with my fork, "it served you more than me. I sought to understand your intentions, and what he shared confirmed that our interests truly are aligned. And thus, I am willing to help you more than I had before."

Saga arched one of her eyebrows.

"How so?" she inquired.

I motioned with my fork through the air as I chewed my food. "The maps."

Having swallowed my food, I elaborated. "You don't create detailed charts of other realms unless you mean to use that knowledge. Maps exist to guide action. No one makes them just for the sake of making them."

Maps were created with a purpose.

The Frey Merchant Guild relied on maps to travel to other countries to do business, and our maps had to be updated in lieu of any geological changes or political turmoil, with lines being redrawn and places renamed.

No one went through the tedious process of producing maps merely to look at them. Maps always served a purpose.

While I wasn't entirely sure of Saga Duex's purpose in mapping out other realms, I could make a few educated guesses.

"That means that you intend this Game to end at some point," I continued. "While there are many benefits in having time loop for an extended period—that we are in agreement on—ultimately, there's no benefit to you if the Game never ends. You'll need time to go on eventually."

Saga's lips curved into a half‑smile. "And why should you be the one to end it, rather than the Kobar Empire?"

"Because," I met her eyes, knowing I was about to reveal a critical card in my hand, "per the Game conditions, I cannot quit. I'm not a regular Player; I'm originally from this realm. I can't simply leave this realm and give up. Thus, the only real way for the Game to end is for me to win."

Saga smiled.

"You claim that, yet you have no real proof," she settled back in her chair, her voice teasing.

I shrugged.

"You'll see eventually," I replied. "That'll be all the proof you'll need."

She studied me for a long, silent moment with her golden eyes. Then she lifted her teacup to her lips. Whatever thoughts she harbored, she didn't let on. But I could feel the tide shifting, ever so slightly, in my favor.

I didn't need her to believe me yet. However, I did hope she'd take this seriously sooner rather than later. She was too powerful not to have as an ally—she could easily tip the scales to an eventual victory for Adovoria.

That's when I pulled out my second card.

"I'd like to adjust our original agreement," I said, leaning forward in my seat. "I'll help you map out the other realms like you've never been able to before. Right now, you have a single flickering candle trying to illuminate a castle. Let me provide you with a floodlight. I'll send hundreds—no, thousands—of beacons to light the view of other realms."

Saga's smile was amused. "And what would you ask for in return? A hundred and twenty Duex coins per beacon clearly wasn't nearly enough of an incentive last time we spoke."

"The hundred and twenty Duex coins are a nice cherry on top," I replied, not wanting to give up the funds. "However, for me to have a sufficient incentive to help in these early Rounds, I'd like a personal live map of our realm in return. Like the one that Chase discovered."

Saga laughed brightly, seemingly not taking my suggestion seriously.

However, I was dead serious. Moreover, I knew it was possible. I had assumed initially that Saga's ability allowed her to mentally map every coin's movement within a mental map in her mind. But that wasn't quite it. She had a projected map created in the physical world, which she likely referred to. Thus, it was well within reason to assume she could produce another map, just for me.

"You wish to be able to track everyone else with my coins?" she inquired. "I'm not sure how feasible that would be. Tracking millions of coins is no small feat. But interpreting those insights is a whole other skill—one that you do not possess and are unlikely to gain even if you went through a hundred loops."

I met her gaze without flinching.

"I don't need to know everyone's movements," I replied calmly. "Just the ones that matter—my allies, my enemies, and the key players in this Game. Give me a simplified live map that highlights the movements of a select group of individuals, and I'll give you the most comprehensive, multilayered cartography of the multiverse you've ever seen."

Saga's amusement gave way to curiosity. The gold in her eyes sharpened.

"Select individuals, you say?"

She leaned back, lips pursed in thought. The jellyfish beyond the glass floated on, oblivious to our conversation.

Finally, a smile reappeared across her face. "Very well, Luca Frey. It will require some time for me to prepare, but you have a deal. You'll have your map."

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