[[ System, what's the time? ]]

The carriage rattled forward, its wheels catching on cobblestone seams. Inside, Fin and the other children sat huddled close together. The carriage was large but still too cramped for complete comfort.

[ It is 1:26 in the afternoon. ]

I was ahead of schedule. Rescuing the kids—every single one of them this Round—had gone smoothly and efficiently. Aside from Leona nearly turning some random woman into ash, it had been a clean success.

The ball wouldn't be for another five hours, and there was no need to rush to meet Grandov in the forest. Given that the one playing as him should have restarted the Round simultaneously with me, by my estimate, Grandov would've already returned to Genise. The Celestial Mountain Range wasn't exactly nearby, but five and a half hours was more than enough to make it back, rest, and settle in.

[[ System, where is Grandov currently? ]]

I inquired just in case.

[ Grandov is currently at The Order's headquarters, but is about to head out on patrol. ]

Good. We were supposed to meet at two in the afternoon at Lisa's Tea & Books.

To meet wasn't without risk, but this early in the Game was also the safest window. There were fewer enemies monitoring us right now afterall.

"You still want to be dropped off at H-14?" Micah asked, glancing my way. He'd clearly checked the time, too. "We're early."

"Yes," I said with a nod.

H-14 wasn't our true meeting point. From there, I'd walk the three blocks to Lisa's. A small inconvenience, but a necessary one. Obviously, I'd go without a single Duex coin on me. I didn't care for Saga Duex monitoring my meeting with Grandov, even if we did have an agreement of sorts.

Having witnessed the diagrams that Chase replicated, albeit imperfectly, I had some understanding of how Saga Duex's power worked. The coins tracked movement and provided a glimpse into their surroundings as far as the eye could see. If a coin was stashed deep in a pocket, it didn't seem able to see anything more than pocket lint and cotton seams.

The real danger lay with the copper coins. Cheap, overlooked, easily lost, and just as easily ignored. In West Genise, people barely glanced at them if they hit the ground. That made them ideal for planting or spying, with countless coins scattered carelessly like dust.

East Genise was another story. Here, even a copper Deux coin rarely sat long on the pavement before it was snatched up. Poverty made people attentive, and no coin was beneath notice. But those coins weren't waved about, either. They changed hands quietly, in closed fists and guarded palms.

The carriage rolled to a stop.

"Are you certain you don't want a guard to walk with you? Or at least take my cap artifact? This area's not the worst, but it's far from safe." He glanced out the window, scanning the street. "I'll have someone follow from the shadows, but a more visible escort would deter trouble before it starts."

I shook my head. "That won't be necessary."

Part of why I wanted to walk the three blocks was precisely because I was hoping to find some trouble. There was something I wanted to test out.

And if push came to shove, I had a demonic shard tucked away, a throwing dagger that always hit its mark, and a phoenix on my right shoulder who seemed more than ready to light something on fire.

"Very well. I'll see you back at the manor," Micah said, shifting the cage that held Apophis off his lap and onto the seat I'd just vacated.

~Master, how long must I remain trapped in this humiliating cage? Wouldn't it be far more efficient to bring me along?

Apophis hissed from within the cage, his voice a slithering complaint.

[[ No. I don't have a quick way to unlock your cage here, and you'd draw too much attention. I'll see you back at the manor. ]]

I stepped out of the carriage and shut the door behind me.

The large, unmarked vehicle pulled away, leaving me alone in the streets of East Genise. The scent of dust and distant frying oil hung in the air. I walked forward, passing buildings that leaned wearily against one another, their repairs halfway finished or long since abandoned. Here and there, newer structures rose beside the ruins like fresh pea shoots from charred earth.

A trio of children stood ahead, balancing on crates as they fixed a shiny purple street sign into place. It read Wizzlet St.—a sign that this territory had recently changed hands. The Wizzler Syndicate had taken over, at least for now. They were one of the few major groups that bothered tussling with the endless tide of smaller gangs for control of East Genise's shifting patchwork of neighborhoods.

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However, I doubted the change would be permanent, even if the new ownership was under one of the twelve Syndicates.

Most of East Genise changed faster than the ink on a new map. Aside from a few fixed corners that stood despite the test of time, like the Royal Bar of Frieda Stran's place, nothing stayed stable for long. And the Wizzlers, while technically one of the Twelve Syndicates, weren't exactly a powerhouse. They were primarily children, street-smart orphans banding together to survive, with their leader changing more frequently than other syndicates, being elected into the position by fellow members. Almost every kid in East Genise had passed through their ranks at one point.

Even pink-haired Kleave and Kathy had once been Wizzlers.

Wide-eyed and wary, the kids glanced at me before scattering off down the street with their sign and toolkit in tow.

Good.

I continued, eyes scanning the area as I moved closer to Lisa's Tea and Book Shop. I still had a block to go and hopefully, time to find my handful of lemons.

"You don't look to be around here. Are you lost?"

A familiar woman's voice, rough and amused, cut through the air.

Jackpot.

A grin spread over my face as the short, broad-shouldered woman appeared from around the corner. Her thick arms, each the width of a grown man's thigh, were crossed as she expertly moved a toothpick with her teeth.

"Boss, I don't think he gets what's happening, seeing as he's grinning like an idiot," said a thin man emerging from the opposite side.

The woman barked out a laugh. "Young man, if you'd like to avoid any trouble here, I suggest you hand over any silver or gold you've got. Think of it as a toll for straying this far into East Genise."

You ought to have taken a guard like your brother suggested.

Leona's voice curled into my thoughts.

"It's alright," I replied aloud, not bothering with Illusion Magic. "I was looking for trouble anyhow,"

"Boss, this one's a nutter," a third member of the small gang snorted and pulled out a knife. "If he wants trouble, let's just give it to him."

I turned slightly, checking the area. Five in total. Two on either side up ahead, and one to my right. I ensured I had eyes on all of them and that there were no others.

I breathed in as I concentrated on each of their eyes, and as I exhaled, I produced an illusion in each of their eyes.

"W-what the?!"

"I can't see! What's going on?!"

"Fuck—he's a mage!" the boss spat, already lunging forward with her blade, relying on memory rather than sight.

Each of them reacted differently. One rubbed furiously at his eyes like he could wipe the darkness away. Another fumbled for a second dagger and began slashing wildly in the air. The thin one backed against a wall and raised his fists, uncertain. The last turned to run, crashing into a pile of crates with a startled grunt.

However, the leader, undeterred, came at me with surprising precision for someone who was currently blind—her knife aimed for where I'd just been standing.

It was time to test out the second component: scent.

The first time I used it was pure desperation. Instinct almost. I pulled it out in a panicked attempt to stop Leona from incinerating some random woman. I hadn't read about it, nor had I been taught it. Honestly, it was a complete gamble as I considered scent to be in a separate category from what was visual, and thus incapable of being produced with the limited power of Illusion Magic. But it had worked.

So if I could conjure the illusion of something pleasant, like a feast… what about something revolting?

I summoned my most rancid memory: the reeking stench of the dungeon beneath the palace. Not just the atrocious smell of the room itself, but the sickening reek of human innards splattered across the walls—remnants of Julius' unhinged spell on the two Bobs.

I produced the illusion to hover just around the woman's nose.

"Guh!" she gagged.

It didn't stop her swing, but it slowed her down. And that hesitation was all I needed to slip out of her path.

But she caught the sound of my foot scuffing against the broken street and lunged again. However, I was ready for her.

If illusions impacting sight and scent were possible… what about sound?

Silence was difficult to imagine clearly enough to reproduce, but noise, on the other hand, I was used to and constantly surrounded by. Especially one particular sound.

I breathed in and envisioned the distinctive hiss of Apophis whispering near my left ear, and exhaled the illusion into the woman's senses.

"Snake!" she yelped, recoiling and swatting at her shoulder. Her momentum broke.

And now, the real fun could begin.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Click.

Micah opened the looking glass.

"Did something happen to my brother?" he inquired.

That was the only reason this person would be contacting him.

It's only been ten or so minutes. I ought to have insisted on a guard, even if he is on his tenth life.

This far into East Genise territory wasn't the most dangerous, but it wasn't exactly safe either.

A low chuckle sounded from the other end.

"Master, he did run into a little trouble, but I don't think you need to be too worried."

Micah's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"A local mobster and her people tried to rob your brother. But your brother… did something. I don't know what, exactly. Whatever it was, they're staggering around the street like lunatics. One of them is still screaming about snakes."

The voice paused. "Honestly? I almost feel bad for them. They had no idea who they were messing with."

Micah exhaled slowly, then nodded. "Thank you. Keep following him just in case."

"As you wish."

Click.

The carriage rolled through the gates of the Frey Manor.

From the cage beside him, Apophis let out a low, smug hiss, sounding rather pleased, evidently having overheard the entire conversation.

~As expected from my apprentice.

Micah allowed himself a faint smile.

Maybe the Misfortune Sisters hadn't meant that Luca would go insane… but that those who crossed him would.

Micah wanted to believe that. But he knew better.

He remembered every word of the misfortune, and there wasn't much room for optimistic interpretation.

He had never heard the second part of the misfortune, on how to prevent his brother from going insane. His mother had pulled him away before he could pay the price for the second telling, and he had honored his promise to stay away from the sisters ever since.

Micah tapped a finger thoughtfully against his leg.

He wasn't one to break his word, especially to his parents. But things had changed. Luca had Awakened. And with the impossible Game, the stakes were no longer the same.

I need to find out where those sisters vanished off to.

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