"Let's move the discussion inside the domain," Kiaria said quietly. "There are still things that must be spoken."

"Alright," Azriel replied at once.

No one objected. The air itself seemed to tighten with agreement.

The Ghost Prison domain expanded. Spatial boundaries bent without sound. The pseudo palace dissolved from its original position and settled fully within the domain space like a structure lowered into deeper reality. Defensive layers sealed automatically behind it.

"Now we can talk freely," Kiaria said.

Everyone gathered closer.

Mu Long stepped forward first. "Patron – did you inspect his soul like you did with Mu Li's brush?"

Kiaria shook his head. "No. And even if we do, soul memory is never fully reliable. It is only a last resort – not a foundation for strategy."

He paused, then continued more precisely.

"There is also a time limitation. After death, pure soul fragments remain stable for only six hours. Those fragments carry final intent, last memories, and emotional truth. After that window passes, resentment begins to dominate what remains."

Aizrel frowned slightly. "Then Soul Search is still possible."

Kiaria lifted a finger in correction. "Not Soul Search. What I use is Soul Whisper. Soul Search is performed on the living – it can break word-restriction spells if the searcher's soul strength exceeds the sealer's. What remains after death is different. It is not a mind – only echoes."

His gaze hardened.

"And if resentment has already taken over, my purification authority will activate automatically. The soul will be cleansed before we extract anything useful."

That settled the room into thoughtful silence.

Diala folded her arms. "Then what is our next move?"

Princess Lainsa stepped closer instead of answering immediately. Her tone was steady, analytical.

"Patron, Ru, and Yi should personally inspect the death site before forming the next plan. Crimes cannot be truly traceless."

She leaned closer to Kiaria and spoke in a lower voice.

"The Phantom Beast once taught – a crime done too perfectly is itself a trace."

Kiaria gave a slow nod. He accepted that logic.

"There is another matter," he said aloud. "Ru and Yi completed their dandelion research breakthrough."

He let the silence stretch deliberately.

"The results are mixed. One side positive. One side dangerous. Which do you want first?"

"Positive," most answered immediately.

"Negative," Diala said at the same time.

Princess turned to her. "Why choose the bad news first?"

"If disappointment comes first," Diala replied calmly, "the positive will stabilize morale. If hope comes first, the fall afterward is heavier."

Azriel chuckled once. "Shade is right."

"Then negative first," Kiaria agreed.

His expression grew more severe.

"The dandelions are harmless to us – but lethal to beasts and evil-tainted bodies. That includes Half Blood Tribes. "

Understanding spread quickly.

"We cannot disperse spores inside the fortress. It would kill the very people we intend to protect."

He continued, connecting the hidden threads.

"Do you remember what Hylisi told us during travel – no association trade caravans for years. The real reason was not distance. Instead collapse. Core members vanished. The rest were bedridden or imprisoned. Trade routes collapsed. The place they believed was safest… was actually their prison."

His tone sharpened.

"She also warned us – the ruin path was the most dangerous route. That means everyone who chose to come newly through water route… never returned."

The implication settled heavily.

"That is the negative," Kiaria finished.

He did not let the mood sink too long.

"Now the positive."

His eyes moved to Ru and Yi.

"With their innovation, we can eliminate the three dominant beasts in this region efficiently. When the time comes, I can execute that strike myself. A major threat will be removed from the board."

Diala exhaled softly. "That is real good news."

Azriel immediately pulled Ru and Yi into a rough, proud embrace. "You two hid this progress from me – but you've grown well. I chose the right subordinates."

Ru smiled awkwardly. "It's your training, Chief."

Yi added, "The base concept was originally Patron's idea. We just executed."

Azriel laughed and slapped their shoulders. "Good. Very good."

Kiaria allowed the moment – then brought the room back to focus.

"This is our current status. Does anyone have additional input?"

"I do," Mu Long said.

Attention shifted to him.

He spoke without hesitation. "From my criminal pattern experience – if a leader kills someone inside his own network without external help, that victim was never the core piece. Only a substitute."

He met Kiaria's gaze directly.

"If exposure risk rises, the leader eliminates visible pawns and transfers operations to hidden ones already planted."

Kiaria answered immediately. "Correct. And that shift has already occurred."

Faces tightened.

"All prisoners were fed to the Gluttony Crow," Kiaria continued plainly. "The evidence chain is erased. That is why our original plan is no longer valid."

His voice lost all warmth.

"Whether we pursue suspects or not – the mastermind is watching the board. Anyone we approach becomes disposable to him."

He looked across them all.

"To him, lives are expendable. Only outcomes matter."

The room fell quiet.

Kiaria remained standing at the center of the domain chamber, gaze lowered slightly – not in uncertainty, but in calculation. When he finally spoke again, his voice was quieter, but heavier.

"His real move is more cunning than a simple counter," he said. "He is not hiding from me. He is challenging me."

No one interrupted.

"He knows the identity we are operating under," Kiaria continued. "The title of God. And instead of avoiding it – he pushed against it."

Azriel frowned. "We don't follow, Patron."

"This death," Kiaria said, "is not concealment. It is display."

He lifted his eyes.

"He wants me to see it."

Silence tightened.

"The ritualist's execution exposes the outcome he intends to create," Kiaria said. "Not accidentally – deliberately. That is the cunning part. What appears like our discovery… is actually his message."

Aizrel's expression sharpened. "You mean… we were meant to find it."

"Yes."

Kiaria turned slightly, addressing them all now.

"We placed the lure," he said calmly. "But he reversed the hook."

No one spoke.

"From the moment we released the butterfly scout," Kiaria continued, "he knew we were here. Every step after that – observed. Measured. Accounted for. Even the assessment trial we faced earlier – likely within his expectation window."

Azriel's jaw tightened. "Then we are already inside his design."

"We are," Kiaria said simply. "Pawns on a prepared board."

Aizrel spoke more quietly. "We felt something similar. But we couldn't see how the chain connected."

Kiaria nodded once.

"The first lure was emotional," he said. "Our lost companions. Their bodies placed in the dungeon. Not hidden – preserved. Positioned."

His tone did not rise – but it cut deeper.

"He predicted we would return one day. He stored grief as bait."

The words landed hard – but no one reacted outwardly. This was no longer a room for emotional display.

"The second lure was directional," Kiaria continued. "The wind deviation."

He looked toward the outer wall structure.

"I walked every corridor in this fortress. The wall height and density block natural airflow. Random wind cannot exist at that strength inside these boundaries."

Diala's eyes narrowed. "Formation-driven current."

"Yes," Kiaria said. "Artificial wind. Guiding drift. Guiding sight."

"The butterfly was not wandering," he finished. "It was being led."

Understanding settled across the group like a shadow.

"He wanted us to witness the dungeon," Kiaria said. "The cruelty. The bodies. The despair. Not by chance – by design."

Ru spoke under his breath. "Layered lure structure…"

Kiaria continued.

"The only variable outside his prediction," he said, "was concealment. Our God-identity approach."

"That," he added, "he did not anticipate."

"Which is why," Kiaria said quietly, "he has changed tactics – from hidden manipulation to direct psychological pressure."

Azriel looked up sharply. "The ritualist's death."

"Yes."

"A challenge," Kiaria said. "Placed in front of me."

He paused – then delivered the core consequence.

"If we make no move – the fortress is destroyed. Including us."

No dramatic tone. Just conclusion.

"If we act – he triggers a different chain. Either tribal slaughter… or the removal of his visible followers."

Mu Long exhaled slowly. "Forced-choice trap."

"Exactly."

Kiaria's gaze hardened.

"Every branch leads to his victory condition."

The chamber remained completely silent now.

"And one more trait," Kiaria added. "He is overconfident."

That surprised them – slightly.

"He had enough time to eliminate us quietly," Kiaria said. "He did not."

"Which means," Diala finished softly, "he wants the game."

Kiaria nodded once.

"He wants us aware," he said. "He wants resistance."

"Predator psychology."

"Cat and mouse," Azriel murmured.

"Yes," Kiaria said.

"And he believes," Kiaria concluded,"he is the cat."

"Then what do we do now?" Diala asked at last.

The question did not carry panic – only pressure. Everyone in the chamber already understood that waiting was no longer neutral. Waiting was a move. And right now, it favored the unseen player.

Kiaria smiled.

It was calm. Too calm.

"Simple," he said.

Diala's brows drew together. "Simple?"

"All our moves until now were controlled," Kiaria continued. "Measured. Patient. One step at a time. We analyzed. We verified. We advanced carefully." His gaze sharpened. "He has been reading that pattern."

No one interrupted.

"He is overconfident," Kiaria said. "Which means he predicts scale. He expects our next move to be large, layered, and heavily shielded."

Princess Lainsa's eyes narrowed slightly. "A grand move."

"Yes," Kiaria said. "A safe one."

He lifted a finger.

"So we won't give him that."

Understanding flickered – not fully formed yet, but rising.

"You're planning the opposite," Lainsa said.

"Yes," Kiaria replied. "But not merely opposite. Direct."He paused a fraction."And simultaneous."

Azriel leaned forward slightly. "Multiple operations at once."

"Small. Sharp. Immediate," Kiaria said. "No build-up. No visible preparation window. No emotional staging." His voice lowered. "He is watching for waves. We will give him needles."

The air grew still again – but this time with focus, not uncertainty.

"He won't expect distributed pressure," Kiaria continued. "Because overconfidence simplifies enemy modeling. He has reduced us to a predictable intelligence type."

Aizrel nodded once. "Pattern trap reversal."

"Exactly."

Then Kiaria turned to Princess Lainsa.

"But before we begin," he said quietly, "I need your help."

She blinked once – surprised, but not hesitant. "Me? Say it. I'm ready."

"Your role," Kiaria said, "is Awakening."

The word landed with weight.

"Awakening?" Lainsa repeated, confusion breaking through her composure for the first time.

"Your special bloodline," Kiaria said. "It's time."

The temperature of the moment shifted instantly.

Diala moved before she realized she had decided to move. She stepped in and caught Kiaria's hands tightly – not as a companion, but as someone who understood the cost hidden behind that word.

The consequence of that choice expressed in her face.

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