The night breeze carried a faint scent of rain as Lencar leaned back in his chair, staring out at the quiet lights of Kiten's lower district.
It had been two weeks since his battle with Mars — enough time for the chaos in the dungeon to fade into rumor, enough time for him to disappear from all attention.
He reached for the small, hexagonal crystal on the table — the Valenlink Crystal, its surface pulsing faintly with a soft, blue light.
"Connection: Mars."
The crystal vibrated once, then steadied. A shimmering image of Mars appeared — faint, flickering like an echo, but clear enough.
"Lencar."
"Mars."
Both men spoke at once, then paused, a flicker of silent understanding crossing between them.
Lencar tilted his head slightly. "The bounty?"
Mars nodded. "It's done. Dominante Code is cleared from the records. I used the high-priority erasure protocol only the Diamond King's council members can access."
"Good." Lencar leaned forward slightly, his tone still calm but colder than before. "No trace?"
Mars shook his head. "None. But someone will notice eventually — I left a mana trail too faint to detect, but if the generals start digging, they might find inconsistencies."
"That's acceptable."
Lencar's eyes gleamed faintly silver. "Our first move is complete."
Mars frowned. "So what now? You said something about… a larger plan."
Lencar smirked faintly — a rare, genuine smile. "Yes. But plans require foundations. And I can't build an alliance if I'm just a wandering mage."
Mars raised an eyebrow. "You're settling down?"
"In a way."
Lencar glanced out the window at the quiet streets below — where faint market chatter and the smell of roasted bread drifted through the night. "I'll be opening a restaurant."
Mars blinked. "A restaurant?"
"Yes," Lencar replied simply. "It's perfect. Food attracts all kinds of people — travelers, merchants, adventurers, soldiers. Information flows where appetites gather."
He set the Valenlink Crystal down and rose from his seat. "It'll serve as both a cover and an observation post. The Heart Kingdom's mana routes intersect near here — I can monitor movements, supply lines, and rumors."
Mars gave a short, incredulous laugh. "So, the man who crushed my crystal titan now wants to be a chef."
Lencar shrugged. "I was always good at replication. Recipes are just another form of magic."
There was a flicker of amusement even in Mars's stoic face. "You're insane."
Lencar smiled faintly. "Probably."
The connection faded.