The streets beneath the capital were alive with whispers.
Down here, where daylight never reached, information had more value than gold.
Lencar walked through the narrow corridors of the black market, his cloak drawn low. The smell of smoke, blood, and ink mixed together — the usual perfume of lawlessness. Every merchant here knew his face, though none dared call his name.
He wasn't here to trade.
He was here for confirmation.
At the Broker's Post
He approached the familiar wooden stall, where Mariella sat behind a stack of scrolls and bounty notices. Her sharp amber eyes widened the moment she saw him.
"L–Lencar?" she stammered, half standing. "You… you're alive?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Was I supposed to be dead?"
She stared at him for a moment, then quickly reached under the counter, pulling out a folded parchment. Her hands trembled slightly as she handed it to him.
"Look at this," she said. "The Dominion's bounty board updated this morning. Dominante's bounty— it's… it's gone. Completely revoked. Wiped out like it never existed."
Lencar took the parchment calmly, unfolding it. The notice bore the royal seal — official and final. The once-infamous bounty on Dominante, the Mad Witch was marked as rescinded due to misidentification and false testimony.
Mariella leaned forward, eyes wide. "How did you do this? The Dominion doesn't erase bounties. Not for someone like her. Tell me, Lencar — what did you do?"
He looked up slowly.
And then, just faintly, smiled.
Mariella froze. That quiet, knowing smile of his was answer enough. She exhaled shakily, rubbing her temples. "You really are something else…"
Lencar folded the notice neatly. "Where is she?"
"Same place as before — lower sector, east quarter."
Mariella hesitated. "Be careful. She's been… restless since your last visit."
"I'll manage," he said simply, turning away.
In the Lower Tunnels
Dominante's hideout hadn't changed much — old mana runes still glowed faintly across the stone walls, carved by her hand months ago. The air was heavy with damp magic and faint metallic hums.
When Lencar entered, Dominante turned instantly, readying a spell — but stopped when she saw him.
"You're late," she said, her tone sharp but tired. "I thought you—"
Lencar placed the parchment on the table.
The royal seal gleamed under the dim light.
She frowned, confused. "What's this?"
"Read it."
Her eyes scanned the page — and then widened in disbelief.
"The bounty… it's gone?" Her voice trembled slightly. "They… actually erased it?"
Lencar nodded once. "I told you I'd win the bet."
Dominante looked up at him, speechless. "You—how… what did you—?"
"Nothing that matters now," he interrupted softly. "The point is, you're free. You can walk in the open again."
She laughed once — a broken, disbelieving sound — then covered her mouth, fighting back tears she'd never admit to having. "You're… impossible."
"I've heard worse," he replied quietly.
Later That Night
Mariella met them near the old aqueduct. The city lights were distant here — only the sound of water and the faint hum of mana in the air.
"Both of you," Lencar said, looking from one to the other, "come with me."
Mariella frowned. "Where to?"
"Somewhere safe."
Before either could ask more, he traced a rune in the air — a shimmering sigil of layered geometry and quiet power. The ground trembled softly, earth shifting and folding like cloth.
Within moments, a spiral staircase of polished black stone descended beneath their feet.
They followed him wordlessly.
The Underground Base
The chamber opened like a cathedral of silence — vast, clean, and pulsing faintly with ambient mana. Crystal lamps hung along the ceiling, glowing in soft silver light. Along the far wall stood an array of rune-carved panels, incomplete sketches, and symbols Lencar had been refining for weeks.
Mariella exhaled, awestruck. "You… built this?"
"Just now," Lencar replied, adjusting one of the mana circuits. "Took about three minutes."
Dominante stared at him. "You say that like it's normal."
"For me, it is."
She touched the smooth stone wall, feeling the stability of the enchantments. "This… this is advanced. You layered gravity stabilizers with rune lattice sealing. Even royal mages can't do this."
Lencar turned to both of them. "From now on, this place is yours too. A home. Somewhere no one can reach without my permission."
Mariella blinked. "A home?"
"Yes." His tone softened just slightly. "You've both been running long enough."
Silence lingered — a heavy, wordless gratitude neither woman could express.
Finally, Dominante turned toward him, her voice steady again. "You didn't bring us here just for shelter, did you?"
Lencar met her gaze. "No. I want your insight."
"On what?"
He gestured toward the rune wall — hundreds of complex glyphs interwoven with mana circuits. "Runes. Symbols. The language of magic itself. I've reached a limit on my current framework. You were a rune scholar before the bounty. I want to see what you see when you look at this."
Dominante stepped closer, her analytical instinct taking over. "You combined natural and structured mana paths… these sigils are more than conduits — they communicate with the ambient field. You're not just casting; you're… teaching the environment."
Lencar's eyes sharpened faintly. "Exactly. The environment listens. Mana isn't inert — it learns. And if we can define that language fully…"
He paused, expression unreadable.
"…then true magic becomes something even the world must obey."
Dominante stared at him — both awed and unnerved. "You're not trying to control magic, are you?"
"No," Lencar said quietly. "I'm trying to understand it."