The trip back from the Black Bull hideout was quiet.
Lencar walked through the forest path with a composed expression, but inside, his mind was still replaying the final day of Noelle's training—the moment she finally shaped her water into a stable sphere, her eyes widening with disbelief and pride before she tried to hide it behind her noble stubbornness. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"She'll grow quickly," he murmured. "Too quickly, if Asta keeps shouting near her."
The memory of Asta yelling "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, NOELLE!" echoed again in his head.
He sighed.
"He's like a walking mana stimulant."
By the time he reached the outskirts of the capital, the sky was a muted orange and the scent of market food drifted through the wind. His restaurant—still new, still gaining fame—stood at the edge of the district, its sign faintly glowing with mana lighting.
When he entered, Dominante was sweeping while humming, and Mariella was lounging lazily on a chair reading a book.
Both looked up instantly.
"You're back," Dominante said, smiling. "Training went well?"
"As well as it could," Lencar replied.
Mariella waved her hand dramatically. "So? Did they try to make you drink? Fight? Sleep in some smelly bunker?"
Lencar blinked. "No."
"Ugh, boring," she groaned.
But her eyes sharpened slightly—always paying attention, always calculating.
That was why he had brought her into his small circle.
Lencar walked behind the counter, set down his grimoire, and said,
"I need you to investigate something."
Her posture straightened instantly.
"What is it?"
He met her gaze.
"I want to know the current movement of the Black Bulls and Golden Dawn. Their assignments, requests, dispatch notices… especially if both squads are heading toward the same place."
Mariella raised an eyebrow. "You're expecting something?"
"Yes."
"And you don't want to tell me what."
"Correct."
She sighed deeply. "Fine. Give me one day."
Dominante stared between the two. "Is this dangerous?"
"Everything is dangerous to someone," Lencar replied simply. "But this won't be for us."
Mariella huffed. "Reassuring."
The next morning passed normally.
Rebecca arrived early, bursting into the restaurant with a basket of vegetables and her usual unstoppable energy.
"You're back! Did Noelle get stronger? Does she still have trouble aiming? Did Asta eat too much? Did the Black Bulls—"
"Rebecca," Lencar interrupted gently. "Focus."
She flushed scarlet and nodded vigorously.
Dominante laughed under her breath. "Children."
The place filled quickly. Locals praised the food, newcomers asked about the recipe, and Rebecca beamed every time someone complimented the restaurant.
It was peaceful.
In a way Lencar knew wouldn't last.
Evening arrived. They closed up, swept the floors, and Dominante retreated to her room.
Mariella was still missing.
Lencar knew she'd return at the exact moment she found something.
He waited.
And at midnight, a soft knock came.
Mariella slipped inside, cloak brushing her ankles. She tossed a small bundle of documents onto the nearest table.
"Found it."
Lencar raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
She crossed her arms, annoyed. "Both squads. Black Bulls and Golden Dawn. They've each been dispatched separately."
Lencar already knew the answer, but he asked anyway.
"To where?"
"Kiten."
The restaurant fell silent.
Mariella continued, irritation and a hint of unease in her eyes.
"A dungeon appeared there two days ago. The kingdom reacted fast. Too fast, if you ask me. Something's weird."
Lencar picked up the documents, scanning the mission orders with expressionless calm.
So they had found it.
Just as the timeline aligned.
Mariella stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Why do you care so much about that dungeon? You didn't say anything, but… I can feel something coming."
He didn't answer.
She hated when he did that—when he simply absorbed information without sharing even a fraction of his internal reasoning.
"You're really not going to tell me?" she pressed.
Lencar finally looked at her.
A quiet, unreadable look.
"No."
Mariella clicked her tongue. "Fine. Then what now?"
"Now," Lencar said, closing the folder, "I leave for some time."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Training?"
He nodded once.
"And," he added quietly, "preparation."
Mariella frowned. "For what?"
Lencar stepped past her, cloak drifting behind him as his mana stirred faintly.
"For what comes next."
She bit her lip, frustration flashing across her face—but she said nothing more.
Lencar walked to the door, opened it, and paused for a brief moment.
"Mariella."
"What?"
"Keep watching movements. Notify me with the mark if anything unusual occurs."
She scoffed lightly. "When isn't something unusual around you?"
He didn't respond.
He stepped outside.
The night air was cold, and the moon hung low.
And as he prepared to teleport away—
a familiar, heavy feeling settled in his chest.
Pieces were falling into place.
Patterns converging.
Threads tightening around the kingdom.
The dungeon in Kiten had appeared.
Asta and Yuno's paths were rising.
And soon—
Very soon—
The Royal Capital Assault would begin.
Lencar lifted his hand, mana swirling.
"It starts soon," he murmured to the empty street. "Too soon."
Space distorted.
He vanished.