"Snowflake?"
Lucian suddenly recalled the [Unknown User] from the previous post.
Could it be that person?
Lucian glanced at Rover, only to find her looking back at him.
Clearly, Rover had also sensed that gaze.
Lucian suddenly grinned. "Rover, Yangyang, you two go on ahead."
Yangyang tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Lucian scratched his cheek, feigning embarrassment. "That fight with Scar got me all tense, so... I kinda need to take a leak..."
Yangyang: "...Alright, be careful."
Lucian nodded, watching as the two walked away.
With a swift activation of [Running in Style], Lucian bolted from the spot.
Of course, his sudden departure wasn't really about answering nature's call—it was the person tailing them.
A few seconds later, Lucian cautiously approached a bush and froze at the sight of the graceful figure standing before him.
Sanhua?!
Sanhua stood with her back to Lucian, holding a terminal as she communicated with someone.
"They're unharmed, no need to worry."
"Just as you predicted, Scar didn't harm them... Mhm... As per your instructions, I didn't intervene."
"How are things on your end?"
"...Please, make sure to take care of yourself, Magistrate."
Magistrate? So this was the Magistrate's arrangement. It seemed Rover was indeed crucial to Jinzhou important enough for the Magistrate to dispatch her personal bodyguard to protect her.
"Huh...?"
Sanhua's gaze suddenly sharpened as she scanned the area. Where's Lucian?
The person on the terminal seemed to ask something.
"No, it's nothing..."
She put away the terminal and was about to continue following when—
Her shoulders were suddenly grabbed from behind.
"Gotcha!"
Sanhua instinctively reached for her sword, but her arms were swiftly pinned by Lucian.
After the initial reflex, she quickly regained her composure.
"Lucian...? Don't be so presumptuous."
Though her words were stern, her tone remained flat.
Lucian released her, allowing Sanhua to turn around.
Sanhua was born with an unusual eye structure—she had no natural vision.
But after her right eye's frequency was eroded by a Tacet Discord, she developed an anomalous form of sight.
This was how she could determine that Rover was the person the Magistrate sought.
Even now, however, Sanhua still couldn't perceive Lucian's frequency clearly.
At such close range, she could only vaguely make out his silhouette.
"Why aren't you with them?"
Lucian smirked. "Who told you to be so careless and let me catch you?"
"I thought it was another Fractsidus operative."
Sanhua explained, "The Magistrate ordered me to protect you all in secret. After all, Rover is important to us."
"What about me?" Lucian planted his hands on his hips, looking at her expectantly.
If he could secure a partnership with Jinzhou, his grand money-making scheme would surely proceed without a hitch.
As the saying goes—politics and business go hand in hand!
"...You're somewhat important too, I suppose."
"???"
"Important is important, unimportant is unimportant. What do you mean 'somewhat important'?"
Lucian scowled dissatisfied. "Why does it sound so half-hearted?!"
Sanhua massaged her temples, visibly struggling to keep up with his erratic personality.
"In truth, I've already reported your situation to the Magistrate. She does have some interest in you."
Lucian exhaled in relief. "Good, good. Actually, I have a grand plan I'd like to collaborate on with Jinzhou!"
Sanhua blinked. "What grand plan?"
Lucian declared with gusto: "Let's join forces and take over Fractsidus and the Black Shores!"
Sanhua: "???"
"I can understand wanting to dismantle Fractsidus, but why the Black Shores...?"
Lucian huffed. "It's all because of that bastard Aalto!"
"After some careful reflection, I've come to a conclusion—how could someone as adorable as Encore possibly follow a guy like him?"
"She must've been brainwashed by the Black Shores! The 'Save Encore Operation' is absolutely necessary!"
Sanhua: "..."
She sighed and shook her head. "The Black Shores' situation is complicated. Unlike Fractsidus, they're not some villainous organization."
"In fact, they've been aiding Jinzhou from the shadows—though most citizens remain unaware of it."
"Oh?" Lucian raised a skeptical brow. "Well, in that case, let's focus on Fractsidus first! We'll deal with the Black Shores later!"
Sanhua: "...Even if we were to dismantle Fractsidus, what advantage would Jinzhou gain from collaborating with you? Jinzhou alone could handle their local operations."
Lucian puffed out his chest proudly. "Ah, but you underestimate me!"
"I am well-versed in the heavens above and the earth below, with unmatched wisdom in human affairs!"
"A master of the Four Books and Five Classics, an expert in the Art of War!"
"I comprehend the balance of Yin and Yang, decipher the Eight Trigrams, unravel the Mystic Gates, and command the Hidden Stems!"
"From the safety of my tent, I decide battles a thousand miles away!"
"Before even leaving my humble abode, I foresaw the tripartite division of the world!"
Sanhua stared, dumbfounded. "Is this... some kind of nonsense poem?"
Lucian snorted. "Even the five-star general MacArthur from America took one look at me and declared me a once-in-a-millennium genius!"
Sanhua: "America...? Where is that?"
Then it clicked. "Ah, a nation from your world, I assume."
Having tailed him this far, she already knew Lucian wasn't from this world.
Sanhua sighed. "Even so, Fractsidus has branches in multiple nations, with intricate connections that are nearly impossible to untangle."
"Uprooting them entirely is unrealistic."
Lucian clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Tsk, tsk. Such a small-minded bodyguard, lacking strategic vision. Understandable."
Sanhua: "..."
"If you're so insistent, I'll report this to the Magistrate once we return to Jinzhou. You can discuss it with her directly."
Lucian's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"
Sanhua: "..."
She felt like she'd been tricked, but she had no proof.
"Let's drop this for now..." Sanhua hesitated before speaking again. "Do you know why I can't see your frequency clearly?"
Lucian smirked smugly. "I already told you—I'm the chosen—"
Before he could finish, Sanhua cut him off with a pat on the shoulder. "I'm being serious."
Lucian's eyes darted around. "Oh...?"
He voiced the question on his mind. "Your eyes can see everyone's frequency without exception?"
Sanhua nodded. "According to Baizhi's research report, my frequency detection accuracy is 99.64%."
Lucian slapped his thigh in realization. "Ah, right! I must be that 0.36%!"
Sanhua's expression instantly darkened, a faint trace of murderous intent seeping out.
Lucian: "Ahem..."
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he frantically consulted his system.
After all, he had no idea why his frequency was invisible!
[Ding! Response to Host: To ensure your safety in an unfamiliar world, this is a protective function added by the system.]
[Since everything on this planet emits a frequency, this feature greatly safeguards your privacy!]
"I see... Can you make an exception for Sanhua?"
[Ding! Response to Host: Individual access can be granted! Host, please exercise caution!]
"In that case, grant access to Sanhua, Rover, Yangyang, and Chixia... Wait, no—not Baizhi yet! Just those four for now!"
[Ding! Frequency detection has been enabled for selected targets. Red Warning! Host, please exercise caution!]
"I, Lucian, never misjudge people! Those four are all good! If Baizhi doesn't try to dissect me, then she's good too!"
Once the system conversation ended, he turned back to Sanhua. "Try looking now?"
Sanhua's pupils glowed as her Tacet Mark activated.
Damn, white hair and red eyes—such a classic combo!
Lucian watched as Sanhua's eyes widened, scanning him from head to toe.
"Well? What's my frequency like?"
The glow in Sanhua's eyes faded as she took a slow breath.
"You, the Magistrate, and Rover... your frequencies are the same."
"You exist in this world as you truly are."