I reached out, my fingers hovering just above the carved lines. The air here was thicker, heavier, like the moment before a storm broke. I could feel something pressing against the edges of my perception, not quite there, but waiting.

Don’t touch it.

The thought came sharp and immediate. Not from the system. From somewhere inside my mind. Instinct, maybe. Or whatever remained of the original Cassian’s battle-hardened intuition.

Was it because of the new skills I obtained? That was definitely something new.

I pulled my hand back.

"System. Scan the circle. Tell me what it’s for."

[Analyzing...]

[Purpose: Creates a stabilized tear between dimensions, allowing entities to pass through without destroying the surrounding area.]

[Status: Incomplete.]

[Estimated time to completion if unattended at current pace: eight days]

Fourteen days.

That’s... not long.

"The portal in the novel appeared far later, exactly when the capital was overwhelmed, after all the corruption and death managed to overwhelm reality and manifest the portal."

I muttered, standing up.

"So the timeline’s shifted. Or the novel was wrong. Or..."

Or someone had been accelerating the process.

"Well, whatever it is, this was definitely not in the novel."

I turned in a slow circle, scanning the room again. The crates, the dust, the cold air that shouldn’t have been this cold.

"Someone’s been maintaining this place," I said quietly. "The runes are too clean. The dust is on the crates, but not on the carvings. Someone’s been coming here."

The question was who.

And whether they knew I’d bought the factory.

Maybe that was the reason why this carving was ahead of schedule?

I walked the perimeter of the circle, staying well outside the carved lines. The gantries overhead groaned again, and I looked up, half-expecting to see someone watching. But there was nothing. Just shadows and rust and the faint whisper of air moving.

Investigating this was important, but at the same time...

Should I really care?

Even if this was something hidden in the background of the novel, it should still follow the novel’s events. And if these carvings really were what created the portal the main character encountered...

Shouldn’t I just ignore this instead? Speed up my awakening?

The answer was yes.

But that didn’t mean I would simply look the other way.

"Whoever was paranoid enough to accelerate this..."

’You’re an idiot.’

I kept the thought internal, just in case anyone was still lurking nearby. The last thing I needed was someone overhearing my plans.

Was it cruel to ignore this? To allow a potentially devastating portal to manifest in the heart of the imperial city?

Yes.

But did I need the awakening this portal would bring?

Also, a resounding yes.

’No one will know if I just keep this to myself.’

I’d still reinforce the location with my own assets. I’d order my people to keep the carvings a secret, to avoid alerting the rest of the factory or the Golden District. Whatever this was, I’d make sure whoever was behind it could continue their plan undisturbed.

If someone snuck in to speed things up? I’d deliberately tell my guards to turn a blind eye.

Right now, I needed strength. Strength to protect the people I actually cared about. Strength to live this life to the fullest.

A few casualties here and there?

They shouldn’t matter.

[Noctierre’s Conditioning: 23%]

’So this skill isn’t just about physicality.’

Well... conditioning was a pretty vague term. Physical and mental, apparently.

Guess I’d just fulfilled the latter.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the circle.

The decision was made. I wasn’t going to second-guess myself now.

"Lieutenant," I called out, raising my voice just enough to carry through the thick door.

The door creaked open almost immediately, the lieutenant’s face appearing in the gap. "Your Grace?"

I turned away from the circle, making sure my body blocked his view of the carvings. He didn’t need to see them. No one did.

"This room," I said, walking toward him. "It’s being repurposed. I’ll have my own people oversee the work. Your men aren’t to enter without my explicit authorization. Understood?"

The lieutenant blinked, clearly caught off guard. "But Your Grace, the factory director will need to—"

"The factory director answers to me now." I stopped in front of him, close enough that he had to tilt his head back to meet my eyes. "And I’m giving you an order. This room is off-limits. If I find out anyone has been inside without my permission, I will hold you personally responsible."

Sweat beaded on the lieutenant’s forehead. "Y-Yes, Your Grace. Of course. I’ll inform the director immediately."

"Good."

I stepped past him into the corridor, and the door swung shut behind me, sealing the circle back into darkness.

***

The drive back to the estate was quiet.

I stared out the window, watching the Golden District’s polished streets give way to the broader avenues of the noble quarter. My reflection stared back at me from the glass, pale and unfamiliar.

"You’re quiet, my lord," the driver observed. "Is something troubling you?"

"Just thinking."

"Shall I take the scenic route? Give you more time?"

"No." I leaned my head against the seat. "Just get us home."

The automobile pulled through the gates, past the guards who snapped to attention, past the manicured gardens that servants maintained with obsessive care. The main doors opened before I’d even reached them, a footman appearing to take my coat.

"Is Faye still in my chambers?" I asked, handing over the coat.

"Yes, Your Grace. And the... other lady as well. They requested dinner be sent up an hour ago."

"Together?"

The footman’s expression flickered, something between confusion and uncertainty. "Yes, Your Grace. They seemed... amicable."

That was progress, I supposed.

I climbed the stairs, my boots heavy on the marble. The corridor leading to my chambers was quiet, the guards stationed at either end giving me respectful nods as I passed. I paused outside the door, listening.

Muffled voices.

Not arguing. Laughing, actually.

I pushed the door open.

The scene that greeted me was not what I expected.

Faye and Reina were sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, empty plates scattered around them, a half-empty bottle of wine between them. Faye was wearing one of my shirts again, and Reina had borrowed a pair of my pants as well, the cuffs rolled up several times to accommodate the difference in height.

Guess they decided they were more comfortable in my own clothing.

They both turned when I entered, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Reina raised her wine glass. "The lord of the manor returns."

"Did you two... bond?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

Faye’s cheeks were flushed, and not just from the fire. "We talked."

"About?"

"You~," Reina said with a smirk.