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Grisha inquired, “What is the Autonomous Territory military doing? They wouldn’t be hiding in this situation, would they?”

Watcher, who had been leaning against the window behind Lapis, replied to Grisha’s query.

“Most of the military power, including the battleships, is currently deployed to destroy the barrier installed throughout the Autonomous Territory. At this point, we cannot make contact, and due to the suddenly strengthened updraft, it’s said that it’s difficult to approach near the floating islands from the outskirts of the Autonomous Territory.”

Grisha pondered the timing, remarking, “What a ridiculous timing. Do you think all of this is a coincidence?”

“It probably isn’t.”

Watcher, wearing a cold expression, shook his head.

Lapis interjected, “There are a few high-ranking officials who were in charge of rituals to strengthen the updraft. Perhaps one of them colluded with the Drug Lord and timed all of this…”

“So, you’re saying the only force capable of calming this situation now is the lighthouse watchers and outsiders who haven’t sided with the Drug Lord?”

In any case, the fact that someone could orchestrate all of this from thousands of kilometers away on the other side of the continent was truly remarkable.

Even from his conversation with the drug lord, it seemed that he remained unaware that Grisha had returned to the lighthouse.

In essence, he spontaneously devised this flawless encirclement using the resources available within the Autonomous Territory.

Was it a stroke of luck that allowed him to orchestrate all this, or did it result from the astute perspective of a seasoned businessman?

The ultimate goal he envisions at the culmination of these elaborate plans is likely something beyond the imagination of most.

The other watchers seemed to share similar sentiments, their expressions darkening even if they couldn’t fully grasp the entire situation.

“Summarize the situation,” Grisha requested, her pipe clamped between her teeth.

“Almost all the watcher forces that were in the lighthouse to block the monsters that appeared throughout the Autonomous Territory are now gone. But at this point, where we can’t tell where these monsters are coming from, to solve the problem at once, we need to decipher the tricks of that Juice Master.”

Boom!

“And according to Evan, this monster knows the answer. Can you explain what you suspect now?” Grisha’s inquiry turned the attention to the two men he had brought along.

“These people, even though they are conscious, are drooling.”

“Are they twins? Why bother saving and bringing them…” Instead of responding directly, Lennok nodded in Lapis’s direction.

“First, take a look with your own eyes and let’s talk. Check it out.”

Despite the urgency of the situation, Lapis activated her celestial vision without hesitation, scrutinizing the man as Lennok had suggested.

“This is…”

It didn’t take long for her to swallow hard and turn her gaze back to Lennok.

“Evan knew. This is not a living creature.”

“What do you mean?” A watcher inquired.

Lapis replied to the watcher’s question. “It looks like it’s breathing and has intelligence, but its biological composition is completely different from that of humans. Furthermore, there’s no trace of the basic metabolism that a living organism should have.”

“In other words, this is more like a golem. That means…”

She stopped mid-sentence and suddenly turned her gaze toward Lennok, as though she had unraveled the answer.

Lennok confirmed her suspicions. “That’s right. Juice Master plans to reveal himself directly in the Autonomous Territory using homunculus.”

From this point on, they needed to choose their words with great care.

The crucial objective was to convince everyone that the technique employed by the drug lord was rooted in ancient alchemy and its characteristics.

Lennok had to be somewhat elusive about how he had come to possess this knowledge.

The explanation was brief, and everyone readily accepted the notion that a figure of the Drug Lord’s stature would invest substantially in acquiring ancient magic.

Upon witnessing the piece of homunculus flesh scraped off by Lennok transform into a viscous black substance, no one harbored doubts about Lennok’s words.

“I see… If he used that magic, it makes sense where the aberrations spreading throughout the Autonomous Territory came from.”

“Maybe he scraped off some of the homunculus flesh in advance, stored it separately, and released it into the water supply or reservoirs of the floating islands, causing large-scale damage?”

“It’s like the devil’s drug… You mean he used the money from selling drugs to produce such an irrational thing?”

The other watchers also began murmuring with shocked expressions.

Despite the Drug Lord’s infamous reputation across the continent, this marked the first time they had personally experienced the extent to which he could manipulate his adversaries.

“Considering the massive flesh encountered in the government building’s basement by Evan and Grisha, we can draw a conclusion.” Lapis declared with a steely expression.

“Dominic Cabaro intends to transfer not just his voice, but his entire consciousness using this homunculus. The fact that he didn’t react at all even when the vault was completely emptied means that he has something crucial coming up…”

“That means…”

“At least it wasn’t a lie when he said he’d come to the Autonomous Territory himself.”

Only then did the watchers begin to sense the ominous gravity in Lapis’s words.

The fact that he had infiltrated Philenom so covertly while they were away from the lighthouse was unsettling enough. However, realizing that their adversary was such a daring and audacious player sent shivers down their spines.

Yet, Lennok understood that if the timing hadn’t aligned so perfectly, he would never have encountered the Drug Lord. During his collaboration with Dyke Corporation, he had personally eliminated Paul Ackerman, one of the Drug Lord’s subordinates at the 49th District port, without any response from the Drug Lord. This indicated that he had been diligently weeding out threats from the start.

While this meticulous approach had undoubtedly contributed to his rise, the current situation was different. As soon as Lennok realized that the Drug Lord’s magic was derived from the alchemy of World 1.0, there was virtually no information gap.

After discovering that the Drug Lord had somehow acquired alchemy, Lennok had managed to piece together the entire story. He had even figured out how the Drug Lord intended to traverse thousands of kilometers to the other side of the continent.

Once Lennok had that insight, he roughly knew how to proceed. ‘All that’s left is to expose the board… But without her help, it’s impossible.’

Lennok glanced at Grisha, realizing that she was indispensable to his plan. After making up his mind, he began to speak slowly.

“I have an idea where the Drug Lord is hiding the homunculus.”

“…What?” Grisha turned his head abruptly.

The other watchers also directed their attention to him simultaneously.

Ignoring their stares, Lennok pointed to a spot on the map before him.

“He wouldn’t have had the luxury of producing the homunculus elsewhere and bringing it here. So, we need to find a place spacious enough to hide a facility capable of producing a homunculus, and a place that has already once slipped our notice.”

“In that case…!”

The eyes of the other watchers widened as they examined the marked location on the map.

“You can’t be serious… It’s this close?”

“If that’s true, it’s a great relief that we’ve evacuated the people in advance.”

“Could it be that evacuating the 2nd and 3rd floating islands was for this moment…?”

“Check the herb storage ledger found in the Drug Lord’s warehouse. Among the places where the herbs were shipped, this place might be included.”

Just as Lennok suggested, after scrutinizing the ledger, Lapis exclaimed in surprise, “You’re right. There’s definitely overlapping information.”

“It was exactly the same method as when they occupied the old Historical Museum. Did you anticipate the Drug Lord’s modus operandi?”

“I had some idea.”

Lennok acknowledged and then turned his gaze toward Lapis.

“You’re right. Regardless of knowing where and what the Drug Lord is preparing, it’s impossible to completely thwart his scheme.”

“That means…”

“Even if we pour all the power of the Eyes of Blue into the location I just revealed, wouldn’t he have prepared for that? It wouldn’t be strange if we just end up wasting time.”

“Let’s get straight to the point.”

Her tone was firmer than usual. She understood why Lennok was hesitating, even though he likely knew the answer.

“Do you have another way in mind?”

“I have a plan. And I need to prepare.”

“…”

“I would appreciate the cooperation of all the watchers for this process.”

Lennok proceeded to explain his plan to the watchers. Specifically, it was a singular strategy designed to capture the Drug Lord here and now. It was a gamble that hinged on the inherent compatibility between alchemy and the homunculus. However, it was an extreme solution that he couldn’t carry out alone.

Silence filled the room. Everyone present understood the gravity of Lennok’s words. If Lennok’s conjecture was incorrect or if things didn’t unfold as planned, the Eyes of Blue would expend all its energy. But the fact that it wasn’t an impossible endeavor was what convinced them.

All eyes turned to Lapis.

Slowly, she began to speak.

***

In the lighthouse courtyard.

The few remaining wingboats had all departed.

Leaving only the essential personnel required to maintain the lighthouse’s celestial magic, all the watchers engaged in the operation.

With a complex expression, Lennok, who had been gazing at the sky, turned to Grisha, who was doing the same.

“It’s something only you can do. Can I entrust you with it?”

Asking for someone’s cooperation in a battle was a challenging task for Lennok, but he was adapting to it. If there was a sorceress as skilled as Grisha, she could handle what Lennok couldn’t. This meant that Lennok could implement a strategy he wouldn’t have dared to consider otherwise.

But Lennok was confident.

He had uncovered the secret behind the updraft he had observed while traversing the Autonomous Territory. He understood the reason for the existence of the clusters of Floating Islands. And given the celestial magic employed in the lighthouse, he was certain that he could submerge the Drug Lord’s ritual beneath the depths of the sea here.

Grisha, whose lips had been tightly sealed, finally spoke.

“You spoke to Lapis deliberately to get her response, all for this moment?”

“…”

Lennok didn’t deny it.

Grisha gazed up at the sky in silence.

“Perhaps, the message Grandmother left for you was also for this moment…”

She murmured absentmindedly.

Then, a sharp focus returned to Grisha’s eyes.

“Tell me what I need to do. As long as I can give that drug bastard a taste of his own medicine, I don’t care.”

“…”

Although the term ‘drug bastard’ was a bit uncomfortable for Lennok to hear, he tolerated it because they were about to embark on a much more challenging task.