Chapter 60: Stepping Outside the Royal City (3) – The Secret Beneath the Royal City

Returning to her room and changing out of the temporarily requisitioned court-issued uniform, Lucoco hurried straight to the Regency Hall.

The heavy wooden door creaked open with a low groan.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, falling upon stone walls carved with ancient script.

Raymond was already seated in his high-backed chair, mechanically reviewing documents.

Seeing it was Lucoco who entered, a rare softness touched the corner of his mouth.

“Lord Raymond.”

Lucoco gave a slight bow, performing a standard court curtsy, and gently placed the folded uniform on a nearby table.

“Hehehe… No need to be so formal, Morning Light.”

Raymond chuckled softly.

He pointed to the chair in front of him, his tone gentle.

“Just call me Uncle Raymond. Come, sit. Coming this early, is there something on your mind?”

“It’s about the assessment just now…”

Lucoco sat down, looking at Raymond, her voice carrying a note of gravity.

“On the Mechanized Falcon’s reactor, I saw the imprint of a Puppeteer’s magic formula. And… that Falcon’s performance… somewhat exceeded expectations.”

“…Hmm, I see…”

Raymond frowned, his fingertips lightly tapping the desk, producing a low, rhythmic sound.

After a moment of contemplation, he turned his head to the personal guard beside him, Tris, and said in a low voice, “Tris, send someone to investigate this.”

“Yes, sir!”

Tris accepted the order and quickly left the Regency Hall.

The spacious hall was now left with only Raymond and Lucoco.

Raymond smiled kindly and resumed reviewing the documents.

His pen scratched softly on the paper.

“Morning Light, if you have any questions, ask away. There’s no one else here,” he said, his voice soft.

Lucoco hesitated for a moment but chose to voice the doubt in her heart.

“Why… why did you allow Princess Amy to go as well?”

“Hehehe…”

Raymond stopped writing, his tone a mix of helplessness and deep affection.

“It wasn’t that I wanted her to go. The little girl kept having her maids relay messages, pestering me to let her go.”

“And you agreed?”

Lucoco tilted her head slightly.

Raymond looked up, his gaze soft as he looked at her.

“I believe in you, Morning Light. With you there, they will be alright.”

“The pressure is immense, Uncle Raymond.”

Lucoco’s small shoulders slumped as she sighed.

“Hahaha~”

Raymond laughed heartily, yet his words held an undeniable firmness.

“Uncle is under pressure too. But… this is the Kingdom of Versadis… This is a path they must walk.”

“But…”

Lucoco hopped off her stool, took out the opened letter, and placed it on the table.

“I still don’t understand. Why me? Just because of a letter of recommendation?”

Raymond glanced at the letter but didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly turned to look out the window.

His gaze grew distant, as if chasing some far-off memory.

His voice carried a trace of rare weariness.

✧”Your uncle… was once a Sage as well.”✧

The words were spoken in a tone ordinary people couldn’t understand, nor should they casually listen to.

“……”

Lucoco was stunned, momentarily speechless.

She roughly understood Raymond’s meaning.

She didn’t press further, just quietly watched him.

“Can I entrust this to you?”

Raymond withdrew his gaze, a hint of earnestness in his eyes.

“Mhm.”

Lucoco gave a slight nod.

Raymond smiled faintly, a bit more relief appearing in his eyes.

“Well, since it’s still early, would you like to see the palace basement? You’ve been trying to concoct the Spirit-Covering Potion lately, right?”

“That place is…?”

Lucoco’s heart skipped a beat, vaguely guessing something.

Raymond stood up, taking a deep breath.

“The kingdom’s strongest combat power, and also Amy’s mother… Saye’s resting place.”

“Alright.”

A flicker of anticipation passed through Lucoco’s eyes.

“Follow me…”

✦✧✦✧

The heavy metal door groaned, dense pipes occasionally leaking wisps of white steam.

Once the loud noise subsided, Lucoco finally saw the scene inside.

Countless instruments surrounded the space, emitting low hums.

Vast amounts of energy flowed through the pipes, ultimately converging on a central platform.

On the platform, a massive cocoon of light emitted a gentle glow.

And within the cocoon, a humanoid mech-soldier with exquisite features, an elegant, maiden-like form, and standing a full four meters tall…

Lay quietly asleep…

“Hiss!”

Lucoco instinctively sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes widening.

This is Amy’s mother?

Amy’s mother is actually a…

Mecha-girl??

“Uncle Raymond! Can you explain this, please?!”

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she asked.

Her gaze, full of astonishment and curiosity, was glued to the mecha-girl, unable to be pried away!

“You know about Amy’s Imprint, right?”

Raymond was also looking at the mecha-girl, a trace of reminiscence in his tone.

“When the Magic Path Mech-Soldier Imprint is fully manifested… this is exactly what it looks like.”

“You mean… Amy’s Imprint was inherited from her mother?”

Lucoco asked, finding it hard to believe.

“That’s correct…”

Raymond gave a slight nod, his gaze resting on the light cocoon.

“I’ll concoct the Spirit-Covering Potion as quickly as possible!!”

Lucoco suddenly became filled with fighting spirit!

‘Saving a mecha-girl is a duty that brooks no delay! It’s definitely not some… Cao Cao-thief mentality!’

Hearing Lucoco’s words, a complicated look flashed in Raymond’s eyes.

He spoke softly, carrying a hint of apology.

“Morning Light, if possible… please don’t let Amy see the Spirit-Covering Potion…”

“Why?”

Lucoco was taken aback, looking at him in confusion.

“Because…”

Raymond paused, taking a deep breath…

“The reason Lady Saye hasn’t fallen into complete silence is entirely due to this light cocoon. It’s the effect of Adrian’s Imprint. Almost all the energy from his Imprint is used to maintain this Guardian Cocoon.”

“The Spirit-Covering Potion could indeed potentially cure Lady Saye, but… to use the potion to awaken Saye, we would have to remove this cocoon.”

“Without the cocoon’s protection, Lady Saye… she could exist for at most a dozen minutes… even though she is a Sage.”

“And those few minutes… are the kingdom’s final reliance, the deterrent against the Dark Camp.”

“Amy’s talent is even better than her mother’s. Given enough time, she will definitely reach Lord Rank, King Rank, and even step into Sagehood like her mother!”

“And Adrian… his talent… he will surely surpass his father in the future!”

“Only then will it be the right time. The time to either bid farewell to Lady Saye… or… for Lady Saye to truly live again!”

Raymond poured out all these secrets in one breath.

By the end, a terrifying intensity shone in his eyes.

He looked steadily at Lucoco.

“Morning Light, the Spirit-Covering Potion isn’t something that can’t be concocted… it’s something that must not be concocted yet…”

The fire in Lucoco’s heart was extinguished by Raymond’s words, turning into a heavy silence.

“…I understand.”

No wonder, with so many Palace Alchemists, not a single one tried to concoct it.

Only Amy was striving.

And now I understand why Adrian’s Imprint effect is so weak.

So, such a weighty secret was hidden behind it all…

“Let’s go back.”

Raymond resumed his kindly smile, raising a hand to gently pat Lucoco’s head.

Lucoco turned her head, taking one last look at the slumbering existence.

She softly replied “Mhm,” then turned to leave, her emotions complex.

The massive metal door slowly closed, its heavy sound echoing in the underground space.

The two walked back along the path they came, their footsteps unusually clear in the not-so-bright passageway.

“Morning Light.”

Raymond suddenly spoke.

“Hmm?”

Lucoco’s head was slightly lowered, lost in thought.

“If it were Source of Rebirth, Lady Saye would definitely recover to her peak.”

“That’s something only a high-rank Alchemy Master can concoct. I’m just an Alchemist. I’m still far from it.”

“Hehehe… Compared to others, you are already very close.”

“The one from Lunes…”

Lucoco suddenly thought of a person.

“That Lord attempted it… but failed. The magical power within her body was too low to sustain that formula.”

Raymond smiled wryly.

They had indeed sought out that Alchemist.

“Even she couldn’t do it…”

Lucoco sighed inwardly, feeling it was a pity.

…The two continued walking.

After stepping into the elevator, “Then, may this uncle make an impertinent request?”

Raymond asked solemnly, as if having made a major decision.

“What request?”

Lucoco tilted her head, giving a playful smile.

“It can’t be asking me to marry into the royal family, can it?”

Raymond looked at her helplessly.

“I know… you won’t belong to anyone.”

“Then what do you want?”

Lucoco placed her hands behind her head, her voice calm.

✧”Please believe… that Raymond will never betray Versadis.”✧

Raymond looked deeply at Lucoco, his voice resolute.

“Mhm… Although I don’t fully understand, Morning Light will try her best.”

“Thank you.”

From then on, the two exchanged no more words, walking back to the Regency Hall in silence.

✧✦✧✦

Not long after returning to the Regency Hall, Adrian and Amy arrived as well.

Raymond put on his serious face again, meticulously explaining all the details.

The training mission seemed quite simple on the surface.

Travel around half the kingdom, dealing with monsters in some areas or investigating situations in others, in the capacity of Kingdom Judgment Knights.

At least, that’s how Raymond had written it.

Compared to the description in Lucoco’s mission, it lacked one key word: ‘suppress.’

Training missions were a rule for every noble’s children, usually undertaken around the age of twenty.

Starting the training earlier signified greater excellence, allowing one to hold their head higher before others.

The two were very excited now but still forcibly suppressed their inner agitation.

Amy clenched her small fists, her purple eyes sparkling.

Adrian puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.

“Amy, Adrian, and Morning Light, take these.”

Raymond took three bracelets from a drawer and placed them on the table.

The siblings’ eyes were instantly drawn to them!

They swallowed hard.

Adrian, who had received an elbow nudge from his sister, asked uncertainly, “Are these… Storage Bracelets?”

“One for each of you. The supplies you’ll need are all inside.”

Raymond pushed the bracelets forward, his emotions unreadable.

“Take them and be on your way. As for when to leave, wait at Morning Light’s place.”

“Yes, sir.”

Adrian gave a standard salute.

“Goodbye…”

Amy bid a soft farewell.

Each took a bracelet, suppressing their pounding hearts, and carefully retreated toward the door.

The siblings were genuinely afraid of this uncle, having been so since childhood.

They didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.

However, as she was leaving, Amy didn’t forget to tug on Lucoco’s sleeve.

Lucoco signaled with her eyes for Amy to go first, and only then did Amy let go.

Slowly picking up the Storage Bracelet from the table, Lucoco looked up and asked, “What’s inside?”

“Some supplies, two sets of Judgment Knight uniforms, and tokens representing your status.”

Raymond answered while sliding a note over.

“How should we leave?”

Lucoco took the note and tucked it into her pocket.

“In your room, to the right of the fireplace wall, there’s a button. It opens a secret chamber containing a teleportation array leading outside the Royal Capital.”

Raymond’s tone was calm as he resumed reviewing documents.

“Everything really is within your plans, isn’t it?”

Lucoco chuckled and shook her head, turning to walk towards the door.

Closing the door, she met up with the two waiting outside, and they all returned to her quarters.

✦✧✦✧

Just as Raymond had said, there was indeed a mechanism in her room.

After twisting it, an entrance appeared on the wall.

Inside was a small teleportation array, ready to be activated at any time.

“Morning Light, you’re really giving this to me?”

Are held the Storage Bracelet, her eyes full of emotion.

Such a precious item, and Lucoco was willing to give it to her!

One must know that Storage Bracelets weren’t something you could buy with just gold coins.

To obtain one, you either had to get lucky opening various treasure chests, or accumulate a massive amount of Faith Points and offer them at a divine statue to receive one.

In short, these things were fundamentally impossible to manufacture.

“Hehe~ Sister has been so good to me, of course I have to repay sister~”

Lucoco hopped in front of Are, smiling brightly as she took Are’s hand.

“From now on, sister won’t have to carry a travel bag every day.”

“Mhm!”

Are’s eyes curved into crescents as she bent down and planted a kiss on Lucoco’s cheek.

[System Notification: Are’s Favorability toward you has increased ♥X50. Intimacy has increased to 90%.]

Looking at the system prompt and the words “On the verge of being successfully courted” above Are’s head, Lucoco’s smile grew even sweeter.

‘Aiya ya~ Sister Are is just too easy to court. When will sister’s disguise… break? I’m so looking forward to it~ Oh hoh hoh~~’

…

On the other side, the siblings were also astonished by Lucoco’s generosity.

Amy watched unblinkingly, feeling the two were very affectionate.

Their intimate manner also made her feel a bit envious.

As for Adrian, he felt something odd in his heart.

It wasn’t just simple envy, but…

A bit sour?

Thinking carefully, he suddenly realized something…

Ever since that night he climbed the balcony, it seemed Lucoco had never shown him the smiling face she had during their first two encounters?

Where did the problem lie?

Adrian couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he thought.

Just as he was pondering, the three girls turned their heads in unison and, giggling, pushed him out of the room.

They were going to change into their Judgment Knight uniforms.

Leaning against the wall outside, Adrian could hear the sounds of the girls’ playful banter and exclamations inside.

The corner of his mouth unconsciously lifted into a smile of anticipation.

Traveling with three beautiful girls…

Even a Prince couldn’t help but indulge in a few fantasies, right?

If one had to blame something, blame the Players’ illustrated storybooks that had poisoned his youthful heart.

He was just one of the “victims”…