The agreed twenty minutes ticked by, second by second.
Luke walked the streets, feeling the sun's lingering warmth, but he didn't find a single useful lead.
Honestly, the more time passed, the lower the odds of catching the thief who'd stolen the purse.
At this point, it wasn't "slim" anymore—it was truly, genuinely down to d...
2026-01-17 20:34:18 +0000 UTC View Post"So—how did you and Lux meet?" Kahina asked curiously. After listening to Lux talk for so long, it felt like Lux had been the thread tying everything together from beginning to end.
But Lux hadn't explained how she'd even run into this new prince in the first place.
Noticing the hint of formality in Kahina's tone, Luke said, "We're...
2026-01-17 20:34:04 +0000 UTC View PostWith Augatha's permission secured, the two of them left the Crownguard estate without any trouble.
Lux seemed to have already forgotten what had just happened. In a great mood, she walked ahead, humming some little tune Luke didn't recognize.
Luke followed behind, glanced up at the sun still giving off leftover warmth. The light was ...
2026-01-17 20:33:49 +0000 UTC View Post"It feels so good to be free again!"
Lux looked at Luke gratefully, letting out a long breath. "You have no idea how miserable my day has been."
"I can kinda tell," Luke said, continuing to sip his tea, thinking back to what he'd just witnessed.
"Forget it! Let's eat cake!" Lux's bright, sparkling eyes locked onto the delicate ...
2026-01-17 20:33:38 +0000 UTC View PostCarrying the cake box, Luke wandered along while looking for the direction to the Crownguard estate.
On the way, unable to resist his curiosity, he finished his own portion first.
Before long, noon had already passed. The sun overhead began to give off an unpleasant heat, and there were far fewer people on the streets.
Luke fin...
2026-01-17 20:33:25 +0000 UTC View PostFiora hadn't lied.
She really had suppressed her strength, keeping herself as close as possible to Luke's level.
Even so, it was still a challenge for her.
After all, it wasn't easy to take power you'd honed through countless battles and force it back down to a stage you'd already left behind.
But it wasn't a big problem....
2026-01-17 20:33:14 +0000 UTC View PostWhat a vicious offensive!
Bear Mask had never felt this much pressure from a rookie before. He hadn't even had time to catch his breath when that blade flashed into view again!
Not good!
"Hah!!"
With a roar, Bear Mask exploded with brute strength and forcibly jolted Luke back.
Luke hopped lightly backward, and the m...
2026-01-17 20:33:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Alright, you're done here."
Luke waved a hand, ignoring the attendant, and started wandering around on his own.
The attendant gave a slight bow without a word and went back into the corridor.
Luke looked left and right. He still didn't see that figure again, but he was sure of one thing—she had come in here.
And since ...
2026-01-17 20:32:44 +0000 UTC View PostFull and satisfied.
Luke stretched as he walked along the road, basking in sunlight that still wasn't too hot.
Next, it was time to go see Miss Crownguard.
He strolled and browsed as he went. Even at noon, the capital's streets were still packed with people.
Just then, Luke suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure flick...
2026-01-17 20:32:31 +0000 UTC View PostAfter waiting a little longer, the server finally came over carrying two dishes.
"Enjoy."
After setting them down respectfully, the server turned and left.
Looking at the steaming food on the table, and after listening to the couple next door praise it for so long, Luke couldn't help feeling curious.
He examined it closel...
2026-01-17 20:32:17 +0000 UTC View PostAll he felt was soreness all over.
When the scam ringleader finally came back to his senses, he realized the one pinning him down was a cold-faced man in white. On the man's chest was a badge so unfamiliar the ringleader couldn't even guess where it came from—but he could confirm one thing.
They were terrifyingly strong.
Out ...
2026-01-17 20:31:54 +0000 UTC View PostLuke had actually noticed something.
Back then, Melli—his mother—had left the capital alone.
Right under the noses of King Jarvan III and Xin Zhao, she vanished without a trace. How did a woman without even proper identification manage that?
Luke couldn't help it—he really was curious.
What exactly happened back the...
2026-01-17 20:31:41 +0000 UTC View PostWith a thought from Luke—
In the next second, an information panel popped up in front of his eyes.
[Host: Luke]
[Aptitude: 11 (utterly mediocre)]
[Realm: None]
[Skills: None]
[Sub-profession: None]
[Items: None]
A completely empty panel, with that "utterly mediocre" glaring so brightly it was alm...
2026-01-17 20:31:27 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day.
Jarvan IV took Luke to Jarvan III's bedchambers to pay their respects.
Jarvan IV had stayed the night, sleeping in the same building as Luke. The two of them talked for quite a while, and it did bring them closer.
When they arrived, it seemed Jarvan III already knew there wasn't much worth discussing here. After t...
2026-01-17 20:31:09 +0000 UTC View Post"You don't need to comfort me. I know my own limits."
Luke let out a sigh. There wasn't much he could do about it.
He couldn't exactly expect to be some once-in-ten-thousand martial prodigy. And growing up malnourished—honestly, just staying alive until now was already no small feat.
"Let's not dwell on that. We can figure it...
2026-01-17 20:30:57 +0000 UTC View PostLuke finally had a moment to be alone.
He sorted through the chaotic mess of information in his head and couldn't help letting out a long breath.
What would happen next, even Luke couldn't say for sure.
For now, all he could do was take things one step at a time. At the very least, it seemed he was already ahead of a lot of peo...
2026-01-17 20:30:45 +0000 UTC View PostEverything that happened today had been far too sudden, and the amount of information pouring in all at once was overwhelming.
It left Jarvan III utterly exhausted. The news of Melli's death hit him hard. For all these years, he had never forgotten her. Every sleepless night spent tossing and turning, he would see his beloved's face again....
2026-01-17 20:30:31 +0000 UTC View Post"Your Majesty, are you ready?"
Roy spoke up at that moment. Truthfully, even as he asked, he already had an answer in his heart.
Everything had happened far too suddenly—Jarvan III's son from eighteen years ago had appeared out of nowhere.
Before today, he had never even imagined such a situation, yet it had undeniably happen...
2026-01-17 20:30:14 +0000 UTC View Post"For all these years… Mother never actually left Demacia. When I was little, there were so many things I didn't understand.
In my blurry memories, I can still vaguely remember it—whenever the marching bards sang praises of the Demacian king's valor, Mother would always gaze out the window… and smile like a fool."
Luke seemed to...
2026-01-17 20:30:00 +0000 UTC View PostCatherine Ireland—born into House Ireland—was King Jarvan III's wife, the queen of this nation.
And she was also the mother of that hero, Demacia's prince—Jarvan IV.
This short-lived woman died from complications during childbirth, but she left Jarvan III an heir.
As far as people knew, from that point on Jarvan III never...
2026-01-17 20:29:19 +0000 UTC View PostLuke felt like the timing was about right, so he bent forward in a bow and greeted, "Luke, greetings to Your Majesty King Jarvan III."
At that moment, everyone's eyes fell on Luke.
The pressure hit him all at once. It was as if his presence had shrunk smaller and smaller under their gaze.
This was practically the lowest rung me...
2026-01-17 20:28:51 +0000 UTC View PostOnly Luke and Calvin were left in the corridor.
After standing in silence for a while, Calvin suddenly took the initiative and asked, "What's your relationship with Miss Lux?"
There was curiosity in his tone, which wasn't surprising.
It was rare for anyone to see Miss Crownguard bring a man into the royal palace.
"First t...
2026-01-17 20:28:35 +0000 UTC View PostOn the way there, Luke thought about a lot of things, looking weighed down by worry.
Lux, walking ahead of him, was the complete opposite. Her steps were light, her arms swinging as she walked, and she looked like she was in an excellent mood.
She'd clearly already forgotten all about what happened on the street.
When Luke reac...
2026-01-17 20:28:19 +0000 UTC View PostI almost got my little stash cleaned out by such a simple scam!
Lux couldn't accept it!
Just then, Luke happened to look over at her, and Lux stubbornly insisted, "Actually, if I played a few more rounds, I would've figured it out!"
Whether you would've figured it out or not, I have no idea.
But by that point, the con art...
2026-01-17 20:28:02 +0000 UTC View Post"I won't even explain what a shill is—everyone here understands. And if nothing unexpected happens, those two over there who 'won money and left' are shills too. So why haven't they actually left?"
Luke spoke with total confidence.
"What do you mean by that?"
"We didn't do anything from start to finish. How are we shills now?...
2026-01-17 20:27:46 +0000 UTC View Post"Alright—watch closely!"
The stall owner started pulling the rope. It lengthened little by little while Lux stared at it, tense.
The next second, she went completely blank.
In those beautiful eyes of hers, the rope slowly, unmistakably looped around the rod—until, in the end, the tabletop was left with nothing but the rod i...
2026-01-17 20:27:28 +0000 UTC View Post"Next up, the game is really simple. You're just picking a rope hole. Whether you pick a hole where the rod ends up looping through the rope, or a hole where the rod blocks the rope, either works—just like what you saw just now. Everyone got it?"
The stall owner looked up, smiling warmly.
People around Luke whispered to each other,...
2026-01-17 20:27:13 +0000 UTC View PostIn the blink of an eye, two months passed, and true summer arrived.
Demacia—the capital.
A towering silver-white city wall looked solemn and imposing, its white bricks linked together like a suit of gleaming white armor.
Outside the wall, a white statue stood in silence, gazing down at the great city before it.
Beneath ...
2026-01-17 20:26:58 +0000 UTC View PostDemacia.
A remote frontier town.
The bright moon hung high. The weather was mild, and the cicadas wouldn't stop chirping.
The scenery around here wasn't anything special—just grass and trees, an endless stretch of green that made the whole place feel soaked in summer.
By the fence outside a secluded little shack, Luke l...
2026-01-17 20:25:53 +0000 UTC View PostAt three in the morning, a lot of people in Zaun still weren't asleep. The wastewater-pipe work was still going.
It was disruptive—seriously. The roaring, grinding noise above people's homes was deafening.
But not a single person came out to curse them out.
Not a single person even looked resentful.
Plenty of Zaunites c...
2026-01-17 16:00:18 +0000 UTC View Post