Ready for a Fight!

Karya explained his plan in detail.

After learning the whole thing, Luxanna felt an odd sense of déjà vu.

Plans that seemed utterly bizarre and unreliable at every turn—hadn't they come up again and again in Karya's stories about Setaqa?

As for the results... at least in the stories, every one of them had worked.

And on closer thought, once she considered the habits and traits of the nobles, the plan seemed remarkably reliable after all.

Luxanna rubbed her temples, feeling conflicted, and let out a long sigh...

"Karya, tell me honestly. Were you really not some despicable opportunistic politician in the past?" Luxanna asked, feeling like she'd gotten herself into a mess. "Compared to your plan, even Dili, who loves to take advantage of things, seems kind and pure!"

Faced with Luxanna's accusation, Karya looked entirely unapologetic.

"What's wrong with my plan?" Karya snorted. "Tell me, which part isn't reliable?"

"...It's all fairly reliable."

"And if the plan goes smoothly, won't the results be excellent?" Karya continued. "The kind that makes everyone happy?"

"They'll be great. The opportunists get punished, the innocent are protected, and I gain my freedom—" Luxanna drew out her words. "But that's not the point! This plan is full of lies!"

"Those good results are more than enough!" Karya said cheerfully, not seeing the problem at all. "Great undertakings don't fuss over details. Besides... who says these have to be lies?"

"They aren't lies?"

"Just do as I say," Karya insisted. "Even your family will end up supporting you."

"I'm still a little uneasy."

"That respected philosopher once said that if you want to open a window, the best way is to propose tearing off the roof. Then people will settle for opening the window instead," Karya explained. "When things start heading toward tearing off the roof, everyone will decide that opening a window sounds pretty good."

"Well said, Karya." Luxanna clapped without changing her expression. "But have you considered that it means I won't see my parents or friends for a long time? My reputation will be in shambles, too. And even conflicts lurking in the shadows will be dragged into the open?"

"About that..." Karya drawled. "Don't worry. They're all still young. This is only a temporary parting, and parting is for the sake of a happier reunion!"

"..."

"As for your reputation, do you even care about it?" Karya continued in that matter-of-fact tone. "It can only be your shackles. I didn't understand that until I became a Darkin. By the way, 'Darkin' is considered a slur most of the time."

"..."

"As for those conflicts, they'll still be there whether they're brought out into the open or not. Giving the nobles a little sense of danger might ease the pressure on the common folk! I'm not actually trying to inflame tensions. I'm just giving the noble lords a warning."

"..."

"Here, I'll tell you another little secret." Karya leaned in and spoke mysteriously. "Light mages can turn into light. Do you know how fast light is?"

"???"

"If you master the art of turning into light, you can return to Demacia in the blink of an eye, even from a thousand miles away!" Karya declared confidently. "Follow my plan, and once you've finished your training, you can return to Demacia, rescue your uncle from the Shadow Realm, and set about saving the country!"

"But I can do that in Demacia, too—"

"Here, you'll only sink deeper into the nobles' quagmire," Karya cut off Luxanna's last hope. "Even your aunt has to marry that Magic Seeker commander. Demacia's problems can't be solved completely from within Demacia. You won't be able to act freely!"

"...Fine!" After a moment's silence, Luxanna finally gritted her teeth and nodded. "We'll do it your way!"

Convinced, Luxanna began preparing for the plan.

First, the person she needed to see was Sona.

Karya didn't hide anything from her and laid out the entire plan.

When Sona learned what it was, she was just as dumbfounded as Luxanna had been. She instinctively objected, too.

"That's impossible! The Illuminators would never allow this!" Sona was stunned by Karya's audacity. "The Silencers are the Illuminators' most mysterious group. How could they be as bold as you say?"

"They will be!" Karya said, brimming with confidence. "The Illuminators' origins are far more complicated than you think!"

"But it's still far too dangerous," Sona insisted. "Leaving Demacia... it's much too risky!"

"Maybe Luxanna will go to Ionia, too!" Karya had anticipated Sona's objection. "Don't worry. With me around, Luxanna will be fine—and think about your simulation training. Runeterra is dangerous, but not for her."

Sona blinked.

That... did make sense.

"And you should know that there are many things you can't do if you stay in Demacia as a noble," Karya continued, guiding her along. "Besides, you don't want Eno to die in Nullstone Prison, do you?"

"Then... all right!" Sona threw her arms around Luxanna. "I'll tell Mother. And you have to be careful!"

"Don't worry." Luxanna patted Sona on the shoulder. "It'll probably be a while before I can return to Demacia openly, but if all goes well, sneaking back shouldn't be too difficult!"

And so, thanks to Karya's silver tongue, Luxanna gained her first accomplice.

Though Sona was reluctant to see Luxanna leave, in the end she chose to help.

The first step was complete!

After saying goodbye to Sona, Luxanna hurried off once more to Nullstone Prison.

Unlike before, she couldn't enter the prison this time.

Though the guards recognized her, they no longer allowed her inside.

"Those are the Marshal's orders." The Magic Seeker guard looked apologetic and lowered his voice. "Please understand, miss. There's nothing we can do."

"I see..." Luxanna sighed in frustration. "All right, then do me a favor. Take this travelogue to Eno and bring back the one she has. That shouldn't be difficult, should it?"

"Miss... there's nothing we can do." The Magic Seeker guard had clearly been warned. "The prison is sealed off from the outside. We can't pass in any messages."

"You won't let me in, and you won't even take in a book?" Luxanna raised her voice. "It's just a travelogue! Go ahead and look through it yourself if you don't believe me!"

Luxanna usually wore a cheerful smile, but now her eyebrows were practically standing on end. The Magic Seeker guard promptly shut his mouth and obediently took the book.

It was just a book, after all.

Lady Tiana's wishes mattered.

So did Miss Luxanna Crownguard's!

The Magic Seeker guard hurried inside and returned just as quickly. By the time he appeared in front of Luxanna again, the book in his hands had been replaced.

The book Luxanna had brought had been delivered to Eno, while the travelogue she'd left with Eno the day before had been brought back.

"Is this the one?" the Magic Seeker guard asked, handing the travelogue to Luxanna. "This one... Past Events of Green Tooth Peak?"

"That's right, it is!" Luxanna smiled. "Thank you!"

After thanking him, she turned and left without hesitation.

The Magic Seeker guard let out a breath when he saw this. Neither book had any trace of magic or any sort of markings. It seemed Miss Luxanna really had only wanted her book back.

Thank goodness!

Back at Crownguard Manor, Luxanna returned the book to the study.

Tiana was there reading, too.

After seeing her aunt, Luxanna took the initiative to apologize. Though she looked a little reluctant, she said she would "observe the proper bounds of nobility."

"Why do I get the feeling little Lux wants to pull a little trick?" Tiana smiled. "Your aunt once disguised herself as a man and ran off to join the army, so... if you're going to pull a stunt, you'd better make it subtle!"

Though Luxanna was certain Tiana had no idea about Karya's grand plan, just hearing those words nearly made her heart skip a beat.

Fortunately, years of "acting practice" meant she had no tells, at least on the surface. She sighed and put on a helpless look, then pursed her lips at her aunt. "But you didn't have to go to such extremes!"

Tiana laughed at that and happily accepted Luxanna's "return to the straight and narrow." She stood up and gave Luxanna a warm hug. "Dear, I'm so glad you see it that way. We are Crownguards, born to nobility, so we must always be careful to preserve our family's honor."

"..."

"Our honor was passed down to us by our ancestors, and we must pass it on to our descendants," Tiana said softly. "Look on the bright side. At least you haven't suffered an unrequited love that came to nothing, as I did."

Luxanna's expression grew a little strange at Tiana's words, but fortunately, Tiana didn't notice.

After saying this, Tiana smiled faintly, let go of Luxanna, and picked up her book again.

She was confident.

Confident that her clever niece knew how to weigh what mattered, and confident that she could keep the situation under control.

Even if Luxanna really did try to pull a little stunt, it was bound to be pointless.

A young girl whose actions could be swayed by her feelings and who acted on impulse was still far too green.

Luxanna thought she could fool her?

Maybe in another three thousand years!