I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

The lynx, attracted by the little bird, looked slightly excited.

"The trap is set. Be careful when you go out at night."

By day, he gave instructions to Jetton, who was on night watch.

"Okay, boss. Goodnight, boss."

"Ah."

Sitting by the fire, Bai Zhou gently stroked the fine pen he always carried with him, the orange-red firelight reflecting his warm smile.

"His Majesty……"

Kal'tsit's gentle voice called out, bringing him back from his old memories.

"There's no need to address me that way, Kal'tsit."

He is no longer a true dragon, so there is no need to use this honorific title for him.

"Then how should I address you?"

"Whether it's your given name or courtesy name, you can call me whatever you want."

"..."

Kyle gazed at the boy's face, deep in thought.

Calling someone by their first name is disrespectful and should be avoided.

If we change his name to his courtesy name, the two are still not close, which is not good.

As for the "Xi" that Tian Sha refers to... that must be a nickname that only someone closer to him would use.

"I will still call you Your Majesty."

After thinking it over, it seems that only this name is both taboo and easy to pronounce.

"Hmm... whatever you want."

What Kal'tsit was thinking about, Bai Zhou figured out with a little thought.

"So, what did you want to ask me just now, Kal'tsit?"

Bai Zhou glanced at the lynx's ear tips, then looked at her in the eye.

"I hope my presumptuous trip will not displease you."

Before we even got down to business, they came with an apology.

"Of course not. Whatever you want to ask, as long as it's something I know, I'll answer it without hesitation."

Kal'tsit raised her hand, revealing the arm guards beneath her cloak.

"I would like to ask you how to harness the power of the Olympus."

The protective gear is good, but it can only be controlled during the day. Kal'tsit is not yet able to be detached from worldly desires and have no physiological needs, so she plans to learn how to control this arcane power as soon as possible.

"This..."

Extend a finger during the day.

"It's very simple, just use Originium Arts to control Arcane Energy."

"Use your mind to feel the presence of Olympus."

The energy at his fingertips boiled like hot water.

"Then, by focusing your mind, you can control them. With more practice, you can make them as easy as your own limbs."

A delicate kitten licking its paws appeared on the fingertip in the daytime, then transformed into a flying knife that pierced the ground at the corner of the campfire.

"However, most of the Olympia have their own fixed shape, and there is no way to directly change their appearance."

By daylight, he beckoned with his finger, recalling the flying knife and reintegrating it into the Heavenly Fiend.

"The Celestial Fiends can break their rules and transform them into their Celestial Fiend shapes. This transforms the arcane energy from simple flour into dough with shaping capabilities. Afterward, you can use [Shaping] to mold them into whatever shape you desire."

"Your arcane protective gear was made using arcane energy of this special quality. So it can also..."

Before the words were even finished, the lynx in front of them had already transformed into a masked lynx, its armor model based on the likeness of the Heavenly Fiend.

"Wow, you're so smart, Kal'tsit."

So, when can you use the Lynx Rider Kick?

Returning to the crimson dawn of the fourteenth year, a distant memory.

"Cuckoo!"

A bird woven from arcane energy landed on the right corner of the day, and then gently pecked at his hair with its little beak.

"What a naughty little fellow! Birds that disturb people's sleep will get eaten by cats."

The awakened daylight raised its hand and caught it in its palm, then tapped its little head with its other hand.

Then, just as he said, the little bird was eaten by the Omega cat.

Good morning, Kal'tsit.

She tied up her hair, which fell to her shoulders, and greeted the lynx, who had finished playing with the birds and was now putting on a serious face.

Good morning, Your Majesty.

Kal'tsit turned her gaze away from the short-tailed lynx rubbing against his legs during the day and responded softly.

"You're up so early. Do you always get up this early?"

It's only five o'clock now. Bai Zhou thought she had gotten up very early, but Kal'tsit seemed to have gotten up even earlier, or rather... she hadn't slept at all.

"You should rest a little longer, Kal'tsit."

"A short rest may not be enough to restore the body to its proper state."

He took the boiling water hanging by the fire and poured it into a basin. During the day, he washed up while giving instructions to the lynx that had been up all night.

My husband is like that, and so is the lynx.

Is this a characteristic of immortal beings?

“I am used to this, Your Majesty. A short rest will make me more clear-headed.”

Kal'tsit rubbed her face to make herself look like she was saying something.

Driven by curiosity and a scientific spirit, Kal'tsit studied AoE all night after her first encounter with it, ultimately achieving what she just witnessed.

"Perhaps I should urge you to get rid of this bad habit."

After drying her face, Bai Zhou pondered how to adjust Kal'tsit's unhealthy sleep schedule.

"But you said you wouldn't interfere with my actions."

"Yes, I did say that. But it's out of concern. I can't just watch the people under my protection get infected with this bad habit and become listless every day."

"Right, little cat?"

"You really are..."

Kal'tsit remained silent. She bent down and gently touched the Arcane Lynx lying beside her legs, then put it into her pocket.

"Good morning, boss."

Jaden walked in from outside, yawning.

"Hmm. When do you plan to go back?"

"Let's set off after we've filled our stomachs, boss. If we're lucky, we might run into a caravan going the same way and get a ride."

"Oh, by the way, if the boss needs anything else, remember to contact me first. The dinosaur Zetton and his trillion-degree fireball will clear all obstacles for you!"

Jaden gave himself a thumbs-up.

"So cheeky first thing in the morning. I should have sent you here to get some experience yesterday."

During the day, Bai Zhou raised his hand, took out a piece of paper from Tian Sha's body, and threw it to him.

"This is the agreed-upon payment."

"Rembit, Rabbit Valley".

"Hey, boss, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

Jetton happily pocketed the piece of paper.

■

Dawn breaks through the darkness, bringing hope to those who still live in this world.

But people's joys and sorrows are not shared.

When the first rays of dawn shone into the village, what should have been a spirited new day turned into a day of panic and confusion for the villagers.

A dozen or so men gathered in small groups, holding sickles and hoes, and patrolled the area warily.

The elderly and infirm of the village were hiding in the large warehouse behind them.

They are the last line of defense.

"Let us, in this life that is as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind, set off a great fire!"

A treacherous laugh echoed in the air.

People panicked and nervously looked around.

A clown with an evil grin and a strange laugh came running towards them from the village entrance not far away.

It is quite small in size, with one tongue hanging out.

It wore a red and white striped clown costume and a black and white clown hat with red spots. It looked exactly like the clowns in plays who made people laugh.

It ran and jumped around in a strange dance, laughing all the while. And as if by magic, it kicked out a fireball the size of a watermelon from under its boots.

Wherever it ran, houses burned.

"Kill this monster!"

I don't know who's shouting.