Lucian slowly walked toward Irina.
His footsteps were no different from usual.
His expression remained calm.
As if he had noticed nothing just moments ago.
The winter wind slowly blew through the streets.
Fine snow continued to fall.
Landing on the neatly cleared piles of snow along both sides of the road.
It also settled against the gray-white exterior walls of the Pollution Processing Department.
The automatic doors at the entrance repeatedly opened and closed.
Employees entered and exited carrying documents.
Transport vehicles slowly drove into the underground garage.
The mechanical platforms emitted a low rumbling sound.
The entire department remained busy as ever.
After the department store incident ended, this place had not truly become quiet.
Pollution processing was never considered complete simply because the restricted area had been cleared.
On-site inspections.
Data analysis.
Equipment maintenance.
Operational reviews.
Every stage required a large number of personnel to continue working.
Therefore, the entire building maintained its usual rhythm.
Irina also noticed the figure approaching her.
She paused slightly.
Then a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Lucian?"
Lucian nodded.
"I'm leaving soon."
Irina's gaze fell on the suitcase behind him.
She understood immediately.
"Today?"
"Yeah."
"This afternoon."
The air fell silent for a moment.
Neither of them immediately continued speaking.
Cars slowly passed along the street.
Their tires rubbed against the snow covering the road.
In the distance, the traffic signal completed another cycle.
The people waiting to cross began moving again.
The entire city continued operating according to its own rhythm.
Irina gently nodded.
"That soon?"
Lucian smiled.
"I only came here to take a look in the first place."
"Now that I've accomplished what I came for, it's time to leave."
He spoke naturally.
As if they were simply talking about an ordinary trip.
Irina did not answer immediately.
She looked toward the direction of the Administrative Center.
The white building stood quietly in the snow.
The meeting that had lasted until late into the night seemed to have happened only moments ago.
The department store incident was already over.
Northveil had returned to peace.
Yet she suddenly realized that so much had happened in only a few days.
More than what had happened during the previous several months.
The pollution crystal.
The terrorist organization.
The Administrative Center.
And the young man from the Jace Family standing before her.
Everything had come too quickly.
And ended too quickly.
The two slowly walked along the sidewalk.
They did not deliberately choose a direction.
They simply continued forward along the street.
Their footsteps remained in sync.
Pollution Processing Department employees could still be seen around them.
Some pushed inspection equipment toward the warehouse.
Some stood at the entrance discussing new work arrangements.
Others had already removed their protective equipment and were preparing to finish their morning shifts.
They greeted one another before returning to their respective duties.
For these employees, the department store incident was merely one of countless missions.
The danger had passed.
But the work would not stop.
Irina spoke softly.
"Will you come back to Northveil in the future?"
Lucian thought for a moment.
"Probably."
"The world is big."
"There are many places worth visiting again."
"Northveil is one of them."
A faint smile appeared on Irina's face.
"Then next time you come."
"I hope we don't run into another pollution incident."
Lucian nodded lightly.
"I hope so too."
The two smiled at each other.
The wind blew again.
Snowflakes slowly drifted down between them.
After a brief silence, Irina suddenly spoke.
"Thank you."
Lucian looked at her.
"For what?"
"The department store."
"If you hadn't been there."
"Things wouldn't have ended so smoothly."
She spoke seriously.
It was not a polite expression of gratitude.
She genuinely meant it.
As someone who had personally been there, she knew better than anyone what could have happened if Lucian had not intervened in time.
Lucian gently shook his head.
"Everyone did what they were supposed to do."
"It wasn't my achievement alone."
"Without the Pollution Processing Department."
"It wouldn't have ended either."
Irina did not argue further.
She knew Lucian had always been like this.
He never took all the credit for himself.
No matter what he had done.
He always seemed accustomed to sharing the credit with others.
As the two continued talking, Lucian's peripheral vision never left his surroundings.
Across the street.
The man who had been holding the hot drink earlier was gone.
In his place was a young man waiting at a red light.
His head was lowered.
He appeared to be browsing the news on his terminal.
Every now and then, he raised his head.
His gaze naturally swept across Irina's position.
The movement was smooth.
There was no hesitation.
Just like an ordinary person waiting for the traffic signal.
Beside the bus stop.
The person who had been sitting there earlier had also been replaced by another elderly man.
The old man was reading a newspaper.
Every now and then, he looked up at the road.
Then lowered his head and continued reading.
There was nothing unusual about him.
The vehicle parked by the roadside had also changed.
The previous car had already driven away.
Another ordinary sedan slowly stopped in roughly the same position.
The person in the driver's seat did not get out.
He simply sat there quietly.
Through the windshield, Lucian could see him occasionally raise his head toward the street.
Then lower it again.
The entire street remained just as normal as before.
No one was running.
No one was following them.
No one deliberately approached.
Everything looked so natural that it seemed like an ordinary part of city life.
But precisely because of that, Lucian's judgment became increasingly clear.
If these were merely ordinary people's gazes, they would not be so consistent.
If they were merely stopping by coincidence, the pattern would not be so regular.
They had no fixed individuals.
But they had fixed positions.
They had no fixed routes.
But they had fixed observation ranges.
None of them stayed for very long.
After a few minutes, they naturally left.
Then another person would take the previous person's place.
The entire process involved no communication.
Not even eye contact.
It was as if they did not know one another.
Yet they always maintained the same rhythm.
This method was far more concealed than directly following someone.
And much harder to detect.
Because any single person was completely unremarkable.
What truly formed the observation network were these insignificant details.
Lucian did not deliberately continue searching.
Instead, he continued walking slowly beside Irina.
The flow of people on the street gradually increased.
As noon approached, employees from nearby office buildings began coming outside.
Some headed toward restaurants in groups.
Some entered convenience stores to buy lunch.
Others stood by the roadside with hot drinks, chatting casually.
Both sides of the street gradually became livelier.
Footsteps.
Conversations.
The sound of passing vehicles.
They intertwined, filling the previously quiet district with the atmosphere of everyday life.
Irina suddenly stopped.
She looked up at a beverage shop on the corner.
A faint layer of white condensation covered the glass windows.
Quite a few people were sitting inside, taking a break.
The staff were handing cups of hot drinks to customers.
She smiled lightly.
"Want something to drink?"
Lucian followed her gaze.
After a brief pause, he gently shook his head.
"No."
"It's almost time."
Irina nodded.
She did not insist.
The two stood beside the sidewalk again.
The wind blew gently.
Snow accumulated on the branches slowly slid down.
It fell onto the ground.
Breaking apart into white fragments.
Lucian's gaze never remained in one place.
Every movement of his eyes naturally swept across the surroundings.
And the observers were still there.
Near the convenience store.
A young man who had just entered disappeared through another exit a few minutes later.
On the other side.
An office worker carrying a briefcase crossed the crosswalk.
He disappeared into the crowd.
Soon after.
Another person talking on the phone took up a position close to where the previous observer had stood.
At the bus stop.
The old man sitting on the bench stood up and left.
The next moment.
A young mother pushing a stroller stopped there.
She gently adjusted the scarf around her child's neck.
Every now and then, she raised her head.
Her gaze naturally swept across the route Irina had taken.
There was nothing deliberate about it.
No hesitation.
Everything looked completely ordinary.
Lucian quietly watched the scene.
His judgment gradually became complete.
These people had not been assembled temporarily.
They had clearly defined roles.
And clearly defined areas.
They did not need to communicate with one another.
Each person was responsible only for the position they occupied.
When their time was up, they naturally withdrew.
The next person would take over.
The entire observation process would never leave a gap because one person departed.
Nor would it allow the target to notice anything.
If Lucian had not been standing here today.
If he had not discovered the first observer beforehand.
Then every subsequent change would have been dismissed as nothing more than ordinary activity in the city.
Irina followed the direction Lucian had just been looking.
The street looked completely normal.
She was slightly puzzled.
"What is it?"
Lucian withdrew his gaze.
His expression returned to its usual calmness.
He smiled lightly.
"Nothing."
"I was just taking another look at Northveil."
Irina did not suspect anything.
She also looked into the distance.
At the end of the street, snow covered the entire district.
Winter sunlight occasionally broke through the clouds.
It illuminated the rooftops and roads.
She said softly.
"Next time you come."
"I hope it won't be this cold."
Lucian nodded.
"Maybe."
"By then."
"This place should look completely different."
They talked for a few more minutes.
Most of the conversation was about lighthearted things.
They did not mention the pollution crystal again.
They did not mention the conversation inside the Administrative Center.
Nor did they discuss the future.
It was as if the department store incident had truly become a thing of the past.
After a while, Irina looked down at her terminal.
A new work notification had already arrived.
She sighed softly.
A slightly helpless smile appeared on her face.
"I have to go back."
Lucian nodded.
"Go ahead."
Irina extended her right hand.
"Have a safe trip."
Lucian extended his hand as well.
Their hands briefly clasped.
There were no elaborate words.
Just a simple farewell.
Then they let go.
Irina turned around.
She walked back toward the Pollution Processing Department.
Her steps remained as steady as usual.
Soon, she disappeared into the flow of people.
Lucian did not leave immediately.
He simply stood there quietly.
Watching her gradually disappear into the distance.
At the same time.
The scene on the street changed again.
The person who had been standing near the convenience store left.
Another person carrying a folder naturally moved into a new position.
At the bus stop.
Another young man waiting for a vehicle took the place of the previous observer.
The sedan parked by the roadside slowly started its engine.
Then drove away.
Not long afterward.
Another ordinary sedan of a different color stopped nearby.
The entire street remained completely normal.
No one approached Irina.
No one disturbed her.
There were no unnecessary movements.
They simply existed quietly.
Continuing to watch the same target.
Lucian slowly withdrew his gaze.
His judgment was now completely certain.
Irina.
She had become the target of long-term observation by some hidden force.
And this observation had definitely not begun today.
Nor would it end today.
He did not remain there any longer.
He picked up his suitcase.
Then slowly walked away in the opposite direction.
The wind and snow continued to fall.
Northveil continued operating as usual.
Pedestrians continued moving forward.
Vehicles continued passing through the streets.
No one knew that within this seemingly peaceful city.
An invisible net had already quietly begun to spread.