Lyxander left the parking area and began climbing the stairs leading to the top of the dam.
Unlike going down, climbing up felt far more exhausting. Every step brought vivid images of a will, an escort mission, and the possibility of death.
After a while, he finally reached the top.
Tick.
A drop of water fell onto the back of his hand, shattering his negative thoughts.
Lyxander lifted his head. A gray sky hung low above him, dark clouds piling up as if ready to drench the world.
"Rain…" he muttered.
"Lyxaaaander!"
A shout broke the atmosphere.
A woman waved her hands enthusiastically. Her purple hair fluttered in the damp wind of the dam. A bright smile adorned her face, standing in stark contrast to the gloomy sky above them.
It was Amethyst.
"Come down," Lyxander shouted as he walked closer. "It's going to rain soon."
But instead of coming down, Amethyst casually pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Want one?" she asked, offering the pack.
"I don't smoke."
Amethyst pulled her hand back and took a deep drag. Thin smoke drifted into the humid air.
Lyxander turned around and leaned his back against the dam's railing.
"So why did you come here?" Amethyst asked.
Before Lyxander could answer, Amethyst's face suddenly flushed red. She waved both her hands in a frantic rhythm.
"W-wait! Give me a few minutes to prepare myself!"
Lyxander frowned. "Huh?"
"Aren't you here to confess your feelings?"
Lyxander's head dropped. He couldn't hide his shock.
"I admire your imagination, but that's not why I came."
"Eh?" A question mark appeared on Amethyst's face. "Then why?"
"I want to know what's written in your will."
Amethyst's face brightened instantly, her eyes even sparkling.
"Relax, I only wrote a love confession for you."
"Haha," Lyxander couldn't hold back his laughter.
'Damn it, my sense of humor really is terrible.'
"I'm impressed that you managed to turn a will into a love letter."
"I don't know which part is funny, but thank you for the compliment," Amethyst replied.
"Honestly, there's nothing funny. It's just a bad habit of mine."
In his previous life, when Lyxander was still an athlete, he often threw jokes and insults at his opponents. That habit had followed him into this life.
"Anyway, why are you so obsessed with love or things like that?" Lyxander asked.
He had promised himself to get to know the members of Division 5 better, and this was his attempt to keep that promise.
Amethyst rested her arms on the railing. Her gaze stretched far into the rain that had begun to fall, yet her eyes looked empty, as if staring deep into the past.
"I came from the Double A orphanage."
Lyxander turned his head. He remained leaning against the railing, but now his eyes were fixed on Amethyst's beautiful purple eyes.
"There," Amethyst continued softly, "every child was raised to become an assassin. I never knew my parents. As far back as I can remember… I was already there."
Her purple eyes lowered slightly.
"We weren't allowed to be friends. We didn't even have names and could only call each other by the code names we were given."
Her body slumped a little, her chin resting on her hand.
"We never knew affection, or what love was. We were nothing more than living weapons for the Association."
Tick. Tick.
The rain began to fall harder.
"Lyxander…"
Her face lowered, her voice trembling.
"I want to be loved."
Lyxander's expression remained calm.
He smiled faintly.
"That's a touching story, but you'll still need to try harder if you want to make me fall for you," he said lightly.
Amethyst, now soaked by the rain, smiled teasingly.
"I'll try harder."
"Haha," Lyxander only laughed before turning away.
"Let's go inside. The rain's getting too heavy."
"Lyxander!" Amethyst shouted.
"Do you want to go on a date this Sunday?"
Lyxander turned around.
"No."
Amethyst grinned.
"If you go, I'll tell you the condition of the five-star's identity."
Lyxander's pupils widened.
"What?!"
The rain poured even harder, but his feet no longer moved.
•••
Saturday, July 24, 1740
20:50
Inside his room, Lyxander sat in front of his PC. The glow of the screen reflected on his face. After destroying his phone earlier, the PC was now his only means of accessing the internet.
He searched through information about Claudius Jahanam one piece at a time, absorbing every detail with his photographic memory. Occasionally, his eyes glanced at the wall clock. He didn't want to miss the group chat.
"The second prince of the Jahanam Empire, Claudius Jahanam. He is the strongest candidate to become the next emperor."
After researching Claudius, Lyxander came to understand the imperial election system. The next emperor could only be chosen from the sons or daughters of the previous emperor. Men and women were treated equally in the selection system, meaning both could become emperor.
The next emperor would be chosen directly by the people through a global-scale election involving the entire population of the empire. If there was only one candidate, that person would automatically become the next emperor.
"So that's how it is. No wonder the second prince's life is constantly targeted."
After understanding the system, Lyxander finally grasped why the second prince was such a high-value target.
"Involved in many humanitarian activities, and even elevating people from the lower class into superstars in the entertainment world. Claudius Jahanam clearly has the greatest potential to become the next emperor."
The more Lyxander learned about Claudius, the more impressed he became. Every article about him was positive, without a single stain on his reputation. His image was spotless.
"Oh! He has a pen name."
Click.
He clicked a link.
"Wait…" Lyxander's eyes widened.
"He's the author of the novels Paradise and Hell."
"It's shocking that he's the author of the first novel I ever accessed in Lyxander's memories."
"Claudius Jahanam is truly not simple."
Lyxander wanted to dig deeper, but the clock had already struck nine.
He quickly drew the sigma logo on the screen and waited for the interface to change into the group chat.
Pup dog login.
No scope
"@Villain, you sell information, right?"
Lyxander frowned.
"Information? What kind of information would No scope want to buy?"
He knew No scope was a high-ranking figure in Double A, so it was strange for someone like him to lack information.
Villain
"kekeke. That's one of our main businesses. Just name the information you want."
No scope
"I want all information about Claudius Jahanam. Name your price."
"What?!" Lyxander leaned back in shock.
"Don't tell me—"
Before he could finish his thought, No scope typed again.
No scope
"I've accepted an assassination mission targeting Claudius Jahanam."
"Damn it."
Lyxander's heart pounded.
"How are we supposed to deal with a five-star?"
He immediately began typing, but King was faster.
King
"How much are they paying you? I'll pay more. Cancel the mission."
Lyxander's fingers froze above the keyboard. A question immediately formed in his mind.
"What's going on?"
No scope
"Really? Then why are you willing to pay more for Claudius Jahanam?"
King
"He is my brother."