Luciel had little to prepare for their departure.

His only belongings were three bags filled with Yu Feier's experimental materials and equipment—tools he couldn't simply leave behind.

"Luciel, how do we avoid the surveillance outside?" Liyue asked softly, her silver eyes flicking toward the shadows by the window. A few vague figures lingered in the distance, watching the inn.

Luciel's lips curled into a sly smile, and his dark eyes glimmered with mischief. "That part is very simple… and very exciting."

"Exciting?" Liyue tilted her head, puzzled.

"You'll understand soon enough. Just follow me outside," Luciel replied casually, refusing to elaborate further. Without hesitation, he stepped toward the door.

The three girls—Liyue, Yu Feier, and Mino—exchanged uncertain glances before hurrying after him.

As they reached the inn's front entrance, Liyue whispered again, her brows knitted. "We're walking out the main door? Won't we be seen? When I came in earlier, I had to sneak. If they spot us leaving, they'll sound the alarm immediately."

"They won't see us."

Luciel's voice was calm, confident. He pushed the door open and stood tall in the moonlight with the three women behind him.

Sure enough, no one came rushing over.

"Huh? No one reacted? Were we wrong in our guess?" Liyue blinked in disbelief.

Luciel chuckled, stepping forward with an air of mystery. "It's not that they aren't watching… It's that their eyes are being fooled."

He reached his hand toward the empty air ahead, and as his palm brushed against something invisible, the surface rippled like water.

Suddenly, massive cone-shaped scales appeared—each one the size of a man's hand.

"What… what is this?"

All three women gasped, staring wide-eyed at the shimmering surface.

"It feels… familiar somehow." Mino twitched her long rabbit ears. The texture reminded her of something she'd seen before. Her blue eyes widened in realization, and she gasped. "Luciel… this isn't… the big lizard, is it? Don't tell me it grew bigger again!"

Luciel laughed softly. "Mm. It evolved again. Its aura is much stronger now—that's why I told it to hide earlier. Otherwise, the sheer pressure would have frightened you."

"I knew it!" Mino exclaimed, puffing out her cheeks in mock frustration before grinning.

Beside her, Liyue hesitated, pointing to the scaled wall. "You mean… this is Xiao Cai?"

"Exactly."

With that, Luciel placed his hand firmly on the scales and climbed upward with practiced ease. "Come on up, all of you."

Now revealed, the three-colored lizard loomed before them. Its body had grown to the size of a tourist carriage—broad and long enough to completely block the view of the inn's entrance. From the outside, it projected an illusion of emptiness, tricking the watchers into believing nothing was happening at the door.

"No wonder it looked familiar," Liyue murmured in awe. She had often seen lizards in the plantation fields, though none nearly this massive.

Luciel extended a hand toward her. "Here. Don't jump—you'll make too much noise. Let me help you."

Liyue hesitated, cheeks faintly pink. Slowly, she placed her small hand into his larger, rougher palm. Before she could fully register the warmth, Luciel pulled her effortlessly up onto the lizard's back, enveloping her in the concealment field.

"Your turn," Luciel beckoned Yu Feier.

"N-no, I can manage." Yu Feier's face flushed as she quickly passed her heavy cloth bag to him, then scrambled up herself, choosing to hide behind Liyue rather than face him directly.

Liyue leaned close to whisper, "Are you… afraid of Luciel?"

"…No." Yu Feier shook her head faintly, though her reddened ears betrayed her.

Luciel then scooped Mino up with ease, settling her onto the lizard's back. "Hold tight. We're leaving."

"Okay!"

Excitement lit up Mino's eyes. The three women gripped the sturdy spines along the creature's back as Luciel gave the command.

The massive tricolor lizard moved with surprising grace, crawling silently onto the rooftops. Its body shimmered faintly, cloaking them in a mirage.

---

Meanwhile, below on the street, a watcher shivered as a sudden gust of wind swept past.

"Strange… why does it feel like something just passed right in front of us?" he muttered.

"Don't talk nonsense," his partner hissed. "Just keep watching the inn. We can't let them escape."

"…Right."

Unaware that their targets were already slipping past above their heads, the watchers resumed their vigil.

The lizard crawled effortlessly across rooftops, its massive weight leaving no more than faint shudders in the structures below. Inside the homes, only a little dust fell from ceilings—no one stirred.

"It's like flying!" Mino squealed, her ears twitching madly as she looked around. She had never snuck out at night like this, let alone while riding a giant beast. Her heart raced with the thrill of it.

Even Yu Feier, though nervous, couldn't help clutching the spines with wide golden eyes, marveling at the surreal ride.

"It really does feel like a roller coaster," Luciel laughed, spreading his arms wide as if embracing the night. Ahead loomed the central district, where the Elder's mansions stood tall and imposing.

The lizard halted at last on the tiled roof of a large building near the inner wall.

"Luciel, look there." Liyue pointed toward the distance.

Luciel followed her gaze. At the heart of the tribe stood the Moon Lord's residence—lit up in flickering torchlight. Shadows of countless figures surrounded the building, their movements tense and urgent.

"…So most of the hunters are gathered there," Luciel muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"Are they… threatening the Moon Lord?" Liyue's voice turned cold.

"Perhaps forcing her to make some kind of decision," Luciel replied thoughtfully. His mind flashed to Earth's history, recalling countless tales of monarchs pressured by their own ministers. "The Moon Lord is the tribe's core. If she cooperates, everything becomes easier for them."

"Then let's move quickly," Liyue urged, her voice tinged with both excitement and unease. Her days as a lone thief had never prepared her for this—breaking into the Elder's estate under the cover of night. It felt reckless… and exhilarating.

"Agreed." Luciel's black eyes gleamed. "While their attention is focused elsewhere, we'll take what we need."

The lizard slithered down silently, and Luciel led the three women into one of the Elder's sprawling mansions. With swift precision, he subdued the few guards they encountered, binding their mouths and limbs with strands of spider silk—another trick he had learned from observing his smaller companion creature.

"Alright. Take valuables, not furniture," Luciel instructed firmly, just as Mino was about to haul away a chair with sparkling eyes.

"…Oh." Mino pouted, reluctantly putting it back down. Though it was her first time stealing, her nervousness was mixed with a childlike sense of novelty.

"Liyue, take Yu Feier and find the storerooms. We want beast crystals, cloth, plant seeds—anything of real worth."

"Leave it to me." Liyue grabbed Yu Feier's wrist and hurried off.

Within moments, the lizard's broad back was loaded with precious items—beast spars glittering faintly, sacks of seeds, rare fabrics bundled tight.

When the creature revealed its true form once more, its size shocked the women again.

"I didn't expect Xiao Cai to grow so big," Mino gasped in awe.

Liyue, however, examined its aura with sharp eyes. "Its strength isn't inferior to some mid-tier beasts."

Yu Feier sniffed the air softly, then shook her head. "But… no scent of blood."

Her meaning was clear. The lizard was powerful, yes, but it lacked real combat experience. Without ever tasting blood, its might was still untested.

Luciel nodded knowingly. "You're right. We'll need to take it hunting soon. I don't want to raise an oversized pet—I want real fighters."

His mind drifted briefly to the little Black Tortoise. Unlike Xiao Cai, the tortoise's raw defense and size already made it untouchable. It could be left to grow freely. But Xiao Cai—this lizard—needed battle to mature.

"Look there," Liyue pointed toward another looming structure. "That mansion must belong to one of the Elders."

"Good. Let's move."

Luciel leapt down first, his movements silent and fluid. With quick gestures, he subdued the guards at the entrance, plastering them to the walls with sticky silk threads.

Behind him, Mino raised a small fist in excitement. "Empty house raid!" she whispered gleefully.

Luciel smirked. "Exactly."

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