The first day of the Misty Lights Carnival was drawing to a close. The crowds thinned out over the course of the day, and the festivities quieted as the sun began to set, casting the capital in a beautiful orange glow.

Stalls owners closed up for the day, some staying behind to finish with clean up or making their way back to the inns for the night. Among the party wrapping up for the evening was Melissa's crew, having sold their last pancake meal and working on cleaning the dishes.

Wyatt wiped his brow and sighed contently. "It's so nice seeing all those happy customers get a taste of true perfection."

Avel rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, we know how much you like pancakes."

"Ooh, you think we should sell other breakfast items tomorrow? Think of it as a special offer!" Wyatt grinned excitedly. "We could spread even more joy and make a few extra coins!"

Jason smirked as he tucked away the cooking utensils. "Where would you even get the ingredients on short notice?"

"I don't know, steal them?"

Melissa laughed. "Perhaps we should stick to one heist at a time. I'd hate for my performance to be graded on procuring hashbrowns."

Jason sighed. "Wouldn't be the strangest heist someone suggested to me. I'm just glad this is the only one we're doing. I wasn't looking forward to grading the twins."

She giggled. "I still can't believe you signed off on their heist."

"Morbid curiosity got the better of me. I'm still wondering how they planned to steal an entire house, or which house they intended to steal. Knowing my luck, they met a castle." He pinched between his eyes. "Whatever. Given our resources, this is the only heist we'll be doing for the foreseeable future, assuming we even continue with heists."

Avel bounced onto the counter. "So, those rumors about the Forester reformation were true."

"It's still under discussion with the council and me. We aren't in the best position to suddenly proclaim heroics, especially with Last Autumn doing everything in their power to get rid of us. For now, we bide our time and wait for an opportunity to strike. I just need to wrap up my investigations here before we move on, and hopefully we hear something back from JoJo."

Melissa looked away. "Yeah…"

Jason glanced at her. "Still worried about your dad?"

"A little." She tossed her cleaning rag onto her shoulder and sighed. "He and I didn't always see eye-to-eye, but I never thought of him as a bad father. Not until recently, at least. I just can't imagine him doing anything criminal."

"The taxes on the Verde Kingdom say otherwise."

"Yes, yes, I know." She looked away. "I'm still having a hard time with that. Everyone in the capital was fairly well off. I don't understand why he needed to raise taxes outside the capital that high."

Jason crossed his arms. "If JoJo finds a ledger regarding the taxes, it'll be a start." He frowned at her glum expression and touched her shoulder. "I've spoken my opinion on the man, but…he is your father. You know him better than I do."

"I guess."

Wyatt and Avel shared a look, both sensing the awkward air coming off the Buneary. Fortunately, something came toward their stall to hopefully clear the air as Wyatt leaned out and waved. "Hey guys!"

Melissa snapped out of her thoughts and saw Lucient and her apprentices walk into view. She smiled. "Oh, you're finally back."

Felix saluted. "Observation work complete, Master Ha—"

Melissa leaned out of the stall and covered his mouth. "Shh! What did we say about voices?"

"Ooh, right. Indoor voices." He saluted again. "Mission complete, ma'am."

Victoria saluted as well with her tongue sticking out. "We have everything recorded and ready for debriefing, ma'am."

Melissa sighed and smiled at them. "I knew I could count on you two." She nodded at Lucient. "Thanks for leading the mission."

He nodded back. "Happy to help. We're heading back to the inn now. Will the rest of you be joining us?"

Jason yawned and rubbed his eye. "In a moment. We're still cleaning up here."

Melissa smiled and waved at them. "Nah. You all go ahead, I'll take care of the rest."

Jason raised his brow. "You sure you'll be alright on your own? We wouldn't want to stick you with all the work."

"Being a good leader means pulling my fair share of the burden. And besides…" She teasingly poked him in the cheek. "You need to sleep more, mister."

Jason groaned while the rest of the crew snickered, even Lucient who hid his laughter behind his paw. "I'm working on it. I get anxious in new areas." He scratched behind his neck and stepped out of the stall. "Suit yourself. Don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't!"

Wyatt removed his apron and hung it open before walking out with Avel in his arms. "See you later!"

"Night," Avel muttered.

Felix and Victoria saluted to Melissa. "See you later, Master!" They raced off after the others. Lucient gave a quick nod to Melissa before following behind.

Melissa giggled. "Yeah, I got this." She pulled out a handkerchief and tied it over her head, giving enough room for her ears to stick out from both sides. "Besides, it's kind of nice actually cleaning up after myself, especially when it's not a punishment this time. Time to be a responsible individual!"

With most of the cleanup being handled in advance, it didn't take Melissa more than twenty minutes to finish with the rest. She locked up all the essentials, including cooking equipment and ingredients. She did a quick check of the prep stations to see if they were scrubbed down thoroughly, washed up all the remaining pots, and did some light sweeping.

She wiped her brow and smiled at the spotless stall. "Guess all those times cleaning the fort paid off. I couldn't imagine getting through this back at the castle." She chuckled to herself and tossed the cleaning rag into the water basin. "You've outdone yourself, Melissa. Now, I just need to grab the money box and head back to the room."

She turned to the front counter, but frowned when she didn't see the money box sitting under it. She knelt down and peered into the back, wondering if it was lost in the shadows, but didn't feel anything as she reached inside.

"Oh no, I didn't lose it, did I?" she mumbled.

"Here you go." The money box lowered into her view.

She smiled and grabbed it. "Oh, thank you, I was worried I—YAAAAAHHH!" She sprung back into the depths of the stall and whipped out a spatula. "Stay back, I'm armed!"

Her face fell as the mysterious intruder started laughing. After a couple seconds, her eyes widened as the figure became clearer in the low light.

"Fine reflexes, prietene. You move with remarkable speed."

"Basil?!" She put the spatula down and glared. "W-What are you…huh?!"

The Salandit jumped onto the front counter and sat down. "Sorry for my snooping, I was just curious at your haul. Over a thousand coins by my count. Very impressive. It seems your little pancake stall is a hit at the carnival. I should sample a bite myself."

Melissa blinked twice before shaking her head. "B-Basil, why are you here? In the capital? W-When did you get here?"

He shrugged. "I have my ways. The fort is full of such melodrama that I needed to step out and get some fresh air." He grinned. "Plus, who'd want to miss out on a chance at attending the biggest carnival in the west? Not me, that's for certain."

"The…carnival?" she repeated hesitantly.

"Yes, the carnival. I've always wanted to attend the Misty Lights Carnival. Quite the turnout for the first day, too. Did you know they have a whole circus taking up the main square? I saw a couple performances. Woo! I could learn a thing or two from spectacle like that."

Melissa blinked again, then narrowed her eyes. "So, you're just here to attend the carnival?"

"That's right." He leaned forward and grinned. "Why the suspicious attitude?"

She tucked the money box under her arm and raised her brow. "Take no offense from this, but aren't you and Marie still under house arrest regarding that whole…murdering accusation?"

Basil frowned. "Aww, not you, too." He squeezed his cheeks and stared with shimmering eyes. "Does this look like the face of a duplicitous trickster?"

"Isn't trickster your last name or something?"

He dropped the face and snickered. "Okay, you got me there, but I'd never poison anyone…with lethal poison, at least. I am a Salandit, so poisoning is kind of my thing, but—"

"I-I get the point."

"Look, I don't know what happened either. Marie and I just happened to see each other and assumed the other poisoned Otis. Honestly, I'd give it another month or so and Jason will drop the accusation altogether."

"Hmph."

He grinned. "What's with that sound? Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I want to trust you, but you make it kind of difficult. I mean, there is evidence against Marie, but you haven't exactly given me a reason to think you're honest."

Basil pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. "That's the life I live. Sometimes you have to be crafty and deceitful to get things done. Remember one of the first lessons I taught you?"

"I recall being chased by a crazy Growlithe that day?"

He chuckled. "Yes, but I meant my lesson. Always pay attention to your surroundings." He pulled out a dagger and spun it in his hand. "The lob and lunge technique?"

"That, I do remember."

"I make it a personal policy never to reveal information about myself or my full capabilities, not even to my allies. Everything movement I make and word I say is deliberate and with purpose. The less the enemy knows about you, the greater the advantage you have over them."

"There is such thing as being too shifty."

"Heh, maybe. Let me quell your fears right now. Everything I do is for a better tomorrow, the same goals you aspire for. If that means being five steps ahead of everyone, then that's the life I must live."

Melissa frowned. "You worry me sometimes, Basil."

"I know." He smiled sheepishly. "Speaking of which, you won't mind keeping my little visit here a secret, right?"

"Hmmm…"

"Come on, prietene, I've helped you out when you first arrived at the fort. Help a pal out."

She glared. "Annnnd, you're not here to cause trouble, right?"

"No troublemaking here. I am an honest Salandit who simply wishes to enjoy the carnival."

"You swear?"

"No, I prefer to keep my language clean."

She facepalmed. "Ugh, Basil…"

"I swear, I swear, yes." He reached inside his jacket and shuffled through his deck of tarot cards. "Maybe a fortune will clear your doubts?"

Melissa sighed. "Basil, you know I don't believe in that stuff." She shook her head. "Look, I promise I won't tell Jason you're here, but only if you stay out of trouble. You're on enough thin ice as is."

Basil laughed. "Have a little faith in me, prietene. No matter what, I am your friend."

"Uh huh. You have a goodnight, Basil." Melissa blew out the lamp hanging off the stall and stepped out.

Basil smiled to himself, listening to the Buneary's footsteps as they drew further away. "That's something to admire about you, prietene." He pulled out two cards and flipped one over, revealing the Reverse Hierophant. "You are shaping up into someone dependable. I'd be a fool to impede such growth. I promise, I'm just here to enjoy the carnival."

He put the card away and flipped over the other, revealing it to be the Chariot.

"And hopefully it'll stay that way for the rest of the week."

With the carnival wrapping up for the day, Frediano made his way back from the gaming stands, arms folded behind his head as he whistled a merry tune. As to be expected, a good number of the operators had rigged the games to make them virtually unwinnable, though that didn't stop the Great Frediano from proving his indominable might. He was able to eventually win at the bottle game after only fifteen attempts.

He was beginning to wonder if the operator rigged the bottles to only fall if he wanted to.

Whatever the case, Frediano had the money to spare, so he wasn't too beat up about the failures. It certainly brought joy to the other attendees watching him fail over and over, and all that meant was that their attention was drawn to the Great Frediano.

"You seem to have enjoyed yourself."

Frediano peeked over his shoulder and saw his fellow bounty hunter, Armant, walking up behind him. "Ah, my friend! I was wondering where you went off to!"

Armant grinned. "Sorry, pal. I got sidetracked one of the other taverns across the city. I was enjoying the time with a sweet barmaid I took a fancying towards."

Frediano laughed. "Oho! I didn't know you were a ladies' man, Armant!"

"Trust me, I've had some crazier parties in my younger years. I frequented the Arcania Kingdom quite a bit before the warring got worse, and they certainly know how to throw a shindig. I'm always down for a good time with just about anyone. But yes, she and I hit it off nicely. I might stay a couple weeks longer if things work out." He tucked his upper arms behind his head and held his hips with the lower pair. "Kind of nice enjoying myself without worrying about my massive assortment of debts."

Frediano scratched his chin. "Have you considered just not paying the debts? I doubt there's very few who would pursue you over them. You are…built like a wall, my friend."

Armant laughed. "Now, why would I do a thing like that? If I wanted to muscle my way through life, I'd be tearing up the capital. Nah, I much prefer paying off my debts. It's…the honest thing to do."

"How so?"

He sighed. "Let's just say I used to have some rather…questionable company in my younger years. Probably could've done a lot worse had I not decided forging my own path." He smiled. "Plus, it gives me an excuse to travel. I'm actually considering leaving Virdis when I reach my sixties."

Frediano tilted his head. "Leaving Virids? To where?"

"To wherever the winds take me, pal! I've lived here all my life, and I've explored every nook and cranny I can access. Once I finish paying off my debts, I'm getting myself a boat and setting sail to new reaches."

"Incredible! You certainly look like the seafaring type."

"I doubt I'll get to explore everything when my time comes, but I'll do my best to live a fulfilling life to see the wonders of this beautiful world." Armant crossed his arms. "There are some things still a mystery to this world, and it excites me to learn their secrets. Art, culture, legends, new discoveries; it's all out there waiting to be discovered."

Frediano laughed with a flick of his cape. "I see! So, is that why you were so eager to take up the phantom gentlemen's game?"

"I could sell that property for some decent coin." He shook his head and laughed. "But I don't have any interest pursuing Harlow anymore. Can't do that to the shrimp."

"You confuse me, friend. It would be so simple to capture her for you. You who went face-to-face with Grim Deadlock and suffered not a scratch." He rubbed his claws against his chest. "Of course, I had the specter on the ropes when he faced me. He quaked at my presence and inflicted a lucky shot to incapacitate me. A cowardly maneuver!"

Armant ignored his boasting and continued, "I know I could easily capture her. Making money off bounty hunting has been nothing but easy. Still, we had such a goodtime last year that I wouldn't wish to bring her displeasure. Friends don't hurt friends, after all."

Frediano laughed and slapped the Machamp in the thigh. "You are a simple man, my gigantic friend!"

Armant chuckled, but then frowned seriously. "By the way, speaking of our phantom gentlemen, have you heard the reports of what went down a few weeks ago?"

Frediano paused a moment to think it over. "Hmm, only thing I know of is that train fiasco. I heard the Senbo Kingdom is in hot water over the first launch."

"Reports also say someone claiming to be The Ghost was on that train, though no one claims to have saw him except some stowaways that held the train hostage." Armant glared at the ground. "For such a harmless looking fellow, he caused quite a fuss."

Frediano tapped his chin. "What do you suppose that was about?"

"Don't know. Supposedly, he was knocked off the train and splattered to pieces under the wheels, according to the reports." Armant closed his eyes. "I don't believe it for a second. I think they only said that to assure everyone the supposed boogeyman was killed and put them at peace."

Frediano crossed his arms. "Is that so? What a strange man. He hires us in the form of a game, then he causes a commotion on a train. I'd hate to be the king right now."

"I'm with you there, pal." Armant shook his head. "It's not my problem. Whatever that dusty cowboy is up to, he better hope he doesn't give me a reason to politely discuss his activities."

Frediano flicked his cape. "Haha! And he should hope not to encounter the Great Frediano on a moonless night, for the only celestial body he'll be seeing is the glorious figure of the Great Frediano!"

Armant chuckled. "Sure, pal, sure."

"Yes, well…perhaps we should hurry back to the inn, though. N-Not because the Great Frediano is afraid of encountering a certain specter again, if that's what you're thinking."

"Uh huh, right." He patted the flamboyant Weavile in the back and led him along. "Come on, drinks are on me tonight."

"Shouldn't you be saving that money to pay off your debts?"

"Eh, I'll just put it on my tab."

The whole of the Visconti family returned from the carnival and shared in a big dinner, most discussing what they did throughout the day. Evangelina, as usual, went on and on about her day seemingly without drawing a breath. It was a skill that both impressed and terrified anyone wrapped in the coils of conversation with her.

Jessica and Giselle had a heated argument over who was winning the most games so far, to which their mother had to step in and quell the noise. Azelia was all too thrilled to talk about her impromptu flugelhorn playing when she found some of the street bands. Some were annoyed she was interrupting them, others went along with it and jammed out with her.

Asterio, however, drowned out most of the conversation as he picked at his food. He only chirped in when someone directly addressed him, but he mostly remained silent. Some questions inevitably skewed toward his purposeful absence, but he brushed off their concerns by shoveling food into his mouth.

Eventually, once everyone finished eating, the Visconti family went about their business in separate parts of the castle. Asterio decided to head back to his room, though not before heading to the castle library to pick up some books and a stack of parchment. Their condition was weathered and coarse, very different to the cleaner, smoother parchment typically used.

He floated up the stairwell and went straight for his chambers, but stopped when he saw Evangelina hanging out in the hallway. She leaned back against the wall with her tentacles crossed and her head down. Asterio held a breath and continued on his way, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact with her.

"There was a wonderful freakshow attending. You would've loved it."

Of course. Seeing he couldn't escape her, he relented to his fate and glared over his shoulder. "Do you have anything better to do than bother me?"

She straightened up and smirked. "Dear brother, when is there never a time to get a rise out of you? Besides, you used to love the carnival a few years back."

"Well, I'm not inclined to waste my time pretending to be happy."

Her smirked curled. "You don't say? I would've never guessed with that positive glow of joy shining around you."

"What do you want?"

"Not much, just seeing what you'll be doing for the rest of the evening."

He glared. "Writing, obviously."

"I see, I see." She turned her back to her brother and chuckled under her breath. "You know, Monica sacrificed a whole day at the carnival to babysit your depressed hindquarters. You should really make it up to her. She'd appreciate it."

"I'm not interested in attending the carnival. I just want to stay home and sulk."

She groaned. "This moody shtick gets old fast. It takes a lot more effort to frown than smile."

"I think you've got those expressions mixed up. It physically pains me to smile."

"That's because your facial muscles have been permanently contorted into a scowl."

"Because you bring enough hardship into my life as is. Things would be a lot simpler if I didn't have you dictating every little thing I do."

She crossed her tentacles and glared. "And that is why you'll never make a good king. You're so fixated on the past and now that you fail to comprehend the future of this kingdom. Father, for as much as I love him, is a fool to name you the heir of the Echo Bell Kingdom. You would've endangered all of us a long time ago had I not become your unofficial advisor."

"You call what you're doing advising? You're the cruelest, most callous person I know."

She smirked. "And what does that make you?"

"…" He turned away from her. "Do you get some pleasure out of making everyone miserable? You've ruined enough of my life as is."

"You do that to yourself. Even if I wasn't monitoring every little thing you do, your self-destructive behavior was of your own creation. Admit it, a part of you likes being cruel and callous. You can't rule a kingdom without being firm and cruel when needed."

Asterio scoffed. "Would the perfect kingdom look something like New Chariot?"

"The perfect world needs a firmer hold to keep things in control. Echo Bell's problems have gotten out of hand because of generations of mismanaging and granting too many freedoms to the wrong people. After all, that's how the Vermin Butcher stayed active for as long as he did."

Asterio flinched at the name before growling through clenched teeth. "I never want to hear that name again."

"And yet it's the only thing you seem to think about. You're not thinking about the future, you're just venting your anger." She softened her expression, only slightly. "We both want the same thing, Asterio, but you and I have different ways of going about it. Unless you finally confront father about being the heir, this kingdom will just continue to get worse for the next several generations."

"…" He turned away from her. "I can't face Father. He'd be ashamed of me."

"Because you're denouncing your own right to the throne?"

"…Because I can't face him without cracking under the pressure."

She shook her head. "You're too soft for someone so furious. Just know, under my rule, I'll guarantee a kingdom will thrive without the existence of another Vermin Butcher. You better wise up when the time comes."

"…Whatever." He hugged the parchment tighter and continued down the hall.

Evangelina sighed. "You're going to shelter yourself away in your room all night?"

"I need to focus, so yes."

"Alright then. Have a good night." She gave a half-hearted wave and went on her way.

Asterio stopped for a moment, glaring once over his shoulder as she left, and sighed. A kingdom without another Vermin Butcher? Tch. A world like that is nothing more than a fantasy.

He worried he wouldn't get much done after the argument with Evangelina, but he managed to quell those boiling emotions to set his mind on his writing. Huddled away in the dark corner of his chamber, he hunched over his desk with items scattered all over. He had books standing up against the walls, occasionally skimming and flipping through pages with his Psychic. In addition, he used Psychic to manipulate a quill, etching it across the parchment he had lay out in front of him with meticulous care. What would take any other a fraction of a second to draw a single letter, Asterio focused on getting the penmanship exact.

He took glances at a journal that was levitating by his head, skimming the contents before returning to the parchment. He sketched out another few words before leaning back in his chair and massaging the sleep from his eyes, though a part of his wondered if it was really sleep that was dragging him down.

Self-destructive behavior? Heh. I'm tormenting myself in my own Hell.

He shook his head and tried to focus back on his writing, but froze as someone knocked on his door. In a flash, he psychically threw the books on a nearby bookshelf and carefully stuffed the parchment inside his desk. "C-Come in!"

The door creaked open. As soon as Asterio turned around, the panicked thumping coursing through his head instantly faded as his personal guard/best friend, Angelo, entered the room. The Raboot, unfazed by the Shiny Frillish's alarmed response, waved. "Hey."

Asterio sighed in relief and spun back around. "It's just you. Hey."

"Whatcha' up to?" He glanced at the bookshelf, noting the books that looked like they were hastily thrown into it. "Ah, never mind."

Asterio rubbed his face. "I could use a break anyway. This doesn't have to be done immediately."

Angelo walked up to the bookshelf and picked out a couple books, one tilted Mystics of Arcania and Dr. Yap's Catalog of Rare and Unique Metals. The parttime sculptor raised the latter book and asked, "Why did you need this one?"

"It's not for this. I was going to hire some excavators to search near the base of the ruins for more magnetic metals. This batch is supposedly stronger than the ones I've been using, which will be helpful." He shrugged. "Plus, I wanted to bookmark some passages for Monica. There's a fascinating section that details how certain metals were used in weapons over the years."

Angelo nodded. "Well, at least you aren't spending your isolation in the castle completely bored." He handed the books over to the prince.

Asterio took and set them on the desk before sighing. "And yet, it seems Evangelina thinks I should stop wasting my time and go to the carnival. She even suggested I bring Monica."

Angelo tilted his head. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"I don't want to."

The knight shrugged. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but you do kind of sequester yourself off into your room every day."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I'm a Ghost-Type. It's not like I need sunlight."

Angelo raised his brow. "I've heard tales of men who went insane staying solely in one room their whole lives. That's how some prisons break criminals, throwing them into solitude." He shook his head. "Though, you aren't that bad. You make the attempt to have dinner with your family, lest you'd be ordering the chefs to bring your food up here."

"What do you expect me to do? Go outside and have fun? My idea of fun doesn't involve busy crowds and things exploding over my head."

The knight raised his hands and sighed. "I'm not forcing the idea onto you. It's just a suggestion. What I am saying, as your friend, is that you need to get out more. Not because I disagree with your lifestyle, but because the way you're going about it is really unhealthy. Maybe the princess has the right idea: taking Monica to the carnival wouldn't be the end of the world for you."

"…" Asterio turned away from him. "I just don't know. I try to stay positive around her, but…" He sighed. "Evangelina is right, as much as I hate her smug attitude. This king is fundamentally flawed, and I don't want to get myself sucked into the merriment when everyone ignores the corruption in the streets. I've seen past the allure of our kingdom's festivities. They're nothing but a distraction."

"You are still inexperienced in the ways of politics, my friend. These things take time to mend."

"This isn't politics, it's crime."

"One could argue they're mutual acquaintances."

Asterio groaned. "There is no fixing the kingdom. It's a hopeless battle. The only thing we can do is protect as many innocent lives as possible…and expunge as much of the filth from the streets as possible."

"…" Angelo looked out the prince's window. "Do you truly believe the world needs creatures like Grim Deadlock to maintain peace?"

"…" Asterio closed his eyes and sighed. "There's nothing Deadlock can do to maintain peace. All he can do is make sure one less criminal is walking the streets. If one person's life can be saved by slaying the seedy underbelly of crime, then that's good enough for me."

Angelo frowned at the prince. "Evangelina really got to you, didn't she?"

"You say that like this is new."

"You have as much of a voice as she does. Maybe you should try speaking up against her more."

"I already do that."

He shook his head. "I mean actually speak up. Don't just get angry with or discredit her. Speak your mind, and tell her what you want most. Most importantly, speak up to your father and tell him that you don't want to be king. He's a far more generous man than you give him credit for. He's a traditionalist, yes, but he's not unfair."

"…" Asterio pulled the parchment out from his desk. "I should get back to this."

"I thought you were taking a break."

"Break's over." The prince's expression softened. "You're not working right now, so…you can stay a while, if you want."

Angelo sat down on the prince's bed and smiled. "Well, if it'll cheer you up, we can change topics while you work. I'm actually attempting to sell some of sculptures of mine at the carnival this week so I can get my name out there."

"That so? Congrats, my friend."

"It took a while, but the king was kind enough to rent out a stand for me. Now, I don't expect a whole crowd to come flooding in, but I am working on some pitches to get their attention. Firstly…"

Asterio listened to the knight jabber on about his potential business plans while he worked. He didn't like being in the spotlight himself, so he could always appreciate someone filling the dead air (unless it's Evangelina). While he didn't show it on his face, Asterio was happy his friend was making strides to make a name for himself as a sculptor. It was an admirable quality he admired in the Raboot. He was taking steps to improve his future.

"You're so fixated on the past and now that you fail to comprehend the future of this kingdom."

The prince glared as his older sister's taunts came flying back into his headspace. What future? I don't have a future anymore. Neither do you, dear sister, no matter how much you ignore the truth.

Once Melissa returned to her room at the inn, she and her team sat down on the floor and lay out a map of the capital as they went over their findings. Jason lay in one of the beds, hands behind his head and one eye cracked open to observe them.

Melissa skimmed through the findings. "So, all but Asterio left for the carnival a couple hours before noon, correct?"

Lucient nodded. "Correct. The younger princesses returned somewhere around four. The king and queen returned a half hour after them. Princess Azelia returned around five. We didn't quite see when Princess Evangelina returned before we left, so she may stay out later than everyone else."

Melissa crossed her arms. "Okay, we'll have to record more of their movements before we decide anything concrete. Aside from castle staff, we'll also have to worry about Prince Asterio."

Felix tilted his head. "You've met him before, right? What's he like?"

She flinched. "Uh, interesting?"

Lucient adjusted his spectacles. "Prince Asterio would probably be the first to raise alarm should he catch us, if not outright hunt us down himself."

Melissa nodded. "Y-Yeah. They say he's temperamental when it comes to crime, so the sight of us could put a dent in the plans. We can't quite track his movements throughout the day in the castle, so we'll have to be extra careful should we encounter him."

Victoria raised her hand. "Maybe we can blow up one end of the castle to distract him."

Felix grinned. "An excellent solution!"

Melissa giggled. "Um, let's save the demolition as a backup plan. For now, we're just going to focus on stealth. If he has no reason to suspect anything, we'll be fine." She pointed to Wyatt and Avel. "Once we start the heist, I'll need you two on lookout doing outside the castle. If anything goes wrong, you'll signal us with the flares I brought along."

Avel glared. "Flares?"

"I've been working on them with Shade. They look like fireworks, but they'll give off a loud, distinct noise." She extended her ears and flexed them. "A noise that I'll be able to easily detect. If any trouble arises, fire one off and we'll come running."

Wyatt grinned. "Sweet! But how are we getting into the castle to begin with?"

She glanced at her apprentices. "That's where these two come in. They'll be in charge of navigating the capital's underground catacombs. According to the locals, the catacombs supposedly run all over the underground here, and the royal family used to use them as emergency escape tunnels. Since it's so dark down there, one can easily flee the castle without being pursued. If we can find the right pathway to the castle underground—"

Victoria grinned. "We can sneak through the last place anyone would suspect!"

"Exactly. The catacombs are normally off limits to everyone except those with special permission, and there hasn't been any recent cases of anyone using them to enter the castle. With any luck, in combination with the festivities, no one will suspect us using them to break into the castle."

Lucient smiled. "You put a lot of thought into this, Melissa. I'm impressed."

She giggled. "Aw shucks, it's nothing~."

Avel hopped off Wyatt's head and examined the map. "Still, that's a lot of ground to cover even for two people. I read that there was an urban legend of people getting lost in those catacombs. They would die from starvation and end up haunting anyone who got lost in those catacombs like them."

Victoria shivered. "Oof, spooky!"

Felix waved his paw. "Relax, we don't plan on getting lost."

Melissa nodded and handed him a journal. "Especially since I've already mapped out a few pathways. As long as you keep to the walls and keep tabs on your position, you should be fine. If you do get lost, stay where you are and we'll come look for you by sunset. Bring plenty of rations to tide you over just in case."

They saluted. "Aye, Master!"

Melissa stood up and dusted off her skirt. "It's only the first day. We'll have time to iron out the details before we start the actual heist. We're planning on making this the perfect theft."

Lucient chuckled. "Looking forward to it."

Wyatt raised his fist. "We're with you all the way, boss!" Avel nodded in agreement.

Jason smiled to himself before closing his eyes and turning onto his side.

Melissa laughed. "I'm counting on all of you." She walked over to her side of the room and kneeled next to her belongings. "We want this whole operation to go off without a hitch."

Next to her belongings was a long bundle of fabric. Based off the shape, it appeared to be some kind of weapon. Melissa picked it up in her arms, feeling the weight it carried underneath. She peeled back some of the fabric, revealing part of the cylindrical black hilt stashed inside a metallic, rectangular scabbard.

"As much as I want to test out the new weapon Pandora and Tank made for me, I want to try and avoid using it unless something comes up. We're going to play this smart, just as the Foresters was built up on."

Her team nodded. "Right!"

She chuckled, wrapped her weapon back up, and stood up. "Well, I think that's enough planning for the day. Who's ready for a late-night dinner? We made a killing at the stall, so let's enjoy ourselves tonight."

Her team raised their hands/paws in agreement. "Yeah!"

The sun had set, painting the sky in a starry black as the very last of the carnival workers turned in for the night. Among the late-night stragglers was the Cirque du Madness, making last minute rearrangements of the caravans and preparing equipment to be set up in the morning.

Benvenuto and Iris monitored the workers, the latter taking notes on her clipboard. She checked her pocket watch before shouting out, "It's getting late, everyone! That's enough for tonight. Get some sleep. We start up the circus in precisely twelve hours."

A mix of responses replied before the crew retreated back to their caravans. Once everyone but the two were gone, Benvenuto took a deep breath and spread his arms out, basking in the cool, spring air. "Wonderful night, isn't it, Ms. Adesso?"

Iris put her pocket watch away. "I suppose so, sir."

"You have the schedule planned out for tomorrow, right?"

She saluted. "Of course. My crew is set and ready for your orders."

He leaned forward on his cane and nodded. "With any luck, things will go smoothly tomorrow. Itzal promised Terrowin another heir, so we'll be getting him one. I've heard some remarkable things about our target, so I'm looking forward to meeting them."

Iris touched her cheek, heat rising from under the skull, as a glimmer of hope shined in her eyes. "I do hope things go poorly. I slaved over my new batch for months, and I can't think of a better time to test it out than now." Her body shivered with delight as she giggled with a maniacal glee. "I can only imagine how beautiful the color will be. Just thinking about it makes me so…hoohoohoo~!"

Benvenuto chuckled. "Here's wishful thinking we both get what we want. Shall we depart for our rooms?"

Iris snapped out of her fantasy and nodded. "O-Oh, of course. M-My apologies." She cleared her throat before heading off back to her caravan.

Benvenuto put one foot forward to retire for the night, but stopped. Curious, he glanced over his shoulder, gazing up at the buildings towering around the circus. They almost blended into the night sky had there not been stars dotting into the horizon. It'd be difficult to see someone if they were standing on the roof.

Difficult, but not impossible.

Benvenuto smiled to himself and carried on, spinning his cane as he whistled a tune to himself. The stage is almost set. Shall we expect comedy or tragedy in tomorrow's negotiations?

As soon as Benvenuto entered into his caravan, a shadowy mist stirred from the rooftops. It rose up, taking shape like a dreary robe that flowed into the stone. A pair of red eyes gleamed from inside the hood, glaring down at the Cirque du Madness.

Grim Deadlock had been keeping an eye on the circus since its arrival. It may have fooled the people, but he knew better than them. He knew there was more to this circus than they let on, hidden under the guise of colorful lights and entertainment. They fed their audience sugar to hide the bitter taste of their true intentions. It'd be so easy for him to swoop down and cut them all down before anything started.

It'd be so easy for Grim Deadlock to execute every last criminal in that circus.

But that wasn't Grim's plan for tonight. Not this time.

"Not until we've concluded the nature of your business here," he muttered to himself. "After that, we'll see exactly what you intend to do with this kingdom."