At dawn in Umbria, Royo verifies that the diamond Aeri Soo left him is real by taking it to a trusted gem contact, who values it at fifty thousand mun and tries to buy it for forty. Royo returns the diamond to Aeri at the Black Shoe Inn, and Aeri promises she can steal it back if needed, reinforcing both her skill and her unnerving cheerfulness.

After Royo agrees to escort Aeri to Tamneki, Aeri’s enthusiasm clashes with Royo’s wary, transactional mindset. She immediately reveals practical complications: five huge trunks that force them to take a private carriage to Succession Point instead of walking. During the ride, Aeri chatters casually, while Royo studies her and tries to understand what he has gotten into for the promised payout.

Royo presses Aeri for the actual plan to remove King Joon’s etherum crown, pointing out that reaching the king would require crossing Idle Lake, surviving the iku, and getting past Qali Palace’s defenses. Aeri admits the palace “won’t work” and, more alarmingly to Royo, says she doesn’t yet know the plan because the royal spymaster will tell them. When Royo questions whether the spymaster could betray them, Aeri bluntly implies that is Royo’s job to handle, and she counters Royo’s criticism by noting he also accepted the job without asking enough questions.

At Succession Point, Aeri breezily leads the way onto a riverboat, and Royo struggles to keep up through the crowd while arranging for a porter to take their trunks. Aeri has booked an expensive above-deck suite with a bed, couch, and private balcony, and Royo checks the space for security and notes he is expected to sleep in the same room to protect her at her most vulnerable. Despite doubts and a strong urge to run, Royo focuses on the money—enough to clear his debts and pay Savio in time—as the ship departs and Umbria recedes, leaving Royo with the uneasy feeling he may never return.