Lucian pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "Actually, you've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Abby."
KU-Money froze, then searched through its database. A moment later, it angrily retorted, "Lying again!"
"Lucian, your face has already been recorded in the database. Even if you were reduced to ashes, I'd recognize you!"
"Besides, Abby is clearly a white Echo. How could you possibly be Abby?"
Upon hearing this, Lucian gently placed Camellya on a nearby bench, then curled his lips into a smirk. "Little robot, why don't you take a closer look?"
With that, Lucian used Transformation Magic, morphing into Abby's form.
A Bowtie Voice Changer was pinned below his head. Lucian planted his hands on his hips and spoke in Abby's voice, "See? I told you I'm Abby. Wasn't lying, was I?"
KU-Money was stunned, staring intently at the floating white Echo. "This is impossible!"
However, it quickly pieced things together. "Oh~ I get it! You used a terminal to transform yourself into an Echo, didn't you?"
"So, the Echo named Abby is one you absorbed using a terminal?"
But then KU-Money fell silent again, because according to the database records, Abby wasn't an Echo absorbed by a terminal—it was an Echo residing within a Tacet Mark...
Seeing this, Lucian let out a cold snort before adopting a mysterious tone. "Have you ever considered why your database has never made a mistake before?"
KU-Money snorted. "This is the database of our Tethys System. How could it possibly be wrong?"
Yet after saying this, KU-Money froze again. If the Tethys System was infallible, how could the person before it—who had transformed into Abby—be explained? He hadn't used a terminal to shapeshift either!
Unless... this was Abby all along, and Abby possessed an unknown ability to turn into a human, thus appearing here as Lucian?
KU-Money's logical processing system was thrown into conflict.
Seeing this, Lucian chuckled softly before patting KU-Money's square head. "Seems my words have touched your soul."
Lucian's voice grew softer, making KU-Money listen even more intently. "You've already realized that the Tethys System isn't omnipotent."
"Just like the me standing before you, the Tethys System can't explain it—it's even caused a contradiction in your perception."
"Now, let's think deeper. Why would the Tethys System give you the wrong answer, leading you to misunderstand me?"
"Misunderstanding me is just a small matter. But what if, at some critical moment for the Black Shores, the Tethys System makes another mistake? Then..."
KU-Money, completely ensnared by Lucian's smooth-talking, remained oblivious. By the time it reached the end, it suddenly broke out in a cold sweat!
...Oh, wait. Robots don't sweat.
KU-Money's expression shifted dramatically, filled with unprecedented panic. "Th-this... No, I need to report this immediately!"
With that, KU-Money prepared to leave. But just then, a soft cough came from behind Lucian.
Lucian turned to see Aalto wearing sunglasses, watching them curiously.
"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. [Autumn Water Without Ripples]. What an honor to meet you."
Aalto stared at Lucian, now in Abby's form, in confusion. "This is..."
Aalto hadn't met Abby before but had heard rumors—about how Lucian and Rover had acquired a peculiar white Echo.
"I believe it's called 'Abby,' right?"
Aalto glanced around before asking, puzzled, "Where are Rover and that guy Lucian?"
Lucian, still in Abby's form, crossed his tiny legs. "They didn't come. The only one here is me, Abby."
Aalto frowned. "You came alone... er, you came by yourself? How did you get here? Where are they now?"
Lucian flew onto Aalto's head, grabbed his hair, and plopped down.
"Do you really want to know?"
Aalto hunched his shoulders, eyes rolling upward as he tried to look at Abby. "I really want to know..."
"...Just don't do your business on my head..."
Lucian: "?"
Lucian kicked his fluffy little foot. "What the hell are you thinking?!"
He flew off Aalto's head and hovered in front of him, speaking leisurely. "Let me ask you—what's the most valuable thing in the Black Shores?"
Though confused, Aalto pondered. "The most valuable thing... In my opinion, it's probably information."
"The Black Shores maintains connections with various nations. Intelligence is undoubtedly the most important."
Lucian nodded slightly before rubbing his paws together. "You're absolutely right. Lucian and Rover's current whereabouts are also information. So... you get it, right?"
Aalto stared blankly at Abby's sneaky expression, struck by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. He saw Lucian's shadow in Abby!
But he still didn't suspect Abby was Lucian in disguise. Aalto couldn't help but think—was this what it meant to be an Echo by Lucian's side? Even the money-grubbing expressions and gestures were identical...
However, Aalto wasn't fooled. "That may be so, but they should be celebrating the Moon-Chasing Festival right now, no? I even asked Lucian to look after Encore for me..."
Lucian wagged a claw, adopting an inscrutable expression. "Not so, not so. It is the Moon-Chasing Festival, but this year's festival has seen a major incident involving Rover!"
"An incident significant enough to affect Jinzhou's future... Surely you'd want to know, no?"
Aalto blinked, then grew intrigued. "An incident that could shape Jinzhou's future...?"
"You've piqued my interest... Fine, name your price."
Lucian nodded slightly. "Considering you're Lucian's close friend, that makes you my close friend too. So I'll give you a friendship price... Five million Shell Credits!"
Aalto: "?"
Aalto exploded. "Five million Shell Credits?! Why don't you just rob me?!"
"And wasn't this supposed to be a friendship price? Why is it higher than the market rate?!"
Lucian grinned. "Ah, but you misunderstand. As the saying goes, 'Strangers get half-scammed, friends get fully scammed'—"
"—Ahem, ahem... What I mean is, precisely because of our strong friendship, we must 'avoid suspicion'!"
Aalto was baffled. "Avoid suspicion? What do you mean? In all my years as a merchant, I've never heard of intelligence deals requiring 'suspicion avoidance.'"
Lucian chuckled. "Then let me ask you—what's the most important thing for a merchant?"
Aalto answered without hesitation. "Integrity, of course!"
Lucian clapped his plush little paws. "Exactly! And that's why we must avoid suspicion!"
"Think about it—if you saw a merchant selling intelligence cheaply to a friend but charging you market price, how would you feel?"
Aalto considered this. "In that case, I'd definitely feel cheated... and demand the merchant sell to me at the same low price..."
Lucian smiled approvingly. "You're learning."