The next evening, the setting sun bathed the eastern district of Magnolia in a magnificent golden glow.
Duke Everl's mansion was less a residence and more a small, white palace.
Soaring gilded fences, meticulously trimmed lawns resembling carpets, and a central fountain that refracted a rainbow-like halo in the setting sun.
Everything revealed the owner's astonishing wealth and... a hint of deliberate ostentation.
"Wow... it's so big... so luxurious..." Lucy, wearing a tasteful beige dress, tried to maintain her elegance, but her eyes couldn't help but show her astonishment. This was a world away from her small rented apartment.
"Hmph, a nouveau riche's taste." Gray, for once, wore a decent dark coat (though the buttons on his shirt underneath were still only half-fastened), his tone carrying its usual sarcasm.
"Aye! What a big fish pond! The fish inside must be plump!" Happy stared at the leisurely swimming koi in the courtyard, practically drooling.
"The Golden Owl... where could it be hidden? It's worth 3 million J!" Natsu rubbed his hands together, his eyes scanning every corner of the mansion like a searchlight, as if 'thief' was already written all over his face.
Around Lucy's neck, the "Silver Star Pendant," re-mimicked, emitted a warm luster, with a deep blue point at its center, profound as the sea.
Although Christian's core was still in deep slumber, repairing and organizing the vast energy and rule fragments swallowed from Garna Island,
the basic "Omni-Perception" was instinctively active like breathing, silently channeling the scanned information flow into the core database, while also extending an extremely faint, directional sensory link to Lucy's consciousness.
"Analysis: Mansion exterior... covered by low-intensity composite alert barrier... trigger-activated... sound, light, and magic mixed alarm.
Structure stable... but nodes clear... bypassable." Subtle information flowed like a stream directly into Lucy's mind.
"Interior... detected multiple... faint magic reaction points... distributed in corridors, corners, key doorways... suspected magic traps... types: restraint, stun, alarm... levels: low to medium. Path planning... generating..."
Lucy felt as if an invisible map of the mansion appeared before her eyes, with several safe paths highlighted.
"Life signs... concentrated in the main house... approximately... fifteen people,
energy fluctuations... ordinary humans... and... two... low-level Mages (bodyguards),
no high-intensity magic source... or... abnormal curse aura... detected.
Target 'Golden Owl Statue'... not within sensory range... requires deeper investigation."
Lucy's heart settled, maintaining a polite smile on her face as she was led by an expressionless, sharp-eyed butler towards the heavy, carved main door. She could feel the butler's scrutinizing gaze sweep over herself and her companions, especially when he saw Natsu and Gray's temperament, which clearly didn't fit the aristocratic environment. His brow furrowed imperceptibly, and his gaze lingered on her "pendant" for an extra moment.
"Miss Lucy Heartfilia, and... your escorts?" The butler's voice was flat.
"Yes, we are Mages from Fairy Tail, hired by Duke Everl." Lucy curtsied gracefully.
"Please come in. The Duke awaits in his study." The butler stepped aside.
The interior of the mansion was far more luxurious than what was seen outside; the polished marble floor reflected the dazzling crystal chandeliers, richly colored oil paintings hung on the walls, and the air was filled with a mix of expensive incense and fine leather. Every furnishing was valuable, yet conveyed a sense of over-the-top accumulation.
"Tsk tsk... this painting... how much booze could it buy..." Gray muttered, looking at an oil painting depicting a hunting scene, embedded with many jewels.
"This carpet... it would burn so brightly..." Natsu stared at the thick Persian carpet underfoot, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together, as if striking a flint.
"Aye! That golden fruit bowl!" Happy's eyes were glued to a pure gold fruit basket.
"You two! Tone it down!" Lucy hissed in a low voice, trying to maintain her elegance.
The pendant around her neck warmed slightly, sending a clear instruction: "Front left... corridor... third celadon vase base... pressure-activated stun trap... energy circuit... three inches bottom right... detour."
Lucy's steps were light, like a well-trained lady, and as she approached the vase, she subtly shifted her foot half an inch outwards, perfectly avoiding the trap's trigger range.
"The study has arrived." The butler stopped before a heavy, intricately carved wooden door and knocked.
"Come in." A slightly arrogant, heavily nasal voice responded.
Inside the study, Duke Everl was sunken in a massive, high-backed mahogany chair.
He was corpulent, dressed in a deep purple silk nightgown embroidered with gold thread, and his ten carrot-like fingers were laden with various large gemstone rings, almost completely obscuring his skin.
His well-maintained face had a greasy look from long-term indulgence, and the friendly smile he tried to force out appeared particularly artificial.
Behind him, like two iron towers, stood two burly, stern-faced bodyguards, their eyes like knives, scrutinizing everyone who entered.
"Oh~ is this Miss Lucy Heartfilia?" Duke Everl's small eyes narrowed into slits, openly scrutinizing Lucy from her carefully styled blonde hair to her feet in small leather shoes, his gaze unpleasantly sticky. "Indeed, elegant in temperament, living up to her reputation." His voice drawled, with deliberate praise.
"And these... hmm, the elites of Fairy Tail?" His gaze swept over Natsu (with his unruly hair), Gray (disheveled), Happy (curiously looking around), and finally returned to the pendant around Lucy's neck, a flicker of imperceptible scrutiny in his eyes.
"You flatter us, Duke. I am Lucy, and these are my companions Natsu, Gray, and Happy." Lucy suppressed her disgust and bowed slightly.
"Meow~" Happy meowed cooperatively.
"So... the details of the mission, the butler should have already informed you?" Duke Everl leaned back, his plump fingers casually twirling a ring set with a huge sapphire.
"Tomorrow night is the full moon. According to reliable sources, an overconfident petty thief will visit my mansion. I need you to ensure my absolute safety, and..." His tone suddenly intensified, with an undeniable command, "You must! Retrieve my stolen Golden Owl Statue! It is a symbol of our Everl family's honor! Priceless!"
"May I ask, Duke," Lucy maintained a professional smile, "do you have any clues regarding the theft of the heirloom? Such as suspicious people or events?"
"Clues?" Duke Everl sneered, the fat on his face jiggling.
"If I had clues, what would I need you for? It's those light-fingered servants! A bunch of ungrateful wretches! I've already... properly dealt with all the suspicious ones." A cruel satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
"You just need to catch that audacious thief who dares to break in tomorrow night, and then... pry his mouth open and find out the statue's whereabouts! Remember!" He leaned forward, his small eyes fixed on Lucy, "The statue's eyes are two of the world's rarest pigeon blood rubies! Unique! That is the most obvious sign!"
"Dealt with...?" Gray keenly caught that phrase, his brows furrowing.
"Of course!" Duke Everl said as a matter of course, "To be merciful to thieves is foolish! They must know the cost!" He waved his ring-laden hand, as if shooing away flies.
"Alright, the butler will take you to your guest rooms. Remember, without my permission, you are not allowed to wander around the mansion! Especially..." He drew out his tone, a warning glint in his small eyes, "The basement! It's old and in disrepair, very dangerous! Understand?"
"Yes, Duke, we understand." Lucy suppressed her doubts and nodded in response.
The butler led them to a spacious but cold guest room on the second floor. The room was lavishly furnished, with a huge four-poster bed hung with heavy drapes, but it lacked warmth, exuding a sense of detachment.
"Dinner will be served to your room shortly. Please... behave yourselves and do not wander around." The butler left with these cold words, and the faint sound of a lock clicking could be heard from outside the door.
"Tch! What an attitude! Does he really think we're prisoners?" Natsu kicked a nearby carved stool in annoyance.
"That Duke... he makes me uncomfortable all over. The way he looked at Lucy was like looking at merchandise." Gray walked to the window, pulling back a corner of the heavy curtain to observe outside.
"Aye! He looked at me hatefully too! Like I was emergency rations!" Happy flew to Lucy's head.
Lucy sighed in relief, rubbing her somewhat stiff smiling cheeks, and sat on the bed. She took off the "pendant" from her neck and placed it in her palm. The star-shaped silver metal encased the deep, dark blue point at its center. "Mr. Christian? Can you feel it? That Duke... and the basement he mentioned... something is definitely wrong!"
The pendant in her palm was silent, but Lucy could feel that the faint sensory link was still steadily connected to her, and a more detailed stream of information began to slowly flow into her consciousness:
"Analysis: Target Duke Everl... physiological indicators: elevated heart rate... abnormal body temperature fluctuations... emotional spectrum analysis: superficial... feigned cordiality... deep... strong greed... hidden... high tension and fear. When mentioning 'basement' and 'dealing with' servants... fear and malice values... significantly spiked.
Logical contradiction: stolen 'goods'... should not... be highlighted with specific features... more likely... a pretext for... imprisonment or... other purposes."
"Target 'Golden Owl Statue'... rubies... detected... abnormal mental wavelength... wavelength... targeting... amplification of negative emotions (fear, pain)... nature... similar to... weakened curse... or... mental induction device.
Source... points to... west side of mansion... deep below... energy reaction... consistent with Duke's description."
"Warning: Guest room... contains... hidden surveillance magic nodes... three o'clock direction... wall lamp decoration... nine o'clock direction... behind oil painting... twelve o'clock direction... ceiling medallion.
Recommendation... if unnecessary... do not discuss sensitive content."
Lucy's heart tightened, and she subtly glanced at the three locations the pendant indicated. Indeed, they were all exquisitely decorated and inconspicuous.
"Sure enough... this is not a simple escort and retrieval mission at all." Lucy whispered, putting the pendant back on, the faint blue glow resting against her collarbone. "That basement... it must be hiding a secret! And those servants he 'dealt with'..."
"Aye! Are we going to save them?" Happy asked.
"Of course!" Natsu clenched his fist, flames dancing in his eyes, "Daring to bully innocent people and trick us into being his muscle? This fat pig Duke deserves a beating!"
"But the basement is certainly full of traps, and the Duke is clearly wary of us." Gray calmly analyzed, "That butler isn't an ordinary person either. Forcing our way in is too risky."
"Plan change." Christian's faint but clear information stream came again, carrying a calm decisiveness.
"Target priority: ensure Lucy's safety (core).
Target two: investigate the truth... including... the imprisoned... and... the basement's secret.
Target three: acquire... mission reward (3 million J).
Execution plan: 'Omni-Perception' guidance... avoid traps and surveillance... directly to target area. Requires... creating controlled chaos... to attract attention."
"Natsu, Gray... create... moderate destruction... in the east and north directions... to attract guards. Happy... aerial reconnaissance... relay information. Lucy... accompany me... 'Omni-Perception' real-time navigation... infiltrate west side... basement."
"Me? Infiltrate with you?" Lucy was both nervous and eager.
"Affirmative. Your 'Celestial Spirit Magic'... possesses... tactical flexibility... in critical moments... can summon Celestial Spirits... to handle emergencies. Furthermore... the Duke recognizes... your identity... reducing suspicion, and my mimicry... can provide... additional concealment and... path support." Christian's reasons were thorough and calm.
"Okay!" Lucy took a deep breath, her eyes firm, "For those imprisoned, and for the truth and the reward! Let's move!"
As night deepened, moonlight permeated the Everl mansion. The daytime's bustling extravagance subsided, leaving only the heavy, rhythmic footsteps of patrolling bodyguards echoing in the empty corridors, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Most of the splendid chandeliers were extinguished, leaving only a few dim wall lamps, casting long, distorted shadows on the polished marble floor and gilded decorations.
In the guest room, Lucy changed into dark casual clothes suitable for movement, tying her Celestial Spirit key ring tightly to her waist. At the center of the "Star Pendant" around her neck, the faint blue light seemed a bit more solid than usual.
Christian's core was still in the deep sea of slumber, but the "Omni-Perception" network, like the most precise radar, was scanning everything around at maximum power, continuously feeding information into the core database while providing clear navigation for Lucy.
"Move out!" Lucy silently thought.
"Aye! Watch me!" Happy's tiny figure, like a ghost blending into the night, silently slipped out through a window crack, disappearing into the darkness.
"Let's go! Gray!" Natsu grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Hmph, don't mess it up." Gray adjusted his (never quite tidy) collar, and with Natsu, slipped out of the guest room like two wisps of smoke.
East Garden.
"Fire Dragon's... Sneeze!" Natsu exaggeratedly opened his mouth towards a huge, extravagantly sculpted angel statue in the center of the garden. A small, seemingly harmless spurt of orange-yellow flame "poofed" out, landing precisely in the carefully cultivated, precious deep purple Queen of the Night irises at the statue's base!