The imperial capital was already awake.
Morning sunlight spilled across wide stone streets as merchants opened their shops and noble carriages rolled through the city's main avenues.
The capital of the empire was enormous.
Tall towers reached toward the sky, banners of noble families fluttered in the wind, and the distant walls of Celestial Academy could already be seen from the northern district.
For many young talents across the empire, that academy represented the first step toward greatness.
Today the city felt especially lively.
In just a few days, the academy's entrance examination would begin.
Thousands of young nobles and talented commoners had already arrived in the capital.
Among the bustling streets—
A luxurious black carriage bearing the golden crest of the Aurelius Clan moved slowly through the crowd.
Pedestrians instinctively stepped aside as it passed.
Inside the carriage, Lucien Aurelius sat calmly while looking out the window.
The capital was even larger than he remembered from the novel.
Endless rows of buildings stretched across the horizon.
Markets filled with people.
Guards patrolling the streets.
Everywhere he looked, the city pulsed with life.
But Lucien wasn't here to sightsee.
His mind was focused on one thing.
The system mission.
Just then, the familiar blue interface appeared again in front of him.
Active Mission
Disrupt Hero's Destiny Encounter
Target: Elena Valtieri
Time Remaining: 67 Hours
Reward:
+500 Shadow Points
Skill: Fate Disruption
Lucien studied the screen quietly.
In the original story, Elena Valtieri arrived in the capital early and stayed at a noble guest residence near the academy.
Two days later, during the entrance exam trial, she would encounter Adrian Solhart in a frozen cave.
That encounter would form their first bond.
But the system clearly wanted Lucien to interfere before that moment happened.
Which meant meeting her first was the logical step.
Fortunately, the system had already provided useful information.
He tapped the floating screen.
"Show target location."
The interface updated instantly.
Destiny Character Tracking
Elena Valtieri
Distance: 1.8 kilometers
Lucien leaned back in the carriage.
"So she's close."
He knocked lightly on the carriage wall.
"Stop near the northern plaza."
"Yes, Young Master," the driver replied from outside.
A few minutes later, the carriage slowed before coming to a halt.
Lucien stepped outside.
The northern plaza was one of the busiest areas in the capital.
Travelers gathered here from across the empire.
Merchants shouted about their goods while street performers entertained crowds.
But Lucien's attention quickly focused on one particular building nearby.
The Silver Crown Inn.
A luxurious guest house often used by visiting nobles.
In the original novel, Elena had stayed there during her first days in the capital.
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Perfect."
Just as he began walking toward the inn—
A sudden disturbance erupted in the plaza.
"Watch out!"
Someone shouted.
A horse pulling a supply cart had suddenly panicked and broken free from its handler.
The animal charged wildly through the crowd.
People screamed as they scrambled out of the way.
The cart rattled violently behind it, threatening to crash into anyone too slow to escape.
Lucien frowned slightly.
Unfortunate accidents like this happened often in busy cities.
But then his eyes caught something interesting.
Near the center of the plaza stood a young woman wearing a light blue cloak.
Her long silver hair shimmered in the sunlight.
And at that moment—
She had not noticed the runaway cart rushing directly toward her.
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"Elena Valtieri."
The description matched perfectly.
One of the most talented young ice mages in the empire.
And the future companion of the hero.
In the original story, Adrian would save her from danger during the academy trial.
But fate seemed to be offering Lucien a slightly earlier opportunity.
The horse was only seconds away.
The crowd had already scattered.
Elena finally turned her head—
But it was too late.
The cart was already upon her.
Several people gasped.
Then—
A blur of black suddenly moved.
Lucien stepped forward with surprising speed.
His hand grabbed Elena's arm firmly.
Before she could react, he pulled her sharply to the side.
The runaway cart thundered past them just moments later.
The entire event lasted less than three seconds.
The plaza gradually fell silent as the danger passed.
Elena blinked in surprise.
She looked down at the hand still holding her wrist.
Then she looked up.
Her icy blue eyes met Lucien's silver ones.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Lucien calmly released her arm.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings."
His voice was calm but slightly amused.
Elena frowned slightly.
"I was."
Lucien glanced toward the street where the runaway cart had disappeared.
"Clearly not enough."
Elena crossed her arms.
Despite the cloak partially hiding her appearance, Lucien could see that she was exactly as described in the novel.
Beautiful.
Cold.
And clearly not someone who enjoyed being lectured by strangers.
Still, she didn't ignore the obvious.
"You saved me."
Lucien shrugged.
"An unfortunate accident. Nothing more."
Elena studied him carefully.
His noble clothing and confident posture made his status obvious.
But she had never seen him before.
"Who are you?"
Lucien answered casually.
"Lucien Aurelius."
The moment he spoke his name—
Elena's expression changed slightly.
Even she had heard that name before.
The infamous third young master of the Aurelius Clan.
Known for arrogance and troublesome behavior.
Her eyes narrowed.
"So you're that Lucien."
Lucien chuckled softly.
"I assume the reputation reached your ears as well."
Elena didn't deny it.
Rumors about powerful noble families spread quickly.
Especially rumors about troublesome heirs.
But the man standing in front of her didn't quite match those stories.
He appeared calm.
Observant.
Not reckless or loud like she expected.
Lucien noticed her evaluating gaze.
"Are you staying at the Silver Crown Inn?"
Elena's eyes widened slightly.
"How did you know?"
Lucien smiled.
"Lucky guess."
Of course, it wasn't a guess.
But he had no intention of explaining that.
Before Elena could question him further—
The system interface suddenly appeared again.
Mission Progress Updated
Hero Destiny Event Altered.
Host saved Elena Valtieri before meeting with hero.
Partial Fate Disruption Achieved.
Reward:
+200 Shadow Points
Lucien's smile widened slightly.
So even small changes to the story could generate rewards.
Interesting.
But the mission wasn't complete yet.
The real destiny encounter would still happen during the academy trial.
He turned back toward Elena.
"Well then," Lucien said casually.
"Try not to get run over again."
With that, he began walking away toward his carriage.
Elena watched him leave, her brows slightly furrowed.
Something about the encounter felt strange.
In the original timeline—
Another person should have been the one to save her.
But that person hadn't appeared yet.
Meanwhile, Lucien stepped back into his carriage.
As the vehicle began moving again, he leaned back comfortably.
His silver eyes glimmered with quiet amusement.
The first crack in the hero's destiny had already appeared.
And the academy entrance exam was still two days away.
Lucien looked out the window toward the distant academy towers.
"Let's see how the story unfolds now."
Because this time—
The villain was the one controlling the plot.