Nico had to demonstrate his power.
In order to convince Gemma to join his side, he would need a display grand enough to show him that he — or, rather, Changing Star — could take on the Bright Lord.
That's why it was unfortunate Shaman had to assist in whatever battle they were having with a Fallen Devil.
'Idiots…'
While he knew fighting the Fallen Terror of the Crimson Spire was inevitable, and even the Fallen Tyrant hidden in the catacombs beneath the Dark City too, taking on an unnecessary adversary just a class below that seemed foolish. What meager rewards did they hope to achieve from that?
'Whatever. They know their strength well enough not to take on a fight they can't win, and with Shaman there, it's nearly guaranteed nothing will go wrong.'
Of course, it would've been even more assured if he had gone as well, but he couldn't reveal all his cards just yet — not his Ascended glaive, not his cultivated sixth sense, and not how the peak of his technique.
Most of his power was already known to them, after all. He had divulged Shaman's Abilities, the first part of his Aspect Ability, and his ownership of a True Name. It felt like he was giving up all his secrets for free, but most everything he'd needed to divulge had been, to some extent, necessary.
Still… he had been more compliant than necessary. He had answered too many of their questions.
And that was because he was weak. His mind constantly felt scattered after forming his Demon Core, and when approached with the combined desire for assurance all six members of Changing Star's cohort felt, it was stifling — even without [Empath] plaguing him.
Traipsing through the destroyed remnants of the Dark City's streets and alleys, Nico eventually found himself at the bottom of the grand road that spiraled up the hill to the Bright Castle.
There, he sat down and summoned the [Sacrificial Sight] from a cloud of sparks, its wet cloth wrapping around his head.
He had thought up a plan to distract the watchman with Shaman's help and allow him entry into the castle, but it would require further countermeasures too.
Sighing once, Nico began. Dismissing the [Silver Wraith] and sacrificing his pristine — and soon-to-be ruined — tunic to the elements, he collected the dirt, grime, and dust from the cracked ground of the Dark City.
His sickly skin became discolored by muck and smudge. His long, flush hair turned into a mottled shade of dark brown. More like a used rag than a man, he was soon replaced by Lauden, a Sleeper who had arrived two solstices ago and had remained alone in the outer settlement. Barely surviving off scraps and leftovers, he was only allowed some meager relief once Changing Star and her cohort arrived. With them supplying food, he finally managed to collect himself a single shard and now could enjoy a week-long vacation in the Bright Castle.
He wore his blindfold because it was the only Memory the Spell had bothered to gift to him, enhancing his senses and granting him a vague sense of night vision.
The Castle Guard was rude to him, but what did it matter? Surviving in poverty had long since been a chore he dealt with. One day they'd get what was coming to them, but until then, ducking under their radar and enjoying his bleak life in the Dream Realm was all that mattered.
'Sounds good enough.'
Of course, Nico was neither Lauden nor surviving in poverty, but the Castle Guard would hardly know the difference. With the blindfold hiding his most prominent feature, he was scot-free to enter the castle.
But, a random person ascending the road to the castle alone might look a bit suspicious, so he waited, his soul sense nearly reaching four kilometers after being enhanced by his Awakened Memory.
When one abyssal node with unfathomable malice shot across the sky like a beacon overhead, he stood up and began sprinting towards the road.
'Shaman will loose the Messenger, looking like a desperate Beast after having just survived a fight with the Fallen Devil.'
Before he reached the outer settlement, hopefully Shaman would be able to return too.
***
"Name?"
Nico looked at the expressionless woman before him. She was sitting in an opulent desk in the gatehouse, writing on a ledger the names and times of people entering into the castle. The weight of scrounging for anything, lest she be abandoned to the outer settlement, cast dark circles under her eyes.
"Lauden," he replied, scratching his forearm in mock embarrassment. His head throbbed painfully, but Shaman had indeed returned in time.
She scribbled away without so much as looking at him once.
"First visit?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Any preferred building?"
"Not really."
The woman placed down her pen and gestured to the other side of the hall with a backwards pointing thumb.
"Your room is the last one on the second floor of the Tower of Dusk. Can you find it yourself?"
Pretending to mull it over a moment, he shrugged and said:
"I'll figure it out."
It wasn't like he would head there anyway.
The receptionist sighed.
"Good. Just stay out of the areas marked with a golden serpent sigil. Those are exclusively for the Host. Go there, and you'll find yourself kicked back out instantly. Same goes for having windows open after sunset."
Nico glanced around, absently replying:
"Alright. Thank you."
Then, without pomp or ceremony, he left — walked towards the opposite end of the hall and further into the castle. Was it really… so easy? He had figured there would've been more protocol established to identify outsiders, but perhaps that notion was foolish. What would anyone here have to fear from those who lived among the outer settlement?
There was a reason they stayed there in the first place.
Looping around the daylit streets and corridors of the Bright Castle, Nico eventually turned down one of the forbidden corridors.
Before, when separating with his Specter, he had ordered it to take as much damage as possible to protect Changing Star's cohort. Then, after the battle, it would fly the battered Fallen towards the Bright Castle's walls and abandon the possession.
Mist curled between his fingers. Shaman seemed displeased.
A couple people had probably died because of that choice.
Still, it had returned as planned. They had a more important goal to accomplish with its abilities.
Gemma needed convincing, and if he wasn't willing, well, there was a fix for that.
Plus, Tessai will attempt to foil their plans and take the crownless kingdom for himself.
And when he does, everyone will see the morbid result of his greed.