Chapter 159
Lucinda fell silent for a moment, but she didn't hide the truth. "Because of that batch of raw materials."
Reginald's eyes flickered.
Lucinda looked out the window, her memory drifting back four years.
Back then, she'd just discovered the value of Crimson Star Crystal. This material wasn't just rare—it could become a crucial foundation for many high-end technologies in the future.
But once word got out, multiple factions started eyeing that mining area.
Some wanted to seize it. Some wanted to monopolize it. Others even wanted to destroy it outright.
"To protect the raw materials, I came to Sylvanor. Later, I established Origin Oath Crew."
Reginald's brow furrowed slightly. Though she spoke calmly, he could imagine the danger she'd faced.
A teenage girl, alone in the lawless chaos of Sylvanor, building her own power among countless desperados.
He didn't need to guess what she'd been through.
At the thought, a flash of pain crossed Reginald's eyes.
Lucinda seemed not to notice and continued, "That's when I met Niamh."
Reginald paused. "How did you meet?"
A faint smile touched Lucinda's lips, a rare hint of nostalgia. "The first time I saw her, she was alone with a backpack, wandering around the mining area."
"I thought she was some lost little girl. Turns out, she was looking for a special mineral."
Reginald froze, then rubbed his forehead helplessly.
That definitely sounded like something she'd do.
Lucinda went on. "Later, when I was in danger, she saved me. Gave me her only food and water. Kept me alive. After that, we were bonded for life."
"But I realized she knew a lot—chemistry, mechanics, energy, mineral analysis. Knowledge most adults don't have, yet she could explain it all perfectly."
A touch of admiration entered Lucinda's eyes. "That's when I knew she wasn't ordinary."
Pride flickered in Reginald's gaze.
Of course not. She was his sister.
"What happened next?"
Lucinda smiled. "She followed me everywhere after that. Wouldn't leave no matter what. Wherever I went, she went. Eventually, I started teaching her things."
Mineral surveying, mechanical structures, energy refinement, wilderness survival—even gang management. Lucinda had taught her all of it herself.
And Niamh learned fast. Incredibly fast.
Gradually, they grew closer.
Niamh's way of addressing her changed from "Ms. Wipere" to "Master."
Thinking of that little girl who always circled around her, Lucinda's expression softened. "She kept calling me Master. Sometimes dozens of times a day."
Reginald couldn't help but laugh. He could picture it perfectly.
Suddenly, Lucinda's expression stilled.
Reginald caught it immediately. "What happened after that?"
The car went quiet. A few seconds later, Lucinda spoke slowly. "Once, when I went out to survey the mining area, there was an accident."
Reginald's face darkened instantly. "What accident?"
"I fell into a trap. And ran into a wolf pack."
The moment the words left her mouth, silence filled the car. Reginald's expression had completely changed.
A wolf pack?
The wild wolves in Sylvanor's deep mountains weren't zoo animals. They were real predators.
Lucinda's tone remained calm. "My leg was injured. My communication device was broken. The wolves were already closing in. I almost died there."
Reginald's body tensed. His heart felt like someone had squeezed it hard.
Even knowing she was sitting here safe and sound, hearing those words made fear grip him.
"And then?"
Lucinda smiled faintly. "Then Niamh came."
Reginald froze.
Warmth flickered in Lucinda's eyes. "I don't know how she figured out my location, but she flew in on a single-wing plane all by herself."
Reginald stared. "A single-wing plane?"
"Yes." Lucinda nodded. "She spotted the wolf pack from the air, dove straight down at low altitude, and scared them off. Then she landed and got me out."
Complete silence filled the car. Reginald didn't speak for a long time, the scene replaying in his mind.
Injured Lucinda. The closing wolf pack. And his sister flying in to save her.
Finally, he let out a long breath, relief flooding his eyes. "Thank God. Thank God you're okay. And thank God it was Niamh who saved you."
If Lucinda had died that day, so many things wouldn't have happened.
At that thought, a strange feeling rose in Reginald's chest.
Fate had tied them together four years ago.
His sister was Lucinda's apprentice. She'd saved Lucinda's life. This bond ran deeper than he'd imagined.
Then irritation crept in. "That girl is so disobedient."
Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Reginald gritted his teeth. "Something that serious, and she never told the family!"
Running around alone, researching minerals alone, flying planes alone—even charging into wolf territory to save someone. One wrong move and the consequences would've been unthinkable.
But Lucinda laughed. "Don't blame her. She has her own ideals, her own convictions. She knows what she's doing."
"Besides, her research on Crimson Star Crystal shouldn't be too public. The fewer people who know, the safer she is."
Reginald fell silent.
Lucinda continued. "She's smart. She's brave. You should trust her."
Quiet settled over the car again.
After a long moment, Reginald suddenly laughed—helplessly. "You're right. I underestimated her."
In his eyes, Niamh had always been the little sister who needed protection.
But today, he finally realized the truth. That little girl had grown up.
She had her own beliefs, her own path. She was already quietly changing the world.
And none of it would've been possible without the woman beside him.
At that thought, Reginald reached out and gently took Lucinda's hand. "Thank you."
Lucinda blinked. "For what?"
Reginald looked at her, the lights outside reflected in his eyes. "For teaching her so much. And for protecting her all these years."
Lucinda smiled softly, lowering her head without another word.
The night flowed silently around them. The car moved forward. And their hands remained clasped together.
Three days later, Origin Oath Crew headquarters.
After the battle with Black Wolf Crew, all of Sylvanor was shaken to its core.
News of the alliance between Dusk Reign Crew and Origin Oath Crew had spread completely. No one dared provoke Origin Oath Crew anymore.
But at that moment, deep inside Origin Oath Crew's laboratory zone, everything was eerily quiet.
At a massive lab table, Lucinda wore a white lab coat, her long hair tied back simply. She was processing the Crimson Star Crystal they'd just brought back, her head lowered in concentration.
Light fell across her delicate profile. Her expression was focused, serious—as if the entire world had narrowed to the data and experiments before her.
Reginald stood outside the glass window, watching her through the transparent barrier. He'd been standing there for a solid ten minutes.
Beside him, Elijah couldn't help but clear his throat lightly. "You've been watching for half a day."
Reginald didn't look away. He just hummed softly. "I have."
Elijah fell silent.
What kind of answer was that?
He suddenly felt like the leader of Dusk Reign Crew was losing all sense of dignity.
Who would've thought? The most fearsome man in all of Sylvanor, standing outside a lab, staring at someone in a complete daze.