Jeremy's explanation only confused Ritchie even more, but he chose not to press further.
Instead, the two of them quickly continued on their journey.
anwhile, on Vincent's Side…
Vincent's subordinates began questioning him about what they should do next.
Vincent's response was simple and direct.
"Even though our mission is complete, I have a feeling there are still so monsters lurking nearby.
We might as well eliminate them while we're here."
His words puzzled his team mbers.
"Captain, you really don't plan on reporting our encounter with Jeremy to headquarters?
I think headquarters has the right to know about this.
Besides, if they later find out that you withheld information, they'll be furious.
Your chances for future promotions will definitely suffer."
Hearing his subordinates' concerns, Vincent remained unfazed.
With a calm but dismissive tone, he replied,
"Why should I do Kean's dirty work?
Do any of you actually like Kean?"
His words carried a hint of disdain.
Vincent had always looked down on Kean.
In his eyes, Kean's strength was nothing more than a product of the Lannisters' vast resources.
Kean was not the talented warrior his family portrayed him to be.
If Kean truly possessed great talent, he would have joined military headquarters directly.
He would have risen through the ranks based on his own skills, not through his family's influence.
"Kean and people like us are nothing alike," one soldier admitted.
"But orders are still orders.
Captain, I still think we should report Jeremy's movents to headquarters."
Another soldier added his voice to the argunt.
Vincent shook his head.
His tone was firm.
"No matter what, I will not report this to military headquarters.
If any of you believe my decision is wrong, then go ahead—report it yourselves."
After saying that, Vincent's deanor suddenly changed.
His expression turned serious.
"Enough.
Monsters are already closing in on our position.
Right now, our focus should be on the battle ahead—not this pointless debate."
Although so of his subordinates still had concerns, they understood that a battle was imminent.
With that in mind, they shifted their focus to the fight ahead.
In this way, Vincent successfully helped Jeremy conceal the fact that he was about to arrive at the capital.
Jeremy and Ritchie spent nearly two hours making their way toward their destination, and at long last, they finally reached the outskirts of the capital.
The mont they set foot on the outskirts, Kean imdiately sensed their presence.
"So, my subordinates failed after all," Kean muttered, his expression darkening. "Just as I expected, they were nothing but a bunch of useless fools. They only managed to delay Jeremy and Ritchie for two days."
A flicker of irritation crossed Kean's face.
Initially, he had estimated that his n could hold them back for at least three days.
But to his disappointnt, they had barely managed two.
However, Kean was not the type to dwell on failure. He adjusted his mindset almost instantly.
"Two days… Fine. Two days is enough. I'm already fully prepared for battle. All I need to do now is follow through with the original plan."
Over the past two days, Kean had ticulously made every necessary preparation.
This ti, he would not only have The Person in the Mirror fighting alongside him—he would also have direct assistance from one of the masterminds behind the Apocalypse Ga itself.
The Sun had already made a promise.
Kean's figure began to blur and distort, his body gradually turning into a shimring white light.
A second later, he vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Kean reappeared at the prearranged battlefield.
"Jeremy and Ritchie will never make it into the heart of the capital!" Kean declared with unwavering confidence. "The mont they step through the entrance, they'll be transported straight to the battlefield."
His tone was solemn, laced with an unmistakable authority.
"You all need to be fully prepared for combat! I don't want to see any mistakes in this battle! If anything goes wrong—not only will I punish you, but your deity will punish you as well."
Kean's words were directed at The Person in the Mirror.
A vast number of The Person in the Mirror had already taken their positions around the battlefield.
Individually, their power might not have been overwhelming, but when they banded together, they posed an enormous threat to Jeremy and Ritchie.
Yet, none of The Person in the Mirror responded to Kean's warning.
They had already entered a state of absolute silence.
Not far from the battlefield, The Son of the Sun had also made his preparations.
Truth be told, The Son of the Sun was secretly hoping that Kean would suffer a few setbacks in the battle ahead.
He hoped that during the battle, Kean would suffer severe injuries.
Then, just as Kean was on the verge of defeat, he would step into the battlefield, save Kean, and turn the tide of battle in their favor.
Only by doing so could he make The Sun see him as the most loyal and invaluable subordinate.
However, no matter what, The Son of the Sun would not allow this battle to end in failure.
Jeremy and Ritchie moved forward cautiously.
The mont they entered the outskirts of the capital, both of them beca extrely vigilant.
They were well aware that the territory they had just stepped into was incredibly dangerous.
Under no circumstances could they allow themselves to be discovered by the military headquarters' forces.
After advancing for a short while, Ritchie spoke in a low voice.
"It looks like your judgnt was spot on. Vincent really didn't report our movents to the military headquarters. The forces stationed here seem completely unaware of our presence."
Jeremy responded with a small, knowing smile.
"Aren't you even a little curious about how I was so sure?"
"Is it because you're exceptionally smart? If that's the answer you're about to give , then save it. My intelligence is already at its limit—there's no hope for improvent," Ritchie sighed with mock defeat.
Jeremy chuckled softly.
"No, it's not just because I'm smarter. The truth is, when Vincent was probing my mind with his psychic powers, I used the opportunity to reverse-search his mory and gain insight into his thought process."
"Vincent doesn't like Kean. That much is clear."
"And since I ca here specifically to cause trouble for Kean, there was no way Vincent would try to stop ."
Jeremy finally revealed the real reason behind his confidence.
Ritchie nodded slowly, an expression of understanding crossing his face.
"I knew it. There was no way you made that call based purely on speculation."
The two of them continued their conversation, exchanging words casually as they maneuvered through the suburban buildings.
Then, finally, the gates leading into the capital's city center ca into view.
Jeremy's expression turned serious.
"Get ready for battle."
"The mont we step through that gate, Kean will know imdiately. There's a good chance he'll co straight for us, looking to settle things in a final showdown."
Before entering the gate, Jeremy made sure to warn Ritchie.
Ritchie nodded solemnly.
In truth, he had already been prepared for this fight.
Throughout their previous battles, he had barely used his Soul Division ability.
That skill was sothing he had reserved—for Kean alone.
The two of them quickened their pace, heading straight for the city gate.
Just as they were about to reach the entrance, Jeremy suddenly ca to a halt.
Ritchie turned to him, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Before he could ask what was going on, an impatient voice rang out from the guards stationed at the gate.
"What are you two standing there for? If you're not planning to enter the city, then move along! The gate is crowded enough as it is—there are plenty of people trying to get in!"
The capital's gate guards had little patience for people loitering at the entrance.
Not only did it interfere with their duties, but it also disrupted the entire flow of the capital's operations.
Under the guards' firm urging, Jeremy grabbed Ritchie by the arm and pulled him away from the imdiate vicinity of the gate.
Once they were a safe distance away, Ritchie turned to Jeremy with a serious expression.
"What's going on? Why did you suddenly stop? Did you notice sothing unusual?"
His voice carried a note of concern.
Jeremy nodded briefly—then shook his head.
That confused Ritchie even more.
He had seen Jeremy do this exact thing many tis before, but no matter how often it happened, he could never quite get used to it.
"I didn't detect anything suspicious," Jeremy admitted. "But I just heard the voice of the Goddess of Life in my mind."
"The Goddess of Life warned —if I step through that gate right now, I will walk straight into a trap."
Jeremy's connection with the Goddess of Life wasn't particularly surprising.
After all, their collaboration had been ongoing for quite so ti.
However, the nature of the warning was perplexing.
Ritchie furrowed his brows.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" he asked, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Are we just going to stand here?"
"Or are you telling we're actually going to try and lure Kean out of the capital?"
The mont Ritchie finished speaking, Jeremy's gaze snapped toward him.
"You're absolutely right!
Maybe we should lure Kean out!
If Kean knows we're here, he's bound to be anxious.
He might even co to face us directly in battle.
That way, we won't have to step foot into the capital at all."
Jeremy's words left Ritchie stunned.
After a brief mont of contemplation, Ritchie realized that Jeremy's logic was flawless.
Their goal in coming to the capital was simple—defeat Kean and prevent [The Sun] from reviving.
[The Sun] would never be hiding in the capital's inner city.
It was almost certainly sowhere outside, concealed within an instance near the capital.
So in truth, entering the capital itself wasn't necessary.
"What do you suggest we do, then?
How exactly do we lure Kean out?"
Ritchie asked after a mont of thought.
Jeremy's lips curled into a subtle smile.
"Don't worry…
You'll find out soon enough what I have planned!"
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