Why would anything be wrong? This was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him, and it was even going to help Daneel after that surprise.

As that feeling disappeared, Faxul felt as if he had lost something-some…hope?

No, he must be wrong.

Yes, about a month from now, he was going to give his friend a great surprise.

However, he would go to the waterfall first on that day, so that he could set everything up.

Nodding to himself, Faxul got up and resumed his daily activities.

….

After successfully prioritizing and deciding what he was going to do, Daneel paced back and forth in his quarters, etching out all the details of the plan.

There were many variables that he had to eliminate, but he had a month to work on them.

However, try as he may, Daneel couldn't shake the feeling that ignoring the Empire Spirit of Lanthanor might not be so wise.

He needed information, and he needed all the help he could get to carry out this plan, as it had a very large rate of failure if even the smallest thing went wrong.

However, how could he guarantee that the Empire Spirits weren't working together in some way in order to trap and possess him, too?

This was a very real risk, but Daneel was considering whether he should take it, as all indications from everything he knew told him that even if that were the case, the system would be enough to help him escape.

Besides, he had been thinking about this, and he had to admit that the scholars of the Big 4 had quite a huge chance to be wrong.

Also, he had seen that…man for himself. That weight, that regality- it couldn't be faked.

At this moment, he had to admit that there was a chance that the Empire Spirit of Lanthanor was right.

However, trusting that chance was a very foolhardy thing to do, and if it were for almost anyone else, Daneel wouldn't even be considering it.

But this was his friend, who was closer than a brother. For him, he would do it.

So, without any more hesitation, the next day, he walked to the library where the Empire Spirit was located and repeated the action of editing his own memory.

Only, this time, he replaced his memory with that of brooding on the matter for a long, long time, before deciding that he needed to do it to save the millions of inhabitants of Angaria.

With red eyes that spoke volumes about the pain, sadness, and frustration he was feeling, Daneel walked up to the podium and grabbed it before shouting in his mind, "I'LL DO IT!"

After a brief silence, the Empire Spirit answered.

"Good. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Now, listen up. This is the plan. About a month from now, the Empire Spirit will begin the process of possession in a location that I will give you. During the possession, both it and your friend will be vulnerable. That is when you must strike. I will secure you entry. After that, it is up to you to find the best moment to strike. It will be quite easy to spot, so don't worry about that. Do you understand? Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, I have one. During that window of opportunity, won't the corporeal body of the Empire Spirit also be vulnerable? Why not target and kill it instead of Faxul?"

"That's a smart question, but sadly, it's not possible. You are the only one whom I can secure entry for. And an Amateur Warrior like you does not have the means to destroy a Ker Root structure in that limited period of time. Trinkets are out of the question, too, as you'll have to go in without any. I've thought about everything, young King. This is the only way."

Although his memories had been edited, Daneel had made sure that he would ask this question by…mind controlling himself.

Hearing the answer, he only sighed and said "All right" before leaving, but after getting back to his quarters, a smile lit up on his face on replaying the answer with his memories intact.

The decision to take the chance with the Empire Spirit had already paid off in a major way, as his plan was almost now concrete.

He had been hoping that the Empire Spirit of Lanthanor's plan would make use of the moment of vulnerability which he needed access to, and it had done just that.

Feeling happy that something was finally going his way, Daneel had a talk with Eloise and Norcet to set up something before heading back to his 'team', who had been toiling day and night in order to cover for him and finish the job.

Eloise had seemed…different, in some way, but Daneel hadn't been able to identify how, and he had had no time to ponder on the issue. Hence, he had only ensured using the system that there was no threat to her life from any source.

After rejoining the team and returning to the Sect, Daneel collected the pay, for work that he hadn't done at all.

However, in the days following that, he worked his a.s.s off.

From morning to night, he would always be doing some job or the other, and often, he took dangerous ones, which paid much more than any scam he could have done.

Time lost all meaning, with Daneel only focusing on job after job, acc.u.mulating as many Ker Gems as possible.

The matter with Ashah.e.l.l had been placed to the side for now, as he needed to finish this first.

Finally, after 27 days, the auspicious time arrived.

On this day, Daneel's haggard face was smiling as he checked all his pockets, making sure that he had everything.

Without further ado, using another team mission, he set off on a small but very important detour before heading to the Kingdom of Lanthanor, and when he arrived, he went straight to the Empire Spirit.

When he grasped it, it asked, "Ready?"

For once, Daneel had all of his memories intact, so he was tempted to say, "More ready than I'll ever be" with a hopeful tone.

However, he was setting off on a sad mission to kill his best friend.

So, to suit the atmosphere, Daneel said "Yes," in a pained voice.

Yet, this atmosphere was completely broken when the Empire Spirit replied in a hesitant voice.

"Good. So…I need you to let me possess you. Only for a brief moment, I promise."

As Daneel heard this, he couldn't help but curse inwardly, finding the first wrench in his plan that had been going smoothly till now.

Really, what the f*ck? How the h.e.l.l am I supposed to believe that it'll only be for a brief moment, huh? You think I'm a kid?!