Lucy studied Liam for a long moment, eyes quietly measuring him as he stood firm before her. Then she finally spoke, her voice calm and composed.
"First, Liam, let me thank you," she said. "You gave us a critical lead—something no one else could've possibly predicted. I truly appreciate your contribution to all this. However, that doesn't give you the freedom to come in here with nothing but a hunch and expect us to act on it."
Liam met her gaze without flinching. "I don't expect you to act on my words blindly," he replied evenly. "But I do have good reason to believe the Western Region should be our first priority."
With that, Liam proceeded to explain his reasoning—the same detailed logic he had shared with Mabel. He laid out each connection, each clue, every pattern he had noticed, drawing a clear line from the present chaos back to the Land of Ruins.
