Backlund, Cherwood Borough, 26 Kingster Street.
Benson had just returned home from work. He removed his hat and coat, handed them to the maid, Sarah, and looked toward his younger sister Melissa, who was sitting in the living room, wholly absorbed in her writing and calculations.
"Melissa, today's your birthday. You ought to learn to rest once in a while."
Without looking up, Melissa continued reading and calculating, replying matter-of-factly,
"That's why I gave myself a full encyclopedia of alchemical materials as a gift. I plan to master it completely tonight."
Ever since becoming a Savant, Melissa's learning speed and memory had improved remarkably—finishing an entire book in one night was hardly unusual for her anymore.
"Melissa, you're getting funnier by the day. I like it—but jokes are jokes, don't take them too seriously… Oh, right, take a look at what I bought for you," Benson said with a grin.
He didn't think she was being serious at all—only that his little sister was acting out a little because there was no proper birthday party.
Still, to him, this was far better than how overly mature she usually acted—seeing her act like a normal young girl again made him happy.
Melissa, of course, easily guessed what he was thinking and let out a faint sigh before putting down her pen.
She knew her memory and comprehension had long surpassed that of ordinary people, so she didn't want to scare her brother.
And truth be told, she was a little curious about the gift Benson had prepared.
So she gave him a casual glance and asked,
"Are government jobs really so easy that you can come home this early?"
"No, not at all. But since it's my dearest sister's birthday, I asked for leave, of course… Besides, the first installment of repayment for the film company's government loan just came in. My work's a bit lighter now." Benson glanced at the mirror in the living room, instinctively straightened his hair, and added with a hint of dissatisfaction, "And because I handled the case so well, I got a commendation from the Deputy Minister of Finance… at least I've survived my cursed internship. From now on, my weekly salary is three pounds!"
Three pounds… A "Savant" potion costs at least three hundred… meaning that if we don't touch Klein's pension and save every penny, it'll take a hundred weeks—almost two years—to pay it off…
Melissa automatically began doing the math, then chuckled at herself. After all, her brother wasn't the only one earning money now—her own work as a "prop designer" for the film company paid even better than his.
Pulling her thoughts back, she took another look at Benson's empty hands. Though she said nothing, her eyes clearly asked, "Where's my present?"
Benson just smiled mysteriously. "You'll know in a moment."
He hadn't even finished speaking when the maid Sarah hurried back in and reported, "Sir, there's a Miss Elizabeth here to see you. She says she's Miss Melissa's friend."
"Elizabeth?!" Melissa's eyes lit up at once, her whole expression brightening.
Who wouldn't want a friend to show up on their birthday? But here in Backlund, she hadn't made many friends yet. The only person she was close to—her mysticism teacher, Miss Hazel—hadn't even asked about her birthday.
So Elizabeth's visit came as a wonderful surprise.
Turning to her brother, Melissa smiled, lips pressed together in delight. "I'm so happy, Benson… This is such a pleasant surprise."
With that, she pulled Sarah along to greet her friend at the door, leaving Benson standing there in confusion.
Goddess above… that wasn't the gift I prepared! I only ordered a custom ice-cream cake from a well-reviewed shop in the North Borough. They haven't even delivered it yet!
…
At the same time, from the window of the villa at 28 Kingster Street, Ebner quietly observed the scene before pulling the curtains shut and vanishing from the room.
"As expected, after her exploration in Kabas Town, Elizabeth chose the 'visit Melissa to confide in her' option… This is also the one branch of her River of Fate that leads to the beyonder path."
…
East Chester County, Stone City — "Antique Collection and Preservation Foundation."
The newly established organization was still in its startup stage, leaving piles of paperwork and tasks to handle. Audrey had deliberately delayed reviewing several financial reports, then used the excuse that it was too late and unsafe to return to her family's castle to stay overnight at the foundation's manor instead.
—The manor was hers to begin with, fully equipped, which was why Earl Hall didn't object to her staying there.
Of course, a professional security team stood guard outside.
In truth, Audrey had left all the paperwork to her "personal assistant," Islant, while she herself returned to her bedroom—waiting for a certain gentleman's arrival.
At exactly eight o'clock, a human silhouette took form before her, and Audrey saw Mr. Tower appear before her with a subtly altered face.
"Good evening, Professor," she greeted brightly.
In the real world, she avoided addressing him by his Tarot Club title, just in case—it wasn't as though Ebner would mind, but it was better to be careful.
At the same time, Audrey's spiritual intuition picked up the emotional state on the surface of his psyche—his mood, in other words.
He's in such a good mood… Mr. Tower always seems so cheerful, rarely showing anything else. Is it optimism? Or something deeper?
Recently, as part of her "psychologist" role, Audrey had gotten used to analyzing people's mental states like this.
What she didn't know, though, was that her partner's cheerfulness came from the simple fact that he was about to drag her into a situation that could only be described as "social suicide."
"Good evening, Miss. The crimson moon tonight is dreamlike and beautiful—perfect for a moonlit outing," Ebner said, quoting a line from some novel, before smiling and asking, "So, are you ready?"
He looked her over—she was dressed in a practical hunting outfit, with a small satchel at her side filled with charms and ritual materials.
Audrey nodded, picked up the "Lie" mask, and put it on. "I've already told Susie and Islant to cover for me while I'm gone… But we should try to get back before dawn."
Technically, that's fine, but putting Susie and Islant in the same sentence still sounds weird somehow… Ebner mused silently before giving a proper, elegant invitation-to-dance gesture.
Audrey immediately understood and placed her hand gently on his.
In the next instant, the colors before her eyes deepened—the crimson moon grew brighter, the shadows darker, and the hues of reality separated, layer upon layer.
Countless faint silhouettes seemed to retreat backward as Audrey, guided by Ebner, soared through the astral currents.
So this is what "teleportation" feels like… The thought had barely formed in her mind before she felt herself falling, colors fading away as everything returned to normal.
A confined space—earth above, below, and all around. An ancient altar. They were underground. Audrey looked around and was about to ask a question when her eyes caught sight of the old book resting on the altar—surrounded by three "Blasphemy Cards."
"Door," "Error," "Black Emperor."
Her eyes flickered with curiosity.
"Does the exploration of the 'City of Miracles' Liveseyd have something to do with this book?"
"Yes. Our destination lies within it," Ebner answered with a smile.
"Inside the book?" Audrey was surprised, though not overly so.
After all, to her, the "cave" in the collective subconscious they'd explored before was hardly any less mysterious than a book containing a world.
"Yes. This is a very special book—inside it exists an imagined world, and Liveseyd rests within the collective subconscious sea of that world."
"An imagined world… I see." Audrey immediately caught onto the key word, her eyes lighting up with comprehension.
She had heard Mr. Tower say that the Sequence 0 of the Spectator pathway was the "Visionary," and the "City of Miracles" was the divine kingdom of the Dragon King, the Ancient God Ankewelt—the "Dragon of Imagination."
That it lay hidden within a book born of imagination was perfectly logical.
Seeing her nod thoughtfully, Ebner didn't elaborate further. "I'll go fetch the Queen of Mysteries," he said before vanishing into the air.
Audrey felt a twinge of nervousness. After all, she was about to meet one of the most powerful and enigmatic figures in the beyonder world.
Though she believed Mr. Tower would not be weaker than the other party, she couldn't help feeling a little anxious.
So, after taking a few calming breaths, Audrey silently prayed to Mr. Fool for protection.
Up above the gray fog, Klein—waiting to "watch the broadcast"—perked up immediately, granting her blessing at once. Along with summoning a Paper Angel, he strengthened his connection to Miss Justice, making the vision before him clearer.
Meanwhile, back in the underground chamber, Audrey, basking in the faint warmth of divine protection, recalled the gentle presence that had embraced her and muttered to herself,
"This time, the blessing came from a female angel… I didn't see her face, but she felt so beautiful… Mr. Fool is really considerate."
Hearing this from above the gray fog, Klein could only feel a bit awkward. It wasn't that he meant to—he simply had no choice. His "Error" and "Black Emperor" cards were both loaned out, leaving only "Witch" and "Moon" available to channel power from.
Of course, for the sake of preserving the dignity of Mr. Fool's image, his "angel" couldn't appear too seductive—so in the end, Klein had chosen to use the "Moon" card.
(End of this chapter)