Hearing Ebner's question, Bernadette thought for a moment before answering,
"In the ruins of a small island… You can ask Gehrman Sparrow for the details. I mentioned it to him before and even sent him an invitation."
So—you didn't want to invite me?
That didn't feel right… Normally, after realizing that I was connected to the Seal of Calamity, she should have wanted to learn more about the Emperor through me. After all, as Old Roselle's daughter, she should know about the relationship between her father and "me."
Unless… Old Roselle warned her specifically.
As that thought crossed Ebner's mind, a vivid image surfaced: Roselle gently ruffling young Bernadette's hair and saying earnestly,
"If one day you become someone important in the mystic world, always remember—be cautious of anyone tied to the Seal of Calamity. Stay as far away from them as you can."
Shaking his head to dismiss the unnecessary imagination, Ebner stopped pursuing the matter. He carefully put away the sealed card containing the characteristic.
On the other hand, Audrey did not refuse the Queen of Mystic's compensation. Even though she was currently only a Sequence 7 Psychologist, obtaining a "Dreamwalker" characteristic ahead of time was certainly not a bad thing.
After the apology, Bernadette turned her gaze toward Groselle's Travels on the altar and said thoughtfully,
"You mentioned before that the tower is composed of layers of 'dream labyrinths'… and that one of his avatars is hidden there.
"So, is there any way for me to go and take a look at the first floor you mentioned?
"If possible, what would I have to pay?"
Take a look? Seeing the phantom of the Chaos Sea wasn't enough for you—you want to look at the remnants of the Mother Goddess's pollution too?
Suppressing the urge to sigh, Ebner replied after a moment of contemplation,
"Directly entering the first floor isn't possible… But I can help you obtain a 'permission.' You can start from the ninth floor and climb upward.
"But it's difficult—you might not even reach the fourth floor within a few years."
Of course, unless I completely master the Dream Labyrinth Tower, anything beyond the fourth floor remains disconnected.
He didn't voice that last thought aloud.
"I still want to try… What's the price?" Bernadette pressed again.
Ebner shook his head. "It's just a permission—you don't need to pay anything. But you'll likely be stuck on the ninth, eighth, or seventh floors for a long time."
As he spoke, he briefly described the general conditions of those three levels.
At that point, Audrey, who had been quietly listening, felt her curiosity stir. Upon learning that the first few levels weren't particularly dangerous, she asked cautiously,
"Professor, could I have a permission as well?"
"You can." Ebner looked at her and nodded.
Her green eyes lit up instantly. She lifted her skirt slightly and gave a graceful curtsy. "Thank you for your generosity."
At the same time, she gave up on her earlier plan to warn Fors and Xio—it clearly wouldn't help anyway.
Bernadette also bowed lightly to express her gratitude.
After Ebner transferred part of his Dream Gate's permissions to them, he escorted the two distinguished ladies back to their respective homes.
Audrey needed no special mention, but Bernadette didn't linger on the Future. Instead, she returned directly to Backlund and, unable to contain her excitement, opened the Dream Gate to enter the ninth floor of the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
By the next morning, she returned to her room exhausted. After soaking in a bath, she finally regained a bit of energy, rubbing her forehead as she muttered to herself,
"How can that little boy named Conan be so brilliant? Who was his prototype? There's no one around him that clever…"
The upright and honest Queen of Mystic, who never cheated in games, had already fallen into trouble—on the very ninth floor.
…
Cherwood Borough, 26 Kinster Street.
In the bedroom, Elizabeth was happily eating a slice of the innovative ice-cream cake while recounting to Melissa her adventure last week in Kabas Town.
Finally, she said mysteriously,
"Melissa, I suspect your brother might actually be a 'Seer,' an official Beyonder of the Church of the Goddess."
Melissa showed no surprise. She had already heard from her teacher, Hazel, about the Night Watchers, and long suspected that Klein was one of them—that his death must have been tied to some extraordinary incident.
She still didn't know what exactly happened in Tingen last September.
However, after learning from Hazel how dangerous the Beyonder world truly was, Melissa didn't want her friend getting involved. So she put on a stern face and scolded Elizabeth's recklessness, warning her to stay away from such matters in the future.
Elizabeth, having experienced both the Selina divination case and the nightmare in Kabas Town, understood those dangers even better than Melissa did. But she was still full of yearning for the extraordinary. Knowing Melissa's concern came from care, she didn't argue—she simply smiled and agreed, all while deciding that once she returned, she would visit the academy's vice professor or Senior Wallace.
After that, the childhood friends dropped the serious talk and devoted themselves to celebrating Melissa's birthday.
The next day, yawning as she boarded the steam train back to East Chester County, Elizabeth happened to run into another extraordinary incident.
Using the talisman Klein had given her, she successfully resisted the mental interference of a "Swindler" and held out until the Night Hawks arrived.
As a result, she was drawn into the organization—assigned as the assistant to a lady named "Cherry."
The ripples of the River of Fate had thus carried her into a new Beyonder current.
…
Bayam, near the Governor's Mansion.
In a spacious basement, candles flickered quietly, casting dim light across the stone walls.
The "Silver Coin Viper" Odell had taken off his hooded robe. Trembling slightly, he looked at the middle-aged man across from him and said nervously,
"Lord Senor, according to our information, Hermoshine is likely hiding in the forest west of Bayam City."
Senor, wearing an old tricorn hat, looked like something between a ghost and a man—sunken-eyed and deathly pale. He wiped the two thin black mustaches above his lips with a gloved hand, and his light-brown eyes swept coldly over Odell's face, making the notorious adventurer lower his head instinctively.
After a few seconds of silence, the man in white trousers and a red coat—the Admiral of Blood—spoke in a hoarse tone,
"I hope this time your intel is accurate—and not another trap leading my men into the Storm Church's encirclement."
"This time it's true! Absolutely true!" the "Silver Coin Viper" promised quickly, terrified of punishment after previous blunders.
He knew well how cruel this pirate admiral could be to subordinates who failed him.
Senor's lips twisted into a cold smile.
"If it weren't for you—and your mistress—providing me plenty of amusement, I'd have made you pull out your own intestines by now.
"Still, you're lucky—the adults above aren't angry this time."
Hearing that, Odell silently let out a breath of relief, glancing fearfully at the blood-soaked altar behind Senor before bowing deeply.
"Yes, Lord Senor!"
For a moment, he had thought he would end up as one of the sacrifices.
After Odell left the basement, the Admiral of Blood turned to the altar filled with severed heads, organs, limbs, and gore. His tone became far more reverent than when speaking to subordinates.
"My lord, I believe Odell's information is correct this time… Therefore, I plan to personally capture Hermoshine and offer him as a sacrifice to the 'Mother Tree.'"
"I sense this capture won't go smoothly," came a cold, emotionless voice from behind the altar's curtain. "There will be obstacles… but Hermoshine is there. If we miss this chance, we'll never catch him again."
"What should I do, my lords? Please instruct me."
"This time, we'll go with you," rasped another voice. "No matter the cost, the Mother Tree's task must be fulfilled."
"I'll have the Death Announcer wait in nearby waters to provide support," a weak voice murmured directly into their minds.
"Lord Sthrah is watching as well," came a sultry, alluring tone. "Though He is at a critical stage, He will intervene if necessary."
At the mention of Sthrah, Senor's forehead twitched—just the name alone was enough to inspire dread.
Taking a slow breath, he answered,
"Yes, Lord Hardy, Lord Pran, Lord Nos, Lord Idith."
After replying, Senor instinctively touched the necklace hanging at his chest.
It seemed to be made of pure silver, its pendant an ancient-looking coin.
…
At the same time, Ebner's figure appeared directly in the captain's cabin of the Golden Dream.
(End of this chapter)