Edward cut off his link with the Sefirah Castle, and his consciousness returned to the inn.
After resting for half an hour, he headed to the liveliest street nearby and began wandering and snacking—just like he had when he first arrived in Backlund.
Eat, eat, eat.
Eat, eat, eat.
Flip three-hundred-and-sixty-degree and—eat, eat, eat.
Although Intis cuisine had often been ridiculed by Emperor Roselle, it still had its unique delights: onion bread, baked escargot, and apple cider.
Not bad at all. As for the rest—it was more or less the same as in Loen. Steaks, lamb chops, pork chops…no matter how you cooked them, the taste didn't change much.
Compared to Backlund, Trier at night was brightly lit. Crowds came out just to stroll and enjoy food. It almost felt like glimpsing the future.
Edward couldn't help but sigh—Roselle's arrival really had changed the world profoundly.
"Time to head home."
He gave a satisfied burp and stood up from the food stall. Just then, his spirituality stirred—someone was trying to divine him through the Pinocchio doll he'd given Bernadette.
As an Apprentice, Edward naturally knew better than to hand out personal items carelessly. Everything that had passed through his hands carried his traces. But as a Secret Sorcerer, his [Secret Keeping] ability neatly resolved such issues.
[Secret Keeping] wasn't limited to guarding spoken secrets. It encompassed everything related to "mystery"—including blocking divinations.
Wiping his mouth, Edward stepped into the flow of pedestrians and let his figure quietly dissolve into nothing.
———
Roselle family villa.
A middle-aged man in a black robe held the Pinocchio doll, conducting a dream divination. But when he entered the dreamscape, all he saw was endless darkness.
Just as he thought the divination had failed, light suddenly flared. Out of nowhere, a wooden puppet appeared, its eerie smile fixed on him. The next instant, it leapt and lunged straight at him!
The man's eyes snapped open. He woke from the dream in shock.
Beside him came Roselle's concerned voice, "Mr. Adolf, are you alright?"
"I'm fi—"
Before he could finish, a hot flow trickled beneath his nose. Wiping with his hand, he saw bright red blood.
Shaking his head, the middle-aged Adolf dabbed away the nosebleed.
"No problem. Just backlash from the divination."
"Backlash? But you're a Sequence 5 Seer!"
Adolf's expression turned serious.
"Which means, the owner of this thing is at least a demigod."
He frowned slightly. "Mr. Roselle, have you offended anyone recently?"
"Me? Of course not." Roselle denied at once. "Everyone in Trier knows I, Roselle, am a friendly soul. I love making friends. As long as no one provokes me first, I get along well with everybody…"
But as he spoke, his voice faltered. He wasn't entirely confident. After all…he had gotten a little too friendly—specifically, by climbing into the beds of other men's wives.
No way…could this be revenge from some cuckolded husband, hiring a demigod to come after him?
No—that didn't make sense. This puppet was clearly tied to that other transmigrator, not his own romantic escapades. Adolf was barking up the wrong tree.
Still, Adolf clearly noticed Roselle's change in expression.
"Looks like you thought of something, Mr. Roselle."
"Uh…" Roselle's scalp went numb. "Ahem, when is Zaratulstra coming?"
"Our leader's whereabouts are ever unpredictable. We don't know."
"Then…can I ask one of your Secret Order's demigods for help?"
"I can try asking on your behalf," Adolf shrugged. "But you know how it is. Most of our members follow the leader's will very closely. I'm one of the few permitted to move freely. So honestly—I'd suggest seeking help from the Church. They will certainly protect you."
"I see. Thank you, Mr. Adolf."
As he finished, a stiffly moving man walked up, grabbed Adolf by the arm, and the two vanished together.
"Tsk. Seer pathway at mid-to high-Sequence really is bizarre…"
Roselle muttered his admiration, then looked down at the Pinocchio doll in his hands.
"If nothing else works, I'll have to ask the Church for help."
At that moment, the doll suddenly twisted violently. Roselle yelped and flung it away, only to watch in horror as it turned into…a wooden stick.
"What the hell?!"
He rushed forward, staring at the stick in dismay.
"Damn it, what am I supposed to give Bernadette now?"
"Grimm! Quick! Get me a reliable carpenter!"
Scratching his head, Roselle groaned.
"Ah, if only I were an Artisan already…I could just make a new one myself."
Yes, he'd have to accelerate his advancement.
"Come on! To Trier Cathedral!"
———
The night passed without incident.
Edward spent another quiet evening in Trier of two centuries past.
No Lilith the cat darting around the room in a midnight parkour spree.
No Lilith the girl clinging to his side.
No Audrey with a tray of rich breakfast greeting him with a warm good morning.
Only himself—waking from the bed in a daze, disoriented, unsure of when and where he truly was.
He stood by the window, lost in thought, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
In the blink of an eye, he was back in the small villa of the Empress Borough.
Lilith came bounding in, proudly holding up a huge rat in her hand.
"Edward! Look at the rat I caught last night! I'll make rat stew for you later!"
She lifted her chin triumphantly.
"Didn't I tell you? Rats are the tastiest thing in the world—you just don't appreciate good food."
A fair, slender hand reached out from the leather pouch, followed by Audrey's voice, "Edward, open up~"
The pouch opened, and she stepped out with a large platter of pastries, fruit, and delicacies. She set them down, then waved to him with a smile.
"Don't just stand there—come have breakfast with us."
Behind her padded Susie, tail wagging happily.
"Lilith, let's go play after breakfast!"
"Of course~" Lilith sang back cheerfully.
Edward walked over, his gaze lingering on their faces for a long while. Then, at last, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again a few seconds later—he was once more in that dim room in Trier, two hundred years in the past.
"No wonder they call it False Reality. Even I, the user, could sink into it without realising."
But in the end—it was still false.
Still, the loosening of his Spiritcaster potion was an unexpected surprise. Could self-deception also aid in digestion of a potion?
After washing up, Edward didn't head outside. Instead, he lay back on the terrace, basking in the sunlight.
(Counting by time…) Today was the day of his return to the Harry Potter world.
Although [Hearth] couldn't locate or bring him back to Hogwarts, perhaps this forced return would hold an unexpected gift?
———
Future, Year 1349.
Backlund, inside the grand villa of Earl Hall.
Today was supposed to be the day of returning to Hogwarts. Yet, there was still no word from Edward.
Yesterday, Audrey had visited Dr. Aaron's home together with Susie to consult with that senior angel. But even he knew little about Edward's current situation.
A few days ago, Edward had been hunted on Blue Mountain Island near Bayam by several demigods and angels of the Rose School of Thought. He had even incurred the wrath of the Lord of Storm Himself.
Fortunately, in the end, with the "help of many forces," Edward had narrowly survived—slaying and injuring the Rose School's pursuers. But he himself had mysteriously vanished.
"I can no longer see any trace of his fate," Will said, frowning in confusion as he ate the ice cream Audrey had brought. "But the Lilith you mentioned—her fate didn't vanish. Or rather, it vanished briefly, but then reappeared."
"She isn't in the same situation as Edward. I don't know if you can understand…but while I can't pinpoint her location, I can confirm she exists somewhere. Edward, however, has vanished completely."
"This disappearance…it resembles death, yet is different from death. I don't understand it. Not at all."
Will shook his head and sighed.
"As the apocalypse draws near, destiny grows ever more chaotic. What I can perceive becomes more and more blurred. Even matters about myself are becoming…uncertain."
"So, I might not be able to help you, Ice Cream Lady."
Audrey recalled that conversation, frowning in thought.
"Edward's disappearance…it almost feels like he left this world entirely. Under what circumstances would that happen?"
Besides death…
Returning to Hogwarts?!
Her eyes lit up.
"Yes! When Edward advanced to Sequence 5, he gained an ability called Hearth. It allows his spirit—or soul—to instantly return to four special coordinates."
"So his disappearance might mean…that to escape the god's wrath, he abandoned his body and used Hearth. If so, then he's very likely back at Hogwarts right now!"
That explained everything.
Audrey's heart eased a little—but new worries quickly followed.
If he could return to Hogwarts with Hearth, then surely he could use it to return here as well. Was he staying away only because the god's wrath still lingered?
And when he went back to Hogwarts, time in this world should have stopped for him. No matter how long he delayed in returning, to her it should feel like only an instant had passed.
And—although Edward could Hearth, Lilith could not. So how had she vanished too, evading the god's wrath?
One question after another piled in Audrey's mind, making her temples ache.
Susie nudged close, tail wagging.
"Don't worry, Audrey. Edward and Lilith will be fine."
"Yes." Audrey nodded and gently stroked her head.
"They'll be fine. They must be."
DONG…DONG…DONG…DONG…DONG…
The deep chime of the hall clock rang five times. Afternoon had arrived.
Audrey lifted her head toward the window, her knuckles whitening as she clenched her hands.
"Edward…you must be alright."
———
Timeline: Year 1160.
Even after the five chimes, Edward was still in his Trier inn.
He had not returned to the Harry Potter world.
He remained trapped in this era.
Though he had half expected it, the reality was still hard to accept.
Suddenly, he recalled the title he had given himself yesterday: "The Transcender of Past and Future."
Edward couldn't help but let out a self-mocking laugh.
"What transcender? Clearly…just a prisoner bound by circumstance."
———
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