Those idle noble ladies loved nothing more than gossiping behind people's backs.
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After sending Audrey away, Hastur returned to his study, counting the 400 gold pounds he had just earned from her.
During this time, he had entrusted Xio and Fors to look for Roselle's diary, obtaining a total of six pages, each costing 50 gold pounds, for a total expenditure of 300 gold pounds.
Now, having earned 400 gold pounds from Audrey, he had a net profit of 100 gold pounds.
Although not much, to him, not losing money was already a gain.
"Miss Audrey is really generous, but that look in her eyes when she left, was it mixed with pity and compassion?"
Hastur thought carefully, then decided it must have been his imagination.
Seeing that it was almost evening, he lost the mood to go out.
The next day.
A little after eight o'clock, Hastur took a carriage to where Will Auceptin lived.
During this period, he had arranged for plenty of ice cream to be delivered, yet he deliberately avoided appearing near Will.
But aside from the first dream visit, Will had never sought him again.
This made him realize he needed to seek Will out himself, or else Will would just pretend nothing had happened and happily enjoy the ice cream prepared for him.
He was struggling with fate, while Will stayed home savoring desserts, utterly intolerable.
Will lived in the South Borough. His parents were workers at nearby factories. Their wages were decent, with two rest days a month , quite good conditions already.
...
South Borough.
Will sat by the window of his upstairs bedroom, slowly folding paper cranes.
He liked these paper cranes invented by Emperor Roselle, easy to fold, and very relaxing.
To him, most people before fate were like paper cranes, folded at will by those with intent.
But sometimes, one crane would suddenly undergo a mutation, breaking through its paper body and soaring into the skies.
Where the crane's final destination would be, good or bad, he did not know. After all, he still could not see through fate entirely.
When a carriage slowly passed under his window and stopped at his door, Will strung the freshly folded paper crane onto a wind chime.
Sighing, he rose, left his room, and went downstairs to greet his guest.
Of course, he could have avoided the visitor in advance, but he couldn't avoid every time. That would make him seem too heartless. Besides, the ice cream really was delicious.
Opening the door, Will showed a sweet, innocent smile.
"May I ask what business the guest has at my home?"
"Just wanted to have a chat."
"Then please come in…"
When Will glanced at Hastur's empty hands, his face fell, and he complained softly:
"Shouldn't one bring a gift when visiting someone?"
"The best ice cream is meant to be eaten in the shop."
"Honored guest, please come in." Will once again wore a cute smile.
Hastur entered, and Will closed the door, inviting him to sit on the sofa.
Holding a teddy bear, Will sat opposite, head lowered, playing with its furry paws, without any intention of speaking first.
Hastur chuckled. "When a guest visits, isn't it proper to prepare some tea and snacks?"
"You weren't invited by me." Will pouted and muttered.
"But this time you didn't choose to avoid me."
"Sigh."
Will looked up at Hastur, frowning. "I really didn't want to see you now. If I could've avoided it, I would have persuaded my parents to move long ago."
"With your ability, why can't you avoid me?"
"Fate is always interconnected. Even if I could avoid you each time, my fate has already been altered."
"Even this level of fate interference affects you?"
Will stared at Hastur for a long time, his watery eyes full of grievance.
"Do you think you're an ordinary person? The interference you bring to fate is far more than a little."
"…"
Hastur knew that much himself. If he were just an ordinary person, he wouldn't need to seek out this Serpent of Mercury to discuss fate.
"You see? You know you're troublesome, and yet you still want to bring that trouble to me."
Will hugged his toy teddy bear tighter, feeling even more wronged.
"Ahem, what I bring isn't necessarily trouble, it could also be miracles of fate." Hastur boasted a little.
This time, Will didn't refute. Hastur really could influence his fate. If it were only trouble, he would never have let him find him.
"You see? You know you need my help too. Only through mutual support can we achieve a win-win." Hastur returned the words back.
Will snorted. "I am someone at the end of fate. What help could you possibly give me?"
"Say it, and maybe I can help."
"My fate isn't with you. On the contrary, your arrival disrupts the fate I already had."
"When fate improves, one must first pass through a valley."
"And what if the valley becomes an abyss? I don't want to be devoured by fate."
"…"
Hastur couldn't even see his own fate clearly, let alone guarantee Will's.
Perhaps just as Will feared, by helping him, he might instead drag him into his own fate, leading him to be devoured.
Hastur stayed silent for a long while. Will sneaked a glance at him, then cleared his throat and said:
"Of course, your coming has helped me a little."
"What kind of help?" Rubbing his teddy bear's head, Will finally said: "I've been struggling to make a decision lately. Especially since you appeared."
"Tell me."
Will looked at his left leg, hesitated, then said: "My left leg has a problem. In my future fate, I will need an amputation surgery, but I will die on the operating table."
"I can interfere with this fate, but I also think it might be better to let it run its course. After all, that's the principle of fate I've always followed."
"But I fear I might miss something."
Hastur's eyes narrowed. This was something he really could advise Will on, but he didn't give an answer right away.
"What do you fear missing?"
"I don't know. If I did, I wouldn't be so conflicted." Will looked troubled.
"Perhaps going with the flow is best."
Will's expression hardened. "Is that your advice?"
Hastur shook his head.
"No. My advice is to change this fate. Keep things as they are, and stay in Backlund to await the fate meant for you."
If he followed the original track, Will, reborn, would miss his most important fate because his body wasn't fully grown.
But if he stayed as he was, not yet ten years old, when fate's opportunity came, he would just be maturing into a young man , the golden age, and the most suitable timing for his destiny.
"You can glimpse my future?" Shock filled Will's face. He had only vaguely known Hastur could affect his fate.
He never expected Hastur could peer into it , and even give such a firm suggestion on this matter.
Hastur reached out to pat Will's head gently.
"This advice I give also changes future fate."
At that moment, Will felt as though the fog of fate he couldn't pierce was scattering, and new changes appeared in his future.
A positive change.
Such a degree of fate fluctuation showed just how great an impact Hastur's words had brought to his destiny!
Will stood, and with sincerity said: "Thank you for your advice."
Hastur smiled, almost like a mystic. "This is the guidance of fate."
"Thank fate." Will's face lit with joy.
At such a pivotal node of destiny, just one sentence could surpass thousands of years of his own effort.
Fate was indeed mysterious.
Having resolved his own matter, and now owing Hastur a great favor, Will said frankly:
"What do you want to know?"
"First tell me about my father, Voltaire."
"You, how rare, how commendable."
Will looked at Hastur in surprise. He thought Hastur would be eager to ask about his own fate, but instead, he asked about Voltaire's.
To restrain oneself before fate, only such a person could walk further within it.
"Your father Voltaire was indeed a gambler, an unlucky one. Those hidden Fate-pathway Beyonders, during his gambling life, were merely bystanders."
"His luck required no guidance or curse. His final fall into the river was also due to his luck, nothing supernatural was involved."
Hearing this, Hastur frowned.
"Was he naturally unlucky?"
He couldn't believe someone's gambling luck could be that bad. If not cursed by some Beyonder, how could he be so miserable, losing almost the entire family fortune?
Will didn't answer immediately. He watched Hastur for a long moment, then said quietly: "No."
"His luck, his fate, changed the moment you were born."