On the hidden vines outside the villa, Bernadette and the lion Leon locked eyes for a long moment before she finally spoke: "That girl... is she a descendant of Charles?"
"Of course! If she weren't one of Roselle's descendants, no matter how much that kid begged me, I wouldn't have spent days protecting her," Leon replied with feigned disdain.
"Protection?" Bernadette glanced downward, her sea-blue eyes sweeping over the scene before nodding. Her voice remained soft and composed. "A threat from the Fless family? It seems Bonova truly no longer concerns himself with worldly matters."
Her impression of the Fless family still lingered on the scandalous affair between her father and the Countess of Fless from years ago.
"It seems your 'prophecy' only reached this far... The Fless family is actually a minor issue, including the witch and that envoy scheming behind the scenes... What's truly worth noting is what's hidden beneath it all... Who knows whose scheme this is?" Leon scoffed before adding, "Though I can only speak freely like this in front of you—I wouldn't dare utter a word of it elsewhere. Hah, but I suspect that detective down there might have already noticed something, maybe even pieced together part of the truth."
"Ebner Bryan? He's... unusual. When I first saw him in Port Enmat, I attempted to 'prophesize' his future but failed..." Bernadette fell silent for a few seconds.
"Definitely unusual. He might have some connection to the 'Calamity Seal,'" Leon said, pointing downward with a grin. "You must have sensed it—just for a moment, but that feeling of an impending 'gathering disaster' was identical to the 'Calamity Seal's' signature."
Bernadette nodded slightly before tilting her head toward the villa beneath the vine swing. Her tone remained gentle.
"I have other matters to attend to and can't stay to watch over her... Could you continue protecting that girl for me while also uncovering what force is targeting the Surry family?"
"And what's in it for me?" Leon turned his head away, smirking.
"What do you want?" Bernadette asked calmly.
"What assets do you hold in Intis?" Leon's eyes gleamed as he countered.
Bernadette's gaze flickered, as if she had guessed his intent, but she answered nonetheless: "Many. Properties in major cities, estates across the countryside, 15% of Trier Insurance Company's shares, 50% of Ritter Bank, Beltat Steelworks... Of course, most are held under proxies from the 'Elements of Dawn.'"
Leon's jaw nearly dropped. After his time in Bayam, he had gained a deep appreciation for the power of modern "capital," and he understood exactly what Bernadette's holdings represented.
"Did... did you earn all this yourself?" he blurted out.
"Only partially... The rest were gifts he left me through various means... even after our falling-out..." Bernadette's eyes drifted to the vine swing beside her, her voice as calm as still waters hiding turbulent undercurrents.
Leon immediately felt a pang of bitterness. Why did I get nothing? Serves him right—I'll keep slandering him forever.
After a long pause, he finally remembered his request. "My demand is simple. That kid down there is about to leave for Intis. I want your proxies in Trier to assist him as much as possible—invest in his film company and shield him from potential predators."
"Agreed." Bernadette didn't hesitate.
"Then I'll head back now. That kid isn't even a demigod yet, but if I linger too long, he might notice your presence."
Before Leon could finish speaking, the dark-green pea vines abruptly retracted, vanishing into the night. He found himself drifting gently back to the ground.
"Not her true body? Another bizarre 'Mystery Reenactment'? Too bad I didn't have time to learn it..." Shaking his head in regret, Leon reactivated his simulated abilities, cloaking himself in the orange tabby's "Psychological Invisibility" before strolling leisurely into the villa.
...
Bridge District, Granmill Street
Just after escorting Freya and Daisy home, Aetris was about to catch the last metro back to Cherwood Borough when an inexplicable sense of dread gripped him.
Danger. His seafaring instincts kicked in immediately. Maintaining his composure, he scanned his surroundings and soon locked onto a hooded figure across the street.
Though he couldn't see the man's face, Aetris's instincts screamed that the stranger was staring at him with hunger—as if ready to devour him whole.
An indescribable terror surged through his body, paralyzing him.
Yet at that moment, the hooded man seemed to curse under his breath before abruptly turning away.
Only when the figure vanished from sight did Aetris regain control of his limbs. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, he immediately sprinted toward the nearest Church of Storms.
As he ran, his fingers brushed against something in his coat pocket. He pulled it out—a doll's severed finger.
When did this get in my pocket? Aetris's eyes widened as he crossed the church threshold. Without hesitation, he sandwiched the finger between banknotes from his wallet and shoved it into the donation box.
Whatever you are, go argue with the Lord of Storms.
...
Meanwhile, the hooded man entered a small park. A sigh rumbled from his chest as he muttered, "I'm starving!"
He glared back toward the street and sneered:
"That was a genuine 'Provoker' served to me on a silver platter. Could there be any greater provocation to a wraith?
"And you stopped me..."
Before he finished, a bloody mouth split open on his left cheek, snapping:
"Medici, have you lost your mind? Don't pretend you didn't sense whose aura was about to descend on that man!"
"At our current strength as 'Gatekeepers,' we'd be lucky to escape from Him alive," added a second mouth on his right cheek.
The "Red Angel" Medici scoffed:
"Sauron, Einhorn—were you women in your past lives? I wouldn't have spared Torrenz a glance even when he was still an Angel King, let alone now when he's barely stronger than us.
"You've flushed your angelic dignity down the latrine!"
The left cheek's mouth retorted with a derisive laugh:
"Medici, did you sacrifice your brain to the 'True Creator'? That was the power of the 'Curse' authority!
"Even if it can't harm us directly, this 'Gatekeeper' vessel would be doomed!"
The right cheek's mouth agreed: "Exactly! Our priority is survival. What happens if we lose this vessel?"
Medici's laughter deepened:
"There is a solution... Just let me recite our Lord's honorable name—"
Before he could finish, the other two "Conqueror" wraiths forcibly suppressed him.
As they relaxed, all three suddenly turned westward, sensing a familiar yet peculiar aura from their place of confinement.
The colors around the man intensified, layering as if to enter the spirit world—but the attempt failed at the last moment.
"Medici, what are you plotting?" shrieked the left mouth.
"Have you forgotten we're not fully free? If that place is disturbed, we all suffer!" added the right.
Medici roared with laughter: "I just wanted to see you seething helplessly!"
...
Simultaneously, Ebner and Xio arrived outside the abandoned church on Williams Street under the cover of "Evans' Veil of Secrecy." With a flick of his wrist, Ebner tossed the rune-sealed box through the broken stained-glass window.
(End of Chapter)