The "deliveryman" who spoke was none other than Ebner.
After leaving Fors earlier, he had attended a dinner party hosted by Fanny's father, Councilor Surrey. Ebner had expected the councilor to bring up the Susit Bank matter, but the seasoned politician proved more patient—the entire evening was spent building rapport and showcasing the "close ties" between the Surrey family and Ebner, without any overt negotiations.
Clearly, Councilor Surrey was a masterful player, adept at tailoring his approach. Upon learning from the butler about Ebner and Fanny's "relationship," he had immediately shifted to emotional appeals...
Meanwhile, he strategically leaked mixed truths about the dinner, deliberately shaping perceptions of Ebner's "alignment" to reassure the Surrey faction's minor shareholders.
Though Ebner later discerned some of these machinations, he wasn't displeased—this aligned perfectly with his own plans.
The Surreys want to borrow my influence? Well, I need their Church of Steam connections! Despite the late Archbishop Surrey's demise, the family retained considerable influence. Ultimately, Ebner stood to gain.
Moreover, as their collaboration deepened, Fanny's standing within the Surrey family would rise accordingly. Ebner had already positioned her as his political proxy in Intis—even investing her with a "Briber" characteristic to navigate those waters more smoothly, given his foreigner status inherently limited his own ceiling.
—This particular "Briber" characteristic had come from the "Shadow Saint," purified by Lilith and left in Ebner's possession.
After the dinner, Ebner stayed overnight at the Surrey residence. At dawn on Saturday, he bid farewell to Fors at the circus troupe before teleporting directly to Bayam to host a Beyonder gathering at the "Amyris Leaf Bar"...
There, he met Klein—currently roleplaying as a "janitor" mopping toilets—and accepted the commission to deliver the "Psychiatrist" characteristic to Miss Justice.
—After subjugating the "Demoness of Pleasure," Klein had released both a soul and this characteristic, which coincidentally matched the needs of Miss Justice's dog.
Ebner speculated Klein's roundabout delivery method stemmed from the other man's recent studies of certain mystical notes that periodically drained his spirituality—making it unreliable to respond promptly if Miss Justice requested the item via prayer...
Compounded by Miss Justice's restricted movements at her ancestral East Chester estate, missed connections would require rescheduling entire rituals.
In any case, immediately after the tavern gathering concluded, Ebner teleported back to Backlund with the characteristic, then used his spell "Ebner's Spirit Stroll" to reach East Chester's capital—where traces from his previous stay with Xio provided anchor points.
Locating the Hall family castle needed no elaboration; as nominal lords of East Chester, their residence was common knowledge.
Thus, Ebner materialized abruptly behind Audrey and Susie.
Startled by his voice, Audrey instinctively gripped "Lie," while Susie arched her back into combat stance—until recognition dawned.
"It's alright, he's not an enemy," Audrey assured, though Susie remained wary.
"Are you certain?" The retriever's gaze stayed fixed on Ebner—his undetected approach marked a security failure, and he knew her biggest secret.
Audrey hesitated only briefly before nodding firmly.
"Alright... woof." Susie relaxed with a bark.
"Miss Susie, might I borrow Miss Audrey privately? Would you mind guarding the door?" Ebner suggested amiably.
That smile reminded Susie of a certain portly man she'd once encountered in Backlund's West District Park, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. The golden retriever glanced back at Audrey for confirmation.
After brief consideration—aware of Detective Bryan's questionable reputation but lacking evidence of outright impropriety, plus the implicit safeguard of "The Fool's" oversight—Audrey nodded. "Do as Mr. Bryan says."
With a tail wag and final sniff of Ebner's scent, Susie exited, nudging the door shut with her hind leg.
Alone, Audrey ventured cautiously: "'The Tower'?"
"'Justice,'" Ebner acknowledged with a slight nod, making no effort to conceal his identity. After all, "Ebner Bryan" had nothing to hide beyond some gossip.
So it really is Mr. Tower! Though she'd suspected, this confirmation solidified matters.
"You're early—we agreed on nighttime." She gestured to the wall clock.
After a pause, Ebner explained: "Time zone difference." Having just returned from nighttime in Bayam, his timing was off.
Audrey blinked before laughing. "We'll need to clarify time zones for future appointments." Smoothly shifting topics, she asked, "You mentioned a 'Psychiatrist' characteristic... Is this from Mr. World?"
"Correct." Ebner produced a metal case from his coat.
As Audrey inspected it, Susie's urgent barking interrupted—their private window closing.
"As you see, my social obligations continue. We'll speak in detail tonight." She pocketed the case.
"Of course. Rest assured, your father's Beyonders won't detect me." With a bow, Ebner dissolved into the air.
That somehow makes me more nervous... Audrey mused, though thoughts of "The Fool" steadied her.
Within the hour, she excused herself to her private chemistry lab, arranging the characteristic and supplementary materials across the workbench.
"Susie, remember the potion preparation steps?" She straightened proudly, relishing her mentor role.
"Woof! Yes!" Tail wagging furiously, Susie finally understood her gift.
"Try preparing it yourself."
Susie stared at her paws. Silence.
Audrey froze mid-smile before catching herself.
"No need to say it—I know you're thinking 'I'm just a dog, how can I mix potions?'" she preempted smoothly while internally cringing.
Then Ebner's voice reappeared: "Actually, there's a spell called 'Hand of Lyon' that would enable Miss Susie to brew it independently."
Seizing this "spreading the mysterious" opportunity, Ebner enthusiastically demonstrated—
"Woof?" Susie tilted her head. "Why develop such a spell when your hands work fine?"
(Truthfully, the technique originated from a certain lion's adaptation of "Mystery Pryer" abilities...)
(End of Chapter)