"Good evening, Roselle."
Zaratul appeared once again in his usual calm, enigmatic manner.
Roselle poured him a glass of wine, pushing it across the table. "That night…what exactly happened? That man with the monocle—who was he?"
"Amon."
Even when he spoke the name, a ripple of emotion flickered through Zaratul's eyes. "An extremely terrifying existence. You should count yourself fortunate He showed no interest in you."
"Uh…terrifying?"
Roselle recalled the scene. Yeah, back then Zaratul really did look scared out of his wits.
"That was only one of His avatars," Zaratul explained coolly. "If it had been His true body, even if I managed to escape, the price I'd pay would be…disastrous."
Alright, got it. You're really scared of that Amon guy.
Roselle muttered inwardly before speaking aloud, "Then why have you come tonight?"
"Why did you suddenly decide to sail out to sea?"
"Why else? I've been stuck in Intis for far too long. I've wanted to see the other side of this world for years, but either I was too lazy, or the opportunity never came. Recently, my application to become an officer in the army was approved. I know if I don't seize this chance to set sail now, I'll have no time at all in the future."
Zaratul narrowed his eyes. "Just a military officer's duties…could they truly keep you that busy?"
Roselle only smiled, offering no further explanation.
In truth, all of his experience dealing with that mysterious god above the grey fog came from his prior dealings with Zaratul. He knew perfectly well that this angel—who had sought him out and handed him so much precious knowledge—harboured ulterior motives.
And most likely, only he could fulfil whatever Zaratul sought.
Still, unlike dealing with the evil god, when it came to Zaratul, Roselle felt he held more initiative—at least until the deal was sealed.
"Since you've lived so long, Zaratul, surely you know plenty about the sea. Got any nautical experience, rumours, secrets—whatever—you can share?"
Zaratul pondered for a moment. "You intend to head east, to the Sea of Ruins?"
"Of course."
"Then you should know—once night falls there, you must fall asleep."
"I've heard. I've already stocked up on potions to knock me out instantly when needed."
"Those corpses that emit loud, heavy breathing, the war chariot pulled by two golden horses…"
Zaratul began listing various horrors one might encounter in those ruins. Some Edward had mentioned before, but many were new, making Roselle's eyes widen in disbelief.
"That place is really that dangerous?"
"It was once a battlefield of gods. What do you think?"
"Gods…"
Roselle scratched his head. "Zaratul, have you ever heard of a…god dwelling above the grey fog?"
"Above the grey fog?"
Zaratul's expression remained calm, but his tone shifted slightly. "Where did you hear that?"
At that moment, a realisation dawned on him. He had assumed Amon's attention was on himself—but he was still fretting over the Antigonus Notebook, still far from Sequence 1. Why would he merit Amon's interest?
But…if it was that thing, then it all made sense.
"I…saw it once, by accident."
Roselle, knowing Zaratul could divine the truth, didn't bother to lie.
"In Trier?"
"Yes."
Zaratul's heart ignited with heat. If it truly was that, how could he not covet it?
But he quickly tempered his greed. "You claim a god resides above the grey fog?"
"That's right."
Zaratul frowned. Better to lie low for now. Securing the Antigonus Notebook and advancing to Sequence 1 takes precedence.
"By the way," Roselle said suddenly, "while I'm at sea, if you happen to return to Trier, could you watch over my family for me?"
Zaratul shook his head calmly. "In the near future, I don't intend to return to Trier."
"…."
Roselle's lips twitched. This old bastard is too much of a coward. How the hell did someone like him ever become an angel?
"Fine then." He extended his hand. "Got any defensive Sealed Artifacts lying around? Just hand me ten or so, so I don't die in some godforsaken corner of the world."
Zaratul, long accustomed to Roselle's way of speaking, reached into his robes and pulled out a paper figurine. "This paper doll substitute will take your place in the event of a fatal injury."
Roselle's eyes lit up. He snatched it eagerly. "Now that's a good one."
"But always remember," Zaratul warned, "it can only be used once per day. If you exceed that limit, it will shatter completely. If you don't, it will reset the following day."
"Its drawback is this: the longer you keep it, the deeper your connection becomes. In the end…you may end up becoming its substitute, bearing damage on its behalf."
Roselle chuckled. "That's simple—so long as I—"
Zaratul cut him off. "If you're thinking of passing it to someone else and then reclaiming it, I'm afraid it won't work. The duration accumulates regardless."
"…."
Roselle pursed his lips.
"That's all. I wish you smooth sailing."
With that, Zaratul's figure dissipated into nothingness.
Roselle stared at the empty spot, silently sipping his wine. When I mentioned the god above the grey fog, he acted calm, but his pointed questions betrayed interest…
Could Zaratul also know about the existence above the grey fog?
———
Future, 1349—The Hall family mansion.
Alfred had been home for three days.
At first, he was showered with warm hospitality from his parents, like a university student returning home for summer break.
But once he voiced again his objection to the marriage, everything changed. Overnight, the attitude of everyone in the household—his parents, his siblings—shifted.
The feeling unsettled Alfred deeply. I'm your son. I'm your brother. Why are you siding with an outsider—especially one like Gehrman Sparrow, infamous across the seas?
Well, to be fair, Alfred didn't actually care much about Sparrow's notorious reputation. He was simply twice humiliated by the man, and he refused to stomach it.
That morning, after Audrey and their father had gone out, Alfred confronted Hibbert, who was studying law in the library.
"Hibbert, tell me honestly. What exactly has Edward done to make all of you like him so much?"
Hibbert closed his book with a small smile. "Why don't you first explain what he's done to make you dislike him so strongly?"
"He…he caused all kinds of trouble at sea! He's still wanted by the Church of the Storm. Hmph. If it weren't for me stepping in, he'd still be wanted in Loen too."
Hibbert nodded thoughtfully. "That's the issue, isn't it? You were willing to plead for him, to have Bayam lift its wanted order—yet you still react with such hostility. There's only one explanation…You hold a personal grudge."
"…."
Alfred was silent for a moment, then scowled in defeat. "Fine! I admit it! I suffered losses at his hands—twice! I just can't stand the guy, alright?"
Hibbert's expression softened. "That man who saved Father's life—twice—that was Edward."
He leaned back, speaking calmly. "Of course, that's why Father and Mother trust him. But as for supporting Audrey's relationship with him? The reason is even simpler—Audrey likes him."
"….."
Alfred was speechless.
While the brothers debated, Audrey had already slipped away with Susie, heading quietly toward Tingen.
"This city is much smaller than Backlund, Audrey," Susie remarked curiously, wagging her tail as she observed the streets and houses.
"Different cities have different styles of architecture," Audrey explained with a smile. "Backlund has buildings like these too, but mostly in the East Borough and dockside districts. You seldom go there, so you wouldn't have seen them."
"Ohhh."
Susie's tail swished happily. "But why are we in Tingen, Audrey?"
"There are some questions I want answered."
"What kind of questions?"
"For now, I can't tell you."
"Alright then." Susie didn't seem disappointed.
Soon, the girl and the dog arrived at 2 Daffodil Street.
At this hour, Benson should be at work, but Melissa ought to be home.
Knock, knock, knock.
Audrey rapped gently on the wooden door.
Footsteps sounded from within, followed by Melissa's voice: "Coming!"
The door opened, and Melissa poked her head out, wearing a single-lens magnifier. "Benson, you're back early to—eh?"
She froze. Then her eyes widened in shock. "Miss Audrey? Why are you here?"
Flustered, she pulled off her lens, glancing behind Audrey. "Did Klein come back too?"
"No, no," Audrey said softly. "It's just me today."
"Oh…alright. Please, come in." Melissa's face showed a trace of disappointment as she hurried to welcome Audrey inside.
"This is my friend, Susie."
Melissa smiled politely. "Hello, Susie."
"Hello, Melissa," Susie replied.
"….."
Melissa's jaw slackened. The dog…talked?!
Though she'd heard rumours, witnessing it firsthand still left her utterly shaken.
Once inside, Melissa busied herself making coffee for Audrey. After a moment's hesitation, she even poured a cup for Susie—who wagged her tail even more furiously.
"Miss Audrey, may I ask what brings you here today?"
Audrey sipped her coffee, pausing a moment. "It's nothing too important…I just wanted to ask you a few things."
"Of course."
"Well then…" Audrey hesitated, then finally asked, "Klein…is he truly your and Benson's biological brother?"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.