"I need you to guard a certain place and prevent anyone from taking what's buried there."
Intis' words made Edward freeze for a moment. Based on his earlier divination, there were supposed to be eight brass rods. At the time, he had already guessed that perhaps they had been buried in various places beneath Trier by "Intis."
Still, he feigned ignorance and asked, "What thing?"
"The brass rods you mentioned. There are seven of them in total, and I buried them in seven different locations."
Seven?
If not for the Sefirah Castle's divination, you really might have tricked me.
"Can I know what exactly those things are used for?"
"They block spirituality."
"More specifically?"
Intis thought for a moment. "Beneath Trier lie some remnants of the Tudor Empire. Those remnants constantly emit a kind of polluting aura. The seven brass staffs were meant to shield against that pollution."
Edward immediately pressed him: "If they're that important, why would you deliberately bring them up in a gathering and ask others to 'check' on them? Isn't that basically waving a flag and inviting trouble?"
"I'm not afraid of you people taking them. In your hands, it's already a form of protection. With the Twilight Hermit Order and the Leader around, as long as I'm willing to pay the price, I can always reclaim them."
"Heh. If you hadn't given me that map to Amon's ruins, I might've believed you."
Edward chuckled coldly, then asked, "So, who wants the brass rods, and what's their goal?"
"Unclear for now. It could be the Demoness Sect, the Iron and Blood Cross Order, perhaps even the Aurora Order or the Secret Order. Their goal is the 'legacy' of the Tudor Empire. For that, they're willing to throw all of Trier—millions of lives—into danger."
Edward's mind stirred. Though part of what "Intis" said was obvious nonsense, some of it seemed to hint at genuine information—the Tudor Empire's legacy?
What else could inspire such greed, other than the Conqueror's Beyonder characteristics?
"You're overestimating me. I've only just advanced to Sequence 4, a newly born demigod. How could I possibly guard something that important for you?"
Intis replied evenly, "Rest assured. Four members of the gathering have already accepted this commission. You would be the fifth. I'm attempting to persuade Mr. Hermes to be the sixth. Each of you will guard one location. If something happens, you only need to delay the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive."
"Oh? I thought your relationships in the gathering were terrible. After all, you skipped the last meeting, and everyone seemed so happy about it."
"Commissioning others doesn't require good relationships—only sufficient benefit."
Edward arched a brow. "Do you really have a Wanderer's Beyonder characteristic?"
"Of course."
"But what if I told you I don't need it anymore?"
This time, Intis was clearly taken aback, regarding Edward as though in thought.
Edward laughed. "Do you have a Dream Weaver's characteristic, then?"
He shook his head. "Perhaps the Leader does."
"Can you get one from the Leader for me?"
"…I can't be sure. The Leader never participates in trades. Only when we complete tasks set by Him will He give us what we desire."
"That works too. Didn't you arrange the assassination attempt on Count Clair?"
"I've already obtained what I wanted," Intis said coolly.
"Fine."
Edward spread his hands. "So then, what 'benefit' do you plan to use to buy my help this time?"
The two stared at each other in silence.
Since both of their faces were completely concealed, neither could read the other's true thoughts. At times like this, it all came down to who had stronger…strategic endurance.
Minutes later—
"Hah, just kidding."
Edward was the first to break the silence, laughing. "How could I possibly not need a Wanderer's characteristic? I'll take your commission."
"…"
Intis continued staring without a word.
"Go ahead, when and where?" Edward asked, then suddenly thought of something. "Wait—this commission must have a time limit, right? I can't just sit in one place forever, guarding till the end of time, can I?"
"It will last no more than three days. I'll notify you in advance when it begins."
"No problem."
Intis gave a slight nod. "Then that's that. Goodbye."
"Hold on—you're really leaving it at just a verbal agreement? Shouldn't we sign a contract as proof? If you renege later, what recourse do I have? I don't even know your true identity."
"This commission involves several members of the gathering. If I go back on it, even if none of you act, the Leader will punish me."
The moment his words fell, the ossuary-like church collapsed into countless bones. Everything in Edward's vision rapidly retreated, and he found himself back inside the Sefirah Castle.
Leaning against the bronze chair, Edward sank into thought.
This commission from Intis had truly caught him off guard.
If it were him, he would never commission several people with whom he had conflicts. Yes, benefits mattered, but there was always the risk that someone would backstab you.
The biggest question now was: what exactly was the true function of those brass rods?
Intis acted both obsessed and dismissive toward them. Take, for example, the rod Edward had seized—Intis had only asked a single question about it, and upon hearing Edward's denial, dropped the matter entirely, as if it were irrelevant.
Moreover, he had spun the rods' function completely backwards. In reality, they amplified spirituality. Yet in his mouth, they "blocked" spirituality. He had even painted himself as a righteous protector of Trier's million citizens.
"Huh? If everything Intis says should be understood in reverse, then when he says the rods block pollution, doesn't that mean…he actually wants to amplify some kind of pollution buried beneath Trier?"
This was going to unleash a calamity that would sweep across all of Trier?!
Wait—calamity?
Didn't that sound suspiciously like the ritual for a Demoness of Affliction advancing to Sequence 4?
Impossible!
Wasn't "Intis" supposed to be the king of the Intis Kingdom?
How could he suddenly turn out to be a witch?
Even setting that aside, even if he were on the Witch Pathway, there was no way he'd still be stuck at Sequence 5, right?
"Hmm…Either it's a coincidence, or my guess is wrong, or…there's another explanation."
Edward's thoughts grew tangled.
After leaving the Sefirah Castle, Edward felt a wave of hunger.
He was about to find Chef Endili when he suddenly recalled that Dubois had mentioned discovering a restaurant with excellent food. After a quick divination, he had a coachman take him to Montorgueil Street, where he arrived at a rather artistically decorated restaurant.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Dubois leaning against the piano with a tender smile, saying something to the girl playing.
The girl gazed at him with rapt attention, nodding shyly from time to time, occasionally showing a look of sudden realisation.
Edward snorted inwardly. "So this is what you meant by a 'place with great taste'? More like 'the women here taste great,' huh?"
Just then, Dubois sat beside the girl and smoothly joined in on the piano, nodding encouragingly at her. She took a deep breath and joined his duet.
For a while, cheerful music filled the restaurant, drawing the attention of the guests, who all looked on with admiration.
"This Dubois…really is relying on skill to pick up girls."
Edward didn't disturb him. He ordered a meal, enjoying dinner while watching Dubois play piano and flirt.
By the time he finished his food, the pair had already performed several duets. The girl's eyes were practically glued to Dubois, shimmering like water, reluctant to leave him for even a second.
But finally, Dubois noticed Edward. He pressed a light kiss onto the back of the girl's hand, then walked over amid her disappointed gaze.
"Huh? You just left her hanging like that?"
Dubois chuckled. "She's a student at Intis University. She comes here every Tuesday and Thursday to play piano and earn her living expenses."
"Oh, so you can find her here anytime, huh? What's her name?"
"Mm…didn't ask."
Edward's eye twitched. "…"
"Dubois," Edward suddenly thought of something. "That Marcia you knew before…you must've had some wonderful moments together, right?"
Low EQ:You slept with her, didn't you?
High EQ:You must've shared some wonderful moments together, right?
Dubois gave a carefree smile. "If I told you we only ever played 'Fighting Evil' together, you wouldn't believe me, would you?"
"At least you're honest."
"This sort of thing is perfectly normal in Intis, you know."
Edward patted his shoulder. "No wonder you got along so well with Roselle. Keep it up—enjoy the 'taste' of demonesses while you can."
Dubois froze.
When Edward had introduced him to the 22 pathways, he'd described each one's characteristics. There was no way he'd forgotten the special pathway where a man could become a woman.
"!!!"
Realising Edward's implication, Dubois's face turned utterly grim. Wait—Marcia was actually a witch? Which meant she used to be…a man?
I actually…with a man…
But wait!
"You mean to say Roselle also…did that?"
"Most likely."
Dubois's expression instantly returned to normal. "Then it doesn't matter. Now I know about him, but he doesn't know about me. When he comes back…hehe, that'll be fun."
"…"
Sorry to disappoint you…but he proudly recorded "The taste of a demoness...ain't bad" in his diary.
———
Fog Sea.
The Black King had been sailing across the foggy waters for several days.
During this long voyage, they hadn't encountered a single island. Every day, they opened their eyes to nothing but an endless ocean. If not for Roselle's early invention of "Fighting Evil," everyone on board would've died of boredom.
Looking at the miserable hand of cards before him—not even a single 10—Roselle tossed them aside. "Ugh, I'm bored! Don't wanna play anymore!"
Grimm calmly revealed his winning hand. "Captain, no surprise here—you lost again. With the 'evil' you snatched, you now owe me…"
"Grimm! If you keep playing like this, nobody will ever want you in a card game again. No skill, all luck. You're not on the Sailor pathway at all—you're on the Fate pathway!"
"Edwards, aren't you always running your mouth? Go on, explain this!"
Edwards thought for a moment, then said seriously, "I think Grimm is simply lucky. His greatest fortune was meeting you, Captain Roselle."
Roselle blinked. "The hell—was that a straight-faced flattery? Edwards, you've changed!"
"As the captain always says, this is simply: 'Approach cinnabar and you'll be stained red; approach ink and you'll be stained black.'"
"…What kind of nonsense is that?"
Suddenly, Roselle's vision blurred.
He saw boundless gray-white fog, and in its depths sat a hazy figure.
The figure's voice was calm and distant, "Count to one hundred silently, and I will seek you out."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.