Audrey turned toward her in surprise. Why would the Queen Mystic want to meet Lilith? Could it be to ask about Edward?
Wait, did she still think Edward was Emperor Roselle?
"Ah? Looking for me?" Lilith tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "Then…how about the place where we first met? You still remember where that is, right?"
"…I remember."
Afterwards, the group exchanged a few scattered updates about their recent situations. About twenty minutes later, Klein glanced around and said, "Alright, let's end today's gathering here."
"Mr. Fool, I'd like to speak privately with Miss Empress."
"Mr. Fool, I'd like to speak privately with Mr. World."
Audrey and Lilith spoke almost simultaneously.
Eh?
Klein nodded slightly. "Alright."
He cut off the connections to all the other members, leaving only the three of them (including The World) in the grey fog.
"Would you like to speak together, or shall I shield one of you from the other?" he asked.
Then he immediately switched his perspective to The World. "Actually…why don't you two talk first?" he muttered to himself. If I just stay here while they 'mother and daughter' reunite, it's going to be so awkward.
What? Even if The World is shielded, won't Mr. Fool still hear everything?
That's different!
Lilith smiled lightly. "Either way is fine with me."
"Same here," Audrey replied.
She hesitated for a while before asking seriously, "You…are you really Lilith?"
"???"
Klein's heart tightened. He instantly turned his gaze toward Lilith—and quickly confirmed through the grey fog's feedback that this was indeed the same cat-turned-girl he knew.
Lilith chuckled softly. "Of course it's me, Audrey."
"But you…"
"You mean I've become different from before, don't you?"
Audrey fell silent.
"Everyone changes," Lilith said gently, propping her chin with one hand. "Even if you don't want to, there will always be someone or something that pushes you to grow."
She exhaled lightly. "A lot has happened during this time…so much that no one would believe it even if I told them. But I'm sorry—I can't say anything about it right now."
Audrey didn't press her on why she couldn't tell her. Instead, she shifted the topic. "Then, what exactly happened that day when you and Edward disappeared?"
Klein immediately perked up. Yes, I'd like to know that too!
Lilith said casually, "Oh, it was…the Rose School of Thought and the Demoness Sect. They joined forces to attack me and Edward—sent six or seven Demigods, a few Sequence 2 Angels, one Sequence 1 Archangel, and even a God's Descent."
"!!!"
Both Audrey and Klein felt dizzy at the thought. Six or seven Demigods, a few Sequence 2s, and a Sequence 1—and a God's Descent on top of that?!
Just what in the world had Edward done to incur such divine-level wrath?!
"In the end, although we survived, an accident occurred, and we were trapped in a special place. After that, a lot of things happened…"
Lilith smiled radiantly. "But it's all in the past now. It'll be over soon."
Once I successfully advance to Red Priest… eliminate Cheek…and fuse the City of Calamity to ascend to the level of a Great Old One, I'll finally have the power to protect Edward!
Just one last step…
She then turned her gaze to Klein and said with a teasing tone, "Mr. World, I'll offer something to Mr. Fool later on your behalf—it's a gift from Edward. It'll help you digest the Marionettist potion faster."
Klein's eyes widened. "Ah? What is it?"
Damn, Edward—even after 'disappearing,' you're still looking out for me!
I could cry!
"Of course, it's a marionette~"
Lilith's eyes curved with a playful smile. "Do your best—you must reach Sequence 4 soon!"
"Uh…but…I don't even have the Sequence 4 formula yet."
Lilith replied, "Go to the Church and pray to the Evernight Goddess."
"Ah?"
Her gaze deepened with meaning. "You don't know yet, do you? You—Klein Moretti—have always been a Blessed of the Evernight Goddess."
Klein froze completely.
In his mind, he suddenly recalled what the Snake of Mercury had once told him:
"The higher-sequence formulas of the Seer Pathway can only be obtained from the mad Zaratul, or in the Hornacis mountain range. If you're a Blessed of Evernight, forget I said that."
So that's what he truly meant back then!
———
Forsaken Land of the Gods.
At the temporary camp of the City of Silver.
Derrick woke from his "sleep," sitting upright in an instant. His eyes fell on the boy quietly seated beside the campfire.
Though he appeared only around ten years old, his eyes were filled with an ancient depth of time—so much so that, at first glance, he looked more like a carved statue than a living child.
Derrick hesitated for quite a while before finally walking over and sitting down beside the child. He took out some of the bread Mr. World had given him last time—what remained of it—and tore off a small piece to hand over.
"Are you hungry?" he asked softly.
Steph glanced at him indifferently. "No need."
"Um…how much longer until we reach Afternoon Town?"
"Three to four days."
"And from Afternoon Town to the Giant King's Court?"
"One to two days."
Derrick pressed his lips together. "When we get to the Giant King's Court…we'll really be able to leave this place?"
Steph gave a faint nod. "Yes."
"Then…do you know someone named Miss Lilith?"
"???"
Derrick's abrupt 360-degree turn of topic made Steph freeze for a moment. That usually calm, unreadable gaze flickered slightly. "I do. How do you know Her?"
In the next instant, Derrick felt a terrifying aura descend upon him, as though countless sharp spikes were hovering around him, ready to pierce through his flesh at any moment.
Still, he could only force himself to speak, trembling slightly, "She…she told me to say her name to you. She said you'd know what to do…that you might give her some face."
"..."
Steph was silent for a long time before saying quietly, "When we reach Afternoon Town, I suggest you don't go any farther."
Derrick's heart skipped a beat. "Why?"
"You'll die."
"You…you've been lying to us all this time?"
"No."
Steph said calmly, "I will take you to the Giant King's Court. And yes, there is a path to the outside world there. But once you get there…you'll die."
"Why?"
Turning toward the direction of the Giant King's Court, Steph pronounced each word distinctly, "The Lord…has gone mad."
———
The Year 1160 of the Fourth Epoch.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Ever since his "biological father" Roselle returned, Bernadette no longer needed to come to his house every day like before—and oddly enough, Edward found himself somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Heh, humans really are creatures of contradiction.
When we have something, we take it for granted; when we lose it, we start missing it.
On the second day after the banquet, Dubois successfully advanced to Sequence 7: Psychiatrist. Wanting to "act out" his new role and get used to his new abilities, he decided to practice his skills on everyone in the villa, giving each of them a round of "psychological counselling."
The result was predictable—utter chaos.
In particular, the cook, Endili, after receiving several rounds of psychological cues from him, began producing one bizarre "dark cuisine" after another—convinced all the while that it was exactly what her employer loved to eat.
In response, Edward simply hung Dubois from a tree in the garden, a banner draped around his neck reading "Grievously Guilty", for everyone to see and scold.
As luck would have it, Roselle came over that very day with Bernadette for a visit. Pleased with the spectacle, Roselle drew two green-hatted turtles on Dubois's face and nearly pulled down his pants to flick his—well—manhood in public.
That same night, Dubois stormed into Roselle's house, dragged him out of bed by the ankle, and the two had a 1v1 brawl of "true men."
And so, time passed quickly—until the day marking one month since Lilith had entered the mirror world, the day she was supposed to return.
During that month, Edward had also completely digested the last traces of his Wanderer potion.
Early in the morning, Edward arrived at No. 15 Emerald Street and sat patiently in front of the dressing mirror.
Krismona was beside him, her expression tense and solemn.
"Mama said," she murmured, "if everything goes well, it'll take about a month."
"And if it doesn't go well?"
Krismona didn't know—and didn't want to know.
But the current situation made the answer clear enough. The Mirror Arrodes had completely lost connection—no response for two whole days now. In other words, their last link to her mother had been severed.
Edward understood this too. The coin twirled rapidly between his fingers as he thought, hesitated, and debated with himself—
Should I use Madman to the Right to forcibly reverse the situation?
Yet, this matter involved divine authorities. If he tried to forcibly reverse it…could he really bear the consequences?
Last time, simply reversing Tyrant Leodoro's lightning had caused him and Lilith to cross timelines. And this time, if he were to reverse a divine authority directly—well, the Primordial Demoness' authority was only the beginning of the mirror world's deep layers…who knew what catastrophic backlash might result?
10 a.m.
11 a.m.
12 noon…
3 p.m.
5 p.m.
7 p.m.…
Time slipped away quietly in that patient waiting.
The sky darkened; scarlet moonlight descended with the night, dyeing the world in crimson hues.
Inside the dimly lit room, the silhouettes of the man and the girl reflected on the floor through the moonlight, swaying gently.
"Mama might not come back today," Krismona whispered.
Her face was pale, but she still wore a faint smile. "But don't worry—after all, 'one month' was only ever an approximate number."
Edward rose and walked over to the mirror, knocking lightly on it. "Arrodes, can you hear me? Arodes."
The mirror reflected their images quietly—nothing happened.
"Take me to the mirror world," Edward said.
"Okay."
Krismona grasped his sleeve, and together they stepped into the mirror—returning once more to that layered, illusory mirror world. They moved quickly and smoothly to the giant, transparent wall of glass.
Edward stepped forward and pressed his hand against the surface that seemed to both exist and not exist, activating [Deconstruction] once more.
The result was more or less the same as before—complete deconstruction would still take a long time.
But if he advanced to Sequence 2, that time could be drastically shortened.
This time, however, he merely watched the glass calmly, continuously channelling spirituality into it as he worked on Deconstruction. Then he suddenly asked, "Can you tell me now what Lilith went into the mirror world to do?"
Krismona replied earnestly, "I honestly don't know what exactly she went in there for. She only told me she was searching for a way to resurrect."
"And what is that method of resurrection?"
Krismona was silent for a long time before whispering softly:
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your child!"
"Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master."
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."
"When the three are united—that shall mark my return."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.