84. Good afternoon
"Chris Diffodil."
The voice was as calm as the surface of a still lake, as deep as the ocean, and as beautiful as the open sky—yet to me, it sounded as though it had risen straight from the depths of hell.
Even with the Apothecary's medicine, my arm hadn't healed properly in time. Because of that, I couldn't return home without revealing my scorched hand.
So, what should I do now?
You don't have to go back today. I already sent someone with a letter to my parents, telling them I'd be staying overnight.
The result… a chilling smile from my mother.
"Chris, I knew this day would come sooner or later. No—you're actually on the later side. We can understand that much. But even so… you should have told us beforehand, not just vanished into the night like that. Your mother and I aren't so small-minded, but don't make us worry unnecessarily."
"..." No… what exactly do you think happened?
I stood speechless, staring at my mother as she nodded in full agreement with my old man's so-called wisdom.
"So, who's the girl? Won't you introduce us?"
"Haa…" I let out a long sigh. "It's not like that," I tried to correct them.
"Don't tell me… a red-light district?" My mother's expression sharpened, a hint of anger flashing as she scrutinized my reaction.
"Mhm. That's a bit too advanced for you," my father added—only to earn a well-placed elbow to the ribs from my mother.
"It's not… I'll introduce her later," I muttered in defeat. Not that there was anyone to introduce in the first place.
Even so, my mother hummed cheerfully all morning.
…
After we finished explaining what had happened to us, Xio shared her side of the story. According to Audrey Hall, through her employee, we learned something new—Lavenus carried within him the seed of a god.
"..."
"Let's be grateful we only suffered this much," I said. My words were met with silent nods from both Xio and Fors. That was why we abandoned the idea of pursuing Lavenus directly, choosing instead to shift toward a more indirect approach.
"Isn't that right, Chris?" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I blinked and turned around. Somehow, I was back in my usual classroom, surrounded by other students while the professor droned on about physics.
It really made me wonder—should I even be wasting my time here?
"What was it again?" I asked the guy who had just pulled me out of my memory.
"Come on! Aren't you excited for tomorrow's excursion? We're going to see the Emperor's creation!" he said eagerly, mistaking my confusion for a joke.
…What was his name again?
"Can't we just go anytime we want?" I asked, questioning his excitement. After all, it was just a museum—an attraction meant to draw customers in.
"Uhh, sure… but this time's different." He suddenly nudged me from the side and tilted his head, urging me to look.
I followed his gaze and spotted a pair of young women. They weren't dressed formally, but their attire—practical yet feminine—made it easy for them to move. In a classroom otherwise filled with unkempt men, their presence was like a refreshing spring breeze. Their faces were certainly above average, but compared to someone like Audrey Hall? No, it wasn't even a competition.
'Besides… did the whole genre just shift?' I glanced at my friend, baffled by the scene unfolding around us.
Anyway, Mother showed no reaction—she simply resumed her work. Should I wait for the ghostly woman? Or should I just snatch whatever she's after? What are they even trying to achieve?
Then I noticed the two young women looking straight at me; they gave a quiet, delighted squeal. Was my past self… a playboy?
When the lecture ended and everyone began filing out of the room, I put into motion the little trick I had prepared at the last minute.
With a subtle tug of my thread, the friend who had been talking to me earlier lost his balance and stumbled right toward the pair of young women he'd been so eager about.
Hearing their light giggles, the poor guy bolted from the classroom, fleeing in embarrassment.
I suppose this counts as misfortune. I thought so at least—already imagining myself turning into some kind of prankster in the near future.
***
"Is your hand alright?" Xio asked as we walked toward the harbor once again.
Thanks to my long sleeves, it looked as if nothing had happened, but when I rolled them up, patches of red were still visible here and there.
"It's thanks to Viscout's medicine—or it wouldn't have healed this quickly," I reassured her, showing that I was fine.
"Too fast," she murmured, remembering how it had looked at first. Even if it was the medicine, the recovery still seemed almost unbelievable. She scoffed lightly, but I could tell she felt a sense of relief.
"What is that?" Xio asked, her curiosity piqued as she noticed a group of people in uniform blocking half the street, as if trying to hide something.
I still had a splitting headache from processing all the information Detection had gathered—especially in the bustling capital of Dusk. Even so, I kept activating the ability repeatedly; it would be far too dangerous if something like yesterday happened again.
Noticing nothing overtly suspicious, I agreed with Xio's suggestion to check things out—and what we found was… another victim.
There had been a serial killer on the loose recently, and this was the latest casualty. Xio and I saw the corpse of a woman, brutally slain.
But it wasn't entirely unusual for us, so once we took in the scene, we moved on.
The result of today's search? Nothing.
***
When the time ticked, Audrey closed her eyes, making sure no one would disturb her—even instructing Susie to guard the door.
Then the scenery around her shifted.
Once again, she found herself in a vast palace, with a sky-high ceiling, a long stone table, and rows of seats carved from solid stone.
She spotted herself sitting on one of the stone seats. Audrey stood, bowed perfectly as she always did, and greeted,
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."