A month had passed.
Adrian had finally reached Japan.
The journey from London had been long, uncomfortable, and considerably more exhausting than he had expected. Yet, strangely enough, nothing truly catastrophic had happened along the way.
No ancient monster.
No supernatural ambush.
No future soldier.
No magical catastrophe.
Nothing.
Almost nothing.
There had been only one problem.
His roommate.
The poor man hadn't slept properly for weeks.
Every few nights, Adrian would wake to hear him muttering in his sleep, sometimes sweating, sometimes trembling, occasionally shouting about things Adrian couldn't understand.
At first, Adrian had assumed it was simply the stress of traveling.
Then he began noticing something.
The nightmares became worse whenever Adrian was nearby.
And it wasn't just his roommate.
Adrian had started paying attention to the people around him.
Small things.
A shopkeeper becoming unusually nervous after speaking with him.
A passenger complaining about strange dreams.
A sailor claiming he had seen something moving in the corner of his room.
Nothing significant enough to prove anything.
But there was a pattern.
Adrian's corruption was beginning to spread.
It wasn't deliberate.
He wasn't attacking anyone.
He wasn't using a spell.
It simply happened because he existed.
The realization disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.
I'm becoming dangerous just by being around people.
That thought had changed the way he traveled.
He stopped staying around the same people for too long.
He avoided unnecessary conversations.
He ate alone.
He slept separately whenever possible.
He had begun keeping his distance from ordinary people.
It wasn't because he disliked them.
Quite the opposite.
He was beginning to understand that isolation might be the only way to protect them.
If his corruption continued increasing with every Sequence...
What would happen when he became a demigod?
And beyond that?
Adrian didn't want to think about it.
For now, he had a more immediate problem.
Japan.
More specifically—
Kanazawa.
Tokyo was overwhelming.
The city was busy, unfamiliar, and completely different from London.
Adrian had been warned that traveling through Japan as a foreigner wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't fully understood what that meant until he arrived.
His Japanese was practically nonexistent.
He knew a few words.
Most of them were useless.
Adrian muttered under his breath.
"Still can't believe my entire Japanese vocabulary came from anime."
He wasn't even sure that was accurate anymore.
He needed to reach Kanazawa.
His divination had pointed there.
But there was a problem.
Getting there wasn't as simple as buying a ticket and boarding a train.
Traveling through certain areas required proper arrangements, especially for foreigners.
After asking around, Adrian was directed toward the Imperial Hotel, where he could arrange transportation and obtain the assistance of a local guide.
He arrived in the afternoon.
The hotel was considerably more elegant than most of the places he had stayed during his journey.
Adrian entered, adjusted his trench coat, and approached the reception desk.
After several minutes of explaining what he needed, he was directed toward the appropriate service.
He required a guide.
Someone who knew the language.
Someone who could help him navigate the journey.
Adrian filled out the necessary paperwork.
The clerk examined it carefully.
"Kanazawa?"
"Yes."
"Business?"
Adrian paused.
Tourist would be the obvious answer.
But he wasn't exactly traveling for sightseeing.
"Personal reasons."
The clerk looked at him for another moment before accepting the answer.
Adrian didn't notice the additional attention his application received.
He didn't know that his destination had already raised questions.
A foreigner arriving in Japan with little luggage, traveling alone, and specifically requesting assistance reaching Kanazawa wasn't exactly ordinary.
Especially when he couldn't provide a convincing explanation for why he needed to go there.
Adrian simply wanted to reach his destination.
Nothing more.
Or so he thought.
The guide arrived later that afternoon.
Adrian looked up.
And stopped.
The woman standing before him was beautiful.
Very beautiful.
She had an elegant appearance, a calm expression, and the kind of confidence that suggested she was completely comfortable around strangers.
She bowed politely.
"My name is Naomi."
Adrian returned the gesture.
"Adrian."
She smiled.
"I'll be accompanying you on your journey to Kanazawa."
Adrian looked at her.
"You're my guide?"
"Yes."
He glanced toward the paperwork.
"I was expecting someone older."
Naomi laughed softly.
"And I was expecting someone less surprised."
"Fair enough."
She smiled again.
There was something about her that immediately caught his attention.
Adrian couldn't quite explain it.
Perhaps it was simply because he hadn't spoken casually with a beautiful woman in quite some time.
Or perhaps it was because the journey had been lonely.
Either way, his usual caution weakened slightly.
Naomi noticed.
"You seem tired."
"I've been traveling for a month."
"That would explain it."
"And you're going all the way to Kanazawa with me?"
"That's my job."
Adrian smiled.
"Then I suppose I'm lucky."
Naomi raised an eyebrow.
"Are you?"
Adrian laughed.
"That depends on how good you are at your job."
She smiled.
"Perhaps you'll find out."
Adrian didn't notice the subtle look she gave him afterward.
He didn't know that Naomi wasn't merely a guide.
She had been selected carefully.
Several days earlier, military intelligence had been informed of Adrian's arrival.
The foreigner had attracted attention.
His travel plans were unusual.
His destination was unusual.
And there were questions surrounding his background.
Japan was particularly suspicious of foreign activity during this period, and a mysterious European traveler heading toward a strategically important region was enough to warrant investigation.
The authorities wanted to know one thing:
Was Adrian a spy?
Naomi had been given a simple assignment.
Stay close.
Gain his trust.
Discover his intentions.
She was exceptionally suited for the task.
Because Naomi possessed a secret.
She was a mutant.
Her ability allowed her to read another person's thoughts—but there was a limitation.
She couldn't simply look at someone and hear their thoughts.
Physical intimacy was required.
A kiss was enough.
More intimate contact could provide deeper access.
It made her particularly effective as a honey-trap operative.
And Adrian was precisely the sort of man she was trained to approach.
Charming.
Traveling alone.
Mysterious.
And apparently carrying secrets.
Naomi had no idea that the man she had been ordered to investigate was far stranger than any spy she had ever encountered.
She certainly didn't know about Sefirah Castle.
She didn't know about the Fool.
She didn't know about Sequences.
And she had no idea that Adrian's apparent calmness concealed years of supernatural experience.
As far as she was concerned, he was simply a suspicious foreigner.
One who needed to be investigated.
That evening, Adrian and Naomi prepared for the journey.
The trip to Kanazawa would take roughly fifteen to twenty hours depending on the route and conditions.
Adrian checked his belongings.
His pistol remained hidden.
His paper was secured.
His spiritual energy remained calm.
And the strange pendulum he had used in London was safely tucked away.
Everything was ready.
Naomi approached him.
"Ready?"
Adrian looked at her.
"As ready as someone can be when they don't speak the language."
She laughed.
"I'll make sure you don't get lost."
"That's reassuring."
They began walking.
Adrian glanced at her.
"So, Naomi..."
"Yes?"
"Are all guides in Japan this beautiful?"
She smiled.
"No."
"Good."
"Why good?"
"Because I'd hate to think I'm becoming predictable."
Naomi laughed again.
Adrian smiled.
For the first time in weeks, he actually enjoyed himself.
He didn't notice her studying him.
He didn't notice the questions hidden behind her smile.
And he certainly didn't realize that the woman walking beside him had been assigned to uncover his secrets.
Naomi, meanwhile, had already begun wondering what kind of man she was dealing with.
Because there was something strange about Adrian.
He didn't behave like a tourist.
He didn't behave like a businessman.
And he certainly didn't behave like an ordinary foreign traveler.
He seemed constantly aware of his surroundings.
He rarely turned his back to people.
He watched reflections in windows.
He occasionally looked at empty spaces as though expecting someone to be standing there.
And sometimes...
Naomi could swear his eyes looked far older than his face.
She smiled politely.
Who are you, Adrian?
She intended to find out.
Neither of them knew it yet, but their journey toward Kanazawa was about to become considerably more complicated than either had expected.