[Tingen City]
Edward first made a trip to Tulip Street. From a resident living across from Number 4, he learned that Steven had recently been staying at his dental clinic—as for Numbers 4, 5, and 6, which had miraculously recovered, they were now under official control.
So, he headed a few streets over to the clinic.
Knock, knock, knock.
When Steven opened the door, he froze for a second. Then, with a complicated expression, he stepped aside to let him in. "You're here, Edward."
"Meow~"
Lilith perched on Edward's shoulder and greeted him first.
"Sorry, I was delayed by some things. That's why it took so long for me to come see you." Edward followed him into the reception room of the clinic, removing his hat and coat as he asked, "Has Mr. Azik…come to see you?"
"That gentleman? He's been here."
Steven placed a cup of coffee in front of Edward. The rising steam, rich with aroma, instantly filled the room.
Thinking back to that day felt like a dream. Although he had long known that supernatural forces existed in this world, when someone finally laid bare the hidden side of it before his very eyes, he still couldn't fully accept it—especially since the price was being separated from his daughter for a long time.
"That gentleman claimed to be my wife's elder. He said Priscilla had inherited a certain innate trait from her, and without proper guidance, even without the Numinous Episcopate, she might still face grave misfortune in the future."
He held the cup, his face partly obscured by the steam. "I could sense that man's sincerity, and I understand what he said. But…but Priscilla is still so young, and she has to face—face dangers even adults can't bear."
"The worst part is, as her father, I can't help her at all…I can't even stay by her side."
Steven's fingers unconsciously tightened around the cup. "I really feel like…I've failed completely, like I've let down my wife's trust."
"Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I see Priscilla in danger—she keeps calling out to me for help, and I run toward her with all my might…but the more I run, the farther away she becomes."
Edward didn't interrupt him, nor did he try to comfort him. He simply stayed quiet and listened. He took a small sip of the coffee—the slight bitterness tingled on his tongue, but a moment later, it left behind a lingering fragrance.
Lilith gave him a suspicious look. She had tried this so-called 'coffee' before—bitter and astringent, absolutely awful. But seeing Edward enjoy it so much, she couldn't resist jumping onto the nearby table to lick it herself. The next second, she wrinkled her nose and spat repeatedly.
Yuck, still awful!
After a long pause, Steven forced a strained smile. "Sorry, I just kept rambling nonsense. That gentleman told me he'd head to the Southern Continent first, but afterwards he might stay in Backlund for the most part. So, I've decided to move there."
Upon hearing this, Edward said, "Mm, I'll be staying temporarily at 88 Minsk Street, in the Cherwood Borough of Backlund. If you need anything, feel free to come find me anytime."
"Thanks."
As if suddenly remembering something, Steven pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to him. "This is from that gentleman. He asked me to give it to you."
Edward unfolded it and saw that it contained instructions for summoning Mr. Azik's messenger.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
Edward stood, putting on his hat. "See you in Backlund."
"Take care."
———
The next day, at noon.
Edward was sipping coffee while flipping through the Backlund Morning Post. Across from him, Lilith was lying on the table, grumbling as she wrestled with the steak on her plate.
Once he closed the paper, Edward looked at Lilith—still struggling with her steak—and grinned. "I'm done eating. The last one to finish does the dishes~"
Lilith instantly looked up, shocked.
She raised a paw covered in sauce as if to say: You seriously think I can wash dishes with these?
But soon she lowered her head again and muttered, "Lilith is a cat, you know~"
Fine, fine. The 'person' who finishes last does the dishes. A cat isn't a person—got it.
Perfect logic. You're free to go!
With a flick of his wand, the dishes instantly sparkled clean. These small, everyday spells—Edward could now cast them wordlessly.
"Edward."
Audrey's voice came from the pouch.
A moment later, she climbed out with light steps, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So you've really decided? To go out to sea and roleplay a 'lunatic'—a crazy guy who hunts pirates?"
"Mm, not necessarily just pirates, and not necessarily crazy either. I'll need to figure out the role-playing rules first." Edward chuckled. "Who knows, I might end up forming my own pirate crew."
A mischievous grin spread across his face. "How about the Whitebeard Pirates? My ship will be called…Moby Dick! Then I'll borrow Danitz, rename him Fire Fist Ace—they both use fire, after all. And you're the 'Diamond' of Backlund… so we'll call you Diamond Jozu."
Audrey gave him a weird look and lightly punched him. "That's a guy's name, isn't it? And what do you mean, 'Diamond of Backlund'?!"
"Hahaha!"
Lilith quickly placed her front paws on Edward's leg and asked, "What about Miss Lilith?"
"You?" Edward replied, "Let's call you Lucci. You're a cat, after all."
She tilted her head blankly. "Miss Lilith doesn't get it~"
Audrey asked, "When are you planning to leave? Want me to help you book the ship tickets?"
"No need, that would waste too much time. I'm planning to have Mr. Azik send me through the spirit world."
"He's a true angel under the Fool, isn't he? Isn't it kind of inappropriate to ask an angel for a ride?"
"Not every angel is aloof and inhuman. Mr. Azik is an especially kind and friendly senior. Besides, he owes me a few favours—I don't think he'll mind something like this."
Audrey sighed. "Ugh, once you're off at sea, I'll be bored again."
Edward laughed. "Are you stupid? We've got the Vanishing Cabinet. No matter where I go, I can come back anytime. And you can come visit me too."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, right! That means I can go sailing anytime too!"
She immediately asked with excitement, "So, when are you going to contact Mr. Azik?"
"You're more eager than I am."
"Heehee."
"Alright, I'll summon his messenger now."
Edward took out the necessary items, set up the ritual, and chanted:
"Spirit wandering in illusion,
Creature of the higher realm bound by command,
Messenger solely belonging to Azik Eggers."
Moments later, a cold wind swept through the room. From the floor in front of him, faintly glowing white bones began to shoot up like fountains—more and more, until they assembled into a massive, ghostly skeletal figure.
Even though they'd seen it before, its sudden appearance was still deeply unsettling. Lilith had long since bolted under the sofa. Audrey, meanwhile, could only stare up, dazed.
"Please deliver this letter to Mr. Azik. Thank you."
A giant skeletal hand swept forward and grasped the letter with perfect precision. Then, the entire messenger crumbled in an instant, the bones scattering across the desk before fading into the ether.
"Whew!"
Audrey patted her chest, looking like she'd just escaped a nightmare. "That was just the messenger? No wonder he's an angel. Compared to that, your messenger is totally underwhelming."
Edward coughed and muttered, "Cough…It's a messenger—as long as it delivers the message, what else matters?"
He paused and looked at Audrey. "Now all we can do is wait patiently for Mr. Azik's reply."
"Let me know as soon as you hear anything, okay? Even if we don't need a formal farewell because of the Vanishing Cabinet, at least tell me before you go."
"Will do!"
At that moment, Edward pulled out an identity document he had obtained through the Church. He smiled and said, "From now on, my name is Gehrman Sparrow."
Although he wasn't yet sure what this voyage would bring, the fact that it involved role-playing a 'madman' probably meant nothing good!
Hopefully, when Klein sets sail and uses this name again, he won't be too shocked.
———
Mr. Azik's reply took much longer than expected. According to Steven Green, he seemed to have gone to the Southern Continent. Whether the delay was due to the messenger being too slow, or Azik still handling something, Edward didn't know.
After a whole morning of waiting with no reply, Edward decided to head out and take care of some errands.
His first stop was the Harvest Church—he needed to pick up the Nightmare Candle from Father Utravsky to ensure Slytherin hadn't left behind any lingering dangers in Audrey's mental world.
Because of Lilith's infamous name, he didn't dare bring her along.
When Edward stepped into the Harvest Church, Father Utravsky was in the middle of a sermon. Despite his towering frame and overwhelming presence, he emanated an aura of gentleness. His eyes shone with sincere devotion to the Earth Mother.
The church hall was dimly lit, rows of pews neatly aligned. At the front hung a massive symbol of Sacred Life, with tall candles burning steadily on either side. The congregants sat quietly, occasionally making the Church of the Earth Mother's unique gesture of prayer.
Such a solemn occasion was not something Edward would interrupt. He simply found a seat in the last row and waited patiently.
An hour later, the sermon concluded. Father Utravsky gently refused a donation from a devout believer, telling her, "True devotion comes from the heart—it needs no wealth to prove it."
The believer left even more devout than before, joining the Eucharist ceremony with gratitude and reverence.
Father Utravsky closed the heavy tome of doctrine and turned his gentle gaze toward Edward, who had been waiting for some time.
"Welcome, Mr. Edward."
Edward made the Earth Mother's sign across his chest. "Sorry to bother you again, Father."
"Are you here to see Emlyn? He's in the kitchen preparing for the Eucharist. He'll be out when he's done."
Emlyn's already been released? That seemed quite a bit earlier than in the original timeline.
Wait a second—you're letting a vampire help prepare for the Eucharist? Are you serious?
Aren't you worried he'll end up serving blood pudding?
———
[Note]: We absolutely crushed the Powerstone goal. So, here's the Extra Chapter. Enjoy~
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