In the small Backlund villa, Audrey stared at Edward in surprise.
"You want to convince Father to leave Backlund?"
"That's right. Don't you all usually go on vacation around this ti of year?"
"But sothing major just happened last week. How could we go on vacation so soon after that?" She looked troubled. "Didn't you say before that the disaster wouldn't affect us?"
"That was the situation back then," Edward said seriously. "But the future may already have changed. No one can guarantee how a disaster involving cults, the authorities, demigods—and possibly even the gods—might evolve now."
He looked at her. "Have you forgotten what happened last weekend?"
Audrey still hesitated. "Can't we report this to the Church in advance?"
"I already did." Edward rubbed his brow. "But I don't believe they can stop it."
Everything George III did to ascend godhood was done with the tacit approval of the Seven Churches. Even the gods themselves gave silent consent—so what can the churches beneath them actually prevent?
In the original tiline, during the Great Smog, the official Beyonders were busy running around on the surface, but the strongest among those who actually did sothing was only the Goddess' Sword, Cesimir.
As for all the demigods and Saints? It was as if they vanished overnight.
When the smog finally hit and everyone—innocent or guilty—was dead, only then did the Goddess descend through 0-17 and instantly obliterate both Amon's avatar and the demoness.
And that descent…was most likely just a transactional deal to help George III clean up the aftermath.
If it weren't for the Fool casting a dissenting vote, George III might have truly succeeded in becoming the Black Emperor.
So, even though Edward was now tied to the Goddess in terms of interests, it didn't stop him from quietly grumbling in his heart: None of these "great figures" are soft-hearted—they're all ruthless bastards.
Sure, his relationship with the Goddess was practically dripping with warmth now, but who's to say she wouldn't toss him aside without hesitation one day?
In the end, it always ca down to the sa truth:
You want to survive? Forge yourself stronger.
——
Audrey returned ho frowning. She knew that if Edward was already saying this much, it was definitely the right decision to listen. But with the weekend incident still unresolved, if the Hall family were to suddenly go on vacation now, what would the other New Party mbers think?
Would her father even agree?
——
As it turned out, Earl Hall agreed without much hesitation.
As one of the leading figures of the New Party, he naturally understood that this was a critical ti. He was fully aware that disappearing for a vacation now would send the wrong ssage. He also knew the Conservatives would seize the chance to stir up trouble.
But all that said—was any of it more important than staying alive?
Earl Hall had always seen himself as a master of wealth, not a fool enslaved by it. No matter the size of the choice before him, his mind remained clear.
"Father, maybe I should stay in Backlund," said Hibbert seriously. "I've almost wrapped up the matters I've been handling."
"How long will it take?"
"Two to three days."
Earl Hall nodded slightly. "Good. That gives us ti to prepare for departure. Once everything's in place, no matter your progress, suspend what you're doing and leave."
Hibbert hesitated, then nodded. "Understood."
He turned to Audrey. "Audrey, is it true that even the Church can't stop this?"
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "But whether they can or not shouldn't be the reason we risk staying."
Hibbert sighed. "Sigh…How did things end up like this?"
———
Friday. Overcast skies.
From the mont Edward got up, the sky was dim and heavy.
A thin haze hung over the city, and even Empress Borough wasn't spared.
Edward had a mont of genuine panic—he thought the Great Smog was breaking out right now.
"Achoo!"
Lilith sneezed, blinking at the window. "Ugh! It slls awful, Edward."
"Don't worry. We'll be out of Backlund in another day or two."
"Okay~"
Edward conjured two masks, one big and one small, and helped her put hers on before adjusting his own.
"Co on, let's stop by Minsk Street to look for Klein."
——
A few minutes later, man and cat erged from a deserted alley and stepped onto Minsk Street.
It was early morning, and the street wasn't very crowded. As a residential street, most early risers had already caught public carriages to work, so very few lingered.
They hadn't gone far when Lilith stirred in his arms. Ahead, a hunched old woman in a dark dress approached, wearing a black woollen hat. A black cat followed her closely, glancing around warily and matching her slow steps.
Lilith's eyes widened the mont she spotted the black cat. Her sudden motion startled the other feline, which arched its back and let out a low, warning hiss.
Hmph, stupid kitty.
Lilith snorted to herself with disdain.
Edward ca to a stop at No. 15 Minsk Street, just about to approach the door when Lilith whispered, "Soone's watching us."
"Where?"
"Mmm…the corner of the house to the left."
Edward paused, casually removed his hat and gave it a gentle tap—using the motion to quickly glance in the direction Lilith indicated.
Just as he did, he caught the brief glimpse of a round, bowler-hatted head ducking back out of sight.
"Huh? That's…a child?"
He paused for a mont, then put his hat back on and continued walking away from No. 15.
anwhile, not far away, a boy in an old, worn coat and a rounded bowler hat leaned back against the wall and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Was that man really just passing by?"
The boy frowned with suspicion, but he knew he wouldn't get an answer.
"I'll check again at noon," he muttered, preparing to leave.
But as soon as he turned around, he froze—there was now soone standing a short distance behind him. It was the sa man who had just been standing outside Detective Sherlock's house. The man held his hat in one hand and gave him a courteous nod.
"!!!"
The boy didn't hesitate. He turned and bolted.
Or at least, he tried to—only to find, to his horror, that his legs had lost control. He was…tap dancing.
Yes, tap dancing. His limbs moved comically, but in his mind it felt like plumting into an abyss. His pupils shrank in sheer terror.
"Oh? It's you?" Edward walked a little closer, his expression turning slightly surprised.
The boy before him was soone Edward had seen before.
The second ti he'd arrived in the world of the Mysteries, he'd gone to Brave Bar to buy a revolver and purification bullets. He'd hired a local kid to guide him—and now, he was seeing that sa kid again.
A spark lit in Edward's mind. He cancelled the tap dance curse and asked, "Are you Ian?"
The boy's gaze dropped, clearly considering escape options.
Edward continued, "I'm…a friend of the detective who lives at 15 Minsk Street. He's ntioned you before."
Ian looked up at that, still suspicious. "But when we first t, I didn't even know Detective Sherlock. So where did you hear my na?"
Edward answered evenly, "Back then, I'd only heard there was a boy nad Ian who often took small jobs adults couldn't do. So I asked around. I ca here today just to find Sherlock. How about we go in together?"
Ian shook his head. "Detective Sherlock isn't ho. He hasn't returned since yesterday afternoon."
"He's missing?" Edward's expression shifted in surprise. He brushed past Ian and walked quickly to the door of No. 15, rapping on it several tis—only silence answered.
Ian stepped up beside him. "I've been watching since yesterday afternoon. He hasn't co back."
Edward muttered an unlocking spell and opened the door. The two of them stepped inside and looked around, but found nothing useful.
"What did you want to see Sherlock for?" Edward asked.
Ian hesitated for a few seconds, then replied, "He asked to investigate sothing for him. I got the results yesterday, so I ca looking for him."
"What was it?"
Ian paused, then began explaining from the beginning—
The whole thing started when he first t Klein during the five-pound ambassador incident. The events mirrored the original tiline closely.
After that first job, they kept in touch sporadically. Klein would occasionally pay him to find people or gather clues. Then, not long ago, Detective Sherlock asked him about an earlier case handled by Detective Zreal Viktor Lee—the investigation into a missing maid at the Red Rose Manor.
Edward's eyes lit up with recognition. He recalled that long ago, it was either Audrey or Princess Helena who had ntioned Detective Zreal—he'd been sent to the Edessak's Estate to look into a maid's disappearance.
"Do you know why he had you look into that?"
Ian answered, "It seems Detective Sherlock himself had recently started investigating a similar maid disappearance at Red Rose Manor. Since I'd ntioned to him that Detective Zreal had looked into a similar case, he asked to dig into it."
Edward was full of question marks. In the original tiline, Klein had accepted a commission from Prince Edessak—but wasn't that to investigate the death of a riding instructor?
How did this beco a missing maid case?
Wasn't that maid's disappearance the work of Trissy? But she's already escaped long ago.
"What did your investigation find?"
Ian said, "Detective Zreal had indeed investigated a missing maid nad Cynthia—who just so happens to be the sa person Sherlock was now tracking."
"And?"
"Well…Sherlock's intelligence said the girl went missing about two weeks ago, but Zereal's case dates back over a month."
Edward blinked. "So the tiline in Sherlock's intel was wrong?"
Ian nodded. "Exactly."
Edward thought for a few monts. "Got it. You can head back for now—I'll try to locate Detective Sherlock myself."
Ian nodded and quickly took off.
Edward imdiately summoned Phoenix. "Phoenix, do you rember Klein Moretti? You helped locate him once before."
"I rember."
"Can you find where he is now?"
Phoenix puffed up confidently. "There's no place in this world I can't find!"
"Good. Then go look for him, see what's going on."
"Understood!"
——
Half a minute later…
Phoenix looked like it had just taken a punch to the gut. Its pupils were lifeless, its expression devastated.
"I…I can't find him. He's not in the spirit world, not in the real world. He's in so place that's completely blocking my senses—there's actually a place in this world I can't reach!"
———
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