The hunter flew into a rage.
"You bastard…after all the words I've wasted on you, you don't trust —but you trust him? I'll celebrate your death before next month cos!"
Edward placed his right hand over his chest and offered a slight bow of apology.
Hers's golden eyes flickered as he said evenly, "Everything for the trend of tis."
The corpse cathedral collapsed with a thunderous roar, fading into darkness.
But this ti, Edward did not return imdiately to the Sefirah Castle. Instead, he remained within the darkness left behind by the fallen church. Across from him stood "Coward."
Coward folded his arms, snorting coldly. "I've nothing to say to you."
"My apologies. My earlier conduct was wrong. Please forgive ."
"This has nothing to do with you pretending to be Amon. I've already made myself clear—I won't engage in any trade or dealings with anyone."
If you tell sothing for free, that doesn't count as a deal, does it?
Edward thought this, but did not dare say it aloud. After a mont's thought, he said instead, "Very well. I only want to confirm one thing. The news you said would interest greatly—was it about the Witch Pathway enemy I asked you about last ti, or about a Beyonder characteristic?"
"Heh."
Coward sneered, but gave no answer.
"I know why you avoid dealings—you're afraid of being tricked. But what if it's nothing more than a simple exchange of information? Unlike my business with 'Intis,' there'd be no need to investigate his sites or venture into ruins. No danger, no trap. Isn't that so?"
Coward gave a small nod. "Go on."
"I can exchange news concerning Amon."
Coward gave a harsh laugh. "Hehehe…I admit, I'm terrified of Amon. But that doesn't an I care for his secrets. After all—what good would knowing them do ?"
"Aren't you of the Jacob family?"
"..."
Coward fell silent. In truth, he knew his cowardly display today would inevitably expose him. After a brief hesitation, he dropped the pretence.
"Yes. And what of it?"
"My information concerns Amon…and it's tied to the Jacob family itself."
"Oh? Let's hear it, then."
Edward spread his hands. "Why don't you first share the news you claid would interest ?"
"Not happening."
"Or…we can choose a middleman. We each write our news on parchnt, let the diator confirm, and then exchange them."
"Who?"
"Mr. Hers. What do you say?"
Coward considered for a mont. "Fine. Then next gathering—"
Before he could finish, Edward called out, "Mr. Hers, are you still here?" This update is available on novel~fire~net
The next instant, Hers appeared from the darkness, his golden eyes calm as they settled on the two of them.
Edward bowed slightly. "Mr. Hers, could you serve as our interdiary?"
After a few seconds of silence, Hers said simply, "I can."
At once, parchnt and quills appeared in both Edward's and Coward's hands. They exchanged a glance before Edward quickly scribbled a line:
"The secret treasure your Jacob family laid down in the Fourth Epoch has already been discovered by Amon. He has dug his trap and waits for you."
Soon, both had finished writing. They handed their parchnts to Hers.
Hers read both in turn, then extended the sheets toward them. "I can confirm that what is written is indeed information of interest to each of you. But whether it is of equal value, whether it satisfies you—that, I cannot judge. Do you confirm the exchange?"
Edward nodded. "I do."
Coward shrugged. "Exchange."
Hers released his hands, allowing the two sheets to drift into their new owners' grasp.
Coward quickly skimd the parchnt, then shuddered and asked in horror, "How…how do you know of this?"
"I have my channels. But I can assure you—the information is true."
"..."
Coward fell into silence. Though his face was hidden, Edward could easily imagine his expression had turned very grim.
anwhile, Edward read the ssage Coward had left for him:
"The Abraham family has fallen into internal strife. So of its mbers are planning to migrate elsewhere. It's highly likely that among them exists the Wanderer's Beyonder characteristic you seek."
Ah.
Edward sighed inwardly, disappointnt welling in his chest.
He had been so urgent—had even pulled Hers into it—because he feared Coward's information might concern Lilith.
But in the end, it was rely about the Abrahams.
Edward asked at once,"Do you know where they intend to migrate?"
"I don't know."
Coward hesitated before offering an explanation. "This information—I happened to overhear it from a mber of the Abraham family not long ago. I don't know the details."
After a pause, he asked, "Do you know…the location of that treasure?"
Edward was taken aback. "You don't an to actually go after it, do you?"
"No…"
Coward curled his lip. "The Jacob Family left quite a few treasures scattered across the world over the years. The various descendants of the Jacob Family have been searching for those treasures for a long ti. I just want to know in advance…so I can avoid that one."
Edward chuckled.
"I don't know either. But here's sothing I'll leave you with…"
"What?"
"There's an old saying: When you discover one Amon, it ans countless Amons are nearby. By the sa logic, when you learn that one treasure contains Amon, it ans…"
Coward's voice sharpened, almost shrieking, "All of them…all the treasures contain Amon?!"
Edward hadn't said it out of kindness. It wasn't that he wanted to help Coward, much less the Jacob family. After all, among Marauders, there's barely a sliver of conscience to go around—Amon owes one part, everyone else owes one part, and old man Pallez claims three parts for himself.
No, Edward said it simply because: Whatever Amon liked, he was determined to oppose.
Coward, weighed down by new worries, departed.
Edward turned to see Hers still standing there, unsurprised. He had already anticipated this when he invited Hers to diate.
"Thank you, Mr. Hers."
Hers gave a faint hum, gazing at Edward for several seconds before saying, "I am searching for an ancient Mind Dragon."
"You ntioned that at the last gathering."
"Then tell , Number Eight…do you know anything of the one I seek?"
Edward answered honestly, "I'm not sure. The reason I reacted last ti when you ntioned a Mind Dragon was because, not long ago, I happened to encounter one myself."
"But there should still be more than a few ancient dragons alive in this world. I can't say whether the one I t was the one you're looking for."
Hers gave a slow nod.
"The one I seek is called Ariehogg."
Edward frowned. "I don't know the na of the one I t. He drew into a vast sea of collective subconsciousness that he had shaped. But when I awoke, all I rembered was having seen him—I'd forgotten entirely what he told , or why he sought ."
"But I can be sure of one thing: he left behind a suggestion, an imprint, deep in my mind. Ever since, I've paid close attention to anything concerning Mind Dragons."
That much was true. Since his encounter, aside from the psychological cue, Ariehogg had made no further moves—sothing Edward still found puzzling.
Hers fell into thought. After a while, he said, "If you are willing, we can et in person. That way, I can confirm whether the dragon you encountered is indeed Ariehogg—and perhaps I can help you remove the cues he left behind."
"Agreed!"
Edward answered without hesitation.
Hers, however, fell silent. "If I can find him through you, I will reward you with a Dream Weaver's Beyonder characteristic."
"That would be…truly generous of you! Once I finish with what's on my hands, I'll co find you."
"..."
Hers: Are you trying to fool a child?
He said nothing more, simply staring deep into Edward.
Then, the surrounding darkness contracted into a single point. Hers's form drew away rapidly, leaving Edward once more in the Sefirah Castle.
"Phew—"
Edward let out a long breath, propping his chin with one hand as his thoughts raced.
If I tell Hers about Ariehogg, what impact will it bring?
The first and most direct effect was clear: Hers would learn Adam's true identity far earlier than in the original history. Inevitably, Hers would defect right away.
And Hers's defection would strike a heavy blow to the Twilight Hermit Order, perhaps even altering Adam's "trend of the tis."
In the original tiline, Hers had defected only after Adam had already ascended to Sequence 0, becoming the Visionary. By then, the Twilight Hermit Order was irrelevant, and Hers was a negligible piece.
The second consequence: in the original tiline, Edward had encountered Ariehogg in that dragon-worshipping village. If Hers now sought him out early…who knew if Ariehogg would still remain there in the future?
And those are just the obvious changes. The deeper chain reactions…who can say?
Yet if he remained stuck, unable to obtain the Dream Weaver characteristic…
Ugh, what a headache!
Edward shook off the thoughts, turning his attention instead to Coward's ssage about the Abrahams:
A faction of the Abraham Family planned to migrate elsewhere.
The instant he'd read it, he'd thought of what Christine had once told him: the legendary sunken Laurel had in truth belonged to the Abraham family, carrying many of their sealed artifacts and treasures.
It had sunk in the Berserk Sea under mysterious circumstances, becoming one of the ocean's great legends. Parts of the wreckage had later surfaced near Bansy.
Christine had sailed in search of the Laurel—and sowhere along the way, she beca the Fallen Mother Goddess.
Or rather, as she herself had claid, she had always been the Fallen Mother Goddess, or corrupted by Her influence.
Edward didn't believe a word from an Outer God. Which left open the possibility that Christine had only been corrupted after finding the wreck of the Laurel.
aning: the ship's sinking was no simple matter.
But one point of Coward's rang true—if the Abrahams carried treasures with them when they departed, among those things there could very well be sealed items tied to the Wanderer Beyonder characteristic.
If so, a thod ca to mind—
The Abrahams could lie, could hide their identities.
But a ship's na would not lie.
As long as he kept a close watch on the ships leaving the major ports…
…he might just catch them.
———
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