[Backlund, Empress Borough—The luxurious villa of Earl Hall]
As usual, Audrey came to the dining room for breakfast. She used to be quite fond of sweets, but lately, under Edward's influence, her taste had grown increasingly light.
Taking a sip of the bitter coffee, Audrey received a copy of the Backlund Morning Post from her personal maid, Annie. The front page bore a large headline: "Pirate Admiral Qilangos Killed by the Duke's Bodyguards in Backlund."
"…Due to prior intelligence on Qilangos' movements, high-level officials from the Mandated Punishers, the Nighthaws, the Machinery Hivemind, and the military's special department coordinated to carry out a successful ambush…In the end, it was the Goddess's Sword from the Church of the Evernight Goddess, Crestet Cesimir, who personally dealt the fatal blow, ending his sinful life."
After reading that part, Audrey folded the newspaper with a look of indignation in her eyes.
"If Edward hadn't reported it in advance, they might not even have arrived before Qilangos escaped. Hmph, I wonder how Edward is doing now…He still hasn't sent any word since last night."
Last night, Earl Hall had summoned several Beyonders to covertly guard the villa. Because of that, Audrey hadn't dared enter the travel box and use the Vanishing Cabinet to visit Edward—much less prepare a ritual to summon a messenger.
At that moment, Earl Hall, seated on the other side of the table, put down his newspaper and sighed.
"I still don't understand why that deranged pirate would come all the way to Backlund to assassinate Duke Negan. Though we disagree politically, if Duke Negan were to die, the turmoil in Loen's political landscape is not something I'd want to see."
Audrey blinked curiously.
"Papa, I heard there were many bounties on this...Qilangos. Is that true?"
"Indeed," Earl Hall nodded. "The bounty on Qilangos within Loen alone was about 10,000 gold pounds. The Republic of Intis, the Feysac Empire, and several other countries and organizations also had bounties on him, totaling around 20,000 more. Heh, quite the fortune."
"Then who will receive those bounties?"
Earl Hall thought for a moment before replying with a smile.
"Most likely the Goddess's Sword. However, because of your report, Duke Negan has gifted you his vacation estate by the Desi Bay. It originally cost the Duke 8,000 gold pounds. Over the years, with added buildings and quality livestock, it's now worth at least 15,000."
"I get a share?!"
Audrey's eyes lit up. Even for someone as wealthy as her, 15,000 pounds wasn't a small amount. After all, although Earl Hall had pre-allocated her a 300,000-pound inheritance, the portion she could actually access was quite limited.
"I heard…someone tipped off the Church that Qilangos was planning to assassinate Duke Negan, which allowed them to prepare this ambush. Do you think that person will get any reward?"
Earl Hall raised an eyebrow. Stroking his well-trimmed mustache, he said with a faint smile,
"That's an internal matter for the Church of the Night. They'll handle that sum appropriately."
"Okay, Papa."
———
[Tingen City, Blackthorn Security Company]
Edward sat alone in the washroom, having just finished praying to the Fool: "Lord Fool, I've more or less figured out the truth behind what happened recently around your Blessed. Due to certain reasons, I can't easily share that truth with others. But if this continues, I'm afraid there'll be more unnecessary sacrifices. So…I'm planning to stir things up—big time."
Atop the gray fog, Klein received this message. After mulling it over for a long while without fully understanding it, he could only reply in a cryptic tone: "I understand."
As the crimson light and gray mist before him faded, Edward stepped out of the washroom and walked to the captain's office, knocking on the door, "Captain, may I go to the guardroom near Chanis Gate to conduct a prayer?"
Dunn lifted his head, his receding hairline looking even more pronounced under the light.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you, Captain."
Edward descended the stairs into the corridor and walked straight until he reached the guardroom near Chanis Gate. This was only his second visit—the first time, Klein had brought him to meet Old Neil, and they'd barely exchanged greetings.
The guardroom was dimly lit. Edward lit the candles, dripped essential oils, and burned powdered herbs as he meticulously performed the ritual. Finally, he took two steps back, opened his Spirit Vision, and began the prayer in a low voice:
"I pray for the power of the Night;
I pray for the power of Secrecy;
I pray for the favor of the Goddess;
Ince Zangwill, wielder of Sealed Artifact 0-08, has threatened my life.
I wish to ask the Goddess—
May I use all means necessary to protect myself?
Would this interfere with the Goddess's plans?
Night-vanilla, flower of the Crimson Moon,
Please carry my prayer to the Goddess!
Moonflowers, blossoms of the Crimson Moon,
Please carry my prayer to the Goddess!"
Once the incantation was finished, Edward waited reverently. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through the room. The ashes of the burning herbs and the surrounding dust lifted into the air, swirling together to form a single word:
"Yes."
Edward pondered for a moment, then asked again:
"May I request Lady Arianna or Lord Anthony to personally deal with Ince Zangwill?"
Silence.
Then, the candles were abruptly extinguished, and everything related to the ritual vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
"…Understood."
Edward drew the sign of the crimson moon over his chest and bowed his head.
"Praise the Goddess."
He gathered his things and left the guardroom. As he passed by the Chanis Gate, he paused and glanced at its tightly shut doors, wondering just how many powerful and dangerous Sealed Artifacts were locked behind them.
———
[Saint Samuel Cathedral, Backlund]
5:00 p.m.
Edward received a heavy pouch of gold pounds from Saint Anthony Stevenson—this was Qilangos bounty.
"You have 5,000 gold pounds here in hand. Another 10,000 has been deposited into your anonymous account. The remaining 15,000 has been transferred to the Hall family's daughter."
"Thank you."
When Edward made the report yesterday, he had claimed that it was Audrey who first discovered something off about the baron, and only after he verified the suspicion did they report it together. Thus, the 30,000-pound bounty was split evenly between the two of them.
It looked like Audrey received less than she did in the original timeline, but this time she didn't need to give half to the Fool's 'Blessed', so the amount of money she actually pocketed remained unchanged.
A win-win!
Well, except for the Fool, who had just lost 15,000 pounds…But in the original story, he didn't end up with that money either, so technically, he hadn't lost anything—coughcough—let's just say he didn't.
Right! He had to share the great news of earning 15,000 pounds with Klein as soon as he got back!
At that moment, Edward leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice:
"Your Grace, do you know what Sealed Artifact Ince Zangwill stole when he betrayed the Church?"
Anthony paused briefly, then nodded. "I do."
"Then do you know he's currently hiding in Tingen, holding Sealed Artifact 0-08, and is up to something shady?"
Anthony looked at him in confusion, not understanding why Edward was bringing this up out of the blue.
After a moment of thought, he replied, "If you're asking for my help, I'm afraid I can't do much. 0-08 might not be a combat-type artifact, but if Ince Zangwill is determined to hide, I have no way of finding him either."
"Oh, I'm not asking for help. Just chatting."
"?"
Without further explanation, Edward walked over to a priest nearby who was deep in prayer.
With a face full of gossip, he whispered, "Have you heard of that thir—cough—I mean, have you heard of Ince Zangwill? Let me tell you a secret, but you mustn't share it with anyone else…Ince Zangwill defected from the Church a while ago and took Sealed Artifact 0-08 with him. It's a feather pen—super creepy. What?You don't know about it?! Then let me explain it in detail…"
Anthony: "…"
It didn't take long before the story of Ince Zangwill spread throughout the entire Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Meanwhile, Edward had arrived at a charming little cake shop in the West Borough of Backlund. As the clerk helped pack the cakes he had picked out, he flipped through a copy of the Backlund Morning Post, hiding his merit and fame behind its pages.
"Huh? There's a Beyonder gathering tomorrow."
His eyes paused on a page five advertisement from the Ernst Trading Company, a disguised notice about purchasing goods. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"This time, I'm definitely getting that sassy little doll."
———
Half an hour later, Edward returned to Tingen. With Lilith by his side and a box of cake in hand, he knocked on the door of his neighbor, Mr. Steven Green.
Light footsteps approached. The door cracked open slightly, and Priscilla peeked out through the gap. Her eyes lit up when she saw them, and she swung the door open.
"Lilith! Brother Edward~"
"Good evening, Priscilla. This is for you."
"Thank you, Brother Edward!"
"Where's your father?"
"He's cooking."
Priscilla reached out to hug Lilith, but Lilith twisted away, tail swaying, and began exploring the house with curiosity.
Edward stepped inside just as Steven poked his head out from the kitchen.
"Dinner's almost ready. Come try my new recipe."
"Mm, Mr. Green, I actually came to ask a favor."
"Oh?"
Steven stepped out of the kitchen, wiping his damp hands on his apron and asking in a teasing tone, "Don't tell me you've got a cavity?"
"Not quite. I remember you once said you knew the editor-in-chief of the Tingen City Honest Paper. Could you introduce me? I've written a short story I'd like to publish in the paper. It'll be a paid submission."
Steven chuckled, "If it's a paid piece, I don't think you'll need my introduction. The newspaper would be happy to oblige."
"Well…I'd prefer it to be published as soon as possible. Say…tomorrow morning."
"Ah, well, that would indeed need the chief editor's approval." He quickly wiped his hands dry on his apron, then took it off, grabbed his coat and hat by the door. "Come on, I'll take you."
"Sorry to trouble you, going out so late."
"Don't mention it."
Half an hour later, the two of them, along with Priscilla and Lilith, arrived by carriage at a quaint, standalone villa. Steven knocked on the front door and exchanged a few words with the maid who answered. Soon after, they were all welcomed into the house.
The villa's interior had a vintage charm, mostly furnished with dark wood pieces. Past the entryway, they reached the living room, where tall bookshelves lined either side, filled with books of all sorts.
A man in a white shirt, gold-rimmed glasses, and a pen tucked behind one ear soon walked in. He looked refined and scholarly, though his receding hairline was even worse than Captain Dunn's. He greeted them warmly and invited them to sit. A maid brought over coffee and juice.
"Meow? (ω`)?"
Lilith was clearly displeased. She stood on her hind legs and pointed at the glass of juice in front of Priscilla, then tapped her own empty spot on the table. Her expression practically shouted, "She has juice—why don't I?!"
Priscilla quickly shared her juice. Only then did Lilith look satisfied, sticking her head into the cup and happily lapping it up, getting her entire face splashed in the process.
"Hmm, your cat seems…unusually clever," the editor remarked, clearly intrigued. He took the pen from behind his ear and jotted something into a small notebook he pulled from his pocket. "Interesting."
After everyone had their drinks, Steven made some brief introductions.
"Editor, I'm sorry to trouble you so late, but I've brought Mr. Edward here with a request."
Edward set down his coffee cup and got straight to the point.
"I have a short story that I'd like published in tomorrow's issue of The Tingen Honest Reporter. I'm willing to pay for the space."
"It's titled—'A Cleric Friend of Mine: Ince Zangwill and His Feathered Quill.'"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.