The little girl instantly pouted unhappily.

Hmph! Fine, don't tell me then! I don't care!

She'd thought that now that her father was back, she could have double the happiness—but no! Both her father and Mr. Sparrow were terrible men!

After this round of bickering and banter, the unfamiliar distance brought by Roselle's two months at sea quickly melted away. Roselle and Dubois, of course, were back to their usual selves—those two old buddies whose relationship was always suspiciously too close.

As for Roselle and Edward, their friendship had begun for two reasons: first, because Edward had once risked his life to save Bernadette; and second, because Roselle empathised deeply with the pain of a father searching for his lost daughter.

After hearing from Matilda that, during his absence, it had been Klein who took care of Bernadette and kept her company, Roselle's impression of him improved considerably. Still, as a doting father, seeing his precious daughter become someone else's little shadow inevitably made him feel a twinge of displeasure.

"Klein," Roselle said, rubbing his daughter's hair. "Have you heard anything about your daughter yet…?" He paused for a couple of seconds. "I can go to the Church tomorrow and ask around about that mystical item for you."

"Thank you, Roselle."

Edward smiled faintly. "I've already found her."

"Really?!"

Roselle's joy was genuine and heartfelt. He immediately looked around and called, "Where is she? Come out and let Uncle Roselle have a look!"

Uh… hold on, Edward thought. Considering age, Lilith is technically your ancestor...

No, wait...Roselle had hung around in the Source Castle for several millennia. Technically speaking, he was much older than Lilith!

Wait a minute. Doesn't that make me the junior of all juniors?!

"She's not in Trier yet," Edward replied with a smile. "I'll introduce you two when she returns."

"I want to meet her too!" Bernadette quickly raised her hand.

"Of course!"

Roselle's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands together. "This calls for a celebration! A banquet—it must be a banquet! How about tomorrow?"

"Uh…maybe we should wait until she's back?"

"That's different! We'll have a small one first, and then a big one later!"

He stroked his curled moustache, his eyes glinting. "You have no idea, Klein. The sea might be beautiful, but life aboard that ship was absolute torture!"

"You could only bathe once a week! The space for eating, sleeping, and—well—everything else was tiny! It was…beyond words!"

"I swear, I'm going to invent a massive passenger liner someday—something that can carry hundreds, even thousands of people, all enjoying themselves for a whole month at sea!" He frowned slightly, muttering, "Ugh…but without petroleum, that's going to be tricky. Damn this world."

At that thought, his mood sank a little.

After regaining all the knowledge from his past life upon becoming a Savant, Roselle had been determined to lead this world into a technological revolution. But just as his grand ambitions were taking shape, he was struck by a devastating realisation—this world had no oil.

That's not scientific!

That had been his first reaction. But remembering the absurd supernatural powers that existed everywhere, he could only mock himself: This world was never scientific to begin with.

Sure, there was a saying in the academic world that "all of technology boils down to heating water," but the kind of fuel you used—and its efficiency—made all the difference.

As for skipping oil altogether and going straight to electricity—well, there just weren't enough power plants for that.

After that, Roselle began enthusiastically recounting his two-month adventure at sea—what islands he'd visited, what strange foods he'd eaten, the wonders he'd seen, and the dangers he'd survived.

By the time Edward escorted the father and daughter to the door, two hours had already passed.

Watching Bernadette happily holding Roselle's hand as they walked off without even looking back, Edward couldn't help but sigh with a smile: Ah, nothing beats a real dad.

Their original plan for an outing naturally fell through without Bernadette. After a brief farewell to Dubois, Edward went straight to No. 15 Emerald Street—to see Krismona.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Edward."

After greeting her politely, Edward immediately asked, "Good afternoon. Has Arrodes sent back any new information?"

"No," Krismona replied, her eyes showing clear worry. "The connection is completely lost. Even the fragments of consciousness Arrodes left within the mirror are starting to fade."

That meant Lilith had taken Arrodes' true body deep into the Mirror World. Yet she had promised to return within "a month," and now, less than a week remained. That could only mean one thing—

Things were not going smoothly.

And the worst part was, there was nothing Krismona could do except wait.

Edward stepped up to the dressing mirror and tapped lightly on its surface. "Arrodes."

After about half a minute, the mirror flickered erratically, like a short-circuit, before fragmented text appeared:

"Grea…great being…good afternoon…pitiful…fragile and…insignificant Arrodes…at your…ser...vice…"

At the end was even a dying emoji.

…You're on the verge of "death," and you still have the energy to crack jokes? Yeah right—you're totally faking it.

Although it wasn't the first time she had seen Arrodes call Edward "Great Being," Krismona still couldn't suppress her curiosity.

He was only a Sequence 3, wasn't he? So why did that cheeky, insolent mirror act so timid and reverent toward him?

After all, that infuriating mirror dared to mock her with all sorts of inappropriate and nosy questions every time she summoned it!

Edward's voice cut through her thoughts.

"When was the last time you received news from Lilith?"

"...She said...she found it...told...Krismona...not to...worry..."

"Found what?"

Edward frowned deeply—that was news he hadn't been told before.

Krismona hesitated for a second, then said softly, "Mother entered the Mirror World in search of a way to resurrect herself."

"Since she found it, why hasn't she returned? Why did she go even deeper?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

The mirror flickered again.

"Do you...wish me...to explain...Great...Being?"

"Yes."

"Finding it...was only...the beginning...Just as...when you seek...to advance...to Sequence 2...knowing the formula...is only...the start...You must still...gather the...ingredients...before...you can...ascend..."

Edward nodded slightly. That made sense.

The mirror flashed again, and fragmented words crawled across its surface:

"Great...Being...do you...wish for...a reminder?"

"What is it?"

"Someone...is coming...Be careful."

"...!!!"

Edward's heart tightened; his spirituality prickled with a sharp, needle-like pain. The next instant, a shadowy figure materialised in the room—a barefoot woman in a simple robe, her presence silent and oppressive.

She was a Servant of Concealment of the Evernight Goddess—Arianna.

Krismona's gaze instantly sharpened, but she made no move, only offering a slight nod. "Lady Arianna, to what do we owe the honour of your visit?"

Arianna inclined her head politely, then turned her gaze toward Edward.

"I am here for him."

Edward's expression remained calm. "What business do you have with me?"

"I come at the behest of my Lady. She wishes for you to visit the Cathedral of Serenity."

"..."

Edward's brows furrowed. "Why?"

"I am only following my Lady's command."

Krismona kept her eyes on Edward, ready to act with him at any moment.

After over two weeks together, she was certain—Edward was the man her mother had spoken of so often. That means we're family.

And if Arianna had come with unclear intent, then she was an outsider—no matter who she served.

Edward shook his head slightly to reassure her.

Then he said, "My lady, did the Goddess not inform you that I am currently wandering the Astral Realm, and that I intend to visit Her divine kingdom directly?"

Arianna's expression didn't change. "I am sorry. My Lady did not inform me of that."

Strange.

Edward frowned inwardly. During his two weeks wandering the Astral Realm, he hadn't exactly been discreet—but he hadn't hidden himself deliberately either.

It wasn't like he could, not in a realm ruled by gods.

There was no reason for the Evernight Goddess not to know.

It wasn't that Edward overestimated himself—he didn't believe the gods needed to pay him any special attention. But the Earth Mother had once told him that since Mr. Door had been banished, no one except deities themselves had set foot in the Astral Realm for millennia.

So, yes, he'd been a glowing anomaly up there.

"I was planning to visit the Goddess's divine kingdom tomorrow," Edward said slowly. "Tell me, Lady Arianna—do you think it's still necessary for me to go to the Cathedral of Serenity first?"

Arianna thought briefly before answering with a slight nod. "I would prefer that you do. After all, it is my Lady's will."

"Can you give us a few minutes?"

"Of course."

The moment she finished speaking, Arianna's figure vanished as if someone had wiped her from existence with a chalk eraser.

Edward turned to Krismona.

"Are you certain Lilith never had any dealings with the Goddess of the Night?"

"Unless Mama kept it from me."

"Then why would She come looking for me specifically?"

That question gnawed at Edward. His decision to explore the Astral Realm had been inspired by Lilith—if she could flaunt herself so boldly without drawing the Seven's ire, then surely he'd be fine.

He was just a small fry—how could he possibly compare to someone who was half a Primordial Demoness?

But now that the Evernight Goddess had sent someone directly to summon him, unease stirred in his heart.

Especially since even the Earth Mother had mentioned that she couldn't discern what the Evernight Goddess was thinking—or what She intended to do.

"I can't shake the feeling," Edward muttered, "that there's a big, flashing 'DANGER' sign hanging right over my head."

Krismona said seriously, "Are you worried…about the Evernight Goddess?"

"Yes."

"My suggestion, then," she said calmly, "is that if you must go to Her divine kingdom, perhaps it's wiser to visit the Cathedral of Serenity first. At the very least, that's far safer than facing the Goddess directly in the Astral Realm."

"That's true."

Edward wasn't particularly eager to go to Her divine kingdom anyway.

But now that She had already sent someone to find him, where could he hide?

He flicked a gold coin into the air.

"Going to the Cathedral of Serenity will put me in danger."

The coin spun several times before landing in his palm—with the numbered side facing up.

No danger.

Indeed, if the Evernight Goddess truly meant him harm, She'd had plenty of chances in the Astral Realm. There was no reason to wait until he'd returned to Trier to send someone after him.

He tapped the dressing mirror again.

"Arrodes, do you know why the Evernight Goddess is looking for me?"

"...Do...not...know...Great...Being..."

"Alright then. Get some rest."

A crying emoji holding a handkerchief appeared on the mirror's surface.

Still cheeky, aren't you?

Edward sighed. "I'm borrowing your washroom for a bit."

———

[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.