Pallez froze for a moment. After carefully observing Edward, he couldn't help but exclaim, "What kind of curse is this? Even your soul seems to have changed…Wait—don't tell me you went to help Miss Headless deal with that divine abomination?"
He grew increasingly suspicious.
Is this Edward really the chairman himself?
Then, as if deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, Pallez muttered to himself, Whatever. Whether he is or isn't, it's got nothing to do with me. I'll just shut my eyes and pretend I don't know a thing.
"No," Edward replied calmly. "This was caused by something else."
"Besides shrinking in body and age, have you noticed any other effects?"
Edward nodded. "The biggest change might be my personality…To put it simply, I don't just look like a kid right now—sometimes my behaviour and thoughts also lean that way."
"Ah. That's the first I've ever heard of such a condition."
Pallez studied him again, then shook his head. "Sorry. If I were still at my peak, perhaps I could give it a try. But now, the only thing I can do is steal your vitality."
"Tsk. Your enemies really do know you best—Amon said the exact same thing."
"…"
Pallez went quiet for a moment before saying solemnly, "Given your current mental state, let me offer a word of advice: whatever happens, don't trust Amon."
Edward rolled his eyes. "I just became more childlike, not brain-dead."
"Hmm. In my experience," Pallez said with an amused hum, "children…usually are brain-dead."
Edward glared. "Are you insulting me in a roundabout way?"
Pallez couldn't suppress a small laugh. "See? That reaction—you're proving my point."
"Ugh, then what am I supposed to do?"
Edward slumped deeper into the sofa, twisting about restlessly. Maybe his intellect had dropped a little along with his age—because earlier, when he'd tried to use 'Madman to the Right', he couldn't even lock onto a proper divination target. Without a lock, he couldn't force a reversal. That had always been his last resort.
Worse yet, divining for a "method to return to normal" had led him nowhere useful—only back to the same old result: killing himself, reviving through someone else's memory, and possibly inheriting who-knows-what new side effects in the process.
A sudden chill crept over him.
Good thing I didn't pick Dubois for that last time…otherwise I'd definitely be gay by now!
…Well, thinking about it that way, this "childishness" didn't seem so bad anymore.
Pallez promptly shut his eyes. See no evil, hear no evil, think no evil.
But something felt off.
Edward frowned slightly. Hold on. Last time, my divination target was 'restoring humanity,' but this time it was 'returning to normal.' And yet…after going through the same self-termination-and-revival process, I still wasn't normal.
A bright, smiling face suddenly surfaced in his mind—Audrey.
If I were to revive using Audrey's memories, that might just make me the closest version to "normal" there is…right?
But—
They were separated by time itself, two ends of a vast 190-year chasm. They couldn't reach one another at all.
Then how could I possibly use her memories to revive?
Am I supposed to stay like this…all the way until the future?
———
Year 1350, Future
Inside the luxurious villa of the Hall family.
Alfred strode quickly from the garden into the manor and burst into his elder brother Hibbert's study, face full of disbelief. "Hibbert! You'll never believe what I just saw!"
Hibbert paused mid-sentence, pen frozen in hand. "What is it?"
"I just saw Audrey's golden retriever wink at me."
"…???"
Hibbert blinked. "You must've been seeing things."
"I wasn't!" Alfred protested. "I was heading over to talk to Audrey, but that dog suddenly ran out, gave me a wink—and I instantly understood what it meant! It was saying Audrey's busy right now, and I should come back later!"
"I see."
Hibbert set his pen down and said gravely, "You're not mistaken, then—you're just still drunk from yesterday."
"…"
"Think about it," Hibbert continued. "Even if a dog were smart enough to wink at you, how on earth could you possibly comprehend such a complex meaning from it?"
He picked up a letter from his desk and tossed it precisely into his younger brother's hands. "You've been attending far too many parties lately, Alfred. You're getting lax. That's an application form for joining the Backlund Army—go submit it."
"...Huh?"
Alfred was stunned. "Join the Backlund Army? But I'm supposed to return to the Southern Continent."
Of course, he knew he had been slacking off lately—but that was just his way of indulging himself before heading home.
"For now, don't go back."
"Why not?"
"The war between Feysac and Loen should break out soon. Staying here offers far greater opportunities than in the South."
He lowered his head and looked at the application form, his brows furrowing tightly. "War?"
——
On the other side, in Audrey's room.
Audrey sat obediently at her desk, smiling softly as she gazed at the woman sprawled comfortably across her sofa.
That woman wore a long, dark violet gown, her slightly wavy brown hair cascading loosely over her shoulders. Every inch of her exuded an air of languid indifference and elegant laziness.
It was the Lady Sloth of the Psychology Alchemists.
Lounging on the sofa, she yawned lightly. "How has Backlund been while I was away?"
Audrey blinked in surprise. "...You haven't been in Backlund recently?"
"Hm? I didn't tell you that?"
Lady Sloth arched an eyebrow. "Ah, I must have forgotten. Oh well, no matter."
Ah, so that's why I hadn't seen her these past few weeks…I thought our new leader was simply too lazy to care about anything—but apparently, the truth is even simpler: she wasn't even here.
Propping her delicate arm against the sofa, Lady Sloth sat up. "The reason I came to you today is to bring along two new colleagues who'll assist you. Although you joined the Psychology Alchemists not long ago, you're already considered a senior member—so they'll be working under your guidance."
Audrey nodded lightly. "Understood. May I ask what tasks we'll be handling?"
"I'm not quite sure yet. We'll see when the time comes."
"..."
Audrey took a quiet breath. "Then, where are these two new members?"
"Ah…" Lady Sloth tapped her temple as if she'd just remembered something. "I knew I was forgetting something. I left in such a hurry earlier that I forgot to bring them along. No—on second thought, I prefer it this way. First meetings should happen in a more formal setting."
She extended her hand toward Audrey. "Come. I'll take you there."
The instant Audrey's fingers brushed against hers, their bodies became ethereal and translucent. Her vision blurred; her senses twisted. When things came back into focus, she found herself standing at the local branch headquarters of the Psychology Alchemists.
"That was Dream Traversal," Lady Sloth explained lazily. "It allows you to leap through nearby dreams as a medium. Once you advance to Sequence 5, you'll be able to do it too."
Audrey's eyes shone with admiration. She had only just advanced to Hypnotist two weeks ago—it would take quite some time before she could digest that potion fully.
"Oh, they're here."
Knock, knock, knock.
The door opened, revealing two completely ordinary-looking individuals—a man and a woman—whose faces were so unremarkable that one might lose sight of them in a crowd. Wearing polite but distinctly artificial smiles, they greeted the two women.
"Hello, Lady Sloth. Hello, Miss Audrey."
"Uh—hello, you two…" Audrey smiled back, puzzled.
The man placed a hand over his chest and bowed slightly. "I'm the newly joined member—Edessak Augustus."
The woman waved lightly. "And I'm Helena Augustus."
"???"
Audrey's emerald-green eyes widened in shock, her pupils contracting sharply. "You two…"
The pair exchanged a knowing glance, and identical smiles spread across their faces.
"We're back."
———
Fog Sea—Rashya Island.
When the Future reached the nearest safe sea route to Rashya, Cattleya took Klein ashore using Fairy Tale Magic, transporting them directly to the hidden island.
Side by side, they approached a mountain peak. Cattleya stepped forward and chanted in Jotun toward what appeared to be a blank cliff face:
"Open sesame!"
At once, the rocky wall rippled and parted, revealing a passage—half real, half illusory—that seemed to lead into another realm.
"Come on. Her Majesty's Palace lies within."
Her voice brimmed with excitement as she strode ahead.
Even though Klein knew this was Bernadette's territory, he still habitually performed a quick divination—only proceeding after confirming there was no danger.
After a short walk, the world before them suddenly opened up.
They were greeted by the sight of a sapphire-clear sea and, upon its edge, a magnificent castle crafted entirely from emeralds.
This was The Emerald City—the residence of "Queen Mystic" Bernadette.
"...I thought 'Emerald City' was just a name," Klein murmured in awe. "I didn't expect it to be literally built from emeralds."
Cattleya smiled faintly and turned to him. "Actually, Her Majesty didn't name this place Emerald City because of this castle. The castle wasn't here at first."
"Oh?"
"I'm not entirely sure of the details, but I suspect it's meant to commemorate something."
"I see."
Cattleya clearly knew the place well. She guided Klein through the gatekeeper golems' questions and several trials, leading him through corridors, bridges, and halls made entirely of emerald until they reached a half-open chamber deep within the castle.
From afar, they could already see a tall woman dressed in a uniquely styled gown standing by the railing, gazing out at the waves rolling in from the sea.
In that instant, the excitement, joy, and anticipation Cattleya had been suppressing suddenly melted away—replaced by a deep, soothing warmth, like a long-lost child finally returning to a home that was safe and familiar.
"You've arrived…"
Bernadette turned her head, her face half-shrouded in shadow beneath the sunlight—her expression unreadable.
Cattleya's composure instantly faltered. She opened her mouth but hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, almost nervously, "Good afternoon, Your Majesty. I've brought Mr. Gehrman Sparrow with me."
Klein felt a pang of helplessness. Great. Now you're making me nervous too.
"Mm." Bernadette stepped forward, her expression softening slightly as her gaze fell upon Klein.
"We meet again, Mr. World."
Again?
Wait—we've met before? Oh no…Don't tell me she's talking about that time I snuck into the Roselle Memorial Exhibition and stole the Black Emperor card?!
Well…this is awkward.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.