Braveheart Bar.
A quiet night, noisy drinkers, sometimes mixed with a few clearly drunken flirtatious remarks.
Hastur sat at the bar counter and ordered a cocktail mixed with blue and red.
Regarding the matter of Ince Zangwill, he decided to personally tell Leonard about what he had experienced during this period. He believed that someone who had once been arranged by 008 would understand whose handiwork this kind of inexplicable coincidence came from.
After waiting for about half an hour, Leonard finally walked in through the bar's main door.
As soon as he entered, he called the bartender over to serve him a drink and also asked that Hastur's drinks be put on his tab, saying it was to make up for a round he had owed before.
In response, Hastur ordered another drink worth 1 pound 4 Soli. Leonard's mouth twitched slightly as he said, "Even though I have a bit of spare money now and can afford a round of drinks, you still need to take it easy."
After saying that, he also ordered a drink just as expensive as Hastur's. After all, he couldn't treat someone else to good wine while drinking cheap Southville beer himself.
After a few drinks, Hastur began to casually bring up what had happened to him recently, and finally said, "This is really damn weird. I always feel that what's been happening lately is way too coincidental. I don't know what kind of bad luck I've run into."
Leonard was stirred by this and said, "Constant consecutive coincidences? I've had an experience like that before. It's not a good feeling at all."
"You've had the same experience too?"
"Yeah, before I came to Backlund."
Leonard began recounting what he had encountered in Tingen, but skipped over the matters involving Ince Zangwill and 008.
"Then do you think this kind of coincidence is fate?"
Hearing this, Leonard shook his head. "Maybe there are some forces we don't understand, hiding in the dark and secretly influencing our daily lives."
Hastur thought for a moment and said, "You just mentioned Tingen. I have a bit of an impression, wasn't there a renegade archbishop who ran over there and caused a huge mess?"
"You know about that?"
"I once heard a friend mention it. That archbishop seemed to be called Ince Zangwill. I have a friend who once saw him in Backlund."
"Really?" Leonard's emotions surged at once. His eyes fixed straight on Hastur, hoping he would say more about Ince Zangwill.
Last time, Klein had also mentioned to him that Ince Zangwill was hiding in Backlund, but they had never been able to find his hiding place.
"That friend of mine has a high status. When he came to see me some time ago, he suddenly knocked over a countess. It was very unexpected, very sudden."
Hastur used the never-met Prince Edessak as a shield. Since he kept coming to bother him, this was the price he had to pay.
"Is it convenient to reveal that friend's identity?"
Hastur glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, "Prince Edessak, a real member of the royal family."
"That's indeed a very high status."
Leonard couldn't help but sigh. The Hastur in front of him really lived up to being born into nobility, he even had a prince as a friend.
"He's recently fallen for a young girl. Mm, just an ordinary girl without noble status. He's even insisted on marrying her. You should know that not long ago, he was still in love with the daughter of Count Hall, but in the blink of an eye he became crazily infatuated with another girl. I really don't know what kind of magic that girl has on her."
"Maybe she really does have some kind of magic," Leonard said thoughtfully.
If that girl were a witch, it would be easy to explain Prince Edessak's sudden change of heart.
"Oh, I forgot. You've also encountered such a girl before. You only met Miss Seraphina a few times too."
"…" Leonard awkwardly shifted his gaze away, his eyes drifting. He really didn't want to bring up this topic.
That Miss Seraphina wasn't some ordinary witch either, but a Sequence 3 witch. That night, she had almost devoured him completely.
"Leonard, do you still believe in love now?"
"…Of course I do." Leonard answered very reluctantly. In his heart, he was grumbling, 'What bullshit love. Whoever's willing to believe in it is an idiot!'
Hastur said happily, "Looks like you've completely walked out of the painful shadow of breaking up with Miss Seraphina."
"Hastur, although I don't care that much anymore, let's still talk less about her. Let everything in the past drift away with the wind."
Leonard really didn't want to talk about this topic. If he somehow summoned that witch again, he might not have the same luck as last time.
"But Miss Seraphina is already here."
"?!!" Leonard was so scared that he hurriedly turned around to look toward the bar entrance. Sure enough, he saw a familiar figure, walking toward him amid the appreciative gazes of many drinkers.
Damn it! Why did she suddenly come here! Could it be that she came here on purpose to wait for me?
Leonard's whole body tensed up. Cold sweat began to break out on his back. In his heart, he kept shouting for the old man to save him, but the old man never gave him any response.
As Seraphina drew closer, the smile on Leonard's face became more and more forced. He really wanted to take this chance to slip away, but he was also worried that leaving Hastur alone here might be dangerous.
"Miss Seraphina, long time no see. You're as beautiful and charming as ever." Hastur greeted her warmly. Leonard looked stiffly at Hastur, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"Someone doesn't seem to welcome me very much." Seraphina walked over and sat down beside Leonard. She ordered a Bloody Mary, lightly ran her finger along the rim of the glass, and from time to time let her gaze fall on Leonard's tense, helpless face.
After a while, she said, "Ever since we parted last time, I've really wanted to see you again. I didn't expect to run into you here tonight. Looks like the bond between us isn't shallow."
She hadn't come here specifically for Leonard tonight, but to negotiate something with Hastur about Panatiya, and incidentally give him the compensation he wanted.
Leonard forced a very stiff smile, trying hard to suppress the fear and nervousness in his heart. At last, he managed to say the words "long time no see."
Sitting on Leonard's other side, Hastur watched Leonard's conversation with Seraphina with a smile.
Seraphina's appearance here tonight was definitely another case of Will secretly letting things slide. He was probably also planning to quietly eat some melon and see what kind of sparks would fly again between Leonard and Seraphina.
"You're really heartless. Last time you left in such a hurry, and then there was no news at all. Could it be that you men are all creatures who become heartless once you get out of bed?"
Seraphina's tone was full of grievance, as if she were the one who had been abandoned in this relationship.
"I had something important to deal with back then, so I could only leave first."
At this point, Leonard could only grit his teeth and go along with her words.
He tried to buy as much time as possible. Maybe he would still have a chance to escape.
Seraphina seemed to see through all of Leonard's thoughts. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she said, "You're not thinking about how to run away again, are you?"
"How could I be? I came to this bar tonight just to reminisce about the wonderful time when we first met,"
"Really?"
"Of course. Seraphina, how could I lie to you?" Leonard was already getting into character. He wanted to lure her away from the bar so as not to implicate innocent people.
"You lie as easily as breathing. That's really how you men are," Seraphina said mockingly, seemingly not moved at all by Leonard's words.
"Don't women also lie all the time?" Leonard really wanted to retort like that, but he didn't dare provoke her at this moment.
He turned to look at Hastur and said as calmly as possible, "Hastur, didn't you just say you still have things to handle at home? Let's leave this place to me and Seraphina to reunite."
As he spoke, he kept winking at Hastur, hoping Hastur would understand and promptly follow his words and leave.
"Leonard, why are your eyes twitching all the time?"
"..." Leonard opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.
I'm kindly advising you to leave and even desperately giving you hints with my eyes, and you're asking me if there's something wrong with my eyes?
Whose eyes are the ones that have a problem right now?
Hastur, you're usually such a smart person. Can't you tell that there's some kind of issue between me and Miss Seraphina?
"Leonard, what's wrong with you?"
"Hehe, I'm fine!"
Leonard said this very forcefully. Without waiting for Hastur to answer, he raised his voice and said, "Hastur, my friend, can't you see that right now I only want to be alone with this beautiful Miss Seraphina?"
Seeing that Hastur still couldn't understand his meaning, Leonard could only resort to this move. He would apologize to Hastur afterward.
As for whether there would even be an afterward, he didn't dare to guarantee it.
Hastur was also slightly stunned. He hadn't expected Leonard to come up with such a solution.
About one-third of the drinkers in the bar had already turned their eyes toward this spot.
Seeing that Hastur still had no intention of getting up and leaving, Leonard was just about to say a few more words when Seraphina beside him spoke first.
"Leonard, it's already over between us. The person I like now is your good friend, Mr. Hastur."
These words were like a heavy bomb, drawing the gazes of the remaining two-thirds of the drinkers in the bar over as well.