Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Having previously communicated in the dream realm, Ebner was already waiting in the basement. When Admiral of Icebergs Edwina appeared on the Teleportation Altar, he greeted her with a smile and exchanged brief pleasantries.

Outside of academic discussions, Edwina wasn't particularly skilled at conversation. She merely nodded before reflecting on her recent experience, murmuring with lingering contemplation:

"So this is what traversing the Spirit World feels like…

"The overlapping blocks of color are like abstract oil paintings, where human concepts such as up, down, left, and right lose all meaning. Trying to navigate using those ideas would inevitably lead to getting lost… I had previously questioned the necessity of a Teleportation Altar… but now it's clear. Without it, I would have been lost in the Spirit World, unable to find an exit at all.

"How does true Spirit World traversal achieve precise navigation?"

Unfortunately, Ebner couldn't answer this question. His Pure White Eye seemed highly inefficient at parsing anything related to the Spirit World. Otherwise, he would have already attempted to learn Travel himself instead of collaborating with Edwina to develop their current, expensive, and complex secret technique.

But Edwina hadn't really expected an answer from him. Through their time together in the dream realm, they had gained an understanding of each other's strengths. After thinking for a moment, Edwina temporarily set the question aside and began inspecting the newly constructed workshop.

It's worth mentioning that earlier that morning, Helene had purchased a steam engine through MI9's internal channels and offered a prayer to The Fool for sacrifice. However, The Fool had only responded around noon, meaning Ebner's power core had only recently been installed.

After a tour of the workshop, Edwina's clear eyes, usually calm like spring water, revealed a rare trace of envy. She said with slight regret:

"This workshop is excellently designed… Unfortunately, there's no way to set up such a system aboard the Golden Dream. Ever since I learned the Artisan ability, I've never truly had the chance to practice it."

"You can always come here to practice. My workshop is open to you anytime," Ebner said generously.

"I'll pay rent," Edwina replied without pretense. However, as the topic turned to money, she suddenly remembered the primary purpose of her visit. She took a deposit slip from her pocket and handed it to Ebner. "To avoid drawing attention to the bounty's transfer, the money was cycled several times before being deposited in the Lenburg Bank. There are 8,600 Sassons in this account."

The Sasson gold from Lenburg isn't as valuable as Loen gold pounds. One gold pound is worth nearly two Sassons… So that's about 4,300 pounds? Not bad.

After a quick mental calculation, Ebner accepted the deposit slip and tucked it away.

Edwina's gaze then shifted to the steam engine Helene had purchased. After observing it carefully, she said with certainty:

"You've modified it. Are you planning to use Beyonder abilities instead of fuel?"

"I've kept the fuel option… but there's a Pyromaniac in my estate who plans to use this as part of her acting method," Ebner explained with a smile.

Edwina nodded thoughtfully and said seriously, "If I need to use this workshop in the future, I'll bring Danitz along."

...

Backlund, Garden Villa at 28 Kingst Street, Cherwood Borough

Freyja and her mother, laundress Liv, stood anxiously outside the grand and luxurious villa. They mustered the courage to press the doorbell several times but ultimately hesitated each time.

Their humble clothing felt utterly out of place in such a setting.

Finally, it was Mr. Scudder, who was about to leave the house, who noticed them. He approached them courteously and inquired about their purpose, allowing Liv to overcome her reservations and pour out their story in one breath.

When Mr. Scudder heard that her daughter had been abducted, his expression turned grave. Having experienced something similar before, he deeply understood the desperation of seeking help in such situations. He warmly invited the mother and daughter inside the villa and listened carefully to their account.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Scudder said regretfully:

"Detective Bryan is not in Backlund at the moment and cannot take your case…"

Just as Liv and Freyja were about to fall into despair, Mr. Scudder added:

"But I can contact Miss Xio Derecha on your behalf. I believe she would be willing to help."

Then, as a devout follower of the Earth Mother Goddess, Mr. Scudder subtly suggested:

"Additionally, if you are followers of the Earth Mother Goddess, I can also inform Bishop Utravsky about this matter…"

Freyja, an 18-year-old girl, brightened at the mention of Arbiter Xio's possible assistance. However, she didn't fully understand the implication of Mr. Scudder's words and blurted out, "I'm a follower of the Goddess…"

Before she could finish, her mother firmly grabbed her arm, took a deep breath, and said sincerely, "I am willing to listen to the teachings of the Earth Mother Goddess. Please introduce us to the Bishop."

Hearing this, Freyja realized the subtle meaning behind the conversation. She was about to say something when she saw Mr. Scudder smile warmly and say:

"In any case, please wait here for a while. I'll first contact Miss Xio and then report this matter to the Bishop."

...

Bayam, Basement of Fragrant Manor

After discussing mysticism knowledge with Ebner for a while longer, Edwina once again used Teleportation to return to the Golden Dream.

Before leaving, she informed Ebner, "The Golden Dream will set sail tomorrow and is expected to reach the waters near Gulain City in East Balam by the weekend."

During this time, she suggested performing a Teleportation ritual once daily to test the Edwards-Brain Teleportation Method.

As the door formed by sparks above the altar vanished, Ebner took a short break before retrieving a Corpse Collector characteristic he had previously obtained from the Eternal Life Society, along with a Werewolf characteristic sent earlier by Jane through a Messenger.

He was ready to start crafting extraordinary items in the workshop.

Of course, to ensure the power core operated normally, Helene had been called in as well. She officially began her water-boiling duties.

...

South Bridge District, Rose Street

Mr. Scudder arrived at Harvest Church by carriage. After paying the fare, he paused before the church's exterior and prayed devoutly to the Earth Mother Goddess.

He had only left a brief message for Xio before heading straight here, so he was still early.

Inside the church, Bishop Utravsky was giving a sermon. His towering 2.2-meter frame and the loose priestly robe failed to conceal his imposing physique, yet his expression was warm and serene, radiating gratitude and reverence for life.

In front of such a Father, no one dared to make a sound. The small congregation sat quietly, occasionally following the elegant gestures of a beautiful priestess leading them in the Earth Mother Goddess's unique prayer rituals.

As a devout follower of the Earth Mother Goddess, Mr. Scudder found a seat near the aisle and joined in the sermon.

Beside him, a young gentleman with a thick beard glanced at Mr. Scudder, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he recognized him from somewhere.

(End of Chapter)