Chapter 182 - 182: Liars' Noses Will Grow Longer

Today, Bernadette had changed into a different outfit—something far less old-fashioned than before. She'd also shed the aged appearance she'd previously worn. At a glance, she looked like a modern career woman radiating confidence and determination. She sat down across from Edward. "You seem troubled." "Have you ever heard of Mr. Door?" Bernadette replied coolly, "Father told me about him. A powerful Beyonder, lost deep in darkness, trapped within a storm. He once shared a great deal of profound knowledge about the mystical world with Father, hoping to gain his help in returning to the real world." "Did Emperor Roselle end up helping him?" "No. Father said that recklessly releasing such a mysterious and unknown being would be far too risky." At this, she glanced at Edward and asked, "Why bring up Mr. Door? Where did you hear about him?" Edward handed her the slip of paper. She took one look and raised an eyebrow. "This is a mission? Who gave it to you?" He hesitated for a moment. "A certain nameless organisation…perhaps something your father once told you about." A flicker of understanding passed through her eyes. She nodded but didn't press further. "You came to find me—does that mean Botis has been dealt with?" Bernadette took out a Beyonder characteristic, shimmering like a gem from a dream. "This is the characteristic of a Secrets Sorcerer. You can have a craftsman forge it into a mystical item, or use it to concoct a potion." "Thanks." Great—I'll look for a chance to have the Goddess shatter it for me. That way, I'll essentially have all the main ingredients I need for advancing to Sequence 5 and Sequence 4. (Note: When the Goddess shattered the Psychiatrist's characteristic before, it caused a bug. It shouldn't have only resulted in one new characteristic for Psychiatrist—it should've produced one each for Sequence 9 through 7.) "Oh, right. Can I have Botis' corpse, or at least something that can prove he's dead? I need it for something useful." With that, I should be able to exchange it for something from that Lawrence guy. "Sure." She took out another sheet of paper. "These are the potion formulas for Sequence 6 through Sequence 4 of the Apprentice pathway." Then she produced a multicoloured gemstone. "And here's the Polymath's characteristic, just like you asked." What a generous little money fairy! Edward awkwardly rubbed his hands together. "Ahem…thanks a ton." Bernadette's lips quirked. "These aren't free, of course." Her tone was calm. "You're the one who caught Botis, so strictly speaking, his characteristic and formula should have belonged to you anyway. But you should understand—without my help, at best you would've ended up with a polluted characteristic. As compensation, the Box of the Great Old Ones will remain with me for now. Any objections?" "…" You're laying it out like that—how could I possibly object? "As for the Polymath's characteristic, you'll need to pay me with three stories in exchange. You'll tell me the first one in a moment. The second one…I want to hear in Intis." Edward blinked. "Huh? Uh…sure." "As for the third, I haven't decided yet." She then took out three pages from Roselle's diary and slid them across the table to him. "Help me translate them." Edward picked up the diary pages: —May 13— Once again, I found a page from that suspected transmigrator predecessor's diary. His entries are still dreadfully boring—all about what he ate today and how bad the food was yesterday. Back in my previous life, this guy would've been the king of filler! I'm desperate to collect more of his diary pages. I refuse to believe every one of them is just nonsense. I want to know what's become of him. Is he still alive? Why hasn't he left a single trace of his presence in this world after transmigrating? Could it be that, in this world of mysticism, there are people who specialise in erasing any trace of those who don't belong here? If so, am I being watched too? Will I also be erased? Will my inventions, everything I've left behind, all disappear one day without a trace? —May 18— Tomorrow is Bernadette's birthday. I saw the anticipation on her face early this morning, but I pretended to forget. Sure enough, the little one took it seriously—she pouted so hard you could hang a coat off her lip. In the afternoon, she kept circling around me. Honestly, I really did have things to do then—not ignoring her on purpose. Luckily, I'd already arranged a surprise party for her. When the time comes, she'll understand—how could her dad possibly forget his little angel's birthday? Hehe…Just wait for your surprise! —May 19— My little angel's birthday. Damn it! When I found Bernadette around noon, she told me she had already celebrated her birthday with friends and didn't want another party! She was clearly getting back at me—getting revenge on this poor old father of hers. Who am I? The most powerful consul of Intis! Whether she wants it or not, she will have her birthday. And sure enough, she was only pretending to be aloof—she was genuinely happy with the surprise I prepared. She blew out the candles and made two wishes. Then she pushed the cake toward me and said the third, most powerful wish would be for me. Hehe, I guess all that pampering wasn't in vain. What was my wish? When I first came to this world, my only wish was to live out a grand "overpowered isekai protagonist" life. But as the years passed, I began to miss home. And now…now I just want to be by my little angel's side, watching her grow up healthy and happy. ——— The three diary pages ended there. Edward couldn't help but sigh—Roselle really was a total daughter-con. Just look at how indifferent he was toward his two sons. He thought for a moment, removed the parts involving transmigration, then translated the rest truthfully for Bernadette. She rested her chin on her hand, reading patiently. Her deep blue eyes shimmered faintly, as if she were recalling fond memories from that distant past. But once Edward finished translating, Bernadette said coldly, "He broke his promise." "Um…you mean his third wish didn't come true?" She shook her head. "He said that to me. It wasn't a wish—it was a promise." Edward gave a helpless smile. She stared at him intently. "But I know…the reason he broke his promise, the reason he became the way he did—he must have had his reasons, right?" "Uh…maybe. It's possible he mentioned it in some of the later diary pages you gave me." But Bernadette continued to stare at him. "You really don't know?" "I…how would I know?" Just then, Lilith stretched up to the edge of the table, blinking curiously as she studied the diary. From time to time, she frowned or seemed lost in thought. After a while, she used a small paw to flip the first page aside and began reading the second one. Bernadette's expression suddenly turned peculiar. "Your cat…can read Loenese?" Edward quickly pulled Lilith back. "She's just a cat! How could she possibly read—Loenese?" "Oh? Didn't she take a potion and become a Beyonder creature?" She turned to look at Lilith. "Your name's Lilith, right?" Lilith blinked under Bernadette's gaze, then glanced back at Edward. "You can talk, can't you?" Lilith once again looked at Edward. Edward sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What are you looking at me for…? If you want to speak, then just speak." "Oh." You're the one who told me not to talk in public—stupid Edward! "Miss Lilith can talk." Bernadette's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you recognise the words on this diary?" Lilith nodded and gestured with her paw. "A little." She twisted her body and hopped back onto the table edge, pointing at the entry while mumbling, "May thirteenth, I, I, of, the, day…" ??? What on earth was that? Edward quickly added, "I only just started teaching her…She hasn't been learning Loenese for long, but for a cat, she's doing pretty well." Lilith immediately pouted. "Miss Lilith is the smartest! Just yesterday I even learned…classical Chinese!" Bernadette froze. "What?" Lilith proudly began to recite, "Gǒu fù guì wù xiāng wàng…fù mǔ zài bù yuǎn yóu, yóu bì yǒu fāng." Edward nearly choked. Yesterday, she only knew two words—now she could recite it fluently? What kind of groundbreaking talent was that? Did she secretly go ask Audrey for help? Bernadette rested her chin on her hand, curiosity piqued. "And what do those two lines mean?" Lilith instantly grew serious. "Gǒu fù guì wù xiāng wàng means, if you get rich, don't forget each other like dogs! You should be like Lilith, a good cat who never forgets her friends!" "….." "And fù mǔ zài bù yuǎn yóu, yóu bì yǒu fāng means: 'Your parents are in my hands, so you can't run. Even if you do, I'll find a way to catch you!'" "???" Bernadette turned to Edward in confusion. She didn't understand Chinese, but something about this interpretation felt…off. "Edward, is she right?" Lilith tilted her head and looked up at Edward, clearly expecting praise. "Um…" Edward hesitated for a few seconds. "Yes!" She immediately beamed with joy. "But both lines actually have a second meaning. I'll explain the other one to you later." "Okayyy~~" Bernadette watched him thoughtfully, chin still resting in her palm. "Have you always been this good at coaxing kids?" "Uh." At that moment, the waiter arrived with their steak and fruit. "Enjoy your meal." Edward seized the opportunity. "Come on, let's eat." Bernadette nodded, picked up her knife and fork, and said casually, "I want to hear Pinocchio." "Sure." "Once upon a time, there was a lonely old woodcarver. One day, he found a piece of wood that could talk and laugh. Inspired, he carved it into a puppet and named it Pinocchio, treating it like his own son." "The old woodcarver dressed Pinocchio in fine clothes, bought him a schoolbag and books, and sent him off to school. But on the way, Pinocchio saw a circus. He sold his books and bought a ticket to see the show. When the ringmaster asked why he wasn't in school, Pinocchio blurted out his first lie—and to his surprise, his nose grew longer…" "Later, he lied again—and again his nose grew longer…" "After going through all of that, Pinocchio finally learned to stop lying. One morning, he woke up and discovered he had become a real boy." Edward stopped there. "That's the end of the story." Lilith, who had been in a fierce battle with her steak, looked up. "Do liars really have their noses grow longer?" Bernadette pressed her lips together and said calmly, "Yes." "Ah…" Lilith immediately reached up to touch her nose guiltily. Bernadette set down her knife and fork and stood up. She glanced sideways at Edward. "Remember—those who lie will have their noses grow longer." "…" She left the café and disappeared just as silently as she had arrived. Lilith suddenly stared wide-eyed at Edward and exclaimed, "Wow! Edward! Your nose just grew longer!" What the—!? Edward frantically reached up to touch his nose. Did Bernadette actually turn Pinocchio into a real mystical re-ennactment!? Lilith tilted her head. "Huh? Looks like it went back to normal." "…" Edward was at a complete loss for words. For a moment, he wasn't sure whether his nose had really grown or if the dumb cat was just messing with him. ——— [Note]: Enjoy the Extra Chapter~ 400 Powerstones for another one tomorrow. And if you are like me and want to read 40 Chapters in advance of the current story right now, you can support me on my Patreon. Thank me later~ Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]