Chapter 23 - 23: The Fool Prefers Men

Five minutes later, Emlyn woke up on the sofa. "You're awake, Mr. Vampire Emlyn." "It's Noble SANGUINE!" Emlyn reflexively corrected him, but then the memories of what had just happened resurfaced. Uneasy, he looked at Edward, who was seated across from him. "How…do you know my name?" So it really was Emlyn. Edward waved his hand with a smile. "Oh, I've long heard of you, that's all. Alright then, this…Mr. Noble Sanguine, I've already taught you a lesson for trespassing into my home. You're free to leave anytime." "Really? Goodbye!" Without a moment's hesitation, Emlyn stood up and made his way toward the door. Just as he reached it, Edward's voice sounded again. "Aren't you forgetting something? Do you not want your key back?" Without turning around, Emlyn replied, "That's your key now." "…" Edward thought for a moment and said, "If you want your key back, you can trade it for the Apothecary formula. Or, if you prefer, you can use the formula to hire me for a task." He needed the Apothecary formula as a favour for Viscount Glaint—after all, it was the Viscount who had helped him secure the villa he was currently living in. This would be a way to repay that debt. Emlyn pushed the door open and left without looking back. A few seconds later, realization dawned on Edward. He smacked his forehead. "Damn, I forgot to ask him where he found the Master Key! If I remember correctly, that location also has the formulas for Sequence 8 and Sequence 7 of the Apprentice pathway…" A troubling thought surfaced. "Wait—without the Master Key, Emlyn won't accidentally stumble into Harvest Church anymore, right? If that happens, he might never meet Klein…and if that changes, then what about the events that follow?" He sighed. "Well, whatever. I've already flapped my little butterfly wings, and the ripple effects will only grow bigger." "Regardless, Klein did save my life this time. I have to find a way to do something…to prevent him and the Captain from dying, right?" Setting his thoughts aside, Edward straightened up and smiled. "First things first—I need to tell Audrey about the success of spirituality-based magic." ——— [Empress Borough – The Hall Family's Luxurious Estate] Audrey sat on a plush sofa, leisurely sipping her tea. A glimmer of delight sparkled in her eyes. Lying in the corner, Susie curiously observed her. "Audrey, you seem really happy." Setting her teacup down, Audrey picked up her dragonbone wand and smiled. "That's right, because I've discovered something very interesting." CRACK The air twisted and warped, and Edward suddenly appeared in the room. Audrey's eyes lit up with anticipation. "How did it go?" "Success." Edward's lips curled upward. "Magic cast using spirituality works on Beyonders as well. I just tested it on a poor fellow who wandered into my house. In a way, every spell is equivalent to a Beyonder ability." "How did you do it? I just tried earlier, but it didn't work." Edward got straight to the point. "Cast the spells using Hermes." "Stupefy." Audrey spoke in Hermes and waved her dragonbone wand. She waited. Nothing happened. Her brows furrowed slightly. "It's not working. I can't cast magic with Hermes at all." "That's impossible…" She tried a few other spells in Hermes, only to be met with the same result. Disappointment flickered in her emerald eyes. "Still nothing." Edward scratched his head in confusion. "This doesn't make sense…" "There are only two possibilities," Audrey quickly adjusted her mindset. "Either I'm doing something wrong, or…you're special, and only you can cast magic using spirituality." "I'm special? How?" She narrowed her eyes and grinned. "You can traverse between worlds—is that not special enough?" Edward was momentarily speechless. Could it really be another perk of transmigrating? "Alright, enough about that. I have good news for you too." Audrey handed her dragonbone wand to Edward, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "After returning from…there, I discovered that my wand absorbed a trace of the grey fog residue left on my spirit. And then…it became a Beyonder item." "What?" Edward took the dragonbone wand, his expression filled with astonishment. "It developed three abilities. The first is a passive effect called [Dragon Might]—it enhances my spiritual power, amplifies my Spectator pathway abilities, and even lets me exert spiritual pressure on others." "The second is [Dragon Scales], which covers my skin with a layer of tough dragon scales. It not only improves my defence but also boosts my physical capabilities." "The third is [Dragon Breath]—I can breathe scorching flames to attack." Edward was speechless for a moment. "This practically turns you into a little dragon!" If he remembered correctly, the Spectator pathway did have all those abilities she mentioned, but those could never be obtained at her sequence. "Does it have any negative effects?" "Yes." Audrey nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "But it's a small one—I just have to…sleep in a pile of gold and jewels after using it." "…" Edward was stunned. For most people, this kind of negative effect would be unbearable. But for Audrey Hall? It was basically nothing at all! A Beyonder item with minimal drawbacks and incredibly practical abilities—even in the original novel, items like these were exceedingly rare! Excitement surged in Edward's chest. He quickly pulled out his own wand— It was still an ordinary wand. Why? Both were wands. Both of them attended the Tarot Club. So why did only Audrey's wand undergo a transformation? Could it be…because of the material? That had to be it! The next time he returned to the Harry Potter world, he needed to find some special materials to test this theory. "So, in conclusion, you've mastered spirituality-based magic, and I've unlocked the extraordinary properties of my dragonbone wand. We both gained something valuable—" Audrey raised her teacup with a bright smile. "—so I'd say that's worth celebrating!" Audrey picked up the two cups of black tea on the table and handed one to Edward. "Cheers." The two glass cups clinked together with a crisp sound. Audrey downed her tea in one go, then let out a satisfied sigh—almost as if she had just finished a large glass of alcohol. Ignoring the amused smile on Edward's face, she continued, "That said, I spend most of my time at home, where it's safe. So if you ever need it, you can always use my wand." Edward's smile faded slightly. "…Thank you." "Hehe, it's nothing! Not only have we travelled between different worlds together, but we've also joined a great and mysterious organization. Aside from my parents and my brother, you're now my most trusted friend~ In the future, who knows? We might have to fight side by side against evil!" Her face shone with anticipation for the future. At this stage, Miss Justice was still so pure and kind. Edward gently set his cup down and, in an intentionally casual tone, said, "By the way, there's something I wanted to tell you—about why I seem to know so much about your world." She blinked, waiting for him to continue. "When I arrived in your world, I gained a rather peculiar Beyonder ability. It allows me to occasionally see glimpses of the past…or the future." Since he planned to use his knowledge of the plot to his advantage often, rather than fabricating a new excuse every time or avoiding the subject, it was better to establish a believable and mutually acceptable reason in advance. Audrey's eyes widened in realization. "You can foresee the future?" She pondered for a moment before asking, "Then, in your visions, who or what do you see most often?" "Hmm…mostly The Fool." Audrey's eyes lit up instantly, and she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. "I knew it! The Fool is undoubtedly the protagonist of this era! Who's the female lead?" "…There isn't one." She froze for a moment, then, with a rather peculiar expression, asked, "So…does The Fool...like men?" "…?" Edward was completely dumbfounded. "Why would you think that?! Just because there's no female lead, he has to like men?" With a face full of exasperation, he clarified, "There's no female lead, and The Fool doesn't like men either! From start to finish, he's been focused on regaining his strength to prepare for the apocalypse that will arrive in over a decade. He simply doesn't have time for romance!" A hint of sympathy appeared on Audrey's face. "Not even a single romance before the apocalypse? Oh, dear…I'm sorry, Mr. Fool, I didn't mean to disrespect you. I just—You're too great." "…Wait." She suddenly processed what he had just said. "Did you say apocalypse?" Her expression turned serious. "Are you saying our world is heading toward destruction?" Edward nodded solemnly. "This is an apocalypse that even deities may not be able to stop. But your Sequence is still too low—I can't explain too much, or you might get corrupted." Audrey's expression tensed. "Then…did The Fool manage to stop the apocalypse?" "I don't know." Edward shook his head. "What I see are just fragmented images. And besides, with my arrival, the future has likely already changed drastically." "You mean…like the butterfly effect?" Audrey murmured thoughtfully. "Then, what about my future?" "You will continue advancing along the Audience pathway, eventually becoming an Angel under The Fool's command." Audrey froze for a moment, unsure whether she should be happy or not. At that moment, from the shadows, Susie's voice emerged. "What about me?" Both Edward and Audrey turned to look at her. They had completely forgotten Susie was here—she truly was a natural Spectator. "You will always be Audrey's best partner and most trusted assistant." Susie immediately wagged her tail happily. "That's wonderful!" Audrey let out a bittersweet smile. "I never expected you to bring me such big news today…Honestly, I'd almost prefer you kept it from me a little longer. I just finished digesting my Sequence 9 potion, and now you're telling me about the apocalypse…" Edward lifted his wand. "Want me to try an Obliviate?" She puffed up her cheeks in mock annoyance. "Hahaha." The two of them burst into laughter. Suddenly, a thought struck Audrey. "Wait! If that's the case…do you know all the pathway formulas?" "Uh…" Edward hesitated. "Actually, I don't get visions that specific." (No way I'm admitting it's just because I didn't memorize them properly!) Audrey sighed in disappointment. "That's such a shame. Do you have any plans next?" "I only have one goal—to advance as quickly as possible." "As for how…" Edward combed through his memories of the original plot. "The Spectator pathway's formulas are held by a secretive organization. Given your status, it won't be long before you catch their attention and get recruited." "What organization?" "I can't say." Edward shook his head helplessly. The Psychological Alchemist had a secret connection to the Twilight Hermit Order. If their rule of 'whatever is spoken will be heard' applied, he couldn't take the risk of mentioning them outright. "As for the Apprentice pathway, their formulas are in the hands of a declining yet ancient noble family—the Abraham Family." Edward took out the Master Key. "I got this from that poor guy who accidentally wandered into my house just now. It's a Beyonder item called the Master Key, and it was created when a descendant of the Abraham Family lost control after consuming an Apprentice potion. If I can find where he lost control, I'll be able to obtain the formulas for Sequence 8 and Sequence 7." Which meant… He had to go find Emlyn again. "Wait, wait, wait!" Audrey suddenly exclaimed in realization. "You just finished digesting your potion and needed the next formula…and then, out of nowhere, some unfortunate soul delivers a crucial clue right to your doorstep?" She leaned forward, eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion. "Isn't that way too much of a coincidence?" ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.