Chapter 4 - 4: Miss Justice in Wonderland

Audrey stared blankly at Edward for a moment before hesitantly speaking. "Are you…sure you want to keep wearing my dress?" "..." Edward was speechless. He felt as if he had punched a pillow—like he had just declared himself a ruthless killer, only for someone to ask, "Doesn't that make your eyes dry?" Miss Justice, I think you're missing the point here. Audrey looked around curiously. "The architectural style here…it really does seem different from Backlund. Actually, it doesn't resemble anywhere in Loen at all. So, have we left Loen? Is this the Feysac Empire? Or the Intis Republic?" Her question momentarily stumped Edward. "This place…isn't any country you're familiar with," he finally said after some thought. "You could think of it as an entirely hidden place, far removed from the ordinary world." "Could it be the legendary Forsaken Land of the Gods?" "No." "Then where is it? And why did you bring me here?" Audrey fixed her gaze on Edward, her emerald-green eyes shimmering with an inexplicable light. It made Edward feel an almost irresistible urge to confess everything. !! Edward abruptly turned his head away, his tone darkening. "Miss Audrey, are you using your Beyonder ability on me?" She blinked, feigning innocence. "I wish I could, but I haven't mastered any Supernatural abilities yet." Edward quickly recalled what he knew. Spectator Pathway Beyonders didn't actually gain active abilities until Sequence 7, when they obtained Frenzy, Madness Inducement, Telepathy, and other skills. No—wait! To be precise, they lacked explicitly usable Supernatural skills. However, even from Sequence 9, Audiences could read subtle cues in people's expressions and behaviour, deduce their true thoughts, and subtly influence or guide them to achieve their desired outcomes. So from the moment she innocently asked me about my dress, she was already guiding the conversation? Of course. A Sequence 9 is still Beyonder—don't underestimate a shrimp just because it's not a lobster. But, Miss Justice…don't you think you're being a little too reckless? Aren't you afraid I'd get mad and retaliate? …Oh, right. Impulsiveness runs in the Tarot Club. Never mind. But this was tricky. One lie would require a hundred more to cover it up. And lying to a Spectator was simply asking for trouble. Should I just keep her trapped in the pouch and release her after 15 days? Then we can part ways forever. At that moment, Audrey lifted the black book she had been holding—a book from Edward's collection of Chinese texts. "The writing in this book…" Audrey's eyes narrowed. "It's identical to the script invented by Emperor Roselle. But Roselle's characters only existed in his handwritten notes. This book, however, is clearly a professionally printed edition." Her expression grew increasingly astonished, as if she had just uncovered a shocking secret. "Could it be that this language wasn't actually invented by the Emperor? That he…also came from your world?" She didn't say the last part out loud—about how the mysterious Fool, a being possibly akin to a god, could also understand Roselle's language. Miss Justice, can you stop being so smart? You're making me look stupid. "Mr. Beyonder…" Audrey started, but Edward immediately raised a hand to stop her. He massaged his temples, pacing back and forth. "Hold on—give me a moment to think (or rather, improvise)." "You can…think of this place as something similar to the Forsaken Land of the Gods. As for Roselle…perhaps, maybe, possibly, he also came from our world…our…" Edward trailed off, realizing he was completely out of ideas. Logically, he had only three choices: First—Kill her to eliminate the risk. Second—Erase her memory, though that carried a major hidden danger—once she advanced to a higher Sequence, she would definitely notice something was off. Memory manipulation was practically a Spectator's speciality. Third—Keep her in the Harry Potter world, but that would disrupt the Tarot Club. Without her generous funding, could The Fool still rise in power as quickly as in the original story? And considering he was now half a part of the Lord of the Mysteries world…without The Fool to hold things together, wouldn't the apocalypse just mean his own doom? Wait—why did I just think of the apocalypse? What even is the apocalypse? Did I…erase those memories? Hold on! This is the Harry Potter world—there's a much better solution right in front of me! A solution that didn't require lying, didn't risk her exposing secrets, and would bind them closely together, killing multiple birds with one stone! Within seconds, Edward's mind raced through a storm of possibilities. Once he made his decision, he exhaled deeply and turned to Audrey with a serious expression. "I don't know if you can fully grasp this yet," he said, "but we are no longer in our original world." "A world without Loen, without Intis, without the Church, without potions, without Sequences…a world where nothing you know exists." "If nothing unexpected happens, these two worlds are like parallel lines—never meant to intersect. Even gods, perhaps, are powerless to bridge them." "My journey to your world was an accident. Bringing you back was an even greater accident. I…apologize." When Edward finished speaking, Audrey simply clasped her hands behind her back, her brows slightly furrowed. "You're telling me this…because I can't go back? Or is there another reason?" Edward shrugged. "For some reason, which even I don't fully understand, I travel between the two worlds every fifteen days. That means I'll have to live in your world regularly. So, if possible, I'd like to have your help." Audrey visibly trembled. The fingers she had tightly intertwined behind her back loosened. "As long as I can go back…" At that moment, she finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She had maintained a composed demeanour throughout, but in truth, it had been nothing more than feigned calm. Suddenly kidnapped by a stranger and transported to an unfamiliar world—there was no way she hadn't been scared. But reason told her that fear and panic were useless. Instead, she needed to make full use of her Sequence 9 Beyonder abilities—observing, analyzing, and understanding the boy before her to gain whatever advantage she could. If he was a good person, earning his goodwill would only be beneficial. If he was dangerous, she needed to stall for time and create opportunities to escape. So far, it seemed that luck was on her side. "Uh…you actually believe me?" "Not completely," Audrey admitted, regaining some of her usual liveliness. Her emerald eyes sparkled with curiosity once again. "For instance, if you're from another world, why do you seem so familiar with mine? And why do you speak Loenese so fluently?" Edward responded without hesitation. "That…I don't really know either. It's as if the moment I arrived in your world, I just…somehow knew." There's no way I'm telling her about Lord of the Mysteries. That's my only advantage right now. Audrey didn't press the issue. Instead, she took an interest in her surroundings. "So, what happens next?" "You have two choices." Edward pointed to the pouch on the ground. "One, you stay in there. I'll provide food and water at regular intervals—" "I choose the other one!" She raised her hand without hesitation. "I've finally arrived in a completely different world. How could I possibly waste my time locked away in a pouch? Besides, the power you used earlier isn't the same as ours, is it? Can I learn it too? Does it require potions…or something else?" Her decision didn't surprise Edward at all, but he still sighed and put on a troubled expression. "To be honest, you're basically an illegal resident here…You understand what that means, right? I don't have a noble status like yours. If a person with no background suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it would be a huge hassle for me. That's why I'd really prefer you to pick the first option." Audrey puffed up her cheeks in protest, completely ignoring her usual noble etiquette. Edward nearly laughed at how adorable she looked. "That being said," he relented, "I respect your choice. But you must promise—absolutely no revealing any information about the other world. To ensure that, we'll need to sign a contract in front of a witness. Are you okay with that?" "That's perfectly reasonable." "Good." Edward picked up the pouch and pulled out his wand. "As for my abilities, they're called magic. No potions required, no risk of losing control—you just have to learn it." "Scourgify." A gentle breeze swept away the dust clinging to Audrey's dress from her time inside the pouch. "Aguamenti." A stream of clear water materialized in midair, perfectly falling onto Audrey's hands. "Reparo." With the final spell, the torn fabric of Edward's borrowed dress seamlessly stitched itself back together, as if time itself had reversed. "Whether for everyday use or in battle, magic is incredibly practical," Edward remarked. As soon as he finished speaking, however, the dress suddenly split open again. Edward held up his hands in surrender. "Looks like I really do need to change." "Pfft—" Audrey couldn't help but burst into laughter. As expected of the brightest jewel of Backlund.