At this moment, Ebner finally understood why his coachman had that strange expression when he heard they were coming to this alley…
So he thought I was here for some kind of thrill? Could it be that Darkwill's new business has already gained a reputation? Just what exactly did he do with the "Pleasure Whip" I gave him…
As Ebner's gaze toward Darkwill grew increasingly peculiar, the latter finally reacted, spat to the side, and cursed:
"Damn that so-called new business! Stealing customers from the Red Theater? I'm actually losing money on medicine and supplies!
"And strictly speaking, this was all because of your suggestion…"
As Darkwill grumbled, Ebner gradually pieced together the whole story.
It turned out that after following his advice last time, Darkwill began selecting suitable customers to help him search for his teacher's whereabouts.
However, with more people involved, it was inevitable that some fraudsters would appear, trying to scam money or potions from Darkwill with false information. When caught, they would kick up a fuss, forcing the chubby pharmacist to use the "Pleasure Whip" to intimidate them.
Yet somehow, the whip's "extreme pleasure" effect—meant to trigger only 10% of the time—kept activating frequently… Instead of scaring people off, it ended up attracting a group of perverts who came specifically to get whipped. Some even deliberately caused trouble just to experience the sensation… Darkwill found himself at a complete loss.
Ebner was left speechless. After a moment, he blurted out, "Can't you just use a regular whip? Why insist on using the 'Pleasure Whip'?"
Did you… develop a peculiar taste along the way?
For a moment, his gaze toward Darkwill grew even weirder.
Darkwill nearly exploded at the insinuation, but after glancing at Budi—who was studying with the owl—he lowered his voice and explained:
"I did try to switch to a normal whip… but then I noticed that these incidents were actually helping Budi heal from her psychological trauma… So, later on, I let her take over the whipping.
"To prevent her from being overpowered, I even got her a 'Sailor' potion…"
No wonder Budi had been able to single-handedly throw that man out of the courtyard earlier—she had become an Beyonder.
Ebner suddenly understood and glanced at Darkwill. "You really went all out…"
A "Sailor" potion was worth at least 400 gold pounds. While that wasn't much for Ebner now, it was a significant sum for Darkwill.
At this point in the original timeline, Darkwill's entire cash savings barely amounted to 400 pounds.
100 pounds had been used to hire Gehrman to find his teacher's whereabouts, and the remaining 300 pounds were an advance payment for escorting a delivery to Oravi Island… As for the final payment, "The Fool" had to rely on "Luck" to win it back from gambling losses…
"This is an investment! That girl will pay me back with interest sooner or later!" Darkwill retorted before changing the subject. "What brings you here? The 'Dragon Blood Five-Color Flower' won't bloom that quickly."
This guy… always foul-mouthed but soft-hearted. Ebner shook his head subtly but didn't argue. Instead, he said, "I found a way to accelerate the blooming of the 'Dragon Blood Five-Color Flower.'"
As he spoke, he took out a small bottle filled with red liquid and handed it to Darkwill.
Darkwill took it, examined it suspiciously, then widened his eyes in shock. "This… this is… from an adult dragon?!"
Ebner waved his hand to stop him from speaking further and smiled. "Exactly what you're thinking. Just make sure the 'Dragon Blood Five-Color Flower' blooms—everything else is yours."
Since he was the one who introduced Budi to Darkwill, Ebner felt obligated to help out a little. Besides, if Darkwill ran out of money, he might not be able to afford hiring "The Fool" later.
Anyway, after leaving that dreamscape under the "Twilight," the dragon blood's spirituality had been continuously dissipating. It would be a waste not to use it.
"Alright! Wait here for a moment!" Darkwill exclaimed before rushing toward the greenhouse behind the shop.
Ebner didn't follow. Instead, he struck up a conversation with Budi, who was still studying with the owl, Harry.
To his surprise, this girl—whose fate had been tragically bleak in the original timeline—not only had her illness completely cured but also exuded newfound confidence.
She had ability, confidence, and independent thought. Though she still relied on Darkwill for now, it seemed that even if she left him in the future, she wouldn't struggle to survive.
Right now, she was no longer just someone who wanted to "be human"—she was truly living as one!
This was a real change in fate—a tragedy averted. Though most of the credit went to Darkwill, without my guidance, Budi wouldn't have changed like this…
As Ebner basked in a sense of accomplishment, Darkwill returned, holding a potted plant with petals shifting through five different colors under the sunlight.
"Hurry! The blooming period is short—harvest and store them quickly!" Darkwill urged.
Ebner knew that if the plant was continuously nourished with dragon blood, it could bloom for a long time. However, Darkwill was reluctant to use it so freely.
Not dwelling on it, Ebner swiftly plucked a petal from each of the five-colored flowers and placed them into a special container he had prepared beforehand.
Once he finished handling the materials, he let out a breath of relief. Without lingering in the increasingly notorious folk herbal shop, he bid farewell to Darkwill, activated "Psychological Invisibility," and left the courtyard.
To avoid fueling any eerie rumors about the "Hero Detective," he sneaked into the "Red Theater" across the alley, only revealing himself once inside. Then, he walked out in plain sight, as if he had entered normally.
Given the current circumstances, his reputation would fare much better if he was seen coming out of the Red Theater rather than Darkwill's place...
—
In Enmat Harbor, Xio and Princess Vera followed a trail of clues and confirmed that Baron Larry had managed to counterattack and eliminate a group of pursuers from another faction. However, he had sustained significant injuries in the process, making it unlikely for him to have fled too far.
"The key to our investigation should be the local Beyonder gatherings. We need to check if anyone has recently purchased high-level healing items or potions," Xio analyzed as she sat in a café, piecing together the known intelligence.
Princess Vera took a sip of Southville coffee and shook her head. "The real focus is on finding out who has been investigating those purchases recently."
"You mean... our target isn't Baron Larry, but the forces tracking him?" Xio was momentarily stunned before realization dawned on her.
"If those above truly wanted to capture him, we wouldn't be the only ones assigned to the task. It made sense at sea, but for the pursuit to continue like this on land... it only means that our superiors are allowing other factions to take action," Vera said with a nod.
"But if we start using him to hunt down other factions, wouldn't that ruin the higher-ups' plan? The other forces might just see Larry as bait," Xio asked, frowning.
"That's exactly the implication they want to send... My guess? Either they've already chosen a faction to take the fall for this, meaning there's another plan in motion, or they're deliberately creating this mix of truth and falsehood to make it difficult for others to discern the real situation.
"Of course, the latter scenario might just be serving the former.
"In any case, there's no need to overthink it. We just follow orders."
Vera's tone was indifferent.
As she finished speaking, her gaze suddenly shifted toward the telegraph office across the street. A veiled woman stepped out, lifted her skirts slightly as she descended the steps, and boarded a carriage waiting by the roadside.
"What's wrong?" Xio noticed a hint of peculiarity on the princess's face and asked curiously.
"It's nothing..." Vera withdrew her gaze and said no more.
—
At the Intis embassy, Bianca, the "Witch" and military attaché disguised by a mystical item as Mrs. Parnis, exited the telegraph office and took a carriage back to her estate on the outskirts.
After instructing the servants to prepare lunch, she carried a tray back to her bedroom.
Waiting for her inside was her "lover," Baron Larry. The moment he saw Bianca return, he stepped forward and embraced her, asking urgently, "How did it go?"
"I received an invitation from Baroness Hoy. In two days, I'll be attending the ball she's hosting in Tingen… After that, I'll travel with the nobility there to Backlund for the New Year's ball.
"My dear, you'll have to disguise yourself as my attendant or bodyguard..."
Bianca spoke with an affectionate expression.
"Tingen first, huh? That works... It'll make things less suspicious," Baron Larry considered for a moment before nodding. Then, he added seriously, "There's no need to apologize, my love... Protecting you is my greatest honor."
—
In a secret chamber within Enmat Harbor, Katarina Pelle stood before an altar, clad in a simple yet pure white robe. She chanted softly, and soon, a name appeared in the mirror on the altar:
"Baron Hoy…"
Baron Hoy? Wasn't he Sharron's stepson?
The corners of Katarina's lips curled up slightly as she ended the ritual.
—
In Indo Harbor, Ebner had just finished lunch at a club and was about to take a short nap when a towering skeletal messenger emerged from the ground.
Its hollow eye sockets flickered with black flames as it stared at Ebner for a long moment before finally tossing a letter onto the table.
What's with this attitude? Why does it seem like Jane's messenger is a little annoyed?
Hmm… Could it be that when Jane sent this letter, I was still in Bayam, but by the time it arrived, I had already moved to Indo?
Speculating in his mind, Ebner opened the letter and read it carefully:
"Jane has boarded the ship from Conston and is expected to arrive in Indo by six in the evening?"
(End of Chapter)