At six in the evening, at Indo Port's No. 3 passenger terminal.
Wearing a black robe and hat, with her face concealed by a fine black veil, Jane carried her luggage down the gangway of the hybrid-powered Seagull.
Behind her followed a lion with pure white fur and a multicolored mane.
—To others, it appeared as nothing more than a lively, bouncing orange cat.
Since it was already November 21st, the sky had long darkened by six in the evening. Many passengers disembarking had lit lanterns or entered the nearby inns and taverns by the pier.
However, darkness was no issue for a Beyonder of the Death pathway at Sequence 6. Jane casually summoned a local "little cutie" who had drowned at sea.
After some "friendly" communication, the ghost was more than happy to be her guide, leading her to the meeting spot outside the dock where she had arranged to meet Ebner.
Jane scanned her surroundings before quickly locking onto a gentleman half-leaning against a carriage.
She didn't recognize his face, but from the way he looked at her, the familiar smile, and the brass whistle in his hand, she was certain he was Ebner.
At that moment, the gentleman also noticed Jane. He smiled slightly and opened the carriage door.
Seeing this, Jane met his gaze briefly before stepping into the carriage with her lion.
The gentleman holding the door was naturally Ebner. After instructing the coachman to return to the club, he entered the carriage as well, sitting opposite Jane.
"Ebner, it feels like I have to reintroduce myself every time we meet," Jane teased with a smile, sealing the surroundings with her spirituality before speaking.
"A gentleman a few days ago said something similar," Ebner responded with a smile, glancing at the orange cat.
The creature's disguise was extremely well-executed. Even Ebner, without activating the Pure White Eye, couldn't see through it.
However, the lion, Leon, seemed disinterested in their conversation, keeping its eyes shut and resting.
"It's actually seasick. It'll recover on its own soon… Haha, inland seas like Jianhai are manageable, but when we crossed the Storm Sea, it couldn't even maintain its disguise and almost got exposed," Jane laughed, covering her mouth.
Ebner suddenly understood. He murmured, "Seasick… That might be because its brain has been 'suppressed' for too long, affecting its balance. No wonder…"
Hearing this, Leon rolled its eyes in a very human-like manner but had no energy to argue. It remained slumped on the seat.
Jane took out a sprig of night-blooming grass from her bag and placed it near Leon's nose before turning back to chat with Ebner about her experiences after leaving Daniel's Labyrinth.
Saved by Bruna, a former Balam Empire princess? I remember that name from Roselle's diary… The little girl he deceived back then is now a demigod?
Bernadette is in the Southern Continent… and she's going on an expedition with Bruna… In the original timeline, she missed the Great Smog of Backlund. Could it be because of this?
She brought a friend's daughter from the Southern Continent back to Loen, but Maric didn't want her taken to Backlund and instead had her settled in Pritz Harbor… Maric must think Backlund is too dangerous and doesn't want the girl caught up in it.
At the Backlund train station, they encountered a bearded man, and Leon sensed he carried an item used by Roselle but couldn't read his fate… Did they run into The Fool?
Ebner's expression turned thoughtful.
—It wasn't that he couldn't conceal his emotions; he simply didn't need to in front of Jane.
Curious, Jane asked, "Ebner, do you know that bearded man?"
Know him? He's… a fellow traveler… in more ways than one… Ebner inwardly complained but replied calmly, "I suspect he's the newly famous detective my teacher mentioned—Sherlock Moriarty."
Detective Isengard previously sent Ebner a letter via Mr. Gaston, informing him that he had already acquired the Elder Tree's Heartwood and that Ebner no longer needed to look for it. He also mentioned some cases, praising Sherlock as a detective just as "sharp" as Ebner.
Mysticism, cheats—of course he's 'sharp'! That's why I said we're 'colleagues.'
"A famous detective…" Jane nodded thoughtfully before giving Ebner a serious look and comforting him, "Ebner, in my heart, you're the best detective! You don't need to worry—he'll never be as well-known as you. Your reputation has already spread across the seas, while he's still limited to Backlund."
Jane, you misunderstand. I wasn't competing with The Fool over this… Ebner's lips twitched. To avoid further misunderstanding, he quickly changed the topic, sharing parts of his own experiences instead.
He focused on the nightmare realm connected to the Underworld.
Since Mr. Azik wouldn't be accompanying him tomorrow night, Ebner considered inviting Jane to explore the ruins and complete the "performance" arranged by Lady Closfia.
This would not only broaden Jane's knowledge but might also help heal her mind in the unique environment there.
Though she acted normal around him, Ebner was well aware that her mental state had long been unstable.
Her revenge may have helped her recover somewhat… but it didn't completely heal her, leaving lingering issues.
As they talked, the carriage entered a vast estate in the southern part of the city, passing through a stretch of wilderness before stopping in front of a three-story building.
This was a private lounge the club provided for gold card members.
Seated in the spacious dining hall, Ebner cut a piece of foie gras, dipped it in sauce, and popped it into his mouth. He then looked at Leon, who had perked up at the smell of food, and asked casually,
"Why did you come all this way to find me?"
Leon tied a napkin around its neck, skillfully picked up a piece of bacon with a fork, and answered,
"It's about a message that bastard Roselle left for the person who took my brain… Heh, I didn't want to be his errand boy at the time, so I never told you.
"But once we were far apart, I realized that even though I had given you my brain, his 'rules' on me still remained… and even made me feel the same discomfort as before!"
So that's how it is… Haha, I bet you wouldn't have defied Roselle anyway—you were just sulking. But you never expected me to end up all the way in Innsport, did you?
Smiling, Ebner set down his knife and asked, "So, what exactly was Roselle's message?"
Leon glanced at Jane before using secret arts to pull himself and Ebner into an overlapping state of reality and spirit. Only then did he solemnly say,
"Roselle told me to pass this on to the one who took my brain:
"'The activation incantation for the Moon Card of the Blasphemy Cards is Aetena!
"'This is part of the Silver Moon Project!'"
Hearing this, Ebner nearly lost his polite smile. Internally, he couldn't help but grumble:
Why tell me the Moon Card's incantation? That thing is extremely dangerous—was Roselle corrupted and eager to drag others down?
And what does 'Aetena' mean? It sounds familiar, but I can't recall… One of Roselle's lovers or illegitimate daughters?
And finally, the Silver Moon Project? What is that? It doesn't sound like Roselle's style… Is it another project like Daniel's Labyrinth, requiring multiple transmigrators from different eras to complete?
But with just a name, how am I supposed to figure it out? At least give me a hint…
Or did Roselle believe I'd inevitably learn about it…? Is this also the Calamity Seal's judgment?
By the time Ebner refocused, Leon had already devoured all the food in front of him. Then, pulling out a blood vial from who-knows-where, he tossed it to Ebner and said,
"This is the blood I promised you…"
(End of Chapter)