[Tingen City]
Holding a bunch of brass keys, Skater from the Tingen Housing Improvement Company opened the front door while introducing the place to Edward:
"Our townhouses don't have entry halls. Once you step inside, it's the living room. There's a bay window facing Daffodil Street, which provides excellent lighting…"
Edward quickly scanned the 70-to-80-square-meter house. Though it was bigger than his one-bedroom apartment in Backlund, it didn't necessarily feel more comfortable.
The furniture was old, the paint on the walls was peeling, and a faint musty smell lingered in the air, reminding him of his days struggling to make a living.
Lilith was visibly unhappy. She had spent half a day yesterday rubbing her scent all over their new home, marking it as hers. And now they were moving again? Did he even realize how exhausting that was?
"Mr. Skater, do you have something slightly better?"
"Of course, of course!"
Skater quickly flipped through a small notebook in his pocket, then pointed at a page and smiled. "There are some new townhouses on Tulip Street, completed just last year. The furniture and decor are practically brand new. Only Houses No. 5 and No. 6 are still available, but the price…"
"Take me there first."
"No problem!"
As they stepped outside, they spotted a slender young girl with a slightly pale complexion. She had a delicate face and carried an air of youthful innocence. Dressed in a Tingen Technical School uniform, she held a small basket filled with bread, fruits, and some meat.
"Good day, Mr. Skater. Another customer looking at houses?" The girl greeted him politely.
"Oh, you're…Mr. Benson Moretti's sister. The one who's great at haggling." Skater chuckled, then shook his head with exaggerated regret. "Unfortunately, today's customer is a bit picky. He didn't like the houses on Daffodil Street."
Benson Moretti's sister?
That meant she was Klein's sister—Melissa!
Edward removed his hat and gave her a polite nod. Then, he crouched slightly, allowing Lilith to leap onto his shoulder. "Let's go, Lilith."
"Meow~ (*~︿~)"
Melissa had initially been a bit reserved, but the moment she saw the adorable Lilith, her eyes widened in delight. At her age, few girls could resist fluffy little animals. Unfortunately, given her family's financial situation, she had never even considered keeping a pet.
As she watched Edward board the carriage with Skater and leave, Melissa sighed in disappointment. If only that gentleman were moving in here…Then I could visit often to play with his cat.
Well, maybe she could build a mechanical cat instead!
———
The carriage rattled along the cobblestone streets for about ten minutes before arriving at a newly developed neighbourhood. Compared to Daffodil Street, Tulip Street gave off a much better impression. Everything was new—the houses, the streets—and each home had a small garden with various plants, creating a lush and inviting atmosphere.
Even before stepping inside, Edward had already made up his mind: This is the one!
"The previous tenant of No. 5 was a professor, a true gentleman," Skater explained as he unlocked the door. "He vacated the house because he took a teaching position in another city. He spent most of his time at the school, so the place is barely lived in."
He gestured to the neighbouring houses. "No. 6 is still empty. As for No. 4, a dentist named Mr. Green lives there with his six-year-old daughter. But don't worry, she's a well-behaved child."
Skater strode inside, opening the windows to let in some fresh air. "As for the other residents, they're all professionals with stable incomes. I can confidently say this is one of the best residential areas in Tingen."
"Hmm."
Edward inspected all the rooms one by one, finding the townhouse quite satisfactory.
The rest of the process was simple. After confirming that everything was as Skater had described, Edward decided to rent the place. The price was 18 Soli per week, paid in six-month instalments—less than 22 gold pounds in total.
Compared to the hundreds of pounds required for Beyonder formulas or ingredients, this amount was insignificant. But for ordinary people, it was a substantial expense.
"I don't mind living anywhere, but Lilith needs a comfortable place too. Right, Lilith?"
Lilith ignored him completely, her tail swishing as she rubbed against the furniture, already busy claiming her new territory.
After signing the lease, Skater enthusiastically shook Edward's hand. "I hope you enjoy your stay, Mr. Edward. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out."
Edward suddenly remembered something. "By the way, does Tingen have a circus?"
With a snap of his fingers, a flicker of flame danced at his fingertips. "As you can see, I'm a magician."
Me. Skater was visibly surprised. "A magician? I assumed you were a lawyer or a doctor. You do look quite young, after all."
After a brief moment of thought, he answered, "Tingen doesn't have a permanent circus, but travelling circuses visit every now and then. They usually stay for about half a month before moving on. I believe a new one just arrived a few days ago. You can check the municipal square at the intersection of Iron Cross Street and Daffodil Street."
"Got it. Thanks."
Edward sighed internally. Half a month isn't enough time to fully digest my potion. Once the circus leaves, do I just set up a street stall and perform magic tricks myself?
…Well, that could work too.
After Skater left, Edward spent some time using magic to clean the house and rearrange the furniture. Twenty minutes later, he placed his hands on his hips, satisfied as he surveyed his newly refreshed home.
From today onward, this is my "home".
Even though he had stayed in luxurious villas before, he had always felt out of place in those vast, empty spaces. They lacked any real sense of warmth. This, on the other hand, felt much cosier.
Leaning back onto the soft sofa, he tilted his head and mused aloud:
"Hmm…The only thing missing now is a mistress of the house."
"Meow~ ((-^〇^-))"
Lilith trotted over, her little paws tapping against the floor. Edward reached down and scratched her head.
"Oh, right! The lady of the house is already here."
Lilith immediately flopped onto the ground, hugging his hand and playfully biting and scratching—though without applying any real force.
After playing with Lilith for a while, Edward made himself a quick lunch—instant noodles—before heading out again.
"Next stop, the circus."
———
The moment he arrived at the municipal square, a colourful array of tents came into view. At the centre stood a massive top, from which bursts of cheers and gasps could be heard. Clowns were scattered throughout the square—some juggling, some entertaining children, and others handing out flyers to passersby.
As Edward approached, a girl dressed in an oversized mascot costume from the waist down walked up to him. She spoke fluently, as if well-rehearsed, "Sir, come take a look at our magic show! We have a newly arrived magician with incredible skills."
Holding his wand-disguised cane in one hand, Edward removed his silk top hat and said warmly, "Good day, lovely lady. I am an illusionist, and I'd like to ask if your circus is currently hiring."
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers in front of the girl, and a rose materialized between them. "For you."
The girl's eyes lit up in delight as she accepted the rose. Her heart fluttered slightly. This guy doesn't even look twenty yet, but he's tall, well-proportioned, and not bad-looking at all. If I could date someone like him…
Wait, what am I thinking?!
"Ah, well…You'd have to ask the ringmaster!" She hesitated for a moment before adding, "But I think we're not looking for new members right now. A wandering magician joined us a few days ago, and he's quite skilled…"
"I see. Then, how much is a ticket? I'd like to take a look inside."
The girl glanced around before biting her lip and whispering, "It's already been running for a while, so…I won't charge you. Just go on in."
"Uh, alright. Thanks."
———
As soon as Edward stepped into the massive circus tent, he was met with thunderous applause. On stage, surrounded by an excited audience, stood two human-sized boxes. A woman in a brightly coloured robe and a pointed hat stepped into the box on the left, and her assistant shut the door behind her.
The lights dimmed. A spotlight that had been shining on the first box suddenly shifted to the second. When the second box's door swung open—
It was empty!
The audience erupted into a commotion.
An exaggeratedly dressed man on stage played along. "Oh my! Did our lovely Miss Christine fail her trick? Is she still in the original box?"
Bang!
At that moment, a loud crashing sound came from behind the audience.
The spotlight swung around, drawing everyone's eyes to the entrance of the circus tent. There, an identical box had somehow appeared. The door creaked open—
And out stepped the same woman!
A roar of applause and cheers filled the tent. The magician smiled and gave a graceful bow.
Edward, however, was stunned. That magician…she's a Beyonder!
She didn't use props for that teleportation trick. It was an actual supernatural ability…
The Traveler's Door, perhaps?
Her gaze swept across the audience, scanning the crowd—until her eyes met Edward's.
In an instant, she averted her gaze.
Hmm? Did she realize I'm a Beyonder too?
Impossible.
In the original story, when Klein disguised himself as a wealthy gentleman, he often met mid- and high-sequence Beyonders, yet none could immediately recognize him as one. Of course, that might have been thanks to his Faceless ability…
Just then, the magician swiftly retreated into the box and shut the door behind her.
The extravagant man on stage played along with the audience's cheers, repeatedly calling out her name:
"Christine! Christine! Christine—"
Five minutes passed.
She never reappeared.
"…Did she just run away?"
A Beyonder fleeing at the first sight of another Beyonder? Even for a wild, unaffiliated Beyonder, wasn't that a bit too cautious?
The audience, of course, was oblivious to all this. But as the situation started to get out of hand, the host—sweating profusely—scrambled to calm the restless crowd.
At that moment, a silk top hat suddenly appeared on stage. Playing cards fluttered out from inside, scattering into the air—
And then, as if swept up by an invisible gust of wind, the cards spiralled toward the audience.
From within this whirlwind of cards, a figure dressed in a black tuxedo and top hat suddenly materialized—shoulder perched with a sleek black cat.
Edward had arrived.
"Wooooaaaaahhh!!!"
The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Edward tipped his hat. "My sincerest apologies, dear friends. That was merely a little joke—Christine's way of setting the stage for my entrance. Please, don't be upset."
The flamboyantly dressed man was momentarily confused before quickly catching on and laughing heartily. "So, what do you all think of our new guest performer's grand entrance?"
"Yeahhhh!"
"Then let's have him continue the show!" The host wiped the sweat from his brow and hastily stepped off the stage.
Edward began with traditional sleight-of-hand tricks: the classic Cups and Balls, the Vanishing Coin—entertaining, but the audience's reaction was lukewarm. Understandably so—after such a grand entrance, these tricks felt underwhelming.
"Well, it seems my earlier tricks didn't quite impress everyone." Edward chuckled. "In that case, make sure to keep your eyes wide open for this next one."
He blew lightly toward the air—
A swirling mist materialized above the stage, floating mid-air.
Edward reached into his hat and pulled out a long rope. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the mist—
And instead of falling, the rope shot straight up, disappearing into the mist, as if securely tied to something within.
The audience gasped in amazement.
Edward smiled.
"Lilith, go!"
———
[Note]: Here you go! As promised—4 Chapters! Enjoy~ And don't forget to VOTE! It motivates me to continue churning out chapters like a machine, haha!