Early the next morning—
While Lilith, exhausted from a night of mischief, curled up for some extra sleep, Edward arrived at Emlyn's family clinic. However, he found the doors tightly shut and the place completely abandoned.
After asking around the neighbourhood, he learned that just a few days ago, Emlyn and his family had suddenly vanished without a trace.
"Why would this happen?"
Edward was puzzled. In the original story, Emlyn had gotten lost using the Master Key and ended up at the Harvest Church, where Bishop Utravsky locked him up. His parents, assuming that enemies were after them, had fled in a panic.
But now, the Master Key was in Edward's possession. That incident shouldn't have happened.
"Hmm, good thing I still have some of Emlyn's hair."
He lightly waved his wand.
The strands of Emlyn's hair floated midair, swaying gently as they pointed him in the direction of Emlyn's last known movements.
Following the magical trail, Edward took a public carriage, then switched to the subway, and then another public carriage.
Much like in the bustling metropolises of his past life, Backlund's early-morning commuters were already on the move, heading to their offices or factories. Some were chatting, some reading newspapers, and some dozing off—everywhere he looked, it was a microcosm of human life.
Once upon a time, he had been just like them, caught in the daily grind. But two transmigrations had completely altered the trajectory of his life, sending him down a path he could never have predicted.
At around ten in the morning, the public carriage finally came to a stop in front of a small church on Rose Street.
"This place is…the Harvest Church of the Earth Mother? After all that running around, Emlyn still ended up here?"
Compared to the Church of the Evernight Goddess or the Church of the Lord of Storms, Backlund's Harvest Church was quite small. Its overseer, Bishop Utravsky, was only a Sequence 6, Dawn Paladin.
That was because the Church of the Earth Mother's main stronghold wasn't in Loen but in Feynapotter.
At this hour, the Harvest Church was nearly empty. A tall man in his forties or fifties, dressed in a brown cleric's robe, was sweeping the floor.
As soon as Edward entered, the man paused his work and fixed his deep blue eyes on him for a moment before speaking in a loud, steady voice. "Are you here for the commission?"
Edward hesitated. "Hmm…something like that."
Utravsky nodded slightly. "Then you are not."
Then he glanced toward the basement and asked, "Are you here for him?"
Him? Who? Could it really be Emlyn?
Sure enough, a familiar voice came from the basement.
"Hey! Can you hear me? I remember you—your name is…Edward, right? Hurry up and tell this old man to let me out!"
Edward turned to Utravsky. "Bishop—"
"I prefer to be called Father. Father Utravsky."
Edward went along with it. "Father Utravsky, the person locked in your basement…is actually a friend of mine. May I ask why you've detained him? As far as I know, though he is a vampire, he's not a bad person."
"A Sanginue! A Noble Sanguine!"
Edward sighed. "Keep nitpicking, and I'll just leave right now."
"You—!" Emlyn was furious. "I only got caught because I was helping you! You can't just leave me here!"
"Helping me?"
"Didn't you want to trade that…Apothecary potion formula with me? But I really didn't have it. Later, I heard there was a commission here offering the formula as a reward, so I came looking for it. And then—"
Father Utravsky interjected, "I sensed the scent of blood on him. And it came from one of the Earth Mother's followers. So I captured him."
Emlyn immediately protested, "That was from the hospital! I…acquired it legally. A noble sanguine never forcefully drains blood from others!"
Edward rubbed his forehead. So in the end, Emlyn still walked the same path? And it was actually because of me?
No, wait.
Now that he thought about it, there was a high chance this was orchestrated by Lilith—not his lazy cat Lilith, but the other Lilith, the one who was far more terrifying.
Poor Emlyn.
"Father Utravsky, when do you plan to release him?"
"Once his emotions have stabilized, he will serve as a church volunteer for a month. Then he may leave."
Emlyn instantly shouted, "In your dreams! Edward, go tell my father and mother to come get me!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible. Mr. and Mrs. White disappeared a few days ago."
There was a brief silence from the basement before Emlyn's voice turned sombre.
"Of course…They wouldn't just move away—they'd make sure I'd never find them again."
Wow, what a loving family.
Edward turned back to Utravsky. "Father, if I complete your commission, can you release him early?"
Utravsky refused without hesitation. "No. But aside from the Apothecary formula, you will receive an additional extraordinary item as a reward."
"Understood."
Utravsky's commission was to enter the dream world and eliminate the cruel pirate from his past—a formidable Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin.
Everyone knew that warriors countered mages, especially those with both long-range attacks and defensive abilities. Besides, the Apothecary formula wasn't something Edward desperately needed. It wasn't worth taking such a risk.
"Emlyn, you'll just have to stay here for now. Once you're free, we can discuss our trade."
"Damn you!"
Emlyn grumbled a few more curses before finally quieting down.
"Goodbye, Father Utravsky."
Utravsky made the sign of the Earth Mother over his chest and said in a deep voice, "The Mother's Church welcomes you at any time."
Leaving the Harvest Church, Edward returned to Tingen. He performed at the circus for two hours, gradually digesting the potion. Satisfied with his progress, he went home and patiently waited for the Beyonders gathering that night.
———
[7:50 PM]
At the back alley of the Braveheart Bar on Iron Gate Street, Backlund.
Edward, wearing an iron-coloured mask with no facial features, arrived at a pitch-dark room and knocked on the door rhythmically.
Seven or eight seconds later, a small wooden panel on the door was suddenly pulled open, revealing a pair of brownish eyes. The eyes scrutinized Edward for a while before the door creaked open. A man wearing an iron mask stood in the doorway and rasped, "Newcomer?"
Edward shrugged.
The masked man shut the door, handed Edward a black hooded robe, and led him through the dark living room into the first-floor lounge. A dim candle flickered atop a coffee table, casting vague and shifting shadows throughout the room.
Around the coffee table, ten or so people sat on sofas and chairs, all dressed in hooded robes and iron-colored masks. The room was eerily silent.
Time ticked by. A very elderly voice from a single-seater armchair glanced at the clock on the wall and spoke:
"Time's up. Let's begin. No need to wait for the latecomers."
Edward couldn't help but look at him a little longer—this must be the famous detective, Old Mister Eye of Wisdom.
A chubby man was the first to speak. "I want to buy Spring of the Elves marrow crystal. Does anyone have them?" Clearly, this was the infamous plump apothecary from the story.
He scanned the group and grumbled, "Damn it, again? No one? Fine, I'll add four more bottles—no, six—of potions to the bounty for Spring of the Elves marrow crystal. Anyone willing to take the commission?"
A gaunt-faced man let out a sinister chuckle. "The 'Spring of Elves' comes from the Sonia Golden Spring. Getting the water alone is troublesome enough, let alone marrow crystals. If you're offering a direct bounty, the price should be at least twice the cost of the raw material."
"You're too greedy, Black Snake!"
The gaunt man raised his hands in mock innocence. "No, no, no. Even if you offered double, I wouldn't take the job. I'm merely stating the facts."
The plump apothecary cursed under his breath before continuing, "Then I also have some potions for sale—healing, calming, and, heh, some that enhance…certain aspects."
"I'll take two healing potions."
Several people purchased healing potions, and the gathering became noticeably livelier.
Seizing the opportunity, Edward called out:
"I'm selling two potion formulas—Sequence 9 Hunter and Sequence 9 Warrior. Any takers?"
Unfortunately, after waiting a few minutes, no one responded.
That was expected. Anyone attending a gathering hosted by Eye of Wisdom was already an extraordinary individual. Sequence 9 formulas were difficult to sell here.
Suppressing his disappointment, he continued:
"Then perhaps these two enchanted items will be of greater interest."
Edward officially introduced his "special products" from the Harry Potter world. "One looks like a wallet, the other a suitcase. They possess no offensive or defensive capabilities, but their interiors hold an extraordinary amount of space, allowing you to carry various items—weapons, potions, clothes, and even larger objects."
Immediately, the group's interest was piqued.
"The wallet has an internal space measuring 80 centimetres in length, width, and height—anything within that size can be stored and carried around easily. The suitcase has a one-meter capacity."
Of course, Edward didn't reveal larger-capacity versions right away. Business needed to progress gradually, and upgrades had to be introduced step by step.
The plump apothecary asked, "If I put a thousand-pound rock inside, what would happen? The size may shrink, but wouldn't it still be deadly if thrown?"
"Good question." Edward gave him a thumbs-up. "In fact, anything stored inside will no longer have weight. Whether it's a thousand pounds, ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand—once inside, it will only weigh as much as the wallet itself."
"!!!"
Everyone's eyes widened. Some even began breathing heavily.
If what he said was true, then these items were incredibly valuable!
Eye of Wisdom finally spoke. "The price?"
"Hmm, the wallet starts at 8,000 pounds, and the suitcase starts at 7,500 pounds."
"Side effects?"
"None whatsoever! However, both the wallet and the suitcase are made of ordinary materials, so be careful not to damage them."
"Wow!"
The room erupted into whispers—whether out of shock at the price or amazement at the lack of side effects was unclear.
Honestly, Edward wasn't sure if the price was too high or too low. This was his first time introducing them, so he needed to test the market.
"Wait a minute! Why is the one with less space more expensive? Did you learn math from a beggar on the street? Or is your brain overheating so much that you can't even do basic calculations?" It was obviously the plump apothecary again.
Edward shrugged and smiled. "Actually, while the wallet has less capacity, it's much easier to carry and conceal. The suitcase, on the other hand, is bulkier. I'm sure everyone here understands which would be more useful in combat situations."
The group fell into thought. That…made sense.
"Alright, I only have these two for now. If you're interested, make your bids."
The room fell silent. No one spoke, but the flickering candlelight reflected the eagerness in their eyes.
"Can you lower the price? 8,000 pounds…for a wallet? It doesn't seem worth it."
"He's right."
"While the portability is convenient, it has no other functions. With that kind of money, I could buy something more useful for battle."
"It's too expensive! Not worth it at all!"
The plump apothecary let out a sly chuckle. "The problem isn't the price—it's that you guys are broke."
———
[Note]: 100 Powerstones for Extra Chapter! Don't forget to VOTE! Keeps me motivated~