Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Tuesday morning, in a coffee shop located in Backlund's Hillston District.

Fors handed the manuscript she had rushed to complete overnight to her editor, watched her leave, and then began indulging in the new specialty desserts offered by the establishment.

Strangely, while she hadn't gone out much in the past, she often frequented this coffee shop due to her publishing deadlines. Back then, their desserts were never at this level of quality.

"Maybe they've hired a new pastry chef?" she mused idly, her thoughts wandering. Just then, an elderly voice broke through her reverie:

"So it's you, Miss Fors…"

Startled, Fors turned toward the source of the voice and saw Lawrence, the man from the Abraham family, standing nearby with a complicated expression as he looked at her.

"Hello, Mr. Lawrence. I didn't expect to meet you here…" Fors dabbed her mouth with a napkin, her heart on guard even as she maintained a polite demeanor.

Who would've thought that the result of my final "Astrology" session would point to this lady who buried Annelisa… Could she be the "Apprentice" mentioned in the prophecy?

This thought flickered through Lawrence's mind, but just as he was about to respond to Fors's greeting, he suddenly broke into a fit of uncontrollable, violent coughing.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

He coughed so hard that his legs gave out, collapsing into the seat beside Fors as if he might suffocate to death at any moment.

As a formally trained medical professional, Fors didn't hesitate to bend down and administer first aid.

From behind the café counter, a "boyishly" dressed young woman ran over, seemingly wanting to help.

However, the shopkeeper quickly pulled her back, as though not wanting her to get involved in trouble. After all, the old man's condition looked anything but promising…

After a flurry of effort, Lawrence's condition finally stabilized. Wiping the saliva from the corners of his mouth, he offered a weak smile to Fors and said:

"Miss, could you help me back to my hotel?"

"Of course," Fors replied, assisting him to his feet. Since her editor had already settled the bill, the two encountered no obstacles as they left the café. Before stepping out, Fors glanced back curiously—last week, the shopkeeper and waitstaff had been completely different people.

She didn't dwell on it, though. In Backlund, it wasn't uncommon for shops to change management. Besides, this solved her earlier mystery—no wonder the desserts were so good; they'd changed owners!

Out on the bustling street, Lawrence stared ahead, his gaze slightly unfocused. He coughed lightly, then chuckled with a mix of sorrow and self-mockery:

"It seems my life may have reached its end…"

....

In the café's kitchen, a woman whose face looked to be in her forties but whose exposed neck and hands were as smooth as a young girl's, poked the forehead of the "boyishly" dressed youth. After sealing the space with her spirituality, she scolded in a low voice:

"You actually ran over to help just now? If I hadn't pulled you back, were you planning to help that old man back to his hotel too?

"Use your head! If that seemingly important old man suddenly dies, you'll at least be summoned by the police for questioning since you were the closest to him!

"I may have used a mystical item to make the original owner of this shop think we're her relatives, but our identities won't hold up under scrutiny! Especially after what happened last night!"

The "boyishly" dressed "youth" lowered their head, meekly taking the reprimand without a word of protest.

"Forget it… Maybe it's that personality of yours that caught the attention of that being…" Seeing this, the café's "owner" sighed before muttering under her breath, "But why does He keep stuffing your head with 'cooking methods'… I've never seen such a strange deity…

"According to Emperor Roselle's interpretations, the Fool card in the tarot symbolizes innocence, simplicity, and possibility… In its upright meaning, it often represents the pursuit of novel dreams, courage to adventure, yearning for freedom, and an artistic temperament…

"The first few traits all fit Shoko, so no wonder he could 'resonate' with a deity… But as for the 'artistic temperament,' could it actually refer to 'culinary arts'?"

Hearing her words, the "boyishly" dressed "youth" blinked and asked, "That being? Are you talking about the one who saved me last night?"

"This isn't the time to discuss that… Tonight, after you recite the honorific name I gave you on that piece of paper, you'll understand…"

...

In the Southern Continent, just outside the city of Gulain, an old, battle-scarred sailing warship slowly glided into the military port.

Moments later, Xio Derecha, dressed in a navy officer's uniform, followed behind Vera, leaping off the deck onto the pier.

Under the guidance of the reception staff, they were led to a villa near the naval port, where they settled in.

After unpacking her luggage, Vera called Xio over and instructed her:

"Our mission isn't over yet… but you have a day and a half of leave to explore Gulain City and enjoy the exotic scenery.

"This is your 'benefit' as a traveling officer, and also part of the 'mission'…"

"But you must be back by 10 p.m. on Wednesday night. We'll depart early Thursday morning to complete the follow-up tasks."

Hearing this, Xio pondered for a moment and then said, "Are we still 'bait'?"

"Maybe, maybe not… I'm not sure how the higher-ups have arranged this…" Vera shook her head, then added, "If possible, visit bars, dance halls, and other public venues. Any expenses incurred can be reimbursed."

"Drinking isn't good…" Xio replied seriously before nodding, "I'll complete the task."

After confirming the rendezvous time again, Xio picked up a small handbag and left the villa, heading toward the city.

Standing by the window on the villa's second floor, Vera glanced at Xio's distant figure, then turned her head to gaze at the warship in the naval port. Inwardly, she speculated:

"The Loen military has planned something big this time… It's likely the 'Rose School of Thought' will be successfully deceived…

"But I can't shake the feeling that there are other forces scheming in the background… In the end, the Loen people may not benefit from this at all…

"Especially since that 'Duke of Terror' even tested me… So, is this Roselle's arrangement from the past, or… him?"

....

Elsewhere, Xio followed her "instructions" and first visited a bar, only to be disappointed to find that, aside from the unusual shapes of the glasses, such establishments were no different from their counterparts in the Northern Continent.

Afterward, she followed her agreement with Ebner and hailed a "coffin" carriage at the designated location, climbing inside.

Curious about this "novel" mode of transportation, Xio quickly identified its flaws—lying inside, she couldn't see the road at all. If the driver took a detour or harbored malicious intentions to take her elsewhere, she'd have no way of noticing.

As it turned out, her suspicions were correct. When Xio slid the "lid" of the coffin open and got out, she found herself in a place entirely different from the address she had given. The coachman was nowhere to be seen, replaced by Ebner, who stood nearby with a cheerful smile.

"Long time no see."

(End of Chapter)