Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Ebner knew Darkwill had a sharp tongue, but he wasn't the type to joke about medical matters. And judging by Tran's increasingly red face, it was clear that something was wrong.

Wait a minute… I remember Cullen secretly adjusted Tran's body back in Damir…

How has he already become "drained" again?

Could it be that Lydia's potion has worn off?

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Ebner simulated the Physician's abilities and carefully examined Tran's condition.

A moment later, he sighed in relief.

Tran's body wasn't actually damaged—though he was, indeed, severely weakened. But that, in itself, was proof of Lydia's restraint.

According to Cullen's description, Tran's attraction to Lydia was constantly increasing. If it ever passed a certain threshold, and Lydia wasn't under the effects of a potion, she might drain his blood completely in an instant!

"Still… it's not just 'blood loss' this time… or rather…"

"His… um… 'need' for mummy powder seems to be the bigger problem…"

"A young girl, unable to satisfy her cravings through food, found… alternative means to relieve her 'hunger'? Or was she trying to compensate for the boy?"

As Ebner spiraled into overthinking, Tran finally noticed his presence—prompted by Helene stepping closer.

His already red face deepened in color, and he blurted out in a mix of surprise and embarrassment:

"Mr. Bryan?! What are you doing here?"

"I've been friends with Mr. Darkwill since our days in Backlund, so I came by for a visit." Ebner smiled casually, responding with a simple greeting.

He didn't mention his business deal with the chubby apothecary—there was no need for Tran to know.

Darkwill, however, took one look at Tran's face, then at Ebner, before deliberately butting in with a teasing smirk:

"Your condition isn't too serious… Since you know Ebner, I'll give you a discount. Just 3 pounds, and I guarantee that tonight, you'll be stronger than ever.

"Though, personally, I'd recommend taking a few days to rest."

"I… I…"

Despite the confidence Ebner had helped him build, Tran was still shy—especially in such sensitive matters. His face burned brighter, and he stammered uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Darkwill practically beamed. He reached into a cabinet, took out a mix of common and exotic herbs, tossed in some insect shells, and sealed them in a paper pouch.

"Boil everything in water for half an hour…

"Trust me, drink the concoction, and both you and your lady will be very… satisfied.

"One of Duke Negan's mistresses personally praised its effects."

Most of his customers were either hardened regulars or people like Ebner, who didn't humor him—which made their reactions incredibly dull.

So now that he had an amusingly awkward young man to tease, Darkwill was delighted.

After all, seeing others flustered or frustrated was one of his greatest joys.

Of course, helping people recover their health was another.

But… since he always combined the two, people rarely ever thanked him for it.

"Duke Negan's mistress…?"

"Now that I think about it, in the original novel, Duke Negan did take some 'mummy powder'-based medication before he died…"

"Darkwill, you bastard, are you actually an accomplice of that 'Desire Apostle' from the Blood Sanctify Sect?!"

"Wait… Could this also be something that 'that Russian priest' arranged?"

"That'd really shake up my impression of him…"

While mentally roasting a few high-level figures, Ebner turned his attention to Tran—who was now caught in an awkward dilemma over whether to take the medicine or not.

Seeing this, Ebner took the initiative—he grabbed the medicine pouch, stuffed it into Tran's hand, and intentionally changed the subject:

"Did you come to Bayam alone, or did the Arrunheim arrive as well?"

Holding the pouch that had just been forced into his hands, Tran blinked in surprise.

After a brief hesitation, he glanced at Ebner with grateful eyes, then quickly pulled out three one-pound notes and placed them on the counter.

Finally, he exhaled and replied in a lowered voice:

"The captain came too. We're planning to attend the Beyonder gathering at Amyris Leaf Bar on Wednesday night.

"I heard that ever since the boss behind the scenes changed, the event has attracted more Beyonders, thanks to the presence of a 'Notary' and an 'Appraiser'.

"Apparently, the trade quality is much higher now, so the captain is looking to acquire some supplies before we explore that—"

Right then, Tran suddenly shut his mouth.

After all, what came next was a team secret.

No matter how much respect he had for Mr. Bryan, it wouldn't be appropriate to reveal any more.

Exploration?

Oh, I get it—it's about the treasure tied to the Golden Snake Sword…

From that diary page Xio submitted earlier, we can already tell that Roselle had some ulterior motives…

He might not have outright set a deadly trap, but there's definitely a huge 'surprise' waiting for them there.

And we can't be sure whether Roselle was already corrupted when he set it up…

If he was, then even his 'good intentions' wouldn't be something Gwen, Tran, or Lydia could handle.

I remember writing to Cullen about this before… Didn't he take any action?

Or maybe… Cullen has his own considerations? Well, either way, if he's aware of it, then it's not my problem to worry about.

"Amyris Leaf Bar's gathering?"

I only successfully hosted it once, and it's already making waves in Damir?!

While processing these thoughts, Ebner tactfully ignored Tran's slip-up and instead politely extended an invitation:

"Have you found a place to stay? If not, you're welcome at my Fragrant Manor. There are plenty of guest rooms available."

And the soundproofing is excellent.

Tran hesitated.

"T-this… this is something the captain would have to decide."

Though his response was polite, his tone showed that he was seriously considering the offer.

"That… that's up to the captain to decide," Tran thought for a moment before responding shyly.

"That makes sense… Here, I'll leave you my address. If Gwen makes a decision, she can come directly," Ebner said, glancing at Helene beside him.

The red-clad maid immediately understood and retrieved pen and paper from her pocket, handing them over.

With a few swift strokes, Ebner wrote down his Fragrant Manor's address, then passed the note to Tran.

Afterward, he exchanged a few casual words with Darkwill, who had been consciously keeping his distance since the start of the conversation. Then, together with Helene, he left the herbal shop.

Tran watched Helene's retreating figure and couldn't help but feel a little worried for the captain.

Although Captain Gwen and Detective Bryan seemed to have no special relationship, there was no doubt that Gwen trusted and admired him more than any other man.

And those rumors back in Damir…

Maybe they weren't entirely false.

After all, as Roselle once said:

"Where there's an opening, the wind will slip in!"

Once Tran left with his medicine, Darkwill finally stepped out of his shop, whipping the air playfully as he turned toward the shivering owl in the yard.

"Alright, let's test out this miraculous whip!"

Owl Harry stared wide-eyed at the leather weapon for a few seconds before calmly saying:

"My feathers aren't as tough as iron armor. If you try it on me, you'll lose a valuable assistant."

"But what I really need is an assistant who can handle monsters and gang thugs…" Darkwill flicked the whip again, speaking in a deliberately ominous tone.

At this point, the frail girl, Budi, who had been silent all along, finally gathered her courage.

"Mr. Darkwill… please don't bully Mr. Harry…" she said in a trembling voice.

"If you need to test it, you can use me instead… I owe you a lot. It's only right that I cooperate."

Though her entire body shook, she still met Darkwill's gaze head-on and spoke without hesitation.

Darkwill stared at her for a long moment.

Just as Budi's legs nearly gave out, he suddenly put away the whip and chuckled oddly.

"Since Budi asked, I'll spare this dumb bird… for now."

Hearing this, Budi exhaled deeply, her weak body almost collapsing.

It was only thanks to Harry, who grabbed onto her collar with his talons, that she didn't fall to the ground.

"Thank you, Mr. Darkwill! You're a very kind person!" Budi chirped excitedly.

Darkwill ignored her.

Instead, he simply stretched out his right arm, allowing the owl to hop onto it.

Just before re-entering his shop, Darkwill paused.

With his back still turned, he asked:

"I remember… the night you first came here for help, you said your wish was to 'live like a person.'"

"Ah…?" Budi blinked blankly, taking several seconds to process his words.

"Well, now you are."

After saying this, Darkwill returned to his counter, his departure punctuated by the owl's annoyed chattering:

"How was my acting? Pretty convincing, right?"

Budi, meanwhile, remained rooted to the spot, staring into the distance in a daze.

Her physical afflictions had been cured.

But the emotional scars were far harder to erase.

Still…

She was strong.

And this was a good start.

....

Tran, now carrying his medicine, arrived at the designated meeting place—a small café.

Sure enough, inside, he saw the tall and stunning Captain Gwen, along with Lydia, who was eagerly waving at him.

"What took you so long?" Lydia frowned, noticing his slow, hesitant steps.

Then, as if casually, she added:

"I thought I saw you heading toward Red Theater?"

Had she not just checked Tran's physical state, she definitely would've followed him.

Before Tran could explain, Lydia sniffed the air and immediately found the medicine pouch in his hands.

She barely glanced at it before scrunching her nose in distaste.

"It's effective, sure, but the ingredients are way too crude…

"If you needed something like this, you should've just come to me instead!"

After all, as a Blood Race, Lydia was a natural-born Apothecary.

"Come to you?!"

"Then I'd lose even more face!"

Tran muttered complaints internally, but instead of arguing, he quickly turned to Captain Gwen, who was smirking knowingly.

Then, almost instinctively, he changed the subject:

"Captain, I just met Detective Bryan."

....

Meanwhile…

At Bayam's docks, the ancient-looking ship Blue Avenger sailed into the private harbor of the Church of the God of Storms.

Standing at the bow, Alger Wilson—wearing his captain's hat—narrowed his eyes.

He watched as a massive wooden sailing ship emerged from the sea.