Lord of the Mysteries: I Married the Queen Mystic

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~Nightfall, West Borough, Unit 75 Hailin Avenue~

Even as she sat in the living room of Odis's residence, Bernadette still found it hard to believe that she had accepted his invitation to taste the meat of a mutated flamingo...

She couldn't remember the last time she had acted so impulsively.

Perhaps it was because their afternoon discussion had been so profound that she felt inclined to accept Odis's invitation, Bernadette mused.

Since she was already here, she stopped overthinking it and stood up to examine the few pieces of art in the living room, only to discover they were all high-quality replicas.

Bernadette smiled knowingly...

This matched what she knew of Odis. Based on recent observations using her invisible messenger, she had learned that Odis spent nearly all his income on Mysticism research.

With his earnings, he could easily afford a carriage, yet he still traveled by public coach!

The most valuable items in the room were likely the exquisite handmade models displayed on the shelf by the wall.

Bernadette saw models of steel warships, a figure clad in strange yet industrially aesthetic armor, and even models of trains and flying castles.

On the top shelf were two photographs...

One was a portrait of Odis alone, wearing a top hat and formal attire, his gaze fixed on the left front as if envisioning his future or staring into the distance.

The other showed Odis standing in front of an herbal medicine shop.

Just then, Odis called from the dining room, "Dinner's ready."

"Coming," Bernadette replied, entering to find the table laden with food.

There was roasted meat, meat soup, pan-fried meat, and stir-fried meat with peppers... all from the mutated flamingo.

To carve the magic arrays on the Flamebolts, Odis needed 45 leg bones from mutated flamingos, which required hunting 23 of them.

These Spiritual creatures had long slender legs, livers, blood, and seven long tail feathers... all of which were fire-attributed mystical materials.

The rest of the meat, however, was simply high-spirituality ingredients.

Odis, of course, wouldn't waste such good food. After setting aside two for Old Man Anil and giving two to his assistant Kain, he kept five for himself and sent another five to Max.

The remaining nine were delivered to the Rosewood Pavilion, where they could be used as gifts for the courtesans to present to nobles.

Those nobles had discerning tastes and would recognize their value.

Of the five Odis kept, he used four to prepare tonight's dinner.

He also made a vegetable salad, a fruit platter, bought some pastries and bread, and even a bottle of red wine. Thus, this lavish dinner came to be...

Bernadette examined the dishes, "It looks decent."

At least it smelled good. She cut a piece of meat and tasted it... the texture was a bit tough, but the flavor was rich and delicious.

Odis picked up his fork and knife, "I've always wondered... do High-Sequence Beyonders like you still eat like ordinary people?"

"Not necessarily for every meal," Bernadette replied, "Most of the time, eating is more of a psychological comfort."

She then asked, "You seem to like photography?"

Even in Backlund, photography was a relatively luxurious indulgence.

Odis smiled, "Cameras are quite fun."

In truth, he mainly wanted to experience what photography felt like in this era. Box cameras already existed. Though bulky, they could produce fairly refined black-and-white photos without issue.

"When you advance further, you'll find even more interesting things," Bernadette said with a smile, setting down her knife and snapping her fingers at the air.

Odis immediately saw a sketchbook and a paintbrush appear on one side of the table, suspended midair by an invisible force. The brush began swiftly sketching on the paper.

In just over ten seconds, the brush stopped, and the sketchbook turned to face Odis and Bernadette.

Odis saw a lifelike painting of the two of them dining...

Despite only a single brush being used, the painting was in full color and astonishingly realistic, almost like a color photograph.

Odis marveled, "The Beyonder life sure is convenient."

Hearing his surprised remark, Bernadette smiled and snapped her fingers again. An invisible hand lifted the painting and handed it to Odis.

"Thank you," Odis said, accepting it, "I'll buy a frame and keep it."

Bernadette waved it off, "It's just a painting."

They continued eating and chatting, and Bernadette asked, "I've always been curious... why did you go to such lengths to build your own intelligence network?"

The 'Mysticism Research Society' had established an intelligence network within Backlund's Beyonder circles. Though it lacked information on major figures, Odis could learn about any stirrings in the Beyonder world almost immediately.

Meanwhile, the Rosewood Pavilion served as his intelligence hub among Backlund's nobility. Odis knew many noble secrets and could leverage them for significant gain when needed.

"The reason is simple," he said, raising his glass and taking a sip of wine, "Information is a valuable yet relatively safe 'commodity'."

"...For example, if you needed intel on someone in Backlund, you'd probably buy it from me rather than kidnap and torture me, right?"

Bernadette raised her glass as well, "What if you ran into lunatics like the Aurora Order? They might just kill you and then use Spirit Dowsing to extract the information."

"Which is why I collaborate with the orthodox churches," Odis replied with a smile, "The Aurora Order is an exception. No matter what I do, running into their fanatics is always dangerous."

Bernadette then revealed her true purpose, "I've learned that there are Aurora Order members in the gatherings you organize."

"They are dangerous, but if you understand their needs, they can still be useful," Odis said, "I'm well aware of the risks, which is why I've made sure they can't find me."

As for divination or other tracking methods, the 'Knowledge Moor' would block them, ensuring he remained untraceable.

Odis grinned, "But I can find them."

Bernadette nodded slowly. As long as he didn't have deep ties with the Aurora Order, it was fine.

Their conversation then lightened, shifting to topics like plays, operas, and amusing anecdotes about Backlund.

Around nine in the evening, after eating their fill and enjoying tea by the fireplace, Bernadette took her leave...

Odis had intended to escort her to the door, but she vanished right in front of the fireplace.

He stretched lazily but didn't rest just yet... instead, he began preparing for tomorrow's Mysticism Research Society meeting.

Tomorrow, Xio Derecha would attend as a new member...