章節 388: Chapter 49: Dinner and Mirrors

After changing clothes, Adryan changed back into his Harvey Wayne appearance and returned to the Astope Quarter with his companion by his side.

Entering the room, the white-haired woman looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "I thought you would rent an extra room."

"And stay alone in this place? Don't even think about it, Miss Worm; you are my teddy bear." Laughing a little, the dark-haired man removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack.

"What would you like to eat?" the man asked, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

Flora blinked a little, "Are you going to cook now?" Isn't it a bit late?"

"Nah, it's fine. You deserve a good meal after being a worm for so long." Adryan shrugged his shoulders, not giving it much importance. "And well? What will it be? Or do you prefer it to be a surprise?"

The white-haired woman remained silent for a few seconds. After deliberating a bit, she nodded, "A Loen-style noodle."

"Loen-style noodles on the way then." Laughing a little, he went to the kitchen.

...

Sitting face to face at the table, Flora looked deeply at the plate before her.

Thick yellow noodles arranged in a swirl, the sauce poured over them in a pink bath, and several thick chunks of tender meat covered again in grated cheese fill a deep plate generously.

Simple candles illuminated the table, and wine glasses were beside the plates.

The woman couldn't help swallowing a bit of saliva. The smell made her mouth water.

She also noticed how the setting and presentation were more like a dinner date, but she didn't comment on it, knowing that the man would take the opportunity to tempt her...

Grabbing the fork, she took some noodles and the sauce and brought them to her mouth.

After years without a body and surviving by parasitizing small animals and eating whatever came her way, this food was almost enough to make her cry. The only thing that kept her from the waterfalls was her pride, like Jacob, and the idea of the stupid smile the man would have in front of her.

So, swallowing the absolute delicacy after chewing it for a good while, she gave an appreciative nod. "It's delicious."

Huffing a little, the redhead looked at her while putting a piece of meat in his mouth, "Of course it is. I made it."

Rolling her eyes, Flora didn't rush to eat but savored every bite to the fullest. So, she grabbed the knife to cut the meat, but before she could cut it, the mere pressure of her fork crumbled it.

Knowing that the knife was unnecessary, she set it aside and brought the tender meat to her mouth, surprised once again as it almost melted.

"How is it so soft?" Had cooking advanced so much since he lost his body? Had so much been lost?

"The trick is to fry the meat before putting it in the pot with the sauce and then boil it again." Adryan smiled proudly as he sipped the wine.

That was a trick his grandmother had taught him. What Flora was eating was not pure Loen-style noodles but a mix of the Loen style, along with the cooking he learned from his Grandmother and his own experience.

Kenway-style noodles!

Flora nodded slightly to his words while taking another piece of meat and putting it in her mouth—the taste of garlic with the sauce making her smile.

Thus continued Flora's first human meal until both their plates were empty. Now, they were just sitting in silence, calmly drinking a glass of water to wash down the food.

"You're not a demigod anymore, are you?" Adryan asked suddenly, his glass a few inches from his lips.

Flora was not surprised by the question. She didn't even show a reaction; she shook her head. "Now I am the Prometheus of Sequence 6."

She stared at him and added, "But I still feel my characteristics. They are inside you."

'It makes sense. It's a safe.' Adryan nodded internally, not surprised by the woman's response.

Hunters Hallow wouldn't just release a Demigod who tried to kill him. This was undoubtedly the most logical decision when entering the Tower and freeing Flora.

If she was going to leave, she couldn't be higher than his sequence, so in an unknown manner, it separated the characteristics of Sequence 5 and Sequence 4 from Flora, gave her years of life, and expelled her with a new body while sealing those characteristics inside him.

'So Hunters Hallow has that ability... That's terrifying. Separating the divinity from a Demigod in a state as bad as Flora's without killing her or losing control...'

Shaking his head slightly and pushing his thoughts away from his tunic. He looked at Flora calmly. "Don't worry. Every time I advance a sequence, your characteristics will return to you."

A sigh escaped Flora, who felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "That's good."

She knew that getting her body back couldn't come for free. This was something she was willing to tolerate.

"Your room will be the guest room. This weekend, we'll go out to buy you clothes and anything else that might interest you." Adryan commented as he set down his already empty glass.

Flora nodded, having no problem with what the man said.

Later that day, in the City of Calamities...

Even after everything that had happened during the day, he couldn't afford to rest.

Opening the grape-colored leather-bound book, Adryan began to read.

Contrary to what many think. Divination through Mirrors does not come directly from the Spirit World, as most other divination does, but rather from the Mirror World.

To this day, the Mirror World remains unknown. However, as far as we know, it shares similarities with the Astral World and the Spirit World; it is a separate dimension.

It is a reflection of everything and nothing—what existed and what did not exist, what could have been and what will never be. It is the sum of everything and nothing. It is a dimension without a king, governed solely by chaos and plagued by the unknown.

According to the Primordial One; "The Mirror World is the most dangerous jungle in the universe. The only safe places are the reflections of reality; even then, they are fraught with dangers. Beyond the reflections, the dangers are unimaginable, and death is certain."

While Mirror Divination is considerably safe, one should never try to look beyond the world's reflections, as something might always be waiting there, ready to look back.

Thanks to all these factors, divination and cursing through mirrors are quite effective and considerably more challenging to protect against than other curses, even rivaling demon families focused on curses...

"Okay... This is not creepy at all..."

In the original story, the Mirror World was mentioned briefly but never delved into much. Considering that he had the City of Calamities under his control, any information about that world was welcome.

But this? This was definitely not expected.

"But even Cheek saying that beyond reflections of the world, death is certain... What kind of place is that?" Murmuring to himself, the redhead slightly closed his eyes and massaged his forehead with two fingers as he fell into cogitation.

Now he was sure that whoever wrote this book was not only a member of the Demoness Sect - only they called that Castrated Bitch the Primordial One - but also a high-level existence. Just reading a few sentences made his brain throb.

'At least a Demigod, that's for sure...'

The pain in his brain diminished, and after a while, he continued reading, occasionally repeating the process of massaging his forehead and cogitating.

While reading, a part of his mind returned to the murals he had seen on the First Floor of the Tower, and several questions formed.

Who was the Angel de Silver fighting against?

'If I take that the True Creator had already been born when the fight occurred, it must have been at the end of the Third Epoch. Placing it at least at the Fourth Epoch...

'Considering that he seemed to be on the side of the True Creator, then it could be likely that the enemies were all the gods except for the Black Emperor, who was the ally of the Rapper...'

"Curious..." Mumbling a bit, the redhead decided to leave this for later.

It was very likely that the one who created the Tower was the Angel of Silver. Not only did the times of appearance match, but it would also explain many others.

The most important thing is that the Silver Angel was also a transmigrator!

Adryan didn't know whether he was the same type as the Transmigrator Trio or just like him. The answer was most likely on the upper floors of the Tower.

"I have to keep climbing..."

At least now he could understand why he was considered the Most Beloved Angel...

But the redhead couldn't help but feel confused about the entire system of the tower and how it worked.

It was a bit strange. The tower's 'system' was very similar to the terrible and repetitive power system of many dungeon stories.

Something he couldn't help but think didn't quite fit in with this world.

While he thought about that, his mind drifted to the encounter in the anteroom of the Tower, and a growl escaped him.

'Why did I have to meet with the Three-Flavors Soup so early?! What the hell!?'

He would recognize that effeminate and pale face anywhere, his real appearance not much different from his art in official forums and descriptions.

The Evil Spirit Sauron-Einhorn-Medici. His second biggest enemy, second only to the Major of the Castrated Bitches.

If Adryan wanted to advance to the Calamity of Destruction, the first step was to defeat the Evil Spirit for the throne of Sequence 0.

For obvious reasons, meeting him in the Tower was literally the best first encounter that could have happened.

In that place, they could do nothing to each other except insult each other, and the Sequences were suppressed. In any other situation, Adryan knew he would have died.

Considering those, how could he not seize the opportunity to strike the first blow in this impending war technically?

Remembering what had happened and the expression the former Red Angel had made, a satisfied laugh escaped the redhead.

"I'm sure he didn't expect that. And who would do it? For him, it was as if an ant suddenly spoke to him and insulted him. It would leave everyone stunned! Hahaha!

Laughing a little more, he remembered another event that happened there.

"Those guys who shouted and came towards me for sure were members of the Church of the Annoyed Dove. They would only charge headfirst even knowing they couldn't do anything to me because of the rules." Criticizing the Punishers' foolish action, he just clicked his tongue.

Honestly, he wasn't too worried about everyone knowing he was in Lenburg.

At first, he was, but now that he knew where the next entrance was, most of his worries had wholly vanished.

The next entry was in the 'City of Sin', after all. Or, as everyone knew in this world, Intis!

It was very likely that most of those who saw him thought he had already left the Tower and was on his way out of the country.

Not that he was still in the country, working to build an Economic Empire.

"Of course, I still have to worry about the Three-Flavored Soup and its Useless Writer Dog... Sigh..." Shaking his head, Adryan sighed and closed the book in his hands.

"I don't have to think about that now; I just have to focus on improving my business and increasing profits..."

As he neared the middle of the book, Adryan considered it enough for the day and returned to his body.

Opening his eyes, Adryan could only grunt a little at his headache.

"It seems that the idea of lending the book to Charlotte will have to wait until he is Sequence 7..."

He was sure the young man would lose control as soon as he read a few words. Maybe he will be safer when he advances to Warlock, but for now, this jar of cookies will stay in the cabinet.

With that in mind, the redhead just sighed and, with the help of cogitation, let the world of dreams take him.

...

Flora's Room.

Lying in bed, wearing a white nightgown, Flora squeezed the pillow a little in her hands. Feeling its softness and cotton texture.

A gentle smile adorned her lips.

'I missed sleeping in a bed...' Closing her eyes, the Jacob quickly fell asleep on a mattress without the aid of cogitation.

...

The Tower. First Floor.

A man with dark blonde hair and blind in one eye watched his 'companion' with suspicion.

That 'companion' wore old black armor with bloodstains, and his red hair stood out against his pale skin.

They were in a dark forest after fighting with strange creatures that were small but highly aggressive and strong. These creatures preferred to hunt in packs. Now, they were using a cave as a refuge.

The half-blind man looked at the red-haired man and expressed his doubt since the events in the great hall.

That crazy moment and provocation from someone who should be weaker than him, but didn't hesitate to provoke everyone present, especially the terrifying Evil Spirit who made his body its new home.

"How does Adryan Kenway know you?" The Traitor Archbishop, Ince Zangwil, asked.

The Evil Spirit turned away from the fire before him and looked at him without enthusiasm. "With whom is behind him, it doesn't surprise me. It's the least he should know."

His red eyes turned away from the man, who said nothing more and not answering the question, causing the blonde man to frown in annoyance.

The only reason they were still together was that they couldn't separate, something that the Evil Spirit had caused.

Due to the rarity of his condition, once he entered the body of the Former Gatekeeper, a part of their being merged.

Unless someone at the level of an angel separated them, they would be together until one of them died.

At that moment, a bloody mouth opened on his left cheek. "You noticed, didn't you? Despite the distance, the smell of his blood was so strong that I could taste it."

Hearing the voice, the Evil Spirit laughed a little, a dark and malicious laugh. "Of course I did."

Another bloody and rotten mouth opened on his right cheek. As soon as it formed, a loud laugh came out.

"Hahaha! I was worried that the new generations were losing the sharpness in their tongues and fists and becoming soft, but it seemed I was wrong!

" Hahaha! Three-Flavors Soup! How did I never think of that!? And you just stood there staring like a fool! Oh! I'm so proud-"

Slap!

Slapping a hand on that cheek, the Evil Spirit could only let out a small grunt while still hearing the laughter.

Moving his gaze to the darker areas of the cave where they were, 'He' did not take long to show his true emotion. He lowered his hand, letting the laughter resonate in the cave, and laughed with it. The rotten, bloody left mouth also joined in the fun shortly after.

Finally, calming down after a long while, three male voices spoke as one—a grim and ghostly symphony of death.

"Without a doubt. This Epoch is extremely interesting~"

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章節 389: Chapter 50: Normal Saturday

Saturday, September 1, 1349.

Adjusting the laurel brass in her hair, Flora looked for a few moments in the full-length mirror before her and nodded. The corner of her lips lifted in pride.

Contrary to the usual, her laurel was considerably larger than average. Her long white hair was tied in elegant braids, all held in place by a purple ribbon hanging on her chest over her left shoulder.

Her dress was graceful and warm, perfect for the autumn that was already hitting the country hard. It had long, intricate details woven through the bronze fabric.

"You look beautiful, Madam." A young maid praised beside her with a bright smile.

Behind her, neatly folded on a table, multiple dresses and accessories rested—each one that Jacob planned to take.

Clapping her hands a little, the maid sighed dreamily. "I'm sure your husband will love how beautiful you look! Ah, I'm so jealous~"

The small smile on the white-haired woman's face disappeared, and she looked at the woman flatly. "Would you please prepare the bill? I'll take everything."

The other woman blinked a little before nodding briskly and heading off to do as ordered, taking with her all the clothes that had been tried on.

"Why does everyone say we're married?" Mumbling to herself with a bit of annoyance, the Jacob walked out to the display portion of the store, her eyes quickly finding her companion.

Sitting on one of the multiple couches meant for the husbands and sweethearts who came to accompany their partners, Adryan, in his Harvey Wayne look, was turning the page of the store's dress menu with some boredom on his face.

Hearing her arrive, the black-haired man lowered the book in his hands and looked at her with a critical eye.

After a few seconds, he nodded and raised his thumb in approval, "Yep. No matter what you wear you still look beautiful, I bet you'd make a potato sack look like fashion."

Ignoring the part of her that sighed in relief and happiness at the compliment, she just hmmed and looked at him bored.

"You're horrible at flattery, you know that, don't you?"

"What do you want me to say? I never got a chance to practice." Rolling his shoulders disinterestedly, Adryan stood up, and the white-haired woman laughed softly.

"I'm not surprised at all. Your attitude in and of itself is an excellent repellent to anyone who shows interest in you. If they don't bolt because they saw your true face, your personality will do the rest." A white eyebrow raised in amusement.

Smiling sweetly at the woman, Adryan leaned forward a bit and looked at her with interest.

"You say that like you don't like it, but we both know you love it, " he whispered softly, with a slight purr of his tongue.

The corners of the woman's lips lifted, and her eyes narrowed in delight, "Oh~ Don't flatter yourself so much, Princess. You're fun, I don't deny it. But to say I love it? I didn't know you were in disillusion, too."

"Fu fu. If my disillusionment is you leaving a mark on my neck, then I'm crazy."

Flora's lips tightened momentarily, and the blood in her cheeks rose, warming them a little.

Just as she was about to resume her attack, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the maid standing watching them with her mouth half open and her face red.

Seeing that she had been discovered, the young woman laughed shyly and spread out the several bags with the dresses and accessories Flora had previously chosen.

"Cough. Sorry for the inconvenience, but your p-order is ready..."

...

"You knew she was there." Flora shot him a stern glare as she spooned a spoonful of her dessert into her mouth.

"Where would the fun be if I didn't?" Adryan winked mischievously as he took a bite of his ice cream cone. In his right hand, he was carrying the bags.

They were now taking a stroll through the Artelia District, exploring Azshara's most artistic and humorous area.

While they looked at the various stores and what the theaters had ready to offer, Adryan took advantage and bought a cone of chocolate and strawberry ice cream for himself and Flora a Four Flavors Cup, all for three argentums.

"I didn't think you'd like that flavor." The man admitted as he ate his ice cream.

Flora looked at him sideways as she scooped some mint ice cream into her mouth.

"When I was still coming through the City, this flavor didn't exist."

A larger scoop of the same flavor was raised again.

Looking at the vibrant green color, the white-haired woman popped the piece into her mouth. "I must say, it doesn't taste bad at all."

"And you haven't even tried the one with chocolate chips yet." Adryan chuckled a little as they walked.

The woman put a hand to her chin and, after a few moments, nodded, "Mmm. Next time, I'll order that flavor."

That said, she took another spoonful from her cup, but this time from a little white ball that was supposed to be coconut. Tasting a bit, Flora nodded slightly. 'Not bad.'

Holding the bags with his wrist, Adryan pulled out a silver pocket watch and clicked it open. He then closed the watch and put it away.

There was still some time left.

"We have time until the play. Do you want to walk around some more, or shall we sit in the park?"

Yesterday, he bought tickets to a play at the theater on Artiros Street, the same one he had promised Flora he would take her to. But it wouldn't start for another two hours, so they were still free.

Looking around and finding nothing that caught her eye, the white-haired woman nodded.

Although it may not be as large as the park surrounding the Holy Temple of Knowledge, the Blandom Park, part of the arts and cultural district, has its charm.

A charm that shone much brighter in the autumn as the brown leaves falling from the trees painted a sense of calm and peace on the stone paths that ran through the place and gave the lake a mystical air.

Sitting on a bench in front of the lake, Adryan and Flora gazed calmly at the view, letting the calmness of the scenery wash over them.

Both were sitting on one of the many stone benches in the park. Next to them were the bags with the white-haired girl's new clothes.

The place they had chosen was curiously private. Hardly anyone passed by, and the few people she had seen usually consisted of a man and a woman who were somewhat close to each other.

Flora noticed that, and adding to the beautiful ambiance, she discreetly looked at the man next to her and said simply;

"This is a place for couples."

Adryan smiled and nodded. "Mrs. Clara often talks about how she comes here to take a walk with her husband. And I see she was right, it is quiet and has good privacy."

"How do you know that? She never had that conversation with you." Flora didn't remember seeing that interaction.

"I have a good ear." Adryan winked, and the white-haired woman could barely contain the laughter that almost came out of her.

Every weird thing this guy does.

"You have no respect for anything, do you? Not even the privacy of your employees?"

"It's not my fault they talk so loud." The man rolled his shoulders, not giving it much thought.

Then, Adryan turned his attention to his companion; "How are you?"

It was a typical question; there was nothing strange about it. However, how he said it and looked at her revealed the man's true doubt.

Flora did not answer immediately. She just watched the reflection of the sunset on the lake in silence.

Adryan was not in a hurry. He just watched calmly as the wind lightly moved the woman's beautiful white hair, his mind not being able to avoid going back to the morning when he made her ponytail and how soft it was.

After 5 seconds, she looked up at him, her lips lifting quickly, stretching her cheeks into a big smile as she raised a hand. "Honestly? I can't wait."

The Cup of Four Savors was thrown away a while ago as the cone was devoured. In its place, Flora now held a simple silver coin in her hands, slightly larger than a penny.

The ticket to the gathering of the Hermits of Fate. The secret organization formed by the union of the Jacob and Zoroast families.

Gathering that would fall on September 16, in the Oldeah District at 8:37 p.m.

With a slight wave of her hand, the coin disappeared, and her hands were empty. Adryan whistled a little while watching her hands and did not even see when the change occurred.

Marauders were fast hands, after all.

Flora watched his reaction, and a proud look adorned her face, "There's someone I want to see."

An eyebrow raised, "Oh? An old friend?"

An unfunny snort came from the woman, "Friend? Ha! Never. She's one of the few people I loathe with all my heart."

"From the way you say it, it would seem the contempt is mutual," Adryan commented, somewhat surprised; he had never seen the woman talk that way about anyone.

Flora looked at him and nodded. "She is one, if not the main, reason I didn't return to the family to help me recover.

"In the state I was in and my failure to find the 'Treasure', it was certain they would use it as an excuse to finally eliminate me and hand over my characteristics to someone more 'useful' to them.

"I bet they thought I had died due to not attending the gatherings for years."

The same big smile returned, and she added, "How I would have loved to see their faces when the ranking was updated."

She might be a little embarrassed, but everyone in the 'family' knows her name in the Tower. It was a source of ridicule when she chose it.

The black-haired man looked at her for a moment before saying. "Remember what we talked about."

The smile on the woman's face tensed for a moment. A soft sigh left her lips, and Flora nodded. "No treasure."

Mentioning the 'problem' without proper preparations could be disastrous. The only reason nothing had happened the first time was because of Hunters Hallow.

Now that Flora was out of his body, there was a chance that mentioning the problem with the Jacob Family Treasure might get her attention.

Adryan knows that his companion is still protected by his robe. This is due to the suppression of her sequence, and she can still feel the characteristics inside his body.

He did not know if this had a limited range, and for obvious reasons, he would not test it. Therefore, they spent most of their time together, only separating to go to the bathroom, sleep, and shower.

Luckily, the soldier was still able to work today, so he had enough time to prepare for Flora to join him in the company.

The Hermits of Fate have a way of making the proper preparations so that the Raven would not notice the change in fate, but they had to make contact first.

Therefore, they would not talk about it until that.

While Adryan was thinking that, Flora looked at him discreetly for a moment before sitting closer to him without the man noticing.

"Are you sure the brat will be all right?"

Returning his attention to his companion, Adryan snorted. "With everything I send her, I'd be disappointed if this doesn't go well. She's not as useless as you think."

"Mmm. I wouldn't be so sure about that." Flora murmured, disinterested, looking up at the slowly darkening sky.

Lowering her gaze, she looked at him curiously. "What are we eating today?"

The man's eyebrow twitched slightly, and he laughed in amusement. "How about a special of mine?"

"What's its name?"

"I call it Lomito Feysac. I'm sure you'll like it."

"Oh?" Flora's eyes twinkled, a clear interest in them.

So far, the food the man was preparing proved to be not only delicious but varied.

Remembering the mbeju and the curious 'cocido' she had eaten this morning, the woman found herself looking forward to dinner.

Feysac is not only known for its drinks but also for the quality of its meat. If the dish Adryan planned to make for her bore that name, it was obvious what the main ingredient would be.

Click.

Looking at the time on his pocket watch, Adryan stood up and smiled at the woman.

With an elegant and very gentlemanly bow, Adryan extended his gloved right hand to Flora, "Will you accompany me to the theater tonight, Beautiful Lady?"

Taken a bit by surprise, Flora took a moment to react.

Huffing a bit at this guy's nonsense, she decided to play along and gracefully took the outstretched hand, "I'd be delighted, Sir~"

They held it in as best they could for a second before bursting into laughter.

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