The sight that greeted Adryan when he opened his eyes was not the familiar ceiling of his living room.
The yellow was gone, replaced by a soft, creamy sky blue that, combined with the wooden beams, gave the room a more rustic feel. The same air no longer smelled of expensive designer perfumes, but of a subtle woody scent.
He was no longer in the prestigious and ostentatious Lenburg apartment building, but in a somewhat more modest one southeast of the Elysian District, Kyon Columbia. This was one of several apartments he had ordered his soldiers to find.
Yawning, he got up and stretched; as he did so, he glanced over his shoulder at the place where he had been lying. The reddish-brown fabric sofa bore the imprint of his figure, something the man didn't think much of.
It was a bit hard on the back; breaking it in was fine.
'Will I even have time to break it in before I have to leave again?' A sudden thought crossed his mind, causing his eyelid to twitch.
He scratched his neck with two fingers, looking around with somewhat clouded eyes.
Two suite-style rooms, with a small living area featuring a shared bathroom, a kitchen, and a laundry room. It was a layout similar to his previous apartment, but at least four times smaller—plus, he had to pay rent on the 24th of every month.
Compared to 145, it was, to put it mildly, a downgrade.
He knew it was necessary, but that didn't mean he wouldn't miss Astope Quarter.
'The kitchen was pretty good, but its bathrooms… Sigh. That kind of space isn't something I can easily find…'
In both lives, he had been blessed with a large build, so he always enjoyed spacious bathrooms. Something that got considerably worse in this second life, in which his body kept growing as he progressed through the sequences. That his shoulders didn't touch the walls was already a requirement for him.
Thinking about that, the man was reminded of something else that, at this point, already seemed like a habit of his.
'Is this what? The fourth time I've had to relocate in less than six months?'
His first house in Backlund was blown up by his own hand to escape; the second, he set it ablaze himself due to dirty dealings with the mafia. And his new one in Azshara had to be abandoned.
Of all of them, Astope Quarter had been the only one spared from becoming rubble or a charred skeleton.
Not wanting to think about his record of destroyed places, Adryan focused his attention on something else instead.
Glancing to the side, at the other sofa in the living room, he smiled at the white hair lying on it.
"How's it? Is it better than last time?"
Flora Jacob, wearing an evening gown with her wavy hair loose, didn't look up from the book she was reading; she merely gave a disinterested nod. Half a chocolate-covered strawberry rested in her free hand.
The cover of the book in her hands was blank, with only a few simple lines of handwritten text that read 'The White Dragon Knight of East Borough'
Flipping to the next page with the swipe of her thumb, she finally spoke:
"The descriptions were improved. She also changed the others' appearances. Miss Salted Fish has a curious imagination; she even found a way to include me in it."
The first version didn't include her in the 'Fire Mage's' rise, but the group's writer managed to incorporate her during the early days of James Holmes's performance. Just a few days before he took down Dead Shot, helping him locate the latter's secret base.
Pausing her reading, she side-eyed him: "She went to quite a bit of trouble with my character's relationship with James Holmes. It's quite 'descriptive.'"
The corners of the man's lips twitched slightly: "That… is something Miss Writer tends to do. Her main genre is romance, after all…"
Even in the original story, Fors Wall had written a few romantic adventures of the Crazy Hunter with some Pirate Admirals.
Still, given how she always reacted to him, Adryan didn't think she'd dare to do the same.
But it seems he underestimated her passion for writing, since in the end she had indeed chosen that route…
'Still, Miss Writer wouldn't have been super explicit, would she?' Thinking that, the redhead asked the question.
"How descriptive are we talking about?"
Flora didn't answer with words. She simply flipped the book to a specific page while popping what was left of the strawberry into her mouth.
Naturally, the man's red eyes glanced quickly at the page.
Their breaths intertwined in a heated dance, their bodies becoming one beneath the crimson glow of the moon, which bathed their bare skin and painted it with passion. The bedframe slammed against the wall, mirroring the clash of flesh against flesh beneath the sheets…
"… Oh," his lips moved slowly, his eyebrows slightly raised at the audacity.
The book wasn't a bibliography, so a few liberties were fine. As long as the idea that he was a knight spread, he could tolerate a few irregularities.
Still… That fish knew he was going to read it and still wrote something like that?
'Miss Writer turned out to be a sizzling piranha, eh? Hehe.' A part of his dark heart beat with what Adryan could only describe as pride.
Jacob lowered the book, covering her face with it, a fresh red delight between her fingers. "Not bad. A bit more daring than I expected from her, but it's fine. I see that glimmer of a renowned author."
"A talented salted fish." Adryan looked at his dear worm, intrigued: "Should I ask her to remove that part?"
"Leave it as is. The woman in the story has a personality and physical appearance different from mine. She's just another character in one of her many stories. I don't see myself reflected in her." The white-haired woman waved her hand, continuing to read as if nothing had happened.
Now, that piqued the man's curiosity a little: "What makes you so sure of that?"
Flora lowered the book slightly, revealing gray eyes curved with knowingness, "Between the two of us, I'm not the one on the bottom."
The redhead's expression tensed before a small chuckle escaped him: "Is that a complaint I hear?"
The woman smiled imperceptibly, "I'm just pointing out the truth, Princess. Nothing more."
"Sure," Adryan rolled his eyes and, turning around, began walking toward the bathroom.
The corners of the Dream Stealer's lips curved as she watched the man's back disappear behind the bathroom door. Without haste, she turned to the next page of the manuscript while taking a bite of the strawberry.
With the princess gone, even if only for a moment, she was left alone in the small room.
Hazel was in her room. Since she didn't have to act as a maid, the young lady enjoyed her Saturday mornings by sleeping in. Or, if she was awake, reading a book in the privacy of her room.
Leaving Astope Quarter was a hassle, but Flora never had a problem moving from places where she'd spent years living. Leaving an apartment she'd only lived in for two months was just another day in the life, nothing special.
As long as the bed was comfortable and the food decent, she could live in a forest or on an island for all she cared.
'With the princess, I don't have to worry about any of that. Truly, the best housewife.' Laughing a little to herself, Flora finished what was left of her strawberry, pleased.
Just as she was about to take another one from the bowl on her lap, her hand froze.
The smile on her face faded, and she silently lowered the book. With a flick of her wrist, a silver coin appeared between her fingers.
The front of the coin bore the symbols of Fate and Concealment, but the Jacob only looked at it for as long as it took to blink and turned it over.
The various numbers and languages in Elvish, Hermes, and Jotun twisted and mingled, ending in a whirlpool of formulas and sentences with no apparent beginning or end.
Flora calmly analyzed the swirl, her sharp gray gaze moving between the various nonsensical phrases and the ineffective formulas.
It took her a few minutes, but she finally managed to find the repetitions in the letters of the different languages and the same numbers in the same places within the formulas that actually worked.
Putting it all together, the date and location of the next meeting formed in her mind. And when it did, Flora scoffed, unimpressed and even somewhat disappointed.
'Of course she would do this.' Waving her hand, the silver coin vanished from her palm and was replaced by a juicy strawberry with its leaves cut off.
It sank into the bowl of melted chocolate and, after bathing in it, was sentenced to death.
Chomp!
That was the sight that greeted the Reaper as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the living room.
Adryan tilted his head slightly to one side.
"Any problems, Miss Worm?"
Wiping her mouth with her handkerchief, Flora spoke simply, "The next meeting of the Hermits of Fate is on October 30th."
"Very subtle, aren't they?" The man sighed, taking a seat on the sofa where the woman was sitting, "Could it be to give you a gift?"
"With Fiorella? Never. She probably just picked that day to annoy me; it wouldn't be the first time she's done it." Flora replied, having taken her usual spot at some point.
"Your family is something else."
"Tell me something I don't know, Princess."
"Hmm. I know, I'm an uncle and I have a niece older than me."
"Oh?" Looking up from where she sat, the silver-haired woman raised an eyebrow: "Do you have a sworn brother in Feysac?"
It was well known that the people of Feysac swore brotherhood oaths to one another, so it wasn't unusual for people with no blood ties to call one another brother or sister. This could even carry over into the next generation, where a child might call someone outside the family "uncle."
This common fact crossed Jacob's mind, and just then he felt his sixth sense tingle.
"Something like that," with a strange smile, the redhead laughed quietly, "my niece's name is Bernadette, by the way."
For a moment, Flora's eyebrows shot up to her hairline before dropping, a look of understanding shining in her eyes. "Are we finally going to talk about that?"
'It took longer than I thought, but the day has finally come, huh?' It was time to make use of the seeds he had planted all this time.
Adryan's smile remained, but it became more natural. "What specifically do you want to talk about?"
Serenity graced the older woman's face as she settled onto the man's lap to look him straight in the eye. Once comfortable, she posed the question.
"How old are you really, Princess?"
Gazing deeply into those scarlet eyes, Flora continued unhurriedly: "According to your own words, you've only been in the world of mysticism for a few months.
"Even so, you possess profound knowledge not only of each of the 22 pathways, but also of Grade 0 artifacts, world history, and occult organizations. Furthermore, are you now implying that you are the emperor's sworn brother? What sense does that make?"
At first, she could attribute everything he knew to the influence of the Scarlet Monarch as an Ancient Existence, but there were certain things even such an existence couldn't teach. Everything related to the Fourth Era, for example.
It had reached the point where the only possible explanation was that he was a fallen angel who had only recently begun to recover. But that didn't make sense either!
When she had parasitized him, she had seen his spirit body, so she knew he was truly as old as he claimed. But with the blessings the Scarlet Monarch had bestowed upon him, who was to say what she had seen wasn't just a cover-up?
This was the biggest doubt she had right now. One that, while it didn't keep her awake at night, was something she couldn't help but think about from time to time.
Adryan kept his smile, though his eyes narrowed slightly: "How long have you had these questions?"
"Since the conversation with the archbishop. The level of information discussed there isn't something someone who claims to be only 22 would have so easily," Flora said honestly.
"I really am 22. I never lied about that," the redhead sighed, scratching his cheek, "I'm a normal human, if that's what worries you; the only thing that makes me different is that I come from a place similar to the Emperor's."
At those words, her gray eyes sparkled. "I expected that from the Monarch, but I didn't think you were one too. Does that mean you can read the diary as well?"
Adryan nodded, hiding nothing, "Although the vast majority of my knowledge comes from my Lord, I won't deny that the Emperor was a good teacher in his own way."
"I see…" Flora murmured, holding her chin with two fingers, deep in thought.
She had always suspected the diary's contents were valuable, but it seemed that even if she had high expectations, they had still fallen short.
After about 15 seconds of consideration, she nodded calmly, "Is there anything else I should know?"
Learning more about her companion was tempting, but given the level of information they were discussing, it was best to be cautious. And to her disappointment and understanding, the Reaper shook his head.
"Until we become angels, this is all I'm willing to say."
At the mention of angels, the amusement in the woman's demeanor faded for a moment. She didn't move for a few seconds, processing what she had heard.
"Mhm, I see." Closing her eyes, she simply wrapped her arms around his neck, "Wake me when you're ready to make lunch."
Somewhat dazed, Adryan didn't move for a moment, though he soon wrapped his arms around the worm.
Unable to contain himself, he whispered, somewhat confused, "Just that? Nothing else? I'm a little disappointed, Miss Worm."
"You'd already told me in the tower that the Monarch wasn't from here. Why would it be any different with His chosen one? The Emperor was always strange, so I'm not surprised."
Bored, the woman closed her eyes and breathed calmly.
"Whether you're from here or not, it doesn't change a thing. You're still a princess who can't control herself and insults anyone."
Then, a small smile spread across her face: "All it does is raise your value a little in my eyes."
"I didn't know I was competing." Laughing softly, he pressed his cheek against his favorite cloud: "Would anything have changed if I'd said I was 500 years old?"
In response to that, the pressure on his neck tightened slightly, and a warm breath brushed against the back of his ear.
"Ever since I was little, I've known Beyonders with several centuries on their shoulders, Princess. Whether you're twenty or a thousand years old, I really don't care. Age is just another number to me." Flora spoke boredly, playing with a few red strands of hair between her fingers.
With a small growl, she placed her hands on his shoulders. Then, she pressed down hard, pushing the redhead into the sofa and straddling him.
A subtle smile formed on the woman's face as she tilted her head slightly. Her white hair fell over the sides of the redhead's head, ensuring that all his attention was focused on her bright gray eyes.
"At the end of the day, you're my property. Just as you don't care that I used to be a rat, I don't care what you really are."
Raising a hand, she flicked his forehead rather hard. "I'll let this slide, but next time I won't be so kind, okay~?"
Adryan looked at her with his lips slightly pursed, a weary smile on his face.
At that sight, Flora laughed with satisfaction. Returning her arm to its previous position, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes.
Everyone had secrets, whether small or big.
In her current state, she knew she couldn't bear the weight the princess carried. So she didn't pry further; what she'd learned was enough to sate her curiosity for the moment. But only sate: she was far from satisfied.
She hadn't become who she was today by being impatient. When necessary, she could wait quite well.
And when the day came that the princess would finally reveal what he knew, she wouldn't stop until she knew everything~
Glancing at the white hair, Adryan wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her against him. The scent of lavender and honey was calming his mind, but the slight pinch in his heart was still ever-present.
No matter how much he wanted to open his heart to his loved ones, he couldn't do it.
Not out of a lack of courage or fear of their reaction, but to protect them from the disaster that speaking of that forbidden knowledge could bring.
'I'll tell you everything I can, but not all. What's in my head… I can't risk betting that nothing will happen; I have too much to lose.'
Once again, he could only curse the bastard who brought him here.
Keeping these dark thoughts deep within his broken soul, Adryan simply closed his eyes and enjoyed what he could show.
Meanwhile, a few minutes earlier, in another part of the Elysian District, in Unit 3-6, Klein was inspecting a sleek 6-shot revolver when murmurs reached his ears.