"Sorry, Old Woman, I've frightened you," Syl comforted with a smile, looking at the Old Woman behind her who was already shivering with fear. "It seems he needs some psychological guidance."
After saying that, Syl slowly stepped into the dim room and closed the door, cutting off the Old Woman's view.
The only window in the dim room that let in light was currently covered by curtains. Inside the room, there was only a wooden bed frame, on top of which was a crude "mattress" woven from hemp rope; if one wasn't careful while sleeping at night, they might fall through the gaps in the rope.
Aside from that, there was a worn-out wardrobe in the room, and there was no space for anything else.
Syl passed by Edward and walked to the window, reaching out with her cane to flick open the curtains, allowing the morning sunlight to filter into the room through the window.
Syl leaned back against the window, looking at Edward lying on the floor, whose body showed faint signs of collapsing, and felt a headache coming on.
It seemed that a monster-like life lived in the dark had nearly driven Edward to madness.
If Syl had come a day or even half a day later, Edward might have completely fallen into madness, then wandered the city like a headless fly searching for a [Calamitous Fate] Host physician until he was killed as a monster, becoming one of Suramar's many urban legends.
"Hey, Edward," Syl called out, but Edward, lying on the ground, did not respond.
Furthermore, something seemed to be bulging under the vest on Edward's back.
Syl knew she couldn't delay any longer and asked directly, "Does this make you feel despair? Have you thought about your sister?"
It seemed the word'sister' stimulated Edward; the bulge on his back gradually receded.
After a long time, he clenched his right fist, propped himself up, and sat slumped on the floor, staring intently in Syl's direction, yet remaining silent.
"Get your facts straight, kid." Syl raised her cane and tapped the wooden floor twice. "Without my friend, you'd be dead already."
"Who would take care of your sister then? Your parents? Or your grandmother?"
Syl's words made Edward lower his eyelids, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
"I... have no parents," Edward finally spoke after a moment of silence. "Mrs. Joanna isn't my grandmother; she's just my landlady."
Seeing that Edward was willing to speak, Syl felt a temporary sense of relief.
Just as long as he doesn't turn into a monster, otherwise I'll feel guilty when I return to my original body.
"Are all the people in this building tenants?" Syl prepared to slowly open up the conversation.
"Yes..."
"What about your sister? She isn't in the same room as you?"
"Mrs. Joanna is a widow living alone; she agreed to let Lina stay in her house for a while."
"Hmm... this room is indeed a bit cramped."
"Mrs. Joanna is a good person... I really shouldn't have just now..."
Sensing that Edward's guard was gradually lowering, Syl suddenly asked, "Why did you jump off the building?"
"Uh..." Syl's sudden question made Edward's intended words get stuck in his throat. "I... I don't know..."
Syl frowned slightly, noticing Edward's wariness. She tilted her chin up slightly: "I'll ask you some questions, answer them truthfully, and depending on the situation, I'll give you a reward."
After saying this, Syl took a 10-Su-pound note out of her pocket and held it between her fingers.
Seeing these 10 Su pounds, Edward's eyes went straight... of course, the two fingers inside his right eye socket really did straighten out.
"Please, ask whatever you like." Clearly, these 10 Su pounds were a huge attraction to Edward, who was unable to work and in desperate need of money.
These ten shillings would be enough for Lina's food for half a year; that way, Edward could convince Lina to quit that damn factory and let her go to school in peace.
Syl placed the Su pounds on the windowsill:
"Then you'll have to answer my questions honestly."
Watching the Su pounds on the windowsill, which looked like they might blow away in the breeze, Edward swallowed hard and nodded.
"The reason for your suicide?" Syl continued with the question.
"I... I didn't want to burden Lina..." Edward lowered his head, remained silent for a long time, and then continued, "In fact, a few months ago, I became a cripple in a machine malfunction. Even for hard labor paying a few shillings a week, no factory owner was willing to take me."
"Lina went into the factory for me... She could have gone to the Church of the Goddess of Hope's free church school, but she gave up that opportunity just to support a useless person like me..."
"What about the factory's compensation? Was there any?" Syl interrupted Edward.
"No... they said it was my own operational error..."
Syl looked straight at Edward:
"So you chose to commit suicide?"
Hearing Syl's question, Edward nodded somewhat blankly.
From this brief questioning, Syl seemed to have grasped something.
It appeared the Church wasn't failing to help these poor people; they had even built a free church school in Ivisa South District.
But even so, there were still children like Lina who couldn't attend school.
A flash of inspiration crossed Syl's mind, and she stared at Edward, asking:
"Do you know the name Bonsandi?"
Hearing this name, Edward seemed to react.
He asked back with some uncertainty:
"Grand Baron Bonsandi?"
"He is the largest factory owner in Ivisa District, almost half of the factories are under his name, and it seems even Suramar Port was built with his funding... Why do you ask about him?"
"What about the Church of the Goddess of Hope then?" Syl followed up. "How do the people of Ivisa District view the Church of the Goddess of Hope?"
"The Church of the Goddess of Hope?" After thinking carefully, Edward replied, "If limited only to the Ivisa area, the Church of the Goddess of Hope is a church that truly brings hope. At least no other church has established a chapel or a church school in Ivisa; only the Church of the Goddess of Hope has done so."
"And the Hope Priests encourage all the children in Ivisa District to go to school, treat the poor of Ivisa for free, lead us in protesting excessive working hours, and teach us how to demand higher wages..."
"But the newspapers never write about their good points." Speaking of this, Edward seemed somewhat indignant.
Hearing this, Syl felt she had a general concept of the conflict between the nobility and the Church in Ivisa District.
That is, the Church's actions to save the world and help the poor were in conflict with the interests of capital.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Just then, a soft knock came from the door, and both Edward and Syl looked toward the doorway at the same time.
"Brother..." a weak voice came from outside the door.
Edward turned his head to glance at Syl, and only after seeing Syl's nod did he speak: "Come in, Lina."
The door was slowly opened, and Lina walked in slowly. She was wearing a long black dress with a simple white apron over it.
Seemingly surprised that there was someone else in the room, Lina's slightly dusty little face showed an expression of surprise, and her hands nervously twisted the hem of her skirt.
"It's fine, you can act as if I don't exist." Syl gave a calm and elegant smile and nodded to Lina.
"Hello, Pretty Older Sister." Lina only nodded slightly to Syl and then immediately hid behind Edward.
It seemed that compared to the monster-like Edward, Syl, this stranger, made her feel more afraid.
"It's okay, Lina, she's not a bad person, she's just here to ask some questions." Edward wanted to reach out and pat his sister's shoulder to comfort her, but thinking of the eye on his right hand, he lowered his raised hand again.
"Why is your face so dirty?" Edward looked at Lina with concern. Suddenly, Edward seemed to see something, and his pupils contracted sharply.
Near the abdomen of Lina's white apron, there was a glaring, large footprint, looking particularly eye-catching against the white apron.
Before Edward could ask anything, Lina suddenly remembered something and broke into a smile.
Lina reached out her small hand into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a tightly wrapped small cloth bundle. She carefully opened the bundle, which contained some loose coins; a rough glance showed about five shillings and a dozen or so pennies.
"Brother, I went to find Big-Bearded Mike again this morning, and he finally gave me two weeks' wages," Lina held up the coins on the ragged cloth in front of Edward with both hands, her face beaming like a flower. "Brother, we have money now."
"So brother, please don't do anything to hurt yourself anymore, okay..."
"Lina will protect brother.