Eldritch Horror Theatre

See? Having proper manners made it easier to get visitors.

Fu Qian naturally overheard them critiquing him during the Awakening plan proceeding in full swing next door.

He wasn't the least bit worried he had misunderstood. He knew perfectly well that the cell on Esther's other side was empty.

Fu Qian was highly satisfied with this sudden turning point just as the event drew to a close.

It proved his efforts as an unrelated bystander—maintaining an elegant, honest listening posture and staying true to his original aspiration—hadn't been in vain.

"Hello there."

Even as he praised himself, a greeting drifted over from the other side of the corridor.

Clearly, the two Nightmare Awakeners had managed their time methodically, but they were still on a tight schedule.

...

Compared to Mariana, he seemed far less articulate.

Whether from showing off his unique abilities or from the thrill of seeing Dean Glenn's despairing state just now, he was clearly buzzing with a strange excitement.

Before he even reached the cell, the visitor had already tossed out a beaming greeting.

"Good morning."

Yet in his vision the next second, the eavesdropping prisoner—who by all rights should have been panicking—simply smiled and nodded at him, without so much as shifting his stance.

He radiated such elegant poise that even his coarse blue prison uniform couldn't tarnish it in the slightest.

"It's hardly morning. Theoretically, you should be getting ready for dinner."

That unfazed attitude clearly struck a nerve with the visitor.

Feeling profoundly disrespected, he instantly snapped back in retaliation for having his high spirits dampened.

"Is that so? It doesn't matter, I just felt like saying it."

Unfortunately for him, the prisoner's gentle elegance exceeded all expectations.

Not only did he not argue against the dinner remark, but his eyes simply followed the visitor's footsteps until the two stood face-to-face, separated only by a row of iron bars.

"It's impolite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," the visitor said.

Yet even so, the prisoner showed no trace of fear. That almost playful gaze made the young awakened one visibly uncomfortable, and his expression turned completely icy.

"My apologies, that was indeed intentional," Fu Qian said.

Faced with this moral accusation, he apologized in a single second, even frankly admitting it was on purpose.

However, that overly smooth transition and the undiminished smile on his face not only failed to quell the visitor's displeasure, but made his fury burn even higher.

"Very well. Then I trust you're also completely clear on your impending fate."

But this was no time for nonsense. The male visitor's face frosted over as he directly substituted swift action for verbal sparring.

...

By comparison, the sensation from this one was even less distinct.

Even while exchanging friendly greetings with the visitor, Fu Qian was rapidly observing and evaluating him.

When the awakened one in front of him had helped Dean Glenn with the Obliviate, Fu Qian could somewhat sense the unique nature of the mass he spat out.

Because of that, Fu Qian hadn't doubted its amnesic effects in the slightest. It definitely wasn't some simple memory-damaging poison gas.

It was far more precise and of a higher Rank—almost akin to a deletion command.

Yet, neither then nor now did he notice any of the patterns unique to a commandment on the man's body.

Sure enough, the forms of corruption were endlessly bizarre.

According to what Mariana had just recounted herself, the gifts these awakened ones received were extremely similar to the legendary Star Law.

And since she hadn't mentioned any transformation in the form of power inside versus outside the Nightmare, it was highly likely that this remained true in the "real" world as well.

Therefore, the stark differences between these two and the members of The Order almost served as proof for the bold hypothesis he'd formed during the previous exchange with the Blood Clan: after the Mist descended from the sky, the newly obtained gifts of the Stars were no longer the same. They had become far more twisted and corrupted.

It was absolutely worth gathering a little more detailed information.

That included this location they described—a Nightmare also named Laerdin, which could practically serve as an alternate vantage point for observing the real world.

...

"Of course. One who has truly opened his eyes will never lose his way," Fu Qian replied.

Even as he pondered, Fu Qian never forgot to maintain his demeanor, answering the question with an easygoing tone.

"Is that so... So when exactly did your eyes open? Is one year enough?"

A skilled conversationalist could always put people completely at ease with just a few words.

The awakened visitor sounded as though he had already recovered from his previous displeasure. Though his smile was still a bit stiff, he enthusiastically consulted Fu Qian on the dosage of medicine he required.

"Actually, half a year would be plenty."

Hearing this, Fu Qian thought about it seriously before casually tossing out an answer.

"Heh... Alright then, half a year it is."

Amidst their cheerful banter, the enthusiastic visitor could no longer restrain his eager anticipation. He unlocked the door right in front of Fu Qian.

Undoubtedly, the Key came from Dean Glenn.

And he was clearly fully confident in his impending display of a half-year-scale Obliviate.

"Wait a second, Ben."

Unfortunately, in life misfortunes never come singly. Not only had he encountered a buzzkill of a prisoner right when he was riding high, but now, just as he had rallied his spirits and was about to step inside, a voice from next door ordered him to stop.

In fact, the conversation over there had completely ceased the moment Fu Qian said "Good morning."

"Mariana?"

Clearly not the leader of this operation, the male awakened one named Ben stopped in his tracks and looked over, even though his face was filled with the bitter resentment of being violated by fate.

"Opened your eyes?"

Mariana had indeed stepped out from next door. She quickly walked over until she was facing Fu Qian through the bars, narrowing her eyes in scrutiny.

"I'm very curious as to what kind of enlightenment gave you this sort of self-awareness. After all, as far as I know, you were already locked up in here by that time—in this exact room."

Clearly, she gleaned nothing from Fu Qian's face.

Even as she asked the question, two Flesh Vines slithered over the iron bars, snaking forward until they stopped a mere hand's breadth from Fu Qian's eyes.

"Grimshaw, forty-two years old. A doctor and obscure painter. You were finally locked up here eight years ago for murdering at least three people who left bad reviews on your artwork, then cooking and eating their brains and eyeballs."

Faced with this situation, Mariana wasn't easily angered. Instead, she smiled into Fu Qian's eyes and rapidly rattled off a string of information.

"Am I right?"

Fu Qian had to admit she was worthy of being the operation's leader. She might have seemed brash and casual, but she had actually done incredibly detailed homework on the situation. It was just that this persona she just exposed... Was it true that good and evil eventually got their just deserts?

After wearing the title of Otaku Fiend for so long, had he finally been brought to justice for similar charges?

Deeply feeling that the net of justice was vast and inescapable, Fu Qian nodded, recalling his own actions in the Painting World.

"Strictly speaking, the reason I ended up here is indeed because I ate things I shouldn't have."

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