Eldritch Horror Theatre

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Logically, a mere timestamp shouldn't have had any obvious connection to the previous issue, but she ultimately had too much faith in the ruthless advisor sitting across from her.

Seeing Fu Qian deep in thought, Yuan Shan pressed him for an answer.

"If I recall correctly, right at that time, I ran into the object of your teacher's covenant."

Fu Qian, never one to keep people in suspense without good reason, nodded and dropped the bombshell.

"...Ah?"

It took a second for her brain to catch up and realize exactly who Fu Qian meant. Yuan Shan's mouth fell open, seemingly at a loss for words.

The sheer volume of information packed into that statement was simply too massive.

"It... and you walked away completely unscathed?"

A myriad of complex emotions flickered across her face before Yuan Shan immediately began inspecting Fu Qian, worried this was just a burst of terminal lucidity.

"I only ran into It. We didn't fight."

He simply offered a cool smile in response, picking up his still-warm tea for a sip.

While the logic was sound, he couldn't hide his insufferable arrogance—he made it sound as if the Blazing Rainbow had taken one look at him and fled in terror.

"Then... how could that have affected my teacher?"

Though she found it impossible to believe that the Blazing Rainbow had been scared off by the man sitting in front of her, Yuan Shan clearly didn't think Fu Qian was spouting nonsense either.

As established, the sheer weight of that single sentence was massive. That alone showed his sincerity; there was no reason to spin such an exaggerated lie.

"Honestly, I can't be certain. But I suggest you try contacting him again. It might just be a false alarm."

Fu Qian gave an honest shake of his head, gesturing for her not to be so pessimistic.

Hmm...

Getting an optimistic assessment out of this man was no easy feat. A wave of pleasant surprise washed over Yuan Shan, and after a brief hesitation, she couldn't help but stand up.

"Give me a moment."

...

Truly a dutiful student.

Fu Qian simply gestured for her to go ahead.

She had clearly taken her advisor's suggestion to heart, and what she intended to do next couldn't be more obvious.

Even though they were technically allies at this point, Yuan Shan still wanted to protect her teacher's secrets as best she could, choosing not to examine the item right in front of him.

It was completely reasonable. In fact, it proved she had a good head on her shoulders.

If she had actually handled it right in front of him, any future problems the Old Man might face would leave Fu Qian squarely in a melon patch or under a plum tree.

"It looks like he's really alright!"

In the blink of an eye, Chief Yuan had already returned to share the good news.

Her excitement was so palpable that she didn't even mind using her chipped cup, picking it up to drain the last few drops of tea.

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet. You still need to keep a close eye on the situation."

Fu Qian offered a steadying reminder, handing her a fresh cup as he sighed inwardly.

He certainly trusted Yuan Shan's judgment, and this was undoubtedly great news for Old Man Henry.

But the more her assessments proved correct, the more it confirmed his own highly unusual constitution.

It only made him increasingly curious about where this tangible path to becoming a God truly led—and what it might mean for the rest of the world.

"You're right... Regardless, I still need to go check on him later."

Riding high on the good news, Yuan Shan accepted his advice without a second thought, though she couldn't quite force her expression back into its usual serious mold.

"Speaking of which, it seems you received an invitation?"

Remembering something else, she shifted the topic, checking in on the advisor she hadn't seen in days.

"Excellency Stoss has shown a great deal of sincerity."

It sounded like a non sequitur, but Fu Qian knew exactly what she meant.

Since he hadn't shied away from mentioning matters regarding the Academy, Yuan Shan naturally felt comfortable being open with him as well.

And considering this Hongmen banquet had been set up specifically for an academic leader like himself, it was hardly a surprise that she had caught wind of it.

...

"You're actually planning to go?"

Even though she had brought it up herself, Fu Qian's casual response still caught Yuan Shan off guard.

"Why wouldn't I? Even Excellency Aike expressed a great deal of anticipation for me to come over and discuss the project."

Fu Qian gave her a strange look.

"That may be true, but..."

She had always known the man in front of her was audacious, but was he really this reckless? Yuan Shan narrowed her eyes, catching her words before they left her mouth.

They invite you, and you just waltz right in? Are your own hands really that clean? Do you have any idea how much chaos you've stirred up in less than half a year?

Not to mention there's still the Needle Witch—an enemy matching you blow for blow, drawing blood at every turn.

"Those people aren't nearly as accommodating as my teacher."

Ultimately keeping those complaints to herself, Yuan Shan let out a soft sigh and offered a gentle warning.

Even bringing up Old Man Henry wasn't an intentional exaggeration on her part.

To be fair, during his last visit to the Sacred Night Capital, the Old Man might have seemed a bit hostile at first, but he still possessed the leniency of a retiree.

Compared to him, those active-duty order controllers were far more likely to make decisions along the lines of, "Even if you are innocent, this is a necessary sacrifice."

"True enough. Especially given my notorious track record."

Shaking his head at the memories, Fu Qian completely bypassed any tact and offered a blunt critique of himself.

Not even a day had passed since the Rebirth Club's influence expanded once again, stirring up fresh turmoil along the Ash Sea Coast.

Taking all the factions into account, Excellency Kelsen was probably the happiest of them all.

Judging by the aftermath, it was highly likely that his relationship with Excellency Solendir was less than stellar.

The entire reason he had left that message was clearly to draw the Rebirth Club into Moore.

It seemed baffling at first glance, but if he strongly disapproved of Solendir's little expedition and couldn't openly intervene himself, it made perfect sense.

And while the final outcome may have ended up a bit complicated and bewildering, the general situation still played out exactly as he had hoped.

...

"Especially since I'll still have to go through the trouble of escorting you there."

After dealing with him for so long, Yuan Shan had long since given up on trying to talk him out of things. She let out a soft sigh, seemingly having already foreseen her inevitable fate.

One could only tip their hat to a seasoned official who governed a region year-round—her level of self-awareness was truly impressive.

As an acquaintance well-documented within their internal records, if he decided to accept the invitation, she was practically obligated to accompany him.

In fact, when Excellency Stoss extended the invitation, he had likely counted on exactly this scenario.

After all, on the most basic level, the Bookstore Owner sitting right in front of her wouldn't even know where the place was.

"It's fine. You can just point me in the right direction."

As if reading Yuan Shan's mind, Fu Qian suddenly spoke up, suggesting she could simply point the way.

"Aren't you oversimplifying things? The transportation to that place isn't exactly convenient."

Yuan Shan looked somewhat baffled by the request.

Still, merely pointing out a direction didn't seem to breach any deep secrets. A moment later, she actually raised her hand and pointed.

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