Inside the villa at 28 Kingster Street, Backlund.
Having just returned home from work, Xio changed into casual clothes, walked into the dining room, picked up a Desi pie, and looked at Fors, who was cutting her steak across the table, asking casually:
"I heard your 'Scribe' potion has been fully digested?"
"Ebner told you?" Fors nodded somewhat wearily:
"You're not unaware of what kind of life I've been living lately… Almost every night I have to 'record' high-level Beyonder abilities, and during the day I have to go to different places to experience and observe things. It's only because there was a Tarot Gathering today that I got to rest for one night yesterday… plus the early acting I started back in Sequence 7…
"I think being able to digest the 'Scribe' so quickly isn't that hard to accept.
"After all, it's still not as efficient as when you were punishing criminals day and night back then…"
Xio recalled how, a few months ago, in order to act as a "Disciplinary Paladin," she didn't even spare people watching indecent films, and couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
Back then, she didn't feel anything, but looking back now, her mental state at the time had probably been problematic.
Good thing Ebner treated me on his birthday, otherwise if I had advanced to demigod in that state, I probably wouldn't have succeeded…
Thinking of this, Xio said in the tone of someone experienced, "Don't immerse yourself too much in acting. Mr. 'Sun' once said that Silver City has another warning about the 'Acting Method': 'Remember, you are only acting.'"
"Of course I know… that's why my efficiency isn't as high as yours… When it's time to slack off, I slack off!" Fors chuckled and pointed at her face. "Don't be fooled by how haggard I look—this is all deliberately done with makeup!"
Hearing this, Xio stared at Fors carefully for a while and indeed noticed traces of disguise on her face. The technique was extremely advanced, likely a high-level application of a 'Trickmaster' ability—even she, a "Imperative Mage," couldn't easily tell without careful inspection.
But even so… "Do you think Ebner can't see through it?" Xio complained inwardly.
"Of course I can't hide it from him, but it shows my attitude… Every time I disguise myself like this, he won't push me too hard," Fors said with a smile.
"Ebner didn't care much about your digestion progress before. His sudden change in attitude recently might mean he wants your help with something… Of course, your current Sequence is still too low, so he didn't tell you directly and is just trying to help you improve," Xio said thoughtfully.
"I know… that's why even though I'm very tired, I cooperate quite a bit… I only play little tricks like this occasionally," Fors said. She was actually quite willing to help Ebner, so she rarely found such motivation and gritted her teeth to persist.
"I guess it might be related to Mr. 'Door'." After finishing a Desi pie, Xio picked up her iced sweet tea and said.
This wasn't a wild guess but based on her understanding of her friend. Aside from Mr. "Door," there weren't many major figures connected to Fors that Ebner would care about.
Of course, Mr. Fool was also one, but clearly that didn't require Fors to desperately raise her Sequence.
Fors nodded as well. Toward that existence who had nearly cost her life during the full moon, she felt both fear and curiosity.
"Forget it, let's not talk about that." Fors took a sip of sweet wine and asked instead, "How have you been lately?"
"Not bad. Princess Vera arranged for me to join a committee responsible for drafting and revising various military regulations, and I'm serving as an executive member… Although dealing with all kinds of 'rules' every day is a bit boring, I've gained some ideas for acting as an 'Imperative Mage,'" Xio replied.
"Do your colleagues recognize you now?" Fors teased with a strange expression.
"You mean with piles of documents stacked on the desk, they can't even see me sitting behind them?" Xio completed her friend's joke without the slightest embarrassment.
Fors laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject:
"I'm going to prepare for the advancement ritual of 'Traveler' after dinner."
"Isn't that supposed to take place deep in the spirit world? Do you have a way?" Xio asked, puzzled.
Fors nodded:
"Ebner will take me there."
After saying that, she glanced at her outfit—still the pajamas she had changed into when she returned to sleep after the Tarot Gathering. Although Ebner seeing her like this wouldn't matter much, considering she was about to enter the spirit world, wearing pajamas seemed too improper. She decided to tidy up her appearance and hurried back to her second-floor bedroom, changing into a light yellow high-collared long dress with ruffled edges.
After preparing, in front of Xio, she raised her right hand and grabbed forward, as if trying to pull something out of thin air.
Within her eyes, an illusory book condensed and rapidly flipped, stopping on one page.
The next second, her arm sank slightly as she pulled a figure out from the void.
It was Ebner, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a white shirt with the top button undone.
Fors wasn't surprised that she successfully pulled out the historical projection in one try—after all, this was the "life-saving" ability she had recorded the most, and she was very familiar with it.
At first, Ebner's eyes seemed a bit dull, but they quickly became lively, giving the impression that he had come to life.
Knowing that Fors's spirituality was limited and couldn't sustain his projection for long, Ebner nodded to both Xio and Fors, then had "Alvin Abraham" descend into the villa, while he himself severed the connection with Fors.
On the other side, Fors only saw Ebner flash away before she could react, and then noticed that the surrounding colors became vivid and intense—reds redder, blacks blacker, whites whiter.
Immediately after, she began rapidly traversing through the spirit world without any sense of direction—no up, down, left, or right—and in a short time arrived at a place seemingly filled with faint mist.
Deep within the mist, pairs of eyes seemed to look over, but quickly withdrew.
…
Meanwhile, Ebner, who was having dinner with Vera, showed a slight change in expression before quickly calming down.
He hadn't expected Fors to attempt the "Traveler" ritual so soon, but with "Alvin" watching, it shouldn't be a problem.
Vera, sitting across from him, smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing… just a friend attempting the 'Traveler' ritual," Ebner replied, glossing over it and returning to their earlier topic. "As for how to make the Loen royal family discover Amon's identity and misunderstand his intentions, that will depend on you."
"You've already arranged things to this extent; I just need to give it a little push," Vera said, then changed her tone with a smile. "But even if it's simple, I can't help you for free—you'll have to show some sincerity."
"What do you want?" Ebner asked calmly.
"I heard you found the 'Observer Castle'?"
…
Not long after, Ebner left Princess Vera's mansion and, in an instant, appeared again at Bernadette's residence in the Cherwood Borough.
(End of Chapter)