Backlund, East Borough.
The world was twisting.
Crazed and chaotic voices filled his mind. No matter where he looked, grotesque faces emerged from the depths of his vision.
These constantly deforming faces were filled with malice, rebuking, laughing maniacally, continuously stimulating Silas's nerves.
Silas pressed forward.
He endured unimaginable torment, his face expressionless. A warm hand supported his arm, guiding his direction forward.
In this wildly distorted world, only this hand could give him peace of mind.
Silas followed that hand, stepping forward one step at a time.
If it weren't for Cecilia, I couldn't even walk...
He thought with a bitter smile.
It was precisely because he trusted his sister would guide him in the outside world that Silas could focus his mental energy on himself, resisting the semi-madness. He even had space to think while walking.
He was pondering the reason for the slight digestion of the "Shadow Ascetic" potion yesterday.
He remembered that the acting method stated the key to digesting potions lay in the potion's name.
The so-called "Shadow Ascetic" originally referred to monks who withdrew from the secular world to live in seclusion and practice cultivation.
They lived simple, even harsh lives, achieving devotion to the divine through ascetic practices, thereby attaining redemption.
But Silas's actions yesterday had nothing in common with this interpretation.
Perhaps I should understand it from a more literal direction. Literally speaking, a hidden monk?
The Shadow Ascetic potion's ability was "Shadow," which allowed Beyonders to transform into shadows, move secretly, or hide within shadows. This seemed to correspond with that meaning. But what about "monk"? Does that mean I have to believe in the True Creator?
Silas analyzed various possibilities when he suddenly felt the arm supporting him gently pat him. This was a signal the two of them had agreed upon.
He withdrew his thoughts and connected his spirituality to the depths of his mind.
"Whoosh..."
The illusory sound of ocean waves rose in response. All auditory and visual hallucinations were instantly driven away.
Silas's mental world recovered its tranquility.
He breathed a sigh of relief and looked around, discovering he'd already arrived in front of a row of attached apartments.
"Brother, we're here."
He saw the azure-eyed girl standing beside him, one hand supporting him, the other holding a suitcase, smiling as she spoke to him.
To avoid being reported, they'd quietly moved away from their previous residence, then found a house for rent through notices at a nearby bar.
In other words, they were here to view the property today.
After some consideration, he'd decided to remain in East Borough for now. The environment here was chaotic, more suitable for hiding.
Moreover, this kind of place filled with heavy negative emotions was actually beneficial for his acting.
Hmm, it's a bit smaller than 6 Daffodil Street.
Silas assessed the apartment's exterior, thinking to himself. The two walked to one unit in the row of attached apartments and stopped.
"8 Howstin Street, right? This must be the one."
He reached out and knocked on the door. After a while, the apartment door opened a crack. Silas noticed there was still a chain on the door.
"Who is it?"
Behind the door was a girl full of wariness. Judging by her age, probably around 12 or 13 years old.
"Good afternoon. We saw at the 'Golden Dreams' bar nearby that there's a room for rent here. Where are your parents?"
Silas stepped forward, using his face that could elicit female goodwill to greet her with a smile.
However, this time his face didn't seem to work. The girl looked at him warily, then looked past him to behind him.
"Are the two of you renting?"
She asked.
"That's right. We're siblings."
Silas answered with a smile.
"Then you can come in."
The girl removed the door chain lock and opened the door, ushering them inside.
As she opened the door, she placed a pair of scissors she'd been hiding behind her back on the cabinet in the entryway.
Quite alert, isn't she?
But still not quite enough. If they really were bad people, they could just make up any lie to get inside.
That thin little chain wouldn't have any effect either.
Silas thought to himself as he followed the girl inside.
This house had a two-story structure.
The first floor had a living room, kitchen, washroom, and so on.
The second floor mainly consisted of bedrooms and a study. The house was somewhat empty, without much furniture.
"The living room, kitchen, and first-floor washroom are shared. I live downstairs, you'll live upstairs.
Including furniture usage fees and deposit, the weekly rent is 10 soli. Pay half a year at once, which is 13 pounds."
The girl spoke in a deliberately seasoned tone, showing them every room in the house.
Besides her, there was no one else in her household.
Silas noticed that the bedroom that probably once belonged to her parents was already empty.
The Secrets Suppliant's eyes could see a faint aura of death lingering inside... It seemed they'd passed away some time ago.
"So? Are you renting or not?"
The girl deliberately raised her voice, the expression on her face pretending not to care.
But Silas could see the tension in the depths of her eyes.
A girl who lost her parents and is surviving alone, forced to rent out rooms in her house to make a living?
Silas had a general guess in his heart.
Thinking of the Londor family's similar plight before, he sighed softly.
This was East Borough. For this little girl to protect her property on her own was far too difficult.
She was just lucky to have encountered them. Otherwise, who knows how long it would be before she quietly disappeared without a trace.
"Pay three months' rent at once, then pay rent every half year."
Silas decided to do a good deed and said, "6 pounds."
He didn't ask where her family had gone, but directly negotiated the price.
The girl frowned. After a moment, she reluctantly nodded. "Fine then. Come to my room and sign the contract."
The three walked together to the first floor.
In the girl's bedroom-study, they could see the desk piled high with textbooks and papers. She seemed to be studying quite diligently.
The girl pulled out a standard-form contract from under a pile of books. "Did you bring identity documents?"
"We came here in a hurry and forgot to bring them."
Silas said casually.
The girl scrutinized them for a moment. "I'll take that as the truth... This is East Borough.
It's very dangerous. After you move in, don't cause trouble."
"Sure, sure."
Silas placated her, taking the contract and looking it over briefly. Finding no problems, he signed his name.
"Do you usually attend classes?"
He asked casually.
"I attend grammar school in Jorwood District."
The girl answered briefly.
"Education really is important. Staying in East Borough offers no hope."
Silas sighed and handed back the signed contract.
"My name is Kafka Anderson. This is my sister, Cecilia Anderson. And you, young lady?"
To prevent unexpected situations, Silas temporarily adopted a false name. For his sister, he just changed her surname along with his.
"My name is Emily."
The girl took the contract and signed her own name on it.