Mozo's meeting with Audrey ended quickly. She said that if the others agreed, she would come find him at the library in the afternoon.
After that, Audrey left first.
Mozo remained in the private room for a while before eventually leaving the Rose Pavilion under the watchful gazes of countless students from the academy.
But just as he stepped out of the entrance, he suddenly felt something and glanced back down the street behind him.
There was nothing there.
Scratching his head, Mozo shrugged it off and walked away in a good mood.
Only after his figure disappeared around the corner did a window on the second floor of a nearby apartment open.
Corte, now wearing his gold brooch again, leaned against the window and watched the direction Mozo had left.
A wound on his fingertip, and an unusually sharp sixth sense.
No mistake. Of the two, the Transcendent had to be that man.
At the same time, Corte had already constructed a reasonable explanation in his mind for how a commoner like Mozo could attract Audrey's attention.
Clearly, he must have used some kind of Transcendent ability to impress the Tulip of the Flower Court.
Using supernatural powers to charm women might not be common here, but outside, it was nothing unusual.
So... should he report this to the Inspectorate?
Corte stroked his chin with a playful expression before coming to a decision.
Better not.
After all, everything would end once the Holy Night Festival was over. These wild Transcendents had suffered enough over the years. No need for them to fall right before dawn.
Besides, if he reported it now and Mozo got arrested, what would he use to replace the headline about the Tulip being taken by a commoner?
There was no way any story could be more eye-catching than gossip about one of the three beauties of the Flower Court.
Especially something as delicious as a swan falling into a toad's mouth.
As the Marshal of the Press, the mysterious "Party Guest," failing to deliver explosive news would be a grave dereliction of duty.
Thinking of this, Corte chuckled and closed the window.
But just after the window shut, Mozo, who had deliberately taken a detour to reach the blind spot of the apartment's line of sight, stepped out from behind a corner.
He glanced at the closed window, then turned and left the same way he came.
Corte of the House of Nobles. The second son of a count's family. Even among the nobles at the academy, he stood at the very top.
But that was only his public identity.
Privately, Mozo knew that this man was the most notorious yet mysterious "Party Guest" on campus.
A figure who could reliably produce sensational gossip every single week.
Although he signed his articles as "Party Guest," most students preferred to call him the Marshal of the Press.
As for how Mozo found out, it was simple.
The pen name "Party Guest" was a fairly well-known internet term from his previous life. That made him suspect it might be a hint from someone else who had also come from Earth.
So from the moment he first heard of the name, Mozo spent two and a half years investigating, finally confirming the identity not long ago.
So... was Corte observing him to write next week's headline?
After all, even if Audrey's image had completely collapsed in front of him, she was still a famous beauty. Any gossip involving her would attract massive attention.
But could Corte be one of the "official" people Audrey mentioned? After all, he was from a noble family.
After thinking it over, Mozo dismissed the idea.
Surely the Empire wouldn't be so degenerate as to have its official Transcendents spend their time chasing gossip.
Still... if that guy actually published something about him and Audrey in the school paper...
Just thinking about it gave Mozo a headache.
---
After returning to his small apartment, Mozo began reviewing everything that had happened that day.
Audrey's appearance proved that the dream world was real.
But his previous attempts to verify it had all failed.
The most likely reason was that he himself wasn't a Transcendent. Of course, it could also be related to the "special zone" Audrey mentioned.
But if the dream world was real...
Then everything he had done in those dreams must also be real.
The moment that thought surfaced, Mozo couldn't help but feel his emotions surge. It took him quite a while to calm himself down.
But soon after, his expression changed abruptly.
Wait.
If everything in the dream world was real...
Didn't that mean all the people he had offended were real too?
Back when he was still Cromwell, he had angered quite a number of nobles.
Sure, many of them had been sent to the guillotine by his own hand, but there were still plenty who had slipped through the cracks.
If those noble families or even those old monsters from back then found out who he really was...
Wouldn't he be completely doomed?
And because of the dream world, Mozo hadn't just offended powerful figures, insulted the Church, and smashed the schemes of evil gods.
He had also entangled himself with quite a number of women.
After all, dreams were where one could do whatever they wanted.
If you're dreaming and still being cautious, what's the point?
Of course you'd indulge yourself.
And among those women... there were even several goddesses.
Instinctively, Mozo thought of a certain blonde girl.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across his body.
If there were only one or two, he might still be able to explain things away, maybe even turn it into an advantage.
But several?
That would make him nothing more than a scumbag who toyed with women's feelings.
In his mind, he could almost see that infamous guy from another world, smiling and waving at him from the heavens, patting the empty seat beside him as if saving it just for Mozo.
Mozo sucked in a sharp breath.
This was bad.
Not only were those women troublesome, but his enemies were even worse.
After a brief review, Mozo came to a horrifying realization.
Somehow, without even noticing, he had already walked the path of a public enemy of the entire world.
Absolutely. Absolutely no one could be allowed to discover his true identity.
After setting this as his ultimate principle, Mozo, drenched in cold sweat, dragged himself to the communal bathroom and took a cold shower.
Only after calming his overloaded mind and body did he lie down on his bed.
Honestly... it might have been better not to know the dream world was real.
That thought lingered in his mind.
But soon, another idea surfaced.
If the dream world was real, then from now on, he had to make proper use of his dreams.
Based on past experience, if handled correctly, he might still be able to turn things around.
With that in mind, Mozo grabbed the sleeping pills he had prepared earlier, swallowed them, closed his eyes, and fell asleep full of determination.
But the next morning, Mozo sat up in bed with a completely dumbfounded expression.
The dream world... had stopped working?
His final chance at a comeback was gone?