110 LOTM (End of the Third Volume—Traveler)

On a mountain outside Bayam City, in a forest that had lost all its vitality because it was buried by a half-collapsed cliff.

A tall, stocky middle-aged man with deep blue hair was wearing a Storm priest robe as he stood in the air and overlooked the area. There was a clear burning rage in his eyes.

He was none other than the Church of Storms Cardinal, Archbishop of the Rorsted Sea, high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman.

At that moment, the battle from before was still fresh in Kottman's mind. He remembered how every participant in the battle retreated.

The angel from the Rose School of Thought had used a particular method to transfer "His" powers over from a great distance. After "He" failed to achieve "His" objectives, "He" rather easily brought away "His" heavily injured partner, and no one wanted "Him" to stay, aside from the strange monster that appeared out of nowhere. Jahn Kottman remembered very vividly that when the angel retracted "His" arm, it had sparse white feathers on the black, sticky arm. From the top of the skull and from inside the erected eye, they grew from unimaginable spots. And all of this was because the Rose School of Thought's angel was dodging the glove with the True Creator's aura while using some of "His" strength to shatter what seemed like an ordinary copper whistle.

Shortly after the sinister and strange spirit world creature engaged in battle with the angel, it voluntarily retreated into the depths of the spirit world, preventing Jahn Kottman from pursuing it.

The Aurora Order saint who had opened a Door of Teleportation didn't participate in the battle. After observing the situation in puzzlement, he picked up the glove with the True Creator's aura, and he opened the door to leave before the battle ended. @@novelbin@@

The strange monster that was summoned because of the copper whistle didn't have a fixed form. "He" was like the manifestation of death itself. "He" was like a mist that filled the surroundings but had many feathers with yellowish marks on it. "His" target was obvious—the angel of the Rose School of Thought. Before the latter escaped, "He" had also vanished from the area as though it were in pursuit of "His" target. But even so, Jahn Kottman, who had taken a Sealed Artifact from the city and rushed here, still felt uneasy. It felt like suddenly jumping forward while on his long journey towards death.

The only person without any godhood had fled the scene before Jahn Kottman arrived, and he was nowhere to be found.

However, Jahn Kottman recognized him.

He was an adventurer who had killed a Sequence 5 Desire Apostle, making him qualified to have his information placed on Sea King's desk!

Although this wasn't something that he needed to pay great attention to, Jahn Kottman, who had experienced the Seafarer Sequence, still remembered the relevant information.

He cast his gaze towards the cliff and looked down at the crashing waves as he muttered a name: "Gehrman Sparrow!"

...

On an island in unknown waters, Klein and Azik's figures were rapidly outlined on the shore.

Klein was just about to speak when the hat-wearing, bronze-skinned Azik's eyes suddenly turned dark, as though it was connected to a silent and dark world.

He grabbed the air with his right hand, and all the undeveloped white feathers flew out and curled into a bundle, landing in his palm.

With a gentle squeeze, all the strange feathers vanished as though they had turned into food for the silent world in his eyes.

"Mr. Azik, this was brought about by that Numinous Episcopate whistle." Klein first pointed out the matter before explaining in detail. "The situation was somewhat pressing, and to make the situation even more chaotic, I blew that copper whistle and gave that feather to the messenger. Then, a similar feeling from the Underworld descended. I didn't stay, and I immediately left the area, but I still had these feathers on my body."

Azik, with his soft facial features, nodded gently and said, "I sensed it from afar.

"It shouldn't be an ordinary High-Sequence Beyonder. I suspect that it's a byproduct of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death Project."

Is that so... So it succeeded in holding back that Rose School of Thought angel? Klein thought in joy.

Azik looked around and continued, "I still have matters that require my attention. This might awaken more of my memories.

"When all of that is done, I'll look for you again to claim that ring left behind by ancient Death. I have a feeling that I might need to make a trip to the Berserk Sea or the Southern Continent.

"It's best if you head over to large cities like Backlund or Trier. In those places, the forces the Rose School of Thought can deploy are very limited. They wouldn't dare to act rashly. Of course, it's best that you choose places like Pasu Island where major Churches have their headquarters, but this will bring about another type of danger."

Azik's last sentence was a joke, just like an ordinary Loen gentleman. The experiences of his present life seemed to leave a deep impression on him. Regardless of the portion of memories that he had recovered, he still showed clear signs of his old self.

In situations regarding retained memories, the time span of decades shouldn't have much of an influence on the time span of millennia, but from a state of complete memory-loss, two to three decades is enough to remold a person... After Mr. Azik completely recovers his memories, will his many different lives result in him having different personalities? What a profound question. I'll let Miss Justice consider it later and seek advice from the Psychology Alchemists... As Klein was thinking, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that Mr. Azik wasn't delving into why he had a conflict with the Rose School of Thought. Instead, he asked, "Mr. Azik, do you know anything about the Mother Tree of Desire?"

Azik shook his head.

"I didn't even know of 'Her' existence before you sent me the letter."

You didn't know the Mother Tree of Desire? Klein was taken aback as he switched to asking, "Then what about the Chained God?"

Azik shook his head again as he said with a smiling sigh, "In ancient times, 'She' or 'They' might have had other names."

That's right. Mr. Azik began the cycle of losing and finding his memories at the end of the Fourth Epoch. He kept wandering the Northern Continent, while the Rose School of Thought was born in the early Fifth Epoch in the Southern Continent... Klein nodded and didn't ask further. And since Azik had matters which needed his attention, he gave a few words of advice before bringing him to traverse across the spirit world until he arrived at a particular beach on the Northern Continent's eastern shore.

With Mr. Azik gone, Klein looked at the seawater that kept surging towards the shore for a few seconds. He wasn't in a rush to head for the nearby city; instead, he found an uninhabited cave, set up a simple ritual, and created a wall of spirituality. He sacrificed Creeping Hunger, Death Knell, Azik's copper whistle, Groselle's Travels, and the soil with Senor's blood to the mysterious space above the gray fog.

Then, he walked four steps counterclockwise and entered the mysterious space. He took the seat which belonged to The Fool, and he summoned a metal bottle.

As it was stored above the gray fog, the remnant blood in the tiny bottle didn't coagulate. After wearing his glove and stuffing the other items, Klein poured a few drops and smeared it over Groselle's Travels's dark brown cover.

Eh... Why doesn't a brand new story start right from the beginning, with the addition of a new character... Klein looked at the book that didn't change its name as he suddenly felt puzzled.

Before he had the time to think, his vision turned into a blur, as though there were countless translucent creatures hidden around him.

Everything soon turned clear, and Klein found himself sitting on a long wooden chair along the street.

This was where he had departed from previously.

There's a saving function? Klein joked inwardly as he took out the mud stained with Senor's blood before snapping a tree branch to attempt divination.

Following the results he received, he walked out of the city, entered a nearby forest, and found the unconscious Admiral of Blood beside a small stream.

At this moment, only about ten minutes had passed since the battle.

The exaggerated wounds, on Senor's neck, chest, and abdomen, were contracting and appeared to have recovered significantly. Such a level of vitality was completely different from a human's.

In another fifteen to thirty minutes, Admiral of Blood would likely wake up, and in another one to two hours, his mobility would be restored.

This was a Zombie, a Wraith!

You had a chance of being rescued by your organization's angel and demigod, but your blood happened to splatter onto Groselle's Travels, making you a prisoner of this book and giving me enough time to handle you... Of course, this made you avoid the stray attacks of the battle between demigods, preventing you from dying immediately. I've no idea if you'd call this good or bad luck... Klein mumbled as he observed while grasping Death Knell in his hand and reaching out to Senor's neck and removing the necklace made of pure silver.

The necklace had a pendant of the same color which resembled an ancient coin. Both sides were filled with mysterious patterns and relevant symbols, as well as words carved in ancient Hermes: "You will be as unlucky as you are lucky now."

This is the mystical item which raises Admiral of Blood's luck? Unfortunately, even a demigod can't enhance my luck, so I doubt it can... I can sell it for money, or I could ask Miss Messenger if I can use this to make a partial payment... Klein wasn't in a hurry to take the necklace as he placed it on the stone beside him.

He was afraid that there were unknown side effects that might affect the things he was about to do.

Then, Klein focused as he controlled Admiral of Blood's Spirit Body Threads.

He wanted to make his first marionette which he would use for an extended period of time, so as to conclude the principles of a Marionettist.

Furthermore, no marionette was more convenient to bring around than a Wraith!

One second, two seconds, three seconds... In just ten seconds, Klein achieved initial control.

Senor's spiritual intuition sensed the danger as his body showed obvious signs of struggling, but he was unable to wake up due to his heavy injuries and sluggish thoughts.

Time ticked by, and by the fourth minute, Klein didn't hide his sigh of relief.

At that moment, Admiral of Blood Senor opened his eyes, rolled to his feet, and faced him. With a harmonious series of actions, he pressed his chest and bowed.

"Good morning, sir. How may I be of service?"

-x-X-x-

Illusory black threads emanated out of Senor's body and entered Klein's hands. With every jolt in spirituality, it gave a different reaction.

In fact, there was no need to use both hands when controlling the Spirit Body Threads. Klein was just accustomed to doing so, as it gave him a feeling like he was truly controlling a puppet.

From the looks of it, other Marionettists can discover each other's marionettes. The Senor's abnormality can't be hidden from their eyes, so I have to be careful about this. Klein concluded the problems he discovered, and he quickly turned his thoughts back onto Senor.

This Admiral of Blood was dead. His Spirit Body had become a vessel for the marionette, losing any traits that belonged to him. Therefore, many divination methods were ineffective against him.

Of course, methods to seek his corpse were still effective. Klein planned on "cleansing" the Wraith in the gray fog before using Paper Angels to envelop the mirror-like objects that he had possessed before placing him into a cigar case that was sealed by a wall of spirituality, along with Azik's copper whistle. This created a 3-layered interference effect.

This way, Klein believed that, even if the Rose School of Thought angel wished to, it was impossible to use divination to lock onto his position via Admiral of Blood.

As for whether the Mother Tree of Desire had left any "backdoors" in Senor's body, he wasn't too worried. This was because if that really happened, "She" could've mutated Senor during the demigod battle royale in order to deal with him. Based on the situation back then, there was a guaranteed chance of success.

Mother Tree of Desire, or should I say, the Chained God, strictly controls its organization's members. It relies on a vow contract and other methods that are ingrained into the soul. This can be inferred from Miss Sharron's descriptions and my interaction with the corresponding characteristics...

As long as I don't attempt to use Admiral of Blood to divine the secrets of the Rose School of Thought or the potion formula of the Mutant pathway, I wouldn't trigger any problems. The Werewolf Beyonder characteristic has remained normal despite being above the gray fog for so long...

Besides, there's still the gray fog "cleansing" process. If there are any latent problems, it should be washed out... Klein thought for a while and took out Azik's copper whistle from inside his body.

He turned his right wrist and made the side with fewer patterns appear under the sunlight, making it reflect the light.

Immediately, the copper whistle had Senor's figure appear on it as it rapidly turned clear.

The Admiral of Blood in front of Klein suddenly vanished as a result.

Perhaps the Mother Tree of Desire can use the vow contract and other methods to vaguely lock on, but that doesn't matter. "She" can sense the gray fog's unique trait on me anyway, and "She" will sense me once I'm within range... Besides, this marionette might be destroyed at anytime when I use it as a shield... Klein was like a jobless tramp who was debt-laden. He felt that there was almost nothing he was afraid of.

Of course, he really was debt-ridden.

As long as I advance to a demigod and can hide my unique trait, it's fine losing marionettes... Klein surveyed the area as he bent his back to pick up the silver necklace. He took four steps counterclockwise while chanting the incantation softly.

This time, he hadn't entered via summoning his Spirit Body, so he couldn't directly return.

The grayish-white fog was quickly emanated as hysterical ravings and roars echoed for an eternity. Azik's copper whistle didn't react abnormally, which meant that there weren't any latent problems with Admiral of Blood.

Sitting at the end of the bronze table, Klein placed Azik's copper whistle in front of him, making Senor, who was dressed in a dark red coat and old triangular hat, appear. He was like a butler awaiting orders from his master.

"Do you have any other items on you?" Klein asked, as though Admiral of Blood was still alive.

This was his attempt to act as a Marionettist!

Following that, he controlled Senor, made him rummage through every pocket as he subsequently took out 325 pounds, 16 soli, and 8 pence in cash. There were also 13 gold coins.

Apart from that, perhaps due to his frequent act of transforming into a Wraith state, Senor didn't carry anything else on him.

How poor... As a pirate admiral, you don't even have a single mystical item? Did you hand it over to the Rose School of Thought or your subordinates? Klein seriously considered cashing out Admiral of Blood via the black market.

Just in Loen alone, he was worth 42,000 pounds!

Yes, claiming the bounty from Loen isn't pragmatic. Be it the Church of Storms and the kingdom's military, they will follow the clues to capture Gehrman Sparrow, who managed to embroil so many demigods in a battle royale, and then investigate the organization backing him. They wouldn't even pay, and they might even plant a trap...

By the same logic, the Churches and governments of other countries must have similar ideas. However, they might be easier to work with. Retrieving the bounty will require substantial risks...

Besides, there's no rush. I'll send Senor out when I plan on switching marionettes. After all, being a marionette for a few days won't change his identity or value... Klein reined in his thoughts and cast his gaze on the silver necklace with an ancient coin attached to it.

He immediately used divination to gain the gist of its origins and usage.

It came from a Sequence 5 Winner from the Life School of Thought. After dying at the hands of a Rose School of Thought demigod, this gentleman's Beyonder characteristic and psyche fused with an ordinary silver necklace that he carried with him, turning into a mystical item.

As for the reason why the ordinary silver necklace would be carried by a Sequence 5 powerhouse for extended periods of time, Klein was unable to receive any effective revelations from it, as it had been too long and it had been corrupted.

The mystical item had two uses. One was to passively make the wearer lucky. In their daily lifestyle, the owner would encounter good things, easily succeeding in whatever they did. When suffering a lethal blow or terrifying disaster, ridiculous scenes would happen, allowing them to be successfully rescued. The latter situation only lasted for ten minutes.

The second use was to actively give an enemy bad luck, making the target unlucky. Be it in daily life or combat, it was easy for them to experience failure due to some trivial problem.

The corresponding negative effects of the necklace was the Conservation of Luck. After being lucky, they would immediately meet with repeated bad luck. They would be as unlucky as they were lucky before. It needed the wearer to be devoted and seriously avoid any danger; otherwise, it was very easy for them to die in a comedic manner, and even harm people around them.

The luck received in one's daily life would often revert back after a month. The user would end up unlucky regardless of whether they wore it or not. However, such bad luck was slowly released, so it wasn't too dangerous.

And luck obtained in combat would similarly strike back ten minutes later in a similar vigor.

Overall, this is a rather good mystical item, but I don't have much use for it. After all, Fate Councilor Ricciardo was unable to change my luck... Hmm, I'll just wear it on me for now. It has few negative effects on me. I'll sell it if there's a chance to pay off my debt with Miss Messenger... Miss Messenger wants gold coins, while I have gold pounds. It's nearly impossible to exchange 10,000 gold coins through the banks or official markets. From the looks of it, I'll have to do it in batches, getting each Tarot Club member to change some of it...

Klein soon decided on a plan as he casually came up with a name for the necklace:

Scales of Luck!

Following that, he cast his gaze onto Senor, who was standing reverently to his side. He began to study the powers a Wraith had.

Forceful possession, Enemy Control, Wraith's Shriek, Mirror Blink, Obstacle Penetration, death-related spells, and Invisibility that wouldn't be discovered by most Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonders... Klein distinguished each power, and he matched them with Sharron's and Maric's description, as well as his experience gained from combat.

He soon concluded this, afraid that the candle in the outside world would finish burning. And a dark cave was extremely bad for the present him who had a phobia of the dark.

Klein immediately took out a paper figurine from the junk pile, and together with the Black Emperor card, he stirred some of the powers above the gray fog, turning it into an anti-divination "angel."

This angel rapidly spread its wings and wrapped around a gold coin. On its reflective side was Senor's figure.

Then, Klein brought the gold coin, Azik's copper whistle, Death Knell, and his suitcase back to the real world. As for Creeping Hunger and Groselle's Travels, one of them hadn't been fed, and the other might cause Klein to be swallowed into the book for carrying it for too long. Therefore, they were left in the junk pile above the gray fog.

Having returned to the cave, Klein hurriedly placed the gold coin and Azik's copper whistle into a cigar case before sealing it with a wall of spirituality.

He cleaned up the scene, switched into formal clothes, and carried his suitcase. He followed the beach until he came to a residential area. He discovered that he was near Pritz Harbor. @@novelbin@@

He didn't immediately return to Backlund. Instead, he changed his appearance, took a steam locomotive, and headed for Conant City in Desi Bay. He planned on circling the area once before changing his identity again.

...

Bansy Harbor.

Alger Wilson looked at the destroyed city under the afternoon sun.

He saw that the buildings had completely collapsed, and there were deep chasms in the ground and charred spots everywhere.

Such a scene extended into the depths of the island. Even the mountain had collapsed.

At that moment, there wasn't anyone from the Church of Storms watching the ruins, since there wasn't anything here. And the plans to rebuild the harbor wasn't brought forward at all.

Alger jumped off the Blue Avenger and circled the ruins with his sailors, but they didn't discover anything of value.

"Let's go," he instructed with a staid attitude.

He soon boarded the ship which hoisted its sails and left the island.

After an unknown period of time, a figure suddenly walked out from the depths of the ruins.

He wore a double-breasted, pure black clerical robe. He had dark golden hair, and his facial features were clear and distinct, like an ancient, classical sculpture.

His eyes were dark blue, nearing black. They looked lusterless, but they were filled with dense blood capillaries.

-x-X-x-

Desi County, Conant City, 67 Red Indus Street.

Wearing a commonly seen face in the Loen Kingdom, Klein took a step forward and rang the doorbell.

In less than a minute, the door creaked open as a maidservant looked out and asked out of curiosity, "Good evening, who might you be looking for?"

"I'm here to find Ma'am Neelu. I'm a friend of her father, Davy Raymond," Klein answered calmly.

Derrick Raymond was the Nightmare who he had released from Creeping Hunger. It was a Red Glove from the Nighthawks, and the first thing on his mind before he dissipated was his daughter, Neelu Raymond. He was very apologetic towards her for not spending time with her while she grew up, making her effectively lose her father when she had already lost her mother. Klein had promised him that he would make a visit to the beautiful coastal city if he had the chance to visit his daughter.

Having probed for more information earlier, Klein had gained a general idea about Neelu Raymond's situation. After this girl graduated from grammar school, she worked at the Women and Children Care Foundation which was run by the Church of the Evernight Goddess. She had a weekly salary of 2 pounds 10 soli and was the target of envy by her neighbors.

She also inherited an inheritance from her "businessman" father. As for how much it was, no one knew. They just knew that she was richer than most people from the middle-class.

Typically speaking, women with such wealth would place great emphasis on their marriage. They would repeatedly select and observe candidates, resulting in their late marriage. However, Neelu had married to a civil servant just a year later.

As both parties were believers of the Evernight Goddess, she didn't take on her husband's last name. She continued going by the name Neelu Raymond, and she continued staying at 67 Red Indus Street.

After hearing Klein's answer, the maidservant quickly requested him to wait as she entered the living room to report to her mistress.

Before long, a woman in a home dress walked to the door. She had black hair and blue eyes. Her face was rather thin, and she was rather pretty. She resembled Davy Raymond.

"Good evening, sir. I'm Neelu, Davy Raymond's daughter. May I know when you got to know my father?" Neelu Raymond asked politely but warily.

Klein took off his hat and smiled.

"I got to know him at sea. It's been several years."

Neelu Raymond swept him with a wary gaze and said, "Perhaps you might not know, but he has already passed away."

Klein sighed and replied, "Yes, I know. I got to know him through that disaster. He had some words to say back then which I didn't think too much about. However, the more I thought about it in recent years, the more I felt that I should inform you."

"Is that so?" Neelu said softly. After some thought, she invited him. "Please come in. Would you mind if my husband listens in?"

"This is up to you to decide," Klein frankly replied.

Neelu nodded and led Klein into the study. Her husband had the looks of an ordinary civil servant with a gentleman's bearing. He put down his newspapers and followed them in.

After both parties sat down, Klein looked at the couple on the sofa and deliberated.

"Mr. Davy Raymond once experienced disaster after another. He lost his father, mother, wife, brothers, and sisters."

Neelu nodded with a deadpan expression.

"I know."

Klein thought and continued, "He appears to be a merchant, but he was in fact seeking out the murderers who caused that disaster."

"I know." Neelu didn't object to it.

Klein glanced at her and continued, "He dedicated himself to this matter, and he was very regretful that he didn't manage to spend time with you growing up, making you lose your father alongside your mother."

Neelu fell silent for a second before she rapidly replied, "I know!"

Klein swept his gaze to the old books around him and sighed silently.

"He said that his greatest wish was to see you enter the hall of marriage under the witness of the Goddess, to have your own family, and to not be lonely anymore. I believe he should be very happy right now."

Neelu's gaze slowly moved away from Klein's face as she turned agape, answering only two seconds later.

"... I know."

Klein leaned forward slightly as he clasped his hands.

"He said that he might die at sea, and he wanted me to tell you that he died as a result of an accident. All the murderers from before have already been punished. You do not need to hate anyone.

"He also said that he loves you very much and that he's very sorry."

Neelu remained silent for a few seconds as she blinked. She turned her head to the side and scoffed with an unclear attitude.

"Got it..."

Klein gave her a deep look before getting up.

"I'm done passing on the message. It's time I leave."

Met with silence, Neelu's husband nodded gently as a gesture of thanks.

Klein turned around, walked to the door of the study. Just as he twisted the doorknob, Neelu Raymond's voice sounded from behind him, deep and hoarse.

"What... kind of person do you think he was?"

Klein fell silent for a second, turned his head, and curled his lips. He said with a smile, "A guardian."

He didn't stay any longer as he opened the door and walked to the coat rack.

When he wore his hat and left 67 Red Indus Street, soft, restrained sobbing suddenly drilled into his ears.

Shaking his head silently, Klein left the borough and entered a cathedral of the Evernight Goddess.

Passing through the dark and serene aisle, he sat in the seventh row from the back. He faced the crimson half-moon and the black Sacred Emblem filled with resplendent stars. He took off his hat, lowered his head, and held his hands to his mouth, just like the many believers present.

While praying silently in the silence and tranquility, time quickly passed. Klein slowly opened his eyes as he gently stood up.

At the spot where he sat, he left behind an item wrapped in paper.

Klein walked along the aisle and left the prayer hall, going straight to the cathedral's entrance.

With his back facing the hall, he wore his hat, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers. @@novelbin@@

Pa!

The paper suddenly ignited where he sat, garnering the priest's attention. When this gentleman rushed over, the flames had already extinguished, leaving behind a dark gem-like item.

This is... Although the priest didn't know what the item was, his spiritual perception told him that it was very important!

When he and the other priests rushed outside the cathedral, the gentleman in a tailcoat and half top hat had already disappeared.

The next morning.

Through a local black market, Klein had obtained a new identity as he came to the steam locomotive station.

In his hand was a second-class ticket worth 18 soli, as well as identification documents for himself. He held a black leather suitcase as he stood at the platform with his back straight, awaiting the arrival of the train headed for Backlund.

The present him was a middle-aged man who was nearing his forties. He was slightly more than 180 cm tall, and his black hair had a few silver strands. His deep blue eyes were like a lake at night, and he was rather good looking. He gave off mature and elegant vibes.

Looking down at the identification documents, Klein's eyes reflected his present name: "Dwayne Dantès."

After some thought, he placed the suitcase on the ground, laid it down, and opened it before stuffing all his identification documents inside.

Inside the suitcase, there was a black wooden box containing the former Loen soldier, Frunziar Edward's ashes.

Moments after arranging his suitcase, he heard a whistle. A steam train chugged into the station spewing smoke before it slowed down to a halt.

He looked up and cast his gaze forward as he examined it in silence. Then, he looked down at his suitcase and whispered, "It's time to return..."

He then stood straight, carried his belongings, and walked to the open carriage door.

...

Backlund, Cherwood Backlund, 26 Gunstedt Street.

Benson took off his hat, removed his coat, and handed it to the maidservant. He looked at his sister, Melissa, who was glued to her book in the living room.

"The entrance examinations are in June. You'll finally experience the pain of studiously studying that I endured back then."

Melissa didn't look up as she continued reading.

"I'm studiously studying every day."

"A little humor, Melissa. A little humor. What's the difference between a person without humor and a curly-haired baboon?" Benson said with a smile.

Melissa casually glanced at him and said, "That wasn't what you said in the past."

She didn't correct him on what the exact difference was between humans and curly-haired baboons, and she instead said, "Do civil servants also finish work so late?"

"No, there's been a lot of work recently. As you know, oh—you don't. In such a huge reform, the handing over of work and the straightening out of different relationships are very troublesome." Benson swept the mirror in the living room. He couldn't help but lift his hand to comb his hair as he said with a look of displeasure, "Although I'm only a low-ranking employee in the Ministry of Finance, that doesn't stop me from having plenty of work. The only thing to be happy about it that I've finally survived the darn probationary period. I'll soon have a weekly salary of 3 pounds!"

Melissa put down her book, and she walked to the dining hall and said to Benson, "It's dinner time."

She paused and said very seriously, "I read in the papers that there's something called Donningsman Tree Sap that has a significant effect on boosting hair growth."

Benson's face immediately had mixed expressions.

...

Whoosh!

Amidst the whistle, the long steam locomotive chugged into Backlund.

Klein picked up his suitcase and once again stepped into the Capital of Capitals, the Land of Hope. He discovered that the smog had thinned significantly, and there wasn't the obvious palish yellow colors. The gas street lamps on the platform were already turned on, dispersing the gloominess and darkness.

Surveying the area, Klein walked out the steam locomotive station, took the metro and a carriage, and came to a Church of Storms cemetery outside West Borough.

Then, he spent a little bit of money and placed Frunziar Edward's ashes into a partition.

By then, this Loen soldier had already left Backlund for more than 165 years.

After taking a step back, Klein observed it for a moment before using a pen and paper to engrave something on the partition door:

"Frunziar Edward."

He closed his eyes and added:

"Every journey has its destination."

(End of the Third Volume—Traveler)