Chapter 189: Return to Hogwarts

Audrey slept all the way until the next morning.

When she opened her drowsy eyes, the unfamiliar yet somehow familiar room around her left her a little disoriented. Then, she suddenly sat up straight:

"Where am I? Why am I sleeping here?"

But the memories of the previous night quickly surged back, and the tension in her heart eased at once. She lay back down again.

"No idea when Edward carried me to bed…"

She mumbled softly, a trace of shyness creeping into her heart. Though she had often spent evenings with Edward, this was the first time she had stayed the night at his place—and judging by how well she slept, it must've been in his bed.

At that moment, a fuzzy little head suddenly popped up in front of her—it was Lilith.

"Good morning, Audrey! I'll go tell Edward you're awake."

"Wait!"

Audrey quickly called out.

"Eh?"

She hopped out of bed, strode into the washroom, and used the mirror to tidy up her sleep-mussed hair and clothes. Only once she looked presentable did she smile slightly and say, "Alright, now you can go."

Lilith blinked in confusion, but still scampered to the door, jumped up skillfully to grab the handle, and pulled it open: "Edward, Audrey's awake!"

"Coming."

Edward walked over holding a fresh toothbrush and towel. "Want to wash up here, or head back first?"

"I'll do it here."

Audrey took the items and returned to the washroom.

Edward followed a couple of steps and leaned against the doorway. "How are you feeling now? Does your head still hurt?"

She smiled with her eyes narrowed. "I'm fine! My spirituality's recovered, and I even digested a little more of the potion. If what happened last night happened a few more times, I might fully digest it soon!"

"Let's not have a few more nights like that. A Psychiatrist is more than just a walking tranquilliser, you know."

Audrey paused mid-brush, then mused aloud, "True…do you think I should roleplay at a psychiatric hospital to speed things up?"

"Uh…"

Edward immediately thought of Tingen's infamous mental hospital and Hood Eugen. That guy had tried to digest his potion by roleplaying at a mental institution…and ended up genuinely going mad.

"This time when we return to Hogwarts, you can really lean into the Psychiatrist role. Teenagers all have psychological issues to some degree."

Pfft.

Audrey couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What?"

"When you said that…did you forget that you're also a teenager? My 'cute' little brother Edward~?"

"…"

Edward had honestly forgotten. He chuckled, "Then I guess you'll have to analyse me too."

"Deal!"

"Oh, and I know another place where everyone's psychological problems are off the charts."

Audrey, still biting down on her toothbrush, asked curiously, "Where?"

"Azkaban."

"But isn't that where all the dangerous Dark wizards are locked up? With Dementors guarding the place? Isn't that way too dangerous?"

"High risk, high reward."

She spat out the foam, hesitated, then said, "Edward, I really think you might need intensive psychological treatment. This whole madman roleplay seems to have affected you a bit too deeply."

"Uh…"

Edward had actually realised that himself a while ago. "Then…why don't you try helping me right now?"

She nodded seriously at once. "Alright!"

Then it suddenly occurred to Edward: Could Audrey's Psychiatrist abilities work on mental trauma caused by the magical side of things? Like Neville's parents—who had been tortured into madness by Bellatrix with the Cruciatus Curse…maybe Audrey could try helping them in the future.

Soon, Audrey walked briskly out of the washroom. "Let's begin."

The two of them sat facing each other in the living room. Just as Audrey was about to speak, Edward suddenly said, "Wait a moment."

"Hm?"

She blinked, confused—then saw Edward reach out and gently swipe a finger at the corner of her mouth. He smiled and said, "There was a bit of toothpaste left."

Audrey's cheeks flushed pink. She coughed lightly. "That's not important! Now, tell me everything—everything—about your time pretending to be a madman. What you experienced, what you thought. No hiding anything!"

Edward sat up straight, putting on a serious face. "Alright~"

———

[No. 15 Minsk Street]

These past two days had been relatively relaxing for Klein. Though he was still brooding a bit over having declined two major commissions, the upside was that he had more time to roleplay as the Magician and refine its acting principles.

One of the key tenets he settled on was:

"A Magician never performs without preparation."

This wasn't just a rule for the Magician—it would become a core combat principle for him moving forward.

Just as he was resting his chin in his hand, pondering what the second tenet should be, a man's voice—praying with sincere reverence—suddenly reached his ears. It was Edward.

Klein stood up, stretched lazily, and walked four steps counterclockwise to ascend above the grey fog.

"Honourable Mr. Fool, I have advanced to Sequence 6," Edward's voice echoed. "I wish to issue a commission to the other members of the Tarot Club: I'm looking to purchase 10 grams of Trapped Ghost Residue Powder, 10 grams of Lemon Balm Powder, 80 millilitres of Shadowless Demonic Wolf's Blood…"

With the Beyonder characteristic of the Secret Sorcerer of Botis already in hand, Edward only needed the auxiliary ingredients to concoct the Traveler potion.

"In addition," he continued, "I'd like to acquire the Beyonder characteristic of a Shepherd, as well as the formulas and ingredients for the low Sequences across all paths."

Seated in the Fool's high-backed chair, Klein clicked his tongue and muttered to himself:

"I just finished figuring out the principles for the Magician, and you've already advanced to Sequence 6? Slow down a little, Edward!"

"But why does he want a Shepherd's characteristic…and the low-sequence knowledge of all paths?"

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the bronze table. Then, as usual, he projected Edward's image and voice to the other members of the club and responded coolly:

"I see."

Soon, Edward's figure appeared in the grey fog. He placed his right hand over his chest and said, "Thank you, Mr. Fool."

Klein severed the connection and casually picked up the two Cards of Blasphemy at his side, flipping them over and over, his mind full of questions.

"Why does Edward borrow a Blasphemy Card every two days? He's on the Apprentice pathway—what could he possibly be researching with them?"

Currently, the main use of the Cards of Blasphemy for Klein was during his self-summoning ritual. When he summoned and responded to himself to transform into a spiritual body, wrapping the card around him would lend its high-level authority to the spiritual form, solidifying it into something almost corporeal—allowing him to lift heavier objects and act more freely.

"I'll have to find a chance to ask Edward about this."

Knock, knock, knock!

Just then, a faint knocking sound echoed—this time from reality, transmitted up through his physical ears into the space above the fog.

A new client?

Klein exited the grey fog and returned to reality.

He walked to the door at a measured pace. Just as he touched the handle, the image of the visitor outside surfaced naturally in his mind:

It was a well-dressed, middle-aged gentleman. His white shirt was crisp and immaculate, the thick grey-blue vest tightly fitted around his stomach, and his long tailcoat was impeccably cut, without a single wrinkle.

Someone Klein had never seen before—but clearly of notable status, just based on his attire.

He opened the door.

The gentleman removed his hat and pressed it to his chest, bowing with textbook-perfect manners.

"I am a butler. I've come on behalf of my master to invite you, Mr. Sherlock Moriarty."

"Pardon me, sir," Klein responded politely, "but do I know your master?"

The gentleman replied calmly, "You probably do not. But you've likely heard of him…from one of his good friends."

"Who?"

"Talim Dumont."

Klein froze. A diviner's instinct immediately filled him with a sense of unease.

"May I ask who your master is?"

The gentleman straightened even further, chin lifting slightly:

"He is the heir of the Founder and Protector of the Kingdom…a descendant of the Might Wielder, and the fifth child of His Majesty the King—Duke of Lastings, His Highness Prince Edessak Augustus."

Holy hell, it really is that prince!

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't understand…why would someone of the prince's stature invite me?"

"Talim Dumont is dead."

Klein's pupils shrank.

"He died while attempting to elope with a maid from the prince's estate."

Eloped? With a maid?

Talim came from nobility himself. To think he'd have an affair with a maid and actually elope? That didn't sound like something he'd ever do.

The butler's voice grew heavier: "There was nothing left at the scene. Just Talim's already-stiff body. The footprints indicated the maid left the scene. His Highness hopes you can find her—and from her, discover what truly happened."

———

Over the following two days, Edward spread his request to purchase low-sequence formulas and materials to everyone he could reach. His goal, of course, was to prepare for the Converging Paths of the Wandering Mentor.

As for whether to pass on magical knowledge in the Mysteries world, Edward was still weighing his options. After all, it involved the uniqueness of his own foundation and survival.

But in the Harry Potter world, teaching potion-making and knowledge about Beyonders could proceed ahead of time—since progression along the potion path required higher-sequence formulas and corresponding ingredients.

And those would remain tightly controlled by Edward himself. Without his approval, even if the secrets of mystical power were leaked, the consequences would be minimal.

Whether to expand dissemination on a larger scale would depend on the feedback results from Converging Paths.

———

Two days later.

After praying to Mr. Fool and receiving the Black Emperor card, two people, one dog, and one cat returned at 3:00 PM sharp to the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts.

Before Edward could even take in his surroundings, a searing pain shot through his arm. As he looked down, information regarding the next transit time surged into his mind.

This time, he would remain in each world for 28 days.

"…???"

Edward blinked, rubbing his eyes reflexively.

Wait a second—didn't I just advance to Sequence 6?

Why is my stay duration shorter now?

The rules behind this world-travelling duration…was there seriously no logic? Was it just completely random and whimsical?

———

[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.