Chapter 316: Disappearance

Edward said, "It's probably related to our participation in the Tarot Club. All of us have been tainted, in a sense, by that mysterious grey fog—and perhaps that mirror is somehow connected to the fog. So rather than saying it treats me kindly, it's more accurate to say it's being respectful because of Mr. Fool."

Klein's heart stirred.

So it really is related to the space above the grey fog?

Audrey, however, grumbled with dissatisfaction,

"Then…why is it that even though I'm also a member of the Tarot Club, I had to answer that kind of question?"

That said, she knew full well that Arrodes' question wasn't truly invasive. At most, it was just embarrassing.

She turned to Klein and asked, "Mr. World, what are you planning to do next?"

"I'm…a bit lost right now. I don't know what I should be doing."

Edward thought for a moment before saying, "No matter what, you should at least go and see them. As for whether or not you want to reveal your identity to them—decide that when the time comes."

Klein nodded.

"Mm. I'll be heading to Tingen next."

Edward hesitated, then offered, "If you want, I can go with you."

"Alright."

"Do you remember what I told you back when I was in Tingen?" Edward said, his voice serious.

"The future of this world…may not be peaceful. You really should consider letting your brother and sister become Beyonders."

"…I understand."

Klein left, weighed down by heavy thoughts.

Edward sighed softly.

Of course he didn't want Klein to end up like in the original story—always alone, burdened with the immense responsibility of resisting the resurrection of Celestial Worthy and the end of the world.

He hoped Klein could enjoy the warmth of family, the closeness of his bond with Benson and Melissa.

"Edward."

"Hm? Yes?"

Audrey suddenly said, "I feel like the way you treat Mr. World…it's not the same as how you treat other people."

"I am a Spectator, you know~"

"The way you look at him…it's complicated. But I can't quite figure out what you're actually thinking." She paused, then asked softly, "In the 'future' you've seen…did something happen to Mr. World?"

Edward considered for a moment, then answered, "As the Fool's Blessed, Klein will receive more favour from Mr. Fool. But in exchange, he'll also bear more responsibility. In the future I saw…Klein was always alone, moving forward quietly."

"No one could help him. The only person he could rely on…was himself. In the end, it was him and Mr. Fool together who stopped the apocalypse."

Audrey was stunned.

"No wonder…Then what can we do to help him?"

Edward replied softly:

"When the time truly comes—just don't let him face it all alone."

———

After parting ways with Edward and Audrey, Klein didn't return home. Instead, he boarded a public carriage and headed to the East Borough.

Soon, he arrived at the old meeting spot and found Old Kohler waiting for him.

The former worker was in much better spirits than before. With stable income from his new job and Klein's payments for informant work, he had finally started to save a bit. His living conditions had improved; no longer was he scraping every coin for food and shelter.

Wrapped in a thick coat, Old Kohler approached and said in a low voice, "Detective, things have been…uneasy in both the East Borough and the docks these past few days."

"What happened?"

He lowered his voice further.

"Remember that tavern where we had drinks last time? Since yesterday morning, some people have been searching for it—asking around. The place has shut down. Now folks have nowhere to drink, and everyone's getting restless."

Klein didn't ask for details. Events like this were common in both the East Borough and the docklands.

"Old Kohler, I'd like your help investigating something."

"Say the word."

"According to the intel you gave me, Cynthia went missing for a time before she ended up at the Red Rose Manor. She might've been kidnapped or trafficked."

"That's right."

"I've gathered other clues suggesting there may be people engaged in kidnapping and human trafficking here in the East Borough and the docks."

He went on to describe Barron's appearance.

To his surprise, Old Kohler gave a bitter laugh.

"Actually…that kind of thing has been around for a long time. Everyone's used to it. Slavery may have been abolished on paper, but many nobles still enjoy keeping slaves."

He shook his head.

"So, you want me to dig up info on this person?"

"No," Klein shook his head. "That would be too dangerous for you." After a pause, he added, "What I need you to do is find out whether, during the same period Cynthia went missing, there were any other disappearances."

Old Kohler nodded quickly.

"Understood."

Then, as if recalling something, he added, "Speaking of disappearances—there was just another one last night."

Klein's expression shifted.

"What happened?"

"You remember that laundry woman who was arguing with someone, the one you and that reporter saw last time?"

"Yes."

"She always worked from home with her two daughters. But yesterday, when they were out delivering clothes, one of them—the younger girl—went missing."

Old Kohler sighed.

"They were already struggling to survive. Now this…Life is just so damn unfair sometimes."

Klein fell silent for a few seconds. Then he said, "Take me to them. This might be related to the case I'm investigating. Even if it's not…maybe I can still help."

"…They don't have money," Old Kohler reminded him softly.

Klein picked up his hat and cane.

"I do volunteer work sometimes."

———

In order to advance to Sequence 4, Edward needed the Beyonder characteristic of an Undying. While he'd already learned from Arrodes that no such trait was readily available at present, he still passed on the request to everyone he knew—Bernadette, Horamick, the Sanguines, Edwina, Sharron (and Miss Exeggutor), and so on.

Who knows? Maybe while he was digesting the potion, a few demigods might just die off, leaving behind the traits he needed.

That said, Edward wasn't particularly anxious. After all, he still had one last resort—Alger's mysterious island. The guy owed him 7,500 Pounds and was also involved in the "Undetectable Extension Charm" business. Asking him for help when the time came shouldn't be an issue.

For now, the top priority was fulfilling the role of the "Wandering Mentor" and digesting the potion!

But before setting off on his journey, Edward wanted to try his hand at playing the "mentor" part locally.

In a place like Backlund, the so-called city of opportunity, where would a "mentor" be needed most? The answer was obvious—the East Borough and Bridge District.

People born into those impoverished areas were destined from the start to have no real access to learning or knowledge. Of course, some far-sighted parents would still do everything they could to send their children to night schools offering free education.

After all, that was often the only hope for changing their children's fates.

These free night schools were established by the three major Churches or certain charitable organisations. They charged no tuition or fees of any kind.

Because there was no profit involved, they couldn't offer decent salaries to teachers, so most of the instructors were volunteers—and fewer and fewer came with each passing year.

So, when Edward—claiming to be a graduate of the Backlund University of Technology and Industry—showed up at one of the East Borough's free schools offering to volunteer, the school naturally welcomed him with open arms.

"School" might've been a generous word for it. Aside from the principal, there were only two teachers total—handling six or seven different classes between them.

This had led to a unique teaching model. Teachers would arrive early to train the few most capable students on the day's lesson material. These students would then go on to teach the rest of the classes themselves, while the official teachers moved between classrooms to correct errors and supervise. This system was known as the "student-mentor method"—and it was particularly suited for onboarding new volunteers.

The principal was a woman in her sixties. After losing both her husband and child in an accident, she had discovered the school by chance as a way to escape her grief. Not only did she work without pay, she even poured all her remaining savings into funding the school.

As for the two teachers, their meagre pay only just covered rent and food. Truly, they were working out of love and faith.

When the principal learned that Edward might only be able to volunteer for a few days, she looked visibly disappointed. But she quickly forced a smile and said, "That's already wonderful! We haven't had a new teacher in a very long time. What subjects would you like to teach?"

"Loenese and Mathematics, I suppose."

Edward asked curiously, "Principal, since this school is sponsored by the Churches or charity groups…shouldn't its finances be at least somewhat better?"

The principal sighed.

"Back when these schools were first created, the funding was much more generous. The scale was far bigger, too. But unfortunately, the management at the time was a mess—many administrators were hired through shady connections, and some were even gang members."

"They forced people to send their children to school, regardless of whether they wanted to, whether they could afford food, whether they had the time. Why? Because the more students they had, the more funding they could request. And that money—" she gave a bitter smile, "—went straight into their pockets."

"In the end, when everything fell apart, they blamed the teachers and the schools. And since then, all funding for free schools has been kept just barely enough to prevent them from shutting down."

Edward could only sigh.

Corruption—it seemed unavoidable, no matter the world.

After showing him around the classrooms, the principal said, "Mr. Edward, it's almost dinner time. Would you care to join us for a bite?"

She smiled.

"We cook for ourselves, so it's not anything fancy—but it tastes pretty good."

"Of course."

"We also occasionally provide a simple dinner for the students—usually once a month."

Just as they stepped out of the classroom, one of the teachers hurried over with a worried look.

"Principal, the police are here."

"What happened?"

"Apparently, a student went missing last night on their way home after class."

The principal froze.

"Oh, heavens…Which child?"

"I think it's Daisy. From the Leaf family."

"Take me there—quickly!"

She turned to Edward after a few steps.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Edward, I—"

"It's alright. A missing child is far more important."

"Thank you."

As the two left in a rush, Edward's heart stirred.

Could it be…this is the same missing girl from the original story? The one kidnapped by that tycoon, Capim?

In the original timeline, this incident had exposed a piece of George III's human trafficking operation used to build his tomb. It eventually triggered the deadly smog incident that killed tens of thousands.

I wonder…did Klein also get involved in this event like in the original?

Not long after, the principal returned with an anxious expression.

"Mr. Edward, we're heading out to help search for the poor child. I'm afraid we won't be able to host you for dinner."

"No worries. The child's safety comes first."

With that, the principal and two teachers hurried out of the school.

Edward, meanwhile, returned home to pick up Lilith, then came back to the school.

Lilith curiously looked around.

"What's this place, Edward?"

"It's a free school—a place that offers education for free."

"Oh. So why are you here?"

"I'm going to teach. Because these kinds of schools are short on money, there aren't many willing teachers. So volunteers like me are needed to help."

Lilith's eyes lit up.

"Can Miss Lilith do it too?"

"You can—if you turn into a human first."

"Ohhh."

Her eyes spun with mischief, and she said sweetly, "Then I'll be able to teach here very soon!"

Edward was taken aback.

"You've digested your potion already?"

"Yep!"

"How did you manage that?"

Lilith pouted.

"You said you'd take me to go instigate some pirates, but you never did! So I had to go find some bad guys on my own!"

Edward looked a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Lilith. That was my fault—I shouldn't have gotten so busy and neglected you. How about we go to sea together tomorrow?"

"I forgive you~"

She perched on his shoulder, patting his head lightly.

"But Miss Lilith doesn't need to go to sea anymore!"

She lifted her chin proudly.

"Because I'm just one tiny step away from full digestion!"

Krismona had said that if those pirates the other night had been instigated entirely by Lilith on her own, she would've completed her potion digestion instantly. Unfortunately, it had been Krismona's intervention that had driven them to self-destruction, so her progress had stalled right at the finish line.

Luckily, the last step just required Lilith to stir up a few more human fights or arguments to push her digestion over the edge.

Edward patted her head.

"Lilith, you're amazing."

"Of course I am!"

———

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