MTLNOVEL Chapter 526: Who Are You?
After emerging from the "water surface," Ebner and Xio immediately splashed back into the hot spring as the "mirror world" door closed behind them, sending up a great wave of water.
Xio withdrew the dagger she had thrust through Ebner's armpit and released the arm she had looped around his neck, freeing herself from the awkward hanging posture and planting her feet firmly on the pool floor.
The hot spring pool was barely half a meter deep, just enough to cover Xio's thighs.
Back in the labyrinth hall, Ebner had turned halfway around to glance at the lion Leon swallowing the Priest of Light. Xio had been forced to feign a stabbing motion while simultaneously colliding into his arms. The two had then fallen out of the mirror world together, landing in this peculiar position.
Taking stock of their unfamiliar surroundings, Ebner carefully observed the area and surmised that they were in a mountainside hot spring inn.
There were no guests in the pool or in the nearby enclosures—only a few curly-haired baboons that had sneaked in while the owner wasn't looking, soaking leisurely in the warm water.
Clearly, business was bleak.
That was strange. November should have been peak season for mountain hot springs, whether in Loen, Feysac, or Intis.
Moreover, the environment was pleasant, and the decor was tasteful. How could there be no guests? Had there been an incident? Or was the location simply too remote?
But this wasn't the 21st century with its highly developed information networks. Opening an inn in an inaccessible place wouldn't be a wise business move.
As Ebner pondered, Xio, sensing that the side effects of her Clown Ring had passed, removed the "Golden Mask" from her face and performed a scan. She confidently stated, "No traces of Beyonder powers."
As a former noblewoman, Xio had visited hot springs in the Winter County with her parents as a child, so she was more attuned to the oddities of the deserted inn.
There were plenty of pools here, indicating that it had once been a bustling establishment.
"If there are no supernatural factors at play, the inn's business woes aren't our concern. Our priority is figuring out where we are," Ebner said. He glanced at Xio, who was gazing longingly at the steaming pool, and deliberately teased, "Should we investigate first, or take a soak to relax?"
Xio snapped out of her reverie and, though fully aware that Ebner was teasing her, cast a wistful glance at the hot spring before resolutely saying, "Business first."
Noting her yearning expression, Ebner thought that perhaps they could return for a proper soak after everything was settled.
Of course, that would require paying properly—otherwise, they'd be no better than those sneaky baboons.
With this thought, Ebner extended his hand with a smile. "Shall we?"
Xio immediately understood, grasping his hand. Under the effects of "psychological invisibility," they disappeared from others' senses.
Moments later, after entering the dream of the innkeeper—a towering man over two meters tall in his fifties or sixties—Ebner and Xio learned that the hot spring was located on Tamik Mountain, near Indo Port.
Indo Port was a coastal city on the western shores of the Feysac Empire. Ebner recalled that the author of the police diary he had obtained from the Dream Labyrinth Tower, Bashalov, hailed from this city.
The diary had described an incident in which fishermen, after witnessing a massive skeleton in the fog, went mad. This had occurred in the nearby sea.
"What a coincidence... Is this the effect of aggregation, or is someone orchestrating things?" Ebner mused. He had initially planned to visit Indo after his southern continent trip to search for the "demigod dragon skeleton" and craft a formidable Bone Dragon. He hadn't expected to arrive here directly from the mirror world.
However, finding the dragon bones was not the immediate priority. They needed to quickly locate a safe place to set up a teleportation altar and return to Bayam.
Firstly, the "Hero Detective" had been absent for several days, and his continued absence might arouse suspicion.
Secondly, Xio needed to report her experiences to MI9 promptly to avoid unnecessary complications.
Ebner pondered for a moment and realized that this deserted inn was perfect for setting up a teleportation altar. If possible, he even considered purchasing it as a long-term base.
Unfortunately, while he had gold pounds and Sauron gold, he didn't have any Feysac gold horns.
Overseas, various currencies were generally accepted, but Indo Port was just over a hundred kilometers from Feysac's capital, St. Millon. It was impossible for foreign currency to circulate here.
As a result, he had no choice but to head back to the wine cellar, clear out a space, and, under Xio's curious gaze, begin setting up the teleportation altar.
...
In Backlund, Moonflower Street, in the southern district near the bridge, inside the Harvest Church—
Aetris paced anxiously in the prayer hall, frequently glancing at the basement door. His mother had already been inside for nearly an hour. Although the half-giant bishop repeatedly assured him that "the Mother Goddess's blessing" would protect her, Aetris couldn't help but worry.
If it had been the past, he would have mocked such empty assurances. But after nearly half a year at sea and gaining a better understanding of the supernatural world through his teacher Anderson, he knew the might of the Orthodox Churches. If even a church dedicated to a true deity couldn't help his mother, it meant there was truly no hope.
Still, he couldn't quite understand why his father had chosen to bring his mother to the Harvest Church instead of the Saint Samuel Cathedral, given their devotion to the Goddess.
Of course, when it came to childbirth-related issues, the Earth Mother was undoubtedly more "relevant."
As he paced and silently complained in his mind, careful not to voice his thoughts, Freya stood on the other side, speaking with Hazel, who was dressed as a priestess.
After the Capim incident, Freya and her mother had converted to the Earth Mother's faith. While the long distance made it hard for them to partake in the "Holy Communion" frequently, they faithfully attended weekend services.
Earlier, Aetris had been helping Freya search for a relatively safe and reasonably priced home outside the eastern district for her family to relocate to.
Daisy's kidnapping had deeply traumatized their mother, Liv, leading her to change her views on many matters—including moving houses, a suggestion Atrace had made when he brought back his late father's inheritance.
So, when the maid delivered news that Aetris's mother had fallen ill and was taken to the Harvest Church, Freya had volunteered to guide Atrace there as a way of repaying his kindness to their family.
Just as Aetris passed the stairs leading to the basement for the umpteenth time, a bearded young man pushed open the church door and walked in.
At the same time, in the basement sealed by layers of runes, a bizarre-looking man standing in a corner suddenly moved his eyes. After sensing something for a moment, he chuckled.
"So, you only managed to bring out the 'Uniqueness'?
"Decisive... I suppose that's wise. Otherwise, even if you broke free from the Mother Tree of Desire's control, you'd still end up as another puppet."
Pausing, he added with a smirk, "Your luck isn't bad. I happen to know the whereabouts of a clean Sequence 2 characteristic. Let's see how you perform."
He glanced upward, then shook his head and said, "Of course, you could always seek refuge with that one up there—another decent choice."
After a long silence, a raspy voice that was impossible to distinguish as male or female echoed through the basement:
"Who... are you?"
(End of Chapter)