Everyone was dazzled when they entered the backyard of Edward's home. He had decorated it in the style of the American villas from his previous life, with exterior walls of irregular raw-stone bricks and natural wood paneling, a roof of orange-red tiles, white-painted bay windows, and a swimming pool in the center of the yard covered in bright blue mosaic tiles. The yard was full of all kinds of greenery, making them feel as if they had gone straight from the depths of winter into midsummer.
Seeing their expressions, Edward thought, This style must really appeal to people of this era. He'd originally wanted to decorate the place in Chinese Courtyard Style, but the large swimming pool he'd envisioned was completely out of place with a Chinese-style courtyard. And the buildings' Flying Eaves and Brackets had too many curved surfaces, making them unsuitable for the Shaping Technique. So he'd settled for decorating the place in the style of the American villas from his previous life.
To make swimming possible even in winter, he'd also made the whole backyard rather extravagantly into a greenhouse by adding a glass canopy.
"Please, come on in. This is the living room. Make yourselves comfortable. I'll go get things ready."
"Wow, boss, you really went all out. Do you know how much glassware made by Alchemists costs? Each piece is priced in Silver Coins, and you used it to make a canopy." Alice spoke with the air of an expert.
"Money is just a number to me. What matters is living comfortably." Edward said this with a boastful air, entirely forgetting how mercenary he'd been when selling swords.
Princess Andrea and the Baby-faced Pastor beside her nodded along, taking him seriously. They felt that everything this unfathomable gentleman had done before must have had a deeper meaning. He couldn't be judged by worldly standards as if he were just some "hidden master."
An hour later, all kinds of delicacies covered the dining table in the restaurant on the first floor of Edward's home. The main dish was Potato Bread, freshly baked by Edward.
Pastor Elwin, who had watched the whole process, had also made a few loaves under Edward's guidance. He'd even copied down a set of instructions. The Baby-faced Pastor was so satisfied that he seemed full before he'd even eaten.
Princess Andrea seemed distracted as they waited for Edward to cook. After receiving a message from a City Gate Guard, the captain of the knights, Reinhardt, had come by once with Mr. Hunter, the head butler of the Duke's Mansion. The Knight Princess had borrowed the sitting room from their host and spoken privately with the two of them for half an hour. Afterward, the captain of the knights had returned to the Duke's Mansion with a grave expression, while Butler Hunter had gone to the Rainforest Trading Company with his assistant.
Only Alice looked excited as she waited, looking around everywhere. She'd even taken off her shoes and sat by the pool, trailing her pearly white feet in the water. If she hadn't been in someone else's home, she probably would have gone for a swim.
Edward had changed into a casual T-shirt. Wearing an apron and holding a large pot of soup, he called everyone over to eat.
At the meal, the squint-eyed pastor ate calmly and contentedly, the young Mage ate with gusto, while Princess Andrea, after everything that had happened earlier, remained distracted, as if she'd lost interest in the food.
After the meal, Edward knew they still had other things to do, so he didn't try to keep them. He also gave his "Senior" Alice a few boxes of exquisite pastries.
Princess Andrea then got into the carriage waiting outside and headed straight for the Holy Light Church with the other two. After a long private discussion with the bishop, they went with him to the Duke's Mansion.
With nothing else to do, Edward returned to the Underground Laboratory beneath his home and began some experiments he'd been planning...
It was late at night. The moon hung high in the sky, bathing the ground in silver light. A tall, beautiful figure darted through the streets. She felt uneasy, but worry and curiosity filled her heart, driving her to sneak out of her home for the first time in the middle of the night.
Edward had changed into his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. He was about to go to bed when the Doorbell suddenly rang. It was the first time it had rung since he'd installed it.
Wearing his pajamas and slippers, Edward went to the door. It was the one set into the side wall of his backyard, not the entrance to the shop at the front. Princess Andrea and her party had used this door when they left earlier that day.
He opened the door, and just as he'd expected, Princess Andrea stood outside in Gray-black Knight Attire.
"Come in, Your Highness. I knew you'd come." Edward yawned and continued, "I just didn't expect you to come at this hour. I thought you'd come tomorrow."
Princess Andrea said nothing. Holding the longsword in her arms tightly, she followed Edward into the living room on the first floor.
They entered the living room, and Edward invited the princess to sit on the sofa. Just as he had when they first met, he brought her the same Black Tea and biscuits. Thinking about it, this was only their third meeting.
This time, Princess Andrea didn't touch the biscuits or Black Tea on the coffee table. She sat there, staring absently at the flames flickering in the fireplace at the center of the living room.
Edward sat down opposite the princess. The lights in the living room weren't fully on, leaving the room dim. The firelight played across the princess's thoughtful profile, casting a faint, flickering glow. Edward found himself staring, too. The late night was especially quiet.
Not wanting the silence to stretch on, Edward searched for something to talk about.
"Your Highness, have arrangements been made to stockpile potatoes?"
"Oh, yes, everything's been arranged. This afternoon, I met with the bishop of the Holy Light Church and Elwin to explain things to my father. The duchy will now buy up wheat, potatoes, and other foodstuffs, while placing moderate restrictions on Immigration Entry.
"The priests of the Holy Light Church will promote Potato Bread to bakeries across the country, and they'll spread the news across the New Continent that potatoes can be used to make bread." The princess came back to herself and explained, but her eyes revealed a hint of sorrow and exhaustion.
Edward had seen the princess's dashing bearing when they first met. He'd also seen her stunning appearance the second time. But the sorrow in her eyes now made her seem more real and more lovable to him.
Edward thought over what had happened that day, then continued.
"And you haven't told anyone about how I taught you to use that sword to enter the 'inside,' or about what I said to you at noon, right?"
"Of course. If I told people about something like that, I doubt many would believe me anyway," Princess Andrea replied.
"Without experiencing it firsthand, no one would believe it. But you deliberately avoided Pastor Elwin and Miss Alice and came to ask me alone. Does that mean you want to keep it from those two as well?"
"Mm... yes. After all, if Elwin found out what you said today, it might shatter his faith. To keep it from him, I'd have to keep it from Alice, too. And Alice is the kind of girl who can't keep things to herself..."
"Your Highness is a very kind person," Edward said with a smile. "But what are you afraid of?"
"I..." The princess tried to speak, but didn't know where to begin.
"Before I explain everything to you, you must promise me that what I say today will never be repeated to anyone else. Not even your family."
"I swear..." Princess Andrea raised her right hand, looking rather eager.
"All right," Edward interrupted. "You only need to understand it in your heart. Sometimes, inner conviction is more powerful than words."
"First, let me guess what frightens you most. It must be the terrifying possibility that your own body and brain could be deceiving you, right? When I said, 'Even your brain is deceiving you,' I saw your pupils contract."
Princess Andrea nodded emphatically. Her body acting without her soul's control, while she remained completely unaware of it, was her greatest hidden fear.
"Before I explain, you first need to understand what 'God' really is.
"He is the Collective of Intelligent Beings that we all make up. All our thoughts are mixed together within him. He is chaotic, and may not even have a will of his own.
"When everyone's thoughts come together, and all the differences are removed, only one thing remains—the desire to 'live'!"
The Knight Princess's eyes widened. Ever since she was a child, everything she'd been taught and everything she'd heard had described God as loving all people. This kind of "blasphemous" statement completely overturned her worldview.
Edward gave her a little time to process it, then continued.
"Does what I'm saying overturn everything you believe? Think about it carefully, and you'll see that what I'm saying doesn't actually conflict with what we usually believe about Him.
"He has no form, yet He is everywhere. He is indifferent to the lives and deaths of ordinary people. But many records in the ancient texts say that, before great disasters struck, many Prophets received His Oracle warning them. That gives us the impression that God cares for humanity. In truth, He only reacts to things that affect His 'survival'—that is, disasters that would cause a large number of people to die."
Edward's explanation eased the tension in Andrea's expression.
"Because He has no specific will of His own, and does good but never evil, you can think of Him as the kindest of gods.
"From another perspective, you can think of what we encountered today as a natural phenomenon, like rain or wind. And this kind of 'natural phenomenon' doesn't happen often. Even if it isn't something that comes along once in a thousand years, it's still an exceptionally rare occurrence."
Edward concluded:
"So you don't need to worry about this phenomenon at all. During a Divine Revelation, this 'separation of the two worlds' won't harm you, even if your body is misled. And no one can use this phenomenon to do anything harmful to you or anyone else."
After listening to Edward's detailed explanation, Andrea let out a long breath. Then she asked:
"Then why did you send me to the 'inside'? What was the point?"
"Have you heard of baptism in the Church? The ritual performed when someone joins?"
"Yes, that's common knowledge."
"Then going to the 'inside' was a kind of baptism—and probably the most original kind."
"God is kind. He grants something to those who carry out His prophecies and prevent disasters. That gift is baptism: the 'Sea of Light,' the purest thing in the world, washes the 'filth' from those who carry out His prophecies.
"As for what that 'filth' is, judging by the records of various churches and myths, I think it must be the bottleneck encountered on the path to ascending to supernatural power—not a way for someone to rise straight to the Fifth Stage.
"For those who receive baptism, the road ahead is still long, but the path has been cleared."
After hearing this, Princess Andrea was completely at ease. The curve of her lips revealed her joy. Then another question came to her mind.
"Then... why did you insist on sending me in?"
The question seemed the same as the one she'd asked before, but it meant something different.
Edward rose and walked to the living-room window, gazing at the silver moon high in the sky. He almost said, "The moonlight is beautiful tonight," but instead said, "Alice and Elwin are destined to have bright futures. You're clearly close friends and family. I didn't want the distance between you to grow until they were still young, while you had already grown old and gray..."
"So, you're a kind person, too..." Princess Andrea's eyes sparkled, as if a few mischievous stars had slipped from their corners.
"Grrr..." A growling stomach broke the delicate mood, and the Knight Princess's cheeks turned red.
Edward said, "It's so late. You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll make you noodles."
Before you continue