July 26, 1346, Sunday
After breakfast, Altair left the Sheffield Family with Vera.
They took a carriage to Buckingham Sweet Room on Doughty Street in North Borough, Bexland.
Once inside, they found a secluded corner and began waiting for their guest.
Watching Vera eat a chocolate cake, Altair couldn't help asking curiously, "Are you sure this is the place?"
"I'm sure this is the place." Vera realized her words had come out muffled, so she set down her cake fork and swallowed before firmly declaring, "Count Altair, I can say with absolute certainty that this is the place."
Altair didn't reply. Instead, he picked up his spoon and idly stirred the tea before him.
They'd been waiting for far too long since leaving that morning and arriving here, and Altair was growing impatient.
If today's guest weren't someone special, he would have left long ago.
He checked his pocket watch and saw that the appointed time had already passed. They were well overdue.
Time continued to pass. They finished one pot of tea and ordered another.
At last, the shop door opened, and its bell rang out.
For the first time, Altair thought the sound was music to his ears.
He looked up and saw a little boy with an unsteady gait approaching.
When the boy reached Altair's table, he sat down without hesitation.
Altair wasn't surprised to see him. He called over a waiter and asked for a dessert menu.
Altair's gesture made the boy beam. "I'll have chocolate ice cream, strawberry cream ice cream, lemon sherbet ice cream... That'll do for now."
Hearing him, Vera seemed to have an inspiration of her own. She, too, asked the waiter for a dessert menu and said, "I'll have a Rose Lychee Ice Cream."
Looking at the two of them, Altair couldn't resist remarking, "Aren't you worried you'll get a stomachache eating so much ice cream?"
The boy paid no heed to Altair's advice. Smiling brightly, he replied, "I hardly ever get to come out, so of course I'm going to eat my fill. Besides, it's the height of summer, and it's so hot. I'll be fine."
Vera nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere at the table soon turned awkward. They looked at each other, one smiling while the other sat in silence. Vera, meanwhile, began nodding her head as if she were about to fall asleep.
When the waiter brought the ice cream, Altair could no longer stand the awkwardness. He poured himself another cup of tea and took a sip before saying flatly:
"You're late, Mr. Snake of Fate. It's been an hour and a half since our appointed time."
"If I hadn't been curious, we would have left by now."
Will looked troubled but still spoke calmly. "I had no choice. Everything had been arranged."
"Then something unexpected happened. Someone I didn't want to see suddenly came to Bexland."
"Mm, it has something to do with you, too. I'd also suggest you go out as little as possible for a while and stay home."
Someone I had something to do with, whom he didn't want to see... that Great Serpent?
Altair nodded, deciding to take the Little Snake's advice and stay home for a while.
Still curious, he asked, "Has that Great Serpent come to Bexland recently?"
Will blinked his big eyes and answered in a clear voice, "You seem to know quite a lot. You guessed both my identity and his without even having to think. That's right—he just arrived."
Altair didn't want to ask more about the Great Serpent, so he changed the subject. "I thought we'd never meet. Mr. Snake of Fate, may I ask why you wanted to see me today?"
"Actually, I hadn't planned to meet you. After all, the matter concerning your family was settled long ago, once that bill was sent."
"But some time ago, this young lady suddenly became a Monster. I couldn't resist taking a look at her fate, and that's how I found you."
"You're quite special."
Altair glanced at Vera, who had already fallen asleep beside him, and said, "Mr. Snake of Fate, what do you mean by that?"
Will smiled as he sat on the sofa eating ice cream. "I mean exactly what I said. Your fate is quite special."
"Special?" Altair asked, puzzled. "What kind of special?"
Will looked up, thinking it over, then said with an uneasy expression, "Well, how should I put it? Everyone in this world, no matter their status, has certain fates that have already been set."
"But you're different. After observing you for nearly half a month, I discovered that, at your core, you have no fate at all. It's as if you appeared out of nowhere, with the world having made no arrangements for you."
"Uh..." Altair fell silent. No fate at his core—did that mean he was an outsider, a transmigrator?
Seeing Altair's expression, Will chuckled. "It's actually a good thing. At least you don't have to worry about anyone arranging your fate for you. You can also use this 'special' quality to influence other people's fates a little."
"I asked you here because I wanted to know if you'd be willing to have a child."
Altair's expression darkened. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Will scratched his head, looking embarrassed.
"Although I love my current family, this body won't last much longer. I'll have to change bodies in three years at most."
"If I used your body to carry a child, I was thinking—"
Before Will could finish, Altair cut him off. "I'm not interested in anything like that."
"Besides, my family was very strict. You definitely wouldn't have approved."
"When I was little, if I didn't study hard, my father would beat me. Back then, I swore that if I ever had a child, I'd put an end to that kind of corporal punishment."
Will asked curiously, "What about now?"
Altair said with a grave expression, "Father, your fists weren't fast enough back then—and they weren't nearly hard enough."
Will was left speechless. What a lame excuse. Couldn't he come up with a normal one?
Left with no choice, Will said, "All right, all right. I wasn't very hopeful to begin with."
"I don't have any other reason for meeting you today. I was just curious."
Altair asked curiously, "Will Ouroboros discover what's special about me?"
Will shook his head. "No. Even I only discovered it by chance. I used a special method to confirm it, and I'm the only one who knows how. No one else can do it."
"Actually, you don't need to worry. I only said that, at your core, you have no 'fate.' On the surface, though, something is still 'weaving' one for you."
Before you continue