Gais's Anomaly

Ivan watched Gais walk with light steps and felt that something about his state was rather strange.

Though his gray-white hair was a mess from staying up all night, his eyes behind the lenses were full of vigor. He did not look at all like someone who had experienced a supernatural incident.

"After enduring a whole night of interrogation by the Night Watchmen, he could still act so relaxed. Was this the psychological resilience of a swindler?"

As for Gais, he only felt refreshed and invigorated after leaving St. Peter's Cathedral.

As a devout believer of the Church of Divine Grace, he had gone to the cathedral early that morning for worship. The bishop had even personally preached to him and baptized him.

"My piety must have moved the great Lord, which was why His gaze had fallen upon me and His representative had personally baptized me."

Thinking of that smile as warm as a spring breeze, a fanatical light flared in Gais's eyes. He could not help raising his hands in an embracing gesture as he praised,

"Great Lord, thank You for the gaze of Your eyes, and thank You for the baptism of Your blood!"

Watching in secret, Ivan felt his scalp crawl at the sight.

"How did Gais turn into a devout believer of the Church of Divine Grace after one trip to the Night Watchmen?"

He was quite certain that Gais had previously been a thoroughgoing atheist.

Faith was merely a tool Gais used to earn Gold Pounds.

That sense of discordance made goosebumps rise all over Ivan's body. He looked in the direction Gais had left and silently followed behind him.

Gais walked along the streets of the West District into the market, only to be stopped by a doorman from a hat shop.

"Oh, esteemed sir, you look as though you must once have been a respectable gentleman. Why not try our newly introduced semi-top hat to conceal your unruly hair?"

He touched his hair and discovered that he had actually gone out without bringing a hat today.

Feeling somewhat puzzled, Gais hurriedly looked toward the shop entrance.

The imposing doorframe was carved with scrolling vine reliefs. A brass sign hung in the center, its words, "Felin Custom Hatters," polished bright, with a smaller line beneath: "Providing respectability for gentlemen and ladies."

He adjusted his glasses, smiled and nodded to the doorman, then stepped forward and pushed open the door.

With a soft creak, a scent of wool, camphor, and faint lavender drifted into his nostrils.

The walls were covered in dark green patterned wallpaper. A neatly trimmed pot of ivy stood in the corner, droplets of water still clinging to its leaves. A brass chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting warm yellow light over the shelves and display stands, making every article of clothing and every hat appear especially exquisite.

On the highest tier of the display stand facing the entrance sat three men's semi-top hats. Their black velvet surfaces gleamed softly, and a circle of matching silk ribbon had been sewn along the brim with fine stitches. The interiors were lined with white silk embroidered with the small words "Felin Custom."

The middle tier held ladies' wide-brimmed hats. The most eye-catching one was adorned with white ostrich feathers that draped from one side of the brim to behind the ear, with three tiny pearls hanging below.

The other two were simpler. One was a light gray wool hat with subtle rose patterns embroidered on the brim. The other was a black straw hat, tightly woven and edged with a ring of black satin ribbon, suitable for everyday outings.

Gais picked up one of the top hats from the upper shelf and examined it in his hands. A card-like object fell out with it.

It clearly read, "Price: 1 pound 6 shillings."

Ivan, who had quietly slipped in after him, had just finished taking in the elegant surroundings when he saw the price on the card and could not help marveling inwardly.

"A top hat cost that much? Was this the price of respectability?"

Yet Gais behaved as though he frequented such places. He put on the hat and walked to the brass half-length mirror in the shop to inspect himself.

A young female clerk noticed Gais and hurried over, flattering him.

"Sir, I would wager you cannot find another top hat in Trino City that fits you so perfectly. Only a hat as elegant as this could match the dignity of a gentleman like you."

"If you leave without this hat, I believe your dignity will spill away in an instant, just like an untied bag of sugar in the bakery next door."

"That clerk's sales pitch... it sounded strangely familiar. But someone like Gais would not easily fall into another person's verbal trap."

To Ivan's surprise, Gais straightened the top hat on his head, nodded to the clerk, and said,

"You're right. This hat is indeed respectable enough. Very well, I'll buy it."

Under Ivan's astonished gaze, his hand reached into the inner pocket of his tailcoat.

Gais fumbled around for a long time, but his brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

"Hm? Besides the banknotes, I clearly brought a gold coin with me. Why was it gone?"

The Kingdom of Rhine's Gold Pounds and Silver Shillings were not merely coins minted from gold and silver. Many banknotes also circulated, though only among those of the upper class.

Ordinary workers always felt that a crumpled sheet of paper was less reassuring than a coin that truly contained gold in their pockets.

He turned out his pockets, but in the end only found a crumpled banknote. The pattern on it had a pale greenish hue, and the gilded lettering at the top displayed the number "1."

Gais's gaze went blank. He had no memory at all of when or where he had spent that gold coin.

A vein throbbed on his forehead, and his mind felt utterly empty.

"Sir? Sir? This top hat costs 1 pound 6 shillings. You..."

The clerk politely left the rest unsaid and patiently waited for Gais's response.

Gais snapped out of his thoughts, waved the banknote in his hand at the clerk, and gave a self-mocking smile.

"Oh, apologies. As you can see, I have no need for it at the moment."

The young clerk stomped her foot in irritation, muttered a few words under her breath, and returned to the other clerks.

Seeing that she had failed to sell the hat, the others began teasing her quietly.

"Oh, my silly sweetheart, I told you earlier that this gentleman did not look like the sort who could casually produce several pounds, but you insisted on trying."

The young clerk flushed red amid their teasing, but Gais had no time to spare any thought on them.

He had begun to doubt his hazy memories. Pressing hard against his temples a few times with his fingers, he pushed open the door and walked outside.

Following behind him, Ivan had witnessed Gais's many unusual behaviors and roughly formed some guesses.

"It seemed the church people had used some kind of supernatural ability to influence or alter his memories."

"I just don't know whether it was the ability of the other Night Watchmen, or those clergymen I saw in the church."

"If I bestowed the Remnant Corpse's energy upon him, would it have any effect?"

Gais sorted through his memories as he wandered aimlessly.

Without realizing it, he arrived at a quiet lane lined with luxurious mansions on both sides.

He kept walking when a black cat suddenly darted out of one house and charged straight toward his feet.

Gais's eyes were unfocused and his brow tightly furrowed. He paid no attention at all to his surroundings.

The hard heel of his leather shoe was about to step onto the black cat's head.

Suddenly, he felt a beam of ghostly blue light illuminate the depths of his vision.

Then an urgent voice rang out in his mind.

"Watch out!"

His step stalled. The black cat darted past beneath his foot and disappeared into the bushes on the other side of the road. Several people in gray-white maid uniforms ran out of the mansion just then to search for it.

Unable to tell where the voice had come from, he looked at those maids in confusion.

The majestic voice rang out in his mind once more.

"Gais, it was time to wake up..."