In the bedroom lit only by moonlight, the quill scratched across the paper slowly and firmly, pausing now and then before rustling into motion again.
"I tossed and turned in bed, my head full of everything that happened today, memories of life on Earth, and worries and hopes for the future.
"I know I should be cautious right now, and then more cautious still. The local Police Commissioner and people from the Church only just took away the body downstairs. I don't even know if they've cleaned up the blood. As someone involved, I might be questioned tomorrow. Anything suspicious I do could draw attention.
"But I just can't hold it in anymore, and there's no one I can talk to. All I can do is write these thoughts down and get some things off my chest. Otherwise, I'll never sleep well!
"Besides, I'm writing in simplified Chinese. Judging by this body's memories, there aren't any other transmigrators in this world, and the locals all use alphabetic scripts."
At this point, Roselle crept back to the window and cautiously peered outside. The body, bloodstains, and broken pieces of the vase below had all been cleared away. A servant stood guard by the gate with a flintlock rifle in his arms, his head drooping repeatedly. He hadn't noticed a thing happening upstairs behind him.
Roselle glanced up at the red full moon hanging high in the night sky, then returned to the desk and continued writing:
"There's one more thing I can be sure of: this world definitely isn't Earth. Not only do the names of the countries in my memories have no place in history, even the moon in the sky is red. And it's especially round and especially large.
"I've never heard of their language or writing system either. Fortunately, I inherited Roselle's memories and knowledge, so I haven't ended up an idiot who can't even speak Intisian or read.
"Oh, right. I'm now Roselle Gustav, son of Baron Gustav of Suhit City in the Intis Kingdom. But I'll never forget my real name.
"Huang Tao.
"At this point in the diary, I should start analyzing why I transmigrated to this world resembling ancient Europe. But honestly, I don't remember much about the short period before I transmigrated, and the most crucial stretch is missing from Roselle's memories too.
"What left the strongest impression on me was actually something else that happened tonight: that girl from the Sauron Family fled to my house while being pursued, then managed to turn the tables and kill her pursuer with Baron Gustav's help.
"Right, I should be calling him Father now. I need to get used to that.
"I have to say, that girl was gorgeous. In the twenty-first century, she might have become a big star. She even blushed while curtsying to me. Unfortunately, my memories hadn't fully returned yet, so I must have reacted like an idiot and failed to make a good impression.
"No matter. Saving a damsel in distress should have earned me plenty of favor, and since we're both nobles, there'll be lots of chances to meet again... Most importantly, I, Huang Tao Roselle Gustav, an internet-savvy young man of the new century, have no shortage of advanced knowledge and technology in my head. This backward world will be the stage where I unleash my talents. Everyone, including Charlotte Sauron, will see me in a whole new light!
"Once I come up with some earthshaking inventions and lead the trends of the age, will I really need to worry about maxing out everyone's affection? This game is practically on easy mode for me.
"No, I need to write down everything I still remember first, before I forget it in a few days. This world doesn't have search engines..."
The writing stopped there. Roselle dipped his quill in the ink again and again, only to hold it suspended in the air each time, until ink dripped down and left an ugly blot on the blank space below.
A moment later, without waiting for the ink to dry, he closed the notebook and stuffed it into the drawer beneath the desk. Then he leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"...Who the hell keeps a diary?"
He muttered it quietly in Chinese.
"Turn myself in?"
Charlotte repeated the phrase, almost sneering before managing to restrain herself.
She had acted in self-defense. If Etienne ultimately proved to be connected to the murders in the old district, she and the Gustavs might even receive a bounty!
But on second thought, Henriette knew the whole story too and wouldn't make a pointless suggestion. Putting that together with everything she had said about mysticism and Beyonders, Charlotte quickly understood what she meant.
Henri wanted her to tell the Church voluntarily about her involvement in a supernatural incident, using the Church to find the source of the power that had brought her bad luck and protect her from any dangers that might follow.
But did the Church really have the ability-and the willingness-to do that?
In her memories, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, which Raoul Sauron's family worshipped, was hardly known for its mercy. The clergy in ordinary churches were tolerable, but the infamous Inquisition had always terrified the populace. Who knew how many heathens and heretics it had arrested? People went in, but no one ever saw them come out.
Nobles generally didn't have to worry about being dragged in, but after learning that the Church possessed supernatural powers and had many Beyonders within its ranks, Charlotte had another concern beyond those rumors:
What if the Church discovered she was a transmigrator, a soul from another world occupying the original Charlotte Sauron's body?
Would she be accused of being possessed by an evil spirit and sent straight to the stake?
At that thought, she asked another question before Henri could explain:
"If you take me away, can you guarantee that the power behind Etienne won't find me?"
Although she had inherited this body's memories and could even feel its lingering trust in and attachment to her father, Charlotte herself had little affection for the Sauron Family. If cutting ties with her relatives and leaving Sushit under an assumed identity would solve most of her current problems, she wouldn't hesitate for long.
Seeing the girl's expression grow increasingly resolute, Henri seemed to guess what she was thinking. She chuckled and said:
"You seem eager to leave your family. Unfortunately, even I can't guarantee your safety. Even if we left this city far behind and used anti-divination to conceal every clue, you could still be discovered. Or one day, you might die right in front of me in a way no one could have imagined."
Is it really that eerie... or is Henri reluctant to get involved because supernatural powers are involved, even though she's a Beyonder herself? Charlotte stared at her smiling face and utterly calm eyes. Unable to tell what thoughts lay behind that smile, she could only continue:
"So confessing everything to the Church will get me help?"
"Going to the nearest church, dropping a few coins into the donation box, and attending Mass certainly won't do it. But every Church has its own armed Beyonder unit. They're part of the official establishment and specialize in dealing with trouble caused by wild Beyonders. Once they take over, your problem should be resolved.
"Of course, if they can't solve the problem itself, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun might choose to solve the person with the problem."
A chill ran through Charlotte. Then she noticed the corners of Henri's mouth curling upward and realized it was probably just a nasty joke.
Henri seems to want me to seek the Church's help. Then why tell me so much? Why not simply suggest I "turn myself in"? If I happened to mention her to the Church, I'd only cause her a lot of trouble... Having picked up from Henri's words that the Church wasn't particularly friendly toward wild Beyonders, Charlotte grew even more curious. But remembering that her own problems were more pressing, she immediately lost the desire to ask.
Henri continued explaining:
"The Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun arrests heretics and isn't friendly toward heathens, but you're simply a victim in this matter. They won't treat you harshly. And you seem very interested in becoming a Beyonder. This might be an opportunity.
"Of course, that depends on passing their tests and making the appropriate contributions... On that note, I suggest you take that dagger with you when you go to the church."
The dagger? Charlotte instinctively looked down at the weapon she had brought home after killing Etienne. A short section of blade protruded from the slightly worn opening of its leather sheath, not quite fully inserted. Beneath the oil lamp, it looked dark, as though steeped in blood.
Was there something special about it?
She looked up again to ask for details, only to discover that Henriette, who had been standing before her mere seconds ago, had vanished.
That strange ability again... Charlotte frowned, glanced at the firmly locked bedroom door and the French window that had somehow been opened a crack, then shook her head. Now that the excitement of meeting Henri and learning about the world of mysticism had faded, exhaustion spread through her entire body. All she wanted was to fall into bed and sleep.
Wait. That woman who can turn invisible might still be watching me from the shadows. I can't give myself away. What should a young noblewoman do at a time like this?
The thought jolted her alert. She hastily stuffed the dagger, sheath and all, into a drawer in her dressing table, went to the door, and opened it. She asked the maid waiting outside:
"Is the hot water ready?"
As she spoke, thinking about what she would have to do next, she felt her face grow burning hot.
Seeing light appear in the bathroom window beside the bedroom, Henriette, who had been hiding on the balcony with her invisibility ability all along, yawned. She slipped lightly over the railing and drifted down toward the garden behind the mansion like a feather borne on the wind.
After strolling outside the courtyard wall, she set up a temporary altar with the silver dagger and ritual candles she carried, then recited an incantation to summon a messenger:
"Spirit that roams the Upper World, friendly creature willing to be commanded, messenger belonging solely to Rosalie Sauron."
A moment later, she looked toward the empty altar as though something normally invisible stood there, and said:
"Take a message to Rosalie. Tell her I've found Charlotte Sauron. She's still alive, but there's something strange about her condition.
"She appeared in an alley in the old district, then was pursued by a Lawyer. In the end, she escaped to a baron's house and turned the tables, killing him... Afterward, she claimed her memories were somewhat confused. My divination found nothing unusual either, as though she were simply an ordinary victim targeted by a kidnapper. But the kidnapper was a Beyonder and wasn't short of money. There must have been another purpose behind his actions.
"Things were a little different from what we expected, but I still revealed some basic knowledge of mysticism as planned. I also talked her out of running away from home and told her to seek help from the Church... I didn't use Instigation, to avoid angering those religious fanatics... I'll stay in Sushit and observe her for a while longer."
"Come back as soon as you advance. I can't wait to see you.
"That's all. Sorry for the trouble."
Having finished, she dispelled the Wall of Spirituality and watched the candles go out on their own in the wind. Then she began dismantling the altar.
In the bedroom of an apartment in Constant City, in the Loen Kingdom.
Dragging his exhausted body along, Zhou Mingrui put away the bread he had used as the altar for the Luck Enhancement Ritual. Unable to bear his headache any longer, he sat down in a nearby chair.
After massaging his temples a few times and calming his dejection, he looked up toward the window.
The Crimson Moon hung high above, watching him silently like an eye without a pupil.
For some reason, the red moon filled him with fear. It seemed to be an emotion buried deep within this body.
He drew the curtains and surveyed the room in the dim lamplight. There were no electrical appliances or modern conveniences of any kind. Suddenly, he sighed and said in a tone of loss and resignation:
"From now on, I'm Klein Abraham."