Leading the way was the confident Ed, while behind Ed was a tall, gentle-looking middle-aged man who appeared to be in his thirties.
In terms of temperament, he possesses both the down-to-earth qualities unique to manual laborers and a scholarly air, somewhat similar to the candidate Rein Hansen, who is Balund's only blood relative Aiboke.
He was dressed in a short, Holy See- style tunic, with his wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, and other body parts completely exposed.
Balund quickly noticed the incongruity of his brother's body:
All visible joints use a very special construction, somewhat like the circular joints of a marionette in a puppeteer's hand.
In the eyes of players, Aiboke is more like a living wooden mannequin from a shopping mall.
Furthermore, given that he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, he looked even more like something that would only appear in a clothing store window.
In addition, the original Mind Coffin seemed to have been disassembled and reassembled by Ed, turning it into a somewhat strange-looking machine.
Upon approaching, Ed explained to Balund:
"Although Aiboke's original body was not corrupted, it was just that it was not corrupted."
"If I were to implant his consciousness into it, not to mention whether he could survive, he would already look no different from Blood Corpse."
"So his current body was created by me based on his memories, this technology..."
Ed looked at the side of the underground space:
" Gray should know this."
Balund nodded. After Gray "came back to life" and returned to the Great Labyrinth City, he mentioned the issue of body modification in his report and described in detail his feelings after undergoing the modification.
This is one of the reasons why Balund had some basis for trusting Ed – this wasn't the first time this Son of God had sculpted someone's body.
"As a 'vegetative state' person, Aiboke now has many more functions than before, but as for his rank..."
Ed paused, giving Balund time to accept the facts:
"It's roughly the level before entering the first generation of Mind Coffin, meaning it's just one step away from the High Tier."
Balund nodded hastily:
"It's alright, as long as he lives, it's fine even if he regresses to Low Tier."
Having acquired a new body, Aiboke had been trying to speak, but perhaps because he hadn't used his own voice for so many years, he kept practicing.
After Ed finished talking with Balund, he finally adapted to his new body:
"Long time no see, elder brother."
A middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties and an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties stared at each other quietly for the first time in a long time.
"You actually still..."
Balund was momentarily speechless, unsure how to describe his shock. After organizing his thoughts, he asked:
"Your memories... are they from before you entered the Mind Coffin, or...?"
"Clear memories remain before the Mind Coffin."
Aiboke sat down in the chair, making a thumping sound like wood hitting wood.
"But memories from the past sixty years aren't entirely absent; they just exist in a strange form, like... an unforgettable dream, a feeling that is both myself and not myself."
"..."
The old man was speechless; he simply gripped his brother's arm tightly.
However, behind them, [ the Do Some Farm Work ] suddenly did something unexpected, but after everyone realized it, they all followed suit—clapping.
"Clap clap clap clap clap."
The applause of the Soul Returner rang out, followed by the second, the third...
The five Soul Returner, the two elves, and Ed, who was barely suppressing the twitching at the corner of his mouth, all eventually joined the applause.
It's a pity that everyone's positioning wasn't ideal; it was more like a fan shape than a circle. Otherwise, the effect of paying homage to that famous scene would have been extraordinary.
As a local native Balund naturally had no idea what the Soul Returner were up to, but he felt that his brother, as the true contributor to the smooth operation of the Graycast Corridor for more than half a century, deserved such respect.
So he let go of Aiboke's wooden arm and joined the clapping.
The tall, middle-aged man was on the verge of tears, but unfortunately, his body structure didn't support that function, so he could only blink and finally reveal a relieved smile.
After the applause ended, Balund looked at Ed and said:
"I never imagined I would see Aiboke again in my life. We are truly grateful for your kindness..."
"Therefore, I don't think we have any reason to refuse the previous invitation. There is only one thing: please allow us to return to our homeland and contribute our share when the Graycast Corridor is attacked."
Although Balund's voice was old, it contained an irrepressible vitality that Ed found as if it were the sound of new shoots sprouting from an old tree.
But another question immediately arose in his mind—
What kind of invitation?
When did I invite you?
Didn't you say before that you would definitely step in if needed?
Why does it seem like I'm the one trying to recruit you?
Seeing the awkward situation, the instigator, [ Do Some Farm Work ], immediately stepped forward to explain in order to avoid an awkward silence:
" Son of God Highness, I just extended an invitation to Mr. Balund as Soul Returner of the Second Holy See, but the old gentleman's intention is to wait for Mr. Aiboke's results before making a decision."
So it was you, kid.
Ed mentally pointed fingers at the other person, realizing he had been so engrossed in the puzzle that he had momentarily forgotten to notice what was happening outside.
How should I put this?
Although it seemed a bit too proactive, but...
This is a good thing!
Realizing that the Soul Returner had once again "thought what I thought and worried about what I worried about," Ed thought that if these players were in ancient times, they would all probably become petty scoundrels.
However, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what was done in this matter.
The Graycast Corridor now has a new High Tier lord, so what about the old one...?
Naturally, they would have to join the Second Holy See, the World of Disorder hub of talent mobility.
As for why the Second Holy See, a hub for talent, only "gathers" but not "disperses," such a minor question is naturally not worth considering.
Thinking of this, Ed smiled and nodded:
"Alright, if you and Aiboke both feel this is acceptable, then please join the Second Holy See as advisors for the time being."
He looked at Balund and said:
"From this day forward, Mr. Balund, you are the Second Holy See's [ Psionic Energy Path Mentor ]"
He then turned his head to look at Aiboke:
"Mr. Aiboke, you are now the [ Mechanical Path Mentor ] of the Second Holy See. After all, you were once Grand Foundry Master; in the field of mechanics, no one in this world should be more accomplished than you."
Upon hearing this, the two, one young and one old, performed a ritual that was somewhat modified from the old-fashioned kingdom's custom, expressing their agreement.