Siles maintained his composure. He first turned off the faucet, wiped his hands on a dry towel hanging nearby, and then turned to face Emil.
He said in a somewhat distant tone, “Apologies, young sir. I believe this is our first time meeting.”
Emil’s eyes carried a hint of doubt, but he did not look like a child who would question an adult’s word, even if he had been constantly troubled in his dreams by his maternal grandfather forcing him to learn painting.
So he murmured in a low voice, “Perhaps I was mistaken.”
Together, they walked out of the washroom and conversed at the landing of the corridor staircase.
Siles noticed that the young boy was dressed in a proper little suit. However, the jacket pocket seemed to bulge with something packed inside.
A thought struck Siles, and he said, “Emil—may I call you that? I’d like to ask, what do you have in your pocket? It looks a bit out of place.”
“Oh…” Emil let out a soft exclamation. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Sir… I can tell you, but could you keep it a secret for me?”
“Of course,” Siles replied.
He thought to himself that it seemed to be a secret they had already shared for quite some time.
At that, Emil pulled the Rubik’s Cube out from his pocket. It looked just like an ordinary Rubik’s Cube. Siles was not currently in a ritual state, so he could not perceive its true essence, though he speculated it was similar to the fountain pen inside the safe deposit box.
Emil said, “I don’t dare let my grandfather know about this. He doesn’t allow me to touch such… strange things. But you are different from those two elderly gentlemen, I think.”
He looked at Siles and added, “Even though I don’t quite understand what you were discussing, I believe you are different.”
Siles toyed with the Rubik’s Cube in his hand, doing his best to suppress the subconscious urge to twist it—he did not want to reveal that he knew how to solve it.
Alden doesn’t allow Emil to touch strange things? Siles thought. That makes complete sense; after all, it could very well be an out-of-control Time Trace.
“Perhaps so,” Siles said. “So, what is this object used for?”
“It’s a toy,” Emil said. “…You are somewhat similar to the… person who gave me this.”
Siles remarked, “What a coincidence.”
Emil then explained how to play with the Rubik’s Cube. Siles nodded thoughtfully and asked, “Do you like it very much?”
“I quite like it… That gentleman helped me,” Emil muttered softly. “Besides, when this thing actually appeared… when I held it in my hand, I felt it was amazing.
“I’m going to school soon. I shared this toy with my home tutor, and he seemed quite interested in it too. So I think this toy is very charming, with a very novel way to play… and it’s also very difficult. Sometimes, no matter how hard I think, I can’t figure out the solution.”
Siles listened with interest. After a moment, he asked, “Since you received this toy from another gentleman, could you help me contact him? I have never seen such a thing in Lamifa City. Perhaps I could partner with him to sell it together.”
He thought to himself: Asking myself for the rights.
…Yes, perfectly fine, and entirely ethical. Siles Noel had nothing to do with Mr. Ghost in the deep-sea dreams. He remained composed in his thoughts.
Emil said in surprise, “But that’s…” He paused instinctively, then made a deliberate and awkward topic shift, “Perhaps I can ask for you, but you shouldn’t hold out too much hope.”
Siles offered a faint smile and said, “Of course, thank you for reminding me.”
He thought that Emil would likely receive a reply from Mr. Ghost tonight.
In truth, even if Siles wanted to sell children’s educational toys in a shop on Dawson Street, the fact that the Rubik’s Cube had already appeared in Emil’s hands earlier was indeed a problem.
It was very likely to cause people to link Siles Noel with Mr. Ghost.
Although it might be unnecessary worrying—after all, only two young children currently knew of Mr. Ghost’s existence—Siles still wanted to cautiously layer on another alias.
He had enough troubles as it was.
Holding that thought, he gave the Rubik’s Cube a few casual turns, pretending to examine its structure despite knowing it inside out. However, after turning it casually a few times, the Rubik’s Cube miraculously solved itself.
Siles froze for a moment.
“…You are amazing!” Emil gasped. “How did you do that?”
Siles thought to himself that he didn’t know either… Mysterious fate?
Just now, he hadn’t even paid attention to the color blocks on each face. This was a 4×4 Rubik’s Cube, which was not easy to solve and required a long list of formulas.
Yet, with just a few random twists—no more than ten—the Rubik’s Cube had somehow returned to its completed state.
He paused for a moment before handing the Rubik’s Cube back to Emil, saying, “Perhaps you were already very close to solving it, and I merely happened to run into a lucky day.”
In his heart, however, he wondered whether the power of Akamara he possessed had completely disassembled and reconstructed the Rubik’s Cube without his conscious awareness.
…It didn’t seem impossible. In the past, when He Jiayin faced a Rubik’s Cube that completely stumped him, such a thought had indeed crossed his mind.
Emil held it like a precious treasure, saying with great joy, “Thank you! I was almost getting annoyed by this Rubik’s Cube.”
“…Perhaps you could learn some mathematics,” Siles suggested.
Emil looked up blankly and whispered, “What does this have to do with mathematics?”
Siles was momentarily at a loss for words and could only say, “It’s a cubic structure, so there should be specific patterns that can be analyzed. That is my guess.”
Emil nodded earnestly, looking at the Rubik’s Cube in his hands with a hint of realization, twisting it occasionally only to restore it again.
Siles wondered if he was really going to turn a potential painter into a mathematician. That doesn’t seem like a bad idea either.
He couldn’t help but chuckle softly before steering the conversation toward what he actually wanted to ask: “So, Emil, after getting this Rubik’s Cube, have you felt any changes in yourself?”
“Changes?” Emil snapped back to reality, looking at Siles with confusion. “No… of course not. What kind of changes would there be?”
Siles started to say something, but felt that in his current capacity, there was little point. Since Mr. Ghost would likely meet Emil tonight anyway, he didn’t need to say much here.
So he merely smiled softly and said in a low voice, “I just feel that you like this Rubik’s Cube very much.”
“That is true,” Emil murmured softly. “Grandfather is always so strict, and Mother is always crying. I don’t know what I can do. I seem to always be following their arrangements, but…
“But that gentleman told me that I should go to school. I really should go to school, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes,” Siles replied. “At your age, you should go to school to learn knowledge, and slowly find the path you truly wish to take.”
Emil nodded forcefully. He said, “Just like this Rubik’s Cube. Although I used to be a mess, with the colors on every face looking so scrambled, now it has been solved, and I’ve… found what I want to do.”
He held up the solved Rubik’s Cube.
“Thank you, Mr. Noel… Professor, Professor Noel. I heard everyone calling you that,” Emil whispered.
Siles nodded politely and said, “There’s no need to be so formal. We should head back.”
Emil nodded and followed his lead.
In the drawing room, Dorothea had also appeared. She had changed into more casual housewear and was enjoying desserts and hot tea in a relaxed manner. With her presence, Adolphus’s demeanor seemed considerably gentler.
Adolphus was discussing contemporary young painters with Alden, expressing regret that no paintings had recently appeared that truly opened his eyes.
“Young people nowadays still need more tempering,” Adolphus remarked. “Many painters of the past became famous in their teens or twenties.”
Siles and Emil returned to their seats.
Hearing Adolphus’s words, Siles felt a sudden stir in his mind and spoke up, “I happen to know of such a painter… Leon Gilbert?”
“Oh, I know that painter as well,” Dorothea said. “But Grandfather, Leon became famous when he was fifteen, and there hasn’t been such an extraordinary painter since. You can’t hold contemporary painters to such high standards.”
Adolphus snorted, “High standards are precisely what drive these young people to work hard.”
To a certain extent, Siles agreed with Adolphus’s view. Though he likely wouldn’t be as strict as Adolphus.
“Leon, ah…” Alden beside them seemed to sigh all of a sudden. “Old friend, I remember you collected one of Leon’s paintings, didn’t you?”
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the drawing room abruptly froze.
Adolphus did not answer immediately, merely frowning.
Dorothea looked back and forth, asking in confusion, “Leon’s painting… How come I’ve never heard of it? I’ve seen all the paintings collected at home… Grandfather?”
She turned her gaze to Adolphus as well.
Siles was taken aback by this sudden shift in topic. Looking at Adolphus and noticing the predicament and silence in the old man’s eyes, a guess formed in his mind.
Leon’s painting?
In reality, the vast majority of Leon’s works were collected by museums or held by known private collectors. The only painting whose whereabouts remained unknown was…
Leon’s final artwork before his death.
The very painting he created twenty years after falling into silence, returning to Lamifa City, inviting many critics and connoisseurs, and producing amid madness and the silence of death.
The final song of death.
Adolphus hesitated for a moment, then let out a helpless sigh. “Old friend, I really shouldn’t have mentioned that painting to you.”
Alden picked up his teacup with a chuckle and said, “You told me about that painting decades ago, but refused to let me catch a glimpse. Now that we have guests present, surely you should be willing?”
Adolphus said, “That is…” He deliberated for a long while. “That is… a cursed painting.”
Everyone was stunned by this statement.
“After I obtained that painting, I didn’t even dare to look at it, terrified that I would go mad just by viewing it,” Adolphus murmured. “It has always been covered in white cloth and kept inside a safe deposit box at a bank.”
He fell silent for a short while.
Alden said in astonishment, “To think it was like that! But, old friend, why didn’t you mention this before?”
Adolphus shook his head, “I didn’t expect your curiosity to be so strong. That was Leon’s final work before his death; you’ve likely heard some rumors.”
Alden said, “I only know that Leon passed away shortly after completing that artwork.”
Adolphus showed a smile that could almost be called cold: “Then do you know how many of the critics, connoisseurs, and collectors who witnessed him paint it also passed away afterwards?”
Alden was struck dumb, rendered speechlessly shocked. The others fell silent as well, with Dorothea showing an expression of utmost astonishment.
She couldn’t help but say, “But… that painting is kept by our family?”
“The Grant family was not the first to possess that painting,” Adolphus explained. “According to information left by our ancestor, after Leon finished the painting, he left directly without any intention of keeping it.
“The others remaining there fought over it amongst themselves. Who ultimately obtained the painting back then is no longer important. What matters is that afterward, the holders of that painting died one after another.
“Any collector who refused to believe in the jinx eventually accepted their fate. Thus, over the past few centuries, the painting changed hands repeatedly until it reached my ancestor. By generational standing… that would be my great-grandfather.
“So, that actually occurred back in the previous century. At the time, that ancestor was a rather powerful Revelator…”
He spoke the word “Revelator” completely naturally, and no one else present showed any surprise, including Emil.
This caused Siles to freeze slightly. He suddenly realized that for the upper class of the Duchy of Konst, the existence of Revelators was indeed an open secret.
The History Society required Revelators to keep things confidential, but in reality, outside the History Society, their existence wasn’t so secretive after all.
He continued listening to Adolphus.
“He discovered that the painting possessed a certain… terrifying power. Anyone who laid eyes on it would fall into extreme madness and confusion, as if suddenly receiving some unimaginable news.
“However, if they were asked to describe what they had learned, they couldn’t do it. It was as if… that information was something they could neither comprehend nor imagine.
“In short, after realizing this, my great-grandfather decided to keep the painting. It is said that for this matter, he contacted high-ranking figures from the History Society, the Church of the Past, and others to jointly discuss the final solution.”
Alden couldn’t help asking, “The final solution was covering it in white cloth and putting it in a bank safe deposit box?”
“Initial practice was storing it in a basement or a secret room,” Adolphus said. “However, such arrangements required guards. And those guards seemed to suffer some sort of temptation, ultimately entering that place.
“Thus, in the end, they could only conceal its true form and send it to a bank. In fact, the people at the bank don’t know what that painting truly implies either; they simply assume it is a regular piece of art.”
Alden came to a sudden realization.
“But, Grandfather,” Dorothea asked with a hint of doubt, “does that really guarantee safety? Why not directly destroy the painting?”
“They indeed attempted to, but failed. Some believe that the painting has established a substantial connection with an Old God,” Adolphus explained.
The fire in the hearth burned fiercely, yet the people present felt as though they shared the chill of the snow-covered trees outside. Perhaps with the exception of Emil, who listened in confusion.
Siles spoke up, “So, what exactly was depicted on that painting?”
That painting was painter Leon’s final work, the source of madness for countless people, and a creation potentially tied to an Old God—so what was on it?
Adolphus shook his head and said, “My ancestor did not leave a detailed account… however, before he died, he went to take a single look at the painting’s contents himself, left a single sentence, and then passed away.”
“What did he say?”
“…’The stars are shadows on the spiderweb.'” Adolphus said.
Siles was severely startled.
Alden repeated it strangely, “What does ‘the stars are shadows on the spiderweb’ mean? What is the ‘spiderweb’?”
“If it relates to an Old God, does ‘stars’ refer to Lusmi?” Dorothea naturally arrived at this conclusion. “But what does ‘shadows on the spiderweb’ mean?”
Adolphus shook his head, merely saying, “No one knows.” He paused, then added, “Although I told you all this today, I hope you won’t leak this matter. After all… it involves an Old God.”
They all nodded, indicating their understanding. Even Emil, who was tilting his head in bewilderment, nodded forcefully under his grandfather’s signal.
Afterward, the topic naturally shifted to other subjects. Siles had dinner at the Grant residence, then hitched a ride in Alden and Emil’s carriage back to Lamifa University.
At 6 Hayward Street, Siles lit the stove, then bathed, washed up, and did his laundry. During this entire time, his brain barely stopped, constantly reflecting on that sentence.
“The stars are shadows on the spiderweb.”
It sounded completely without context.
What stars? What spiderweb? What shadows?
However, if combined with the scene Siles had witnessed in his deep-sea dreams—considering that Leon had also been to the deep-sea dreams—the situation became exceedingly delicate.
The rotting star eyes. Spiders crawling out of those rotting star eyes.
Siles had also directly faced such a spiderweb; in the deep-sea dreams, the puppet was even entangled in spider silk.
…The stars are shadows on the spiderweb.
If stars were also on the spiderweb, then the stars seemed to have become the spiderweb’s prey as well. In other words, the “spider” was the true culprit hidden behind the scenes.
The stars became rotting eyes, the puppet was trapped by silk; perhaps there were other spider-related matters Siles had yet to learn?
Yet, none of the Old Gods’ characteristics were associated with spiders. Even for a deity connected to nature like Trisli, God of High Mountains and Rivers, Her characteristics leaned toward geological traits rather than biological ones.
So, what was the spider?
A previously unheard-of… deity?
…”A later god”?
Siles froze slightly.
He had to admit that connecting this to Jan Calder’s mention of “later gods” was because he had always been deeply concerned with this concept, based on a subtle intuition for words.
He always felt that “later gods” should not be understood as “the situation after the gods,” but rather as “newly emerged (later) deities.”
And this mysterious “spider” seemed to fit that concept remarkably well.
Another reason that led him to this thought was the word “shadow.”
It sounded very similar to the “shadow” concept that Professor Cabel had been obsessed with for half his life.
Professor Cabel believed that the so-called “shadow” was something that actually existed, and that the “shadow” had consumed Hoodoka and Menavaca.
…”And the stars are shadows on the spiderweb.” Perhaps the “shadow” had consumed Lusmi as well?
After reflecting for a moment, Siles couldn’t help sighing.
Spiderwebs, stars. He thought that every single thing in this world seemed to carry a metaphor, yet he couldn’t find a reference point to unravel them.
What exactly was the spiderweb?
Unable to figure it out for the moment, he stopped thinking about it. It was Saturday night, and he was about to welcome the opening of the deep-sea dreams.
Before sleeping, Siles organized his novel draft. Tomorrow he needed to hand these manuscripts over to the publisher, Mr. Barnett, as previously agreed.
A few weeks ago, he had agreed with Barnett to serialize a new novel in the newspaper, but after so many days, there had been no movement on his end. So when Barnett wrote to him this time, he specifically emphasized his strong desire to know the progress of Siles’s novel.
The good news was that Siles wasn’t like Madame Carmin, who refused to accept reminder letters from publishers.
The bad news was that he had actually only written one chapter.
…Though that was enough, right? He thought with complete composure.
After making final polishes to certain wordings in the manuscript, Siles lay down in bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the deep-sea dreams, he opened his eyes.
Following his routine, he walked around the isolated island a few times before approaching its center, noting that two saplings both carried dream bubbles—both children were dreaming.
He contemplated what needed to be done today.
Nona and Emil—he needed to meet both children.
Additionally, he still wanted to continue searching for the dream of Jonathan Bryant, the Minister of Finance. If he made discoveries in that dream, he might leave the deep-sea dreams early, though that was fine too; he had to find time for it eventually.
Another task was to explore the secrets of that mysterious farm. 21 days ago, when he caught sight of the farm’s appearance, he had woken up directly from the deep-sea dreams.
That was because he had made a new discovery, realizing that the deep-sea dreams actually connected to another place. Thus, this time, he could examine that place more carefully.
Time didn’t seem to pass in dreams. He stood there silently thinking for a moment, then suddenly remembered a strange question.
He meant… the painter Leon had also visited the deep-sea dreams, hadn’t he? Then what had he discovered in the deep-sea dreams?
Or rather, was Leon’s access time to the deep-sea dreams even longer than his? That didn’t seem impossible. Currently, he still didn’t know what governed the duration of deep-sea dreams, but it likely related to one’s soul.
Pondering this for a short while, he reached out and touched Nona’s dream.
“Good evening, Nona.”
It was still that quiet green meadow, with no other children around. Nona sat alone on the grass, staring blankly at the sky. She looked somewhat pitiable.
When Mr. Ghost appeared, Nona snapped back to her senses and said, “Good evening, Mr. Ghost! I was waiting for you!”
Mr. Ghost sat down opposite Nona and said gently, “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
“No… not at all. Here, time doesn’t seem to move,” Nona said. “It’s the same outside. I’m already…”
She mulled over her choice of words.
Then Nona said, “I’m already used to it!”
“Why is it the same outside?” Mr. Ghost asked her.
Nona froze, then said, “It’s just… that place… seems like it never changes. Doing the exact same things every day, and when I wake up or fall asleep, the situation is identical. So it feels like time doesn’t bother that place either.”
Mr. Ghost thought: A hidden, secret facility?
Or perhaps some unknown clue is concealed within this practice?
However, the last time he visited Nona’s dream, she had told him the place was “very bright yet very dark.” These contradictory descriptors had confused him.
Nona seemed a bit bewildered herself, bobbing her head as she said, “Ah, Mr. Ghost, I remembered! I should tell you the clues I found, right? The word ‘clue’ was taught to me by Grandfather!”
Mr. Ghost said, “Yes, Nona. Your grandfather would be proud of you.”
Nona gave a proud smile, tilted her head to think for a while, and said, “I remember some… just as you said, remembering what those doctors said.”
“So what did they say?” Mr. Ghost asked.
“A word they mentioned often was…” Nona crinkled her nose and pondered earnestly, “Con… Constitution?”
“…Constitution?” Mr. Ghost repeated the word hesitantly.
Nona nodded repeatedly, “Yes! Isn’t it strange? I’ve never heard that word before!”
Constitution, Mr. Ghost thought.
Actually, the word wasn’t particularly rare. People often said their “constitution” was poor when they fell ill, referring to physical health.
However, Nona stating that the doctors frequently brought up “constitution” made Mr. Ghost suspect: Were they monitoring these children’s physical conditions for their experiments?
But what kind of experiment requires monitoring children’s physical states?
Mr. Ghost asked, “Under what circumstances did they mention ‘constitution’?”
“Every morning and evening, the doctors come over to make us sleep well,” Nona whispered. “Then, they talk about constitution issues. They said my constitution is very good, very suitable for… I don’t know what I’m suitable for either, they just said that.”
Mr. Ghost couldn’t help but frown.
Constitution… this seemed to be a necessary requirement for this secret experiment?
Nona didn’t know much else about “constitution,” so Mr. Ghost asked if she had heard anything else.
Nona said, “Yes! Mr. Ghost, do you know what… is called…” She thought for a while, “Holy… Holy Child? It seems to be those two words… Yes, ‘Holy Child’.”
Mr. Ghost’s eyes turned sharp, and he asked in a deep voice, “Holy Child?”
Nona nodded forcefully and added, “Once… I forgot when, the doctors suddenly started arguing. They said they knew another place already had a ‘Holy Child,’ but they didn’t have one here yet.
“They needed to speed up progress… that seemed to be what they meant. But I don’t understand what speeding up progress means either.”
“…Were there any changes in the daily lives of you and the other children?”
Nona shook her head in confusion.
Mr. Ghost then asked, “‘Holy Child’. When they spoke about it, did they mention what kind of person would be called a ‘Holy Child’?”
“Ah, so the Holy Child is a person!” Nona said in surprise.
Mr. Ghost paused, slightly prompted by Nona’s words.
Indeed, because of Nanisal Bryant’s existence, he knew the “Holy Child” was an individual’s title. But to the uninformed Nona, the Holy Child could have been something else entirely.
He warned himself to be as cautious as possible going forward.
He already knew a lot of information and could easily slip up and reveal things he knew that others didn’t. Revealing this to Nona might be harmless, but if it caught the attention of someone with ulterior motives, it wouldn’t end well.
Nona continued, “Holy Child… They seemed to hope we children could become Holy Children. But then again, they didn’t seem to want it that much.”
“Why do you say that?”
Nona tilted her head in confusion: “I… I’m not sure either. I just have this feeling.” She thought a bit more before saying, “Ah, I remember! Because once before…
“Right after I woke up, a doctor said… said I was a semi-finished product. But he said it with a smile, not looking sad or disappointed at all. Is a semi-finished product a good thing?”
She asked curiously.
Mr. Ghost listened quietly.
Constitution, Holy Child, semi-finished product. These words flashed through his mind before settling down.
Mr. Ghost said, “No, perhaps that’s not it. We don’t know what they want to do yet, so we don’t know what a semi-finished product means either.”
Nona nodded without fully understanding.
Mr. Ghost added, “Nona, we can meet again tomorrow, but after that, we’ll have to wait another 21 days. So I hope you can do one thing: watch if the doctors do anything different from usual.”
“Different from usual…” Nona said, “Things they didn’t use to do?”
“Right,” Mr. Ghost said. “Just watch them secretly. Nona must not expose herself.”
“Okay! Nona understands!” The young girl beamed brightly. “Wait for my good news, Mr. Ghost!”
After exiting Nona’s dream, he stood quietly on the eternal, silent red soil of the isolated island for a while. He thought that beneath this seemingly calm sea surface lay the dreams of countless people and the mottled ruins at the bottom.
It was as if this world had once been battered and broken.
Without dwelling on it, he soon headed to Emil’s dream.
This time, the dream setting had changed into a school classroom, signifying a shift in Emil’s mind.
The last time Mr. Ghost visited Emil’s dream to speak with him was right after returning from the Ashless Lands. At that time, he confirmed that the Rubik’s Cube had indeed manifested in reality. But after that, he hadn’t re-entered Emil’s dream.
“Good evening, Emil,” Mr. Ghost said.
“Good evening, Mr. Ghost,” Emil said. “I was looking for you.”
Mr. Ghost thought that the Emil in dreams seemed more proactive and assertive than in reality, even appearing somewhat more mature. Was this the difference between dreams and reality?
He asked, “What is it?”
“The Rubik’s Cube you gave me,” Emil said. “A man saw it and wants to do business selling this kind of toy. Would you be willing? I remember you told me you wanted to open a toy shop too… Perhaps you could partner with him.
“However, I must ask for your thoughts on this, Mr. Ghost.”
Mr. Ghost smiled faintly and asked, “Emil, what kind of clothes do you see me wearing?”
Emil froze, looking at him in confusion before saying, “…A paperboy?”
“Yes,” Mr. Ghost said softly. “Ghosts in dreams also act as paperboys. I deliver certain items, and I also deliver items to other places.
“So this Rubik’s Cube doesn’t belong to me either. Of course, if someone wants to do business with it, there is no issue. I believe the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube would be glad to offer this small convenience.”
Emil seemed to understand and nodded: “I see, Mr. Ghost.” He hesitated, then asked, “Mr. Ghost… do you want to take this Rubik’s Cube back?”
Mr. Ghost was startled.
“Last time I told you the Rubik’s Cube appeared in reality, you seemed very surprised and vanished directly from my dream. I wondered if this matter caused you trouble?” Emil asked.
Without waiting for Mr. Ghost’s reply, he continued, “I am a bit reluctant… because this was the first toy I ever received. Some time ago, I didn’t dare meet you because of this. I was afraid you would take it back.
“However, since someone wants to make these Rubik’s Cubes now, I can buy one from him. My grandfather doesn’t let me touch things of unknown origin—I mean, unknown origin in reality—so I could only play secretly.
“If I can buy such a toy in reality, that would be wonderful; I could bring it out openly. I… I know very well that something from a dream appearing in reality is an incredible thing.
“…But, Mr. Ghost, won’t you talk to that man and have him sell more other toys?”
Mr. Ghost found it both amusing and endearing to discover that Emil was hoping to expand Professor Siles Noel’s business.
After considering it for a moment, he said, “Emil, I want to say that your assumption was correct. I do need to take this Rubik’s Cube back, though not because you did anything wrong.
“It’s because if this Rubik’s Cube brings a bad influence on others, that would be a terrible thing.”
Perhaps the power of Akamara was harmless, and perhaps Emil hadn’t fallen into madness because of it, but it was power derived from an Old God after all, carrying inherent risks.
He didn’t want to gamble on luck.
Emil looked at Mr. Ghost blankly, then slowly nodded after a moment: “I understand, Mr. Ghost. What you say makes sense. But rest assured, I only shared the Rubik’s Cube solution with my home tutor and that man who wants to do the toy business.
“Besides those two, no one else has seen this Rubik’s Cube.”
Mr. Ghost nodded and asked with interest, “Your home tutor? Could you tell me his name?”
“Of course,” Emil said. “Jules Hans. He is a research scholar at Lamifa University who comes to my house once a week to teach me… basic knowledge.”
Mr. Ghost froze the moment he heard that name.
…Jules? His apprentice, Jules?
The coincidences of fate made his spine chill once more. He thought that life truly resembled a spiderweb—everyone was bound together by fate’s threads.
“…Mr. Ghost?” Emil asked hesitatingly. “Is something wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.” Mr. Ghost snapped back to his senses.
Since it was Jules, there was no need to investigate through Emil. He could simply observe Jules’s condition directly at Lamifa University.
Still, he found it incredible.
That Jules worked as a private tutor for a noble family was easy to understand, as the young man from Maltz likely needed financial assistance and was too proud to let everyone know.
However, this afternoon, when he, Dorothea, and Emil sat together in the Grant family drawing room listening to Adolphus tell the story of painter Leon’s final painting, who could have guessed that their connection to Jules was only a step away?
It sounded astonishing, forcing one to marvel at the wonders of fate.
Mr. Ghost took a breath and asked, “What about the man who wants to do the Rubik’s Cube business?”
“Siles Noel,” Emil said, then suddenly remembered something, “He seems to be a professor at Lamifa University… maybe he even knows my home tutor!”
Mr. Ghost thought: Far more than just knowing.
“I’ve noted it,” Mr. Ghost said. “I will speak with this Mr. Noel.”
Meaning speaking inside his own head. Mr. Ghost cracked a cold joke to himself.
Emil let out a massive sigh of relief, then hesitated before pulling the Rubik’s Cube from his pocket and handing it over to Mr. Ghost.
He said earnestly, “I am very grateful to you, Mr. Ghost. This Rubik’s Cube made me understand a lot. Now, it should return to your hands to avoid causing bigger trouble.”
Mr. Ghost looked at the young boy with surprise, then couldn’t help but smile. He took the Rubik’s Cube, casually placed it inside his messenger bag, and said, “You are a good child, Emil. Your family will be proud of you.”
Emil showed a shy smile.
Mr. Ghost added, “I will discuss this with Mr. Noel as soon as possible. Perhaps you’ll soon be able to buy Rubik’s Cubes and other children’s toys in Lamifa City.”
“Are there really other toys?” Emil asked eagerly.
“Of course,” Mr. Ghost said.
But he didn’t continue.
Emil waited for a bit, and receiving no further details, his eyes widened in surprise. But seeing that Mr. Ghost was unwilling to elaborate, he could only say dejectedly, “You really know how to keep people in suspense. Maybe I should go ask Professor Noel instead.”
Mr. Ghost couldn’t help laughing.
He said, “We can meet again tomorrow. If I’ve finished discussing business with Mr. Noel by then, I can bring you some toys to be sold in the dream. However, you can only play with them in the dream.”
“That’s more than enough!” Emil said. “Thank you, Mr. Ghost.”
“You’re welcome,” Mr. Ghost replied.
Afterward, he exited Emil’s dream.
As his mastery over Akamara’s power grew, his movements through these dream bubbles became far freer. He could leave these dream bubbles with a simple thought.
However, he still couldn’t exert influence inside others’ dreams.
From this perspective, identities like “paperboy” or “ghost” fit his current stage of power mastery quite well.
He tried searching for Jonathan Bryant’s dream again, but unfortunately still yielded no results. He planned to try again tomorrow.
Next, he intended to study that mysterious farm. In his heart, he silently recited: Search for Siles Noel’s dream.
Soon, that wondrous perspective appeared before his vision once more.
Thick darkness, swelling dream bubbles, multicolored chimney smoke, and a quiet, empty farm.
This time, he spent much longer gazing at the farm. He noted that the farm’s area wasn’t particularly large, but it gave a impression of being “well-maintained.”
Exquisite lawns, a small tilled plot of land, an animal enclosure, a lake, beautiful trees, and a small house sitting by the lake.
Furthermore, the time in this farm area seemed frozen at early morning. The sun was just revealing a corner from the horizon. A hazy mist hovered above the farm.
It looked full of life and remarkably real. Yet, there were no active people or animals here; everything appeared still.
He quietly observed the quiet farm from this perspective. It looked both extremely distant and extremely close, as if within reach, yet separated by miles.
How to get there? How could one arrive? Whose…
Whose dream was that?
He understood all at once.
Almost without thinking, whether voiced aloud or spoken only in his heart, he said: Search for Akamara’s dream.
The next instant, the broad farm seemed to suddenly flash right before his eyes. He felt momentarily dazed; when he regained clarity, he smelled the fragrance of fresh grass.
The surroundings were serene, and he was stepping on soft grass that seemed to still hold morning dew. Hazy morning twilight shimmered in his peripheral vision. It felt like a new world, a paradise isolated from the world.
…Siles woke up abruptly.
