“Mr. Lanmere,” Siles said with some surprise. “I didn’t expect to run into you here either.”
The person appearing before them was indeed the merchant Jerome Lanmere. He was dressed entirely like an explorer, wearing a cowboy hat, a leather belt, and worn leather boots. He looked dusty all over, not at all like a wealthy major merchant.
However, perhaps it was precisely this kind of attire that allowed him to travel unhindered through the dangerous Ashless Lands.
Lanmere exchanged a few words with the people beside him, then walked over to Siles alone with a smiling gaze that swept across Siles’s companions, lingering for a moment on Quinton.
Lanmere said, “Oh, Mr. Noel. I didn’t expect you to come to the Ashless Lands as well. If you had told me earlier, I could have completely traveled with you.”
“I did write you a letter, but unfortunately, you had already departed by then,” Siles replied. “I received a reply from your wife. I wondered if I might cross paths with you in the Ashless Lands, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen.”
Lanmere said with surprise, “That is indeed quite a coincidence.” He smoothly proceeded to ask about Siles’s companions.
Siles then introduced them to him.
Lanmere nodded and said, “You’ve considered things very thoroughly: a doctor, a driven young man, and a deeply experienced explorer.” He turned and said, “Mr. Praia, I have long heard of your reputation.”
Quinton gave a noncommittal nod.
Lanmere presumably picked up on that cold, arrogant disposition and very politely withdrew his evaluating gaze. He simply said, “In that case, Mr. Noel, why don’t you and your companions join me at the inn I have already booked to rest up?”
Siles looked at the more experienced Quinton.
Quinton asked in a deep voice, “What inn is it?”
“Old John’s Inn,” Lanmere said with a smile. “You must have heard of it; it’s the most perfect inn in Biedel City.”
Quinton nodded and said, “That’s a good choice.”
Lanmere showed a warm smile and said hospitably, “Come along, gentlemen. We can sit down and have a good chat. Even though Mr. Praia is here, perhaps there is some news that a merchant like myself can offer you.”
Before long, they arrived in front of a building located in the center of the desert.
The entire city of Biedel possessed a rugged, dangerous temperament. It came from the dim air filled with swirling yellow sand, and from the dirty faces and alert gazes of the people on the streets.
However, what appeared before them now was a beautiful, tall building whose walls were covered with colorful ceramic tiles. The style of the building carried an unexpectedly extravagant air, featuring spires, lancet windows, and a towering clock tower.
Alva’s eyes widened, and he murmured, “This is certainly not something I expected to see in the Ashless Lands”.
Lanmere laughed heartily and said, “Young Mr. Gillini, Galsworthy is no desolate, backward place. It is quite prosperous, far more prosperous than you imagine.”
Alva nodded, thoroughly agreeing.
They walked inside. The desert region felt somewhat hot during the day. Siles noticed that the vast majority of the servers wore clean white shirts with beautiful, vine-like patterns on the left shoulder.
…That pattern seemed similar to the ones on the tiles on the inn’s exterior walls.
The merchant Lanmere clearly had a deep history with this inn. Under his arrangements, each of the four in Siles’s group received an exquisitely furnished single room complete with an independent bathroom and a small balcony.
Furthermore, Lanmere waived their room fees for the first night. This major merchant was truly generous. Back in Lamifa City, Siles had never witnessed him spending so lavishly.
Siles maintained an unruffled expression on the surface and thanked him very sincerely, but in his heart, he was pondering what exactly this merchant was up to with such hospitality.
…It wasn’t that he was being overly suspicious. According to the TRPG script, the merchant Lanmere’s decision to leave Lamifa City at this time meant he had other designs; it wasn’t a normal commercial venture. This major merchant itself had intersections with people of unknown backgrounds and origins.
Although the TRPG script had long since been butterflied into a stack of waste paper, Siles could still use it to reference the personalities and behavioral intentions of these characters.
Not all characters were good people. They lived in this world with their own life trajectories, rather than just being a line or two of description on a TRPG character sheet. Siles was well aware of this.
After booking the rooms, Chester, Alva, and Quinton each returned to their rooms. They had spent the past few days on the train, unable to rest well or bathe. Now that they had arrived at an inn and would have to resume their journey tomorrow, they naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to properly refresh themselves.
Siles, however, was in no hurry. He needed to have a detailed talk with Lanmere.
Before leaving, Quinton cast an inquiring glance, wanting to know if Siles needed company. However, Siles gave a gentle shake of his head, telling him to go get some rest.
Once the three of them had left, Lanmere extended an invitation with a smile: “Siles, you probably haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Shall we go have a delicious brunch together?”
Siles nodded, followed his lead, and casually picked up a topic: “By the way, Lanmere, do you know about the Greyson Food Company matter? I don’t quite like the word ‘delicious’ right now”.
“Ah, of course I heard about it,” Lanmere said. “Even though I left Lamifa City, I still read the Lamifa newspapers. That matter caused quite a stir.”
Siles’s gaze swept over his smile-filled face, then flatly drifted away: “I recall you once entered a partnership with Greyson? Forgive my presumption, but did you notice any unusual signs back then?
“The officials of the Duchy of Konst are still investigating this matter, so perhaps you can provide some useful clues”.
“No, I didn’t,” Lanmere sighed with regret. “After learning about this, I also thought about it, but I failed to find anything abnormal. I just had ordinary commercial dealings with Greyson, nothing more”.
Siles nodded. He asked as if casually, “It seems that by coming to the Ashless Lands this time, you’ve discovered some new business opportunity as well?”
They arrived at the first-floor restaurant of Old John’s Inn. There wasn’t anyone around at the moment, but the aroma of food still wafted into their noses, and Siles even caught the long-lost scent of seafood.
Clearly, this was a highly luxurious establishment, not nearly as plain as its name suggested.
Lanmere didn’t answer Siles’s question right away. He first said, “Welcome to Old John’s restaurant! Siles, the food here tastes very good, and the ingredients are fresh—including some seafood just transported from the coast.
“Since you came from Lamifa City, perhaps you can give it a try. It’s a very unique flavor. For brunch, you might want to try the seafood porridge; it’s incredibly savory.”
Siles nodded rather plainly—back when he was on Earth, he had tried food far more abundant than what this era offered. That was a dimensional strike brought by large-scale industrial production, likely beyond what the people of this world could imagine.
…Perhaps they had once come close to it. During the Age of Silence. However, a great fog had destroyed the future of this world’s civilization.
Nonetheless, Siles chose the seafood porridge recommended by Lanmere, pairing it with some small pastries. He didn’t actually have much of an appetite, after all… the shadow of Greyson’s food still loomed over his heart.
Even now when eating, he couldn’t help but put on Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame. Of course, he knew himself that this was merely a psychological comfort.
This state of affairs would probably persist for some time.
Lanmere appeared entirely unbothered by the fact that he was wearing glasses while eating. He casually introduced Siles to Old John’s Inn as well as the entire city of Biedel.
Only then did Siles learn that this inn, along with many shops and facilities in Biedel City, had investments from Lanmere. Lanmere even held a small portion of shares in the Dexter Railway United Company.
For the first time, he realized what immense wealth the simple TRPG character sheet of “Merchant Lanmere” truly symbolized when brought into reality.
He was slightly astonished by Lanmere’s wealth, but wasn’t quite sure why the other party chose to mention all this to him at this moment.
To show off? To flaunt? Siles didn’t think Lanmere held such thoughts. But if it were just a simple introduction to Biedel City, there was no need to say so much.
Just as Siles was about to finish eating, Lanmere suddenly let out a long sigh.
Siles paused, then set down his spoon and directed a calm gaze at Lanmere. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Mr. Lanmere, we have interacted a few times now. I always remember that you introduced me to the publisher Benton.
“So, if there is anywhere you need my help, you may speak directly without reservation.”
A bitter smile surfaced on Lanmere’s shrewd and capable face. He said, “You might think I am complaining… or perhaps flaunting… in short, I truly wish to speak to you about my difficulties.”
“Please speak,” Siles said in a deep voice, his gaze boring deeply into the merchant before him.
Lanmere thought for a moment, then said, “I recall I once told you that I had done business involving stardust.”
Siles nodded.
Lanmere asked in return, “How do you think that business is?”
Siles wasn’t quite sure what kind of answer the man wanted. Ultimately, he answered cautiously, “Very promising.”
From the perspective of an Earthling, it certainly was.
Lanmere nodded slowly, then said, “I wish to be completely candid with you. You might not know—or perhaps you do—that stardust is a necessary auxiliary ingredient for the potions of Revelators.”
“I am aware of that,” Siles said simply. “So this has caused trouble for your business?”
“No, no… that’s not what I mean at all,” Lanmere said. “The stardust vein I mentioned to you before has already finished being mined. You might not know that in some other countries, a portion of their transport vehicles use stardust as a power source.”
Siles said, “I have heard of this matter from a merchant.”
Lanmere nodded, “It’s good that you know about it. The reason I bring up this example is to show that apart from its use for Revelators, stardust has other applications.
“Therefore, merchants like us who operate in the Ashless Lands, if we are lucky enough to discover a stardust vein ahead of the orthodox churches or other Revelator organizations, it can indeed provide us with considerable profits and money.
“…That is a good thing, of course.”
He murmured.
Siles narrowed his eyes slightly, then said, “It is no longer a good thing now?”
Lanmere abruptly broke into a bitter smile, “Siles—Mr. Noel, please do not mock me under any circumstances. I am a merchant wealthy enough to rival a nation, if I do say so myself. But a merchant’s life is still a life.”
Siles looked at him noncommittally.
“…Alright, alright. I won’t beat around the bush with you anymore,” Lanmere said. “I imagine the reason you have appeared in the Ashless Lands is, at least in part, because of that explorer’s travelogue you once obtained, isn’t it?”
Siles caught himself slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Lanmere to suddenly bring up Fredman’s travelogue. He abruptly realized something, and his tone suddenly grew profound.
“Yes,” he said. “Do you mean to say Fredman’s death is connected to… the stardust vein?”
“I cannot say for certain that there is a definitive connection between the two.” Lanmere shifted into a more relaxed posture. He casually gestured to a server to temporarily close the restaurant to the public, as no one else had come in to eat during this time anyway.
Siles watched him silently.
Lanmere took a sip of ice water to let himself slowly calm down.
After a short while, he said, “Have you ever heard of the curse of stardust?”
The curse of stardust?
Siles was slightly taken aback, sensing a curious implication—meaning, the name sounded quite intimidating, didn’t it?
He asked, “What is that?”
“Anyone who utilizes stardust to secure profit will suffer the curse of stardust.” Lanmere’s voice was low, sounding like a quietly tolling bell. “They will step into death amidst endless madness.”
Siles couldn’t help but frown. After a pause, he said, “But Revelators likewise trade in potions and stardust internally.”
He had even witnessed an auction at Ernestine’s underground trade market.
Lanmere shook his head, “No, the portions involving Revelators do not count.”
Siles felt a bit puzzled. He hesitated for a moment, then said, “You mean… merchants like you who excavate stardust veins?”
“And those workers and transporters.” Lanmere’s voice was very soft, and heavily suppressed. “‘Using’ stardust will not bring about a curse; but profiting from it will not do.”
Siles said, “This sounds somewhat… characteristic of the style of the Ashless Lands. Is there truly any evidence that can prove the existence of this curse for rumors of this nature…?”
Lanmere’s brown eyes quietly looked at Siles, as if to say: Yes, there really is.
Thus Siles paused slightly and asked, “What evidence?”
Lanmere let out a soft sigh, “Siles—remember, the October Bazaar hasn’t ended yet, so I shouldn’t have left Lamifa City at this time”.
“But?”
“But many… I told you before that last October, I encountered that dying explorer. At that time, we were precisely mining a stardust vein. You might still remember this matter.”
Siles nodded and asked, “So, it is those who were mining the vein at the time…?”
“The workers,” Lanmere said in a low voice. “They suddenly vanished under bizarre circumstances.”
Siles couldn’t help but be taken aback, subconsciously asking, “When?”
“Just within these past one or two months,” Lanmere said. “Those workers were all skilled hands hired by me. When the first worker disappeared, the foreman didn’t think much of it; but as more and more workers went missing, the foreman could no longer sit still.
“They somehow heard of this notion of the ‘curse of stardust,’ and thus believed that our mining of the stardust vein last year brought about disaster. But—honestly, don’t you see that I am still alive and well!
“If there truly were such a curse, shouldn’t I be the first to die! They demanded an explanation from me, wanting to see them alive if they were alive or see their corpses if they were dead. But I am at a loss as well.
“To tell you the truth, even if you think this idea is somewhat possible, I indeed… I even feel… I even feel that perhaps I have been cursed as well.”
His eyes stared deeply at Siles, and his tone unconsciously grew neurotic, nearly trembling with agitation as if to validate his own claim.
Siles remained silent.
He suddenly understood Lanmere’s intention in discussing this matter with him.
Last October, while mining a stardust vein, Lanmere encountered the dying Fredman. A year later, the workers from back then were disappearing one after another, and they suspected it was due to the curse of stardust.
Lanmere was half-believing and half-doubting about this; in reality, there wasn’t any evidence to prove this curse truly originated from stardust, but in the absence of other possibilities, Lanmere could only believe it.
But this brought about a problem. If there truly were a curse of stardust, wouldn’t Lanmere himself bound to be cursed?
This must have been torturing Lanmere’s nerves during this recent period.
However, the moment Siles appeared in the Ashless Lands, Lanmere instantly thought of his intersection with Siles—Fredman.
He was like a drowning man clutching at a straw.
What if it wasn’t a problem with the stardust? What if it was because of that mysterious explorer who died near the stardust vein? Could his experiences have affected the people he came into contact with before his death?
A curse from Fredman would be easier to resolve than a curse from stardust—Lanmere likely thought this way—an explorer versus stardust. Which one was easier to deal with was obvious.
However…
Lanmere said, “You likely understand just how much hope your appearance has brought me. I can’t help but think, what if the disappearances of those workers didn’t stem from the curse of stardust, but rather because of that mysteriously appearing explorer, because of his past…”
His tone carried a sensation akin to near-relief.
Siles thought for a moment. Finally, he said, “Lanmere, I am afraid I must disrupt your hope.”
“…What?”
“If nothing unexpected has occurred, Fredman’s death is connected to Hoodoka,” Siles said. “Yes, the God of Sin and Lies, Hoodoka”.
Lanmere’s expression blanked out.
Siles said, “Quinton and I are currently investigating this matter. If you are willing, perhaps you could join our team as well?”
Lanmere’s blank, dazed expression persisted for a brief moment, then he suddenly reined it in, asking shrewdly at the same time, “Quinton… Quinton Praia? Siles, he is…”
“Yes. He is that explorer you know of,” Siles said.
Lanmere’s eyes flickered.
Siles felt compelled to remind this merchant, who might be facing imminent death yet was still thinking about how to make money, saying, “Quinton will not help your business.”
Lanmere looked disappointed, turning instead to ask, “Hoodoka? Why does Fredman’s death involve Hoodoka?”
Siles weighed his words, believing that Lanmere, a merchant with vast connections and immense wealth, ought to be able to assist their investigation. Thus, he said, “Do you remember when you mentioned back then that Fredman spoke of a ‘statue’ just before his death?”
Lanmere nodded, but his expression still appeared highly puzzled, not understanding how a statue could be related to Hoodoka.
Siles then explained that particular habit of Hoodoka’s believers.
Lanmere’s expression gradually lost control, looking as if he wanted to swear some profanities. Ultimately, he only said with a twisted face, “It seems I need to investigate whether any statues have appeared near the places where those workers went missing.”
Siles nodded, then added, “By the way, do you know about that archaeological site near the Duchy of Kansas lately?”
“The site with a whole bunch of tomb raiders?” Lanmere asked sharply, then said, “Of course I know. Pity that I wasn’t able to acquire anything from it… Wait, you’re mentioning this place now…”
“That is the ruins of a temple established by Hoodoka’s believers.”
Lanmere: “…”
His expression was probably somewhere between “it truly hurts not being able to make money” and “thank goodness I didn’t make this godforsaken money.”
Siles said, “The reason that archaeological site was discovered is because an explorer obtained a map. And that map originated from Hales House, which happens to be the destination of our journey this time.
“If you can manage it in time, you might as well go investigate those two places: the archaeological site and Hales House. Especially…”
Siles pondered for a moment, then said, “Over the past dozen or so years, around the same time period—meaning around October—whether Hales House frequently saw rumors circulating regarding a ‘non-existent city,’ ‘treasure maps,’ or ‘mysterious maps.'”
Lanmere nodded thoughtfully, then lamented, “This Ashless Lands is truly dangerous enough. Perhaps once I’ve made enough money, I should also distance myself from this godforsaken place earlier.”
Siles listened to his words in silence, inevitably thinking of another merchant who made a fortune off the Ashless Lands and was simultaneously a member of the Dawn Revelation Society: “The Noble Lady” Eugenia Berd.
He suddenly remembered that the Noble Lady once mentioned the Lamifa Merchants Association would also dispatch an expedition team to search for the “Non-existent City”. Siles had set out quite late; perhaps he might end up running into this expedition team eventually?
Lanmere soon took his leave of Siles and departed in a hurry, likely heading off to investigate the related matters.
Siles also stood up, left the restaurant, and slowly made his way upstairs. He thought absentmindedly that he seemed to have forgotten to tell Lanmere they originally intended to set out for Hales House tomorrow.
However, this wasn’t any major issue; they would certainly have to wait until Lanmere’s investigation results came out before leaving. Hopefully, it wouldn’t consume too much time…
His footsteps suddenly ground to a halt because he spotted a figure in close proximity—Quinton Praia.
Those emerald-green eyes were currently directing a rather disapproving look at him.
“Allow me to remind you, Professor Siles Noel,” Quinton said in a low voice. “You are currently in Biedel City within Galsworthy, at the center of the Ashless Lands—not in a safe location like Lamifa City”.
So, do not let your mind wander! Quinton’s eyes seemed to say just that.
Siles remained silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but say, “But this is an inn, isn’t it?”
Quinton said, “From the moment you came up to the fourth floor to arriving here and discovering that I am standing right here—how long did it take? A dozen or so seconds?”
Siles was momentarily at a loss for words. He also reflected on his own lack of caution. He was always extremely focused when thinking, but he was out in public right now after all, rather than in his safe, enclosed study.
Siles then said, “Thank you, Quinton.”
Quinton let out a laugh of ambiguous meaning, then said, “That merchant, what business did he have with you? I see him looking as though he is mired deeply in trouble.”
Siles pulled out the key from his pocket and unlocked his assigned single room. The interior decor of the room also carried a highly distinct desert exoticism. As the time approached noon, the sun of the desert region was baking the earth.
Siles thus removed his coat, leaving on only a rather close-fitting cotton upper garment. He sat down on the sofa, brought back to Lanmere’s words just now by Quinton’s inquiry.
Meanwhile, Quinton had already followed Siles into the room as a matter of course.
He sat down across from Siles, appearing even more at ease than Siles as he enjoyed the luxury and comfort of this room. He said, “It seems this trouble has affected you as well?”
Siles snapped out of it, then related everything Lanmere had said just now without holding back. He said, “This matter leaves me somewhat perplexed. If it truly is related to Fredman, why did the workers suddenly disappear only after a full year had passed?
“But if it is related to stardust, it appears even more incredible. Over these past years, there must have been many merchants who mined stardust veins. Did they all meet with accidents?”
Quinton looked at Siles thoughtfully. After a brief pause, he said, “Have you considered a scenario?”
Siles caught himself slightly taken aback, then asked very humbly, “What?”
“It is because the two factors overlapped that it brought about this consequence.” Quinton’s voice was quite low, as if he had thought of something else. “Hoodoka plus stardust—that is why this group of workers met with trouble”.
Siles frowned, “Hoodoka… plus stardust?”
He could understand Quinton’s meaning.
Each of these two matters occurring individually would seem somewhat incredible, but perhaps it was just such a coincidence that the two collided, thus producing the current situation.
However, he felt a slight sense of oddity regarding Quinton’s overly smooth reasoning.
Furthermore, Quinton’s phrasing was “Hoodoka” plus stardust. Why wasn’t it “Fredman” plus stardust? How was he so certain it was a problem with Hoodoka?
…Siles felt he might be overthinking it, yet felt Quinton did seem to know something, which was why he was so certain.
Siles looked at Quinton with a touch of perplexity.
Quinton seemed entirely oblivious, merely saying, “Perhaps we ought to await the merchant’s side of the investigation. He can always discover something.”
Siles blinked, confirming that Quinton truly didn’t intend to elaborate further on that deduction, and hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t demanding absolute candor from Quinton; he merely felt this behavior of keeping him in suspense was rather exasperating.
Ultimately, he just let out a soft sigh and said, “Yes, we should wait.”
Quinton instead hesitated for a moment at this juncture. After a short while, he asked tentatively, “What do you plan to do next?”
By this time, Siles had already stood up and opened his suitcase, intending to wash some clothes, take a bath, and then have a afternoon nap to completely unwind. He had thrown all these frustrating matters concerning the Ashless Lands and the secrets of the world entirely to the back of his mind.
Ever since coming to this world, his life and mind had always been extremely occupied. Consequently, Siles had grown accustomed to forgetting about these godforsaken puzzles at necessary moments, allowing himself to completely immerse in the comfortable atmosphere created by daily life.
Thus, he merely gave Quinton a slightly peculiar look and said plainly, “I plan to rest for a while.”
Quinton seemed to want to say something, but Siles had already lifted a towel and said, “I wish to take a bath, so, Quinton…?”
Quinton stood up, his gaze looking at Siles with near-discomposure and bewilderment. Ultimately, he managed to squeeze out a single line: “Stay alert.”
Siles nearly choked with laughter because of him. He thus said, “I will remember to lock the door and close the windows. Thank you for your reminder.”
The words sounded as if to say Quinton didn’t need to view him as a child entirely lacking the ability to care for himself.
Quinton looked as though he still wanted to say something, but in the end, he shook his head, told Siles in a low voice to have a good sleep, and then quietly walked out.
Siles stood there, thinking of Quinton’s near-helpless appearance just now, and then thinking of that arrogant, supercilious look Quinton wore when they first met…
He suddenly smiled faintly, thinking to himself: Do humans of the alternate world know about the ‘delicious irony’ of a turnaround?
He poked fun at Quinton in his heart as if making a joke, then silently reflected on this mindset of his to watch for amusement—this was very bad. He quickly took a hot bath, then washed a number of garments completely clean.
He felt his entire person had lightened up considerably.
He hung the clothes out on the independent small balcony, then stood there with keen interest, wiping his hair while looking down to observe the entire city of Biedel from a high vantage point.
Biedel City was situated in the midst of a desert, yet it was full of greenery and bursting with vitality. This place was like an oasis in the desert, possessing a highly obvious, rugged wildness entirely distinct from Lamifa City.
This place wasn’t nearly as vast and complex as Lamifa City, its overall size being roughly only a third of Lamifa City’s. The buildings tightly covered the land they occupied like puzzle pieces, all packed together very densely, which made the streets appear crowded and remarkably bustling.
Judging solely from the city itself, Siles even felt this place was indeed extremely prosperous, akin to a miracle in the desert. However, if he drifted his gaze slightly further away, he could spot the fog and desolation further out.
This is a world of swirling yellow sands and approaching storms, he thought.
Suddenly, he caught the sound of laughing and shouting.
Siles subconsciously cast his eyes downward, noticing children running past on the street. They were chasing and playing with one another, and one of them seemed to feel he was being bullied, thus shouting loudly, “You’ll be taken away by the witch!”
The other children giggled and laughed, mocking his weakness and cowardice.
A witch? Siles subconsciously frowned, finding the term somewhat familiar.
Subsequently, he remembered—a city in the desert, children, a woman.
In that collection of monster stories gifted to him by Professor Calverley, The World of Little Cynthia, such a story had been mentioned. Children built castles with sand, and a witch actually made them live inside the sandcastles.
That was a ghost story, clearly carrying a touch of fantastical coloring.
However, Siles had completely unexpected that he could actually hear matters related to this story in a city within the desert. He couldn’t help but wonder: Could it truly be the case?
The children quickly ran far away, leaving Siles with no way to verify his conjecture. He treated this matter as an interesting anecdote of the journey, casually recording it in his notebook.
Following that, he fell into a deep slumber.
Although Akamara’s power protected him throughout, allowing him to enjoy good sleep even on the train, psychologically Siles still felt that the swaying train carriage wasn’t exactly a suitable place for sleeping.
Therefore, after quietly sleeping for two hours in a warm, comfortable large bed, the waking Siles felt completely relaxed. Fatigue had also distanced itself from his body and spirit.
He pulled out his pocket watch to take a look, discovering the time was already nearly two o’clock. It was just the perfect time to get up from an afternoon nap.
It was bright and sunny outside, looking extremely hot. Fortunately, Siles had come prepared. He casually pulled out a shirt from his bag—though it was wrinkled, one didn’t need to hold overly strict requirements when traveling abroad.
This world didn’t possess things like irons.
He dressed himself, buttoned his shirt, tidied up slightly, and then headed out, intending to go to the restaurant to get something to eat.
He happened to bump into Chester and Alva in the restaurant, who had likewise just gotten up after their sleep.
Doctor Chester looked at Siles, particularly at the shirt on him, and couldn’t help but joke, “Professor, I feel as though you have returned to the university. Those students must have retained an equally deep impression of your suits and the assignments you gave.”
Amidst his joke, Siles thought of how those students lamented over the original owner’s handsome appearance when the semester concluded… He couldn’t help but remain silent for three seconds, then said, “Perhaps it is still because too few assignments were given.”
To the extent that the students were still lingering on his appearance.
Chester gave an “uh,” then said, “Professor, please don’t let your students know under any circumstances that it was I who prompted this thought in you.”
Alva broke into a huffing laugh on the side.
“What are you laughing about?” Quinton also appeared at the entrance of the restaurant, walking over with large strides and looking at them somewhat strangely, particularly at Alva.
Alva laughed and said, “The professor said he wants to give his students a few more assignments.”
Quinton understood, and displayed a teasing smile: “Professor, students don’t love writing assignments.”
Siles pondered for a moment amidst his companions’ laughter, then said, “But assignments can reflect my love for the students.”
Alva looked as though he was about to laugh so hard he would fall under the table.
Doctor Chester shrugged helplessly and said, “We’ve done our best—the poor students.”
Amusement was thick in Quinton’s gaze, and finally, he said, “Professor, when you crack jokes, it seems easy to hurt your students’ hearts.”
Siles: “…”
…But he was being serious.
Reasonably speaking, for a professor, pondering over what assignments to give students was something that required spending a good deal of effort—alright? Siles thought so.
They concluded their afternoon tea time amidst chatting. They conversed about quite a few contents: about the Ashless Lands, about the fog, about Biedel City. Quinton even shared a piece of his own exploring experiences, the bizarre danger of which left the others tongue-tied in succession.
When the topic progressed to when they would set out tomorrow, Siles brought up the investigation mentioned by the merchant Lanmere, saying that they might have to wait for Lanmere’s investigation results.
Quinton already knew beforehand, while Chester and Alva didn’t have any objections either. They were even somewhat pleasantly surprised, because in this way, they could stay in Biedel City for a bit longer and tour the scenery and sights around here.
If they only stayed for a single day, half of which had to be used for resting up, it couldn’t really be counted as much of a journey.
Alva was likely immersed in this kind of mood more so than the others; after all, he didn’t have the puzzles Siles and Quinton needed to investigate, nor did he have a psychological burden like Doctor Chester’s. He was purely here to explore and travel in the Ashless Lands.
Thus, after having afternoon tea, Alva proposed going outside together to look around.
“Is there any place to wander about, Mr. Praia?” Alva proactively inquired of Quinton.
Quinton pondered for a moment, then said, “To the east a bit, there is a flea market that operates year-round, where the order is somewhat better. If you want to buy some souvenirs, you can go check it out over there. But remember, do not buy old items under any circumstances.”
“I understand!” Alva replied very positively.
Doctor Chester appeared highly interested as well. He checked the time and said, “It’s not even three o’clock yet. Perhaps we can go wander around for a bit and then come back for dinner.”
Alva looked as though he couldn’t wait any longer: “Let’s go, Doctor!” He looked toward Siles and Quinton, “Are you two going?”
Quinton shrugged indifferently, then looked at Siles.
Doctor Chester looked over as well.
Siles caught himself taken aback, then said, caught between tears and laughter, “Of course. Let’s go.”
He thought, perhaps he needed to appear more cooperative and fitting in?
Quinton reminded appropriately, saying, “Perhaps you ought to bring a coat along. The nights in the desert can be extremely cold.”
“Makes sense,” Alva muttered.
He then immediately intended to return to his room for a moment. He had just stood up and taken two steps when he noticed the others hadn’t followed, so he blinked, turned around, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Doctor Chester’s gaze carried a touch of teasing. He looked at Siles and Quinton, then smiled gently and said, “Nothing. Alva, let’s go upstairs together to grab our clothes.”
Alva still looked bewildered, but he also seemed disinclined to think too much, wishing more to quickly head toward the flea market that fascinated his heart.
He and Chester departed first.
Siles sat in silence for a short while, then stood up as if nothing had happened—treating his friend’s teasing gaze as unobserved—and said, “Let’s go, we should head upstairs as well.”
Quinton chuckled softly, then followed his footsteps.
He said in a slow, casual manner, “I did indeed remind you deliberately, Siles. Those words were meant for you to hear.”
Siles thought for a moment, then said, “Thank you.”
Quinton said, “Just like that?”
“I ought to express my gratitude to you anyway, Quinton,” Siles said, then shifted topics, “Time to go upstairs and grab the clothes.”
Saying so, he walked up the stairs.
Quinton stood in place, finally letting out a low laugh: “Playing dumb.”
