Chapter 1096 - 34: "Pathway," "Messenger," and "Roselle’s Secret Potion" (Part 4)

Shire naturally wasn't envying the abilities of those two Magic Potions; he was just a bit emotional—this little brother Klein was really being valued too much… Back then he had both ground himself to the bone and burned money, yet he'd never enjoyed such good treatment. Even before Klein had joined the Secret Ceremony Society, the Society had already started paving the way for him.

"Mr. Shire…"

Maybe it was the classic "speak of the devil and he appears," because just then a familiar voice came from outside the door.

Shire raised an eyebrow, reached out to close the lid of the box, and put it under the counter. Although he did indeed intend to pull this little brother into the Society and make him a member of the organization, he hadn't forgotten the prerequisite: it had to happen naturally, without seeming abrupt and arousing suspicion. So for now, he couldn't just stuff the Magic Potion directly into the other party's mouth.

The little bird spread its wings and left directly via the Spirit Realm.

This scene happened to be seen by Klein as he entered. He froze for a moment. "Mr. Shire, that was…?"

"A 'Messenger'…" Shire summed it up in a few words, with no intention of explaining further. His current identity was that of an Extraordinary seeking the protection of the Steam Church, but it was perfectly normal for him to have had some friends in the circle in the past; receiving a letter from afar was also entirely reasonable.

However, Klein didn't care about that at all; he was just slightly stunned.

That just now… seemed like a parrot!

No, he must have seen wrong. Could this world possibly have parrots too?

————

At the same time.

Out on the distant sea.

The "Dawn" lay quietly anchored far away, neither sailing into the harbor nor causing any panic.

And the owner of that legendary ship, the "Mysterious Queen" whose bounty in just the Loen Kingdom alone was 650,000 pounds, was stepping onto the pier. She wore a lady's blouse with a lace floral bow tie, paired with a gray skirt that fell past her knees and a pair of high leather boots. On her head was a soft hat draped with a veil of fine black checks. That overly elegant and beautiful style seemed completely out of place with this busy harbor.

Only, whatever method she had used, the passing tourists and locals, the busy dockworkers, all seemed not to notice her at all.

The atmosphere remained blazing hot; people worked with all their might, hawkers shouted their pitches, others yelled back, and the sound of angry scolding and arguments drifted from afar. Immediately after came gasps from the crowd, and in the small space that opened up, a heated exchange of fists and kicks was staged on the spot…

Full of vigor, brimming with life.

Bernadette watched this seaport, then looked toward the distant town, her expression unchanged.

Her father had dispatched fleets to find, amid storms and turbulent currents, the route leading to the Southern Continent, thus opening the colonial era, and the predecessor of this seaport had been the very first supply station they established back then… At that time, her father probably hadn't yet become as paranoid and extreme as in his later years. Just where had it all started to go wrong? No matter how she searched, she could never seem to find that loose thread.

She remained silent, simply watching like this, lost in thoughts unknown.

Until—

"Come take a look, come and see, this here is a precious relic from Emperor Roselle's exploration of the South Great Road Route back in the day…"

A hawker's cry drifted over from afar, much like those local vendors who lured tourists to buy specialties and souvenirs. It was just that certain keywords slipped into his sales pitch instantly drew Bernadette's attention, functioning like a perfectly targeted advertisement.

She turned her gaze slightly and saw, among the crowd, a tall figure pointing here and there, rattling off his pitch:

"Don't miss out as you pass by, these are all good things Emperor Roselle left behind back then, of extraordinary value. Who knows, there might even be some secret he left hidden inside…"

"Don't think I'm lying to you—look, look, this is a Secret Medicine invented by Emperor Roselle back then. It was thanks to this that his mind stayed so sharp. This Secret Medicine has the Effect of enhancing Intelligence; as long as you take it, your Intelligence will shoot up, just like that, and it's called 'Intelligence Increase'… Emperor Roselle was still taking it in his later years, really, and he took loads of it!"

Gesturing wildly as he hawked his wares, the man patted his chest in assurance, boasting and laughing as he spoke.

It was a hearty laugh, yet it seemed to carry faint hints of mockery and ridicule.

Bernadette's fine brows knitted ever so slightly.