Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Can Excellency Aiko think of a possible reason? What exactly is going on here?”

A true professional always had the courage to face problems head-on.

Though she remained silent for a moment, Fu Qian didn’t flatter himself into thinking the Night Watchers’ Demigod had much trust in him.

Even if his earlier guess was correct and Aiko was equally trapped in this predicament, her silence likely just meant his words had struck a chord with her own confusion.

Given this, Fu Qian didn’t hesitate to capitalize on that confusion and press the question.

They were just a temporary team; emotional resonance was more than enough.

Just like with this question, Fu Qian had never expected her to answer.

”This isn’t your real face?”

Facts proved him right. Finally pulled from her thoughts by his inquiry, Aiko slowly looked back at him; she had completely ignored his question, asking one of her own in a stiff tone.

”It’s not. I’ve never seen this face before in my life. Though I have to say, it does have a real security guard vibe. Your judgment is perfectly reasonable.”Fu Qian calmly described his situation, not forgetting to poke fun at himself to showcase a spirit of optimism.

...

He had even shifted into a stranger’s image?

Clearly, Fu Qian’s explanation only deepened Aiko’s confusion.

”Are you trying to tell me... you don’t even know where this is, and by the time you regained your senses, you were already here?”

”I don’t. In fact, I’m starting to doubt whether this place is even reality.”

Fu Qian shook his head again, openly sharing his earlier assessment.

”The only thing that gives me a hint of familiarity is that building over there. It feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

”But that’s it. Overall, the place feels entirely foreign, and I have absolutely no idea about its origins—”

”Ehm Palace.”

Utmost sincerity moves even metal and stone; Fu Qian’s sharing was at last interrupted.

Just as he expressed his specific impression of the distant building, Aiko finally let out a soft sigh and revealed a name.

”Oh?”

Faced with such a delightful turn of events, Fu Qian naturally furrowed his brow slightly, playing the perfect sounding board.

”It belonged to the Laria Royal Family. After power was handed over to the Federation, it was one of the assets they were allowed to keep. It’s completely privately owned, so it’s not very well-known.”

Not disappointing him, Aiko smoothly continued her explanation.

”Even now, the descendants of that ancient family still live inside. Don’t tell me you’ve never even heard of the surname they take so much pride in?”

...

A royal residence—was it actually such an orthodox feudal remnant?

Exploring the edges of the map really did yield special rewards.

Demigod Aiko’s introduction successfully sparked a wave of reflection in Fu Qian.

Laria.

Regardless of whether it was mythology or history, this world bore traces of being heavily edited.

But as an expert and a professional in the cultural industry, Fu Qian felt it was perfectly necessary to spend his free time examining just how this dressed-up version of history was presented.

And this particular surname was the kind that would almost certainly appear as long as you read any world history summary longer than a thousand words.

That was exactly why Demigod Aiko had asked that final question.

According to what he knew, after the legendary Mythological Era ended, the surviving humans didn’t simply march straight toward a beautiful modernized life under divine protection. Instead, they still had to go through a complete evolution of productive forces.

Even the Night Watchers had kept a very low profile for a significant portion of that time.

Under such circumstances, even after losing faith as a channel to the transcendent, it wasn’t rare for certain families—who had gained great power through mutation—to use bloodlines as a bond and establish dynasty-like entities.

Of course, the Laria branch was a bit more old-school. They directly called themselves God-Men, claiming that the blood of Gods flowed through their veins. Ultimately, relying on their absurdly high Combat Power, they truly flourished for a time.

And there was more than one such existence across the entire world.

It was just that their eras of glory had almost all ended at the exact same moment—when the Night Watchers returned with an unprecedentedly unyielding stance, forcefully replacing everything with the concept of the Federation.

Though historical records were vague on the details, the process was even more efficient than one might imagine.

Very quickly, a massive—albeit loose—alliance emerged, one that put an end to wars between ordinary mortals.

Various strict restrictions targeting transcendents were gradually implemented from that point forward.

As for the timeline, it truly was just as Veil had mentioned at the Opera House—sometime after the invention of the steam engine.

Was he actually fortunate enough to witness a piece of this past glory? The problem, however, lay elsewhere—

As his thoughts raced, Fu Qian cast a glance at the distant building.

”I’ve heard of it. But are you sure anyone can still live in there?”

He wasn’t just talking nonsense. The term Shroud from the task description was quite fitting. Under the lifeless iridescent glow of the sky, that decaying behemoth of a structure was certainly grand, but it didn’t look the least bit habitable.

Regardless of whether there had been any ”physical negotiations” in the shadows back then, on the surface, it had been a peaceful transition. For royalty, a living environment like this was a bit too harsh.

”Of course they couldn’t live in a place like this.”

Without even glancing at Fu Qian, Aiko stared at the building at the end of the road and let out an inscrutable sneer.

”But this isn’t the real Ehm Palace.”

...

”I see. That makes sense, then...”

Aiko’s words undoubtedly confirmed his earlier suspicions about whether this place was real.

As a person of suspicious origins himself, Fu Qian didn’t feign shock. Instead, he muttered to himself, showing that this was exactly what he had expected.

”An illusion, a dream... For some reason I can’t pin down, I’ve been caught up in this particular mess. In that case, the next step is figuring out how to escape. However...”

As if suddenly remembering something, Fu Qian narrowed his eyes at Aiko, who was still standing behind the tree.

”How are you so sure this isn’t the real Ehm Palace?”

”...Are you doubting me? Have you forgotten your own situation?”

Finally withdrawing her gaze from the palace, Aiko looked over with a half-smile, her tone extremely blunt.

”If what’s in front of us truly isn’t reality, then death might not be the most terrifying outcome.”

Shaking his head, Fu Qian appeared completely unfazed.

”And if your judgment is wrong, reminding you to take a second look should count as a gesture of goodwill.”

”Couldn’t it be that I’m intentionally deceiving you, and by exposing me, you’ve brought disaster upon yourself?”

She finally seemed to gain a shred of interest in the man before her. Yet, despite her soft chuckle, Aiko remained uncooperative.

’Big Sister, let’s ignore your current getup for a moment. Have you seriously not realized that, from the beginning until now, you still haven’t asked this highly suspicious person his name?’

’With such a worried look on your face, you can drop the act of strategizing within the command tent.’

Despite mocking her in his heart, Fu Qian simply watched her in silence.

”...Of course I’m sure.”

Seemingly sensing Fu Qian’s unwavering resolve, Demigod Aiko finally took a deep breath a few seconds later.

”Because I was supposed to be an invited guest at their banquet.”