Eldritch Horror Theatre

Business at Jenny’s little bar was booming today.

Still, a trace of nerves showed as she handed Ibu his drink.

It was completely understandable. Once certain brands were stamped into someone, they did not fade easily.

All the more so when everything she had been doing up to now amounted to skirting the rules in disguise.

Everyone else in the bar was holding up much better by comparison.

Faced with the sudden arrival of the King of the Archipelago—and the jaw-dropping sight of the man beside him getting the King to buy him a drink—the patrons fell silent for less than half a minute before the nightlife roared back to life. Hardly anyone even left.

Was that the sense of security rules provided?

Even with a formidable figure sitting right there, a quick mental check was enough to confirm they hadn’t broken any rules, and the liquor went down with the same relish as before.

”This is my first time in a place like this.”

If anything, the great man himself seemed a bit out of sorts. Sitting side by side with Fu Qian at the counter, Ibu took a shallow sip and set his glass down.He had mustered the courage to come looking for Fu Qian in person, yet what he had just been through was so bizarre that for a moment he didn’t seem to know where to begin, finally opening with a quiet remark.

”Then I can only say your luck isn’t great,” Fu Qian replied with easy familiarity, informing the Old Man right away that he had missed out on one of life’s pleasures.

”If you’d come by a bit earlier today, Jenny was dressed even prettier than she is now.”

...

’How did I get dragged into this?’

At that moment, it was plain to see the muddler in Jenny’s hand nearly go flying.

She had been wishing she could tuck her head straight into her stomach—who would have thought this guy would bring her into it the second he opened his mouth?

Technically it counted as a compliment, which only made it harder to know how to respond.

”That really is a shame... Something came up earlier.”

Fortunately, Excellency Ibu only spared her a brief glance before offering a perfunctory excuse.

”Rest assured, it’s already over.”

On the surface that was just small talk, of course, but to anyone in the know, Excellency Ibu was already being remarkably direct—bringing up the earlier commotion after barely two lines of pleasantries.

As someone in the Demigod Realm, he clearly grasped far more of what had happened inside the dream than Jenny did. The Master, the Law, the full moon... With so many heavy matters rising in his mind, a darkened mood was only natural.

Fu Qian understood completely, and his answer was astonishingly brief.

”...It’s all over?”

Ibu finally couldn’t help turning to look at him, unable to hide his astonishment.

”All over.”

Fu Qian nodded in confirmation and drained the drink the man had bought him in a single gulp.

”And I’ll be taking my leave now. Here’s hoping the Archipelago’s competition goes from strength to strength.”

He wasn’t just making talk. An academic leader was always attending to myriad affairs daily; carving out a short vacation in the middle of such a packed schedule was already quite good.

The Archipelago was lovely, sure, but he had no time to linger over drinks.

As for why he hadn’t simply walked away earlier if he had no intention of finishing Ibu off while he was at it?

Don’t forget that he was conducting this operation under the title of an Academy professor. Touching base with the local person in charge was only proper.

Organizational image mattered.

”Thank you very much... I will handle the aftermath. You are welcome to come watch the competition anytime—along with the rest of the Academy.”

That Fu Qian still remembered the competition in preparation left Ibu with a rather odd impression.

Still, after studying him for a moment, Ibu chose to take him at his word and offered his earnest thanks.

Even after the crisis he had just weathered, it looked as though he had no intention of packing up and leaving over it.

”Didn’t you already thank me?”

To Fu Qian, the whole affair was hardly worth mentioning. He gestured with his empty glass, then tossed it casually to Jenny.

While she scrambled to catch it in a flurry of hands and hooves, he was already rising to his feet.

And the very instant he stepped out the bar door, he vanished outright, as if dissolving into the night outside.

...

Such a thing was possible?

It was an exit of undeniable style, one sure to leave a deep impression on both Excellency Ibu and Jenny.

And Professor Fu from the Academy now seemed all the more unfathomable. The only problem was that Fu Qian hadn’t casually taken off his mask to stage the effect on purpose.

In fact, what met Fu Qian’s eyes wasn’t what they were seeing at all.

There was no moonless late night before him. Instead, crimson moonlight bathed everything in sight.

Yes—opening the door had revealed the Half-Step Moon.

It was the exact same scene that had once played out back on Ye Island.

The Red Moon, quiet as it had been lately, had suddenly extended an invitation.

Caught slightly off guard the moment the door opened, Fu Qian still understood at once.

He had kicked up quite a commotion earlier—what with the Divine Dream and the Dark Moon, all of it tied straight back to the Chronicles of the Moon.

So long as the Red Moon had enough strength left to spare him a bit of attention, a sensitive reaction like this was completely normal.

Especially if the Red Moon really was Tilanqi—the anomalies in this place had sprung from that entity to begin with, making it even more likely to cast its gaze here.

The only question, perhaps, was that his timing in opening the Burial Scroll seemed a little off, since he hadn’t felt any gaze on him then.

Regardless, taking it all in stride while upholding the image of an Academy researcher, Fu Qian stepped through without a moment’s hesitation.

The effect was as reliable as ever. The very next instant, the long-missed Half-Step Moon filled his vision.

Ever since his incarnation’s mechanical reset into its complete form, the Homecoming effect on his Ring hadn’t worked nearly as well, so it really had been a while since his last visit here.

”Child...”

His long-overdue return even came with a surprise. Almost the very instant he arrived, a familiar call drifted over from behind him.

...

The voice of the Red Moon.

For Fu Qian, confirming that much took no effort at all.

And it sounded like good news. On his last visit, after all, she hadn’t uttered a single word—had her mental state improved now?

It just went to show that having a cup of tea now and then really was good for body and mind.

Recalling that sudden visit in Shangjing, which had very nearly turned Chief Yuan into an idiot, Fu Qian shook his head.

It had barely been a few days since that tea, and she had perked up this much already? Not only had she suddenly opened the door earlier to drag him home by force, this ”Mother” had even hidden right behind the door to prepare a special surprise—

Clicking his tongue in silent wonder, Fu Qian turned around and looked over the familiar figure standing just steps away.

A bright red dress clinging to her frame, bare feet... the classic image of the Red Moon.

What drew the eye most of all, though, was that face.

She was no longer infringing on Chief Yuan’s likeness, nor had she pulled the spine-chilling stunt of wearing another face of the First Generation Dark Moon.

Her features had finally come into clear focus, forming a warm, approachable woman’s face—one Fu Qian was quite certain he had never seen before.

Long hair nearly the exact shade of her dress spilled down her back, while another section was tied simply at her left shoulder—a classic look as well.

Yet completely unthreatening as she looked, that graceful, dignified face still brought a chill of horror—

”Child...”

”Child...”

”Child...”

... Past the shoulders of the figure in front of him, more tender calls kept drifting over.

Dozens upon hundreds of them—and every single pair of eyes gazing toward him was brimming with maternal love.