"Hmph~"
Shad exhaled through his nose, sounding like a laugh, yet also like a sigh.
"I want to ask a very trivial question. After returning to Midhillburg, have you ever dreamed of her?"
Mr. Barton nodded.
"Of course, countless times... I dream of her standing upon a dark and silent expanse of water, accompanied by countless white shadows. Those shadows drift further and further away, and only she turns around to wave goodbye to me. I want to reach out and grab her, but every time, I wake up just as I attempt to step into those waters. Perhaps the gods truly are reminding me of something, though I do not yet understand it."
Shad lowered his head slightly to look at his cat, preventing the other man from seeing his expression. The expanse of water in Joey Barton's dreams sounded exactly like the shores of true death. If he truly stepped into that water, he would likely be dead; after all, even Shad didn't dare do such a thing. Even as a Chosen, even as a "demigod" who could barely be considered a low-quality knockoff, Shad could not defy the most fundamental rules of the world.
Looking at it this way, Mr. Barton's talent was truly astonishing. Relying solely on intense longing and connection, he was actually able to "glimpse death." And this was despite him only being a One-Ring.
"If it were possible, I would very much like to see her again."
The adult man, who looked like an eerie child, let out a long sigh.
"There is a distinction between the living and the dead."
Shad raised an eyebrow.
"Those who have left should be allowed to leave."
Mr. Barton smiled and did not pursue the topic further.
"True. But people must always have dreams, and we must look forward. Mr. Watson, you have come to me three times in a row; is it not the future that you seek to explore?"
"Of course."
Shad nodded but said nothing more, for Mr. Barton was now looking at him with a solemn expression, no longer possessing the ease he had while storytelling.
"Mr. Watson, I suspect your visit this time isn't merely to continue the divinations for your cat? Listening to stories likely wasn't your primary intention either."
Shad wasn't surprised at all that the man could see through him.
"Yes. I mainly wanted to ask you a few questions to determine my next course of action."
Joey Barton narrowed his eyes slightly. Because of the swelling of his head, his eyes were already small; now, they were nearly mere slits.
"Are you also a Ring-wielder?"
"Yes."
Shad did not hide it.
"Someone from the Orthodox Church?"
"How about we answer each other's questions? Mr. Barton, are you a member of the Truth Society?"
Joey Barton clearly hadn't expected Shad to mention this, but after a moment's hesitation, he gave an answer.
"No. I can only be considered one of their test subjects, or perhaps an external member."
"I do not belong to the Orthodox Church either. I am merely an outsider who occasionally visits this city and happened to hear about your situation."
"An outsider."
Shad sat up straight.
"Regardless of who I am, you should at least understand that I harbor no ill will toward you. Otherwise, the Five-God Church, which has been hunting the Truth Society in the city recently, would be the ones appearing here. Mr. Barton, do you know why the Truth Society sent people to this city? Oh, no need to answer; please listen to me."
Shad held up a finger.
"First, you probably know they have their eyes on the Interstice. But whether they want to conduct experiments or simply create chaos to retaliate against the Orthodox Church, those are merely facades to cover their true objective. In reality, they are looking for someone."
"Yes, recently they have been searching for four people who returned from the dead. I suspected you, but I didn't reveal your information," Mr. Barton said hastily.
"Suspected me of being one of those four nails? No, no, I'm not a local of Midhillburg."
Shad found this amusing, but he shook his head.
"Those four people who returned from the dead are nails connecting the Interstice and the material world, but that is still related to the Interstice. Their true goal is to find a specific person—someone chosen by fate, possessing a unique talent for death."
"Chosen by fate..."
Mr. Barton frowned suspiciously.
"Mr. Watson, you aren't trying to tell me a fairy tale, are you?"
Such things were indeed difficult to believe immediately; Luvia had spent a great deal of effort just to make Iluna believe it.
"Do you not feel that you are special?"
"If you mean this damned condition, then of course I am special."
Mr. Barton relaxed slightly, leaning back into the sofa.
"Everyone who thinks they are special is taught a lesson by reality once they grow up. I understood this a long time ago."
Shad smiled.
"No, no. I am referring to your talent as a Ring-wielder. Think about it, Mr. Barton. A Ring-wielder's 'Other Self' possesses special powers, but what is your special power? Have you never wondered what kind of power you hold in your hands?"
Shad continued to probe.
On the surface, Joey Barton's special power was seeing through death. But judging by the performances of Iluna and Darkness, his talent was definitely not that simple.
"For example, my special talent is being very sensitive to fate. What about you, Mr. Barton? Is it only seeing through death?"
"I..."
As expected, Mr. Barton hesitated. He looked suspiciously at his own hand.
"Indeed... there is another, abnormal talent. I have never mentioned this to anyone."
Shad smiled.
"I can tell. While you aren't a 'good person' in the strictest sense, you are at least kind-hearted, and you cannot stand the methods of those lunatics in the Truth Society. My apologies, perhaps 'lunatics' is the wrong word."
"It's fine. I know them better than you do; I know exactly how insane they are," Mr. Barton shook his head.
"Mr. Barton, do you know about the events that took place in Tobesk and Coldwater Harbor this past summer and autumn?"
As Shad mentioned this, the cat in his arms shifted slowly.
"Of course I do. The Thirteen-Ring 'God-Caller' confronted a descending Evil God and worked with the Church to defeat the Scarlet Cult in Coldwater Harbor. Everyone knows this."
"A similar event is likely about to happen here."
"You mean the God-Caller..."
Mr. Barton asked inquisitively, but Shad immediately shook his head.
"I mean a major event capable of causing ripples across the entire material world is about to occur here. And what is the reason? Sir, the epic of the Sixth Epoch has already begun, and certain special people are destined to be the protagonists."
Mr. Barton pursed his thick lips, then slowly shook his head.
"Mr. Watson, compared to me, you actually seem more like a protagonist. Do you know, I have observed the fates of over a thousand people, but you are the most unique of them all. A person outside of fate, correct?"
"Yes."
Shad nodded.
"I have a very powerful diviner friend. She once explicitly told me that precisely because I am outside of fate, I will absolutely never play any important role on that unpredictable stage of destiny. There is no place for me in this epic that has already begun."
The smile vanished from Mr. Barton's face. Shad continued
"No one—no matter who—could possibly be me. And yet, a person like me has appeared before you."
Perhaps the words Luvia had told Shad held some profound meaning for diviners. Mr. Barton's brow furrowed deeply, as if he had realized something.
Shad knew his rhetoric was working.
"I didn't come here with a definitive purpose. I just wanted to say that rather than working with the Truth Society, you should actually seek refuge with the Five-God Church. As for me, I wish to maintain a cooperative relationship with you," Shad said softly, not interrupting the other's thoughts.
"Joey Barton, you can question everything I've said today, but you should understand yourself that you—"
*Knock, knock, knock~*
A sudden knock at the door interrupted Shad's words and snapped the child-like middle-aged man out of his thoughts.
He turned toward the door, gesturing for Shad to be quiet, then struggled to stand up and open it. To ensure the privacy of guests, the soundproofing of this room was quite good.
As he passed the door, he lifted the cover off the birdcage, but the crow remained huddled in the corner of the cage, terrified of something unknown.
Outside the door stood an elderly gentleman in a black formal suit, surrounded by a red glow—clearly, he had recently been stained with a significant amount of blood.
[Ring-wielder, High-Ring.]
Upon seeing him, Mr. Barton froze, then nodded respectfully.
"Professor Magis, why are you here?"
Shad raised an eyebrow.
"Barton, there are some things I need your help with."
The elderly gentleman was clearly not a Delarion; his Common tongue was clumsy.
He peered into the room and saw the silhouette of Shad sitting on the sofa holding a cat.
"Have your guest leave first."
"But..."
Mr. Barton clearly felt this was very impolite, but he didn't dare argue.
"Mr. Barton, if you have business, please attend to it. Today's divination ends here. May I come back tomorrow? It won't take long, but no one is indifferent to death," Shad said from the sofa. He did not stand up, not wanting "Professor Magis" to see his full stature.
"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Watson. We shall see each other tomorrow."
Joey Barton apologized sincerely, and under Professor Magis's urging, left the house through the back door with him.
Shad, meanwhile, was escorted out the front door by a servant and returned to the streets of Pigtail Alley.
On both sides were towering apartment buildings; the yellow paint had faded, revealing an earthy ochre hue. Weeds and filth coexisted in the corners of the walls, pebbles littered the street, and gas pipes flickered in and out of sight within the thick fog. It was clearly still afternoon, but the mist was so dense that there was almost no trace of the sun.
One wondered when this great fog would ever end.
The outsider looked down at the drowsy Mia.
"The Truth Society took Joey Barton away. I wonder what it's about?"
[So, are we following them?]
"She" was chuckling, and the question sounded very familiar.
Shad smiled and reached for the Witch's Ring in his pocket.
"Let's follow and see. If it gets dangerous, I'll retreat."
Since he was still carrying little Mia, Shad wouldn't take any reckless risks. But in a situation like this, it was impossible for him to ignore his curiosity.
With a sigh, [Blood Echo] was activated in the blink of an eye. With one hand holding the cat and the other in his pocket, Shad walked deeper into the thick fog.
"For a mere spectator beneath the stage, I seem to have far too much to do."