Chapter 55: Another History

Ink spread and stained the skin.

A vast amount of mystery condensed in his hand.

A criterion artifact...

A story that had never been born.

Roland lowered his gaze to the stationery, falling into a blank trance.

This...

How could this be.

"Ha."

The flame leaped.

——And continuously, very lively, jumped up and down.

This meant:

"Quickly ask me."

Roland folded his hands, closed his eyes, and chanted like a spell:

- Oh, elegant and strong wrench...

"Don't be disgusting, I'll tell you."

The nearly solidified blazing fire paused before the amber.

It stood still for a long time, then tidied its crooked flame tips, twisting them into a line of...

Words that made Roland fall silent.

"Actually..."

"You know Su Yue doesn't belong here, right."

It said.

The flame slowly closed in.

"You should have guessed it long ago, but dared not confirm it."

"Now."

"Is it clear?"

Roland's smile gradually faded, his fingers involuntarily curling and tightly gripping the bed sheet.

He had indeed pondered this matter for a long time—about the colorful stories told by Miss Nina, and the occasional strange, magical things she mentioned that he had never heard of until now.

For example:

Flying iron boxes.

So.

Miss Nina...

- She comes from another world, right?

"Not entirely correct."

The characters formed by the flame blinked at him.

"Should say: another history."

His... another history?

- I don't understand, Wrench.

- You mean, the past?

- Or the future?

"No."

"It is 'another history'."

"There isn't just one ward here, Roland."

"Just like the relationship between the room you are in and the room next door."

"The slumbering world is this building."

"It possesses and connects every single ward, which means—every single history."

- You mean Miss Nina comes from some other... can I use... a rope... no, thread, another 'line'? Can I say it like that?

"Considered accurate."

"She doesn't belong to this 'line', and the stories she told you were already born in 'another line' long ago."

"What has been born can inevitably never be born a second time."

- Miss Nina's world...

- I mean, since she can leave her own 'line' and come to my 'line', then conversely, it is possible for me...

"That's impossible, Roland."

"At least I can't give you 'hope'."

- You said that the building (the slumbering world) connects room after room (multiple histories).

"That's right. Then can you go next door right now?"

Roland thought for a moment, straightening his waist with effort.

Yet as soon as he exerted force, his legs trembled violently.

Clearly, he... could not.

"So, before you can 'walk', you'd better not hold onto this thought. Besides, the slumbering world on Su Yue's side... is not clear enough."

- 'Not clear enough'?

"In her history, the slumbering world is 'real yet illusory'. It exists in a way you cannot imagine and is extremely interesting. It is false, but also perceived as 'real'."

Roland rested his chin in his hand, looking blank.

- Fine, I don't understand.

- You'll know in the future.

- I want to know right now.

- I don't want to tell you right now.

Roland: ......

"You must learn to respect your teacher."

- I want to give you a punch.

- I only take left hooks.

- You're just relying on having some of Miss Nina's memories.

"By the way, cat-man. Angry?"

"I could also turn you into a roasted cat head."

The flame surged up in a rush, wrapping around Roland's neck like a scarf.

Roland didn't really want to pay attention to it.

Yet he was also very...

Very curious about this 'multiple history'.

- It seems I've discovered a remarkable big secret...

- You mean, Fernandez and Lady Enid all know?

"Well, duh."

"Multiple histories are no secret, Roland."

"Su Yue is the biggest secret."

"Do you know what you've obtained from her?"

- An important you?

"Thank you, I meant: stories."

- Well, yes. I, it seems I can easily 'create' criterion artifacts now...?

"That's right."

"You have absolute dominance over this brand-new, great path."

"I originally thought I was the one with the golden finger..."

"How heartbreaking."

- Wh-what finger?

"Roland, I am going to give you some advice very seriously, listen up."

- I'm not listening.

"......"

The blazing flame condensed into a mouth full of sharp teeth and took a bite out of him.

- I just wanted to lighten up the solemn atmosphere...

- Listen to me, you stupid cat, even if this path has no grand ritual, you must still choose it. Possessing the power to create criterion artifacts, what does this represent?

- Does this represent that I possess the power to create criterion artifacts... or what?

- All right.

- I understand, you mean I can rely on it to establish a cult, right?

- Just like the Holy Cross.

"…Right. Also, you must hide Su—if you interrupt me again, I'll disappear for six hours."

The eager little figure on the hospital bed decisively shut his mouth.

"Warn you once."

- Kn-own.

"Now, the hardest part is solved."

- Still need a wondrous item, then dance a... duet?

- A solo one.

"You are very close to the First Circle."

"To be honest, I'm also quite curious what kind of power the great path whose criterion is 'fantasy' actually possesses."

"This suits you down to the ground."

- You mean I often fantasize?

"I mean, you're a lunatic."

Regarding multiple histories, Roland couldn't squeeze anything more out of the wrench's mouth. However, he believed he would sooner or later learn about it from Lady Enid and Fernandez.

So, he could—no! not! be! anxious!

The letter was sent out via the nun, costing a bit of money for the task.

His uncle replied very quickly.

The wrench was right; he was indeed of this temperament.

Reassured by Roland, this slovenly old uncle let out a huge sigh of relief, even deliberately telling Roland in his reply a day later:

If Fernandez hadn't come to notify him, he wouldn't even have "noticed Roland was missing"—

Of course, at the end of the letter, he also repeatedly confirmed whether Roland's "waist injury" was as minor as he claimed.

And whether he needed money to hire a better doctor for treatment.

A lovable old codger.

Cherry Chloe's reply was extremely emotional.

Extremely emotional.

In her letter, she heavily emphasized and hinted, hinting and emphasizing, urging Roland in every possible way to give up his job as an executive officer.

She said she was acquainted with several newspaper offices, and if Roland could ensure he could still write stories similar to this one...

First, writers had a higher social status.

Second, it wasn't dangerous.

The letter elaborated in great detail on what the so-called "social status" was, as well as the income level of writers.

In both aspects, it indeed far surpassed that of an executive officer.

"You can think about it, Roland."

- I won't waste the stories Miss Nina left me; those can all be imbued with criteria.

- As long as I casually write them down.

- Besides...

- Miss Nina's stories are not legal either.

"Compose some stories of your own, the legal kind. You might even gain a following and make some extra money, isn't that good?"

"Having listened to so many stories, this shouldn't be hard for you."

- For instance...

- For instance, "The Little Angel of the East District and the Lady of the West District", "The Blind Man and the Bat", "The Golden-Eyed Cat: A Little Boy Who Loves Rainy Days", etc...

- I'm not surprised at all that you can say such things now.

- If I walked down the street without clothes, people would look too.

The nun caring for Roland was quite elderly; she came to the ward twice a day—once at noon to check on the healing progress of Roland's wounds, bring him a bowl of stewed potatoes and carrots, plus two palm-sized loaves of bread, and empty the chamber pot.

Once in the evening, the same routine.

Roland didn't know what kind of ritual Bishop Clatof had used on him, but his body was undergoing "self-repair" day by day—originally needing to lean on crutches with great effort to get out of bed, two weeks later, he could already walk around the room with bent waist in a small area.

Enid came twice during Roland's recuperation. Aside from feigning anger and accusing Roland of being too impulsive, she repeated the "necessary knowledge" Fernandez had told him that day several times over.

For example, what executives should be responsible for and what they shouldn't mind;

What could be managed, but preferably shouldn't be; what couldn't be managed, but if one wanted to, how to find an excuse to meddle...

And, absolutely, do not ever act recklessly again.

Clearly, after this incident, Enid also realized that Roland was not suited for progressive education.

Oh, by the way, she also left twenty pounds for Roland.

Said it was injury compensation.

"Private compensation."

"You're already used to it, right?"

"She should have thrown in an extra kiss."

- Don't be so lewd.

- I'm lewd? Your eyes didn't leave that flower the whole day—the one embroidered on her chest.

- You must have seen wrong.

- I understand, you've also reached the age where you'll subconsciously look at a woman's certain parts.

- Which certain parts?

- Don't play dumb, don't think I don't know.

- I only feel gratitude and respect towards Lady Enid.

"Aha..."

- Kill the person who needs to be repaid?

"Su Yue really didn't teach you a single good thing."

- Which shows that Miss Nina's stories are filled with wisdom.

- Half-truths are equivalent to fallacies.

- Heh heh.

Roland showed a smile that only appeared when he was alone with the wrench.

In the following days, his correspondence with Mrs. Cherry continued as usual.

A person's name gradually appeared more frequently in the letters.

Edward Snow.

Snow, Mr. Snow, or Dr. Snow, Physician Snow.

This "ice and snow" doctor, whose name suited him well, came from a commoner background in his early years.

He was the son of a coal miner, a vegetarian, and had remained single to this day. From a young age, his mother used a small fortune inherited from a distant relative to send him to a private school.

After graduation, he relied on his own hard work to become an apprentice to a moderately famous physician.

He performed brilliantly within a few years, demonstrating wisdom, perseverance, and thirst for knowledge far surpassing ordinary people. Later, introduced by the physician, he entered medical school.

"Ice and Snow" was quite famous.

This was the doctor hired by Cherry Chloe for her treatment—her "tinnitus" symptoms were getting worse, and what troubled her now wasn't even simple tinnitus anymore, but auditory hallucinations.

Even when she walked outside, went to banquets and salons, or talked to anyone...

She seemed to hear a harsh scraping sound coming from inside her brain.

She told Roland in her letter that through Snow's treatment over many days, she had indeed improved. Although she could still hear annoying noises at night, at least during the day, she could peacefully do what she wanted to do.

At the end of the letter, she also specifically noted:

She had introduced Roland to Edward Snow and said that if his injury wasn't doing well, he could send someone to look for her at the Chloe mansion.

At that time, she would have him treat Roland.

All in all, everything was heading in a good direction.

Roland was also gradually recovering.

Interestingly, on a certain day while he was recuperating, the elderly nun who delivered meals every day was gone.

Replaced by a young girl carrying a small blue leather pouch.

A young nun?

Roland wasn't sure.

Because she didn't dress like a nun.

It wasn't that there was any major change in attire, but rather that rigid robe looked somewhat "out of place" on her.

She had a pair of lake-blue eyes, and gray hair spilled out from under her hat, resting on her chest, curling slightly inward.

When she cautiously pushed open the door, she peeked her head in first, finding Roland turning around in response to the creaking sound.

And so.

"Are you Mr. Collins?"

She asked softly.