HPxLOTM: A Wizard's Path to Divinity

The Capim murder only stayed on the front page of Backlund's newspapers for half a day before the heat began to fade. Unless the full extent of the human trafficking behind him was exposed, this would just become one of many East Borough murder cases that happened each year.

The only reason it even drew attention in the first place was because the victim happened to be a wealthy man.

But of course, the military wouldn't allow the incident to keep fermenting. By the afternoon, the headline had been replaced with a far more "palatable" version: "East Borough Tycoon Killed in Home Invasion". And taking its place on the front page was a tabloid-worthy piece titled "Noble Caught Sleeping With Friend's Wife, Chased Naked Through the Streets."

Edward set the paper down with a helpless smile. As expected—controlling public opinion was just a matter of controlling the media. What the general public knew would always be limited to what the media allowed them to know.

For once, it was a rare quiet day. Bernadette hadn't replied with any updates yet, Audrey had a psychology class today, and no one else came looking for him. Edward and Lilith ended up "wasting" the entire day at home.

When it was finally 7 PM, and after Lilith had slipped out for her secret performance, Edward made his way to the free school to give that night's lesson to the children.

Daisy—the girl who'd been kidnapped—was there tonight too. As one of the class leaders, she was among the first to receive Edward's lecture. Throughout the lesson, she listened intently and took notes diligently. Not a hint of trauma or fear could be seen on her face.

Then again, kids like her, born into the harshest corners of society, didn't have the luxury to be afraid. If they could survive this kind of life, what else was there to be afraid of?

——

After the half-hour crash course, Daisy and the other top students left to teach the other classes. Edward, like the other two instructors, was supposed to rotate among the classrooms to observe.

But tonight, he slipped away for a moment.

At 8 PM sharp, a rich and fragrant aroma began to drift through the air, causing the students—focused as they were—to collectively gulp and glance toward the windows. Many of them had come on empty stomachs, and even those who had eaten only had rough black bread.

Just then, the principal stepped into each classroom and called the students out: "Children, this dinner is something Mr. Edward has prepared especially for all of you. Please line up in order."

Outside on the open grounds were stacks of bread and a huge pot of stewed lamb. The two teachers were standing nearby, distributing food to the students.

All the children's eyes lit up at once. They turned to Edward in unison and shouted their thanks:

"Thank you, Mr. Edward!"

"No need for thanks—now come get in line!"

Immediately, the kids lined up in two orderly rows. Each one received two or three pieces of bread and a bowl of lamb stew. The school had occasionally provided meals before, but never anything this rich.

For many of the children, this might have been the most sumptuous dinner they'd ever had in their lives.

Edward walked over to the principal and said, "From now on, I'll give you a sum of money every month. Use it to hire more teachers and offer meals like this regularly for the children."

"T-Thank you so much!"

She grabbed Edward's hand with both of hers and thanked him repeatedly.

Edward looked slightly embarrassed. Compared to the wealth he currently possessed, this amount of money wasn't even a drop in the bucket.

That said, he didn't plan on going full-blown philanthropist either. He wasn't that saintly. Just like that time he treated those vagrants to a meal at the café—if he saw something, he'd lend a hand.

Even Klein, who was a genuinely good person, could only help the small handful of people he personally encountered or learned about. Of course, he was also the kind of person who'd fly into a righteous fury over the death of an innocent caught in a schemer's plot, and he'd seek vengeance for them.

Edward figured that Klein could be his moral compass. If he could strive to be even seventy or eighty percent like him, that'd already put him above the moral standard of most people.

The principal asked, "Mr. Edward, does this mean you won't be coming anymore after tonight?"

Edward smiled. "I just won't be coming as often."

She said no more. Over the years, countless teachers had come and gone through this little free school. Even among former students from poor backgrounds, few ever chose to return.

Still, the monthly donation Edward promised would do far more for the school than any single teacher could.

"Well then, I'll be heading out."

Edward waved and left the school behind.

He'd only come here to test out the role of "Mentor." Now that the experiment was complete, there was no longer any reason to stay.

Just as he stepped outside the school gates, vines suddenly descended from above. A moment later, Bernadette appeared soundlessly, dressed like an adventurer. Her expression carried a hint of curiosity.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Edward shrugged. "Doing good deeds, of course. I taught classes here for two days and promised the principal a monthly donation."

Bernadette folded her arms, her tone calm and even.

"For a Beyonder, any action that defies logic or seems out of character can be considered part of a performance."

"…."

"Among the 22 pathways, the one that requires teaching and imparting knowledge is…the Reader pathway, isn't it?"

Edward replied, "But I'm a Traveler from the Apprentice pathway. Has nothing to do with the Reader."

Bernadette arched a brow. "Did you forget that the Scholar's Beyonder characteristic was given to you by me?"

"Uh…I only picked it up for someone else…" Edward tried to bluff.

She didn't press further.

"So, what did you want to see me about?"

"Oh, I'm thinking of leaving Backlund to start acting as a Traveler," Edward said. "But didn't you mention before that the disaster in Backlund is coming soon?"

"I also said," Bernadette replied calmly, "that I couldn't give a precise timeframe for that disaster."

As she spoke, her deep blue eyes suddenly became distant and hollow, as if trying to pierce the veil of night and glimpse into the future. After a moment, her breath hitched, and she staggered sideways.

Edward instinctively caught her by the arm. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head. "Still unclear. But one thing I'm certain of…it's very close now."

"So, your suggestion is that I should stay in Backlund?"

"Or," Bernadette countered, "are you planning to try and stop the disaster yourself?"

"That's not really the idea," Edward admitted. "I'm more concerned that the disaster you mentioned might harm my friends. If I stay in Backlund, I can act in time to help."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, if you need help when the time comes, I'll do everything I can."

Then, after a few seconds of hesitation, he said, "I've heard that the Demoness Sect might have a Sequence 4 witch planning to advance to Sequence 3 here in Backlund… nd her advancement ritual apparently involves triggering a large-scale catastrophe. Could that be the disaster you foresaw?"

Bernadette's eyes flickered. "So that's it…"

She nodded slowly, then glanced at Edward's hand still holding her arm. He quickly released her and took a step back.

"I'll come with you," Bernadette said suddenly.

Edward blinked. "Huh?"

"You're planning to act as a Traveler, right? I'll go with you."

"Why?"

She fixed her gaze on him. "You still owe me two stories. You can tell them on the road."

Then she paused, and a faint, beautiful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "And while we're at it—you can teach me Rosellean."

"My father left behind so many journals and notes. I can't rely on you to translate them forever. Besides…" She narrowed her eyes slightly. "You've been keeping some things from me, haven't you?"

Oh no, Emperor! I've really been trying to protect your glorious image!

But if your daughter actually learns Chinese, I'm doomed! I've got to find an excuse to stall…Maybe say I need to stabilise my potion digestion first before I can teach? Teaching Chinese while travelling sounds so—

Wait, hold on!

Edward suddenly froze.

Bernadette was a Sequence 3. Teaching her Chinese would count as imparting knowledge. Combined with the fact that they'd be travelling together…Wouldn't that perfectly line up with several key elements for performing the role of a Wandering Mentor?

His gaze grew suspicious as he stared at Bernadette—could this century-old daughter of Roselle have deduced from the clues of the Traveler and Scholar pathways that he needed to teach while wandering?

Seriously? Did she have to be this absurdly clever?

Ever since arriving in the world of the mysteries, Edward felt like his IQ had been getting left in the dust.

After a long moment, he muttered, "Are you really okay with leaving Backlund right now? Even with a messenger and the ability to travel through the spirit world, what if you're delayed?"

She remained calm. "Then it just means this disaster isn't my opportunity for advancement."

"If you're worried about your friends being hurt in the disaster, instead of staying in Backlund to protect them…wouldn't it be more effective to convince them to leave?"

"You've probably got more than one or two friends. Are you sure you'll be able to protect them all when the time comes?"

Edward suddenly slapped his forehead. "Damn! You're right! Leaving Backlund is an option!"

Because during the original Great Smog event in the novel, everyone happened to be in Backlund, he'd subconsciously assumed they all had to be here. He'd completely forgotten that he could evacuate them early.

"Thanks, Your Majesty!"

Without wasting another second, Edward summoned Phoenix.

———

In a lavishly decorated room…

The sealed artifact 0-08—Quill of Alzuhod was scratching away across the page:

"…Klein Moretti, through a spirit channelling with Capim, learned that the second disappearance of the maid Cynthia might be connected to Barron.

The matter should have ended there, but out of a sense of responsibility, Klein decided to pursue Barron a little further…"

---

"…Meanwhile, Barron is already en route to the tomb…"

----

"…After receiving a reminder from Queen Mystic, Bernadette, Edward realised a possibility that had long been overlooked:

To have his friends leave Backlund before the disaster strikes.

Although Edward and Klein aren't indispensable pieces in my plan, due to their unique and unpredictable natures, it's best to drag them in as much as possible…"

Just then, a slender hand gripped the quill and wrote the final line:

"So…everything must be accelerated."

The owner of the hand looked up and gazed through the window toward the garden outside. Though winter was fast approaching, the flowers here were still in full bloom, defiantly unaffected by the cold.

A soft sigh drifted through the room.

"I just want to live…that's all."

———

[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.