The next day at noon, Audrey stepped out of the pouch with an unhappy expression.
"I already asked someone to help investigate. There are seven castles around Backlund—four of them were built by fallen nobles and are now nothing but crumbling ruins. The remaining three are still inhabited, and none of them match what you described."
She pouted. "Sorry, I couldn't be of more help."
Edward smiled and patted her head.
"It's fine. Since this involves the mystical world, not finding it is actually pretty normal. Don't worry, I've got other ways."
In the original book, it seemed that the castle harbouring the ancient wraiths belonged to the Sanguine. Plus, with that gate that might be an entrance to the Abyss—or the Chaos Sea—it made sense that ordinary people couldn't locate it.
Audrey puffed up her cheeks. "Feels like you're petting me like you do Lilith."
"Meow?" Lilith glanced up curiously. The girl and the cat stared at each other—big eyes vs. round ones.
Edward couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Hahahaha."
"You planning to ask a Beyonder for help? Xio and Fors?"
"That castle seems to be built by the Sanguine. So asking the Sanguine might be a good idea."
Audrey looked surprised. "The Sanguine?"
Edward grinned. "Vampires, basically. Remember the one I mentioned before?"
"The one who likes dolls?"
"That's the one."
Edward had even made a trip to Akihabara in Japan just to buy dolls. But later, Emlyn had been detained at the Harvest Church by Father Utravsky, and the doll-selling plan was shelved. The dolls were still lying unused in the pouch. Now, it seemed they might finally serve a purpose.
In the original story, that castle was actually a "small trap" set up by a Sanguine Marquis to test The Fool…Edward wasn't sure if Emlyn would even know about it.
Audrey's eyes lit up. "When are you planning to find him? I want to come too."
"Right now."
Edward flicked his wand lightly. "Flavido."
Audrey's clothes and face quickly changed into those of a slightly older, more ordinary-looking neighbourhood girl—still pretty, but not dazzling.
"Lilith, you—hmm, you'd better not come with us to the Earth Mother's church."
Lilith nodded obediently. "Okay~"
"Let's go!"
The two of them vanished into warped space.
About ten seconds later, the previously well-behaved Lilith hurriedly pulled out a book and, using both her paws and mouth, flipped it open and recited in a crisp voice:
"One mile out, two miles in,
Three, four cottages hidden within.
Five, six pavilions in view,
Seven, eight, nine, ten flowers in bloom."
———
[South of the Bridge—Rose Street]
Edward and Audrey walked together into a rather small Harvest Church. At a glance, they spotted the towering Father Utravsky standing under the sacred light with eyes closed in prayer.
"Wow, he's so tall! Does he have giant blood?" Audrey instinctively entered her Spectator state.
"Good afternoon, Father."
Father Utravsky opened his eyes and smiled. "Welcome, Mr. Edward—and…Miss."
"Hello, Father," Audrey quickly greeted him, surprised in her heart. How fascinating—this priest, who looks like he has giant blood, appears strong and imposing, yet everything in his eyes and voice exudes gentleness and sincerity. He makes people instinctively feel at ease.
He was a perfect contradiction—and harmony—of appearance and presence.
"Huh? Where's Emlyn?"
"He's in the backyard cleaning up."
As he said that, Father Utravsky seemed to add a deliberate reminder, "Three days ago, Emlyn was granted freedom."
Edward played dumb. "Then why is he still doing chores here?"
The priest fell silent for a moment, and then replied in a way that truly surprised Edward, "He's waiting for you."
"???"
Just as they were speaking, Emlyn walked in, holding an old candelabrum and wiping it down. His eyes were clearly scanning the area, searching for something.
The next second, his eyes locked with Edward's.
Clang!
He dropped the candelabrum and lunged like a madman.
"Give me back my Emily!!!"
Audrey jumped in fright, and Edward hurriedly stepped forward—
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Emlyn's body suddenly flipped, hanging upside down in mid-air.
A pair of illusory bat wings emerged from his back, and he used them to flip upright again. Just then, a bench flew toward him, transforming into a chain that wrapped tightly around him before slamming him to the ground with a bang.
"Let me go!!"
Emlyn roared furiously. The iron chains started to creak and deform under his struggle.
"You bastard! Give Emily back to me!!!"
"Petrificus totalus."
"Flavido."
All strength instantly left Emlyn's body. Edward quickly took the opportunity to restore the chains—but that didn't stop Emlyn's desperate struggle.
Like a worm, Emlyn dragged himself across the floor, inching forward with all his might.
"Give…Emily…back to me!!"
Only then did Edward look at him, exasperated. "Emlyn, are you insane? When did I ever take your…Emily?!"
"....."
He gritted his teeth. "It's all your fault, anyway!"
Edward had no choice but to turn to Father Utravsky for help—and for the first time, he saw such a complicated expression on the devout follower of the Earth Mother.
"That day, after you left Danitz behind, you asked Emlyn to look after him."
The priest seemed to be carefully choosing his words. "In truth, Emlyn just had Danitz do a few things a cleric might normally do...but regardless, they ended up making enemies of each other."
He gradually composed his expression and went on:
"After Danitz left, he found Emlyn's home, took all his collection, and even left behind a provocative letter."
Edward was stunned silent for a moment. After a pause, he turned to Emlyn and asked, "How is that my fault?"
"That bastard was brought here by you! You're the one who told me to 'look after' him. And now he's taken my Emily, and Andrea, and Catherine, and Beatrice..."
Emlyn strained to lift his head and roared, "You need to take responsibility!!"
Take responsibility my ass!
If he didn't need something from Emlyn, Edward would've already planted his size-42 shoe right onto Emlyn's size-40 face. He thought for a moment and asked, "In Danitz's letter, did he say where to go or how to get your precious dolls back?"
"Yes!" Emlyn nodded vigorously. "He told me to go to Sonia Sea, find him in Bayam! Said I should get on that damn Golden Dream ship, scrub the deck for a month, and clean chamber pots for another!"
Edward suddenly remembered that before he left Backlund last time, Danitz had looked oddly pleased—so this is what he was up to.
But Danitz didn't have a storage-type magical item. With that many dolls, there was no way he could carry them all. He had to have hidden them somewhere in Backlund.
Edward had no intention of telling Emlyn that, though. He crossed his arms and sneered, "If you love your Emily so much, you're not going to let a bit of hardship stop you, right?"
Emlyn looked like he'd been insulted. "Who says I can't handle hardship?! It's all because—because Father Utravsky used psychological suggestion on me and made it impossible for me to leave the Harvest Church!"
Father Utravsky gently said, "The suggestion has already been lifted."
"...Impossible! Then why is it that every time I leave, I just...I just can't help coming back?"
"Perhaps it's because you've grown used to life here, or perhaps you enjoy being a cleric. Of course, I prefer to believe it's because of your faith in the Earth Mother."
"NOOO!!" Emlyn howled in despair.
Edward turned to Audrey, shrugged, and asked, "So? Does this legendary vampire match your expectations?"
Emlyn shouted, "It's Sanguine!!"
Audrey bit her lip to keep from laughing. "He's rather amusing. Feels less like a mythical creature and more like a heartbroken boy—lost, confused, stubborn and in deep denial."
Emlyn's face flushed crimson. "Shut up."
At that moment, Edward waved his wand and dispelled all the spells. "As for the dolls Danitz took—I'll try to get them back for you when the chance arises. I actually came here today to ask you for a favour."
"Don't have time!!"
He scrambled to his feet, hesitated for a moment, then thought better of losing his temper again. Resigned, he bent down to pick up the candelabrum, looking like a man who had lost the will to live.
"Remember the payment I promised you last time in exchange for that potion formula?"
"I don't!"
He muttered casually, then suddenly looked up sharply. "Wait, you mean that—that even better—no, no! Nothing in this world is better than Emily!"
Without another word, Edward reached into the pouch and pulled out a lavishly dressed doll, dropping it onto the floor with a clunk—the outfit had been hand-picked by Audrey herself.
"!!!"
Emlyn stared at it blankly for a few seconds, then turned away with a pout. "That's it?"
Honestly speaking, the dolls created through alchemy in this world could easily rival Japanese dolls from the 1990s in terms of precision and detail. Otherwise, they wouldn't fetch sky-high prices—thousands of pounds apiece.
(Note: In real-world terms, premium silicone dolls from 1990s Japan were already of exceptional quality!)
However, there was one major difference—the material. The dolls in this world were made of hard substances, while those modern Japanese dolls used soft silicone, with a texture close to real skin.
Edward gestured. "You can try touching it."
"Fine, it's just a doll, what's the big—whoa!!"
Emlyn's blood-red eyes went wide. He could no longer hide his true feelings. He lunged forward, practically drooling, hands twitching as if ready to explore every inch like a pervert.
"Stop!!"
Seeing the corner of Father Utravsky's eye twitch—his usual gentleness and serenity nowhere to be found—Edward panicked. The last thing he wanted was for the priest to transform into a Dawn Paladin and cleave them both in two.
"This is a church, don't get carried away! Let's talk outside."
As he spoke, he stuffed the doll back into the pouch and shot Audrey a look before quickly walking toward the exit.
"Hey! Hey hey hey!"
Emlyn's gaze locked onto the pouch on Edward's hip. He chased after them frantically. "What is that? How did Alicia fit into that tiny little bag?"
Alicia?
Audrey blinked in confusion. You already named her?
"That's a storage-type mystical item. One that can fit a doll like this would cost around 20,000 pounds."
—Edward had priced it based on interior dimensions roughly 1.8 meters in length, width, and height.
Emlyn swallowed hard. If only I had one of those...I could take all my precious treasures with me wherever I go. No more worrying about theft. I could see them anytime, anywhere!
I must get one!!
His expression slowly lit up. Emlyn cleared his throat and said, "You mentioned earlier that you needed a favour? What is it? If I help you, will you return Alicia to me?"
He coughed again. "Just so we're clear, it's not like I fall for every doll I see. I just...I just want to give her a warm, loving home."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.