"Do you think Ewen really fell in love with a devil?"
During the trip to the Joyful Garden, what truly shocked Palr wasn’t the devils but Ewen. In their brief encounters, Ewen’s constant changes left a significant impact on Palr. He never imagined the author he admired would be like this.
"I don’t know. You heard him say it too; the author is the most perfect liar."
Bologue shook his head. He wasn’t brushing off Palr; he genuinely couldn’t make sense of it.
Bologue had lived a long ti, experiencing countless events, but among them, he had never undergone the baptism of love. This kind of emotional matter was sothing he couldn’t advise on, even more so since they couldn’t determine which of Ewen’s words were true.
Did Ewen truly fall for the devil, or was it in pursuit of so-called eternal life? Perhaps, hidden deep in his heart, there was a real desire, but it was covered by layers of lies, deceiving even the devil.
"Only Ewen knows the truth. You might as well ask him directly."
"Is that so..." Palr recalled another matter, "It’s been so long, and there’s still no news from Ewen?"
While the group rested, the Field Operations Departnt had also launched a search for Ewen. After all, this unlucky guy was tied to two devils in a bet.
Given the Field Operations Departnt’s efficiency, they should have returned with a weary-looking Ewen by the second day after the order was issued.
However, after speaking with Lebius on the first day, it seed the matter was left unfinished, with no follow-up information.
Bologue thought it was a straightforward task and couldn’t understand why there would be any complications. If Ewen had been brought back, he didn’t think Lebius would keep it from him.
No one inford him, but Bologue understood that after the recent events, his importance in the Order Bureau was steadily increasing. This both surprised and pressured him.
Bologue said, "No news... Who knows what’s going on."
"Is that so," Palr continued, "Actually, I quite like Ewen too. Don’t you find him interesting?"
Palr couldn’t stand those dull people. He felt that spending too much ti with them would make him boring too, which was sothing Palr wanted to avoid.
"I’m even thinking of introducing him to the Undying Club. They would surely love him, and Serey might even give him a bite, granting him true immortality."
Bologue chuckled. He was about to say that Serey was bound by a vow and couldn’t donate blood to anyone, but considering Serey’s character, it wasn’t impossible.
A hurried doorbell interrupted their conversation. They exchanged glances. Normally, they didn’t have many visitors, and whoever ca usually made an appointnt beforehand.
Bologue cautiously stood up, walked to the door, and looked through the peephole, while Palr deliberately turned up the volu on the TV and took a gun from the drawer.
Renting a place outside had its downsides. One could never predict when trouble would arise, but Palr liked to consider these troubles as small surprises in life.
Peering through the peephole, Bologue recognized the figure outside and opened the door.
"I thought you’d be coming in the evening."
"There wasn’t much on my side today... Did I disturb you?"
Aimou stood at the door in casual attire, looking bashful and avoiding direct eye contact.
Bologue said, "Not at all; we didn’t have much planned for today anyway."
"That’s good."
Bologue then noticed sothing at Aimou’s feet: a large box almost reaching her waist. It looked heavy, and he wondered how Aimou managed to bring it there.
"What’s this?"
"Logistics Departnt sent it. Apparently, soone delivered it for you."
Bologue picked up the box, finding it heavier than expected, and laboriously moved it to the living room.
Given the unique nature of their work, field staff mostly used pseudonyms when dealing with external parties. When they needed to contact ordinary people, these pseudonyms would be uniformly handled by the Field Operations Departnt.
Bologue couldn’t recall much interaction with ordinary people. At this point, Palr joined him, holding a letter opener.
"Can I open it to take a look?"
"As you wish."
Palr sliced through the tape, opened the sealed box, and revealed its contents.
It was a stack of books, various book rchandises, and a box of brand-new, deluxe edition "Journey of the Endless Night."
No cheers or excitent followed. The three of them felt a chill as they saw these items, growing increasingly wary.
It’s worth noting that Asmodeus might not be the most powerful devil, but she left a deep impression. Her pleasure in manipulating people’s hearts was daunting.
Bologue wondered aloud, "What is this..."
"This must be about the promise Ewen made to ."
Palr explained, feeling complicated, "Before entering the Joyful Garden, I made a deal with him.
"I promised Ewen I would try my best to protect him from having his mory erased or sothing like that. In return, he would send the entire collection of ’Night Hunter’ with all associated rchandise, along with a signed copy."
Palr flipped through the pages of a book, revealing the signature of "Crowned Blue Jay," directly scribed on the page instead of on a signature card.
Every book and rchandise item bore a similar autograph. Palr even found a videotape of "Night Hunter," signed by Ewen on its cover.
Aimou’s eyes lit up at the sight of the tape. She had long wanted to watch this film with Bologue, but they missed the advance booking and couldn’t get seats.
"Receiving these now evokes such mixed feelings."
Palr organized the books. Regardless of the complexities, it was still an excellent collection. Ewen seldom appeared in public, making each of his signatures exceedingly rare, yet Palr now had a complete set.
Palr’s face broke into a goofy grin.
Bologue asked Aimou, "Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet."
"Would you like sothing to eat?"
Bologue tied on an apron again as he spoke, while Aimou didn’t refuse. She picked up the videotape and sat on the sofa, intending to watch it once the current film ended.
Palr was entirely absorbed in delight, his previous concerns now seeming trivial. He carefully stashed the books and arranged them ticulously on a bookshelf, along with various rchandise items.
He handled these things like a thief, ticulously collecting them. Despite this, Palr felt a bit uneasy. He planned to store them in the Wind Cellar next ti he returned to the Wind Source Highlands.
Regarding "Journey of the Endless Night," Palr’s expression turned troubled. No matter how large-hearted he was, he couldn’t quite accept it, at least not imdiately.
After repacking it, he shoved it beneath the sofa, then continued sifting through the box. At the bottom, he discovered a letter.
It seed like sothing Ewen accidentally dropped while packing, but flipping the envelope revealed the "Journey of the Endless Night" label.
Palr hesitated montarily, then, with a nervous heart, opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. The crooked handwriting reflected the writer’s chaotic anxiety when composing it.
As Palr read, his expression grew more serious, and a trace of fear appeared in his eyes, until he realized the situation was beyond his control.
Palr raised his head and called towards the kitchen.
"Bologue!"
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