Chapter 4: Goodbye, Backlund

Lowering his glasses and scratching his eyes to remove any dirt that might be there, Isengard put them back on and reread the letter. His expression broke into one of disbelief, and he lowered the letter in astonishment.

"How..." the detective muttered, not believing what he was reading at all. The prospect of it being true was so ridiculous that he refused to accept it.

After reading the paper and after a short chat with his student confirming that it was true. Isengard was close to handing his student over to the Churches of the Evernight Goddes; the only thing that stopped him was that he was still waiting for a response from the Church of the God of Wisdom and Knowledge just as he knew the redhead's personality.

"But still... This is..."

His eyes moved to the packet beside his forgotten pipe, whose tobacco had already gone out from going so long without being inhaled. 

The detective's brow furrowed for a few moments before a heavy sigh left him. The older man lowered the letter, grabbed his pipe, lit it with another match, and took a deep, soothing puff.

Though its flavor had considerably reduced now that it had been extinguished and relit, Isengard still found it acceptable.

Blowing out a small cloud of smoke and feeling his throat warm, the detective watched the smoke disperse before rising from his seat.

Extinguishing and putting away the pipe, Isengard grabbed the packet and the letter and left his office at a calm pace. Moving down the hallway of his cozy house, the man opened a door and descended into the basement, which had looked much more lived-in since yesterday.

A long group of nine people was the first thing he saw as he descended the stairs.

His eyes moved over the unfamiliar faces before stopping on the familiar faces of two women that only lasted a moment before his attention was taken by his student, who walked up to him with a mischievous little smile on his face.

"By the look on your face, Teacher. Looks like I was right, no?" 

The detective looked deeply at his student. His eyes took in every detail of his face and body and compared it to the last time he saw him all those days ago.

To his surprise, he found small differences that caused him to stare at the man in bewilderment. Thanks to his years as a detective and being a true Detective, his mind quickly found the reason, and he couldn't help but stare at his student in astonishment.

"Adryan... Did you... advance again?"

The red-haired man's eyebrows raised for a moment before he relaxed and let out a small chuckle. "Wow, I didn't expect you to notice. It's so obvious?"

Listening to their conversation as neither of them tried to hide it. The largest person in the room stood up with a start and pointed at the redhead with awe and admiration in her tone.

"Wait! Captain, you advanced? You're Sequence 6 now?!" 

"Sasha, no need to shout. It's no big deal."

As his student and the huge woman spoke, Isengard continued to stare dumbfounded at the young man in front of him.

'When I met him in June, he had just become Sequence 9... But now he's Sequence 6?'

'Advance 3 sequences in 2 months...'

That speed of digestion made no sense! Not even the most skilled in the Church achieved such a feat! 

Only those blessed by the Gods could have even dreamed of such a feat!

At such a thought, Isengard was barely able to control his face from breaking into shock.

Controlling his breathing to calm himself, the man regretted leaving his pipe in his office.

'If that's why... Then there shouldn't be a problem...'

Nodding inwardly in satisfaction. The detective looked at his pupil with a proud smile as he held out the packet.

"Here you have everything you need for the Ritual of Movement. The Church designed and perfected a method for the safe removal of members in dangerous situations. But I advise you to be careful, it is a delicate ritual and everything has to be perfect or it can lead to unpleasant consequences."

"The instructions are inside, and there is enough for a one-way trip. I will help you prepare the initial steps."

Listening to his teacher's explanation, Adryan gave him a small smile and a slight nod. 

"Don't worry, Teacher. I have someone who will make sure our journey is as safe and trouble-free as possible."

Turning around, the red-headed man handed the package to a very excited Charlotte who quickly left and started preparing everything.

Looking at the expertly drawn circle and the various seals that contained the matrix, Isengard couldn't help but be amazed.

'A Mystery Prier? When...' a sudden possibility flashed in his mind, and he looked at the rest of the people in the room.

Were they all Beyonders? 

Watching his student and seeing his knowing smile, the detective sighed and shook his head.

"Why do you always run into so many Beyonders? You are like a magnet for them."

Adryan rolled his shoulders, "What do you want me to say, Teacher? They're always after me~"

"Ha... It's like that..." Letting out a tired laugh, the older man shook his head and looked at his student deeply.

"Once you cross to the other side, someone will greet you. Try to be respectful. It's someone important."

"I'm sorry, old man, but if there is one thing the Princess is not, it is respectful." Flora commented, already surrendered to the red-haired man's horrible habit.

Not even the Angels were safe from him.

'And I wear it with pride.' Giving a small, innocent smile to the detective. Adryan patted the man's shoulder with amusement.

"Come on, when have I not been respectful? I'll be fine!" The redhead said, ignoring the look everyone gave him at his words.

Xio glared at him while Fors tried to look away after a few moments. Maric and Sharron were only a short glance.

His team looked at him nervously.

Seeing the look his student was getting, Isengard didn't know what to say.

'I'm too old for this...' Deciding that ignoring him would be best for his mental health, the detective didn't mention anything.

Sigh

Patting Adryan's shoulder again, the shoulder looked with some concern at the young man.

"I'll assume you have money for your stay in Lenburg."

"Money is the last thing I lack, Teacher. I'll be fine in that area." 

Nodding slightly at his words, the older man sighed. 

"Last thing... Whatever you do, try to keep a low profile this time, yeah?"

The hospitality the Church was giving him was already insane, in any other case he would have been abandoned. It was better that he did not try his luck.

At his teacher's words, Adryan's smile turned sickly sweet. An overdose of the kind of candy that, due to the amount of sugar in it, turned into a strong poison.

"Of course, Teacher~ I'll keep my head down and not draw attention to myself~"

"..."

There was something wrong with this kid. There was no doubt about that.

Shaking his head, he pulled his hand away from the red-haired man's shoulder and gave a weak smile.

"Take care of yourself, Adryan. I hope Lenburg is to your liking.

"I also hope that someday we can meet again."

Isengard knew this when he received the letter. 

This was surely the last time he would see the redhead for a long time. 

He was confident that the redhead would survive. He also had expectations that he hoped he would live up to. 

The smile on his face softened, and Adryan extended his hand to the man.

"Thank you for putting up with my craziness for so long, Teacher. I'm sure we'll meet again.

"I'll try to send a letter or two."

Shaking his head, Isengard grabbed the red-haired man's hand, but the taller young man enveloped him in a tight hug before he could react.

"Take good care of yourself, yeah? If you need anything, I'll make time to help you." Adryan said calmly, and the somewhat dazed detective returned the hug as best he could.

"C-right..." Isengard muttered, somewhat embarrassed by the sudden physical contact, an embarrassment that only grew as he saw how most of those present were looking at him.

Knowing when enough was enough, Adryan pulled away from the detective.

A mischievous grin on the face of the young man who only laughed in amusement.

"Come on, Teacher. Is it so bad to ask for a hug?"

"...It's okay Adryan. I just didn't expect it," the detective replied, regaining his composure. He looked at the red-haired man, who laughed again.

Looking behind the man and seeing that the matrix was about to be completed, Isengard gave a slight nod.

"Just don't die, Young One. Remember that Grievius still lives on through you."

"Ha! I promise nothing." Adryan laughed with a wink.

...

Sighing contentedly, Charlotte rose from the ground with his eyes up. After checking for the sixth time that everything was in order, the Melee Scholar caught the attention of the rest.

"Boss! Everything is ready! We can go now!"

Adryan turned to look as an impressed whistle sounded inside him.

"That's a ritual circle if I've ever seen one! Whoever created it no doubt knew what they were doing. I can barely make out any of those symbols..."

Adryan nodded inwardly in agreement with his corpsmate's words. 

Charlotte's circle easily accommodated everyone present and still had room to spare. Its entire surface was filled with intricate and mysterious symbols laden with mysticism, many of which Adryan had never seen before.

At the edges of the circle were nine candles, each at an equal distance from the others. Each lit in white color, filling the basement with the air of knowledge and Wisdom, made stronger by the various oils and powders that Charlotte had poured.

The powder shone like stars in the night sky in various parts of the circle.

'A teleportation circle, eh? Clever. Getting out the conventional way would be almost impossible. This is the safest and most effective way.' Satisfied with the method, Adryan nodded contentedly at the method created by the Church he planned to leave.

Seeing that everything was ready, the red-haired man looked at his team and ordered in a loud voice. "Everyone into the circle, we're leaving Backlund."

"What about-

"We'll meet her there." Adryan calmly cut Sasha off as they all entered the circle.

Glancing at his teacher, the redhead winked in amusement as he patted Charlotte's shoulder with some force.

"If you'd be so kind." 

Ignoring the burning in his shoulder, Charlotte clasped his hands together, which still had some of the dust on them. He rubbed them together for a moment, his spirituality making both palms glow.

He pulled them apart for a moment and brought them back together quickly, in a loud clap. Ancient Hermes came out of his mouth as the palms clapped together.

"Wisdom!" 

The next instant. The whole circle glowed white.

...

With the dazzling light gone, Isengard looked at where his student and team once stood and could only sigh.

Turning around, he began to climb the stairs out of his basement. With each step he climbed, his mind moved to the contents of the letter and his student's promotion.

If he had previously believed that the red-haired man could be promoted to a Saint, now the detective had no doubt. It was only a matter of time before that happened.

Now, some of him even thought he could go beyond a Saint... To an Excellency.

While he thought that would be nearly impossible, the contents of the letter made him unable to help but think so.

'Scarlet Monarch and The Fool...'

Pausing in the middle of the staircase, the man looked into the empty basement behind him.

'Perhaps it won't be long before the 7 Orthodox Churches become the 9 Orthodox Churches...'

Shaking his head, the detective finally exited the basement.