Westminster Bank

"How old are you, Master Bagins? Does that count?"

Master Bagins sighed. "Aren't you the least bit curious why I helped a fugitive like you back then, and didn't even take your money?"

At this, Baron froze. "I thought it was because I'm handsome."

Bagins: "..."

On second thought, Baron was suddenly struck by the realization that, just as Bagins had said, he had never considered why the Dwarf had supported him so staunchly.

'But why bring this up now? Is he trying to change the subject? No, he swore on the Dwarf King's honor. It can't be that simple.'

"The Pipe, then?"

"Hmm... that was certainly a factor, but not the main one."

"Master Bagins, can you please stop speaking in riddles?"

"It was because of a former sponsor of my alchemy experiments."

"Who?"

"Your father, Fran Constantin."

"Oh."

"You don't seem very surprised. I thought you'd be a little more excited. After all, I did help the son of a former sponsor."

"But he's dead, isn't he?" Baron said, rubbing his slightly aching forehead. "So, can you tell me now what exactly Fla is, and what her relationship is with Freya?"

"The woman in the photo is Fla. Lankao and I used Resurrection of the Dead to create a Living Dead body for her to use as a vessel."

'So *that's* what the Living Dead from Resurrection of the Dead is for? You Alchemists are terrifying... Although, I have a bold idea... Nah, forget it. I'm sure the Inner Side has a complete penal code.'

Baron said, "I thought a spirit needed a soul to sustain it. How could a Living Dead's body host her?"

The Alchemy Ancient Texts state that the Living Dead are soullor beings that act purely on instinct. Generally, they aren't very dangerous; their only instinct seems to be slowly attacking equally slow old people on the street.

They are fundamentally different from creatures like Ogres and Blood Demons.

"Blood," Bagins said. "Human blood is rich with Spiritual Essence. We used blood to substitute for a soul and maintain her existence. However, it required frequent and regular blood changes. Even with them, the Living Dead's body would still decay and corrode, so her vessel didn't last long before it collapsed."

'Using blood to sustain a spirit in place of a soul... that tracks with the blood-related Twin of a Blood Biter.' Baron pressed his slightly aching temples.

Bagins said, "What I didn't expect, however, was that Lankao fell in love with Fla, this created soul... No, you couldn't call it love. It was more like the appreciation and emotional investment an artist has for their masterpiece... You can understand that sort of feeling, can't you?"

"I understand," Baron nodded. "It's like how I've always believed King Arthur was actually a girl."

???

"After Fla's body collapsed, he actually targeted the Legitimate Daughter of the Lancelot's Family... choosing to use a 'one soul, twin lives' technique to have Fla's spirit reside within Freya."

"One soul, twin lives?"

Baron suddenly recalled everything Lankao had explained to him. He thought of the Constantine Clan's "schizophrenia" Blood Curse and had a sudden thought: 'Could it be that my good-for-nothing father invested in this to cure his own split personality...?' His head was starting to hurt. 'What's going on?'

"Lankao developed it; I only found out recently myself. It involves placing a spirit directly into a living person and using their blood to sustain it. You don't even need periodic blood transfusions, but it requires the host to have both powerful Spiritual Power and Spiritual Essence."

And Freya, as the Legitimate Daughter of the Old Blood Clan, the Lancelots, undoubtedly possessed the most potent Spiritual Power in her blood...

Baron felt like everything was starting to click into place. He'd finally found the reason why Freya was sometimes poised and other times haughty, and he'd also figured out why that Fire Element Staff had been in the collection room.

'Freya is Fla, and Fla is Freya. One person with two souls, switching between them. That's why the memories don't match up...'

'Lankao. That man is at the heart of all this.'

'As an Alchemist, he was on good terms with the Hestia Family, who sponsored him to complete a series of Alchemy experiments based on the "Twin" concept.'

'And the Hestia Family has deep, secret ties to the Dragon Eater Association, a Lawbreaker organization. That's why Lankao, despite being a Blood Biter, ended up involved with the Association.'

'Come to think of it, wasn't the "Dragon Attendant" he'd seen in the caves of the Dracul Mountain Range just another form of "Twin"?'

'It all adds up. It all adds up. Damn... When you think about it, science really is world-changing.'

'It's true for the Inner Side and the Outer Side: education is really important. I'm afraid that in the future, you won't even be allowed into the Cultivation Realm if you're uncultured. I just wonder if, in that case, the Cultivation Realm would have community colleges.'

'And would the university grads look down on the community college grads?'

Baron grabbed the master's shoulders. "Master, Lankao... are you sure you saw him die with your own eyes?"

But Master Bagins gestured for Baron to let go. "Don't worry, kid. On the Inner Side, there are plenty of people who want him to live. But just the same, there are plenty of people who want him dead."

"One more thing. 306."

"What?" Baron didn't understand the number.

"My age," Bagins said.

He coughed once. "Now, it's your turn."

"Where did you find the Time Grass... Is the world inside the Dwarven Book real? How do you get into that world?"

Baron nodded. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a sudden throb in his heart, and faint whispers echoed in his ears:

"Do not tell... Do not tell... Do not tell... Do not tell..."

The words coursed through Baron's body like tangled threads, then cinched tightly around his throat, preventing him from making a sound. It felt as if an invisible hand was choking him. His face rapidly turned red from the lack of oxygen, and veins bulged on his forehead. His Golden Eye flared before dimming, and the Dragon Flame had just ignited when it was swiftly extinguished. The pain sent his Spiritual Power into chaos.

His sudden, strange behavior startled Master Bagins. "You're breaking an oath... You made a vow of secrecy in that world! This is divine punishment!"

"Don Quixote! Don Quixote!"

Don Quixote appeared as expected, holding Sangji in his arms.

"Go get the Dwarven King's Spear I keep in the collection room! Hurry!"

"Do not tell... Do not tell... Do not tell..."

'Do not tell? What's going on...? Is the existence of Prole a Taboo to the Inner Side? Then why is the Prole Court allowed to use the name Prole? You've got to be kidding me...'

Writhing in pain, Baron curled up on the ground, struggling like a shrimp on a hot griddle.

His mind was filled with the mysterious whispers, like a million monks sitting on prayer cushions, striking wooden fish in front of a giant copper bell, and Baron was trapped right underneath it.

'You've got to be kidding me... This is just my luck... What divine punishment? How did I not know about this confidentiality agreement? Besides, didn't the Shepherdess say I couldn't expose the *dream*...? I want to talk about Prole. What does that have to do with the dream...?'

Baron desperately wanted to curse but couldn't get a single word out.

Suddenly, there was another knock at the clinic door. A faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power came with it—it had to be a team of Law Enforcers, most likely drawn by Baron's chaotic energy.

"Kid... this might hurt a little... Just bear with it and it'll be over soon..."

Ignoring the increasingly frantic knocking, Bagins thrust the Dwarven King's Spear toward Baron... but the spear was repelled.

By a helmet.

Petra's Helmet of Cowardice, also called the Dragon Helmet by Isabella.

Baron was stunned by the Dragon Helmet's sudden appearance. 'Did my chaotic Spiritual Power accidentally activate the Holding Ring?'

But he had no time to think. Driven by an instinct born of pain, he placed the Dragon Helmet on his head.

At the same time, with a BANG, the clinic door flew open.