A sturdy middle-aged man with a distinctly unfriendly expression, one that would deter any would-be friend from a mile away, was walking from the port toward the town. Although it was the hot season, he wore a black windbreaker and a cowboy hat.
He walked the street in brown short boots, carrying a very heavy-looking cloth bag on his shoulder.
As he moved, people could hear him humming an unknown tune. He seemed to be in a good mood, though his expression didn't match; perhaps it was a facade to ward off unwanted troublemakers.
The residents coming and going in the town occasionally looked at this unfamiliar middle-aged man with curiosity, making harmless remarks about his identity to those beside them until he disappeared into the town.
He continued along the path toward his destination at the center of the island: the cemetery, where the statue of the Stone Mother stood.
Right at the entrance to the cemetery, Priest Pakchi, who Ed had privately titled "the madman," and who hid unimaginable strength within his wrinkled skin, was already waiting quietly. Watching the figure approach in the distance, he couldn't help but smile.
A short while later, the man stood before him.
"Andre, you're finally here."
The figure raised his head and removed his cowboy hat, revealing short, slightly dull silver hair and a mature, handsome face. A conspicuous X-shaped scar ran over his left eye, though it didn't seem to impair his vision. A cigarette dangled from his mouth.
He habitually spat it onto the ground and stamped it out with his foot. Then, seeing Priest Pakchi's disapproving expression, he could practically see himself flying through the air.
"Alright, alright," The man named Andre said helplessly. He bent down, picked up the extinguished cigarette, and casually tossed it into his pocket. Shaking his head, he asked, "Tell me, why did you ask me to come here? What can I help you with?"
Priest Pakchi stared at him, nodding in satisfaction at his action, and said calmly, "I want you to help me train a child and let him join your treasure-hunting team."
"Huh?" Andre was a little surprised. "Did I hear you correctly, Pakchi? You're going to send a child on a treasure hunt? Did you hit your head and finally go completely crazy? I told you not to stay in that cave for too long."
Looking at the man's surprised face and ignoring his sarcastic remark, Priest Pakchi continued without changing his expression, "Andre, that 'kid' is 18 years old."
"Eighteen years old, and you're still calling him a kid? That means he's already an adult... Alright, alright, don't give me that dangerous look. I was just joking. Anyway, if you say so, he must be from Home Island too, right? You have to know my job isn't fun. Fighting and death are constant companions."
At this point, Andre couldn't help but take out another brand-new cigarette from his pocket. "I can't go out of my way to take care of him for you, only to spend the rest of my life avoiding you if he dies in some accident."
After saying that, he placed the cigarette in his mouth and rubbed the tip between his thumb and index finger to light it. He took a deep breath and exhaled a puff of smoke. "And most importantly, not everyone can join a treasure-hunting team. It requires sufficient knowledge and experience."
"He has a certain amount of knowledge, experience, and talent."
Hearing Priest Pakchi speak so highly of a brat, Andre looked at him doubtfully. It was hard to believe, after all, this was just an 18-year-old from well-protected Home Island, where most people lived their entire lives without facing any real danger.
"I'm not lying. Just a week or two ago, he found Jack's treasure hidden on the island all on his own."
Hearing this, Andre made an interested sound. "Oh? The magician Jack?"
"Right."
"That's interesting. But that treasure should have been enough for him to live a carefree life, right?"
Hearing this, Priest Pakchi shook his head regretfully. "The treasure was taken by someone else first. He got nothing."
After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment, then rephrased: "But... he should have obtained Jack's inheritance and experienced its magical power."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I think I understand," Andre said, smacking his lips. "A young man who's reached adulthood is interested in treasure hunting. He's capable of actually finding treasure, and most importantly, he's experienced magical power. Unlimited wealth and magical power are strong temptations."
Priest Pakchi nodded in agreement. Such temptation was powerful for an 18-year-old. They had been through this before and knew clearly that blocking it would only backfire.
"What's his name?" Andre asked with some interest.
"Ed. I mean, Edward Darkmore."
"Edward?!"
Hearing the change in Andre's voice, Priest Pakchi looked at him and asked with some doubt, "Do you know him?"
"This is even more interesting. Okay, no problem. I promise you, I'll take him on. As long as he shows the potential he deserves, I'll take him to become a 'Toucher'."
"…"
"That's why you wanted me to take him, isn't it? There's no one better than me," Andre said with a smug smile, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Okay, stop looking so grim. It's a rare opportunity for us to get together. Come, let's have a drink. I'm going to be giving you trouble for the next few days, you'll need it more than I will."
"Okay."
......
Ten Days Later!
Ed stood in his own courtyard, wearing a casual shirt, pants, slippers, and a black magician-like hat. Beside the big tree in front of him, a human-shaped target had appeared without him noticing. It was stuffed with straw and marked with various indicators.
As his arms swung, two silver lights traced an arc through the air, piercing the target's forehead and neck. The lights were two thin metal cards, gleaming sharply. A few more silver streaks flew in from different angles, embedding themselves in its stomach and thighs. One even spun around to pierce its back.
Then, Ed stretched out his right hand and snapped his fingers. Another card appeared in his hand, which he threw in a straight line to pierce the target's forehead. This card was printed with a red heart in the style of a playing card. Ed bowed like a gentleman and tipped his hat. "My apologies."
At that moment, Sigurd's hurried voice came from outside the yard. "Ed, Ed, where are you!"
Hearing this, Ed didn't call out his location. Instead, he took off his hat and tossed it toward the side of the house. He walked toward the target as if nothing had happened. Sigurd pushed open the gate and rushed in, pausing slightly at the sight of Ed.
"Aren't you wearing a bit too little? What if you get heatstroke? The temperature is quite high today."
"I can't help it. Other clothes are too formal or heavy, they feel like a cage. Besides, I sweat like a fountain," Ed replied casually as he retrieved the cards from the target and put them away. He walked toward Sigurd, discreetly kicking the top hat further away.
Sigurd looked at the metal card in Ed's hand and said with a proud smile, "So? It's well made, isn't it?"
"Very good. I like it very much."
Ed had a total of twelve metal cards on him, custom-ordered through Sigurd during his recent trip to Turan Island. A man will do anything for sex, he thought, I mean, love. From Sigurd, he had also learned that Yukino had taken his advice seriously. She had successfully become Jenny's assistant and was now working hard at her pharmacy.
Her performance at the brothel had been poor, and she had been dismissed by her first customer due to her crybaby personality. The management hadn't tried to persuade her to stay; they were likely happy to let go of an employee who damaged their reputation.
Jenny was more than satisfied with the woman recommended by her sweet brother-in-law and had sent a set of three hats as a thank-you gift with Sigurd.
But back to the topic: the twelve cards had cost him two silver snakes. It was definitely worth it, they perfectly met his needs.
"What brings you here in such a hurry?" Seeing that Sigurd was about to steer the conversation toward boasting about his relationship with Jenny, Ed quickly cut in.
"Oh, right, listen!" Sigurd snapped back to attention. "There's a new ship at the port. I'm telling you, it's beautiful and looks really expensive."
"I heard from an uncle that a few days ago, a middle-aged man in strange clothes, someone he didn't recognize, came on that ship. It left right after dropping him off, and the man was only seen heading to the cemetery. But today, the ship is back!"
"How about we go to the harbor to see it? It's truly a beauty, you don't see something like that every day."
Hearing this, Ed couldn't help but feel a stir of excitement.
A strange, expensive ship and a strange man heading to the cemetery… Could it be the treasure-hunting group that the crazy Priest had mentioned? Just as Ed considered this, the voice of Priest Pakchi sounded from outside the courtyard.