Suddenly, the muscles along Wendel's back tightened completely, as if about to burst. He was both startled and puzzled, and a series of thoughts flashed through his mind without cease: "Could it be that the inhabitants of Utopia are monsters disguised as humans—appearing perfectly normal most of the time, yet revealing their true nature whenever confronted with a logical inconsistency, ignoring clearly problematic details? "Or perhaps the platform staff member has already realized that I'm lying, and is deliberately choosing to ignore me, allowing me to leave unchallenged? But why?" "Well, it's entirely reasonable to say that I'm afraid my luggage might be lost when I carry it to the platform restroom—yet the entire platform is sheltered, so there's no need to bring an umbrella in advance, and the rain has long since stopped..." Wendel's gaze instinctively turned toward the window. There, bright sunlight streamed across the current platform, and passengers waited in orderly rows behind the safety lines—quite the contrast to the dim, gloomy atmosphere one would expect from Utopia. He exhaled deeply, and his body relaxed noticeably. This wasn't Utopia... I've already left... Wendel murmured these thoughts to himself as he raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. When he recalled his own oversight, it felt as though he were caught in a dream he simply couldn't wake from. After a moment, Wendel stood up and decided to take a smoke to ease his mind. The cigarette did wonders, helping him reflect once again on his experiences in Utopia. During this process, he had a sudden insight: "Perhaps it was because I had genuinely helped Tricia that the platform staff deliberately ignored my questions and let me go?" Rather than accept the idea that every resident of Utopia was merely a monster dressed in human form, Wendel found this explanation more plausible. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of the train conductor speaking with a group of people in the corner. Without drawing attention, Wendel took a few steps closer, hoping to hear what they were saying. Using his superior hearing, he picked up a conversation at a distance that wouldn't raise suspicion: "Last night... platform... Utopia..." "The kingdom... has none..." "Please keep this confidential..." Wendel's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and combining this with the information in the documents he was holding, he now understood roughly what the group was discussing. They were saying that there was no station named Utopia within the kingdom, and that the steam train had gone "missing" last night! At this moment, Wendel felt a renewed surge of apprehension, realizing that simply making it out of Utopia was the greatest fortune of all. .................................. It took Alfred nearly a week to return from Escon Port to Beckland. He had stopped along the way to visit the families of his fallen comrades, old friends, relatives who had gone back to their estates for vacation, and certain family partners. "This is more exhausting than participating in battle," Alfred complained to his father, Lord Hall. Lord Hall smiled and pointed toward the staircase. "Go back to your room and rest first. We'll talk in the study later." He was quite satisfied with his younger son's mental state and his progress. Alfred glanced around, smiled, and asked, "Where's Beckland's most brilliant gem?" He paused, then added, "And where's Hiberth?" "Count Holbeach smiled and said, "Audrey has been at her foundation all day, only returning this afternoon. She's been complaining about your lack of a fixed schedule, making it impossible for her to know when you'll actually arrive. "Hibbert is now the Cabinet Secretary and extremely busy," Alfred nodded, saying no more, and returned to his room to take a shower, then changed into a shirt, vest, and suit. "I prefer the relaxed style of East Blythe," he said to his aide, looking into the mirror. "That's when you truly exude noble grace," his aide replied, handing him a file. "The Intelligence Nine?" Alfred thoughtfully opened the file folder. "We already have the Utopia investigation results so quickly?" He hadn't finished speaking when he was already pulling out the documents and flipping through them with a rustle. Throughout this process, Alfred's page-turning grew slower and slower, until eventually he returned to the beginning and read it through again. The main content of the report is divided into two parts: first, members of MI9 who were escorting Alfred mistakenly entered Utopia, witnessed a murder, and were forcibly evacuated back to the steam train during the night; second, there is no station named Utopia on any of the train lines between Dicsy Bay and Beckland, nor is there a port named Utopia in the region of the Boiling Sea—no trace of Utopia has been found by subsequent investigators. Neither of these incidents exceeded Alfred's capacity, but what astonished and stunned him was the murderer: Her name is Tricia. She is the owner of a hotel, educated at a grammar school, and has since become a mistress of a businessman. Recently, she is trying to break free from that role. This matched remarkably well with the port inn owner, Tricia, whom Alfred had encountered—every detail aligned perfectly. Therefore, Alfred concluded that the murderer was precisely Tricia, the educated woman who, at night, played melancholy music. "Is that her story behind the scenes?" Alfred murmured silently. This made the inhabitants of Utopia feel exceptionally real, not merely as imagined illusions as he had anticipated. That is, after the outsiders had departed, the residents of Utopia continued to live their own lives, experiencing their own loves, hatreds, sorrows, and griefs, and encountering a wide variety of experiences. Aside from the fact that Utopia seemed to exist only in the realm of imagination, it was otherwise quite similar to a typical town within the kingdom of Run. Perhaps Utopia truly exists, where everyone is genuine—only one must arrive at the right time and place to enter. Alfred barely nodded, with a thoughtful sigh, folding the investigation report sent by MI9. To him, the matter concluded here; he had no intention of pursuing it further. After all, on the Southern Continent, strange occurrences and phenomena abound, and excessive curiosity often brings dangers far beyond what one can imagine. With his clothes and composure arranged, Alfred walked to his father's study and gently tapped on the door with ornate carvings. "Please come in," the Earl's voice greeted. Alfred combed his golden hair, stepped inside, and settled into a seat. The Earl smiled at him. "You've grown into a true man." "Few would ever say that to a man like you." "Alfred replied without the slightest hesitation. "In my heart, you're still that slightly rebellious youth," the Count smiled. "You've already become an extraordinary one of the Fifth Sequence?" Alfred responded with a double meaning: "Yes, I've now truly become a knight." The Count nodded, then suddenly sighed: "You must have endured a great deal of suffering. As far as I know, both potions and war bring severe damage—both physically and mentally." "Each person's life is filled with countless hardships," Alfred said, with a touch of wistfulness. He used the subtle, Rûn-style phrasing. Pausing, he added: "In fact, compared to when I left Beckett, I feel in better shape now. As long as one has the right methods, at my level, one doesn't need to worry too much about the overwhelming impact of crisis." Count Holbrooke no longer mentioned the matter, but instead said, "Your sister has also become a remarkable one." "Hmm?" Alfred was first startled, then remembered something, and said with a touch of annoyance, "I thought she was merely simply shifting her interests." "It seems Audrey's adventures have received your support," Count Holbrooke remarked, slightly enlightened. "I hope you can speak with her and tell her just how dangerous, wild, and painful the Sequence Potion path truly is, so that she may remain at her current level." Alfred replied without hesitation, "I will certainly do that." In the evening, in Audrey's private study. "Alfred, what is it you wish to discuss with me?" In a homegoing dress, Audrey led Suzy and opened the door for her brother. She had been waiting for him for several minutes already. "There are a few things I'd like to remind you of," Alfred said as he entered the study and casually pulled out a chair to sit down. Audrey smiled lightly and pointed at the golden-haired dog. "Should we send Suzy out?" Looking at the golden retriever now sitting quietly beside her, eyes full of human warmth, Alfred couldn't help but chuckle. "No, I think she'll probably just be listening in." "She," Audrey added casually. Only when the noble girl sat across from her did Alfred truly feel a deep sense of admiration—years had passed, and his sister had completely shed her youthful innocence. In both appearance and demeanor, she now deserved genuine praise, no longer the little girl she used to be. Turning his gaze away, Alfred asked casually, "I heard you've become a remarkable one?" "Yes," Audrey nodded with ease. Alfred had originally intended to ask which sequence she had reached, but thought it might be too direct and potentially provoke resistance, so he carefully phrased it: "You're likely one of the remarkable ones through the 'Audience' path, aren't you?" The seven-colored lizard has similar abilities. That very seven-colored lizard was the gift Alfred gave to his sister. Once Audrey confirmed her agreement, Alfred asked in a light-hearted tone, "Now that you're qualified, can you offer psychological therapy? Most extraordinary beings—including myself—rely on this kind of support. By the way, I've already reached Sequence 5 in the 'Arbitrator' path, as a 'Judicial Knight.' " Audrey pressed her lips slightly and smiled gently, "I am a qualified psychologist, professionally trained—your parents can verify that." Already at Sequence 7... Alfred's expression grew more serious. "Audrey, there are certain things I need to remind you about—the magic medicines bring more than just strength." He paused, observing his sister's reaction, and noticed that Audrey remained patient, listening intently. "Every potion holds a madness that leads to loss of control... I've witnessed this more than once. It's happened to my enemies, to my friends—no group has escaped it." Alfred, drawing on his experiences in Dong Bayrang, elaborated on the dangers of the potions. During this account, he noticed not only that his sister, Odile, listened with deep concentration, but also that his golden-haired dog, Suzy, remained remarkably quiet.