From the Ship of Fools to Earl of Wugang

Lunch was again a simple meal of tortillas and stew, but this time there was an extra small piece of dried apple.

After a morning of work, Edmund was covered in sweat.

Having been a southerner in his previous life, he only felt sticky and uncomfortable, and obviously couldn't take a shower at sea.

Edmund began to wonder whether he should continue to help despite his discomfort.

Just as he was looking around aimlessly, an old man suddenly walked in through the restaurant door.

He was about seventy years old, with a full head of silver hair combed neatly. Although he wore the same gray hospital gown as the other patients, he exuded a dignified air.

Under Edmund's watchful eye, the old man sat down in the farthest corner of the restaurant.

Two nuns stood beside him as he ate, seemingly watching him. The old man paid no attention, finishing his food at an unrefined pace, his gaze meeting Edmund's as he wiped his mouth.

For a moment, the old man's dark brown eyes reminded him of a falcon, but then the image went out like a light switch being flipped.

The old man nodded slightly to Edmund.

【Farian Madeleine】

[Currently 63 years old, he was formerly the ritual advisor and librarian of the Silver Cross Laity Church. After being possessed by an alien spirit, he lost most of his supernatural abilities.]

The alien soul within him has fallen into a deep sleep, and his own life is nearing its end; his death is expected within five days.

[I recently underwent a ritual of "sealing my head," which is generally harmless.]

Edmund watched the old man leave the restaurant with brisk steps, feeling that this Fool's Ship was becoming more and more interesting.

After lunch, he was preparing to leave the restaurant and return to his cabin when a burly man blocked his way as he passed through a narrow passage.

The man stood in the middle of the road, his burly figure completely blocking the passage, glaring at Edmund with a defiant look.

Edmund recognized him as John Corlissom, the dockworker.

Seeing Edmund's repeated failed attempts to get past him, the burly man grinned.

"Hey kid, you were really diligent this morning. Do you think you're different from us now, that you get to wear a nun's kilt?"

His act of voluntarily helping the nuns with their work in the morning was seen by other patients as "a lackey trying to curry favor with the guards"?

It seems he had overly high expectations for the mental state of prisoners in the confined environment of the Ship of Fools. This burly man was clearly looking for trouble, thinking, "Do you think you're superior to us?"

Edmund temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​a peaceful resolution: "What do you want?"

"I don't know," the burly man clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking, "but beating you up should teach me."

Before he could finish speaking, the burly man pounced on him.

There was almost no room to dodge in the narrow passage, and the two instantly engaged in close-quarters combat.

The burly man threw a straight punch at Edmund's face, and Edmund quickly raised his forearm to block it.

[Exempted due to a slight spiritual aura.]

A faint fluctuation emanated from the burly man's fist, but it was invisibly neutralized.

Edmund felt a chill: This guy actually carries a trace of extraordinary influence?

But before he could think it through, his left forearm, which was protecting his head, took two more heavy punches, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.

Damn it, I'm no match for them, I need to be ruthless!

Just as the burly man threw his fourth punch, Edmund seized the opportunity, suddenly lowered his body, and delivered a groin kick upwards—

"Ugh—"

The burly man, who had just been grinning menacingly, suddenly sprang to the ground like a shrimp, letting out a wail commonly heard during pig slaughter.

Edmund rubbed his swollen forearm, looking down at the burly man rolling on the ground.

"Damn it, now you know?"

"I know..." The burly man cried out in pain, tears streaming down his face. "You're a fucking lunatic... I just wanted to tell you the rules on the ship..."

"Aren't you crazy too?" Edmund sneered, squatting down as he said, "Don't be nervous, I won't tell the nun about your little trick, but you have to promise me one thing."

The burly man immediately became alert: "What are the conditions?"

"You need to bring someone over here for me; I have something to ask him."

"That's it?"

"This is it."

The burly man, panting heavily, struggled to sit up, staring at Edmund with a complex expression.

"Since you beat me... you bookworm, you actually resorted to that damn dirty trick... Fine, who are you looking for?"

"That guy making a racket last night, Maurice Gallon." Edmund gestured with his chin toward the cabin. "Damn it, he kept me up all night. I'll see if I can fix this."

The burly man was stunned for a moment, then his face, which had been contorted with pain, suddenly broke into a grin.

"That makes sense, bro, he really is noisy. I'll help him with this."

The simplest logic on the street is that the winner has the right to make demands, while the loser might get beaten up again if they don't agree.

Moreover, Edmund's request sounded very simple, and the threshold for him to agree was very low.

About ten minutes later, the burly man returned awkwardly, followed by the middle-aged lighthouse keeper who had preached fervently at night.

During the day, the man looked haggard with sunken eyes, but he seemed fairly lucid.

"He said you were looking for him." The burly man gestured towards Edmund, then stood against the wall, looking like he was just observing.

Edmund said to the lighthouse keeper, "Let's talk in private," then turned to the burly man and said, "You stand over there, and cough if the nun comes near."

"You really consider me your subordinate?" the burly man asked, displeased.

"Whatever," Edmund said expressionlessly. "I'll betray you the first time the nun comes along."

The burly man cursed, but his body betrayed him as he walked to the entrance of the passage and began keeping watch.

Edmund led the lighthouse keeper deep into the passage and got straight to the point.

"Listen carefully, sir. I'm very interested in what you were saying at night. It would be even better if you could be quieter."

His amiable demeanor seemed to relax the tense lighthouse keeper somewhat, at least he stopped fidgeting with the hem of his clothes.

"Why...why are you interested in this?"

Edmund coughed, sensing that the other person seemed to be a socially awkward person who preferred to be alone.

He then asked, "Before that, I'd like you to tell me what you hear when you fall asleep?"

The lighthouse keeper shuddered, opened his mouth as if to deny it, but ultimately slumped down like a deflated balloon.

"...The singing, it's so torturous...the singing."

Edmund gently guided him, "Take your time, sir. Tell me what kind of singing this is?"

But as the other person spoke, their emotions gradually became agitated.

"That was... I know what I was shouting! I remember it all when I'm conscious! But I can't control it. Every night I hear those songs, they get into my head..."

It's not all bad that patients seem to be in a bad mental state; under high pressure, their mental defenses are unusually low.

For them, venting might be a form of catharsis. One of the stereotypes about psychologists from their past lives seems to be "talk therapy."

Edmund then asked, "Did the nun know about this?"

"I dare not say," the lighthouse keeper said with a wry smile. "And I'm afraid that if I do, they'll increase my dosage or just get rid of me."

He looked up at Edmund, his eyes filled with a mixture of despair and a glimmer of hope: "Why are you asking these questions? They forbid patients from discussing their symptoms... Can you hear me?"

Edmund simply patted him on the shoulder: "You can try confiding in me; two heads are always better than one, right?"

The lighthouse keeper nodded blankly, then began to tell a rather unsophisticated story, albeit haltingly.

A dream about underwater cities, strange creatures, and a cold universe.

……

About ten minutes later, the dejected lighthouse keeper emerged from the passageway, followed by Edmund, whose expression remained unchanged.

Whether this adventure will help the lighthouse keeper is another matter, but Edmund has obtained the information he needs.

The burly man who had been keeping watch, seeing that the conversation was over, tilted his head and asked, "Is it over? What did you guys talk about?"

Edmund walked past him, casually tossing out, "Knowing too much won't do you any good."

The burly man spat and muttered "freak".