From the Ship of Fools to Earl of Wugang

"Since Ryan Hall is the original name of this body, let's continue using it."

The count took out a blank sheet of paper and wrote Ryan's full name on it.

"The Schenkel family once had many branches scattered in various countries. After the family declined, many people lost contact with them, and there are large gaps in the family genealogy from decades ago."

He glanced at Edmund: "It's not hard to explain why a descendant from the distant Veridia Federation would come to seek refuge after the family restarted the investigation of Old Port."

Edmund looked at the names on the paper and quickly understood his plan.

"Are you going to let me act as a distant relative of the Schenkel family?"

"To be precise, he is a descendant of the family whom I acknowledge," the Earl corrected. "You can continue to use the name Lane Hall; it's more convenient that way."

"Red Anchor Company will verify family relationships."

"Ha, the Red Anchor Company can't just get information about nobles in Prishini; the Schenkel family still has rights in this regard."

The count tapped the paper lightly with his pen: "As long as I acknowledge your identity and am willing to take legal responsibility, it will be difficult for Red Anchor to bypass this process."

Edmund had to admit that this plan was far more reliable than continuing to use Adrian Cole.

Even if someone suspects there is something wrong with it, it is difficult to find evidence to refute it in a short period of time.

"What price will be paid?" Edmund asked.

The Earl pushed the letter in front of him: "As a descendant recognized by the Schenkel family, you must also consider the responsibilities that come with this surname. At least until the Old Port project is completed, your interests and those of Wangchao Castle must be aligned."

Even without family connections, Edmund couldn't easily extricate himself from the Old Port investigation once it began; this only served to bind the two of them even more tightly.

"I can accept that," he said with a smile. "Hopefully, there won't be any rumors circulating that I'm eyeing the Schenkel family's inheritance."

"Well then, that's settled." The count chuckled lightly, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice. "This family doesn't have much wealth left; it's not worth you orchestrating a whole inheritance scam."

The conversation that followed lasted for nearly two hours.

The two reviewed Lane Hall’s publicly available experiences, his itinerary before arriving in Prishini, and the statements he should make when questioned in the future.

The count would have his butler sift through the old archives to find a collateral branch that had moved to Veridi in the early years, and then add a few ambiguous family letters.

Provided the Schenker family and Edmund remain undetected, this explanation should be enough to make Red Anchor realize that the cost of continuing the investigation outweighs the potential benefits.

When Edmund left the Castle of Tide, the sun was already high in the sky. He walked quite a distance before he realized that the back of his shirt was damp with cold sweat.

Revealing his true identity would undoubtedly be a risk. If the Count had decided to accept the Red Anchor Company's terms, he would probably already be considering how to leave Priscilla.

Fortunately, the established relationship between the two parties was strong enough, and the guarantee left by Robert Young also came into play. The result was even better than he had expected.

He walked briskly back to the relief center, turned on the computer, entered the password, and started the modem.

After a short dial tone and a series of static sounds, the familiar text "Alchemist's Cauldron" appeared on the screen.

He has received a reply to his previously posted paid question, with the other party claiming to have tidal records of Twilight Harbor spanning more than 20 years.

Importantly, some of these records also include contemporary observations of spiritual tides, which is exactly what Edmund needs most right now.

However, the other party's condition for the exchange was a complete set of first-tier advancement knowledge. He was about to examine the verification sample provided when a familiar pulling sensation suddenly came from between his brows.

The green characters on the computer screen quickly disappeared into the distance, and the walls, desktop, and morning light outside the window in the office simultaneously lost their clear boundaries.

Crimson fog surged in from all directions, instantly engulfing everything.

Once his feet touched the ground again, Edmund was already standing in the familiar waiting room.

The surroundings were still shrouded in a thick crimson fog, and everyone could only see the blurry outlines of the other actors, unable to discern their faces and costumes.

[Your soul has been captured and projected into "Bacchus's epic drama." Current scene: Stage, waiting room...]

Edmund looked around; there were five people present this time.

The first to speak was a familiar male voice: "Everyone, it would be best if you introduced yourselves first. You can call me Xingjian."

Edmund recognized the voice, deeper than he remembered, while the shadow on the other side casually shifted its shoulder. "Torrent."

It was still that slightly nonchalant female voice. She didn't seem surprised to be pulled back onto the stage, and quieted down after announcing her code name.

Just as Edmund was about to respond, a third voice came from his left front.

"Hello everyone, I am 'Crystal'."

She was a young woman, and her tone was crisp and clear; she was clearly a new teammate.

Edmund waited a moment, then his self-introduction and the last voice collided.

"I am 'The Ideal State'." "Call me 'The Pipe'."

After the tired male voice finished its introduction from a distance, it seemed to cough as if it had choked. Edmund felt that the voices of his two new teammates were somewhat familiar.

After a moment of silence, everyone introduced themselves in the previous order.

Needless to say, his old teammates were introduced. "Crystal" introduced himself as being good at mathematics, mechanics and geography, while "Pipe" simply stated that he was a first-level "Inspector".

After the introduction, an androgynous voice came from deep within the waiting area.

"This production will provide the identities and memories necessary to keep the stage running, but the actors will retain their real appearances, real voices, and real abilities."

The group exchanged glances, and a bad feeling welled up in Edmund's heart.

This time, it was 'Torrent' who spoke: "Get ready to enter the script."

Edmund noticed that this time it was 'Crystal' who was a step behind, but no one else reacted.

The next instant, the dark red space exploded into countless fragments. After the familiar feeling of falling, Edmund opened his eyes again and found himself sitting in an armchair with dark red stripes.

This is a slightly cluttered living room, where the coals in the fireplace are burning brightly, dispelling the chill of the gloomy drizzle outside the window.

Edmund's gaze swept over the crooked watermarks on the glass, and then a flood of information rushed into his mind:

He identifies himself as a detective, lives in an apartment at 173 Bank Street, London, where his landlady, Mrs. Hudson, lives on the ground floor; the nearest police station is a twelve-minute walk south; and in the past six months, he has handled fraud cases, kidnappings, and two murders...

The memories are crystal clear and can be retrieved without any hindrance, yet they lack the emotions that come with those memories. It seems that Dionysus has simply provided a sufficiently detailed instruction manual.

Oh, he also has a roommate who is a doctor. What does he look like again?

Just as Edmund was thinking about "his" roommate, a door next to his room opened, and a blond young man walked out.

He could guarantee that he had seen that face many times in the newspapers—it was the face of His Highness the Prince of Plichni.

After a brief moment of silence, the young man gave Edmund a polite smile.

"I think you should be 'The Ideal State'?"

Edmund sighed. "Hello, 'Star Sword,' or rather, Your Highness. I am indeed 'The Ideal State.'"