Chapter 6: Arthur Sanders

"So what now?" Alex was eager to move and seeing as how he already had two dependable allies, he wasn't willing to waste them.

Mr. Sanders chuckled. "Now we figure out what truly happened last night. I'd like to know which fool got so bold as to attack my son-in-law."

"..." Alex was left speechless.

"Uncle!" Nadia on the other hand was flustered by the sudden title bestowed on her man.

"Kuhahaha. What?... Did you think I'd allow you to go on more escapades before you settle down?... You aren't getting any younger so as a good uncle, it's my job to search for possible suitors."

"That won't be necessary." Nadia rolled her eyes, already used to Mr. Sander's shamelessness.

She called him uncle but they weren't related by blood.

If anything, they were related by friendship.

Her father was a close friend of Mr. Sanders during his time in the Empire before he returned to Emet (Eastern continent).

After she was forced to leave home to find a place to call her own, it was natural that she would come to a location where a family friend resided.

Mr. Sanders chuckled. "Oh come on, I mean, look at Alex. He is a successful journalist with a best-selling piece at the moment. What's more, he is quite handsome."

"Ahem." Alex had to step in at this point.

The conversation was going off tangent!

"Maybe let's talk about that another time."

"Indeed." Mr. Sanders nodded before revealing a devious smile.

Alex resisted the urge to facepalm while Nadia directly got up and left, leaving the two men to discuss.

"Are those Enforcers going to stop their investigation?" Though it seemed like Alex wanted them to continue, he wasn't too keen on having an entire agency watching him.

Judging by how Ambrose sounded, the topic regarding evil gods was a very sensitive one.

It wouldn't be surprising if it was given the utmost priority, though Alex was unaware of what an evil god was.

Mr. Sanders pursed his lips. "... Well, since it involves an evil god, I expect them to come around a few more times but that's about it."

"And the case concerning the attack on Douglas and Emily?"

"The evil god case is more important, considering there is already another case to deal with before it came up." Mr. Sanders replied. "Don't expect them to give your siblings much attention."

Subconsciously, Alex clenched his fist causing him to be inwardly surprised.

This wasn't something he wanted to do but it happened, causing him to realize that the identity he assimilated still had lingering regrets.

"I want to help."

"Hmm." Mr. Sanders put up a brow.

"I am the reason all this happened."

"And you are so sure, how?"

"It has to do with the Butcher case, doesn't it?" Alex asked, his eyes blazing.

Mr. Sanders met his gaze before sighing. "That is a possibility."

"... I solved the case. So coming after me to exert revenge isn't out of expectations."

"But they wouldn't be so stupid to act so openly. There must be something missing."

"And I'll find it."

"... Are you sure about that?" Mr. Sanders couldn't help but raise a brow at Alex's boldness. "You will undoubtedly die. I am not about to turn Nadia into a widow before you both even get the chance to tie the knot."

"... But I have a chance if I break the boundary." Alex decided to be even more bolder. "I know about the supernatural."

Silence reigned as both men had a stare-down.

Almost a minute went by before Alex blinked after which Mr. Sanders slapped his thigh.

"Hah, you blinked."

Alex's eyebrow twitched. 'What are you?... Five years old?'

He couldn't understand the thought process of the old coot which switched from incomparably wise one moment to being that of a child the next.

"I guess you won," Alex remarked with a forced smile.

Mr. Sanders chuckled. "The supernatural isn't something you can just enter because you want to. Isn't it better to remain ignorant?... Why must you talk about powers beyond your understanding?"

"Because I nearly lost my life yesterday without knowing why," Alex replied. "I ignored it yet, it came looking for me. Do you prefer your son-in-law to remain a man that can't even protect himself?... How would I protect Nadia then?"

Mr. Sanders fell into deep thought. "...You are right. You are too weak to be my son-in-law."

Alex's eyebrows twitched but he remained silent.

Only he knew how important entering the supernatural was to his mission.

Though it was fast, Alex had no choice but to accept that away from his ordinary life on Earth, there existed a planet called Eventide where the natural and supernatural lived in harmony… or at least, it seemed that way.

Nyx left without saying a word but that wasn't necessary since he remembered its words before he transmigrated into Eventide.

Contemplating what it meant by breaking the boundary, Alex realized what it was and quickly got an answer.

He needed to not only acclimate to Eventide but also had to find a way to access the supernatural powers in it.

Only then would he be able to officially start his mission.

Until then, he could only take things slow and steady.

Just then, Mr. Sanders finally spoke up. "The supernatural isn't something you'd enter in a day. Give yourself some time to recover. You just survived an attempt on your life. You shouldn't be too serious. Look now, you just lost a good staring contest."

"How can I relax when I know Douglas is out there, somewhere?... probably waiting for me to come and save him?" Alex tried to act stubborn but a casual glance from Mr. Sanders caused him to freeze in his tracks.

Of course not at the level of Nyx by a long shot, but Alex was still a normal person and the strange pressure Mr. Sanders emanated wasn't something he could bear.

Not intending to harm the youth, Mr. Sanders retracted the invisible pressure before reverting to his playful antics. "No need to be so serious. Don't worry about Douglas, I'm sure he is fine wherever he is, and judging the type of man he is… he wouldn't want you to blindly rush into something like the supernatural."