"What do you seek here, traveler?"

At last, Arthur arrived in a place completely clear of fog but still strange to the eyes. There was a short fence made of scrolls surrounding a breath-taking garden made of nothing but books and papers. At the gates leading inside, there stood two animals, both made of white paper, though one was missing its eyes and the other without ears and mouth.

The one who just talked to the parasite was one of the two, a cat without eyes raised its small head and stood up.

"I came seeking answers."

Just as he replied, the cat spoke again.

"The world holds answers for all the unknown."

"What I need can only be provided by the Garden of Words."

The cat didn't talk again, it sat back up and dropped its head, no longer minding the naked man standing before it. The animal next to it, a dog with scroll-like limbs and no tail, blinked its eyes as it sized-up the parasite for an inordinate amount of time. Then, a disembodied voice reverberated inside Arthur's head.

"The Garden welcomes the Seeker and not the Needer, the Garden welcomes the Honest and not the liar, the Garden Welcomes neither the living nor the dead."

The dog briefly paused then continued with a lower voice. "Arthur Bilgart, you do meet two of the qualification but your situation and special Race render your unwelcome. Go back."

Hearing this, the man frowned and retorted,

"I cannot just go back. I need immediate answers."

"And how are you going to get them? You must be aware that your extraordinary strength isn't applicable here. It's a matter of judgment and not power."

"Then, how am I supposed to enter?"

"Die." Replied the cat as it yawned and laid its head on its front paws.

"Only after death will the soul be liberated and qualified to get entry."

"I cannot die yet."

"Then you will not enter."

Right after it finished saying its piece, the dog imitated the cat and proceeded to ignore Arthur, who rambled a bit more before quietening down. Although he felt irritated, he didn't dare do anything rush nor force his way, he just stood there like a statue. He remained motionless like the two animals, thinking of a way.

"I have the Wish Star, can't it help me get in?"

When he said that, both the cat and the dog raised their heads.

"We know about the Wish Star but unless you wish for your death, it's practically useless in your hands. Using it isn't as simple as making a wish, don't be fooled by the name."

Just as the dog finished talking, another voice, a bit further away, was heard by Arthur. It was familiar and very soothing, in fact, it immediately reminded him of a woman he met once in the past.

It was back when he was transported to the past with Leiu and Wolfram, right at the end of their journey.

"Quhea?"

Quhea, the Creator of Knowledge and one of the Twelve, she was one of the most mysterious one amongst them and she wasn't as powerful but her knowledge is forever expanding and she's second only to the Garden of Words. There's almost nothing she can't answer and though her end remains a mystery, many speculate that she perished during the war against Medtris and the rest.

Arthur was surprised to hear Quhea, who revealed herself right after speaking. Unlike last time, she now looked like a normal human mixed with other races. She had ears slightly shorter than elves, ruby-like pupils, and a white tinge that had a tad of green in it. The woman wore a simple long white robe and her golden hair was tied into a bun.

"Is that really you?"

Flabbergasted, Arthur squinted his eyes, and only when she got a bit closer could he confirm her identity.

"It is nice to meet you again, Arthur MoonStar."

"Yeah, likewise… but why are you here?"

Quhea chuckled and replied, "The purpose of my existence is to amass knowledge so what places are better than here?"

"Her excellency is a special guest."- Explained respectfully bowing its head to Quhea.

"He is someone I know, can't you let him enter for a short time?"

Although they treated her with respect, that didn't mean she can do whatever she wanted in here, which is why even a person like herself was pleading to two animals literally made of paper.

*****

Right when Arthur met Quhea, a day has passed in the outside world and when Fariya thought that everything calmed down, the situation got even more shocking.

The old patriarch of the clan living in the forest flew to the silver Spirit Boat and politely called its owner, wanting to know what happened yesterday, however, right after he appeared, the sky split again and a small white star fell from above, directly landing in front of Edward, who was equally startled.

To Fariya's surprise, it was the Frog of Destiny again. It stared at the man with its hundred eyes before letting out an inaudible croak. The mortal attempted to retreat but in a split second, both he and the frog vanished into nothingness. It all happened in a couple of breaths, rendering the succubus unable to do anything but gawk.

…

When Edward came back to his senses, he was at the top of a sky-piercing tower. His attention was attracted by a domineering roar of a gigantic bone dragon which was glaring back at him. He stiffly moved his neck below, focusing on a young woman wearing a long blue robe.

"Who are you?!"

Three ice cycles were above Sonia, all pointing at the puzzled Edward, who couldn't comprehend anything. Feeling her hostility, the man raised his hands in surrender and hurriedly said,

"Wait wait! Don't be so quick to attack! Let me explain!"

He glanced around but the Frog was nowhere to be seen. In addition to Sonia, there was a hideous monster next to her, it was taller than her by two heads and was holding a jet black sword. Gutcha looked at the mortal man with confusion but didn't attack and waited for Sonia.

Although Edward didn't recognize the two, he saw Arthur's Dark Magic more than once.

"Do you perhaps know… Arthur?"

On the mention of the parasite, the two twitched and furrowed their brows, though in Gutcha's case, it looked like an ugly grimace.

"He sent me here, actually."

Seeing that they seemed more relaxed, Edward dropped his hands and smirked.

"I don't know why I was sent here but he did say that my help is needed. By the way, where are we?"

He looked around and saw the bustling and glorious city along with the desolate plains stretching into the horizon.

"Green-Leaf." Perfunctorily replied Sonia, still feeling a bit cautious of the man.

"Green-Leaf? Hmm Leaf? That does ring a bell. Hahahahaha"