"Where are the Misfortune Sisters located?" I asked Fiona.

I pushed away the empty plate. I had been hungrier than expected.

"They're usually set up on Ebony Alley. But they appear there at random. Are you planning on going to see them?" Fiona had a concerned look on her face.

I nodded.

"I won't stop you, but please don't listen to a word they say. The Misfortune Sisters are dangerous," she said.

"I'll be careful," I replied.

I stood up from the kitchen table, my chair scraping the stone floor. The rest of the kitchen staff and guards turned their attention to me. Their own whispering ended.

I needed to get to the bottom of this. If Kaiden was manipulated by these Misfortune Sisters, there was a high chance they would interfere in my life again.

The odd part was that although the name 'Misfortune Sisters' rang a bell, I didn't hear much about them in my original life.

Why?

***

Nirre paced beside me, along with half a dozen guards.

None of them had overheard my conversation with Fiona, and I didn't bother filling them in.

"Young master, just where are you going?" Norte asked. "Do you know how hard it was to convince your parents to allow you to leave the manor? And why did you decide to go on foot given your constitution?"

I pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my face. I hadn't walked that far, and yet I had already broken out into a sweat.

Weak. This body is so weak.

It was frustrating to be so weak when it felt not that long ago, at least for me, that I had been able to stand my ground against hundreds of Kobar knights for hours.

"The carriage would have taken too long to get set up. And it's not far," I replied.

I had already wasted a lot of time waiting. I would have sneaked off on my own if it had been up to me. However, that was an impossibility given my attempt on my own life.

I turned the corner onto Ebony Alley.

Nirre grabbed my arm.

"Young master, why are you heading in this direction? Let's go around."

The western part of Genice, the capital city of Adovoria, was clean and spotless. There were beautiful shops, cafes, and restaurants; plenty of places to distract the mind of a young and mourning teenager. That was no doubt why Nirre had made her case for having me leave the manor.

However, this one street, Ebony Alley, was a cigar burn on an otherwise cheery part of the city. It was narrow, dark and the vendors looked like they might swindle or rob you at knife point.

"No. I need to go down this alley." I brushed her hand off of me.

Nirre's usually tan face looked ashen. The other ordinarily expressionless guards looked wide-eyed as well.

I knew what was probably going through everyone's minds after having talked with Fiona.

"I know what you're all worried about," I said. "Just don't tell Mother, and you'll all be fine, right?"

I turned on my heel and hurried down the dark alleyway.

Hastily set up tents selling wares were all around, and the smell of strange herbs filled the air. I glanced at the wares these merchants were selling. I doubted the legality and, in many cases, the authenticity of what they proclaimed to sell.

Most people walking Ebony Alley were just as suspicious as the merchants, their heads lowered and beady eyes scouring their surroundings.

Except that man.

My eyes fell on a tall man with exceptional posture. He was clearly out of place and out of town. His attire was of someone from the Daylan Dynasty from the southern part of the continent. Given the quality of his purple suit and top hat, he looked like a servant to someone of importance.

He stood in front of one of the tents selling dubious wares.

"I heard a rumor that you have a phoenix egg in your possession?" He asked.

"Indeed." A long sly grin enveloped the merchant's face.

I sighed.

Yet another tourist falling for the never-ending scams of Genise.

Phoenix eggs were one of those legends like phoenix eye gemstones were. While the latter existed as a rare gemstone that could be mined and was highly valued for its beauty, phoenix eggs were about as real as phoenixes.

That didn't stop legends from forming and scammers selling off plain rocks that they insisted were phoenix eggs that, if eaten, could cure any illness.

Desperate people fell for such scams. And this poor Daylan tourist looked desperate. His expression gave it all away.

"How much?" He asked.

"30,000 gold Deux coins. Or 30 one carat phoenix eyes." The merchant replied.

I stopped in my tracks.

Scammers usually kept their scam at 200 gold Deux coins, but this swine asked for the equivalent needed to buy a castle. It was an unimaginable fortune.

I wasn't one to get involved in the business of locals, but this was taking it a little far, even if it was good for our economy.

"Excuse me." I stepped in and scoffed, seeing the ordinary-looking chicken egg sitting atop a velvet cushion enclosed in a crystal box.

At least this scammer was original. Instead of selling a rock, he was at least selling an actual egg. He even went out of his way to make it appear more visually enticing.

"Oh, do we have a second bidder? Young man, the current price is 30,000 gold Deux for this rare phoenix egg if you'd like to bid more."

The scammer rubbed his hands together like a fly.

"No. I am not," I said.

I turned to the Daylan gentleman.

"You must be new around here. This man here is scamming you. That's just a regular chicken egg." I pointed to the crystal-enclosed egg.

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" The scamming merchant's eyes bulged, and he threw a string of insults at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"Sir, I assure you this here is the real thing." The merchant pleaded with the Daylan gentleman.

I scoffed. It was a pathetic performance.

However, to my surprise, the Daylan gentleman pulled out a pouch and set down 30 phoenix eye gemstones.

"I believe you," he said.

I balked at this man.

"But he's scamming you!" I cried out.

The scammer wasted no time grabbing the phoenix eye gemstones with his stubby fingers and pocketing them.

"Pleasure doing business with you…." He mumbled through a wide smile.

He pushed the crystal-enclosed egg towards the man and quickly disappeared into his tent.

I had no doubt that he had run off before his scam could be found out, or one of the other sketchy vendors watching the scam play out would come after his newfound fortune.

"See? He just took your money and ran off!" I waved at the now empty table.

The Daylan gentleman smiled gently at me and took the package into his hands.

"Thank you for your concern," he said. "But I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of time to worry about whether something is a scam or not. And if it's any relief, this egg looks different from all the others I was scammed with. So I think it might actually be real."

The others? Just how many scams did this guy fall for?

I looked at the chicken egg again. To be fair, it did look a little grayer than the chicken eggs I was used to. But otherwise, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Tsk.

"It's your money. Do what you will," I said.

The Daylan gentleman tipped his purple top hat and walked away. Even his walk was full of importance.

Who did this idiot serve?

I sighed.

Who cares? I had my own issues to deal with.

I walked the full extent of Ebony Alley and saw several more scams and sketchy deals go down, albeit smaller in scale than the phoenix egg scam. However, I didn't see a tent for these infamous Misfortune Sisters.

"Excuse me, where can I find the Misfortune Sisters?" I asked for the help of a sketchy-looking jewelry seller.

He snickered. His two golden teeth glinted in the light.

"Yer outta luck, my lad. They've packed up and left," he replied.

"When will they be back, do you know?" I asked.

The man waved his hand.

"Sorry lad, they packed up shop early this morning after only giving two readings and left. They're gone. Left the country. Teleported the heck out. Dunno what spooked them after living here for the last two decades."

"What time??" I asked.

If it was before I woke up in my subsequent regression, I could go confront them before they left.

"Musta been around sunrise."

"Damn it."

I could restart my life. But I couldn't access a time earlier than when I woke up. The past couple of lives started at the exact same moment, with the knock-on my bedroom door awakening me, so it was likely that the same would be for my next regression.

I had hit a dead end.

I turned and walked away. My procession of guards followed.

"We're going home," I announced.

"Very well, young master," Nirre replied.

They had all kept mum this whole time and kept a decent enough distance. I appreciated that. Not that I ever forgot about them, given the look every merchant gave me seeing the procession of Frey guards behind me. Or how passersbys lowered their hoods.

My eyes wandered over the trinkets and pieces of rubbish the stalls were selling.

No. I did not hit a dead end. I could go see her about the Misfortune Sisters' whereabouts. She'll be able to figure out where they are.

In my original life, Grandov introduced me to a very peculiar information broker: Freida Stran. She was able to find out anything you could ever wish to know, but it was not cheap. Luckily, I was not short of funds at this point in my life.

I gazed at the sunny blue sky without a single cloud.

Damn it. Today won't work.

Freida closed shop on sunny days for whatever reason. Perhaps she liked to go on a picnic? Or go horseback riding?

I scrunched up my nose. Neither activity seemed to fit Freida. She was a bizarre woman, and I suspected she was up to equally bizarre activities on her days off.

In any case, I'll have to go see her another day.

***

I scribbled absentmindedly over my parchment paper. We had returned to the manor, and I was in my sorry excuse for a study, trying to devise a plan.

I had learned the 'why' of Micah's death in this life.

And once I speak to Freida, I'll be able to locate where the Misfortune Sisters teleported off.

But it didn't help one bit in solving the actual problem.

How am I supposed to save him?

Telling the guards or giving any kind of warning was not an option. My reputation and trustworthiness were at rock bottom after years of pulling pranks. I had learned that the hard way already.

I rubbed my temples.

It wouldn't even do any good to tell Micah, the victim himself. Mere minutes before being stabbed, he had told Kaiden that he trusted him entirely. As if he'd believe me.

"Young master, perhaps it's time for a break? You've been drawing circles over and over again." Nirre's voice brought me back.

I looked down at the mess I had made of my parchment paper.

So much for laying out a strategy.

"I think it's time for you to refresh your mind. It's chilly out now, but perhaps a stroll in the greenhouse?" She suggested.

I stood up.

"Good idea," I said.

I needed a change in scenery. My brain was completely dead, and it was only late afternoon.

I had rarely gone into the greenhouse in my original life. Something had occurred with the plants Jarvis was growing, and it was made off-limits to anyone else besides him. My younger brother was always quite sensitive about his plants. However, at this point, it was open to everyone in the manor.

I leaned down and inspected the purple and golden speckled flowers he had grown. They gave off an aroma of honey and lavender. I didn't know what they were called, but they were beautiful.

My younger brother had a green thumb. He was a genius really. Jarvis had even gained a few awards and merits for his plants. One of his noteworthy achievements was finding how to breed plants that could withstand Adovoria's harsh environment.

I sighed and sat down on a patch of grass.

I gazed around the lush and enormous green space. Sunlight floated in through the glass ceiling of the greenhouse and illuminated this peaceful haven.

Jarvis could have gone far with his unique talent. He could have prevented a few of the famines that rocked the continent had he remained alive.

If only the Frey household hadn't come to ruin. If only I had saved him. If only I had been able to save everyone, or anyone, really.

But I suppose this new life of mine is the ticket to ensuring his future and potential are fulfilled.

I spotted a bush with a few bright red, plump strawberries.

Oh?

I leaned in and inspected the berry plant.

Incredible. Jarvis even managed to breed a variety of strawberries that can withstand Adovoria'a unique soil? Or did he import the soil?

Regardless, I was impressed. I had eaten fresh strawberries only a handful of times in my life.

Strawberries were considered one of the greatest and rarest delicacies in Adovoria. But, unfortunately, ever since half a century ago, they were near impossible to grow in much of the continent, not just Adovoria. Some people believed the land had been cursed, and that's why none were able to grow.

Strawberries grew just fine in certain remote parts of the continent, however. Thus the Frey Merchant Guild made a decent profit by importing them from other countries, albeit in their dried form. Unfortunately, the journey was too long for fresh fruit to survive.

I picked a handful of the red berries and tossed them in my mouth.

A juicy and sweet taste enveloped my mouth.

It felt like a fireworks show had gone off on my tongue.

Hopefully, Jarvis won't mind that I ate a few while I think of a way to save Micah.

[ Warning. You have been poisoned. ]

Huh?

A blue screen appeared.

[ Your health is dropping at 70 points per second. 230/300 HP remaining. ]

"Damn it!"

Is this an allergic reaction?

I jumped up and gazed around the greenhouse.

I needed water to wash my mouth out.

My tongue continued to tingle, and I could feel it swelling up rapidly.

[ 160/300 HP remaining. ]

No, first, I need to throw up.

I stuck my index and middle finger into my mouth.

BLEHH!

I threw up the sweet red berries.

My eyes were watering, and my heart was pounding.

[ Your health is dropping at 20 points per second. 140/300 HP remaining. ]

I had bought myself some time but was still closing in on my subsequent regression.

I ran towards the greenhouse entrance.

"Nirre! I need water!"

Or rather, that's what I intended to say. Unfortunately, with my swollen tongue, it came out garbled up.

"Niyye! I nee wa-ye!"

"Young master Luca! What happened?!?" Nirre exclaimed.

"Wa-ye!"

My head was spinning. Running in my condition didn't help.

"Oh, water! Yes! Yes!"

She handed me her pouch of water.

I took it, gargled my mouth, and spat out any remaining bits of strawberry. I did this quickly several times.

The blue screen continued to showcase the countdown.

[ Your health is dropping at 5 points per second. 45/300 HP remaining. ]

Damn it.

I collapsed to the floor. My head was spinning. My throat was closing up, and I struggled to breathe.

"Niyye. Hey poyen?"

My words weren't coming out right.

"Healing potion? Yes!"

Luckily she understood.

I gazed up wearily as she searched her pockets.

[ 20/300 HP remaining. ]

She pulled out a small bottle and brought it to my lips. The cool blue liquid entered my mouth.

Another blue screen appeared.

[ Poison unable to be nullified. Quality of the health potion is not high enough. ]

"Ha…"

Of course not.

The countdown concluded.

[ You have died. ]

[ Reset in progress. ]

[ Beginning Round 5. ]