When the plot-skips players into the game world

"Your biological father was named Giulio Alexander. He wasn't a nobleman, but the child of a small-town poet. He too graduated from the Theological Seminary you currently attend,"

The first words from Bishop Mathers caught Aiwass completely off guard, "And your mom, Annie Alexander, was a noblewoman of the Iris Flower. She was the one who abandoned her family name to elope to Avalon."

...The amount of information in those words was enormous.

Aiwass was immediately choked up.

"—Annie was my close friend and also my roommate. We came to Avalon together back in the day, and we were classmates at the Iris Flower,"

Just then, a soft and mysterious female voice rose from behind Aiwass.

Aiwass turned at the sound and saw a person he had never met but felt incredibly familiar with—

She had thick black wavy hair that reached to the small of her back, skin fair, and a full bosom, with deep and sculptured facial features. She looked a bit like an elf and carried the vibe of the Ancient Parthian Country. But what was most impressive were her jade-like pupils that seemed to shimmer with the brilliance of a starry sky.

She wore a black gauze dress, walking barefoot on the soft carpets at home. Green jade bracelets hung from her wrists and ankles.

This was none other than Mrs. Mina, the manager of the game's marketplace—responsible for dealing the cards, opening limited pools, and selling various packs and discount promotions.

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When standing together with a younger version of Mathers, the pairing was just remarkable—though one was forty-six and the other thirty-five, visually they both looked in their twenties. Time seemed to have left no trace on them.

Aiwass couldn't recall her ever appearing in the story, but he could guarantee that all players had a deep impression of her.

When No-Face God Studio stayed too long without launching any promotional events, players would constantly tag the official release and rant with posts like "When is Madam coming?", "Madam, I miss you so much", "Madam, you wouldn't want me to spend my money on other games, would you?"

Now, her first words upon meeting Aiwass immediately caught his attention.

"You are... Mrs. Mina?" Aiwass asked.

Bishop Mathers looked surprised, "How do you know her name is Mina?"

"I guess Maya told me," Aiwass answered.

Mina said with a smile, "She even came to my Fortune Telling Shop last year, earnestly persuading me to stop deceiving people."

"That one just likes to meddle," Mathers grumbled discontentedly, "You should just ignore her."

Mrs. Mina looked at Aiwass, somewhat lost in thought, murmuring softly, "You really... look so much like both Giulio and Annie. No wonder Mathers gave you the keys to the small chapel the first time he saw you."

"Was my father also your classmate?" Aiwass inquired curiously.

"Giulio was considered our senior, two grades above us," Mina explained.

Mina looked at Aiwass and chuckled, "Giulio was quite popular with the girls back then. His father was a poet, so he had a special artistic temperament, but he didn't have the frivolous character of Iris men. A calm yet gentle, serious yet romantic guy, who mastered Illumination Art even before graduating—I don't know if it's still the same now, but back then, girls with menstrual cramps would seek treatment from upper-classmen at the Theological Seminary. A lot of people had their eyes on Giulio."

"Though he wasn't good at sports, he was an accomplished tenor singer."

"Giulio and Annie met in a student drama troupe, where he was a leading actor at the time, and Annie was an up-and-coming star with acting talent. Your mom was optimistic and cheerful during her student years, kind-hearted and generous. Despite being a foreign exchange student, she had many friends. Coupled with her major, she was voted the female lead by an overwhelming majority on her first joining of the troupe."

"I remember their first opera performance was 'Lulu's Magic Flute'—a challenging piece. But their performance went smoothly, even the royal family came to watch. Your parents played the roles of Prince Tamino and daughter Pamina of the Queen of the Night... And it was after that performance they began dating in secret," Mrs. Mina continued.

Glancing at Mathers, she added, "But after that, I married Mathers and moved out of the dorm into his home. I'm not too clear on what happened afterwards."

"I only knew that Annie was pregnant before she graduated. In order to have you, she took a very long leave and thus was held back a year due to insufficient credits. At the time, your mother used to attend classes with you in tow... I've even held you when you were a baby," Mina's voice was gentle but tinged with sadness, "Back then, Annie had already changed her surname. She must have had a falling out with her family and married Giulio against their wishes."

Seeing Aiwass, she was immediately reminded of her friend who had died more than a decade ago.

The memories of college that could never be revisited appeared before her eyes along with the people she could never see again.

Years had gone by, and Mina thought she had forgotten. But upon seeing Aiwass, the memories that had faded to gray snapped back into vivid clarity, and all the recollections regained their sounds and colors.

A silence briefly fell among the four of them.

Mathers led Aiwass into the living room and sat down. A spot around the table was already cleared to accommodate a wheelchair, and Mina had prepared hot red tea for both Aiwass and Lily.