CHAPTER 677: CHAPTER 672: 3/2 OF BERENWICH

"Sir, as far as I’m aware, human emotions can always be vented through methods like violence. If you truly feel uncomfortable, you could also release these troubling feelings by inflicting violence upon me."

The carriage was moving along.

Costate suddenly made such a statement.

Ronald’s previously somber mood was immediately shattered by the maid’s suggestion.

"I... let’s not."

"Although your means of retaliation may have been somewhat excessive, at the root of it all, it was their greed that led to the outcome. On such matters, I’d rather not express my opinion."

Hearing Ronald’s response, Costate nodded slightly.

Turning back to continue driving the carriage, the maid swiftly steered their conversation in another direction:

"Sir, would you like to visit Berunwich?"

"In your memory, it should be a rather important place."

"If possible, let’s take a trip there." Ronald immediately agreed to Costate’s suggestion. While feeling the changes in his own body’s condition, he then proposed another idea, "In a little while, I should be able to cast spells normally without any burden. Traveling through Berunwich to return to the Joyz area, flying should be much quicker than by carriage."

The maid immediately realized Ronald’s intentions and an apologetic voice promptly rang out from ahead:

"Sir, I’m truly sorry to have you take responsibility for the journey."

"But among the spells I master, indeed, there are none for flying methods."

"..."

They continued to discuss the details of their subsequent actions bit by bit.

The carriage carrying the two toward Ronald was on a rural trail, steadily moving forward.

Their current location was, in fact, not too far from Berunwich. After spending most of the afternoon, as they left the forest, they saw the city walls of Berunwich standing on the land.

"..."

"My God..."

Staring at the city where he had once lived for quite some time.

Ronald couldn’t help but feel emotional, his face filled with astonishment.

He took out the map Catherine had given to him, and began to measure up the city before him.

— The changes here.

— Were simply too great!

Unlike Springs, which was barely affected by the world’s changes, Berunwich happened to be right at the key node of the world’s shifting.

Observing from Ronald’s position, a gigantic fissure cut straight through a third of the city, like a chasm, erasing large areas of the cityscape from view.

Using the information provided on the map, Ronald conveniently found the whereabouts of this third of the city—it was at the edge of this spiral world, bordering the polar glacial region.

At the same time, Costate also promptly controlled the carriage to stop.

Confronted with the dramatically altered Berunwich, she turned her head towards Ronald, and then saw the map in his hands.

With just a glance, Costate quickly made a judgment:

"Sir, we might need to adjust our route."

"Based on the changes in the geographical conditions, the quickest return route to Joyz should head fourteen kilometers north after passing through Berunwich, then change direction to fly toward the mansion."

Making decisions this quickly?

Hearing Costate’s suggestion, Ronald immediately started identifying the route on the map.

The result was that Costate was correct; indeed, this was the best way forward after the changes to the map.

Ronald then nodded in agreement:

"If that’s the case, let’s enter the city first."

"Sir, I understand."

"..."

In the evening,

Ronald and his companion’s carriage entered Berlingwich.

Only an afternoon had passed since the world underwent its strange changes.

At this moment, Berlingwich was still clearly mired in chaos and panic.

It goes without saying how ordinary people would be flustered by such peculiar circumstances; even now, the casters entrenched in mysticism had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation.

Fortunately, the situation was beginning to be brought under control.

Within just over ten minutes of Ronald’s arrival in the city, some of the changing details became evident.

First was the higher echelons of Berlingwich.

Thanks to the special communication capabilities on the mystical side, they had reported to Springs and learned that similar changes were occurring across the entirety of Grid and even within the known reaches of civilization. Upon realizing this, the governing officials of Springs immediately instituted corresponding measures.

Investigators, who usually operated in the shadows, were now out in the open. The regular police patrols on the city streets, if you picked out any at random, would now likely include an investigator in a coat among their ranks.

To put it bluntly—

The city of Berlingwich and, indeed, the entire expanse of Grid, were now under a very strict martial law.

All in an effort to preserve the normal functioning of society.

The higher-ups didn’t have much in the way of alternatives to choose from anymore.

And returning to this familiar city, Ronald couldn’t help but grow sentimental.

Nicole, Swift, even Miss Mapple...

Friends he had made while working in Berlingwich sprang one by one to his mind.

So, as Costate was driving the carriage,

Ronald specifically instructed her to detour towards the apartment where he once lived.

The carriage stopped at the side of the road.

The apartment across the street hadn’t changed much since Ronald left.

Without having to approach it, the probing power of "Fury" immediately confirmed the status of the apartment.

In the upheaval, Mrs. Hudson’s living situation had hardly been affected, and Ronald’s former room had a new tenant.

Although the city was rife with panic and astonishment.

For the common people content with their lives, this was perhaps a microcosm of living.

"Sir, how do you feel?"

"Let’s go, there’s nothing more for us here."

Ronald replied thus to Costate, but in his heart, he harbored the idea of going back and catching up with old friends. Considering their lives must already be difficult in these tumultuous times, he decided against imposing any further burdens.

The carriage turned and continued on its way, and they were subjected to questioning during the journey.

After Ronald dealt with it through a process akin to ’facial recognition,’ they calmly passed through Berlingwich and left the city.

At that moment,

Ronald caught sight of the railway tracks extending from the city’s train station.

The stories here were even more plentiful—

Patricia, Heloise.

Two people of immense importance to Ronald, with whom he had gradually made contact right here.

Regrettably, the world is unpredictable.

Patricia was now serving the queen and naturally involved in maintaining Springs’ city order; as for Heloise...

Concerning Heloise’s whereabouts, Ronald was entirely in the dark.

Without any constraints, this spy-born girl had exceptionally strong counter-surveillance skills. With the ability to change her physique and appearance, hiding in the vast world made her almost impossible to track.

Even for Ronald, intentionally finding her would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

The only thing he could hope for was to place his trust in some unknown prophetic spell or that she would hear news of Ronald and come looking for him.