Mystery: When the Lost Homelanders Meet the Lost Homeland Call

"Melissa, you're back."

Klein sprang up from his chair almost reflexively, the movement so forceful that the chair slid back half an inch, making a screeching sound on the floor.

Melissa's gaze shifted from Klein to Lynn, then back to Klein, her brow furrowing slightly.

She's only sixteen, but in this family, she's far more like a "head of the household" than her brother. She often helps with the daily lives of Benson and Klein, two grown men, and over time, she's developed a level of attentiveness and sensitivity far beyond her years.

At that moment, her intuition was sending out warning signals.

"Brother, who is this...?" Melissa asked in a seemingly casual but actually scrutinizing tone as she put down her schoolbag.

"Ah, this, who is this person..." Klein's mind raced.

Friends? Klein has only been here for two days, where would he get new friends?

His old friends Benson and Melissa already knew, and now they both knew he was preparing for college interviews and his social circle was unlikely to be updated.

Then I can only say they were colleagues!

Lynn, watching from the side, wanted to cover her face. Was her fellow villager's silence due to a system freeze?

Then it's up to them to turn the tide.

Klein just started his new job today, and it's not really his style to take a colleague home on his first day.

Then I can only say we were classmates!

Before transmigrating, as a college student, he instinctively chose the identity of a classmate, resulting in him speaking to Klein at the same time.

"I was Klein's college classmate."

"Melissa, this is my colleague."

  

Klein and Lynn immediately looked at each other, their eyes filled with terror.

Klein: If it weren't for my sister, I'd definitely explain first.

Lynn: Dude, I thought your pause meant I should introduce myself.

"College classmate? Colleague?" Melissa's gaze swept back and forth between Lynn and Klein, her tone increasingly suspicious.

"I remember that most of the students at the University of Tingen are from Ruen, and... sir, you don't look like a local."

She paused, then added, "And he never mentioned having a classmate with an elf-like face."

Lynn's smile froze on his face.

Failed.

He hadn't expected Melissa to know so much about her brother's social circle. This girl was practically a human lie detector; was this what they meant by "the eldest sister is like a mother"?

Klein was practically suffocating.

He just said "colleague," while Lynn said "college classmate," and their statements don't match at all. If Melissa had only heard one version of events, she might have been able to get away with it, but now that both versions are presented to her, it's not just a matter of suspicion; it's a blatant contradiction.

Melissa's gaze sharpened, her expression clearly saying, "Which of you is lying?"

She put down her bag, crossed her arms, and asked in an almost interrogative tone, "So, is this gentleman my brother's colleague or college classmate? Or did you two not even discuss this beforehand?"

Lynn and Klein exchanged another glance, both seeing the same despair in each other's eyes.

This girl isn't easy to fool.

Klein opened his mouth, wanting to salvage the situation, but his mind went blank; he had absolutely no idea how to cover up this lie. He couldn't very well say, "Actually, we're all time travelers," could he?

Melissa would sell everything she owned to get Klein into the church hospital.

Just when the two were in dire straits, Lynn made a decision.

He reached into his pocket and pulled a gold pound from Klein's pocket.

Klein's intuition suddenly started to alarm him. He focused his attention on his pockets. Although he couldn't feel anything, he instinctively felt that Lynn had made some subtle move.

It felt as if I had lost something important.

Lynn smoothly held up a gold pound note to Melissa, his tone as sincere as a priest in a church: "Miss Melissa, please allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Lynn, and I am a ship captain. I've come to visit today for two reasons: firstly, because Klein and I share some common interests in Quaternary history research, and secondly..."

He paused, glanced at the gold pound in his hand, then at Melissa's expression, and continued, "Secondly, I'd like to invite you out for a meal as a small gift."

Melissa's gaze fell on the gold pound note, and her eyes widened slightly for a moment.

One gold pound.

This was no small sum for the Moretti family. Benson's weekly wage was only one pound and ten soula, and after deducting rent, daily expenses, and Melissa's tuition, he could save very little each week. And now, this stranger had casually pulled out a gold pound, saying he wanted to treat them to a meal.

This could be genuine generosity or a trap with ulterior motives.

Melissa paused for a few seconds, then spoke, her tone unusually calm for a sixteen-year-old girl: "Mr. Lynn, you just said you were the captain?"

"Yes." Lynn nodded, maintaining a smile on her face.

"Then how do you know my brother? And why do you want to discuss Quaternary history with him? A ship captain, interested in ancient history?"

Under normal circumstances, Melissa wouldn't have pressed the issue so rudely, but the fact that their stories weren't aligned was so strange that she temporarily abandoned her politeness and decided to get to the bottom of it.

Lynn inwardly groaned. This girl's questions were getting more and more tricky, making her even more difficult to deal with than the night watchman.

But he smiled broadly and answered in a calm tone, "Your brother started working for a security company today, and I happen to have some business dealings with that company."

"When he was looking for a job, I heard that Mr. Moretti was a graduate of the History Department of the University of Tingen. I also took the opportunity to chat with him a few more times. I didn't expect him to be such a professional gentleman."

As he spoke, Lynn generously put his arm around Klein's shoulder.

"Sailing is a very tedious profession; you always have to find something to do during a long voyage. I don't have many other hobbies, except that I like reading history books. We have quite a few things in common."

This explanation was barely acceptable. Melissa's brows furrowed slightly, but the wariness in her eyes did not completely disappear.

While Lynn was making his move, Klein quietly reached into his pocket to count the money, and then he discovered the key point.

His gold pounds.

His gold pounds!

That was his advance salary, a full twelve gold pounds!

Before I could even warm it up, Lynn snatched one away!

Moreover, when Lynn said he would "treat you to dinner," he was using his own money.

What is this? Is it using someone else's money to offer something to someone else? Or is it being generous with other people's money?

Klein took a deep breath, suppressing these thoughts for the time being. The most important thing right now was to appease Melissa; the gold pound issue… could wait.

He glared at Lynn fiercely.

"Melissa," Klein began, his voice much more stable than before, "Mr. Lynn is indeed someone I met through historical research. When I was organizing the original... uh, the materials left by Welch, I had some questions about the Quaternary period, and he helped me answer them."

This claim is partly true and partly false, and it cleverly uses the "death of Welch" as a pretext. Melissa knows that Welch was Klein's classmate and also knows about the tragedy, but she is not willing to delve into this topic.

Sure enough, Melissa's expression softened a bit, but her gaze lingered on Lynn for several seconds, as if assessing whether the man was trustworthy.

Finally, she nodded: "Since he's my brother's friend, then... let's have a meal together."

She paused, looked at Lynn, and said with an undeniable seriousness in her tone, "But Mr. Lynn, I hope what you're saying is true."

Lynn nodded with a smile.

There weren't many restaurants near Moretti's house, and even fewer that were decent. Klein led Lynn and Melissa on a walk for more than ten minutes before finding a restaurant that looked reasonably respectable.

The restaurant was small, but very clean. The soft light from the gas lamps fell on the tables covered with white tablecloths, and several oil paintings depicting the scenery of Tingen hung on the walls. In the corner, an old gramophone was playing soothing piano music.

After Melissa sat down, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the prices on the menu.

She pursed her lips and remained silent.

Klein noticed the change in his sister's expression and felt a pang of sadness. The Moretti family had always struggled financially; Benson's salary barely supported the family of three, and Melissa hadn't eaten out in a long time.

"Order whatever you want," Lynn said generously, showing that she was not penniless at all.

Melissa hesitated for a moment, then ordered the cheapest set meal.

Lynn shook her head and said directly to the waiter, "Three of today's chef's recommendations, plus one dessert."

Melissa wanted to say something, but Lynn had already waved his hand, signaling the waiter could leave.

Klein watched from the side, his lips twitching slightly.

Spending my money to show off your generosity—no matter how you look at it, I'm the one who loses.

But in front of Melissa, he couldn't say anything, so he could only silently pick up his water glass, take a sip, and swallow his grievances.

While waiting for the food to be served, Melissa's eyes kept darting to Lynn.

She had many questions she wanted to ask, but as a lady, she couldn't directly press them after that awkward opportunity had passed. So she chose a more roundabout approach—observation.

Lynn noticed the girl's gaze but didn't pay it any mind. He picked up his water glass and drank slowly, occasionally chatting with Klein about "historical research," behaving like a true scholar.

Melissa looked at it for a long time but couldn't find any flaws.

This man certainly had an air of knowledge and experience about him, and he spoke clearly and articulately, using sophisticated language—he didn't seem like a rude sailor. But to say he was a captain… Melissa felt something was off.

She couldn't quite describe the feeling, but her intuition told her that this person named Lynn was hiding many secrets.

However, at least for now, he doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards his brother.

And he did indeed treat them to a meal.

Melissa decided to put her guard down for the time being, picked up her water glass, and politely took a sip.

The food was served very quickly.

Steaming hot grilled fish, golden and crispy mashed potatoes, steak drizzled with rich sauce, and a bowl of creamy soup.

Melissa's eyes lit up.

She hadn't seen such a sumptuous dinner in a long time.

Klein looked at his sister's expression, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He recalled the original owner's memories, how this family had barely managed to survive on meager resources, how Melissa had meticulously planned every meal, and how she had never complained.

"Eat up," Klein said, placing a piece of fish on Melissa's plate. "Have more."

Melissa nodded and ate in small bites, her movements elegant and graceful, but noticeably faster than usual.

Lynn watched this scene without saying a word.

He recalled his experiences in another world. On the Lost Home, the captain would replenish the food supply every time the ship docked, but it was all dry rations. Lynn had tasted enough of the kind of bread that was as hard as wood and the kind of jerky that was as tough as steel.

After entering the subspace, the food transformed into something in between food and non-food during the long voyage.

Lynn even found it difficult to call those things "things".

"Mr. Lynn?" Melissa's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Eat, of course I'll eat." Lynn smiled, picked up his knife and fork, cut a piece of steak, and put it in his mouth.

tasty.

It's much better than the mushy stuff on the Lost Home.

Halfway through the meal, Melissa suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Lynn, you said you're the captain, where is your ship?"

Lynn paused for a moment.

That's a good question.

His ship? His ship disappeared after it reached the shore, vanished completely, leaving not even a nail behind.

"We're temporarily docked at the pier," Lynn casually made up a place. "There's some maintenance work to be done, so we'll be staying in Tingen for the next few days."

Melissa nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation. But she then asked, "So, what routes do you usually sail? I've heard that Tingen's ships frequently travel to the Southern Continent, Fenneport, and the Fussac Empire. Have you been to those places?"

Lynn's heart skipped a beat.

Why does this girl have so many questions?

He's been to countless places, but none of them are from this world. He can't exactly say, "I've been to the city-state of Prand, the elven haven of Lightwind, and even the territory of an ancient god called the 'Lord of Dreams,'" can he?

"We mainly operate on long-distance ocean routes, so it's not very fixed," Lynn answered vaguely. "Sometimes we go to the Southern Continent, sometimes we head north. The specific routes depend on available intelligence."

"Have you ever seen pirates?" Melissa's eyes lit up. "I've heard there are many pirates at sea, and they even hijack merchant ships."

Klein, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Melissa, are you interested in sailing?"

"I just want to learn about things in the Southern Continent." Melissa glanced at her brother.

Klein remained silent.

Of course he knew about this. Benson's import and export company was affected by the situation in the South Continent, and both its profits and business volume shrank significantly. It had to lay off more than a third of its employees. In order to keep his job and make a living, Benson had no choice but to accept heavier tasks, often having to work overtime or travel to harsh environments, just like these past few days.

Lynn looked at Melissa and said gently, "I haven't seen many pirates, but I've seen plenty of storms. Life at sea isn't easy, but as long as you know how to respect the sea, it won't make things too difficult for you."

Melissa listened intently, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

She didn't know if the person in front of her was telling the truth, but she was willing to believe that, at least for this moment, he was sincere.

After finishing his meal, Lynn readily handed the gold pound note to the waiter, and without even looking at the change, he stuffed it directly into Klein's hand.

"You can keep it," Lynn said.

Klein glanced down at the change he had received—fifteen shillings.

I ate five sulphurs in one meal.

For Klein, this wasn't extravagant, but it wasn't cheap either. If he cooked at home, five sulphurs would be enough for his family of three for several days, and even with Lynn making it four, it would still last at least two days.

But Melissa was very happy.

On the way back, the girl's steps were much lighter, and a faint smile played on her lips. Klein hadn't seen his sister so happy in a long time.

"Mr. Lynn is a good man," Melissa whispered as she walked beside her brother.

Klein paused for a moment: "You just suspected he was a fraud."

"That was just now," Melissa said matter-of-factly. "A person who's willing to treat us to dinner can't be a bad person."

Klein couldn't help but laugh.

This logic is simple and crude, yet strangely reasonable.

"However," Melissa changed the subject, "brother, you shouldn't lie anymore. You're incapable of lying."

Klein's smile froze.

"Mr. Lynn isn't a liar either, but he's better at making things up than you are. I feel he's more like an adventurer than a simple cargo captain, like the adventurers who pioneered sea routes in the records of Emperor Roselle."

After Melissa finished speaking, she quickened her pace and walked ahead.

Klein stood there, watching his sister's retreating figure, his lips twitching slightly.

Being taught how to lie by a sixteen-year-old girl... that feels... really strange.

-

Night falls quickly in Tingen.

The crimson moonlight spilled onto the cobblestone streets of Iron Cross Street, while gas lamps cast a dim, yellowish glow at the street corners. Occasionally, a public carriage would pass by, its wheels making a dull thud as they rolled over the stones.

Klein lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

After finishing his meal, Lynn said goodbye and left, saying he had "some things to take care of." Klein didn't know what he was going to take care of, but he didn't ask any further questions.

All he can think about now is that gold pound.

His gold pounds.

The gold pounds he painstakingly (in fact, he didn't) earned.

And so Lynn "borrowed flowers to present to Buddha".

Although Lynn gave him the change, the gold pound was gone, replaced by a meal and... fifteen sulphurs.

Fifteenth Sule.

Klein rolled over and buried his face in the pillow.

When fellow villagers meet, they stab each other in the back.

That's absolutely right.