Shiller was still investigating the case about the serial killer principal, and he had applied to Gotham City Hall for the authority to inspect educational records, hoping to look into the information of the previous principal at the boarding school Edward attended.
As expected, the records were gone, seemingly erased deliberately, not just the previous principal's information, but all the records of past principals had disappeared.
Then he checked the historical records of the appointments and dismissals at the Ministry of Education, but the quality of work at Gotham City Hall was not commendable, as they barely managed to keep archived records in multiple copies, leading to utter chaos in his search.
The only option left was to visit the school in person, since the current female principal was also a suspect; just because nothing odd appeared in the records didn't mean there were absolutely no issues.
However, just visiting a high school so recklessly was indeed suspicious. Shiller spoke to Edward again and learned that the high school he attended had a football team.
Shiller had good relationships with the players and coaches of Gotham University's football team because he attended every game, and people considered him a football enthusiast.
Shiller suggested to the coach to visit the high school to scout for potential talents, and the coach harbored no suspicions, as in America, playing well was a direct path to prestigious universities.
Yet, when the coach saw that Shiller had picked such a remote boarding school to visit, he felt somewhat puzzled. However, having known Shiller over the years, he recognized the professor was not in a good mood, so he didn't ask further questions.
Upon arriving at the school, the female principal was indeed very happy. Their school was too remote, with average financial conditions and few opportunities to play outside games, making it difficult for the players to find good prospects. Gotham University was indeed a top choice for them.
Shiller closely observed the female principal and found, as he suspected, that she was unlikely to be a serial killer who would harm students. She was quite diligent and managed the school well.
In the school, Shiller finally found reliable records of principal appointments and dismissals. The last principal was a middle-aged man, the one before him was an older man, and tracking further back became difficult.
According to the female principal, she took up her position quite late, after Edward had already been admitted to Arkham Asylum, which means Edward's incident occurred during the last principal's tenure.
And the last principal was not reassigned due to a mistake in his job. On the contrary, he did well and was transferred to a better school in the West District.
Shiller had to drive to the school in the West District to meet the last principal, suspecting him heavily. However, after meeting him, Shiller found it unlikely that he was a serial killer.
This principal was younger than the female principal, in his prime with high ambitions and capabilities. Under his management, the school was thriving, and the football team had been achieving great success. If nothing unexpected happened, this man would likely get a university position or enter the Ministry of Education within two years.
Shiller then investigated the old man and found out that he had died two years ago, and according to the employment and transfer records, he likely had never met Edward.
Shiller didn't just check the paper records; he also interviewed witnesses. Everyone's testimonies matched up, and the timeline was very clear. The only male principal who was suspect and the serial killer were as far apart as Earth is from Mars, leading the investigation into a deadlock.
They had to start with Edward ultimately.
Shiller had another talk with Edward, but it was cut short before it even started. Frequent conversations and making Edward recall his past were harmful to his condition, so Brand called it off.
"I don't want anyone interrupting any of my conversations, Brand, and I want you to understand that," Shiller said, turning to Brand after closing the door, his tone clearly unfriendly.
"Haven't you noticed you're a bit out of control?" Brand replied, not hiding his displeasure, "Even though you're no longer a practicing doctor, you can't coerce a patient like this. You're just a psychology professor, not a police officer with a warrant. The fact that you can talk to a patient is already a favor considering our relationship. Keep pushing, and I'll call the police!"
Shiller had no answer; he wasn't even a private detective, just a university professor, but no one cared, and everyone was making it too convenient for him, indeed it was too much.
Seeing Shiller's unpleasant expression, Brand moderated his tone and said, "You're getting anxious again, venting your emotions on irrelevant matters to avoid losing control. I fully support your pursuit of the serial killer, but please don't involve Edward, alright?"
Shiller sat silently in his chair, and Brand walked over to sit opposite him, leaning forward, his hands on the armrest of Shiller's chair, "How about you go back, have some wine, and get a good sleep?"
At the mention of wine, Shiller remembered that bottle of red wine, so instead of comforting him, the sentence made alarms go off in his head instantly.
"Let's stop beating around the bush," Shiller said, "Stop trying to analyze 'perhaps' situations always under the guise of a medical professional, or stop acting like one altogether. I can hardly imagine how a monster with so many ghastly tentacles can solemnly claim to understand human pathology, scientifically or aesthetically; you're just spouting nonsense."
Brand was stunned.
"Are you saying you're not? But everything about you is full of holes. How did you come across my past self? And why did you almost arrive in Gotham at the same time as me? Haven't you noticed my changes? And what about that bottle of wine?"
"Plus, you're a magician, but even Constantine can't tell which school you learned from. It seems you never paid a price for your magic, and you know a lot about the magic realm, even understanding the past of Zatanna's father."
"This isn't something a neuropathologist can do. Are those extra grooves on your brain just decorative?"
Brand just looked at him.
"You suspect me?"
"Don't you dare spout some nauseating theory that 'the time we spent together wasn't fake.' If I had to pick someone among you monsters to accompany me, I'd rather it be an octopus; at least it could warm my stomach. You, on the other hand, I don't drink the red wine you bring, and it's not unrelated to the fact that your taste is terrible and you're stingy. Can't you afford Chateau Lafite? Can't you surpass Batman financially?"
"Moreover, if you've set your sights on me, why go after another personal aspect of mine? Do you think he would have more in common with you? Is this your level of psychology? If that's the case, I must say, you're likely to surpass Bruce's papers in the spam folder of my email, after all, you have far more tentacles than he does."
"Brand, since you've been in hiding for so long, why suddenly reveal yourself now? It couldn't possibly be because, like Mad Laugh, our all-knowing and omnipotent Lord also covets the rich prize of Battleworld, right?"
The moment the name Mad Laugh was mentioned, something finally reached its breaking point, and the entire office began to undulate unnaturally, as if everything in the world was made of water.
It was as though Shiller was no longer in his own office but inside an aquarium, and he had become a fish without any support, and now the water was angry.
Shiller remained motionless, just coldly staring at Brand, watching as the whites of his eyes were replaced by black and a fine line of gold appeared in the middle of his pupils, dazzling as if it encompassed everything.
"I didn't expect we would meet again under these circumstances, Shiller."
"There's a lot you didn't expect, such as running into Mad Laugh and sharing a passionate kiss, right?"
The rippling state of the water suddenly disappeared, and Shiller snorted disdainfully, "Why stop? Did you find you couldn't drag me into an illusion? If you want to do that, go fight the guy with the Book of Destiny, or find Lucifer. I look forward to seeing you in his pot, where you and your favorite red wine will reunite in my stomach."
Brand just stared at Shiller without speaking.
"I don't understand why you're bothering me," Shiller went on, "When you joined me to deal with Barbados, I thought you were just interested in Gray mist, since he's one of your kind. But if you had your eye on me since I first arrived here, that predates even Gray mist. Why is that?"
Brand remained silent.
"If you don't want to talk, then forget it." Shiller stood up, "I acted prematurely regarding Edward, but I am certain I didn't negatively affect him. If there really was an issue, I would take responsibility. I'm leaving now."
"No, Shiller," Brand said.
Shiller saw the path in front of him take a turn; this wasn't an illusion but real, world-altering power at play. Following this path would not lead him out of the room.
"What exactly do you want, Nyarlathotep?" Shiller turned to look at Brand, "My patience is running thin, you better..."
"You owe me money."
"…?"
Brand stood up, his movements no different than usual, and his speech was precise, not the sort of cryptic talk of non-humans, proving he was not possessed.
"You borrowed my power and haven't returned it."
Shiller was stunned.
Suddenly, he remembered that indeed there was such a matter.
His original persona had debts all over the world, and then, to avoid paying them, canceled his accounts… wait, Nyarlathotep is also a god across the cosmos, just like God and Lucifer, meaning canceling accounts in one universe was pointless; they could track your IP address.
Shiller inhaled sharply.
What's scarier than being cornered by a creditor? It's after being cornered, insulting the creditor profusely.
Taking a deep breath, Shiller walked back to his chair and sat down.
"But then again..." Shiller said, turning his back on Brand, "the red wine from Margaux Vineyard is indeed quite good. Would you like a drink?"
Two wine glasses appeared out of nowhere on the table, the red wine with the familiar label floated up on its own, and wine poured into the glasses.
Shiller grasped the base of one of the wine glasses, and waited until Brand had sat down again before picking up the glass.
It's like suddenly realizing that a villain who's been relentlessly haunting you is actually your creditor. You borrowed his power but delayed returning it for a long time, refusing to give it back, and sought ways to escape the debt.
He even invited you to stay in a luxury hotel, presenting red wine worth thousands of US Dollar, which you didn't even drink but had your avatar deliver again.
And yet, you threw a mess at him and insulted him thoroughly.
Shiller had never felt guilty, but—as he clinked glasses—he still slightly lowered the edge of his glass; the glass made a crisp sound.
Watching the figure across, Shiller tilted back his head and took a sip of the red wine—it was indeed quite good.
"To the times we've shared."