After applying the protection for Backlund's most dazzling jewel, Snow quietly withdrew his "Psyduck that no one can see through" state. He returned to his "Little Prince of the Salons" persona, continuing to wander among the wealthy ladies and young heiresses to maintain the vast network that was the only "positive legacy" his predecessor had left him.
Miss Audrey had no idea what changes had occurred to her. Maintaining her [Spectator] posture, she scrutinized the guests in the banquet. Upon finding that Madam Norma was also observing in a similar manner, she began to display the grace of a well-educated daughter of a Great Noble, inconspicuously guiding the topic in the direction she desired.
The Sequence 7 of the Paradox pathway was a very interesting one. Compared to a [Witch]'s anti-divination ability, it possessed the even rarer "Misleading" ability. Although this ability was generally not permanent, if "bestowed" directly through a Sefirah, it could be maintained for a long time.
Considering Miss Audrey's social status, Snow only needed to attend her salons occasionally to maintain the protection on her.
The reason he went to such great lengths for Miss Justice's status was because, as a daughter of a pivotal Great Noble in Backlund, the Hall family's status was enough to draw the attention of the Psychology Alchemists. Currently, Klein was still at the "Great Perfection" level of [Seer], so naturally, he couldn't use techniques like [Paper Angel]. If Miss Justice were to be hypnotized or "corrupted" during this brief window, his sin would be great.
Fortunately, even without a [Paper Angel], direct empowerment using a Sefirah was just as effective. Despite it being only a Sequence 7 ability, with the amplification of a Sefirah's status, as long as the "Russian Priest" himself didn't show up, those small fry from the Psychology Alchemists wouldn't even be able to detect the [A White Horse is Not a Horse] ability.
Of course, one couldn't rule out some demigod [Spectator] with extraordinary talent, but the price for that... well, let's just say "God Cannot Be Gazed Upon Directly."
...
Declining invitations from several ladies whose husbands were away on business, Snow returned to his luxury villa in the West District. As usual, he opened his mailbox to check for mail.
Veterinarians in this era, much like private detectives, didn't necessarily need a storefront. Therefore, customers typically chose to visit in person or send letters to convey information.
Although Snow had begun to move toward a "novelist" persona, he had no intention of abandoning his identity as a veterinarian, which allowed him to legally and reasonably enter the upper circles of Backlund society.
However, after several beautifully decorated envelopes, Snow's brow rose slightly as he saw a letter with a postage stamp.
This was a rare occurrence for Snow, including for his predecessor. His customers usually wrote their letters and had servants deliver them directly. His predecessor had no family, and Snow was seeing a letter sent through the postal department for the first time.
'A letter from Tingen... Klein wouldn't be that careless, would he? There's a postman named Amon in Backlund!' Snow grimaced, brought the letters inside, and carefully slid it open with a letter opener. Subsequently, he saw content that left him somewhat speechless, "Respected Mr. Devil:"
"I obtained your contact information through a certain channel. I heard that you require some high-powered self-defense weapons. I happen to be able to get hold of some Solar domain charms.
"Their power can reach the level of a Sequence 6 Beyonder's strike, and they have a massive restraining effect on wraiths and souls.
"However, making these charms requires extensive preparation and significant costs. I wonder how many you need, and what price you are willing to pay?
"Your acquaintance."
...
'So why didn't Klein just pass the message through Mr. Fool?' Snow looked at the letter that tried its best to hide its sender's information, with a "subway old man looking at his phone" expression on his face.
But soon, he realized. He had read the original work, so he knew about the world of "chat log forwarding," but current Mr. Fool likely hadn't realized such a function existed yet.
'Speaking of which, Klein clearly wants the money this time to gather enough for the [Clown] potion. Sending it to an anonymous account or bank draft is no problem, but how to receive the Solar Siphon charms is a headache.'
Thinking of this, Snow began to consider the possibility of getting a messenger.
Summoning a messenger was actually easy. Given the uniqueness of his abilities, finding a useful messenger would be convenient too. The only problem was... how to sign a contract.
The support abilities of the Paradox pathway were comprehensive, even allowing for the modification of already-signed contracts. However, it lacked the function of establishing a contract. In other words, he had to find a way to obtain a contract--whether it was a [Notary] contract of the Sun pathway or a [Spirit Contract] of the Death pathway would do.
'Too bad Mr. A isn't in Backlund right now--wait, Mr. A isn't here, but Eye of Wisdom is!'
Yes, if he remembered correctly, the old gentleman, Eye of Wisdom, held a Sealed Artifact that could simulate a [Notary]'s Beyonder ability. Although the effect was surely not as good as a proper [Notary], what Snow needed was merely a single contract paper. Of course, if that ring could only perform notarization but couldn't establish a contract, Snow would have to take a risk and break into Mr. A's treasure vault.
After all, having hosted Beyonder gatherings for so long, Mr. A surely had many good things stored in his basement. Considering there was a Sun pathway Beyonder in his gathering, it wouldn't be strange if he had a few [Notary] contracts on hand. Such things could be unexpectedly useful at times.
Currently, the strongest members of the Aurora Order in Backlund were merely a few [Listeners]. Infiltrating Mr. A's home using the power of [A White Horse is Not a Horse] would actually be quite easy.
After thinking for a bit, Snow still chose to try his luck with Eye of Wisdom first. "If money can solve it, don't take risks"--this could be said to be Snow's life motto.
Having cleared his thoughts, Snow clasped his hands and pressed them against his forehead, reciting softly, "O Fool that does not belong to this era;"
"You are the mysterious ruler above the grey fog;
"You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.
"I pray for Your gaze;
"I pray for Your listening;
"I have received the letter from Your blessed one, but he left no contact information. Please inform him that I am willing to purchase three charms at a price of three hundred pounds each."
...
'Who is praying to me again?' Mr. Fool, who had just returned home from work, heard the layered prayers in his ears. He immediately entered the bathroom, walked four steps counter-clockwise, and arrived above the gray fog. Seeing that the shrinking and expanding star belonged to Mr. Devil, his mouth twitched slightly--
'Mr. Devil's dinner today is a bit early, isn't it?'
With a slight internal complaint, Klein expanded his spirituality and touched that star. Following that, the layered prayers echoed in his ears...
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
---
A/N: Regarding the conservatism of the Loen people: this is only relative to Intis, where people can be quite open in public. In the original, when Audrey first got her [Spectator] powers, there were hints that even at a ball, married nobles would sneak behind gardens right in front of their spouses. So, the degree of "conservatism" here should be understood within that context. Don't think of it as the same as ancient Eastern conservatism. After all, the official faith of Loen includes the [Goddess of the Night]! When Daly teased Klein, Dunn said it was a common phenomenon.
T/N: This wave, this is... (这波啊,这波是...).
A Chinese internet slang term often used in gaming or commentary to introduce a clever play or a specific situation.
T/N: Notary (公证人).
The Sequence 6 of the Sun pathway. The contracts mentioned are a staple of this pathway.
T/N: Paper Angel (纸人天使).
A high-level technique using the Fool's Sefirah and paper figurines to provide protection and concealment.