As a standard old Loen noble of the "Miter-and-Cross" variety, Viscount Glaint could clearly remember the names of every guest who attended his salon. He knew at least three topics for conversation with each, understood their taboos and beliefs, and was well aware of their reputations.
Therefore, the moment he heard Audrey's description, a guest list immediately surfaced in his mind. He quickly filtered through it, and within just a few sentences, he had locked onto Audrey's target.
But this person...
As a 'Spectator', Audrey naturally noticed Glaint's abnormality right away. She frowned slightly and asked in her sweet, somewhat youthful voice, "Glaint, what's wrong?"
"Audrey, this, mmm, I mean... that..." Glaint was momentarily at a loss for words. After struggling for a while, he finally succumbed to the gaze of Audrey's emerald-like eyes, which were pure as gemstones. He stammered slightly, "Why are you asking about him? In our circle... well, his reputation isn't exactly great."
"Reputation isn't great?" Audrey felt a bit strange, but she responded with a mixture of half-truth and half-lie. "He is very likely a Beyonder, and he might possess the 'Spectator' pathway formula I want."
"A Beyonder? I knew it! No wonder he... cough." Glaint was clearly quite excited, but remembering Audrey was beside him, he immediately forced himself to calm down. He introduced, "This man's name is Snow von Pandrax. His ancestors seem to have been of noble birth, though for some unknown reason, they lost their title and territory. He's currently a veterinarian, and he has... well, some rather unfavorable rumors associated with many noble ladies. Madam Norma was the one who brought him to that last literary salon."
'Madam Norma, a veterinarian...' Audrey's beautiful eyes blinked repeatedly. She paid no attention to Glaint's emphasized "unfavorable rumors." Instead, she constructed a complete chain of evidence in her mind:
Mr. Devil's Beyonder pet had seen Susie.
The fact that she kept a large golden retriever named Susie was no secret in noble circles.
Mr. Devil told her that Madam Norma was related to the Psychology Alchemists and suggested she reveal her interest in mysticism in social settings.
After publicly expressing interest in mysticism at the salon, she had been granted a Beyonder ability.
'That's it. This Snow must be Mr. Devil! He deduced my identity from Susie, then followed Madam Norma to the salon to make a final confirmation. To prevent me from being read or hypnotized by the members of the Psychology Alchemists, he applied an anti-hypnosis and anti-observation Beyonder power to me.'
'Mr. Devil is truly cunning!' Audrey grumbled in her heart, but she also understood why Mr. Fool hadn't directly told her Mr. Devil's identity.
'Mr. Fool protects our privacy. However, if we discover someone else's identity on our own, he won't interfere. But Mr. Devil clearly suspected me previously and used information to lure me out, which is why Mr. Fool provided me with hints. Mmm, it must be so!'
"Audrey, Audrey!" Glaint watched Audrey sink into deep thought, and his heart began to race. While it was standard for Loen nobles to keep several lovers, Audrey wasn't an adult yet! If Count Hall found out she had met that "Noble Lady Killer" at a salon he hosted... Heavens!
"Ah, apologies, Glaint. I was thinking about how to exchange for the potion formula with him." Audrey wore an elegant, sweet smile. Glaint, however, didn't dare lower his guard. Even if such a warning was bordering on rude, his position as a friend and the pressure from Count Hall drove him to say, "Audrey, if you're certain he has the formula, I can act as your intermediary. Believe me, his reputation is truly not good. Interacting with him directly will leave a stain on your name!"
"Eh?" Audrey finally realized what Glaint meant and was momentarily speechless. Still, she maintained her elegant noble poise and said, "Don't worry, I won't have direct contact with him. Mmm, I'll have Miss Xio inquire about the price for me. You know she's an 'Arbiter'."
"That would be for the best." Glaint was visibly relieved. His blatant attitude made Audrey grumble inwardly:
'Mr. Devil, just how bad is your reputation?!'
Though she felt a spark of curiosity, Audrey had no intention of interacting with Mr. Devil directly in the real world.
Naturally, she didn't intend to let Xio or Fors go either. Compared to such a private meeting, a setting witnessed by Mr. Fool was far more formal and secure.
...A few hours earlier...
Tingen City, Morse Town. Klein, with an assist from Leonard, finally found himself alone with the mutated Sun Sacred Emblem inside the cathedral.
He waited quietly for time to pass. After ten minutes, once he was certain Leonard and Kenley wouldn't suddenly burst in, he placed the mutated Sun Sacred Emblem on the ground. With his back to the Goddess's emblem--in a display of ostrich-like denial--he began to set up the ritual to steal the power of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
'Actually, I should have just done a divination to see if Leonard and the others would suddenly come in.' Klein was setting up the ritual when the thought popped into his head. He chuckled at himself immediately.
'Divination isn't omnipotent. I almost fell into the trap of being superstitious again.'
Thinking this, he quickly took out the ritual materials he had nearly gone bankrupt to collect. Everything else was fine, but the five gold plates used to make the charms had truly drained every last bit of his savings.
'If Mr. Devil hadn't promised to buy them for 300 pounds each, I definitely wouldn't have made so many.'
An invisible wall of spirituality was constructed, and Klein temporarily cast aside his obsession with gold pounds, focusing on placing essential oils and powders into the candle flames.
"Blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun."
"You are the Everlasting Light, the embodiment of Order, the God of Contracts, the guardian of commerce."
"I pray to you;"
"I pray for you to grant me power;"
"Grant me the power to complete the Solar Siphon Charms."
"O Blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun, please transfer your power to my charms..."
Chant after chant was uttered by Mr. Fool, who had achieved the feat of "Praising the Sun in the Church of the Evernight Goddess." An extreme heat instantly enveloped him.
His hair became scorching hot, and his skin felt as if it were beginning to smoke.
Guided by that power which burned everything, he picked up the carving knife and rapidly etched the symbolic patterns onto the gold plates.
The sunlight outside the cathedral became intense, but the design of the Evernight Church completely blocked such rays. The interior remained in a quiet, precise, and dark atmosphere. If it weren't for the fact that the source of Klein's prayer was right before him, even if the Goddess didn't "conceal" him, these charms would have been impossible to complete.
Fortunately, everything went more smoothly than expected. As the final stroke was completed, the spiritual light of the five gold plates began to pull inward. The bright and luxurious golden yellow grew dim, and a warm, moist sensation slowly seeped out.
'Finally done. I'll keep two as my trump cards and still have an intake of 900 gold pounds. But how do I get the charms to Mr. Devil? I can't exactly use a letter, can I? Or should I agree on a place to bury them, like I did with Miss Justice?'
Klein frowned slightly, intending to ask Mr. Devil by praying to himself and then editing the recording. However, he finally remembered that he was in the Church of the Evernight Goddess, and he didn't quite have the courage to pray to himself here.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: "Miter-and-Cross" (米字旗) - A reference to the Union Jack, used here to describe the most traditional and standard Loen nobility.
T/N: Snow's reputation as a "Noble Lady Killer" or "Noble Lady's Friend" is a recurring joke. In Backlund high society, his veterinary skills are often seen as an excuse for private visits.
T/N: "Ostrich-like denial" (掩耳盗铃) - Literally "plugging one's ears while stealing a bell." A Chinese idiom meaning to deceive oneself.
T/N: "Courting death" (作死) - A common term in web novels for someone taking unnecessary, high-stakes risks.