Hearing Snow's words, Xio's posture immediately straightened, though unfortunately, while she was short, her legs weren't particularly long...
Mmm, that's not to say Xio had long legs, but rather... she was just as short while sitting down, even when straightening her back.
Cough, cough.
Watching the girl who was so earnestly trying to show her serious and solemn side, Snow's mouth curled up slightly. He spoke, "Regarding the cause of your father's death, I can tell you, but before that, I want you to remember two things."
"Go ahead." Although Xio was quite displeased with Snow's rude gaze, she suppressed the urge to lecture him and waited for what he had to say.
"First, your father's matter is protected by a mystical force of secrecy. Therefore, I will only say the parts that aren't enough to threaten me. Mmm, this sentence itself is a piece of information; you should be able to understand that, right?"
Snow held up one finger. Xio thought for a moment and nodded with a solemn expression.
Snow held up a second finger, "Second, the information I tell you is all I can say. Any remaining parts, even just thinking about them, would increase my risk. Thus, I hope that after you hear me out, you won't ask any related follow-up questions."
"Alright, please go ahead." After hearing Snow's two conditions, Xio's emotional fluctuations grew even stronger.
"Simply put, your father discovered some secrets of the Loen Royal Family--specifically, that of the King--and intended to report them to the Church. As a result, he was executed on the spot."
Saying this, Snow picked up his teacup and took a sip, then spoke no more. Xio had just been about to ask a follow-up question when she recalled Snow's previous words and immediately choked back all her doubts.
'The King's secret...' Although this answer didn't satisfy Xio, it did allow her to breathe a sigh of relief. Although she had been dedicated to investigating the truth of her father's death and restoring his name, there had always been a stone weighing on her heart--the fear that her father truly had participated in a rebellion and truly lacked any honor to speak of...
Fortunately, based on the information she had just received, that didn't seem to be the case.
She reached out and patted her cheeks, then looked up at Snow's face, which was as calm as a painting. She spoke, "Then, what about the Full Moon Ravings?"
"By the way... let me ask you, do you know the 'Hidden Sage'?" Snow asked with pointed implication. The shocked Xio almost spilled the red tea in front of her, but she forced herself to stay calm and spoke with feigned composure, "You mean the Full Moon Ravings are related to the Hidden Sage? Doesn't the Hidden Sage only affect Beyonders of the Mystery Pryer pathway?"
"No, don't misunderstand. My meaning is that the source of the Full Moon Ravings is an existence whose status is similar to the Hidden Sage, or perhaps even higher. Since you know the Hidden Sage affects Mystery Pryers, you should understand how terrifying the whispers of such high-status beings are for low-sequence Beyonders. As for Ms. Fors's mystical item, its origin is the remains of a bloodline descendant of that existence. Each time Ms. Fors uses it, she deepens her mystical connection to that being. Putting it that way, you should understand, right?"
Snow maintained eye contact with Xio. She instinctively nodded, then asked somewhat absently:
"Is there a solution?"
"Only two." Snow held up two fingers, then bent one, "First, advance yourself to a Sequence 4 demigod to obtain divinity. This way, although the ravings won't be completely rooted out, the pollution brought about by the difference in status will become negligible. You will no longer feel pain, nor will you lose control because of them."
Xio was clearly not satisfied with this method, which Snow naturally saw. Thus, he curled his second finger.
"Second, find a great being to provide protection for Ms. Fors, someone like a deity, for instance. Of course, this requires sufficient divine grace. If Ms. Fors has a sufficiently pious faith, she could try going to a corresponding church to pray for help."
"Pious?" Xio recalled Fors's usual habit of preferring a bit more sleep over praying. If she went to a church for help, the probability of being locked in a basement seemed much higher.
"Is there no other way?" Although Xio more or less understood that there probably weren't any good solutions for matters of this level, she still asked with the thought of "what if."
"While there isn't nothing, I don't think you'd likely accept it. For example, praying to evil gods or hidden existences. After all, compared to the orthodox gods, these hidden existences have fewer believers and are easier to get a response from. As for whether the response would leave her even worse off than before... that's hard to say. If you think choosing that is fine, I can also provide you with the honorable names and prayer rituals of one or two not-as-dangerous hidden existences. For instance, The Fool, Paradox, and the like... of course, the 'not-as-dangerous' part is only relative for now."
"No need." Xio shook her head without any interest. Snow didn't press her, only nodded:
"A wise choice."
Having said that, he pulled a business card from his jacket and placed it in front of Xio, "This is the summoning incantation for my messenger. You should know how to use it. Additionally, if there are any commissions, I'll notify the messenger to send the details to you. I hope you will abide by the contract."
"Understood." Although she essentially hadn't obtained any actionable news, the contract remained in effect because she knew very well that the information provided was truly worth that price.
She took the card, stuffed it into her jacket pocket, and prepared to leave. However, at that moment...
Clang!
A gleaming triangular spike lay at Xio's feet.
"Ah, this..." Xio was just about to explain, only to realize that the Mr. Snow who had been in front of her just a moment ago was... oh, why was he on the wall?
"Sorry, as an Arbiter, I must maintain sufficient means of persuasion for those who lack rationality. That's reasonable, right?" Xio looked somewhat awkwardly at Mr. Snow, who was supporting himself against the wall with his hands and feet, practically hanging from the ceiling. She quickly pulled the triangular spike back into her jacket.
"As an information dealer, it's also reasonable for me to maintain sufficient vigilance, isn't it?"
...
'This Mr. Snow is truly a coward! But to have a personal messenger and be able to obtain so many secrets, there must be a terrifying power supporting him from behind!'
Leaving Snow's mansion, Xio silently made her evaluation of the information dealer. But soon, she realized a problem--
She seemed to have overlooked something...
'That's right! I only lowered my head for a second, and he vanished from right before my eyes! Without a sound, without touching anything. The most ridiculous part is that with such a large range of movement, his cat actually stayed on his shoulder the whole time! This person isn't a cowardly weakling at all--he was just feigning weakness!'
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: Paradox (悖论) - Referred to as a "not-as-dangerous" hidden existence, referencing the protagonist's own pathway and its divine-level status.
T/N: "Straight posture" - A humorous commentary on Xio's height; even when sitting and straightening her back, she remains shorter than a standing person.
T/N: Triangular Spike (三棱刺) - A specialized weapon designed for piercing and causing bleeding, often used by street-level Beyonders or those with combat-heavy sequences like Xio's [Arbiter].
T/N: "Upper Wall" (示弱) - Snow's reflexive reaction to a potential threat, which inadvertently reveals his superhuman speed and coordination to Xio.