Chapter 94: A Tranquil Sea

Chapter 94: A Tranquil Sea

Not bad. A Spectator’s ability to self-regulate is still quite strong… Klein secretly praised her. He glanced at the golden retriever on the bicycle’s rear seat, then examined the bicycle, which differed from similar ones on the street, and casually asked,

“Is this a new type of pedal bicycle designed specifically for women?”

“What do you mean, designed specifically for women? If you wish to ride it, you can ride it too,” Audrey replied with a smile. “I merely told the people at the bicycle company that they should consider groups with different needs. This is their latest design. It has not yet entered mass production, so they asked me to try riding it and offer some opinions.”

“A very good idea.” Klein praised her with a smile. Then, seemingly thoughtful, he asked, “You know the owners of the Backlund Bicycle Company?”

Audrey’s eyes curved slightly as she answered,

“Of course. I am one of the main shareholders of the Backlund Bicycle Company.”

A main shareholder… I had almost forgotten this matter… She did succeed in the end… Klein seemed to understand something. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he shook his head in self-mockery.

“So that is how it is. My imagination is still insufficient.

“How did it feel after the test ride?”

Holding the bicycle’s handlebars, Audrey’s eyes shifted slightly. As she recalled, she said,

“It is wonderful. It suits women very well.”

Esteemed young lady, that was not what you said just now… Klein raised his brows slightly but did not interrupt the girl opposite him.

Audrey smiled again and continued,

“For me, it can help me adjust my mood and release stress, just like horseback riding. However, riding a horse requires changing into specialized clothes. One has to go to a riding ground or the outskirts. Simply staying within one’s home or on the street does not allow a horse to run fully, so the necessary feeling is lacking. A bicycle does not have that problem. It can even enter alleys that carriages cannot reach and allow me to see different scenery. Just now, when I rode past someone’s home, I saw several flowers still blooming in their garden and felt especially happy.

“Mm. When I meet other cyclists, I also feel happy. They are working hard to live, carrying a little hope with them. Although they are busy and hurried, they are not numb at all. All right, do not laugh at me. I know what you are going to say: those who can afford bicycles are definitely not at the very bottom of society. I am simply happy because of them.

“Hope. I hope that one day, I can ride a bicycle through every street in Backlund.”

Klein quietly listened, and his mood improved little by little.

With Miss Justice’s description, such a scene seemed to have already appeared before his eyes. It was one tiny change that he had brought to this world.

He laughed softly.

“No, I have no intention of arguing. That sounds very interesting. That is exactly the image I hope to see in Backlund, and the more of it, the better.

“I originally had doubts regarding certain matters. Now, it seems there are far fewer of them.”

At this point, he pointed toward the entrance of 22 Pessfield Street, the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.

“Let us go inside. It looks like it will rain soon.”

“All right. I will go park the bicycle.” Audrey got off the bicycle and pushed it, along with the golden retriever, around toward the back entrance.

There was a specially designated bicycle parking area there, located indoors and safe from rain. In organizations like the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, more and more staff members who often needed to go out had begun riding bicycles. Of course, no one dared rely on this form of transportation to go deep into the East Borough, where anything could be stolen.

When they were almost at the back entrance, the golden retriever Susie jumped off the bicycle. Looking back toward the place they had just come from, she said with slight confusion,

“Audrey, when that Mr. Dantès heard you were one of the main shareholders of the bicycle company, his tone was rather complicated. But I cannot interpret what it truly meant.”

Audrey pursed her lips and laughed softly.

“I previously heard about something. Back when someone was competing with Hibbert to purchase shares of the bicycle company, Mr. Dantès was among them.”

“I understand!” Susie revealed an obvious smile, pleased with the accuracy of her observation.

Inside the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, Klein very gentlemanly waited until Miss Audrey returned with her extraordinary canine companion before going up to the second floor with them.

At that moment, a staff member came forward and said to Audrey,

“Miss Director, President Portland Moment of Backlund Technical University is waiting for you in the reception room.”

“Why has President Moment come?” Audrey asked, slightly surprised.

The staff member first greeted Director Dwayne Dantès, then answered,

“He did not say…”

Before the staff member finished speaking, the tall, ruddy-faced Portland Moment walked out of the reception room while tidying his white hair.

He pressed a hand to his chest and bowed.

“Esteemed Miss Audrey, please forgive my presumptuous visit.”

In Loen, after people knew one another, married noblewomen were addressed by their family name, while unmarried noblewomen were addressed by their given name.

“It is my honor,” Audrey replied politely.

Portland Moment was a president more focused on academics. Without offering much flattery or small talk, he smiled and got straight to the point.

“It is like this. I wish to add a mechanical laboratory at the technical university. Its purpose would be to invent and promote various mechanical creations beneficial to industry and daily life. I wonder whether you would be interested in donating, or perhaps investing?

“Heh-heh, Dwayne, what about you? Any interest in cooperation? Rest assured, I will definitely obtain a grant from the Higher Education Committee.”

A very good idea. But Backlund—even the entire kingdom—may soon be caught in a vortex… Listening to President Moment, Klein became slightly dazed for a moment.

Audrey gave a slight nod and smiled.

“It sounds very interesting, but I will need to see more materials. That is responsibility to myself, and responsibility to all of you.”

“I feel the same way,” Klein followed.

Portland Moment laughed heartily.

“No problem. I will go back and put some things together for you.”

…

In the Fog Sea, aboard the Golden Dream.

Gehrman Sparrow is actually asking about Anderson’s condition… And what does collecting items related to Vice Admiral Ailment mean? Many pirates frantically chase similar things, but none have ever succeeded… Danitz, who had received Gehrman Sparrow’s message, was full of confusion.

But no matter how confused he was, he still carefully and earnestly thanked Mr. Fool.

Then he put down his fishing rod, turned, entered the cabin, and went all the way to the room where Anderson was staying.

Knocking and opening the door in one smooth sequence, Danitz folded his arms and stood at the entrance. Facing Anderson, who was painting, he said,

“How is it? How is the thing in your stomach digesting?”

Anderson put down his brush, glanced at Danitz, and replied in a heavy tone,

“It already knows how to call me Papa.”

“…” Danitz subconsciously retreated two steps.

Anderson immediately returned to a relaxed manner and smiled.

“Just kidding. It is not bad. Your captain has both ideas and ability to act. The only problem is that she fails too often.

“Uh, the thing in my stomach has already been isolated. For a very long time, it will not affect me.”

As he spoke, he rubbed his stomach.

Danitz’s brows twitched as he asked curiously,

“It originally had an effect?”

Anderson looked Danitz up and down several times.

“You should have heard that certain Beyonder characteristics or potions, if in contact with an object for a long time, will seep inside and modify it, turning it into a difficult-to-use Sealed Artifact. The human body is only a somewhat special object.

“Sometimes, I truly suspect that you obtained Beyonder powers by coming into contact with a potion, rather than consuming it, causing even your brain to be corroded.”

If it had been in the past, Danitz would certainly have become furious. But now, he merely gave a heh.

“In other words, if it were not isolated, you would gradually be seeped into and modified by the thing in your stomach—including your brain?”

Anderson clicked his tongue in amazement.

“Excellent. Continue. Do not stop. I think you can try advancing to Sequence 6. Mm, you are usually quite practiced at setting fires.”

Danitz replied disdainfully,

“I am only missing some materials.”

Remembering Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions, he rather unwillingly pressed further:

“How will it be handled after isolation?”

Anderson rubbed the first button on his shirt and chuckled.

“There are two lines of thought. The first is to find a demigod like an Unshadowed and ask for help, allowing that thing to separate out little by little. In this regard, your captain has acquaintances. The only problem is that while that thing separates out, my own Beyonder characteristic might separate along with it, making my Sequence regress—or even turning me into an ordinary person.

“As for the second idea, it is to find a way to obtain the Iron-blooded Knight potion formula, prepare the corresponding ritual and supplementary ingredients, and see whether there is a chance to actively accommodate that thing, using it to become a demigod.”

“That sounds very dangerous,” Danitz gave an objective evaluation of the latter idea.

Anderson’s smile became more obvious.

“Indeed. It is very dangerous. I do not even know whether it is feasible.

“But do you not find something this difficult and challenging very interesting? At the very least, it fits my aesthetic better than the first method.”

Danitz seriously shook his head.

“I do not.”

He then asked, half provocatively and half probing,

“Do you not have quite a bit of inheritance—no, property—in a certain place? I can help deliver your ashes back there.”

Anderson did not get angry at all. He nodded solemnly.

“When the time comes, you may consider directly eating my ashes.”

…Why is this fellow completely unaffected by provocation… The corner of Danitz’s mouth twitched. He decided to give up and go find the captain to ask how he could obtain an item related to Vice Admiral Ailment.

…

Late at night, at 160 Böklund Street, just as Klein was about to go to sleep, he saw Miss Messenger carrying four blond-haired, red-eyed heads emerge from the void. One of them held a thin letter—already placed inside an envelope—between its teeth.

“Who sent it?” Klein habitually asked, reaching out to accept it.

Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads opened their mouths in sequence:

“The one…” “Who dislikes…” “Nicknames…” “Sharron…”