Chapter 95: Princess

Chapter 95: Princess

Sharron dislikes nicknames? How does she know that? Has she communicated with Miss Sharron before? Hearing Reinette Tinekerr’s answer, Klein was first stunned. Then question after question surged up inside him.

In his view, under normal circumstances, messengers and senders would not communicate. The whole process was nothing more than appearing, taking the letter, and leaving.

Moreover, since when did this Miss Messenger need to seek someone’s permission before giving them a nickname? Had Frank Lee and Patrick Bryan ever expressed approval?

Several seconds later, Klein instinctively formed a guess: Miss Messenger and Miss Sharron were definitely connected in some way, and Reinette Tinekerr had no intention of hiding it.

Gathering his thoughts, Klein opened the envelope, unfolded the letter paper, and quickly browsed the contents:

“There is a matter with which I hope to receive your help. We can discuss the details in person at the Bravehearts Bar…”

Compared with before, Miss Sharron is not quite so stingy with words anymore. She has improved slightly. Is this a change brought by advancing to demigod? Klein thought for a moment, then walked to the desk, picked up a fountain pen, and wrote on the same sheet of paper:

“When would you like to meet?”

Putting down the pen, he glanced at Reinette Tinekerr, who stood nearby and had not left, as though waiting for him to write a reply. This made Klein feel even more certain.

He folded the paper and handed it over, speaking in a deliberately casual tone:

“To Miss Sharron.”

One of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads bit down on the letter paper, while the remaining three spoke in sequence:

“You…” “This time…” “Still…”

“Have not…” “Paid…” “Postage…”

…Klein cleared his throat, took out a gold coin, and handed it to Miss Messenger.

Watching Reinette Tinekerr disappear, he revealed a faintly thoughtful expression, walked back to his reclining chair, sat down, and waited patiently.

Less than a minute later, the Miss Messenger in the gloomy, complicated dress walked out of the void once again, biting the same sheet of letter paper in one mouth.

Klein did not ask anything. He accepted the reply, unfolded it, and glanced at it:

“If you have no issue with it, tonight would be best.”

Tonight… Klein nodded thoughtfully, then snapped his wrist, making the letter paper ignite with scarlet flames and quickly turn black.

The flames immediately expanded, enveloping his body as well.

When the stream of fire subsided, Klein’s figure had already vanished from the reclining chair. Flecks of ash swirled in midair and, under the blowing of an invisible wind, fell on their own into the nearby trash can.

In one house after another across Backlund’s North Borough, Cherwood Borough, and the Backlund Bridge area, the flames of gas wall lamps brightened slightly in succession before returning to normal one after another.

Before long, Klein appeared in a room he had privately rented near the edge of the East Borough. He changed clothes, put on gold-rimmed glasses, and went out in the appearance of Sherlock Moriarty. He traveled all the way to the Bravehearts Bar.

This time, he did not go looking for Ian, who was playing board games with a group of people in the card room. He tilted his ear slightly and listened for a few seconds, then reached out, pushed open the door to one of the billiard rooms, and slowly walked inside.

No sooner had he locked the door behind him than two figures outlined themselves on his left and right.

Seated on a tall stool on the left was Sharron, wearing a small soft hat and a court dress, with pale-gold hair and blue eyes. Compared to before, her complexion was no longer quite so deathly pale, only carrying a slight sense of blood loss. This made her deviate even further from the image of a female ghost and appear more like a doll.

Standing beside the billiard table on the right was Maric. This young man, who liked playing cards with living corpses, had grown even paler. The malice in his eyes that needed restraining was now less obvious, yet he gave others a direct, oppressive feeling.

“Good evening, you two.” Klein smiled, removed his hat, and gave a bow.

“Good evening, Detective.” Sharron floated up slightly, as though her body had no weight, and seriously returned the courtesy. Maric did the same.

At that moment, the billiard room felt especially haunted.

Klein casually pulled over a tall stool, sat down, and chuckled.

“What is the matter this time?”

“I am very sorry. I may have to trouble you again,” Sharron said, curtsying once more.

Maric followed immediately:

“We have reached an agreement with the Sanguine to cooperate against an important member of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.

“We will definitely handle the specific matters ourselves, including how to draw the target out, how to set the ambush, and how to act. We merely hope you can observe the entire process and, if an accident occurs, take us away.

“As for what you want in return, feel free to raise it. Everything can be discussed.”

In other words, I am the backup plan against accidents… What if that fellow Emlyn also asks The World for secret help? Then their plan would have two demigods as reserve forces… Uh, that seems workable too. I can appear as Sherlock Moriarty and have Qonas Kilgor play Gehrman Sparrow… Klein thought for a few seconds, not directly answering Maric’s words. Instead, he said,

“I have a few questions.”

After glancing at Sharron, Maric nodded slightly.

“All right.”

Klein looked toward Sharron, who sat on the tall stool like a doll.

“The Tutanssess II mummy you obtained earlier was prepared for your advancement to Sequence 4, Puppet. You are certain you have already become a demigod?”

This was something he had previously learned from their conversation and from her letters. His purpose now was mainly to confirm it once, opening the way for the following questions.

Sharron quietly met his gaze. Her voice sounded slightly ethereal, with a trace of airy, inhuman quality.

“Yes.”

Klein gave a light nod, then asked directly,

“What is your relationship with Reinette Tinekerr?”

Sharron’s blue eyes moved almost imperceptibly as she answered,

“She is my teacher.”

Teacher… She… Although Klein had already made some guesses, he almost inhaled sharply and felt his teeth begin to faintly ache again.

In an instant, although his expression appeared unchanged, countless thoughts bubbled up inside his heart:

…Miss Messenger was originally an angel?

I actually use an angel as my messenger? Is that not far too exaggerated?

She is also Miss Sharron’s teacher… Back when she applied to become my messenger, that matter was probably not so simple!

Looking at it this way, she must oppose the Mother Tree of Desire. When she signed a contract with me before, was it because she valued the fact that the Mother Tree of Desire had designs on me—no, would inevitably be my enemy?

No wonder Miss Sharron could relatively easily obtain the Puppet potion formula and corresponding materials. It turns out she had her teacher’s help…

As thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein decided to first ask one question, using Sharron’s or Maric’s answer to calm himself.

After a brief consideration, he asked,

“What exactly is the situation?”

This time, Sharron still answered. She spoke as evenly as Horamick’s mechanical puppet, like an object with no life:

“In the early Fifth Epoch, after Death fell, waves of resistance against the Balam Empire’s rule appeared in the Star Highlands, the Paz River Valley, and other regions of the Southern Continent.

“During this process, the Chained God appeared, and the Rose School of Thought was born. My teacher was originally the daughter of a highland ruler at that time. She later became a favored one of the Chained God and assisted Her father in establishing the Highland Kingdom.

“After that, She became a Sequence 2 angel and one of the leaders of the Rose School of Thought. She advocated Temperance, using an austere life of low desires to resist madness.

“Then, nine hundred and twenty-two years ago, the Son of God, Suah, descended, and everything began to change. Indulging desires and bloody sacrifices gradually occupied the mainstream.

“Originally, Teacher could still barely maintain things, preventing the Temperance faction from being affected. But as time passed, the Mother Tree of Desire’s influence grew greater and greater. Suah also successfully advanced several years ago, becoming a true Abomination.

“Internal war broke out. Teacher protected us as we fled the highlands, river valleys, and grasslands. I watched Her fall under the siege of Suah and other high-ranking members.

“However, She did not die completely. She had made certain preparations beforehand and resurrected in a special state within the spirit world, yearning for the completeness of Her body.”

So that is how it is… In other words, Miss Messenger currently has the essence of an angel, but not the corresponding strength. She is in a weakened state. No wonder she could not easily deal with Jacks, that Rose School of Thought demigod, back then… Wait. I have cooperated with quite a few angels, but why are all of them either incomplete or very weak? Aside from Madam Arianna, every single one of them is like that: Mr. Azik, Pallez Zoroast, Will Auceptin, Miss Messenger… Is there something wrong with my title of The Fool? Are they all waiting for me to provide Scholar of Yore charms? Klein felt enlightened, yet also rather emotional.

He did not ask why Reinette Tinekerr still yearned for money. After thinking for a moment, he said,

“Miss Sharron, the Rose School of Thought definitely does not lack the Puppet potion formula. After you obtained the Tutanssess II mummy, they most likely already considered you a demigod. In addition, Madam Reinette Tinekerr once appeared before a Rose School of Thought demigod and fought them. In other words, the Rose School of Thought must already know She is still alive and cannot possibly be unprepared against Her. And your teacher-student relationship with Her is not a secret to them.

“Under such circumstances, is it not too idealistic for you and Maric to use yourselves as bait and fish out an important Rose School of Thought member in Backlund?

“Do you think they would only send one or two demigods against you? And what level of help can the Sanguine provide?

“Also, I previously said that, because of a certain identity of mine, the Mother Tree of Desire values me greatly—so much that it even had the Abomination Suah personally act. The fact that your teacher and I have cooperated is something they are equally aware of.

“Combining all of this, it is not difficult to guess what sort of strike you would face if you appear.”

At this point, Klein’s expression grew solemn, and he asked,

“You two—are you trying to trigger a divine descent in Backlund?”

The entire billiard room abruptly became exceptionally quiet, yet Sharron’s expression did not change at all.