Chapter 122: A Different Kind of Enemy

Chapter 122: A Different Kind of Enemy

Hearing the fat Apothecary’s question, Klein laughed inwardly, but outwardly remained cold.

“It begins from the moment you make the first payment.”

Darkwill first took out a large stack of cash without hesitation, then counted it with heartache.

“This is three hundred pounds.

“You may fulfill the agreement now.”

Klein took the notes, nodded, and said, “No problem.”

Darkwill instantly relaxed considerably, like a drowning man finally grasping a life buoy.

More than half an hour later, inside Tiana Inn, Darkwill stared blankly as the powerful adventurer Gehrman Sparrow said to the night-shift receptionist, “Change to a luxury suite.”

After speaking, Klein stepped back two paces, as though making way for the fat Apothecary.

Darkwill swallowed and asked hesitantly, “I am paying?”

“During a mission, all expenses are borne by the employer. That is an adventurer’s rule,” Klein replied without changing expression.

I would believe you if I were a stupid donkey! If you call a few ladies from the Red Theater over, do I have to pay for that too? After thinking for a moment, Darkwill squeezed out a smile.

“We can use an ordinary room. That will make protection more convenient.”

“Then you may stay there alone,” Klein replied, playing Gehrman Sparrow effortlessly.

Darkwill laughed dryly twice, walked to the counter, and said expressionlessly, “One luxury suite.”

After they truly checked in, he entered the smaller bedroom. While opening the window to leave a “door” for the owl, Mr. Harry, he took the ring box from his pocket and checked the condition of that strange die.

After confirming that the die remained the same as before, with the four-pip side facing upward and no change, Darkwill silently exhaled.

…

Backlund, inside an ordinary house.

Ince Zangwill woke from deep sleep. His first reaction was to confirm his own condition.

This was something he repeated every day, because he had no way of knowing what stories 0-08 would weave after he fell asleep, or what accidents it would bring.

After confirming that he was not injured, Ince Zangwill put on polished leather boots and stood.

As expected, he saw 0-08 quietly resting upon the desk like the most ordinary and common quill pen.

However, last night, it had clearly been locked inside a metal box covered in layer upon layer of symbols and magical marks.

With a grave expression, Ince Zangwill walked over. With one hand, he gripped 0-08. With the other, he flipped open the nearby notebook and discovered nearly a full new page of writing:

“Ince Zangwill could not recall what he had done last night, but he sharply noticed certain problems.

“He looked into the mirror and found that the person inside actually felt unfamiliar, as though another Ince Zangwill had been born within his body.

“He lowered his head and saw obvious abnormalities beneath his fingernails, but no matter what, he could not recall what he had done last night…”

After reading that passage, Ince Zangwill instinctively looked toward the full-length mirror inside the room. He saw that the man within still had one blind eye, his classical-statue-like face bearing not a single wrinkle. Yet at the corners of his mouth, a faint smile lingered, forming a stark contrast with his grave gaze.

At that moment, Ince Zangwill felt that his complexion was somewhat green, that the area beneath his eyes was dark, and together with that smile whose origin he knew nothing of, his overall appearance seemed exceedingly sinister, vicious, and strange.

He lifted both hands, lowered his head, and saw pieces of already-dried black mud trapped beneath his fingernails, as though he had gone into the garden at midnight and dug around tree roots.

Although he had already switched from the Death pathway to the Evernight pathway and become a Nightwatcher, Ince Zangwill had not lost his previous Beyonder powers. He remained a powerful spirit medium, a mentor in the domain of the dead. Therefore, he immediately intended to communicate with the spirits inside and outside the house and learn what exactly had happened last night.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the final passage written in the notebook:

“Ince Zangwill tried to channel spirits, but sorrowfully discovered that he gained nothing at all. It seemed an equally professional person had erased all the clues. He was very worried. He did not know what exactly he had been drawn into last night.”

Ince Zangwill’s expression became increasingly heavy. He attempted spirit channeling and, as expected, obtained no pleasantly surprising result.

…

Wednesday morning, outside the Fragrant Tree Leaf Bar, which had already changed its hidden owner.

Klein circled into a quiet alley and met Urs Kent, who was carrying a small suitcase.

“Your bounty.” Urs Kent threw over the not-very-large suitcase.

This was not truly a bounty in the proper sense. It was a military advance. The actual bounty involved the Governor-General’s Office and the kingdom’s finances. Many procedures needed to be completed, and it would take at least another three days.

Klein caught the suitcase, opened it on the spot, and saw neat stacks of banknotes inside, mostly in one-pound and five-pound notes.

“A total of 5,400 pounds. No deduction,” Urs Kent said with a forced smile.

If it had been some other adventurer, he would have given at most 4,000 pounds, leaving the rest as income for the chain of people involved.

But facing this mad fellow, whose strength was approaching that of a pirate admiral, Urs Kent, fearing he might be shot on the spot, could only work for free.

The military probably would not try to cheat me with counterfeit notes… Klein grabbed a stack of cash and casually shook it once.

Five thousand four hundred pounds… Darkwill, hiding outside the alley, heard Urs Kent’s words and secretly glanced at the suitcase. His eyes were nearly dazzled by the stacks of thick, textured gold-pound notes inside.

It was the first time he had ever seen so much money gathered together.

“Adventurer really is a money-making profession. Hunt down one pirate and you get thousands of pounds. Protect me for three days and earn one thousand pounds plus one request. Occasionally they can even find sunken ships and treasures… Why did I choose Apothecary instead of adventurer? If only I had known earlier, I should have chosen that lucky Beyonder pathway…” Darkwill thought with abnormal envy.

But he quickly remembered reality: most adventurers were not actually that wealthy. Even if they truly made a fortune, one-third of their income had to be contributed to Apothecaries—either to treat injuries, remove old ailments, buy medicine to heighten pleasure, or deal with hidden illnesses.

It is still safer to be an Apothecary… Darkwill sighed deeply in his heart.

At that moment, Klein, who had only roughly confirmed the amount instead of counting carefully, closed the suitcase and said to Urs Kent, “I will be leaving Bayam for a while. If there is any information, how should I notify you?”

“You are leaving Bayam?” Urs Kent asked back, slightly astonished.

Klein nodded lightly.

“I accepted a bodyguard mission.”

At first, Urs Kent understood. Then an indescribable sense of relief surged within him.

If this lunatic stayed in Bayam for a long time, he would one day cause a major incident. It is better for him to drift at sea and fight those pirates… Urs Kent immediately smiled.

“You can send a telegram directly and attach my address. We have people in the telegraph office.”

“Alright.” Wearing a black woolen coat, Klein said no more. He picked up the suitcase and turned to leave the alley.

Together with Darkwill, he headed straight to the harbor district, preparing to board the earliest passenger liner to Oravi Island. The owl flew among the roadside trees, furtive and sneaky. They had already bought black-market tickets the previous night.

The half hour before boarding was extremely tormenting for Darkwill. He feared that the person who had betrayed his teacher would suddenly arrive and attack him.

This emotion persisted until he entered his first-class cabin and then finally eased—once the passenger liner entered the sea, it would be very difficult for a Beyonder without flight ability or a ship of their own to intercept it midway.

“Hurry and set sail. Hurry and set sail…” Darkwill looked out the window, muttering to himself.

By then, the owl had already followed him in and perched on his left shoulder. Klein sat in a chair inside the room, guarding against any attack that might come.

Just then, the sky rapidly darkened. The wind grew stronger and stronger, while the moisture in the air rose noticeably.

“A storm?” Darkwill widened his eyes and blurted out.

That meant the ship might not depart on time. It might be delayed several hours!

And in that case, Darkwill would have to bear many unnecessary risks.

He turned to Gehrman Sparrow and squeezed out a smile.

“Do you have any way to solve this?”

I do, actually. For example, you could immediately pray to Sea God Kalvetua, and I could go above the gray fog to respond and disperse this storm… But without a doubt, within minutes, perhaps even dozens of seconds, Sea King Ain Kottman would rush over, while his attack would arrive even sooner… Klein looked at the fat Apothecary and calmly replied, “I am only an adventurer.”

Darkwill knew he truly should not have unnecessary expectations. He silently cursed the weather, turned back, stuck his head out the window, and studied the specific situation.

Boom!

A bolt of silver-white lightning struck downward. Before Klein could react, it struck Darkwill squarely.

Darkwill instantly convulsed and collapsed. Smoke rose from his body, his skin charred, and arcs of electricity danced over him.

Klein was nearly stunned. This was the first time he had ever seen someone struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.

This is way too unlucky… For a brief moment, he actually forgot to rescue Darkwill.

The owl, Mr. Harry, was similarly stunned for several seconds before screeching, “Quick, quick! There is a bottle of potion in the second hidden pocket on his left. Feed it to him!”

This owl can talk… Klein raised an eyebrow, stepped forward a few paces, bent down, found the blood-red potion, and forcefully poured it into Darkwill’s mouth.

After nearly two minutes, Darkwill finally regained consciousness. As pieces of blackened skin fell from him, he struggled to stand.

“I… I will go treat my injuries.”

He staggered into his bedroom and locked the door.

After doing all this, he took out the ring box and opened the lid with a heavy heart.

Inside the ring box, where there was almost no room for turning, the milky-white die had at some unknown point changed. The red two-pip side was now facing upward!

In the sitting room outside, Klein stood in place, recalling everything that had just happened. His brows gradually furrowed.

At that moment, he inexplicably felt that the enemy he would face in this bodyguard mission might be different from all enemies before.

Only after Darkwill had roughly recovered and come back out did Klein sit in the chair, lean forward slightly, and speak.

“Explain.

“This concerns how I will provide protection.”