Klein had set the dream to be that of 160 Böklund Street. He produced many beauties that circled around Dwayne Dantès. He did this to perfectly create the image of a knowledgeable and experienced tycoon who could only let go in his dreams while holding back in the real world to uphold his reputation.
Sitting on a sofa and receiving a cup of red wine from a young lady, Klein found his surroundings suddenly change before he could even taste it. It turned from his brightly-lit villa filled with elegant beauties to a dark, humid, and dirty sewer.
Following that, he saw five familiar explosives in his hands.
Aren't these the ones I placed earlier? Klein was first taken aback as he pretended to jump in fright, throwing away the explosives as he looked around warily.
Noticing that there weren't any other abnormalities, he retreated one step at a time until he felt his way to an upright metallic ladder. He decisively climbed up, moved the manhole cover away, and left the sewer.
As he returned to Böklund Street, his dream shattered as he woke up.
Klein opened his eyes and found himself in a dark room. As he looked at the ceiling adorned in gold, he recalled his encounter.
This was done by that Marauder pathway's demigod?
He escaped the pursuit of the Nighthawks and is still hiding nearby. As he's afraid that the Black Emperor who exposed his whereabouts would appear again, he began steering dreams to seek out his target?
Very possible! If it wasn't because I can maintain my reason and lucidity when others infiltrate my dreams, I might have been driven by my subconscious to place the explosives again. After all, this is something I've done before, and the memory is still fresh in my mind...
Thankfully, I concluded the principle that a Marionettist should try to hide behind the scenes. Be it my exploration of the sewers, or meeting with Trissy, I had relied on my marionette. Even if it's because of the distance, I didn't choose to do it personally and had instead used my Spirit Body with the gray fog as a proxy while carrying items that can interfere with the prying of secrets and divination, making it impossible to determine who is the true mastermind. I would have long been discovered and targeted. Even if I didn't die, I would have to flee Backlund in a pathetic manner.
Upon thinking of this, Klein felt relieved. In the beginning, he wasn't certain of the secret hidden in the sewers. He had never expected it to be a demigod, but he had abided by the Marionettist's principles and followed his strict requirements. Hence, he avoided the tragic outcome of having his "act" exposed.
Backlund really is a dangerous place. Any mistake can result in trouble... As Klein reflected over the matter, he felt that his Marionettist potion had unknowingly digested a little.
After he composed himself, he chuckled inwardly.
It appears that demigod is still in Böklund Street. He's probably hiding in Hazel, or maybe even by her side.
Heh heh, if that demigod had infiltrated my dream a minute or two earlier, he would've met Snake of Fate Will Auceptin. Although this Sequence 1 angel is still in a weak phase, that's only relative to other angels like Ouroboros. Faced with a sneaky demigod who can't even parasitize Hazel, there likely won't be any trouble. Ignoring the other powers, just revealing a full Mythical Creature state would be enough to deal tremendous damage to a demigod who's equally weak.
I dare to bet that Will Auceptin must have sensed it ahead of time to choose that time window to come out; thus, successfully avoiding an encounter with any other demigods.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make that Marauder demigod understand how dangerous it is to randomly infiltrate dreams in Backlund... Leonard definitely knows this very well...
Klein reined in his thoughts and pretended as though nothing had happened. With Cogitation, he fell asleep again.
It was only when the sun rose high in the sky that he woke up naturally. He sat up, transformed into Gehrman Sparrow, and prayed, "...Please inform Ma'am Hermit that the angel has accepted the method to regain a certain amount of strength during one's weak stages. ‘He' has agreed to complete the transaction in late June or early July.
"You can also ask Bernadette about when I can meet her."
After completing the prayer, Klein transformed back into Dwayne Dantès, got out of bed, and entered the bathroom to wash up.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face; thus, becoming abnormally alert, he took four steps counterclockwise and headed above the gray fog. He then threw the scene of the prayer into the crimson star representing The Hermit.
...
On the docked Future, Cattleya watched Frank Lee step on the dock while filled with anticipation. He planned on finding some place to sell his items and save up 8,000 pounds to purchase the Druid Beyonder characteristic. She couldn't help but raise her hand to her forehead, feeling an inexplicable lack of confidence.
Although she believed that she could suppress Frank Lee, even if he was a Druid, thanks to her strength, mysticism knowledge, and mystical items, just the thought of his strange ideas, as well his terrifying ability to put them into action, made her feel that the problem wasn't that simple. She didn't wish for a watermelon to grow on her head or participate in the Tarot Gathering above the gray fog while covered with ears of wheat.
Thankfully, he still doesn't have the Druid potion formula. For now, I don't have to worry about him advancing to Sequence 5... Cattleya nudged her glasses as she comforted herself.
At this moment, an illusory fog emanated in front of her as Gehrman Sparrow's voice sounded in her ears.
That angel agreed? Cattleya's expression softened as she couldn't help smiling.
Once she obtained that drop of Mythical Creature blood, it meant that she was very close to the realm of a demigod!
She already had the Mysticologist potion formula. She has also completed the necessary conditions to exchange for a main ingredient from the Moses Ascetic Order. She also knew of the channel to obtain the other main ingredient, as well as the method to obtain it.
I just need to wait until July. July... Cattleya pursed her lips as her gaze penetrated the thick glasses while she surveyed her captain's cabin.
...
Thursday afternoon. Just as Klein finished a class on ancient literature, he heard the illusory, stacked pleas.
After heading above the gray fog, he discovered that the supplicant was The Hermit Cattleya.
Admiral of Stars had requested Mr. Fool to inform The World that Queen Mystic had agreed to his request. If he was in Backlund, they could meet near the entrance of the bridge on the south bank of the Tussock River at eleven in the evening.
Bernadette is still in Backlund... Klein conjured Gehrman Sparrow and gave a confirmatory answer.
At 10:58 p.m., he entered his bathroom and took out a paper figurine from his pocket.
Pa!
Klein shook it and made the paper figurine turn into a Dwayne Dantès who sat on the toilet with a book in hand as though he was daydreaming.
Then, he shortened himself by about four centimeters. His face turned thin as his facial contours became more pronounced. He had transformed into Gehrman Sparrow.
Right on the heels of that, the glove on his left hand turned transparent as countless illusory figures appeared within.
Following that, Klein saw the surrounding colors saturate before turning well-separated and stacked. His body then phased away from the real world.
He quickly traversed the spirit world, and, based on his location, kept adjusting his trajectory. In just a few seconds, he appeared at the south bank of the Tussock River where the Backlund Bridge entrance was.
At that moment, it was already late at night. There was no one on the bridge, and it was extremely silent. The only thing that could be seen was a platoon of soldiers guarding the bridge a short distance away.
Klein was just about to find Queen Mystic Bernadette's traces when he suddenly saw green pea vines droop down from the sky, interweaving to form a lush forest.
This "forest" didn't have a peak as the veins formed different paths that either intersected or spiraled before extending high into the sky.
Klein was taken aback for a second as he casually found a pea vine and hung over a tiny trail in midair before taking steps forward.
After an unknown period of time, he saw that the green plants were connected to a seat that resembled a hammock. It was gently shaking above him.
Queen Mystic was sitting there, wearing a white Intis-styled shirt and a dark-black jacket. By her waist was a thin rapier. Other than not wearing a triangular hat, she was dressed like a standard pirate captain.
She didn't only reveal her black leather boots like she did back when she interacted with Sherlock Moriarty in Backlund. At that moment, her chestnut hair cascaded down as her blue and deep eyes looked over. She gently said without any emotion, "Thank that existence behind you on my behalf."
So you are still quite respectful towards The Fool. Hmm, the few answers I previously gave her had likely resolved some of her confusion...
With the "mask" of Gehrman Sparrow on, Klein politely replied, "Alright."
Bernadette's eyes didn't shift as she continued looking at him.
"Is there something this time?"
Klein paused for a second as he said the words he had already prepared, "I wish to receive your help in reproducing the prolonged state of being contaminated by the core seal's power behind Chanis Gate of the Church of Evernight."
As he spoke, Klein made Wraith Senor appear beside him.
Bernadette looked deeply at the upright Admiral of Blood. Without asking Gehrman Sparrow how he knew that she had the means, she calmly said, "The core seals in the different cathedrals of the Church of Evernight are different. The state of contamination will also be different.
"Is it the Evernight pathway, the Death pathway, or something else?
"Is it a main diocese cathedral, or a typical central cathedral in a city?"
She had directly eliminated the option of the Church of Evernight's headquarters, the Cathedral of Serenity. This was because even a King of Angels wouldn't cast "Their" sights on it.
Klein thought for a moment before saying, "Diocese cathedral. Evernight pathway."
Bernadette nodded gently and said, "Then, I can allow him to suffer the corresponding contamination, but doing so will basically destroy this marionette of yours. It can still be used normally in the beginning, but with the passage of time, the contamination will worsen. He will slowly fall asleep, never to awaken."
"Can the time it takes for the complete contamination be pushed back?" Klein asked, holding back the pain of potentially losing a marionette.
Senor was one of the most valuable assets he had!
Bernadette said with a calm expression, "Two months is the limit."
Klein struggled inwardly for two seconds before replying in a deadpan manner, "Alright."
He then pressed his hand to his chest and bowed.
"Thank you for your help."
Bernadette didn't say a word as she retracted her gaze. She extended her right hand as words that were written in Jotun, Dragonese, Elvish, and ancient Hermes appeared in midair.
These words interwove into strange symbols with a star-like radiance, as though they were opening a secret door that led deep into the spirit world.
With the secret door opened, a gust of wind blew, conjuring the upper body of a man that was covered in white cloth.
"Sleep Bugle," Bernadette said gently but sternly.
The man who had a torso and wind for his bottom replied reverently, pulling out a human skull from the white cloth.
The skull's eye sockets were deeply recessed and dark; It was impossible to see the bottom. The rest of the skull was covered with holes of different shapes and cracks. It was white like a piece of jade.
Bernadette took the Sleep Bugle and glanced at Gehrman Sparrow.
"Go back at least fifty meters."
Klein didn't ask why as he left Senor in his original spot, and he quickly distanced himself along the pea vine path.
After exceeding fifty meters, he suddenly heard a distant and serene melody that was filled with sorrow and gloom.
Subconsciously, Klein looked up at the area covered by the pea vines. Bernadette was sitting with her back slightly hunched. Her chestnut hair was fluttering as her head was bowed. She had placed the human skull to her mouth, letting the orifices produce an air stream that appeared like the orchestrated movement of the night.
The movement brought with it the power of calmness and faint melancholy. Bit by bit, it spread out without alarming the soldiers guarding the bridge beyond the pea vine forest.
Klein stood there and listened seriously when he suddenly had a pining for home.
That was home, something that a traveler who had been drifting for a long period of time yearned for the most but was unable to touch.
