In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.
Just as Xio entered, she caught the scent of fried food. She couldn't help but twitch her nose and looked towards the kitchen.
"Fors?"
"Would there be anyone else?" Fors peeked her head out from the kitchen and asked with a smile.
Xio put down the papers in her hand, half-surprised and half-grumbling, "Do you still remember how long it's been since you stepped into a kitchen? Eh, making toast in the morning doesn't count."
Fors returned to the kitchen, leaving only her voice behind.
"I choose the food outside because they're better. And now, the surrounding streets don't have any good fried chicken.
"I suddenly had cravings for it. When it comes to Intis cuisine, I like it the most!"
Xio walked to the kitchen and leaned against the door frame as she watched Fors busily prepare dinner. She deliberated and said, "I received a job. 100 pounds a day. Ranging from three to five days, but I need another helper.
"Weren't you previously lacking in money. Why don't we do it together?"
Actually, my financial situation has improved... However, a mission that pays 50 pounds a day isn't bad. I'll save up as much as I can. There will be plenty of places that require me to spend money in the future... As Fors watched her oil-filled pot, she asked, "What kind of job is it?"
She had already calculated how much she could receive.
Xio combed her slightly coarse blonde hair and said, "Secretly protect a tycoon named Dwayne Dantès."
"What did he encounter? Will it be very dangerous?" Fors asked cautiously.
Xio recalled and said, "Apparently there was some kind of business conflict, and his competitor has threatened him.
"This isn't anything dangerous. As you are aware, the powerful Beyonders in Backlund wouldn't dare to take any risks, as it's easy to expose themselves, causing them to be targeted by the Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers."
"Perhaps the other party is a lunatic? You can't rule that out." While retorting, Fors naturally thought of The World Gehrman Sparrow. This gentleman was a lunatic who dared to pull off major upsets in Backlund!
She paused and scooped up the pieces of fried chicken.
"Since you've already accepted the mission and I have nothing coming up recently, let's do it together.
"It's good too. We will be protecting him in secret, so no one will discover that I'm a bodyguard. Otherwise, I'll have no way of participating in those literature saloons. Heh heh, actually, I can tell them that I'm experiencing life and gathering material. My next novel will be about a female bodyguard and her male employer!"
Xio was already used to Fors's penchant for letting her thoughts wander. She scrunched up her nose and said, "Let's head over after dinner."
...
160 Böklund Street. Klein had set up a ritual in the master bedroom's bathroom and headed above the gray fog.
He planned on handling some random matters before the bodyguards hired by Butler Walter came—it wouldn't be convenient for him to do them in the coming days.
And among these random matters, the most important task was to confirm the situation with the Creeping Hunger.
Sitting behind the seat belonging to The Fool, Klein made the human-skinned glove fly out from the junk pile.
After a series of divinations, he discovered that the Creeping Hunger was rather stubborn this time. None of the negative side effects had changed.
It's a result of Mr. A's corruption, so it's absolutely not giving up its praise of the True Creator? The corners of Klein's mouth twitched as he seriously considered the solution to this matter.
Find another way to threaten it? No, how can I call it threatening? Under the premise of being proactive, I will be engaging in friendly communication with it... Klein rapped the corner of the long mottled table and muttered silently, I'll be writing to Mr. Azik later anyway. I can also mention in passing that the Creeping Hunger's seal is no longer effective.
I can also bring some mushrooms along with me. No, that wouldn't work. Although it will stop the Creeping Hunger from praising the True Creator, it will make it unusable. Hmm... I'll get a few of the original mutated mushrooms from Frank to see if there are other effects...
After determining his thought process, Klein threw Azik's copper whistle and the adventurer's harmonica through the Door of Sacrifice and Bestowment before returning to the real world. He packed up the ritual items and wiped away any traces of the ritual.
After leaving the bathroom, Klein walked to his study desk, taking out a fountain pen and paper as he deliberated over the things to say.
"Dear Mr. Azik... It's been a while since I've written to you. I wonder how you've been recently...
"...Due to certain unforeseen circumstances, your seal on the Creeping Hunger is no longer effective. Can you give me the corresponding method? I wish to apply the seal on it again...
"...Have you heard of creatures known as Spirit World Plunderers? What level are they, and what kinds of characteristics do they have? Where are they usually active in?"
"...I might be heading to the Southern Continent in the near future. If I obtain any new information on Death, I'll write to you as soon as possible..."
Putting down the fountain pen and reading it twice, Klein folded the letter and blew the copper whistle.
Silently, white bones spewed out from the floor, gushing out like a fountain into midair, forming a giant skeleton that was nearly four meters tall.
The skeleton lowered its head to glance at Dwayne Dantès before bending its back, bending its right arm and spreading open its palm.
This messenger is becoming more polite... Klein nodded in satisfaction, handing it the letter.
The skeleton messenger didn't stay, and it immediately disintegrated, pouring down like a waterfall before rapidly vanishing.
Klein silently heaved a sigh of relief as he retracted his gaze and continued writing a letter to Frank.
"...The dried mushrooms you provided were pretty good. Do you still have more?
"...Do you find the idea I previously mentioned viable? If you encounter any difficulties during the research process, you can write to me..."
After folding the letter, Klein blew into the adventurer's harmonica.
He saw Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr appear by his side. She still lacked a head as she wore a complicated black dress while holding four beautiful blonde, red-eyed heads.
"Can you lock onto Frank Lee?" Klein asked rather confidently. After all, Miss Messenger was unlike ordinary messengers. She was a spirit world creature at the demigod level.
Under normal circumstances, a messenger could only locate the contractor or the person who held the summoning ritual. As for the latter, there was a limitation. Once the ritual was too far away, the messenger wouldn't be able to find them.
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads turned in unison and looked at Klein.
"Yes..." "It's that..." "Man..." "Who wants..." "To..." "Plant..." "Everything..." "Right?"
"..."
What did Frank do to leave such a deep impression on Miss Messenger... Back when I replied, she even said that she hoped that he wasn't dead... Klein nodded seriously.
"Yes."
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads spoke one after another.
"Can..." "Locate..." "I labeled..." "Him..."
Ah? Klein turned agape, nearly forgetting his motives.
Poor Frank, no, the great and powerful Frank. He actually got Miss Messenger to specially label him... May the Goddess watch over him... Klein silently exhaled and handed the letter to Reinette Tinekerr.
"Please hand it to Frank.
"He will pay you the gold coin."
One of the heads in Reinette Tinekerr's hand opened its mouth and bit down on the letter. Then, it directly entered the spirit world, unable to be sensed again.
After dealing with these matters, Klein left the copper whistle and harmonica on him. He went downstairs to have dinner.
Midway, Walter entered and whispered into Dwayne Dantès's ear, "The bodyguards have arrived. It's that Miss Xio and her friend from before. I will arrange for them to secretly provide you protection."
Miss Xio and her friend? Don't tell me it's Miss Magician... Klein was momentarily at a loss for words as all he could do was gently nod, acknowledging the new tidbit of information.
His spirituality actually didn't sense that someone had "infiltrated" his house. However, this was very normal since it wasn't time for most people to sleep for the night. When it was that period of time, any abnormalities became rather obvious. Therefore, unless Klein specially used his spirituality to leave undetectable marks at key spots, or if the intruder had plenty of ill intentions towards him, he would find it difficult to notice them.
...
In a bedroom on the third floor, Xio and Fors each took a window. Through the glass, they looked down at the garden.
"This is my dream house. When I have enough money, I'll buy a house just like this in a scenic area. No, I'll still choose Backlund. There are more delicacies here, and it's more convenient," Fors said sincerely.
With that said, she sighed inwardly.
Unfortunately, I have the curse of the full moon. I can only continue improving myself. Otherwise, I'd have kept a house instead of selling it for cash...
Xio traced her friend's gaze and looked outside, whispering, "I lived in such a residence when I was little..."
Fors stole a glance at Xio. As she had no idea what to say, she changed topics.
"How should we provide him with protection?"
Xio retracted her gaze.
"When Mr. Dwayne Dantès is home and without guests, we'll just hide in the room and watch the surroundings to prevent anyone from infiltrating...
"When there are guests, we'll head to the adjacent room and keep close attention to any developments. We'll open the door at any moment to save him...
"If Mr. Dwayne Dantès were to head out, the butler will inform us ahead of time. I'll hide underneath the carriage to protect him while you'll follow on another carriage..."
"Xio, you're becoming more and more professional!" Fors seriously praised her before chuckling. "I saw Mr. Dwayne Dantès's portrait just now. If you hadn't told me that the danger arose because of a business conflict, I would've suspected that the problem arose because of love..."
Before Fors finished her sentence, she suddenly saw a carriage stop outside the compound. Following that, a few policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms got out of the carriage.
What's happening? She looked at her friend and found Xio looking equally puzzled.
...
Inside the living room on the second floor, Klein met the four officers.
"Mr. Dwayne Dantès, do you know Mr. Cuarón?"
Cuarón? Klein tried recalling and remembered that it was the gentleman who had sold him the Coim Company shares.
"Yes, what happened to him?" Klein asked calmly.
The officer that led the team replied in a rather polite manner, "He committed suicide."
"In addition, he left behind a will, accusing you of forcing him to sell his shares and torturing him using all kinds of underhanded means, causing him to suffer from severe depression.
"And his family has provided proof regarding the contents of his will."
