Leaving the hall, Raditz's steps were light, and he was in a good mood.
After coming to this Sea Island where even the air was filled with the scent of spices, Raditz always missed his days in Intis. Life in Bayam made him very unaccustomed.
Fortunately, there was a Red Theater here, and fortunately, there was a girl named Mera in the Red Theater. That girl, sometimes passionate, sometimes shy, made Raditz feel the sensation of first love.
He skillfully walked through narrow corridors and arrived at Mera's room, knocking on the door.
"Please come in," a familiar voice sounded from inside.
Raditz pushed the door open and saw a girl lying on the bed, reading a novel in the warm room.
Raditz immediately saw that it was the novel he had given Mera last time. It was a poignant love story, said to have been inspired by Roselle the Great for a certain author, thus coming into being.
"Good evening, beautiful Miss Mera." Raditz placed his hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and performed a noble's salute.
The girl on the soft bed covered her mouth and chuckled, standing on the bed and pretending to lift her skirt: "Good evening, Mister Raditz."
Raditz immediately closed the door, walked quickly forward, picked up the girl from the bed, buried his head in her chest, and took a deep breath, saying: "Mera, my dear Mera, heaven knows how much I miss you."
He put the girl down, and his hands began to explore. His burning breath sprayed by the girl's face; he was like a volcano about to erupt.
"Please wait a moment, Mister Raditz." The girl shyly pushed him away gently, "Please wait for me a moment, please let me wash up, let me serve you cleanly."
Raditz nodded: "I'll wait for you."
Watching Mera walk into a small door, Raditz hummed an Intis-style tune while taking off his clothes. He quickly stripped naked and fantasized about the wonderful spring night.
Just then, he heard a dry cough. He thought Mera had returned and quickly turned around, only to suddenly see two men standing silently behind him.
And, they had a full view of his 'spring night.'
"Oh, no!"
Raditz screamed, quickly pulled up a bedsheet, wrapped it around his waist, revealing two hairy legs. He looked at the two men in a panic, especially the muscular man over two meters tall, which made him feel a chill in his backside.
"Who are you, what do you want, help, someone!"
"Wait."
Raditz suddenly froze, then pointed at the other man, who was well-proportioned, wearing a semi-tall top hat, with a faint scar below his left eye, and cried out: "I recognize you, it's you, that pirate, that damned pirate!"
"You even made me strip naked then, and you're looking at me again!"
"Believe me, sir, I didn't want to." Lex's mouth twitched, and he coughed dryly, smiling: "Please rest assured, Mister Raditz, my friend and I both like pretty and cute girls, so we won't do anything to you."
"What do you want!" Raditz glanced at the clothes nearby.
Lex chuckled. Levto, beside him, pulled out his revolver, Blood Praise, and pointed its dark muzzle at Raditz, making the administrator dare not move. Only then did Lex speak.
"I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Mister Raditz, which is why I'm meeting you in this unavoidable way. Please forgive me."
Raditz looked at the giant's revolver and said: "What questions? How about we talk after I put on my clothes?"
Lex shook his head, holding up a finger: "According to a survey, people are most honest when they are unclothed. Among one hundred volunteers, over seventy found it difficult to lie in such a state, over twenty felt unnatural when lying, and only a few were inherently liars, for whom wearing or not wearing clothes made little difference."
Raditz said exasperatedly: "Who would conduct such a boring study!"
Lex shrugged: "Who cares? Anyway, if you want to put on your clothes quickly, answer my questions."
Raditz sighed, saying helplessly: "Then ask."
Lex nodded, smiling as he asked: "Do you like Miss Mera?"
Raditz said impatiently: "Isn't that obvious? But after tonight, I won't see her again."
"What did you eat for dinner?"
"Your questions are really boring."
"Please answer truthfully."
"Damn it, I had grilled fish, potato bread, and a glass of beer tonight."
"How many times have you been to the Red Theater?"
"Four times!"
"Does the Reaper have a corresponding ritual?"
"I don't know."
The administrator, who had been answering fluently, paused, then realized what he had just answered. He stared at Lex dumbfounded: "Are you preparing for advancement? Are you a Conspirer now?"
Lex touched his nose: "That's not something you should be concerned about. You don't know the Reaper's ritual?"
"Like I said, I don't know. I've only seen the Reaper's formula, but I don't know if there's a corresponding ritual. Sir, perhaps you should reacquaint yourself with me. I'm just an administrator." Raditz's righteous demeanor made him seem not to be lying.
Of course, Lex wouldn't rely on his intuition for such an important matter.
The clothes behind him wriggled, then a mouth appeared, saying in a voice only Lex could hear: "He's not lying."
Lex nodded, spreading his hands: "Then, let's change the subject. Is your work in Bayam going smoothly? Have you recruited new members for the Iron and Blood Cross Order?"
Raditz shook his head: "This isn't easy. Those guys look down on low-sequence Beyonder. They say new members must at least be Pyromaniac level, which is already mid-sequence."
"Beyonder of this sequence are either core members of an organization or power, or they are accustomed to working alone. In either case, they almost never choose to join the Cross Society."
"What's more, there aren't many Pyromaniac. If you ask me, if they want to recruit new members, they should go to the Feysac Empire. It's just that almost all the Hunters there are associated with the royal family, so they probably wouldn't think much of us."
Lex chuckled and said: "Then, you might be able to tell your superior that a Pyromaniac is interested in the Iron and Blood Cross Order, and perhaps he can be recruited as a new member."
"Who?"
Suddenly, Raditz reacted, looking at Lex, "Are you crazy? You actually want to join us this way? You want to investigate the Reaper's corresponding ritual?"
"Although you're not entirely right, it's close enough." Lex smiled: "You'll help me with this, won't you?"