"Thank you, Mr. Fool, for granting me breakfast."
After performing his customary morning greeting to Mr. Fool, Snow climbed out of bed, rubbing his head. The side effects of being a Relativist were much better than he had imagined. In fact, from a certain perspective, they couldn't even be considered negative effects, which allowed him to enjoy a pleasant night's sleep in high spirits.
With the servants left behind by Mr. A, he no longer had to spend money on ordering meals. He made his way to the house across the street with light footsteps, welcomed by the butler as he stepped inside.
"Did anything happen with the guest yesterday?" Snow asked casually while eating the breakfast brought by a maid.
"While you were away, the guest occasionally appeared quite agitated, though he made no overly radical moves. The piano pieces you recorded were also very effective. Whenever they're played, the guest becomes quiet." The butler bowed slightly, updating Snow on Lanevus's recent status.
"Take me to see him." Snow nodded slightly, swallowing a mouthful of soft-boiled eggs mixed with toasted bread, and walked over to Lanevus's room in a few steps.
"It looks like you're doing quite well?" Snow asked with a playful look in his eyes as he looked at the relatively calm Lanevus.
"I'm not dead yet." Lanevus curled his lip, slumped lazily on a small sofa with a glazed expression, as if he had completely relaxed his mind.
But one shouldn't assume he had given up entirely. The power of the True Creator had difficulty crossing the seals of the Seven Gods to reach the Loen Kingdom. To gather enough power for a descent, He required the nourishment of a massive amount of negative emotions, which was the opportunity for a comeback afforded to Him by His authority over the "fallen nature of all living beings."
However, the negative emotions in the West District weren't as vast as those in the East District, the Dock District, or the Factory District. The calmer Lanevus remained, the slower the True Creator would erode him.
"I originally thought you would have run away by now." Snow watched Lanevus, the corners of his mouth curling slightly into a mocking smirk that belonged to a "pleasure seeker." It gave Lanevus a very unpleasant feeling--almost like looking into a mirror.
"Escape? Look at me. Where could I possibly run?" Lanevus maintained his slumped posture, speaking with a lack of energy. "If I step out of this house, I'll have to face the pursuit of the Aurora Order and be wanted by the three major churches. I'd even have to find a way to avoid the areas where those damned paupers live, all while guarding against the consciousness inside my body. Here, at least I don't have to worry about food or water, and I have more than enough time."
"It seems you've realized your situation. That's good. What's wrong with becoming a part of my Lord and walking upon the earth?" The smile on Snow's face grew increasingly dazzling. Lanevus simply closed his eyes and waved his hand dismissively.
"If you're done, then get out. It would be even better if you could stop that damned piano every day!"
"That won't do. After all, my Lord loves to listen to it!" Snow shook his head and turned to the piano room, once again playing a series of disjointed melodies.
He wasn't in a hurry to compose a full piece, instead meticulously selecting from the True Creator's ravings to create a feeling that he was almost successful, but still missing something. He needed to apply enough pressure to Lanevus.
'The new song is almost finished. Why haven't you run yet?' That was the message he was sending.
...
"Dammit!" Sensing another consciousness beginning to stir within his body along with the piano music, Lanevus gritted his teeth as he tried to steady his emotions. 'Does he know something? Or is he simply trying to provoke me to accelerate the True Creator's awakening?'
A barrage of thoughts flooded Lanevus's mind. Because he was an intelligent man, he over-analyzed Snow's strange behavior. 'No, he couldn't possibly know. Otherwise, he wouldn't have this attitude! He couldn't have intentionally delivered such power into my hands! He probably noticed I've been too quiet lately and came to test me!'
Lanevus thought with conviction, forcibly calming his emotions. 'But if it's just a test, this kind of bluffing shouldn't be enough. If I were him, I would also intentionally mention my schedule to deepen the other party's suspicion...'
Applying his own logic as a swindler to Snow's series of actions, Lanevus immediately felt he had seen through everything. About an hour later, when the piano music stopped again, Snow uncharacteristically returned to his room.
"By the way, I forgot to mention. I'll be busy for the next few nights. If you plan to escape, please hurry."
'I knew it!'
...
After lunch, Snow returned to his own doorstep and habitually opened his mailbox, starting to count the letters inside. Soon, he noticed one that was different--it was a letter from Kaspar.
'Why would that old guy write to me?' Snow raised an eyebrow, sensing that things weren't simple. He immediately tore open the envelope.
The content was simple--one sentence: "Maric is looking for you."
'There are no secret marks or anything like that. It should be fine.' Snow thought for a moment, then went to his basement to retrieve the sealed Baron of Corruption characteristic and placed it in his cigarette case. He then headed to Cherwood District to change his disguise. By the time he arrived at the Braveheart Bar, it was already one in the afternoon.
Instead of going directly to Maric's card room, Snow first visited the billiards room. Seeing Kaspar, who still looked full of energy, he relaxed slightly.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, you've finally arrived! What does Maric want with you?" Kaspar asked with a complaining tone when he saw Snow, stepping forward to give him a light punch on the chest.
"It's nothing, just a transaction. You know, Beyonders have different specialties. Maric belongs to the type that's good at fighting, while I lean toward providing support. It's like the difference between a soldier on the battlefield and a worker who manufactures guns." Snow gave Kaspar a light punch back, then waved his hand to stop a fellow player who was politely preparing to leave.
"I'm going to find him. Since you're fine, carry on with your game. Oh, and remember that piece of paper I gave you? Don't forget it if anything happens!"
"I remember!" Kaspar tapped his head lightly, indicating he wasn't old enough to be senile. Snow offered a slight smile and turned toward the card room.
...
Snow pushed the door open without knocking, ignoring Maric's wary expression. He sat down casually and spoke straight to the point. "Tell me what's on your mind. I have a ball to attend this afternoon."
Seeing this, Maric didn't waste any time. He produced a large stack of banknotes of varying denominations and placed them on the table. "There's six hundred pounds here. I want two charms."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]