'Is it already serialized to "I reject my humanity"? The reception seems decent. I wonder if the Beyonder readers will link Ripple to the Sun pathway... Well, the Stone Mask will definitely be seen as a high-level Beyonder item of the Vampire... or rather, the Apothecary pathway. If I get an Apothecary Beyonder characteristic in the future, maybe I should try making a Stone Mask for fun?'
In the evening, at his villa in Backlund's West District, Snow was flipping through letters from readers. While the story of Phantom Blood might be considered a standard, somewhat typical shounen plot by modern standards, for this era, it was more than captivating enough.
Not to mention, it featured Beyonder powers, vampires, nobility, revenge, and other classic elements. Though the story wasn't even halfway through, two or three publishers had already extended olive branches.
However, Snow wasn't in a hurry to agree. Among the networking connections left by his predecessor were several directors of Loen's largest non-academic publisher--the Backlund United Book Publishing House. By pulling a few strings, getting a book published shouldn't be a problem.
'I just wonder if the Tarot Club members will have any objections when it reaches the third part...'
Audrey's voice echoed in his mind: 'You actually called me an old lady!'
The Hanged Man's voice followed: 'You actually made me Justice's son!'
And everyone else's collective thought: 'You actually dared to imply Mr. Fool is a dog!'
At the thought, the corners of Snow's mouth curled upward. The idea of taking a break for the day was instantly tossed aside. Filled with motivation, he pulled out his typewriter and began to clack away furiously.
However, just as he wrote, "I'm returning to Lenburg next week to marry her," everything before his eyes suddenly became hazy.
Gray mist as thick as a tide instantly filled his vision. Deep within the gray mist, the image of a young man in a double-breasted formal suit appeared. His hair was black, his eyes were brown, and his facial features were blurred.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, I have prepared the charms Mr. Devil needs. Please inform him to provide a method for delivery. This is my anonymous account at the Backlund Bank..."
'Good grief, he's already learning and applying what he's seen?' Snow grumbled inwardly. He gave a soft smirk, paused his act of writing the Lenburg youth to death, and clasped his hands, beginning to pray in Ancient Hermes, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, you are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog, you are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck. I pray for your hearing, I pray for your gaze. I have received the information from your blessed one. This is the summoning incantation for my messenger. Please have him seal the charms with spirituality and deliver them to my messenger."
...
Having just returned the mutated Sun Sacred Emblem, Klein had only just arrived back at his home on Daffodil Street when he once again heard the layered, chaotic whispers. This time, he didn't assume it was Mr. Devil's "pre-meal prayer." Instead, he immediately returned to his room, walked four steps in reverse, and arrived above the gray fog, eagerly clicking on the deep-red star representing Mr. Devil.
Mr. Devil's familiar, layered voice echoed in his ears. Klein's face held a touch of surprise and confusion.
'I didn't expect Mr. Devil to have a messenger. But why didn't he use a messenger for the transaction with Miss Justice?'
Klein wasn't unfamiliar with messengers. In fact, on the night the last Tarot Club meeting ended, Madam Daly had sought him out to remind the Captain about the Acting Method, and at that time, she had told him the method for summoning her messenger.
But Madam Daly was a Sequence 6 Spirit Guide, whereas Mr. Devil should still be a Sequence 9, right?
'Still, he seems to possess very powerful mystical items and a wealth of hidden knowledge. Perhaps this messenger is a family heirloom?'
However, after hearing the summoning incantation, Klein understood. The incantation included Mr. Devil's real name. It was fine for "Mr. Fool's blessed one," but for Miss Justice, who was also in Backlund, it was certainly not convenient to disclose it directly.
'Mr. Devil, I'm afraid your identity has already been figured out by Miss Justice!'
Though he was partly responsible for Mr. Devil's mask falling off, Klein felt no guilt whatsoever. He refocused on the messenger's summoning incantation and pondered for a moment. He didn't return to reality immediately. Instead, he manifested a pen and paper. With a cautious mindset that was the complete opposite of his earlier reckless "Praising the Sun" in the Goddess's church, he wrote a line of divination:
"There is danger in summoning Snow von Pandrax's messenger."
Manifesting a spirit pendulum, he silently chanted the phrase seven times. Watching the pendulum rotate counter-clockwise, Klein felt a bit more at ease. He then tested other phrases like "There is danger in delivering goods using Snow's messenger" and "There is danger in contacting Snow's messenger." Finally, he was completely reassured.
Returning to reality, he sealed the three Solar Siphon Charms with spirituality. Using a silver dagger and Holy Night Powder, he constructed a sealed space. He then lit a candle and chanted in Ancient Hermes:
"I!"
"I summon in my name!"
"The spirit that wanders in the groundless, the friendly creature that can be driven, the messenger belonging exclusively to Snow von Pandrax!"
The candlelight turned a strange ghostly green, and a streak of light burst out from within like a bluish-gray ribbon, spinning frantically around the room.
"Dodo! Dodo!"
Though it wasn't any human language, Klein could understand the intention through the subtle connection established by his consciousness.
"Hurry up and give me the things!"
'This is Mr. Devil's messenger? Its appearance is quite a bit better than Madam Daly's messenger!' Klein mused, but he didn't dally, immediately handing over the three Solar Siphon Charms.
Dodo looked at the charms sealed with spirituality, a trace of distaste flickering in its pale-gold eyes. Still, it reached out two tiny short arms, snatched the charms, and vanished from the room with a whoosh.
'Is Mr. Devil's messenger an impatient one?' Klein narrowed his eyes, intending to dispel the sealed room. But before he could break the spiritual wall, the aura in the room turned dark once more. At the same time, the snake-like messenger reappeared in his vision, unceremoniously dropped a stack of cash, and vanished once again.
"So fast?" Klein looked at the stack of cash before him in shock. They were all ten-pound notes, a full sixty of them...
'Wait? Why sixty? Isn't it 300 pounds for each?' Klein instantly felt cheated. He was just about to "appeal" through Mr. Fool when he suddenly froze. He finally remembered that of the three Solar Siphon Charms, one was payment for the diaries from Mr. Devil!
'So, after buying the Beyonder materials, I'm still a broke soul?'
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
---
A/N: "I reject my humanity!" (我不做人了) - Dio's famous line from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
A/N: "I'm returning to my hometown to get married" - A classic "death flag" in ACGN culture.
T/N: Gray fog / 灰雾 - For consistency, "gray fog" is used for the narrative, though the Chinese character is sometimes preserved in the author's notes.
T/N: Dodo's distaste for the Solar Siphon Charms is because it is a spirit world creature, and the Sun pathway's power is naturally repulsive or harmful to such entities.