Just as Little Sun became increasingly certain that he and the others were not in the same world,based on the place names mentioned by Justice and The Hanged Man,Miss Justice suddenly asked:
"Rainbow Salamanders are close to extinction. Does that mean the Spectator pathway will soon be cut off?"
"No, there must be substitute materials," The Hanged Man answered in a very certain tone. Miss Justice immediately became curious,
"What kind of substitute materials?"
The Hanged Man shook his head with an expression of "I have a story, but you have no wine." Audrey was both confused and bewildered, but The Hanged Man simply smiled, "You'll understand in the future. Or would you like to pay now for this information?"
"I think I'll wait, then." Audrey puffed out her cheeks. She still had to use the information about Qilangos to trade for the Rainbow Salamander's pituitary gland. By comparison, this piece of information could be set aside for now.
Actually, Mr. Fool knew the answer to this, but before he could speak, The Hanged Man had already mentioned paying for the info. Seizing someone else's trade was not something the leader of a mysterious organization should do, so he gave up the opportunity to demonstrate his stature.
Seeing that no one else intended to speak, Snow cleared his throat. Instead of stealing The Hanged Man's business, he spoke in a playful tone, "A swindler named Lanevus has arrived in Backlund. He carries the divinity of the Fallen Creator within him, but he still seems to possess a degree of rationality and is trying to resist being replaced by the Fallen Creator. Currently, the Aurora Order is frantically searching for his whereabouts. However, due to recent events, the Aurora Order's forces in Backlund have been decimated. Thus, it can be predicted that he shouldn't be caught for a long time to come."
"The 'Fallen' Creator?!"
"Divinity!"
"Aurora Order!"
"Lanevus!"
Although the members of the Tarot Club each had different points of focus, they were all drawn into this news almost simultaneously.
But immediately afterward, they realized that without information on his appearance or behavioral habits, the value of this news didn't seem that high. Aside from Little Sun, who was still silently struggling with the title "Fallen Creator," everyone tacitly decided to investigate through their own secret channels,well, except for Mr. Fool.
In reality, because none of his close friends had been sacrificed, his current feelings were less about a desire for revenge and more about a sense of loss.
He had "transmigrated" to this world and lost his original family.
He had finally managed to build new bonds, only for them to be destroyed once more.
Currently, he was like a piece of duckweed without roots, having no idea where he should go.
But he knew very well that he couldn't stay like this. Although Ince Zangwill's act of killing him had freed him from the control of "destiny," it also meant that once he was exposed, not only would he be in trouble, but even Benson and Melissa might face danger.
Moreover, he wanted to become stronger and find a way back home.
Therefore, he couldn't just stop.
Mr. Fool tried to find things to do to keep himself busy and prevent himself from being driven mad by his sense of loss. And revenge seemed to be the only goal for him, a "wraith who had crawled out of hell."
But Ince Zangwill, who had already advanced to a demigod, was too far away. Lanevus, however, could perhaps become a milestone goal.
...
Returning to reality, Snow left the safe house in the Cherwood District and made his way to the Bravehearts Bar in the Bridge District, finding Kaspars Kalinin, whom he hadn't seen for several days.
"Why are you here again?" Seeing Snow appear in the billiards room, Kaspars immediately wore a look of disdain. Although he knew this kid, who was practically of his nephew's generation, had become "one of those people," he still didn't want him to step into the "dangerous world" casually.
"I need a gun, some bullets, and... do you have a reliable combat teacher?" Snow pulled a ten-pound note from his pocket and placed it on the pool table.
Kaspars frowned, then nodded, "That's no problem. I know a few retired knights. If it's just teaching combat, they should be fine. As for the gun, I suggest you first find a shooting club to practice, though the annual fees aren't cheap."
Snow nodded. Kaspars said no more, tucked the note into his pocket, and then said, "The gun is two pounds ten shillings. The bullets are on me. The rest of the money is the introduction fee for the combat teacher. Come back at this time tomorrow, and I'll give you an answer."
"Understood." Snow slowly put on the holster and adjusted it several times to ensure he could draw the gun smoothly. Then, he suddenly said out of the blue, "I have a way to heal your leg. Do you need help?"
"..." Kaspars's movements paused abruptly. He raised his head and looked at Snow with a heavy gaze.
"That's no easy task. You know, I know some people, but even a guy who could ignore bullets couldn't do anything about it."
"You should understand that different types of Beyonder abilities vary. I happen to belong to the type that's relatively good at this." Snow showed a confident smile. Kaspars hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook his head with a trace of conflict.
"Better not. I'm not young anymore. I've been lame for over ten years; I've long since gotten used to it. Moreover, given my job, it would be too conspicuous if I suddenly healed."
"Since you say so." Snow spread his hands and said no more. He simply picked up a pen and scrawled a line of Ancient Hermes on a slip of paper with Loen transliteration:
"Memorize the content above well, but do not recite it aloud. If,and I mean if,you ever encounter a life-threatening danger, recite this once. Living is better than anything."
"..." Kaspars gave Snow a thoughtful look, picked up the paper, read it twice, and then solemnly tucked it into his jacket. He didn't ask what was written on it, because he had understood Snow's meaning. "Living is better than anything" meant that reciting it might come at a cost.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: Rainbow Salamander (七彩蜥龙) - Being on the "brink of extinction" is a recurring theme in LotM, as many ancient Beyonder species have been hunted to near depletion, forcing the discovery of substitute ingredients.
A/N: Kaspars Kalinin (卡斯帕斯·坎立宁) - A contact for the underground world in the Bridge District. A tough man with a hidden soft side for those he considers "his own."
T/N: "Fallen Creator" (堕落造物主) - Snow uses this title for the True Creator in the Tarot Club to maintain his persona and distiguish his views as a "Devil."
T/N: "Living is better than anything" (活着比什么都强) - A classic pragmatist's line. In this context, it refers to the trade-off of using a god's honorary name to survive.