Attending a high society banquet for the first time was not exactly a pleasant experience for Lynch.
True, he had successfully made his debut in the Rhine social circle, and his performance had been highly praised. Even a professional like Miss Valente considered his conduct impeccable, laying a solid foundation for the future.
Yet, Lynch constantly felt surrounded by hostility and hidden agendas. It was stifling. He would much rather be at home pinning little Martha down for a scolding, or eating sugary honey biscuits with others in the square in front of the train station.
It was not until he left the Count of Lorand's residence and saw the carriage bearing the Valente family crest that he felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of relief.
How strange. Not only did his mood lighten, but even the moonlight felt gentler. It must be the work of my neighbor.
【Hm?】
Nothing, just a nice view.
The old butler, with his snow white hair and impeccable attire, looked more like a gentleman of Lande than Lynch himself. He stood by the carriage. Though he appeared to be at least sixty or seventy years old, he remained sharp and energetic, performing his duties with meticulous precision.
“This is Mr. Louis, the butler of the Valente family. He has retired in recent years, but worried about me coming to Rhine alone, he followed along. The house here is quite small, so only six people came with us.”
Could you please drop the 'only'? Also, why is your butler glaring at me? I haven't offended him.
Lynch wore an innocent expression, feeling as though the old butler might use his cane to rap him on the head with an elegant flourish at any moment.
“Hehe, Mr. Louis watched me grow up. Anyone who bullies me gets their legs broken by Mr. Louis, so you must be very careful, Mr. Lynch.” Miss Valente covered her mouth and giggled before introducing him. “After we returned from the ancient city, I was recovering from my injuries. It was Mr. Louis who personally made the trip to Norin to report the situation to my father. It was also he who brought back my father's recognition of you.”
“Wait, why do I have to be careful? And so that wasn't just an excuse earlier?” Lynch was slightly surprised. “Was that really the Count of Valente's attitude?”
“Of course. One cannot speak carelessly about such things; one must be responsible. Besides, do not underestimate the magnanimity of the Valente family.” Miss Valente tilted her head and hummed softly. “Please get in the carriage. I will see you home. However, I am curious: what was it that made you leave the banquet in such a hurry? It is quite early.”
Lynch did not hesitate. Once inside the carriage, he shared his speculations with Miss Valente without holding anything back.
In this city, perhaps everyone harbored malicious intent and deserved suspicion, but there were two people Lynch trusted absolutely.
Officer Natalie Angel and Miss Diana de Valente.
It was not that he believed they were perfectly kind, perfectly just, or incapable of malice. It was simply that one was willing to spend the entire night fighting mystery to save a complete stranger like Lynch, while the other, despite her noble birth, was willing to use herself as a sacrifice and, in a crisis, offer to serve as a container for an evil god. If these two ladies also harbored ill intent and malice toward him, then so be it; he would even be willing to help them trap himself.
Therefore, Lynch was very frank, which made Miss Valente's eyes curve into crescents.
Honestly, why must she smile so beautifully? It shows no sense of civic duty at all.
However, after hearing Lynch's analysis, Miss Valente could no longer smile.
No one wants a manifestation grade mystery relic hidden near them, waiting to be unearthed. It is like sleeping next to a nuclear bomb that could detonate at any moment. If this thing went out of control, never mind Rhine City, even the surrounding cities would be completely destroyed. There would be no survivors.
Of course, the appearance of a manifestation grade mystery relic did not mean it would definitely go out of control. It might remain safe. But leaving one's life to probability was far too reckless. Especially for a lucky person like Lynch, who could stumble upon a manifestation grade mystery event just by visiting a bank; believing in odds was less reliable than believing in a lottery ticket.
In any case, it was a death sentence.
Miss Valente agreed with Lynch's view. It was best to get the gem into their own hands first; if that proved impossible, they could not make hasty decisions. Therefore, the top priority was to collect information from the sidelines to clarify exactly what was happening.
But that was a task for tomorrow. The most important question now was… young lady, could you explain where your carriage is taking me?
“Oh my, I went the wrong way. This is the road to my villa.”
You better have gone the wrong way…
Amidst laughter, the carriage hurriedly turned around and headed toward Villa Avenue, dropping Lynch off at the 221 apartment before driving away.
It feels a bit regrettable. Lynch watched the carriage disappear into the night, the corners of his mouth lifting involuntarily. He stood in the moonlight for a long time before smiling and returning to the apartment.
The lights were still on in the apartment, which surprised Lynch.
Although it was only the smallest gas lamp in the dining room, the dim yellow light still radiated endless warmth. Under the glow, the golden hair was particularly eye catching. It was Mrs. Maggie, slumped over the dining table, raising her head and rubbing her sleepy eyes, looking blankly at Lynch as he entered.
“You're back, Mr. Lynch.” Her soft voice carried a hint of drowsiness, making it impossible not to smile. “There is thick soup left in the pot. Let me heat it up for you. There couldn't have been much food at the banquet, and you must be hungry at this hour.”
Sigh, if only to protect this bowl of hot soup, I cannot let anyone cause trouble in Rhine City with a manifestation grade mystery relic. I might have been ignorant before, but now that I know, I must handle this matter well.
Having made up his mind, Lynch persuaded the drowsy Mrs. Maggie to return to her bedroom before turning off the lights and returning to his second floor bedroom by moonlight. He was truly tired after the last two days. Lynch washed up simply, threw himself onto the bed, and comfortably bathed in the crimson moonlight, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over his entire body.
Closing his eyes in comfort, Lynch began his nightly routine of harassment:
‘Neighbor, neighbor.’
【I am here.】
“Do you know of the Gate of Falsehood and Reality?”
【I have sensed it, but I have never come into contact with it, so I do not know it. Although its danger level to you is high, it does not belong to the memories of the Mythological Era.】
‘Even you know about it? That is no ordinary item. Hm? Wait, if you say that, does it mean that most things with a high danger level belong to the memories of the Mythological Era?’
【A portion of them, but there are also many exceptions.】
‘Is it very dangerous? Compared to an evil god?’
【All high danger level memories contain fragments of authority. The only difference between them and an evil god is that they lack a supreme will, but they possess special effects.】
‘I understand. It is also very terrifying, slightly inferior to an evil god in scale, but more troublesome to deal with.’
【You may understand it that way.】
‘Heh, I haven't heard you say that in a long time. I…’
“Meow~~~”
Just as he entered a half asleep state, a clear cat meow suddenly came from outside the window, seemingly right at the sill.
Lynch felt a jolt in his heart and sat up abruptly.
As he opened his eyes, he met a pair of ink green vertical pupils.
A black cat was squatting on the windowsill, lazily licking its delicate pink paws.
Countess Hathaway, or perhaps her cat.
Rate on N.U.
