“In the end, they secured a wooden box and will soon be leaving Rhine. Their next move is unknown.”
Under the cover of night by the coast, Manager West of the Black Cat Theater stood beside Lynch and Miss Valente, the three of them watching the pitch black sea.
The lighthouse at the pier flashed bright beams into the night. In the distance, a massive steamship sounded its whistle, and black smoke mixed with white mist erupted, merging into the firmament.
Amidst the crashing sound of the waves, Lynch had relayed everything he investigated tonight to Manager West, only omitting the truth that it was the Flaming Red Lips.
Miss Valente, standing to the side, offered an inquiring look, as if worried—was this truly acceptable?
Lynch simply responded with a look of certainty, signaling for her not to worry.
Rest assured, he will not only agree to our request, but he will also thank us for it.
“Cannot continue the investigation?” As the two exchanged glances, West had already processed the results of Lynch’s investigation, a trace of disappointment appearing on his pale, handsome face. “The contents of the box are the main point, aren't they?”
“Absolutely impossible.” Lynch said it with such finality, as if he truly had no interest in it. “Do you know what continuing the investigation means? It means forcing us to charge into the hideout of the deep ones, turning over their nest while surrounded by dozens or hundreds of aliens, and digging out an inconspicuous little wooden box. Do you think we, two rank two soul manifestation soul severers, can accomplish that? We have no interest in trading our lives for intelligence, so the commission is hereby canceled. We will absolutely not engage in pointless risks.”
West frowned and said, “I thought the owner of that moonlight just now would not care about this level of danger.”
“This isn't a question of being afraid or caring, but a matter of insufficient strength. Besides, this isn't our own business; we have no obligation to take such risks. If you are interested, you are welcome to find it yourself.”
West shook his head and sighed: “Following the ancient R'lyeh Protocol, I cannot charge into the territory of the deep ones, otherwise I would have wiped them out long ago.”
That makes things even easier.
Lynch forcibly suppressed the corners of his mouth from curling upward, hesitated for a moment, and then said with feigned helplessness: “Fine, if you really want me to continue the investigation, it isn't impossible, but we cannot sit and wait for results like before. You must contribute some effort.”
“Really? Then I am truly grateful.” Manager West did not seem to notice anything amiss and appeared relieved. “What do you need me to do?”
Miss Valente, listening from the side, suddenly covered her mouth with her folding fan and nodded repeatedly. For some reason, her shoulders were shivering as she nodded; perhaps the sea breeze was too cold.
Perhaps she had never seen such a fine opportunity where a powerful ally offered themselves up to be embraced.
Lynch smiled and said nonchalantly: “First, I need you to help divert their main force and drag out time as much as possible to reduce the pressure on my infiltration. I assume this shouldn't violate the R'lyeh Protocol you mentioned earlier?”
Manager West frowned and pondered for a while before nodding: “Very well, as long as I do not invade their nest, it does not count as a violation of the protocol.”
“Second, their nest is on the seabed, but we are human. This is an impassable chasm for us.”
“Hmm, that is indeed a big problem. Let me consider it. You tell me the third one first.”
“Finally, the third. To compensate for the psychological trauma of facing such danger, the reward must be paid in advance. We must first know the information regarding the Flaming Red Lips.”
“That is easy to handle. The Flaming Red Lips were discovered in a tribe on the New Continent and have been in the hands of Princess Chloe for two years. Because the indigenous people of the tribe were all silenced, few people know the true properties of this gemstone. Most, including the Salter royal family, simply regard it as a very beautiful jewel. Thus, they let Princess Chloe bring it to Rhine.”
“Two years?” Lynch frowned, feeling this timeline was very familiar. The anomalies in the entire Norin-Rhine Railway project seemed to have started exactly two years ago. Could there be a connection?
“Yes, at least two years. However, she only began publicizing that the gem was in her possession in the last few months, and she has displayed it at balls several times, as if afraid that others would not know. I have never seen the gem myself, but it is said to be truly beautiful. Even William, the eldest prince of the Rose family, was moved by it and wanted to borrow it for use at his twentieth birthday banquet, to wear it while receiving the investiture of Emperor Rudolph II and become the Crown Prince of Lande. That is why Chloe brought the item to Rhine, and no one suspected this move.”
“So you just said that the whole world treats the Flaming Red Lips as an ordinary gemstone with a legend, but in reality? What is its essence?”
“A gemstone.”
“Hey.”
“People spread the rumor that the secret of that mystery relic is hidden within the Flaming Red Lips because they have confused the real gem with the fake one. The real Flaming Red Lips is just an ordinary gem, while it is the fake one that hides the secret of that mystery relic.”
“Then what is the fake one?”
The corners of West’s mouth curled into a mocking smile: “A replica.”
“Hm?” Lynch suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
“Replicas of the Gate of Falsehood and Reality do not exist forever; they generally exist for one or two hundred years, and at most no more than a thousand. Only the fake Flaming Red Lips is an exception, having persisted since the Second Age, though the reason is unknown. Since that mystery relic has not appeared since the end of the Third Age, the items it replicated have also vanished one by one. Now, it is highly likely that this is the only replica left in the world.”
West explained:
“Because it is a replica, its existence originates from that mirror, so there is a connection between them. By following this connection, one can find the mirror, though I do not know the specific method.”
So that was it.
Lynch and Miss Valente exchanged a glance, realizing that their previous concerns were not without reason.
So she didn't want to lend the fake gem to Prince William, which is why she directed and acted out a theft scenario? When Prince William wanted to borrow the item, was it simply to borrow a treasure, or did he have other motives?
“That is all the inside information I have regarding the Flaming Red Lips. I heard that the detective was commissioned to find that replica; it seems to be true. Then I wish you good luck. Such things often automatically attract danger, and finding them is usually very difficult and may involve risking your life.”
Indeed, which is why I am here to find a powerful ally to embrace, right?
Lynch smiled with deep meaning: “Then I will not hide it either. I discovered that the deep ones' temporary nest is likely hidden in a sunken ship—one they sank themselves, a cargo ship from the Morale & Son firm.”
“Then that is correct. They like to scuttle cargo ships, kill all the sailors, and live in the wreckage.” West pondered for a moment, then took out a statuette the size of a chess piece and handed it to Lynch. “I will find a way to help you distract their attention while you infiltrate their nest to investigate the target. If you encounter a fatal threat, crush this item. It should allow you to survive safely.”
It was a wooden statuette, carved quite abstractly, but for some reason, Lynch could vaguely see a bizarre humanoid wearing robes, with twisted tentacles covering its chin, back, and right hand. After looking at it for a few moments, he felt restless and agitated. Lynch did not dare to look any further and quickly shoved the statuette into his pocket.
Good item, I will gladly accept it. But how exactly do I get in?
“If you are willing to help the King in Yellow trample the insects of R'lyeh, the King in Yellow will not treat his collaborator poorly.”
As he spoke, West reached his hand toward Lynch. At this moment, Lynch finally saw clearly that what extended from beneath the yellow robes were actually several tentacles, slowly curling toward the bodies of Lynch and Miss Valente.
The two felt tense inside, but they resisted and did not struggle, letting the tentacles wrap around their necks.
“Thank you for your help. In the name of the King in Yellow, I present you with a small gift.”
“Call of the Water.”
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