Viscount Stratford⊠Royal guard captain of the royal family⊠From this post, the Great Smog of Backlund does have inklings of a particular royal family faction being behind it. As for who it is, it will require investigation⊠Klein temporarily didnât have the time to verify Trissyâs answer, so all he did was make Senor scoff.
âIâm a little doubtful since you are telling me this so easily.â
Trissy said in a scoffing and self-deprecating manner, âThatâs because itâs something good for me. I can tell that you and the faction you represent are very interested in the true motives of those pulling the strings of the royal family. I would be very happy if I can provide some useful clues that cause you to have conflict with them, causing the real conspirer to surface. This will aid in my revenge and also be of the greatest help to me.â
According to this logic, does that also mean that I can use you to investigate this matter and fish out the mastermind behind this? From that, I can allow my faction to hide in safety before it obtains any actual information⊠Eh, wasnât what Trissy said meant to entice me to engage in limited cooperation with her, while she also volunteers to be the mine-clearer in order to reveal the truth⊠She is clearly expressing her value⊠Sheâs afraid that Iâll eventually decide to kill her⊠Klein roughly understood what Trissy was truly getting at as he controlled the Wraith to say, âVery reasonable. I should also do the same.
âI believe that without my threats or enticement, youâll attempt to make contact with Viscount Stratford after you recover from your wounds.â
Trissy curled her lips and said, âI only hope that he doesnât like men.â
This isnât something that cannot be resolved. If youâre already Sequence 5, then you can consider switching to the Hunter pathwayâs Sequence 4 Iron-blooded Knight⊠Also, have you forgotten your past self? Why are you getting used to the powers of a Demoness of Pleasure to deal with men⊠Klein lampooned before making Senor smile.
âThis isnât a problem. You can always show him your old photo.â
Trissy was taken aback as a slightly twisted expression colored her face. A humiliation that she had buried deep inside her had been dug out, exposing it beneath the sun.
Her beautiful eyes were tainted with what stemmed from anger from the humiliation. Her face which was pale due to her injuries instantly flushed red.
Trissy quickly reined in her emotions and scoffed, speaking with a suppressed voice, âAs expected of Admiral of Blood. It appears you know plenty about the Demoness pathway.â
She wasnât sure before. I made that joke because I thought the Demoness Sect and the Rose School of Thought had worked together, making her believe that Admiral of Blood would know the secret of the Assassin pathway⊠Regardless, itâs not nice mocking the gender of others⊠Hmm, this is in line with Admiral of Bloodâs persona⊠A Marionettistâs principle is âremember that every marionette has its own setting?â The reason why Trissy had mentioned her past photo was apparently just to vent and grind off an enemyâs joy and excitement. She wasnât taking notice of the details she mentioned⊠Klein nodded in thought as he controlled Senor.
âAt my level, there will always be plenty of secrets I know.â
He didnât continue on the topic as he said, âHow can I contact you?
âI might be able to provide you with some help during the investigations of Viscount Stratford.â
Trissy reached her hand towards her ear and grabbed a clump of smooth, raven-black hair. Then, blue ice formed, allowing her to crack it off.
She then spread out her palm, allowing a silent, pitch-black flame to appear, burning the hair to ashes.
These ashes werenât lifted up by the cold winds in the sewers, but they had shrunk, forming a sticky black object.
âSmear it uniformly over a mirror, and then Iâll know that youâre looking for me. Iâll subsequently use that mirror to communicate with you.â Trissy shook her wrist and threw the pasty black object to Senor. âIt can be used about five times, and that should be enough.â
As Senor was only a marionette, Klein wasnât worried about letting him grab the black sticky object. After taking a few looks, he stuffed it into his pocket.
Trissy fell silent for a few seconds before biting her lip.
âIf I need your help, how do I contact you?â
Thatâs a problem⊠Klein did wish to have her directly contact Miss Messenger, Reinette Tinekerr. After all, Trissy would later know that behind the Wraith was Gehrman Sparrow if she gathered any news about Admiral of Blood. This wasnât something that could be hidden.
After a few seconds of consideration, he decided to be a little more cautious. He decided to wait until Trissy had any substantial discoveries before changing the communication method.
After all, she isnât someone to be trusted⊠To avenge Prince Edessak, some of her feelings are real, but they likely include some other goals, for example, seeking revenge for herself⊠Klein made Senor survey the area and said, âThese sewers hide plenty of secrets. Iâll come often. You can leave the help you need in text form here.
âIf the matter is urgent, preventing you from doing it in time, you can contact that person from before to get him to leave the message.â
Trissy slowly nodded.
âOkay.â
With the conversation almost done, Klein planned on letting his marionette, Senor, leave.
At that moment, he caught sight of Trissyâs hands. he discovered that the sapphire ring which was equivalent to a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was gone!
I noticed it just now, but I thought she had switched it to her other hand or another finger, but itâs actually gone⊠From the looks of it, she paid a considerable price back when she escaped Prince Edessakâs Red Rose Manor and escaped Ince Zangwillâs 0-08âs control! The mark that the Prince Edessak left on her has also vanished? Klein thought for a moment before getting Senor to laugh.
âOne more thing.
âWhich evil god did you sell your soul to?â
Trissy gave the middle-aged man a deep look.
âThe Primordial Demoness.â
âŠWerenât you trying to escape from that strange state? Didnât you feel that you were increasingly becoming less like yourself? Why did you backtrack? Donât you know that by changing your name to Trissy Cheek, they were trying to make you the Primordial Demonessâs vessel? No, she might really not know. She might not even know what Cheek means⊠She did her best to escape her fate, only to plunge deeper into it⊠At that instant, Klein felt a baffling fear towards fate and deities.
He made Senor smile.
âItâs hard for me to believe it with you replying so easily without any qualms.â
Trissyâs eyes had a slight tinge of confusion as she said in a self-deprecating manner, âThatâs because itâs a problem for me, not a secret.
âWith one more person knowing, there might be one more chance of a solution presenting itself. Even if the chances are slim, itâs better than nothing.â
While solving the problem, thereâs also a high chance that youâll be finished⊠Klein didnât continue the topic as he said after some thought, âWhen you approach Viscount Stratford and the mastermind behind all of this, take note of any coincidences that often happen around you.â
The deeper the investigation into the Great Smog of Backlund is, the more likely it would gain the attention of Ince Zangwill and 0-08!
âCoincidencesâŠâ Trissy was taken aback as she repeated the word.
At that instant, she recalled all the coincidences she had encountered back at Red Rose Manor.
Amidst her thoughts, she suddenly looked up, only to realize that Admiral of Blood Senor had vanished.
âŠ
The next morning, Klein woke up punctually, and with the assistance of Richardson, he wore his coat.
Just as he arrived in the dining hall, he saw Walter standing by the door, politely awaiting his arrival.
âSir, your schedule for today is to participate in a tea session at Member of Parliament Machtâs residence.â Walter professionally reminded his employer.
He was stern, old-fashioned, and conscientious. He looked no different from his usual self, making it impossible to tell that he had headed for the sewers in the middle of the night.
Klein nodded with a smile as though nothing had happened.
âI havenât forgotten.â
He then entered the dining hall and enjoyed an exquisite meal that had started showing signs of being repetitive.
Thereâs not enough variety for breakfast⊠Klein focused on eating, and after he was done, he put down his cutlery and sighed.
âI miss my hometown a little. Get the cook to prepare some Desi pie tomorrow.â
âYes, sir. I shouldâve thought of that earlier,â Housekeeper Taneja replied apologetically.
Klein waved his hand as a gesture for her not to take it to heart before he headed to the garden for a stroll.
After doing all of this, he returned to the third story to continue reading the papers he hadnât finished until his etiquette teacher, Wahana, arrived.
Wahana was still dressed decently with an elegant bearing. She smiled at Dwayne DantĂšs and said, âI heard you would be heading to Maâam Rianaâs place for high tea later today. Then, this lesson will focus on high teaâŠâ
Klein maintained his smile as he listened attentively, asking questions from time to time.
About thirty minutes later, Walter knocked on the door and entered.
âSir, Member of Parliament Machtâs servant just came over to inform us that the high tea session has been cancelled because Maâam Rianaâs daughter, Miss Hazel, is sick. Sheâs very apologetic for that, and she wishes to invite you again next week.â
Hazel is sick? A result of last nightâs fright? Itâs not impossible if itâs an ordinary person, but a Beyonder has their physical qualities enhanced. The chances of that happening are very lowâŠ
Furthermore, Hazel clearly hasnât seen the changes that result from the loss of control brought about by potions. Her mental state is still well, allowing her to feel a sense of superiority and having no fear. Even if she was frightened, it wouldnât result in any psychological ailments⊠Ailments⊠Sequence 5 of the Demoness pathway can make people around them get infected with ailmentsâŠ
Last night, Trissy secretly released her ailment after seeing a stranger enter the sewers? And as a Wraith, Senor wasnât affected, so I didnât discover it⊠Such a problem isnât too serious. Hazel didnât spend much time in the area for too long. Sheâs just a little shaken, preventing her from recovering quickly⊠From the looks of it, Trissy has really advanced to Sequence 5⊠Klein nodded gently and said, âPlease give Miss Hazel my regards.â