Sharon took the sedative in the glass test tube, glanced at the seemingly pure liquid inside, and nodded lightly. "Alright."
"Truly a woman of few words..." Klein smiled again. "Miss Sharon, could you tell me the few battle locations you have planned? I hope to familiarize myself with the surrounding environment in the next few days. That way, no matter which one you ultimately choose, my preparations will be more thorough."
Since the right to choose the final battleground was in their hands, they wouldn't have to worry about me reporting it to official organizations or other Beyonders looking for a backstab… Of course, if they really didn't trust me, we could always do another "notarization"… Klein thought calmly.
Sharon looked at him with her azure eyes for several long seconds before finally speaking. "Go back and prepare a map of Backlund." "Spread it out on the coffee table."
"No problem. I hope this cooperation will be not only smooth but also pleasant." Klein habitually extended his hand to shake hers.
Sharon glanced down at it, her figure gradually becoming ethereal and disappearing into the air. Klein smoothly raised his right hand, tidied his black hair, and let out a dry laugh.
By asking about the predetermined battle locations, he wasn't just preparing for the mission, but also guarding against Sharon and Maric. Although their philosophy was to suppress and restrain desires, and normally they wouldn't burn the bridge they just crossed, Klein couldn't be sure that the Wraith Steve, the Zombie Jason, and the Werewolf Tyr didn't have something they desperately desired. If a treasure appeared that would stir the intense greed of any normal Beyonder, facing two Aberrations, Klein really couldn't guarantee they would be able to control themselves.
So, he had to scout the environment in advance and prepare escape routes in case they decided to silence him. It wasn't that Klein didn't trust Sharon, who had shared hardships with him; it was basic self-defense. One must not harbor intentions to harm others, but one must not lack the heart to guard against them… Klein turned to look out the window and sighed inwardly in Chinese.
Gas lamps continuously swept past. The streets became wider and tidier. It took him over half an hour and cost him 3 soli in cab fare before he finally returned to Minsk Street.
"Taking a carriage at this hour is really expensive…" Klein looked up at the almost completely black sky and the Crimson Moon vaguely piercing the clouds.
He walked forward for a bit, then suddenly noticed that the lights were off at Jurgen the lawyer's house, completely dark and silent.
He took out his gold pocket watch, snapped it open and glanced at it. Klein chuckled, turned, and went to Jurgen's door, opening it with the key Jurgen had given him.
By this time, the black cat Brody was already quietly crouching behind the door, staring at the visitor with his round green eyes. The house was dark and silent, lonely and isolated.
Klein crouched down, trying to pet Brody's head, but the cat agilely moved back, shaking off his hand with a look of disgust.
He shook his head and smiled wryly, got up, opened the valve, and lit the gas lamp. Following Jurgen the lawyer's description, he looked in the cupboard and found the prepared ingredients.
Then, he entered the kitchen, lit the fire to boil water, planning to make Brody his favorite boiled chicken breast.
The black cat followed him in, agilely leaping onto the kitchen counter, crouching beside him, quietly watching Klein being busy.
Klein glanced at it, and while rehearsing in his mind how he would shred the chicken breast, he said to the black cat Brody in a chatty tone: "You must really miss Mrs. Doris, don't you?" "Are you very worried about her condition…" "Jurgen the lawyer isn't home today. Are you very lonely by yourself, feeling miserable, feeling like you have no home, feeling very tired and exhausted…" …
As he spoke, Klein's voice gradually lowered until it faded into silence. The black cat Brody remained crouched there, quietly watching him, without fussing or meowing.
…
At Mrs. Norma's home, Audrey came to attend the afternoon tea event as promised.
"They are the mysticism experts I told you about," Mrs. Norma warmly introduced her distinguished guests. "This is Mr. Hilbert Alucard. He is a psychologist and also a jewelry designer, an exceptionally talented man. This is Miss Ethlante Osisleica. She is a doctor in the spiritual field, what we commonly call a psychiatrist."
Hilbert Alucard was a man in his forties, seeming to have some Southern Continent blood, with a brownish complexion. He had brown hair and blue eyes, his facial features weren't particularly striking, giving off a silent and introverted feeling.
Ethlante Osisleica was a lady with a baby face. Despite already being a psychiatrist, she looked like a girl still attending public school or grammar school. She had long black hair reaching her waist and lake-like blue eyes. She was three or four centimeters shorter than Audrey.
After exchanging pleasantries with them, Audrey sat down and keenly noticed that Alucard and Ethlante were observing her. She didn't use her Reader ability. Instead, she pretended not to know anything, took the initiative to bring up topics in the mysticism field, while constantly checking whether her own emotions were in the most logical state.