When Klein left 47 Black Horn Street, he had already gathered the basic information about Winter.
This was what he'd learned from nearby neighbors by changing his appearance and disguising himself as a policeman.
"Symeem Island, the farthest island of the Rost Archipelago. From Bayam, you'd need to take a passenger liner—it takes 4 to 5 hours, and the liners only run twice a day, at 9 AM and 10 AM. Today's already been missed… Winter's parents have long since passed away, and he has no relatives. The only person involved is a girl he can't forget—Renie. She's the perfect target for my first genuine act. Suitable for a beginner like me, but thinking about confessing on Winter's behalf is genuinely embarrassing… If the girl accepts… damn, how would I even wrap that up…" Klein thought, his expression troubled.
He tried hard to recall the novels he'd read and the shows and dramas he'd watched, hoping to find the most perfect way to handle it.
Before long, he had a rough idea. His mood stabilized, and his thoughts began to shift toward "Iron" Maveety.
"I hope Miss 'Magician' can get a wireless telegraph as soon as possible…" Klein sighed silently and hailed a hired carriage.
…………
Fors opened the letter Xiu had brought back.
It was from Avil, a science fiction novelist. The other party had cheerfully shared with Ms. Wall the development history and future applications of wireless telegraph technology.
Fors skipped directly past the opening and middle sections, her eyes scanning toward the end.
"Three models introduced, with detailed addresses and approximate prices. The most expensive one is only twelve pounds." Fors nodded lightly, feeling this wasn't particularly important business.
She suddenly felt she had become somewhat inflated. Perhaps after seeing transactions of hundreds and thousands of pounds at the
Mr. World had resources and financial means. She might still need to purchase things from him in the future, so she could offload what she didn't need—at cost plus postage, round-trip carriage fees, and ritual material wear. Fors quickly made up her mind, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the window.
Backlund was still overcast and gloomy, with a light drizzle, though the fog was no longer as thick as before.
"I wonder when the Sun's Soul Eater stomach will arrive…" Fors felt she could hardly wait to advance.
…………
Derrick had already prepared the Soul Eater's stomach and the several materials specified by Mr. Hanged Man, but he wasn't in a hurry to offer them to Mr. Fool.
He planned to wait a while longer—until the Chief led an exploration team out or presided over certain rituals—before making his attempt.
"That's the safest and most reliable way… Yes, be cautious, be careful!" Derrick reminded himself, then opened the hand-copied collection of the "Black Stone Book of the
For the past while, he had been reading this ancient text, catching glimpses of the Giant King's Court from a bygone era.
According to the ancient text, that was the Court of the
Time there seemed to have frozen, forever suspended in twilight. All the buildings were extraordinarily grand, breathtakingly magnificent, even piercing into the clouds.
Humans walking among them were incomparably small, filled with instinctive awe for such a scene and its master.
…………
Backlund, Hillston District, Wimandy household.
After listening to the explanation,
"My lord, I recall hearing somewhere that during the Second Epoch or the first half of the Third Epoch, there was a very famous city-state called the 'City of Silver.'"
Wimandy was a vampire baron, over two hundred years of age, though his appearance showed no signs of aging—he looked like a mature man barely into his thirties.
His black hair was neatly combed back. He wore a dark red quality shirt, held a brown pipe in his hand, and as he enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace, he pondered and said:
"No—at least in my memory, before the Cataclysm, there was no City of Silver."
Before Emlyn could feel happy, he continued in a tone that was almost self-directed:
"But there was a Silver Kingdom, originally ruled by the Giant King's Court, which later belonged to That One."
Silver Kingdom? Emlyn White thought for a moment and said:
"My lord, is there any more specific information?"
Wimandy looked up at him, smiling as he recalled:
"The Silver Kingdom held a rather special status within the Giant King's Court. They did not directly worship the
…………
"City of Generosity" Bayam, dock district, Sour Lemon Street, "Azure Wind" inn.
Klein stood at the street corner, unfastening the yellow crystal pendant on his left wrist, and used divination to confirm that there was no danger ahead.
Feeling assured, he strolled leisurely back to the inn, went up to the third floor, and opened the door to his luxury suite.
To his slight surprise, "Blazing" Danitz had already returned, sprawled in an armchair, drinking.
After considering his character's tone, Klein asked calmly: