On Saturday morning, Klein, still in his pajamas, rubbed his head and got out of bed.
He hadn't slept well the night before, because in his dreams different female images inevitably appeared in a chaotic mess, which scared him awake, forcing him to spend a few minutes calming down before going back to sleep.
Fortunately, the weakness only lasted six hours, and deep in the night he didn't need to go out or face any maids... Klein sighed and pulled the cord by the bed. Richardson, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately came in with the clothes his employer needed to wear that day.
Klein had no idea what Arrodes had said, but Richardson was acting even more evasive around him... Had it guessed his preferred female type, one that went against social norms? By the time Klein rushed back, he'd only managed to hear the mirror's words that seemed to describe itself but had actually cut straight to the butler Walter's heart. He had no clue about what had happened before.
Afterward, he didn't use "dream divination" to find out the details, because he didn't think it was necessary. After all, given Richardson's personality, no matter who he liked, he didn't have the guts to act on it, so it wouldn't cause any extra trouble.
After changing, Klein went down to the second floor and headed to the dining room. Walter was, as usual, standing at the door waiting, wearing white gloves.
Seeing Dwayne Dantès approach, he stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Good morning, sir. You have two private tutoring lessons today, and tonight you'll attend a banquet at Mr. Portland Monement's house."
Portland Monement lived at 100 Burkland Street. He was a full professor in the Engineering Department at Backlund University, a fellow of the Loen Kingdom Royal Academy of Sciences, and had received the "Mechanical Light" award for discovering several alloy materials. In the scientific community, he was second only to Turani von Helmohuin.
Moreover, his alloy materials were widely used in shipbuilding and steam engine development, and the patent royalties alone had made him a multimillionaire with assets worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Hearing what Walter said, Klein casually took a glance at him and noticed that the butler had dark circles under his eyes and bags under them—quite different from usual, as if he hadn't slept at all the whole night.
If it weren't for the Faceless ability, Dwayne Dantès would probably have looked the same... Klein sympathetically looked away, said nothing, nodded slightly in response to the butler's greeting, and entered the dining room.
To be honest, he actually admired the guy. Facing a witch on a regular basis, and all he did was have a few fantasies and the occasional steamy dream featuring her in the dead of night. He didn't lose control and try to get close, begging for pleasure.
You see, a witch—especially one who is going through or has already gone through the "Pleasure" stage—has a charm over males that goes far beyond simple Beyonder effects. Every single move and gesture she makes can gradually intoxicate and enamor the men nearby, much like moving from marijuana to a much higher stage until they can't break free from the "pleasure" the witch provides. Probably only men who are naturally homosexual can resist that.
Of course, Klein suspected that even men who liked other men weren't completely immune, because both their psyche and hormones would be affected, producing changes that wouldn't normally be there. Besides, a large number of witches had originally been men, which would lower any psychological resistance.
Because of this, even though he himself was a Sequence 5 Beyonder, when facing witches like Triss and Tracy, Klein still had to stay on high alert at all times, afraid he might accidentally get charmed.
If it was like that for him, then it was even worse for the butler Walter, a common person. It wasn't something that could be overcome by willpower alone.
Although Triss, after Prince Edsack's death or her own advancement, had noticeably restrained her charm, Walter was still just an ordinary person. Well, even if not an ordinary person, at most Sequence 9 or Sequence 8... The fact that he could maintain such a state under these conditions was enough to prove his strong self-control, his deep loyalty to Prince Edsack, and his love for his wife and daughter... Shaking his head in admiration, Klein sat down. Today's breakfast was his favorite Dessy pie, and the oily feeling on his face made his mouth water.
…………
At night, the sea was deep blue, almost black, tinged with a faint red, and much calmer and quieter than during the day.
The "Dark Blue Avenger" rose and fell gently with the waves, like a ghostly shadow, sailing toward the Crimson Moon.
Alger Wilson stood at the bow, gazing at the distant waves. On the surface he was calm as ever, but inside, he couldn't control his excitement.
The sea ahead was the "Vortex of the Abyss," due north of Sounia Island.
It got its name from the dangerous whirlpools that often appeared without warning, making it a dangerous area that all ships avoided.
After finishing his report and leaving Pasu Island, Alger had directed the "Dark Blue Avenger" north, around Sounia Island, straight to this spot.
Along the way, they had only entered port once to restock, wasting no time.
As for the possibility that coming north might make him suspect, Alger wasn't worried. The Church of the Lord of Storms was happy to see its "captains" head to the northern Sounia Sea and the Misty Sea to gather information about the Feysac Empire, the Intis Kingdom, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the Church of the God of War.
Glancing back at the cabin, Alger walked to the edge of the deck, took out a talisman made of white tin, held it in his palm, and murmured the incantation:
"Storm!"
Blue-green flames instantly erupted, consuming the talisman. Alger suddenly felt an inexplicable connection with the fish in the sea below.
At that moment, the two could actually communicate on a spiritual level!
That white tin talisman was one of the supplies Alger had obtained on Pasu Island. It allowed him to gain the favor of underwater creatures for a certain period and hold simple spiritual exchanges with them.