3899 words
The sky was overcast with dark grey clouds, making the weather today feel even more grim than usual.
As was the requirement for today's event, both Kiyotaka and "Gehrman Sparrow" were underdressed for this kind of weather and despite the augmentations to their bodies that they received due to being Beyonders, the humid winters still managed to seep into their bones.
Currently, Kiyotaka was driving the most premium model that Prometheus Motors had to offer. The two of them had made their journey through a normal carriage to Prometheus Motors and then had 'rented' the car for a few hours at a mere cost of £100
Of course, Kiyotaka was going to use this expense as a tax write off. Since he was going to visit a member of parliament, he wished to classify the expense as a business expense in lieu of expanding his company and gaining new clients.
The audit procedures in this era were not as rigorous.
As Kiyotaka drove the car with the seatbelt around his chest and waist, Gehrman Sparrow quietly remained seated as he cleaned the bullets in his revolver. He had a calm look on his face.
"There is danger. At the place where we're going." Gehrman Sparrow suddenly raised his head and looked at the roof of the car.
"Naturally. I doubt members of the Parliament and Military are ignorant to the matters of Beyonders. There are bound to be quite a few of them at the party."
"No." Gehrman Sparrow's voice was different as well. It was gravelly and really masculine. His tense features hardened even further as Kiyotaka felt him gulp. "There is a significant danger. To both of our lives."
Kiyotaka did not turn to look at him and instead kept driving the car. There were multiple people outside who would stop and stare at the machine moving through the streets, with significantly less noise than the steam-powered engine cars.
"Do you want to return?"
Gehrman shook his head. "No. I want more money."
His voice was serious and devoid of any humor.
'He is Acting. I suppose I should play into it.'
"Ok. But the price would be decided on the level of danger."
Gehrman did not reply for a moment. After a moment of deliberation, he parted his lips. "Ok."
As he said that, he crossed his arms and rested his head against the window.
Meanwhile Kiyotaka began to weigh his options. He was currently in possession of Scourge — the Sun Pathway Beyonder Weapon — that was wrapped around his waist and Ember. Other than that, he had left Cyst and Gloom in the space above the grey fog.
Klein had revealed that there was certain danger directly to their lives, which meant that Kiyotaka was underprepared. So far he had been able to defeat enemies stronger than him by planning beforehand and taking the initiative to launch a surprise attack.
It was further helped due to the possession of multiple Mystical Items or Sealed Artifacts at his disposal which more or less countered the powers of his enemies, or at least filled in the gaps which were lacking against them.
Going into this meeting, he had suspected troubles and gazes of people, however, the current ordeal was something he had thought had the least chances of happening. Klein and Kiyotaka were both not weak.
One was a Sequence 7 and the other a Sequence 6 and their abilities worked in a way which complemented each other in a very synchronized manner. Klein was almost unkillable and Kiyotaka could provide raw firepower, as that was what Klein was lacking.
Unless they faced someone on a Demigod level, or someone who had a Mystical Item of that level, there was no way for Divination to show that their life was in danger. Which meant...
The chilling thought made his spine crawl. Shifting the car into another gear, he sped the vehicle up as the rest of the journey went by in silence.
Kiyotaka noted that Klein's entire aura had changed. He not only looked and sounded like a totally different person, but he 'felt' like an entirely different person as well. Usually, even after cosmetic surgeries or makeup, once he had interacted with someone, Kiyotaka was able to tell if they were the same person or not.
However, in Klein's case, he could not tell at all if it was the same person. If he had not changed his appearance in front of him, Kiyotaka could never tell if it was the same Sherlock he knew.
Kiyotaka was not going to ruin his "Acting" and hence he let the silence linger for as long as necessary. There were a lot of merits to Klein quickly advancing rapidly. At the same time, Kiyotaka did not wish for the gap between them to increase more than was favorable.
For example, right now, there was only 1 Sequence difference between the two. However, he mentally took a note to become a Demigod at the same time, if not earlier, as Klein. The reasoning was the qualitative change one was supposed to achieve.
While he had already read the Black Emperor Card of Blasphemy, it did not list the abilities one would gain. However, when he had wrapped his Spirit Body he could more or less tell the abilities he would gain upon advancing to Sequence 4 and beyond.
The possibilities were endless, and in a sense, fitted his personality like a snug glove.
He was also in a hurry because of the lack of his own innate abilities that stemmed from his pathway. Bribing was a phenomenal ability which had way too many utilities, both in a battle and in real life. The problem with this was that Bribing was the only mystical ability he had which could be used in battle.
His Barbarian physique was still not as strong as the enhancements he received from Ember or Jäger in the past. Sure, he was more flexible and his bone density was quite a lot, but it still paled in comparison against a Pathway that was focused on War.
If he were to somehow lose possession of his Mystical Items, fighting a Sequence 5 would be absurdly hard and without any 'coincidence' he might even die. He was already quite lucky when he survived the Rose Bishop.
The next set of problems was the absence of his other mystical items. Cyst and Ember were his main weapons and items which he was most familiar with. He could achieve an enhanced version of Damage Transfer from Guile through Cyst's Flesh Manipulation.
At the same time, he was reluctant to bring it to the party. Beyonders had a natural affinity to detect Mystical Items, even more so if they possessed Spirit Vision like Klein and Freya.
Kiyotaka quietly weighed his options and tried to ruminate over the best course of actions, in case something were to happen.
As he was thinking, a boundless grey fog appeared in front of his eyes and a giant angel with eight pairs of wings — wings that were black in color and seemed to represent corrosion and corruption — enveloped him snugly.
At the same time, Gehrman Sparrow, who seemed to be resting his head against the window, sat straight. He did not look towards Kiyotaka nor did he explain anything. Instead, he picked up his revolver and began cleaning it, once more.
This was the Paper Angel Embrace which had anti-Divination and anti-Prophecy properties.
Kiyotaka, however, considered it quite unnecessary. Yes, any divination into them could prove fatal, however, not receiving an answer was a surefire way to attract even more attention as well. It was a double-edged sword, after all, and in all honesty, he was quite indifferent to it.
Before long, he soon arrived at Macht's Residence and applied the brake as the moderate sized vehicle came to a soft stop.
Gehrman looked at his revolver lovingly, as if staring at one's mistress and then with a manic grin that was barely suppressed, opened the door and jumped down.
Kiyotaka turned the ignition off and jumped out as well before locking the door with a contraption.
The inner courtyard of Maury Macht's mansion was quite huge with a driveway of sorts. In this driveway, all three models from Prometheus Motors were present, some of them having emblems of families and some of them decorated with family names in cursive.
Gehrman looked at the vehicles and then silently stood behind Kiyotaka.
Meanwhile, the double doors leading to Maury Macht's house opened as the host himself walked out. The man was in his forties, and had black hair and brown eyes with a deep outline and a receding hairline.
"Welcome, Mr. Holmes!" Maury Macht extended his arms out as he welcomed the two gentlemen at his door's threshold.
Thrusting his hand forward, Maury waited for Kiyotaka who quickly grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. The force behind it was — of course — subdued, however, it was still quite a lot for a normal human.
"You are a strong man, Mr. Holmes. Please, come inside." He gestured inside, but then his eyes landed on the gloomy looking man with dangerous brown eyes, standing right behind Kiyotaka.
He was as tall as him and had a dangerous, maniacal look on his face. His eyes seemed to carry obvious killing intent, like a rabid dog, with its fangs bared.
Maury Macht's polite smile froze. He adjusted his cuffs as his posture subtly shifted to block the doorway just enough to signal his authority as the host.
"Apologies if I sound impolite, but who is this... Gentleman?"
Kiyotaka did not turn around. "This is Gehrman Sparrow. He is my childhood friend. As you know, I come from humble beginnings, and we have been friends ever since then. He is an aspiring adventurer, however, these days he is the head of my security."
"Ah, I see," Macht smiled once more. "Mr. Holmes, while I admire the loyalty that binds old comrades, and certainly appreciate a man who values his personal safety, you must understand the delicate nature of today's gathering. The guest list was curated with rather strict parameters.
High-ranking military officials and members of the House of Commons do not often mix comfortably with... men of action whose names do not appear on the butler's registry."
Maury offered a light, diplomatic chuckle, attempting to soften the dismissal. "I'm sure Mr. Sparrow would be far more comfortable waiting in the carriage house? My staff can ensure he is provided with a finest glass of brandy and a fire while we attend to our business."
Kiyotaka did not glance back at Klein, nor did his expression betray the slightest hint of offense. Instead, he met Macht's gaze with a calm, perfectly measured warmth.
"I would expect nothing less than complete vigilance from a man of your standing, Mr. Macht," Kiyotaka spoke softly. Suddenly, his voice seemed to carry an effortless and magnetic rhythm that made it almost impossible not to lean in and listen.
"In fact, it is precisely because of the distinguished nature of your guests that Gehrman is by my side today."
Kiyotaka paused just long enough for the compliment to settle, letting his posture relax into an air of absolute transparency. "Prometheus Motors is on the verge of a very public expansion, as you know, and as its representative, my presence here reflects directly on the patrons who support it. I would risk being seen as a little petulant in exchange for not appearing as an unfortunate headline in the morning newspapers."
Macht held Kiyotaka's gaze for a heartbeat. The tension in Macht's shoulders melted away instantly, and he even nodded his head, as if agreeing with everything Kiyotaka was saying. He was absolutely enthralled by his words.
"You present a remarkably compelling argument, Mr. Holmes," Macht remarked. "A forward-thinking man prepares for every contingency. Very well. Mr. Sparrow may remain in the foyer. But do see to it that he keeps that look off his face—we wouldn't want the Minister of War mistaking him for an assassin."
"Of course," Kiyotaka replied smoothly, stepping past the threshold. "He only bites when commanded."
As Maury Macht allowed the two gentlemen inside, Klein cringed inwardly, fuming from unbelievable anger. 'Only bites when commanded? Motherf*cker...! Who do you think I am?!'
Of course, it was unlike Klein to do something like this. However, for some reason, some remnant effects from the powers of a Provoker inside Ember seemed to override a Lawyer's Fluency which was only aimed at Maury Macht.
*****
The heavy mahogany doors closed behind Gehrman Sparrow and Williams Holmes, muffling the wet slap of horses' hooves against the damp cobblestones outside, and was replaced by a soft melody of musical instruments being played inside.
The air in the foyer was warm and thick, filled with the scent of burning beeswax, expensive tobacco, and the dry heat radiating from the fireplace.
A butler in a crisp black tailcoat stepped forward as his eyes nervously darted to Gehrman Sparrow who smoothly took Kiyotaka's hat and coat. Gehrman didn't hand over his coat; he simply backed up two paces until his shoulder touched the shadow of a tall grandfather clock, settling into the corner with his hands buried in his pockets.
Maury Macht adjusted his cuffs. His gaze lingered on Gehrman for a heartbeat before turning to Kiyotaka as he offered a faint but courteous smile. One that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was evident that neither Maury Macht nor the other people felt comfortable in the presence of Gehrman.
However, Kiyotaka was too important of a person to let go over something like this. And from a certain perspective, while not to the general public, he was an extremely important person in the upper echelons. If his invention were to improve itself, even by a little, it was quite possible that Loen Kingdom could undergo a new Industrial Revolution.
That is why bringing someone as dangerous as Gehrman Sparrow was tolerated.
"If you'll follow me, Mr. Holmes."
They walked past the high archway into the main drawing room where the melodious sound of musical instruments took strength.
A string quartet was being played quietly in the corner, the soft scraping of violins filling the comfortable pauses between the low and scattered conversations.
Gentlemen in dark wool frock coats and military officers with gold epaulets stood in small, isolated clusters across the expensive looking rugs, holding crystal glasses of amber liquor, while their wives sat completely in a separate place, conversing amongst themselves and punctuating their whispers with giggles.
Some of these whispers and giggles were sincere, while others carried the unmistakable undertone of gossip and ridicule.
It felt just as exaggerated as the depictions Kiyotaka had read in literature, and some other 'fictional' stories.
As they walked, Kiyotaka's gaze fell on two women near the marble fireplace.
It was a middle-aged woman with black hair and brown eyes. She was listening to a stout gentleman discuss naval tariffs while nodding at precise intervals.
Beside her was a young and beautiful girl with wavy black-green hair resting over the lace collar of her dark emerald dress. Her brown eyes shifted toward the doorway as her father approached Kiyotaka while she placed the porcelain cup down.
"Riana, my dear," Maury Macht said, his voice dropping into the relaxed tone of a host. "This is Mr. Williams Holmes, of Prometheus Motors." Then he turned to face Kiyotaka. "Riana, my lovely wife."
Mrs. Macht's expressions creased, as if she was struggling to recognize him. Then she smoothly transitioned into a welcoming smile.
She offered her hand by extending it forward while her gaze briefly swept over the fit of Kiyotaka's suit and the polished leather of his shoes before meeting his cool and serene pale blue eyes.
"Mr. Holmes. My husband mentioned your company at breakfast. Well, it was you which he couldn't keep himself from talking about." Riana said with a smile, but her tone was measured, to not make herself overly eager. "I must confess, however, you are quite different from what I had imagined. You are considerably younger, and rather more dashing, in person."
"Not at all, Mrs. Macht. The journey was quite pleasant," Kiyotaka replied as he took her hand and lowered his head to lay a kiss on the back of her hand. "And I must thank you for the kind compliment. I suspect you have made me look rather better than I deserve."
Seated beside Riana was Hazel who took a quiet sip from her cup.
Her expression had remained politely neutral. As her eyes met Kiyotaka's, Kiyotaka noticed that while there was no hostility, she had a certain look in her eyes. It was the same look which he had seen before.
He had seen it in Freya's eyes, whenever she'd come into contact with anyone who was not her family, himself or Klein. She did not have that look for her family because she had a natural familial love for them. As for himself and Klein, she did not have this look because she knew both of them were Beyonders.
Which meant, she had a superiority complex. This girl seems to have the same thing, however, there was a fundamental difference between both Freya and this girl.
'Freya has something which one would call a Compensatory Superiority Complex. Having lived such a life which induces paranoia in her on the mere thought of it, she tends to exaggerate her superiority to compensate for deeply buried feelings of inferiority.
Meanwhile this girl seems to have it all, but despite that her superiority complex does not stem from that. It's something else. Is she a Beyonder as well? It could be plausible. Maury and Riana Macht are not Beyonders, so it could make sense that being the first person to become a Beyonder in your family has gotten to her head.'
Kiyotaka assessed the girl and then turned his face away in the same apathetic manner as Hazel had done to him.
Meanwhile, Riana turned to Hazel and gripped her arm from behind, lightly pulling her. Hazel discreetly rolled her eyes and placed the cup down — which she had picked at some moment — before standing up.
A formal and forced smile graced her round features. She was quite young. If Kiyotaka had to guess, she was no older than 17, and that too was being generous. This wasn't really an issue but he had really expected her to be a little older.
"Hazel, this is Mr. Holmes," Riana murmured, turning slightly. "Mr. Holmes, our daughter, Hazel."
Hazel dipped her head just an inch. "Mr. Holmes."
"Miss Macht. It's a pleasure," Kiyotaka said. However, anyone with a functioning brain could tell he did not feel pleasure at all. Perhaps it was just because of the way his face was structured, but regardless, that was the impression that it gave.
It was a dire thing, however, given how it could be taken as some kind of euphemism.
"My father speaks quite highly of your carriages," Hazel said softly. Her tone was delicate and polite. "He mentioned you've managed to make them run with remarkably little noise."
"The company focused heavily on reducing engine vibration," Kiyotaka replied, keeping his posture relaxed. "Silence tends to be a good indicator of efficiency, it would seem like."
Hazel smiled marginally. It was a tiny, immaculate curve of her lips that lasted barely a second as she spoke again: "A rare quality in Backlund. Most things here make quite a lot of noise before they accomplish very little."
"Thank you."
Hazel pursed her lips and turned her eyes back toward the fireplace. She didn't press the conversation, nor did she ask a follow-up question.
Kiyotaka's eyes, however, landed on her arm. It contained seven green gems at equidistance with tiny diamonds embedded around them.
Hazel saw him staring at them and then, in a non-suspicious manner, moved her hand to her back.
'That was an admission of guilt. I don't need Sherlock's Spirit Vision to know if it's a Mystical Item or not.'
Riana, who was a little ashamed by her daughter's reserved manner, quickly stepped back into the conversation. "Actually, Mr. Holmes, Hazel was rather curious about your carriages."
"I was?" Hazel's eyes shifted towards her mother.
"You were," Riana replied pleasantly. "Only yesterday, you were asking whether one might be able to take a ride in one."
Hazel paused for a moment and took in a deep breath. Biting on the inside of her cheek, she nodded pleasantly. "That is true. I had wondered what they were like from the inside."
Riana smiled. "Then perhaps Mr. Holmes might indulge your curiosity. If I recall correctly, you said you wished to experience one yourself."
"If it isn't an inconvenience," Hazel added, turning her attention toward Kiyotaka. Her tone remained perfectly courteous, though there was little enthusiasm behind it. It was quite obvious that she wanted Kiyotaka to reject it. "I would be interested in seeing how different it feels from an ordinary carriage. Father's order has yet to arrive, after all."
"It wouldn't be an inconvenience," Kiyotaka replied, much to Hazel's dismay.
Before Riana could say anything further, Maury cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, I am afraid you will have to borrow Mr. Holmes later."
"Already?" Riana glanced at her husband.
"I am afraid so." Maury gave Kiyotaka an apologetic smile. "There are several members of Parliament whom I promised to introduce him to, and the Minister will be expecting a word with him before the evening is over. I would rather not have him disappear before I have had the opportunity to properly present him."
Kiyotaka inclined his head. "Of course."
Then he turned his head to look in Gehrman's direction, who was standing in a corner with a shadow over his face. He had his head tilted down and his eyes sharp and focused, fixated on Kiyotaka's back.
"Once the formalities are out of the way, however..." Maury's words brought him out of his thoughts as his eyes moved briefly toward Hazel before returning to Kiyotaka. "I see no reason why you shouldn't take her for a ride. By then, you may both have a little more leisure to yourselves."
Hazel's expression remained composed, though her eyes flickered toward her father.
Riana immediately caught the opening. "And perhaps you might show her a little more than the interior this time," she added. "Hazel has been curious about how the machine actually handles."
Maury smiled and said: "Then it is settled."
His gaze returned to Kiyotaka and his expression became slightly more businesslike. "But first, Mr. Holmes, I would like to steal you for a moment. There are a few matters concerning the Ministry that I believe would be better discussed before the evening grows too crowded."
Kiyotaka gave a slight nod. "Naturally."
Maury placed a hand lightly against Kiyotaka's shoulder and began guiding him toward the cluster of parliamentarians gathered near the far end of the drawing room. As they departed, Riana watched them for a moment before turning back toward her daughter.
Hazel had already picked up her porcelain cup. "You knew exactly what you were doing," Hazel said quietly.
"I have no idea what you mean." Riana smiled.
Hazel gave her a long, unimpressed look before taking another sip of tea. 'Why would I be interested in this menial junk... However, what is that on his wrist? I— I want it.'
She thought as her skin under the seven green gem bracelet suddenly began to itch.