"I'm surprised. I thought you'd try to run while I was holding the gathering." After the meeting, Snow wasn't in a hurry to perform his routine prayer to Mr. Fool. Instead, he went to the second floor and turned off the gramophone that had been looping "Katyusha."
"Do you think I have the strength to run in this state?" Lanevus leaned back on the sofa. Though he wasn't restrained, his entire body was visibly stiff.
For Lanevus, who fought every second to keep his body from being replaced by the True Creator's consciousness, the music that made the deity excited was his strongest shackle.
But...
"Oh, that's a pity." Snow laughed softly and gave a casual wave before walking out the door.
Lanevus's eyes turned sinister. He wondered if Snow had seen through something again.
'No, he's probably just bluffing. He previously planted the image in my mind that "he knows everything and loves to watch his prey's despair," just to make me doubt myself whenever he makes a meaningful face. Yes, he must be bluffing! He couldn't have discovered it!'
Lanevus used his mind as much as possible to calm himself. Fortunately, while the True Creator was replacing him, the two didn't share thoughts. He didn't have to worry about this "Little True Creator" exposing his plan.
...
On the other side, Fors threw herself onto her bed as usual upon returning home. She listened to Xio's report on the conditions set by the man in the golden mask while slowly letting sleep take her.
Xio was used to her friend's behavior. Once Fors's eyes closed, Xio slipped out of the bedroom. But not long after, Fors, like a scene from a horror film, snapped her eyes open. She stepped barefoot onto the floor and moved stealthily toward the door.
...
In the study, Xio had sealed the room with her spirituality. She lit three candles and began preparing herbs and essential oils.
Though she, an [Arbiter], wasn't skilled in rituals, Fors knew a fair amount of ritual magic, so their home didn't lack materials.
However, just as she used a silver dagger to create a spiritual wall, a glowing door opened in the wall behind her.
"Xio, what are you doing?"
"AH!" Xio was startled and nearly knocked over the candles. She spun around, her eyes shifting guiltily as she looked at Fors, unsure of how to explain.
Fors sniffed the air, confirming Xio hadn't started burning powder or adding oils. She blew out the candles and said solemnly:
"You were going to pray to that entity, weren't you?"
"I'm already being watched anyway. I might as well scout the path for you," Xio said stubbornly. Fors shook her head.
"What use is scouting? You're only being watched now. What if a connection is truly established? Praying to a Great Existence demands a price!"
"But I want to ask about my father..." Xio used her all-purpose excuse, but Fors sighed.
"The two things aren't the same. Your father's matter is a human secret; why would a Great Existence know? Unless He or His followers were part of it, and if they were, why would they tell you? Whereas full moon ravings are a mystical matter. Even if He doesn't know the specifics, He can sever the connection."
Seeing Xio still hesitating, Fors was unusually firm:
"Tonight, you stay with me. You aren't going anywhere. Tomorrow night, *I* will be the one to pray for the Great Existence's protection. It's decided!"
...
In the morning, after his customary "wake-up call" to The Fool, Snow arrived at the Braveheart Bar. Seeing Kaspars, who seemed to play billiards all day long, Snow didn't waste words.
"I have business with the person behind you. Introduce me."
"Are you sure? That guy is the toughest Beyonder I've ever seen. He's not even afraid of bullets!" Kaspars said worriedly. Snow gave a brilliant smile.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't do anything I wasn't sure of. Besides, I'm not here to start a fight. Just tell him I have something he can't refuse."
"Sounds like you know him... whatever. I don't want to get involved in Beyonder business." Kaspars rubbed his large red nose and limped out of the billiards room.
Ten minutes later, he returned and said deeply:
"He agreed to see you. But I should warn you, he doesn't seem to be in a good mood."
"That's not an issue. Believe me, his mood will improve soon." Snow smirked and followed Kaspars to a card room. Kaspars knocked softly and waited for permission before they entered.
There were many people playing cards in the room, but every single one lacked the feeling of being "alive." Snow didn't use Spirit Vision; he simply gave Kaspars a look, signaling him to leave.
Kaspars gave Snow an anxious glance but left. Once the door closed, a man in a white shirt and black vest stood up. His eyes were filled with thick malice, and a group of living corpses built the atmosphere for him. Yet, Snow remained entirely unaffected. He pulled out a chair casually and looked at the man, who appeared to be twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with a grin. The man seemed surprised by Snow's attitude, but he didn't retract his malice. He stood ready to attack and asked in a low voice, "You wanted to see me?"
"Don't be nervous. I'm just a businessman. And I believe you'll find my goods quite necessary." Snow's smile remained bright, while [Unseen to All] gave him a very approachable aura.
While this aura wasn't enough to eliminate hostility, it ensured that most sane Beyonders wouldn't see him as a provocation.
"What are you selling?" The man looked at Snow warily. He suspected this person knew his true identity. Snow's next words confirmed his theory.
"A charm that allows the [Prisoner] pathway to remain unaffected by the full moon."
CRASH!
Almost every living corpse in the room stood up simultaneously. A chill cold enough to freeze the floor radiated from the man. He stared at Snow with eyes that seemed to contain infinite malice and spoke coldly, "What is your purpose?"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
T/N: "Salted Fish" (咸鱼) - Referring to Fors's laziness.
T/N: "Ar-Creator" (阿造) - Snow's informal/affectionate abbreviation for the True Creator.
T/N: "Prisoner" (囚犯) - Sequence 9 of the Chained pathway.