"Madam, if I said I mistook you for someone else, would you believe me?" Snow asked with a polite but awkward smile.
But before him, Bernadette,whose exquisite face was hidden behind a fine grid veil,asked in a flat, cold voice, "What do you think?"
"Madam, I truly did mistake you for someone else." Snow secretly channeled the power of his Origin, applying the effect of [Anyone would think they can see through me] to himself, transforming into a harmless, handsome young man.
However, Bernadette seemed completely unaffected by this change, speaking in a playful tone, "While I don't know what method you're using, the fact that I cannot prophesy about you is the best evidence. I cannot believe an existence that cannot be prophesied is harmless, so you must have used some kind of power."
"Therefore, Madam, as you can see, I am also a Beyonder. Is it not natural to employ some self-preservation measures when an accidental slip of the tongue has invited such terrifying transcendent power? Besides, this is Backlund. To use transcendent power so brazenly here, your status must be exceptionally high. I am but a simple information broker. Please, show some mercy and let me go."
Snow's posture was exceptionally low, but Bernadette didn't believe him. Perhaps it was the intuition unique to high-sequence Beyonders, or perhaps Snow displayed too many oddities, or perhaps it was simply a daughter's obsession for news of her father. Regardless, she had no intention of believing Snow. Instead, she sat on a hammock made of pea vines and spoke in a soft but flat tone.
"Since you're an information broker, let us make a trade. Tell me, why did you call me 'Huang Beibei'? What is your relationship with him? You may name your reward."
Snow took a deep breath. He knew further excuses were meaningless. This lady possessed the stubbornness and capriciousness befitting her status, and her strength was more than enough to support her personality. After a quick series of thoughts, he finally let out a long breath of air and spoke helplessly.
"Madam, you should understand that some things aren't a matter of not wanting to speak, but being unable to. Even if you were to ask me what kind of disaster Backlund is facing, I could tell you, provided there is sufficient concealment. But your question is truly difficult to answer."
"..." Bernadette's eyes narrowed slightly. Snow could feel an indescribable gaze pierce through the fine grid veil. However, without reaching the level of an Angel, one couldn't even observe the traces of "A White Horse is Not a Horse." Of course, for Bernadette, this was likely a good thing.
She clearly didn't realize this. After a long silence, as if she had given up on something, she spoke thoughtfully. "Difficult to answer, not impossible. Can you tell me what you know? You should be aware that I can pay a sufficient price."
"Alright, Madam, you win." Snow spread his hands, offering a helpless smile. His form of address for Bernadette shifted from formal to casual. Logically, he shouldn't have been able to smile at such a moment, but the "social skills" left by his predecessor allowed him to produce a smile suitable for the current situation at any time.
He let out a long breath, then looked up at Bernadette and said, "First, Madam, I need two guarantees. If you agree, then the trade can continue. Otherwise, whether you imprison or torture me, I can only keep certain things secret. Because speaking them would only mean a fate worse than death for both of us."
"Speak." Bernadette nodded. As a seasoned Sequence 3 and the leader of a mysterious organization, she was well aware that many pieces of knowledge were dangerous just by thinking about them. While she was skeptical of how this man, whose strength likely didn't even reach Sequence 6, had managed to stuff such knowledge into his mind, the fact of his unpredictable fate led her to choose to listen to the speakable parts first.
"First, I speak and you listen. You may ask questions if there's something you don't understand, but if I don't speak, you must not ask further." Snow formed a fist and extended one finger. Seeing Bernadette nod slightly, he extended a second.
"Second, you can obtain information from me that I am able to share, but you must pay a reward. You may decide the specific amount, but it cannot be nothing. It's not that I'm obsessed with money, but this itself involves the acquisition of information. Naturally, I cannot share the specifics."
Bernadette narrowed her eyes slightly, her mind immediately filling in reasons such as a ritual completed through the act of "trading," or an extraordinary item that required "equivalent exchange" as a price. This wasn't uncommon in the mystical world. For instance, the Church of Steam and Machinery possessed a Sealed Artifact that exchanged "information" for "answered questions."
"No problem," Bernadette said in a soft tone, then added, "You should know who I am, so there's no need to worry about my purchasing power. As long as your information has sufficient value, I won't make things difficult for you."
"Very well. Regarding your previous question, I can provide an answer. Are you ready? I mean, are you prepared to isolate the gaze of high-level existences?" A confident smile resurfaced on Snow's face. Bernadette's expression behind the fine grid veil grew solemn.
With a light tap of her finger, three pig-like orcs suddenly appeared within the vine-covered space. As they walked, a pattern resembling a brick wall manifested on the "walls" of the space. It didn't just isolate many things on the mystical level; Snow even felt it had grown significantly warmer.
"You may speak."
"Alright. First, your first question: Huang Beibei. This is a name for you, because your father also had another name. I cannot tell you the source, but what I can say is that aside from Gustav, his surname was also 'Huang.' Just as I, besides the Pandrax surname, also have the surname 'Von.' It's not a middle name from Lenburg, but an ancestral surname from another source. We have a habit of using a reduplication of the surname plus the first sound of the name as a child's nickname. That is the origin of this address."
Snow spoke softly, sharing information that had no practical value, but to Bernadette, it was incredibly important. She looked at Snow thoughtfully before suddenly asking out of the blue, "So, you could also be called 'Feng Sisi'?"
"..." Snow smirked, letting out a somewhat helpless sigh. "Madam Bernadette, my name 'Snow' is also a special translation. My name is 'Xue,' meaning 'Snowflake.' In fact, you also have such a name, but your father never told anyone. Perhaps he used that name for you once, but as someone who didn't understand the meaning, you likely wouldn't remember. Therefore, if you wish to know, you can only ask your father."
"So, he's still alive?"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]