In the early hours of June 13, 1399, Lynch finished the dinner Miss Valente had personally prepared.
It was not particularly sumptuous—just a few slices of golden-fried bacon, two tender, runny sunny-side-up eggs, some vegetables, and a few pieces of bread. That was all.
The taste was ordinary as well, with nothing spectacular about it. Yet, for some reason, Lynch felt he would never forget it. Especially under the dim gas lamp, sitting side by side as they silently enjoyed their late dinner, Lynch believed this scene would remain firmly etched in a corner of his heart for a very long time to come.
Though, for some reason, on his way back to the guest room, he felt as if countless cold, brutal gazes were staring at him from the darkness behind. It felt as though he had moved into a haunted house.
Forget it. It was too creepy. He decided to do nothing and just head back to his room to sleep.
Unfortunately, likely due to inhaling too much soul-calming grass, Lynch could not sleep at all. In the end, he simply got up and read the ancient parchment book, 《Goddess of the Black Fan》, a few more times. According to Lady Luna's suggestion, this would help him absorb the death information contained within and deepen his understanding of the death authority.
As soon as dawn broke the next day, Lynch left someone else's house in someone else's carriage. Upon his departure, the old butler led the household's male and female servants to form two rows to see him off. It looked quite grand, but seeing the fierce glints in each of their eyes, as if they would beat him to death if he ever returned, Lynch had ample reason to suspect that his act of sneaking food last night had been discovered.
Well... sneaking food in the literal sense, that is. Besides, he had found the reason behind the "haunted house" feeling.
After leaving the Valente family home, he took a detour to the nearby Count of Lorand's residence to have a private conversation with Princess Chloe for a while, before stopping by Bessie's Magic Prop Shop in the Crown District along the way.
He was busy until nearly noon before finally returning to his apartment, physically and mentally exhausted.
Having not returned home for two nights, the first thing he saw upon entering was Mrs. Maggie's pleasantly surprised, smiling face.
Since he had previously asked the butler, Mr. Louis, to personally deliver a letter to inform Mrs. Maggie, the beautiful landlady had not been overly worried. She simply took Lynch's coat and top hat with great consideration, hanging them up before happily heading off to brew tea for him.
Looking at the tiny living room and bedroom, Lynch actually felt a long-lost sense of familiarity. Although he had been staying in a grand mansion for the past two days with servants catering to his every need, returning to his simple and cramped apartment brought him an incomparable sense of relaxation.
Especially after taking a hot bath, changing into pajamas and slippers, sitting on his familiar fabric sofa, and stretching out with his feet propped up on the coffee table—the sheer comfort welling up from the bottom of his heart was something no grand mansion could compare to. Sipping the black tea personally brewed by Mrs. Maggie, the fatigue accumulated over the past few days quickly caught up with him.
Indeed, he was incredibly exhausted.
Over the past three days, he had first engaged in a battle of wits and courage with Princess Chloe and the Count of Lorand, tracked and fought to the death with the Deep Ones like Alice in the shipwreck, ventured deep into the enemy's nest to retrieve the gem by deceit, and finally run off to the evil god's territory to fight the Swelling Daughter face-to-face.
He hadn't felt it while things were happening, but now that everything was over and he was back in his familiar little nest, a wave of mental and physical exhaustion immediately washed over his entire body.
Fortunately, his efforts had not been in vain. The 《Goddess of the Black Fan》 he brought back not only brought the number of his death-related abilities to over four, meeting the requirements to advance to the next rank, but also deepened his understanding of death. Especially when he first witnessed the plains covered in corpses, he felt closer to death than ever before. Lynch even felt that if he were to witness such a scene a few more times, he might be able to comprehend one or two more abilities under the death authority.
It seemed he needed to start preparing for his next advancement. First, he would see when Countess Hathaway would send over his neighbor's memories, and then see which evil god was about to have a very bad day.
But the most important thing was still that Death Veto ability, which made Lynch feel as if he were dreaming. This thing was even more useful than the "last stand" ability in a certain game. It triggered automatically, essentially giving him countless extra lives out of thin air. Coupled with the dual boost to both melee and ranged combat from Death Coil, his combat strength had experienced a quantum leap. He finally looked somewhat like a rank two authority Soul Severer.
Next time, he would test it out on Prince William and the Rangers, as well as that mysterious enemy who dared to burn down his house.
Hmm? Was there something wrong with that? Whatever, let's just assume it was all fine.
However, the only thing Lynch felt dissatisfied with was that he had actually comprehended an arcane technique—the very first arcane technique he mastered.
Well... the Swelling Daughter Contact Technique.
It could be used anytime, anywhere, and its sole function was to allow him to communicate directly with the Swelling Daughter.
A side effect of reading the book. By the time Lynch realized it, he had already comprehended it and couldn't forget it, making him curse up a storm in his head out of sheer frustration.
But since things had come to this, he could only accept his fate. At worst, he just wouldn't use it in the future. Even if he possessed a high affinity for mystery, surely nothing could force him to use this thing.
【Hehe.】
“Alright, alright, I know you're peeping.”
Using the last of his willpower to stay awake, Lynch locked the dangerous items away in his safe, then threw himself onto his bed and happily drifted off to sleep.
He slept so deeply that he didn't even notice Mrs. Maggie slipping in to take his shirt and trousers to wash.
When he woke up again, the sky was still bright, but it was already the morning of the 14th.
The familiar bustle of Charles Square brought a smile to Lynch's lips. Stretching lazily, Lynch had finally recovered from his exhaustion.
In fact, if he didn't have an appointment today, Lynch would have wanted to sleep for another day. After all, a life without having to wake up early for work or school was just that dull and monotonous.
He truly envied those corporate slaves who had a reason to wake up early. He envied them so much he couldn't stop grinning.
Putting on his dried and ironed clothes, he gathered his full gear, especially that small cloth pouch.
Opening it to take a look, a red light immediately illuminated Lynch's face.
The Flaming Red Lips—the real deal.
He had to keep this safe, as he would be relying on it for what came next.
Lynch smiled strangely, tied the pouch shut again, hid the gem close to his body, and picked up his cane to walk downstairs.
“Wow, Uncle Lynch, long time no see! I haven't seen you since your leg got better, and you don't play with me anymore.” Little Martha hadn't gone to school yet. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Lynch, and she excitedly threw herself forward, clinging to his leg. “When are you going to break it again? I still want to draw on it—ouch!”
What a sweet talker. She was promptly rewarded with two light smacks on the head.
Having received her two smacks as desired, the little rascal immediately held Lynch's hand with satisfaction and pulled him to sit at the dining table. This little thing was getting more and more clingy. However, he had asked around Charles Square a few days ago, and those “children of King District” had indeed reined themselves in quite a bit. They rarely caused trouble now, which astonished everyone.
“Here, this is for you.” Lynch pulled out two one-pound notes, thought about it, and exchanged them for four ten-shilling coins instead. “You still remember my black uniform, right? The Rangers' uniform.”
“Yeah.”
“Have your people keep a close eye on the surrounding blocks for the next few days. If you spot anyone in those clothes lurking around, let me know as soon as possible.”
“You got it!” The little one finally stuffed the money into her pocket, her deep blue eyes staring at Lynch. “Is there any danger?”
“Not for you guys, but you're on your own if you get beaten up.” Lynch stood up to take the breakfast and coffee Mrs. Maggie brought over, taking a large bite that felt highly satisfying. “Any news these past few days? Anything you heard from your Sister Maya?”
“No, everything is normal.”
Little Martha's answer disappointed Lynch slightly. It seemed the Rangers had somehow managed to pacify the Deep One, Pirate Davis, preventing their collusion from being exposed. What a pity; he had wanted to watch them tear each other apart. Just as he was feeling regretful, he heard Martha continue:
“It's just that some princess is hosting another banquet. It's going to be in the newspapers today. These rich people are so disgusting, hosting banquets all the time for no reason. I don't even know why they host so many of them. I hate it.”
“I know. She's hosting it just to invite me.”
“Hahaha! Uncle Lynch, you really boast too much! A princess inviting you to a banquet? Hahaha, the Governor invited me too, then!”
Knock, knock, knock.
While the cheerful laughter was still echoing in the dining room, a sudden knocking sounded from the front door.
The little girl pattered off to open the door, leaving only Lynch and Mrs. Maggie facing each other in the dining room.
“Please don't be angry with her. She didn't mean to mock you. She knows you truly care for her and are just teasing her, so she's joking back.”
Seeing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed landlady speaking softly with a gentle smile, Lynch's heart warmed. He smiled and said, “Don't worry, I don't dislike children who can correct their mistakes. This little thing is slowly learning to be sensible.”
“Yes.” Mrs. Maggie wiped her eyes and nodded vigorously. “I really must thank you. If not for you, I truly cannot imagine what would have happened to us. In the future, please continue to...”
“Huh?”
Before Mrs. Maggie could finish, Martha's surprised voice came from the doorway. Turning around, they saw the little girl walking back, holding an envelope with a dazed look on her face.
“What is it?” Mrs. Maggie walked over worriedly, scanning her daughter repeatedly. Only after confirming she was fine did she relax.
“An invitation... for Uncle Lynch.” Little Martha looked at Lynch as if she were looking at the Goddess of the Night herself. “The princess is inviting you to attend a banquet on the evening of the seventeenth. The butler from the Count's residence delivered it personally.”
“Just toss it in the hallway for me. I already know about it, no need to read it,” Lynch said casually. “I have to go out in a bit, so I won't bother taking it upstairs. It's not anything important anyway.”
“Oh...” The little one glanced at Lynch, carefully placed the invitation on the shoe cabinet, and suddenly stuck her tongue out at him defiantly. Then she pattered back to Lynch's side, shaking his arm as she asked, “Uncle Lynch, why did the princess invite you? And she even hosted this banquet specifically to invite you.”
“I had her host it. She asked me to find something, and now that I've found it, we're using this banquet to hand it over to her in a high-profile manner.”
“Then you said you're going out in a bit. Is that to go see her too?”
“No, seeing her at the banquet is enough. There's no need for an early meeting.” Lynch had already finished his breakfast. He stood up and patted the little girl's head. “Do you still remember the elderly lady who often came to treat my illness a few days ago? Mrs. Nightingale.”
“Yeah.”
“I'm going to find her. It's about time I repaid the favor I owe her.”
Rate on N.U.
