Chapter 271 | The Crimson Moon Returns

Lynch suddenly felt that this world wasn't as beautiful as he had imagined. It was also filled with suffering and pain, and hidden dangers lurked everywhere.

He was currently sitting on the sofa in the first-floor living room. Mrs. Maggie, who had returned from buying groceries, was busy in the kitchen, while little Martha had retreated to her bedroom, leaving the living room to the three of them.

He had just invited Miss Valente inside, and perhaps sensing some invisible pressure, Officer Natalie, who had been resting upstairs, also came down.

Thus, a pair of sharp, upright eyes met a pair of gentle, serene, watery eyes on the first floor of the apartment.

It was a silent gaze, but at this moment, Lynch felt his scalp go numb, experiencing the illusion of over forty evil gods holding hands and dancing in a circle around him.

The tolling of a death knell seemed to echo in his ears.

My neighbor above, I offer you my faith now. Can you guide me to fall asleep in the kingdom on the other side? I'm tired.

【Escaping won't solve the problem, Lynch. And unfortunately, we usually only accept the faith of whole humanoid beings, not their fragments.】

Tsk, why are you calling me scum to my face? What kind of weird things did you see in my memories?

Fortunately, the terrible things he had imagined didn't happen. The two ladies politely introduced themselves to each other, walked into the living room together, sat opposite each other on the sofa, and began chatting quite amiably.

No, it wasn't fine at all. Something far more terrifying than he had imagined had already occurred: the two ladies were actually chatting quite amiably.

With perfect tacit understanding, they began sharing their recent experiences, leaving Lynch, who sat on the middle sofa, absolutely no room for any tactical adjustments. Their seemingly casual words and gestures made him feel like he was sitting on a bed of needles.

“I see. Accompanying a companion to rush into a sleeping ancient city, and facing an evil god to protect a girl who was to be a sacrifice—this person is simply a model of courage and order. No wonder he suddenly left a letter and vanished, only to return with a broken leg. I thought he went off to do some shady business that couldn't see the light of day. This is a good deed, defending order and protecting civilians. What is there to hide? Isn't that right, Lynch? This kind of thing should be encouraged, hehehehe.”

Is it so wrong for me to do good deeds anonymously? And Natalie, why does your tone not sound encouraging at all? Also, why are you squinting your eyes so that they're just slits? It reminds me of how Lord Guan looks at dead men walking. Look all you want, but why are you staring at my neck? I'm cold.

“So that's how it is. Despite being a mere ordinary person with no combat ability whatsoever, he didn't hesitate to rush into a nest of cold spiders, standing in front of a delicate lady and using his own body to shield her from the evil god's claws and fangs. As expected of Mr. Detective, your actions are so romantic. Fearing no sacrifice for a... lady you had only known for a single day. Such admirable chivalry, hehe.”

Hiss, Diana, what is with you? Your smile is so standard, it looks like it was measured with a ruler. And you wanted to say 'another woman,' didn't you? You changed your words at the last second! We are comrades-in-arms, a purely professional relationship. Really, trust me, you've definitely got the wrong idea.

“What a touching story. Slashing yourself just to seize the final opportunity... We've faced so many crises together, yet I've never seen Lynch act so heroically. Right, Lynch? Hiding your strengths is not how a gentleman of Lande should behave. Show them off boldly! We are comrades who have bled together; I will be proud of you.”

Wait, do you always touch your sword hilt when you're proud? What do you do when you're not proud—just draw your sword and slash people? If you're going to praise me, then praise me, but why is your smile even creepier than when you were hacking at pirates? Your so-called 'bleeding together' isn't going to involve hacking me until I'm covered in blood, is it? Didn't we just fight side by side? Aren't we comrades-in-arms? Calm down.

“Indeed. Persisting even when the erosion had already begun, linking yourself with the eroded person and using your own soul to awaken the victim... Mr. Detective truly has the air of an ancient sage. It is quite enviable. If only someone would stand by me through thick and thin like that. Don't you agree, Mr. Detective?”

I'm not saying a word. That fan of yours is too terrifying, and it's been pointing right at my head this whole time. I'm not saying a word. And you're still waving it around. Is that a real fan or a shotgun you brought today? Make it clear first, or else I'll show you a live performance of someone wetting their pants on the spot.

Being stared at by the two smiling ladies from both sides, Lynch wanted to cry but had no tears.

Waaah, women are truly terrifying.

Having spent day and night with the two ladies recently, it would be a lie to say Lynch didn't have any thoughts about them.

As an otaku, he was merely dense, not brain-dead. During their daily interactions, he had naturally felt some subtle changes, and as a man, he quite enjoyed this feeling.

He had also considered how to handle these happy troubles. But in some aspects, an otaku might be worse than brain-dead. After thinking it over and over, he couldn't come up with any conclusion other than giggling foolishly. In the end, his decision was to follow his heart.

Indeed. My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do is pure and holy. This was the oracle approved by his neighbor.

【I did not, I do not, don't try to associate with me. There were no scumbags in my former church.】

In short, Lynch's decision was to focus on his own affairs. In any case, this world was only glamorous on the surface; in private, the relationships between knights, noble ladies, wives, and lovers were incredibly messy. His minor situation was hardly worth making a fuss over. So, he would follow his heart, let nature take its course, and leave everything to time.

The problem was that this was way too natural—so natural that a cleaver was about to come chopping down. Especially when those two gazes, bearing different meanings but equally bizarre, shot toward his face at the same time. He instinctively clutched his neck, as if seeing a friendly head waving at him from afar.

“Pfft.”

As if by prior agreement, seeing Lynch drenched in cold sweat, both ladies shifted their gazes at the same time. They shared a meaningful look and smiled. Although the content of their conversation hadn't changed, Lynch could clearly feel that the volatile atmosphere had quietly eased.

Phew, looks like I survived. Lynch let out a long breath. These two girls still had some restraint and had let him off the hook for now. He wasn't sure what the future held, but at least for now, his head didn't have to say goodbye to his body yet.

Letting out a relieved smile, Lynch wiped away his sweat. He looked at the two ladies, who were now genuinely chatting amiably, and was about to say something when, with a click, the bedroom door opened. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed, doll-like little Martha ran out, heading straight for Lynch.

“Uncle Lynch, Mama told you to leave your underwear on the bed. She'll take them to wash before she goes back to her room tonight.”

Having said that, the little girl looked perfectly natural as she pattered away and turned back.

Wait, how did your mother in the kitchen bypass us to tell you this in the bedroom? And why did you omit a few key words to make this sentence sound so ambiguous?

Before Lynch could even react, swish! The two gazes that had just softened shot back onto his face at the same time.

???

Damn it, you brat who deserves a beating. We have no old grudges and no recent enmity, so why are you setting me up?

No, our enmity is actually as deep as the sea. Just you wait, your butt is going to get spanked raw.

Bleeeh.

The little girl completely ignored Lynch's murderous glare. She turned around to make a face, then happily shut the bedroom door, peeking through the crack with one small eye to watch the show outside.

Just you wait. I'll introduce you to the Swelling Daughter in a bit. You two are cut from the same cloth, so you'll definitely get along great.

“Heh, heh, heh... Um, listen to my cover-up... listen to my explanation, things aren't what you think.”

“Mr. Detective, I heard that Princess Chloe has already sent you the invitation for the night after tomorrow. For the sake of the plan, you must attend.” Unfortunately, opportunity only knocks once; once missed, it is gone forever. Someone was already disinclined to give him a chance to explain, speaking with a reserved smile, “It would be too risky for you to attend alone. Furthermore, according to etiquette, with your current status, you are permitted to bring a female companion. So, whom do you plan to bring?”

“Yes, Lynch, this concerns your personal safety. Think carefully before you decide.”

Looking at the two different yet equally young and beautiful faces, and their two meaningful smiles, the cold sweat that had just receded on Lynch's forehead broke out once more.