novelnext Page 373
Page 373
"Please, members of the Six-Eyed Ravens, do not stand on ceremony. You are guests of the Hunters."
"Besides, this isn't our first meeting, so I hope we can be relaxed and talk casually." (Wu)
As they spoke, Vivian sat down on the other side of the leather sofa.
She tried her best to maintain a calm demeanor and tone of voice so as not to falter or show weakness midway. Fortunately, she had systematically studied facial expression control during her reserve service, which enabled her to effectively conceal her emotions and instinctive fidgeting.
Vivian's statement that it "wasn't the first time we'd met" wasn't entirely untrue. She had indeed seen White Neck and Detrica at Mordway's first settlement, but it wasn't a pleasant memory...
Not only did he have to pretend to be Dr. Fran in constant fear, but he was also hunted down by a Moth Priestess afterward, and even with all his might, he could only barely hold out until Sister Heda arrived.
Now that she can finally show her true self, she should be able to relax a bit.
Seeing the three raiders walking on thin ice, Vivian vaguely sensed that something was amiss. However, she couldn't voice her doubts, so she could only hope to complete the liaison work as soon as possible.
Graymark seemed to realize that his current behavior was unbecoming, so he immediately coughed lightly and straightened his expression slightly.
"Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Vivian."
The high priest, Ravenfeather, originally intended to continue, "I just didn't expect the Order to entrust this negotiation to you," but as the words were about to come out, he suddenly realized something and swallowed back the words he had prepared.
Judging from Ms. Vivian's current attire, appearance, and the impression she gives off, she seems to be just an ordinary agent of the Secret Service.
Is this the identity she uses to operate in Norrington?
Did the Order of the Hunters know her true identity?
The fact that he showed such extraordinary respect to an ordinary detective might seem strange to other detectives. Would it cause her any distress?
Thinking of this, Gray Mark glanced almost imperceptibly at White Neck.
As colleagues who have worked together on the development of the site for many years, the two have an extraordinary understanding of each other. Bai Jing quickly understood his concerns and then tried to restore the atmosphere to normal.
“Ms. Vivian, I think you are aware that people who have lived in Golmouth for many years often feel uncomfortable when they come to Norrington. Therefore, they may be a little reserved during the meeting. Please understand.”
"This is our prepared tax documents, as well as the management, inspection, and handover plan for the goods."
"At the same time, we will pay an additional 7% on top of the existing tax as an inspection and maintenance fee for the traded goods. This is written into the specific contract terms and represents the sincerity of the Six-Eyed Raven Order."
She chose the method that would restore the situation to normal as quickly as possible... to get down to business in a bureaucratic manner.
Vivian nodded slightly and took the documents, examining them one by one.
While hunters are known for their adherence to the commandments, not all hunters are familiar with all the rules and regulations. For example, there are a few guys in the Funeral Parlor who spend all their time thinking about taking off their enemies' heads and hanging them in the skull exhibition hall...
However, Vivian happens to have a considerable amount of knowledge in this field.
It's worth noting that she had submitted a report stating her desire to switch to the document department and had spent considerable of her spare time studying relevant documents in advance... There were no issues with either the procedure or her professional skills.
However, a small, unexpected change occurred just before the final assessment.
While reviewing the contract documents submitted by the white-necked woman, Vivian couldn't help but have some ideas...
If I hadn't gone to 131 Red Pheasant Street last year and hadn't met Sister Heda and Dr. Fra at Ms. Solanie's residence, I might be doing the same job now.
eight--
5--
Fine soup! (I proofread it once, and refreshed it because I felt the sentences didn't flow smoothly.)
Please ask for leave
I need to get up before 6 AM tomorrow to catch my 7 AM flight, so I'm taking a break. Please be patient, everyone. I'll catch up on this 4k if I have time. (This isn't a business trip, just some other business I need to take care of.)
If I'm still awake at night, I'll try my best; if I'm asleep, I can only start coding during the day.
mustached--
Fourth
鸽！
Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Monroe Aristocracy
"there is a problem."
The inchworm sat quietly at its desk in its bedroom, its expression revealing difficulty and hesitation, as if it were facing some intractable dilemma.
Since arriving in Norrington, he has rarely encountered situations that he cannot handle on his own.
Small things are not difficult for him, but as for big things, they are not something he needs to worry about at all.
However, he now faces a personal matter. And a conflicting one at that, one from which he cannot reconcile his concerns…
Looking at the two letters on the table, both bearing the same Lois family sealing wax seal, the inchworm frowned and let out a sigh.
The first letter was one he had received beforehand: a dinner invitation from Elsa to "Hayl Humphrey," the lead dancer of the Drowning Theatre, in a private capacity.
The second letter, sent directly to Norrington College, was an invitation from the Lois family to the acting professor "Inchworm," detailed below.
[Near No. 11, South Norlington, October 31, 1421 (Millennium Calendar)]
[Dear Professor Inchworm.]
May the flawless glow of the pure white cup flow through your thoughts.
On my behalf, I cordially invite you to a dinner party on the evening of the 6th of the following month at 7:00 PM.
[My daughter, Elsa Lois, has made steady progress in various subjects recently, including *International Relations in Foreign Lands*, *Gormouth Language*, and *Gormouth History*, thanks to your guidance. I am delighted to see this.]
I know you are currently very busy teaching and have little time for other matters, but if it is possible for you to grant my request, I hope you can reply three days before the start of the banquet.
—Eugene Lois.
[Postscript: My daughter mentioned that an old friend from the same overseas country as you might be attending this dinner. While I don't know if you know her, I personally believe that meeting a compatriot in a foreign land is an exciting experience. Please forgive any inconvenience or abruptness.]
This is a fairly formal invitation letter.
In fact, the inchworm has not been in Norrington for very long, and no matter how outstanding his teaching ability is, he should not have received this level of attention... Normally, such social correspondence would only be sent after he was officially promoted to professor.
Firstly, the timing is right, and secondly, the reason is legitimate, so it won't seem abrupt.
So, why did the inchworm receive the invitation?
—Because this invitation was not originally intended for him.
At Norrington Central College, the only person Elsa could truly call a "mentor" was Professor Terence. However, Terence had been conducting archaeological explorations at some overseas ruins recently and clearly did not have time to keep their appointment.
As a collateral branch of the Lois family that is gradually declining, Eugene Lois hopes that a professor with a white cup will attend the banquet, which would significantly improve the quality of the entire event and send a signal to the outside world...
This means that "this branch of the Lois line still retains the favor of the White Cup Order".
Eugene knew that appointing a young acting professor to such a role would come at a price, so he was prepared to sponsor the professor's research. Moreover, the professor was one of Elsa's teachers, and he naturally hoped to deepen their relationship further.
Eugene's idea was not wrong, but it put the inchworm in a dilemma.
"Calm down, let's discuss the solutions by category..."
"The simplest way is to decline the invitation as the inchworm and then accept it as Haliel, or vice versa."
This approach is simple and efficient, and the risk of exposure can be avoided with a few small measures. For example, while using one identity, create the illusion that another identity is in a different location.
However, this overly conservative approach goes against the inchworm's usual style.
For this disciple of the moth, the contradictory challenges were accompanied by a delightful sense of exhilaration.
When a lie is told, it is inherently flawed, regardless of whether the deceived person believes it or not.
Only when the liar refines the lie with real-world examples, whether true or false, until the lie achieves a self-consistent and impeccable logical loop, can it be considered truly perfect.
This is precisely the state that the inchworm seeks.
If the identity conflict at this dinner could be resolved properly, the inchworm would undoubtedly be satisfied. Therefore, he was caught in a dilemma, yet eager to try, unwilling to end the matter with a simple refusal.
"Option Two: Seek outside help. Find someone to impersonate Inchworm or Haliel to fill the identity gap."
He quickly wrote down the specific execution methods on a piece of draft paper in order to make his thoughts clearer.
"Would it be feasible to seek help from the hermit?"
She was an ancient apostle who had once worshipped the Velvet Moth, and her level of understanding and skill as a dancer must far surpass mine. With her abilities, she would be more than capable of taking on any of my identities.
...But asking the other party for such a small matter seems like making a mountain out of a molehill.
Think carefully about what the Hermit Lady was doing in Gormouth.
In the fallen city of Morion, he stripped Karmion, who had been promoted to Gardener's Glandularity; at the bottom of the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower, he stole the Heir remnants hidden by the Star Abyss Society for many years; and in the fake Skull Palace, he murdered the Society Master, Melvis Rudolph, who had activated the first type of ritual...
Moreover, as a subordinate, it is presumptuous and impolite to make requests to one's superior that are outside of work.
As for the others, they were far from his ideal candidate.
Moreover, he had only been in Norrington for a short time and was busy with the college and the theater, so he had no free time to cultivate and develop his network of contacts. Therefore, there was no one he could entrust with such an important matter.
The inchworm took off its silver-rimmed square mirror, stretched out its fingers to rub the marks on the bridge of its nose, and showed a hint of fatigue in its expression.
"Option three: create a time gap that allows the two identities to appear in turn. No, that's almost impossible. Mr. Eugene has already mentioned that he wants me to meet a fellow countryman from the same land of the Abyss, so he will definitely arrange for the two of us to meet."
"Option four: Hypnotize a person, then modify their appearance to make them my substitute."
This solution seems feasible, but there are many difficulties in its implementation.
Finding a suitable experimental subject that can be stably influenced by a hypnotic device requires an element of luck, not to mention altering appearance, cognition, and the "self" in personality structure... all of this takes time.
If given a year or two, he might be able to complete his plan. But the Lois family's dinner party is scheduled for early next month, and he has less than a week to prepare. A hastily made product will inevitably be extremely poor and full of flaws.
"Option Five..."
Just as the inchworm was engrossed in composing his ideas and putting pen to paper, he suddenly felt a slight itch around his left eye.
However, this time his eyeball remained obediently in its socket, without transforming into an arachnid-like form and emerging. After ascending to the fourth tier and truly completing the cocooning and metamorphosis to enter the High Priesthood, the left eye given to him by Fran truly belonged to him.
But Fran was still able to use him as a medium to convey revelations.
However, the inchworm's left eye's vision became hazy and grayish, as if veiled by a mist, making everything within sight appear unreal. But the scene seen by its right eye remained unchanged, without any unusual phenomena.
From his left eye's perspective, he saw pale, almost gray mist condensing on the pages of the book in front of him, slowly forming several common language words.
I agree to Option Two.
This is quite an interesting thing, isn't it?
Suddenly, the inchworm felt its breathing become uncontrollably rapid, and its heartbeat followed suit.
The only person capable of conveying revelation in such an extraordinary way could be the Hermit Lady.
At the same time, this cool, damp mist with its pale gray hue is also her symbol.
The hermit's agreement relieved his stress, and the chaotic worries in his mind seemed to dissipate as well.
The hermit lady of today likely has far greater aspirations and is no longer a servant who worships the moth. But since she once walked the path of the moth, how can we presume to understand her with the mindset of a conventional occultist?
For her, the most important deciding factor in doing something might not be "profit," but rather "interest."
The inchworm itself is the same; it not only struggles to maintain its identities as both an academic professor and a dancer, but also insists on attending Lois's dinner party.
All of this is simply because of its irresistible "fun factor".
While the fog over the world was still lingering in the vision of the left eye, the inchworm spoke up and asked a question.
"Respected Hermit Lady, may I ask which of my identities you wish to use?"
[Hayl Humphrey.]
The mist condensed again, eventually forming the name of the dancers in the Drowning Theater.
"It is a great honor for me to have this identity beholden to you."
The inchworm humbly complied with Fran's choice.
As he uttered these words, he tried his best to remain calm, not wanting to appear disrespectful under the apostle's gaze. However, the slight trembling of his hand hidden beneath his sleeve revealed his intense anticipation.
The Hermit chose Haliel as her disguise. Does this mean she might witness an apostle from a lost age or even earlier displaying her dancing skills? What kind of scene would that be?
Is it a reinterpretation of classical mythological epics, such as a fateful opera about a snake with its tail in a ring, or a dance that purely showcases superb skills?
"call……"
After taking a deep breath, the inchworm's wildly racing thoughts cooled down again.
Don't harbor unrealistic expectations.
What right did the guests at this level have to make the Hermit Lady dance? Her mere presence was the best outcome.
When faced with exciting events, the inchworm's emotions can easily become overheated; its inner self is far from the calm and composed demeanor it displays. However, the scholarly qualities honed through years of studying classical texts allow it to quickly regain its rationality.
A few breaths later, the mist dissipated completely, and his vision in his left eye returned to normal.