"Only three? You're an Assassin, aren't you? Even a casual regular client would've had you kill more than that, right?" Snow spread his cat claws, his tone playfully teasing.
"Get to the point. The Nighthawks around here are increasing. I need to leave soon," Trissy said impatiently, cutting off the black cat's impending tangent.
It wasn't arrogance. In their half-month acquaintance, Trissy had learned that given the slightest chance, this cat would spin a web of bizarre, irrelevant nonsense.
"Fine, fine, business it is." Snow showed no offense at Trissy's attitude. He nimbly hopped onto the dressing table, leveling his gaze with hers, and continued,
"This job's simple. Attack a Sequence 9 Mystery Pryer, but don't kill him. Expose that he's been corrupted by the Hidden Sage."
"The Hidden Sage? Are you joking?" Trissy's face twisted in exaggerated disbelief. Snow flicked his tail, resisting the urge to chase it, and replied,
"Relax, just a poor sap who's been force-fed knowledge by the Hidden Sage. He's got no notable Beyonder items, maybe a few low-level Night pathway charms at most."
"That's more like it." As a half-insider of the Demoness Sect, Trissy knew some basic Beyonder lore. The Hidden Sage's habit of flooding Mystery Pryer with knowledge was near-public knowledge.
Still…
"This Mystery Pryer's identity is sensitive, isn't it?" Trissy raised an eyebrow, her tone playful. The cat's intent was clearly to save someone.
And someone worth saving likely held secrets.
"Your curiosity's too sharp," Snow shot her a cold glance. "He's a Nighthawk, old, with little promotion potential. I chose him because he's closest to losing control. You've seen Tingen's situation lately. I need the official Beyonders to stay alert."
"Why not just let him lose control?" Trissy probed. Snow grinned.
"If you dare kill an official Beyonder at this juncture, that'd be ideal. But I'd suggest completing the task through 'informing.' After all, you're a 'Demoness' now."
"Acting?" Trissy caught Snow's meaning instantly. Foretelling misfortune and predicting calamity were core to a Demoness's acting method. Though she preferred direct curses, Tingen's current climate meant using Beyonder powers recklessly would draw the three Churches' wrath.
"Alright, I'll do it. Give me his details." Trissy pondered briefly and nodded. She didn't fully buy that the cat's sole motive was to offer her an acting opportunity, but she needed one herself. If saving this old Mystery Pryer earned her some favor, it wasn't a bad deal.
"Full name unknown, commonly called 'Old Neil,' Nighthawk, Sequence 9 Mystery Pyer. Skilled in crafting charms and ritual magic. Frequents the Beyonder market behind Evil Dragon Bar to buy spiritual materials. Lives in a standalone house in the North District suburbs, with a garden of roses, golden mint, and other plants for distilling essences and oils. Wears a black classical robe. That enough?"
Snow recited all he recalled. Trissy, drawing on her Assassin and Instigator experience, immediately devised several plans and nodded.
"Enough."
"Great. What reward do you want? Given the target's difficulty, I can answer questions worth up to 1,000 gold pounds. If you're willing to pay extra, I can get you the Sequence 6 Assassin pathway formula. You know, Sequence 6 formulas go for 2,000 gold pounds on the market."
Seeing Trissy agree, Snow adopted a businesslike demeanor. Trissy frowned at the black cat's expression, so at odds with its cute appearance.
"Can I split the reward?"
"Of course. Want to start with a 100-pound question?" Snow extended a claw, attempting a thumbs-up but failing spectacularly. Still, his intent was clear.
"First, can you tell me what's happening in Tingen? Wait—don't answer yet. How much is this question worth?" Trissy eyed the cat warily, suspecting that without asking, this shady merchant would claim it was worth 5,000 pounds after answering, then demand 4,000 pounds' worth of work.
"Hmm, this involves the three Churches, two Sequence 5s, a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, and a touch of divinity. If you want the full story, even 20,000 gold pounds wouldn't be too much, right?"
Snow's cat mouth curled into a toothy grin. Trissy's scalp tingled. For the umpteenth time, she wished she could go back and strangle herself at the train station for noticing this damned cat.
"Tell me what I can know, within 200 pounds," Triss took a deep breath. She now fully grasped that dealing with this cat could cost several lifetimes' worth of mistakes. But given Tingen's state, ignorance could mean a clueless death. After a moment's thought, she made her choice.
"200 pounds, let's see… Here's the deal: An Aurora Order emissary came to Tingen looking for something. The three Churches are after him and what he's seeking. Someone else wants to use this chaos to steal something."
"That's it?" Triss frowned at the cat's tongue-twister-like answer, suspicious.
"This 'someone' planning to steal—is that you?"
"Guess?" Snow tilted his cat head, striking a cute pose. Ignoring his vile personality, it was almost heart-melting.
"Keep the remaining questions on tab. Also, can't you give me a more reliable contact method?" Trissy mulled over Snow's intel, asking aloud.
"I've told you, praying to my Lord is the simplest and safest way. If you're unwilling, control an ordinary person to pray for you. Demoness have mind-charming abilities, don't they?"
(End of Chapter)
Author's Note: Saving Old Neil isn't just fan service for the original novel. There's strategic maneuvering here. I'll explain more tomorrow noon, but to reduce backlash, I'll say this: my writing is mostly logical. Even when favoring beloved original characters, I aim to align with the protagonist's personality. If I ever seem to blatantly fawn, it'd only be for a black-haired, long-haired beauty… but that's an exception, not up for debate. What? Triss is also a black-haired, long-haired beauty? Er, well, the protagonist has no plans to taste a Witch's charms, really! Besides, Triss is destined to become a true iron-blooded man!