To be honest, I am not a hero striving to save others, nor do I believe in goodness either. I am merely a person who transferred to this world and suffered immensely on his very first day, adopting devilish thoughts as a miserable philosophy to try and hide the sense of inferiority within, pretending not to care what people say! But it's true that sometimes he doesn't care, yet at other times, he is shaken from within.
The laughter, mockery, and rejection from people made him change his perspective on this world he was reincarnated into. But his act of being ready to rid the world for his own ascension within it is nothing but fleeting words spoken in moments of anger or internal brokenness.
And despite all this, I am still human, so I will ensure you taste hell for what you have done!" Xiao Ping spoke to himself, looking at the ring in his hand. He couldn't forget the soulless gaze of that girl.
He was now leaning against one of the city's lampposts in the center, with James in front of him, looking at the stage the workers had prepared about half an hour ago.
It was a medium-sized stage, with a giant red curtain and lanterns hanging on its sides, illuminating with a yellow light.
"Ping! The evening is only 15 minutes away!" James said while looking at the huge clock behind the stage.
Xiao Ping looked at that large clock, then at the stage beneath it, and saw a band holding various musical instruments. Xiao Ping wasn't interested in music in his previous world, so he only recognized three or four names of the instruments on the stage. There were also many tables, chairs, and glass cups containing wine.
"Remind me: why did they add this stage?" asked Xiao Ping, expecting that the prince had invented all those instruments and taught the common people to play them. As for the tables, they were likely for the guests attending the evening.
"Simply because it's for people to dance with their partners!" James said, feeling sorry for Madeline because she hadn't attended.
Xiao Ping saw the sad expressions on James Beyond's face and knew it was due to Madeline's absence. He said, "Don't worry, man! It's not like you'll never see her again in this lifetime! So stand up, we have a case to solve now, and keep romance aside for now; it's not the time!" Xiao Ping said while patting James's shoulder and walking between the tables.
"You! I'll really pay you back for this in the future!" James said while catching up to Xiao Ping.
"Hello, then wait your turn in line!" Xiao Ping paid no attention at all to James's words.
"Oh! So you have other enemies besides the members of that organization, those with the strange rituals of self-sacrifice for their supreme ruler!" James spoke as he and Xiao Ping climbed the stairs to the stage from the side.
"Hahaha!" Xiao Ping laughed upon hearing James's words about the organization whose members had fought for him earlier, then said: "To be honest: Yes! I do, because I made a lot of enemies today, honestly! Especially with the princess's guards!" Xiao Ping said with full pride. But he didn't mention that he had tried his new technique on one of her guards so James wouldn't go crazy.
"The princess's guards! It seems you're in real trouble, man... Wait, did you meet the third princess?" James was surprised and asked Xiao Ping, who suddenly stopped in the middle of the stage, looking at the red curtain blocking his view.
"Yes! I met her this morning," Xiao Ping said, uninterested.
'Hmm, that's truly shocking! To meet a princess and offend her personal guards! It seems he met her while she was touring a street. I just heard this morning that she entered through the eastern gate of Frendenstream. Hmm... I think she has been informed by now about the hostile kingdom's conditions! That explains why Xiao Ping said those things about the princess in front of Uncle Herbert!' James thought for a moment and said, "This explains a lot of things!"
"Hmm... and what are those things, I wonder!" Xiao Ping asked coldly.
"I'll tell you one thing and one thing only!" James declared as he approached Xiao Ping and continued, "Don't pin your hopes on something you'll never reach!"
'Damn... what is he talking about? And why is he looking at me with those strange expressions? He can't possibly be thinking that I...!' Xiao Ping thought and said, "You'd better focus on finding clues instead of saying these illogical things! And I'll tell you something too: I don't care what you're thinking right now!" Xiao Ping's reply was very firm.
"I only say logical things! And as for your last words, let that be true!" James replied while opening the red curtain and seeing the band playing soft melodies now.
"Whatever!" Xiao Ping replied, looking at the ceiling of that stage to inspect it, using his ability to see if there was anything suspicious above, but he saw nothing unusual.
So he lowered his gaze forward and looked at James, who was peeking from behind the red curtain at the band of instrumentalists.
"James! I want to ask you a question!" Xiao Ping spoke while taking out those notes from his pants pocket, advancing towards James at the curtain.
"What is it?" James asked while carefully looking at the paper Xiao Ping was holding with his black glove.
"Can you read this?" Xiao Ping asked, pointing the content of his notes towards James's face. He wanted to confirm if James could read the notes, even though he knew James couldn't read the work requests Xiao Ping had written for Pablo Pascual at the bar.
"Hmm... what is this? Are these symbols like the paper you wrote at Pasco's bar?" James asked, puzzled by Xiao Ping's writing.
"Yes! They are the same but with a different meaning!" Xiao Ping replied, moving and tilting the paper left and right.
"Oh! They have a different meaning! Where did you learn to write such symbols? And why are you moving it like that?" James asked.
"No, I'm just thinking while moving it, that's all! And as for your question about where I learned these symbols, it's from my homeland!" Xiao Ping said, a hint of sadness flashing on his face for a second before he resumed his usual cold expressions.
But James noticed it and didn't want to ask him about which homeland he was talking about. The Desert of Death was a false pretext in front of Madeline to divert suspicions from James. It was also used to deceive Loughart, who claimed to be from the Safety Bureau.
Xiao Ping saw James lost in thought, so he approached him with the notes and tapped his shoulder, saying, "No need to feel awkward about asking, you have an equal... because we are partners!" Xiao Ping showed a small smile on his cold face and continued, "I'm just kidding! You can ask anytime!" Then he walked out from behind the red curtain, leaving James behind.
'Those words carry hidden threats! Hahaha, our partnership's first mission will undoubtedly be on the same day we formed it—a mission never to be forgotten!' James said as he lifted the curtain to exit.
He averted his gaze from the playing band and directed it toward Xiao Ping, who was standing at the edge of the stage in the middle, watching the guests arriving for the evening in various horse-drawn carriages. White Raven Street was truly packed.
"There are many attendees at tonight's evening!" James said while looking at the many people holding their partners' hands intimately as they approached the seats.
"You're right! This attendance is excessive!" Xiao Ping looked at the people, hoping to identify any power-bearers, but couldn't see any.
"This will be difficult. Where did that woman go? And also, why didn't we ask for her name when we asked about her hobbies earlier? Wait! We only told them: 'The famous woman who will attend the stage today!' And they answered without giving us her name!" James said while hitting his temples.
"Yes! That's really strange!" Xiao Ping said while still observing from above the stage, then spotted that woman with long gray hair and an elegant green dress, surrounded by many muscular guards.
"There she is!" Xiao Ping spoke while pointing toward the location of that famous lady.
"We have to go and ask her name!" James Beyond spoke.
"You don't have the right to interrogate a civilian without a license! Do you have one?" Xiao Ping asked, looking at James.
"A license? I don't have anything like that," James quickly replied.
"Huh? You don't have a license? What the hell...! How were you working as an investigator before then?" Xiao Ping asked while moving across the stage toward the nearest lantern and threw the note into it to burn.
"I never worked as an investigator at all! This is my first time ever working as an investigator, like you, I suppose!" James spoke while smiling.
"..."
Xiao Ping remained silent from shock for a few moments before saying, "Well done, Mr. James! We were unofficial power-bearers, and now we've become outlaw investigators!" Saying that, Xiao Ping applauded James enthusiastically... which drew the attention of the attendees toward them.
"Thank you, Mr. Ping!" Saying that, James took off his hat and bowed elegantly toward Xiao Ping, who was applauding him, and then toward the crowd in front of the stage, who, upon seeing his bow and Xiao Ping's applause, also applauded enthusiastically without knowing exactly what they were doing.
Even the instrumentalists performed a very beautiful piece of music with the situation, without anyone directing them.
...
End of Chapter~ To be continued