"There's one more thing... why would Mr. Lucifer, upon learning Jack's heading back to Backlund, suddenly send a friend over? He can't really expect Jack to look after this Miss Red, so it must be the other way around."
Reflecting on the many surprises since his transmigration, Klein began to speculate about his upcoming journey to Backlund. "Could it be like the Tingen incident? Is something big about to happen in Backlund? Since Mr. Lucifer can't look after Jack himself, did he ask a friend to do it?"
Klein thought this was highly likely.
"But I don't know anything about this Miss Red. All Teacher said was that he's probably a Hunter." Alaric said, clearly reading Klein's thoughts... a result of his deliberate nudging.
Alaric had to admit, he was quite curious about the sparks that might fly when Klein and Medici crossed paths. Both had a Hunter's edge; they might even hit it off!
"Hunter…" Klein's mind flashed with knowledge about the Hunter pathway, and he fell silent.
He knew the typical nature of Hunters. So, the real question was: could a provocative Hunter and Mr. Lucifer really get along without clashing?
Klein couldn't imagine Mr. Lucifer coexisting peacefully with a Hunter.
"No, I shouldn't judge Mr. Lucifer with bias. Though his words can be sharp, he's fundamentally kind. Maybe that's why he could befriend this Hunter." Klein mused, his curiosity about Miss Red growing.
Soon, the steam train arrived in Backlund. Klein and Alaric grabbed their luggage and disembarked. As they exited the station, Alaric spotted something and called out enthusiastically, "Mr. Red, over here! We're here!"
Klein followed Alaric's gaze and saw a tall man, at least 1.9 meters, possibly taller, dressed in a black trench coat. His vibrant red hair matched his eyes, which turned toward them at Alaric's call. Upon seeing them, he let out a "tch." As if spotting something odd.
Klein fell silent, studying the strikingly handsome man. After a few seconds, he turned to Alaric in disbelief. "So, Miss Red is a man?"
"Huh? What else would he be?" Alaric replied, looking puzzled.
"But when I asked about his gender, you clearly said he was a lady." Klein said, struggling to describe his feelings.
"Did I?" Alaric adopted a thoughtful expression, then said, "Oh, right, I might've said that. My mistake! Teacher sent me his photo later, and I realized he's a guy."
Alaric gave Klein an odd look. "What, were you hoping to share a place with a woman? Disappointed now that it's a guy?" His expression screamed, I didn't know you were like that.
"I don't mind a male roommate. In fact, it's better this way, but…" Klein glanced at his luggage. Knowing he'd have a new roommate in Backlund, he'd bought a gift in advance... a pair of cufflinks popular with women, due to the gender mix-up.
How was he supposed to give this gift now? Wouldn't he get beaten up?
The gift suddenly felt like a hot potato in Klein's hands.
"No buts... our guy's waiting. Let's go!" Alaric, knowing Klein's predicament, couldn't resist enjoying the moment. He nudged Klein forward and approached Mr. Red with a smile. "Hey there, Mr. Red! I'm Jack Jones. Teacher must've told you about me, right? Great to meet you."
It was hard to pin down Mr. Red's mood in that moment. The bizarre sensation of seeing a wolf in sheep's clothing made his expression shift subtly, stirring the Red Angel's instincts.
But the next second, likely guessing Mr. Red's intentions, Alaric shot him a threatening smile. Then, as if nothing happened, he pulled Klein forward and introduced, "This is Sherlock Moriarty, my student and good friend."
"Hello, Mr. Red. I'm Sherlock Moriarty. You can just call me Sherlock." Klein said, recovering from the gender mix-up embarrassment and offering a polite smile.
"I'm called Red. You can address me as Mr. Red. At… Lucifer's request, I'll be looking after you two kids for a while." Medici said, a bold grin spreading across his face. His gaze swept over Alaric before settling on Klein. "Sherlock, huh? I was wondering what kind of person was worth all his effort. Now that I see you, I think I get it."
As a genuine wraith, Medici could sense Klein's uniqueness. The man was almost certainly tied to Sefirah Castle, though the exact connection was unclear. That alone was remarkable enough.
Klein paused, realizing Red was likely referring to his Beyonder characteristics. This confirmed Mr. Red's sequence wasn't low... possibly another angel.
Come to think of it, I know quite a few angels now. Mr. Azik is one, Mr. Lucifer's another, and now Mr. Red. If I count the old man in Leonard, we could almost play a game of cards, Klein mused, unfazed. Familiarity breeds indifference, after all.
Curious, he asked, "Mr. Red, why did Mr. Lucifer ask you to look after us? Is… something about to happen in Backlund?"
Medici glanced at Klein, then smiled. "You're sharp."
Klein's heart tightened, and he pressed, "So, what's going to happen in Backlund? Can you tell us, Mr. Red?"
"You want to know what's coming in Backlund?" Medici chuckled. He wasn't entirely sure himself, but as a conspirator who'd served under Solomon, he'd picked up on some signs.
So, have you noticed? The things the Augustus family is up to.
Medici glanced at Alaric, who looked perfectly innocent, not a trace of his earlier mischief. But the moment their eyes met... those seemingly clear green eyes... Medici understood: Alaric knew.
***
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