It was as if Sparkle didn't know the meaning of giving up.
She had absolutely no intention of leaving Sylvia's side.
Just as she herself had said, with the actors not yet in position, this Penacony was rather dull.
So the only option left was to come bother Sylvia.
"Really, really won't you consider me~?"
Sparkle was draped over Sylvia's neck, still using that sweet, coquettish voice to whisper in her ear.
Her petite frame would press tightly against Sylvia from time to time as they walked.
Sparkle's clothes weren't thick either, making the sensation all the more noticeable.
But unfortunately, just thinking about Sparkle's personality made Sylvia's fists clench tight.
"That shot back on the Xianzhou ship hit just right, didn't it?"
"Yeah, but let's be real, whether you gave me that button or not wouldn't have made much difference anyway."
Sylvia didn't hold back, calling out Sparkle's little scheme on the Luofu.
Not that it was completely useless, but even without it, things wouldn't have gotten much worse.
Sparkle's actions on the Luofu were clearly just something she cooked up to kill time.
Especially after hearing Sylvia's words, Sparkle leaned close to her ear, letting out a clear, tinkling laugh.
That only confirmed for Sylvia that Sparkle's goal was just to stir up a bit of trouble for fun.
It was obvious Sparkle was genuinely bored right now.
Going through all that trouble just to mess with a Lord Ravager, and with Sylvia and the others too.
Sure, Sylvia also enjoyed a bit of chaos and some juicy gossip now and then, but that was just something she'd casually watch unfold in passing.
Clearly, she was still far from matching Sparkle's style—going through such lengths just for a bit of amusement.
"Ohhh~ So you're the tsundere type? You clearly had a grand old time toying with a Lord Ravager, yet here you are, stubbornly claiming it was useless."
Sylvia didn't want to humor her.
As her gaze swept across the nearby sidewalk, she suddenly noticed a tall man.
It was none other than Gallagher, the very person Sylvia had been looking for.
At that moment, Gallagher seemed to be giving some instructions to two members of the Bloodhound family.
Perhaps sensing Sylvia's gaze, Gallagher, holding a soda can, turned to look over.
He easily spotted the conspicuous pair of Sylvia and Sparkle in the crowd.
Moreover, Gallagher's gaze clearly lingered on Sparkle for a full second.
Sylvia figured what caught his attention was the very eye-catching fox mask perched on Sparkle's head.
Sparkle's eyes darted around a couple of times.
Then, in a tone of feigned intimacy and with pretended regret, she whispered in Sylvia's ear:
"Aww, how boring. You found him so quickly~"
As she spoke, Sparkle raised her hand, took off the mask from her head, and with a plop, plopped it onto Sylvia's head.
Then, with a slight push of her hands, she shwooped right off Sylvia's body.
Before landing, Sparkle glanced at Gallagher, who was walking over.
Before Sylvia could even react, she saw Sparkle's small figure duck behind her and vanish.
Sylvia had just raised her hand to remove Sparkle's mask when she noticed Sparkle had disappeared.
It wasn't like Sylvia couldn't track someone down unless they used something like a teleportation skill.
But honestly, now that she'd found Gallagher, she'd rather Sparkle just left already.
Who knew what kind of trouble that girl would stir up otherwise.
Still, why did Sparkle leave me this mask?
Sylvia looked at the intricate red-and-white mask in her hand, testing its feel—sturdy, yet very light.
Come to think of it…
The masks of the Masked Fools themselves seem to hold power.
Remember in the game's story, Sampo said something about trouble brewing after Belobog and wanting to retrieve his mask, and so on.
What Sparkle gave me is probably just an ordinary mask, right?
It surely isn't a mask infused with the power of a Masked Fool, is it?
Sylvia stared at the mask in her hand, momentarily hesitating.
How to put it…
A normal person definitely wouldn't just casually toss their own power to someone else like this. but these Masked Fools might actually be crazy enough to pull something like that.
Maybe Sparkle did this on purpose just to watch me squirm.
But soon, Sylvia temporarily set the mask aside, as Gallagher had already arrived before her.
"Hello there, white-haired girl. Just now, it looked like you and your companion were specifically looking for a Bloodhound. Is there something you need?"
Gallagher looked thoroughly exhausted and ready to slack off, his tone matching the lazy demeanor.
"I'm Gallagher of the Bloodhound Family. By the way… where did your companion go?"
Gallagher tilted his head to glance behind Sylvia but found no trace of Sparkle.
However, as he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the mask in Sylvia's hand.
When Sylvia looked away, Gallagher's eyes held a subtle, almost imperceptible shift.
Clearly, he had recognized the origin of that mask.
"My name's Sylvia. As for the one you mentioned, she's probably already left. Don't worry about it."
Sylvia gave Gallagher a once-over.
How to describe it…
Gallagher gave off the vibe of that very classic "world-weary, mysterious uncle" archetype you see in stories.
Well-dressed but casual, with a stubbled beard and slightly unkempt, somewhat long hair.
Plus the scar, the tired tone, and that calm demeanor.
It all felt incredibly familiar.
Thinking this, Sylvia tilted her head and noticed the two Bloodhound Family members Gallagher had been speaking with earlier had already dispersed.
Gallagher, meanwhile, offered a faint smile:
"A Masked Fool is no small character to brush off. And she even handed her mask over to you."
Gallagher's tone was light, but his caution was evident.
He was perfectly playing the part of a security officer.
"Though I apologize, I need to confirm that you're both invited guests. Could you please tell me the name of the other guest?"
Gallagher made a polite gesture, indicating for Sylvia to follow him to a secluded street corner to avoid disturbing passersby.
Sylvia strolled after him without hesitation, not minding Gallagher checking her name.
"Her name's Sparkle, a Masked Fool. As for who invited her, I have no idea."
Sylvia didn't hesitate to sell out Sparkle's info.
Once they reached the roadside, watching Gallagher who seemed genuinely serious about verifying the details, Sylvia turned the tables:
"Rather than investigating me, I'd actually like to ask Mr. Gallagher a question. Who exactly entrusted you with the duties of a security officer?"
Sylvia's voice was calm and measured, yet Gallagher's movements came to a halt.
The look he gave Sylvia noticeably changed.
"The guest specially invited by Miss Robin… It seems you're not just here for a simple vacation."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.