When Lynn said that, Klein felt a stir in his heart. Since he was already interested in getting closer to Lynn and had his own preferences when it came to food, he naturally wouldn't refuse. He nodded and said, "Then, Mr. Sotos, please."
Indeed, no Nighthawk could resist good food! Lynn raised the corners of his mouth, not surprised that Klein agreed. He then smiled and said, "Just call me Sotos or Lynn. Adding 'Mr.' feels too formal."
Changing how they addressed each other was an important step in building their relationship.
"Alright, Lynn." Klein graciously responded, "You can also just call me Sherlock."
"And me, you can just call me... Watson." Leonard chimed in.
"Haven't I already been doing that?" Lynn chuckled teasingly.
Then Lynn took the initiative to discuss with Klein and Leonard about the various delicacies available in Backlund. The three of them spoke back and forth, not realizing how time flew by until the carriage stopped.
"All this talk has made me hungry. Alright, I've decided. After we finish this business, I'm going to indulge myself for a while." After getting off the carriage, Lynn put on his mask and hood, then sincerely expressed his desire.
Since he transmigrated to Lord of Mysteries and came to Backlund, he hadn't had the chance to truly savor good food. He wondered how the special delicacies of Backlund would taste.
"Still, moderation is key, or you'll end up gaining weight." Klein, also disguising himself, reminded him. But judging by his expression, our Fool was also hungry from their discussion earlier.
"I'm different from you two. I won't gain weight." Leonard, who had already donned his mask, said confidently.
As a Nighthawk who frequently stayed up late and was skilled in combat, Leonard indeed had this confidence.
At Leonard's words, the two Beyonders who frequently engaged in combat immediately looked at him. Then, Lynn spoke first:
"But staying up late can make you bald."
Klein followed up with:
"And it can also lead to memory loss."
"Haha, who says..." Leonard almost instinctively wanted to refute, but then he remembered Dunn Smith, who was still far away in Tingen. He recalled the young man's already receding hairline and perpetual 'one more thing'.
Hiss... Leonard couldn't help but touch his own scalp, suddenly feeling a sense of crisis.
Could he really go bald at such a young age like the captain?
Lynn and Klein exchanged glances again, then both smiled.
"Sherlock, I truly believe we can be good friends in the future." Lynn said sincerely.
He genuinely meant what he said, even though Klein had initially approached him with dubious intention of making friends, Lynn hadn't expected them to get along so well.
Indeed, choosing to be friends with the Fool was the right decision. This way, I'll have another friend who will remember me.
Lynn's mood instantly brightened.
"I thought we already were friends." Klein smiled and said.
Now he completely understood why Lynn Sotos had such a good reputation. This detective was truly someone comfortable to be around.
"Exactly, you're right!" Lynn nodded in agreement. He then looked at Leonard, who was still agonizing over his hair, and kindly reminded him, "Be optimistic. You can always wear a wig in the future."
"No, that's absolutely not possible." Leonard shook his head resolutely.
"Then, try to sleep a few more hours regularly and avoid staying up for no reason." Lynn patted Leonard's shoulder. Then he looked towards a street outside, where Mr. A was hosting the party.
"That's where the Beyonder gathering I'm attending this time is being held. Although I didn't tell them in advance that I'm bringing you two, don't worry. My reputation can vouch for you both."
Lynn confidently stated. This wasn't a lie. As a frequent attendee of Mr. A's gatherings, Lynn Sotos indeed had the reputation to vouch for new members—perhaps because, seeing trouble and not shying away, Mr. A's criteria for attendees were quite lenient.
Lynn could bet that there were definitely spies from various factions at Mr. A's gatherings, but out of mutual understanding, no one disrupted these gatherings.
—After all, in a place as big as Backlund, Beyonder gatherings were bound to happen. It was better to maintain this known gathering than to stir up the even more secretive ones.
Klein and Leonard exchanged glances upon hearing this, but didn't say anything. They followed Lynn to the front of the villa. After knocking on the door with the corresponding code, a servant quickly opened it. After a brief conversation with Lynn, the servant let them in.
As soon as they entered the villa, Klein and Leonard instinctively became nervous, as almost everyone they saw were Beyonder individuals. These people's attire was similar to theirs, wearing masks or cloaks.
Evidently, everyone had a basic level of vigilance and didn't want to expose their appearance to other Beyonders.
But some people were particularly confident, not bothering to disguise themselves, just sitting or standing in the hall.
Klein's gaze swept over these people, instinctively memorizing their appearances. He didn't have any ulterior motives; since he had decided to infiltrate Backlund's wild Beyonder circles, it was good to know more people.
So Klein's gaze circled around for a minute, until he was attracted to a black-robed man sitting alone on a single sofa in the center of the living room. He was obviously someone important in the gathering, probably the organizer of the party.
"That's Mr. A, the organizer of this gathering. According to what I know, he should be a Shepherd, very powerful." Lynn wouldn't have noticed Klein's movements and, seeing him notice Mr. A, whispered,
"However, he won't casually attack people at the gathering, so don't worry. As long as we don't offend him, we'll be fine."
Shepherd... The familiar sequence name made Klein's eyebrows twitch. At this moment, some information he had seen in the materials of the Evernight Church flashed through his mind.
In those materials about the wild Beyonder gatherings in Backlund, there was indeed mention of such a gathering, and this was one of the higher-end ones among the numerous Beyonder gatherings in Backlund.
Moreover, the organizer of the gathering, Mr. A, according to his high profile behavior and approach, as well as his path, it was no surprise that he was one of the envoys of the Aurora Order.
'Hiss, in a way, I seem to have a connection with the true creator...' Klein recalled his experiences in Tingen, feeling a bit uneasy. This also reminded him of someone he almost forgot.
'Is that swindler, Lanevus, also in Backlund?'
'I wonder how the investigation on the church's side is going.'
(End of this chapter)
TN: Their Bromance is growing.