Companions and Friends

Deep underground, the crackling sound of electricity, combined with the distant noise emanating from the pipes behind him, made Lin Yu feel for a moment as if he had entered another world.

The "Fairy Queen" before us certainly doesn't fit into this world.

The whole city felt futuristic, so why did it suddenly become so eerie here?

But no matter what...

Lin Yu now has to face the other party directly—literally, face to face, only separated by a table.

The young girl's corpse in front of me was dressed in a beautiful dress, and looked as if she had only just died.

The loudspeaker in her arms started playing again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sherlock... Do you know why I invited you here?"

A muffled, distorted sound rang out, echoing through the underground passage.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yu asked, "Is it because I caused too much of a commotion on Gray Street Three?"

"Of course not," the Fairy Queen said immediately. "While you have certainly created a very interesting chaotic situation, that alone is not enough to warrant my invitation."

Lin Yu then asked, "Is it because of the rumor that I killed three middlemen?"

The Fairy Queen's voice rang out, seemingly tinged with amusement. "Rumor has it... Sherlock, your choice of words is quite amusing."

"Are you still trying to mislead me? -- You clearly killed that person, didn't you?"

Fairy Queen spoke, Lin Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

This guy is definitely not simple.

How did you determine that I was the killer?

He remained Leng Jing and asked.

"Of course I can see it... I can see death—the 'fruit' of their death is entangled in you."

The Fairy Queen spoke in a low voice, her words resembling poetic lines, much like her name.

Lin Yu wasn't fooled.

He thought for a moment, still not admitting it, but changing his tone to one that sounded like a tacit acceptance.

"If I killed him... is that why you called me here?"

Lin Yu asked again, Fairy Queen answered once more.

"It's not such a trivial matter, really. There are only three middlemen; it's not like I'd make a special trip to see you..."

"Ultimately, killing and being killed are all too common in the City That Never Sleeps, whether it's the Outer City or the Inner City, it's just a matter of different methods."

"They were just a few middlemen; their deaths are no big deal."

Upon hearing the Fairy Queen's words, Lin Yu straightened up.

"I don't know why."

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, the Fairy Queen heard a noisy, piercing electrical hum emanating from the loudspeaker.

After the static stopped, the Fairy Queen revealed the answer.

"You're investigating some very sensitive matters."

"C-77—that's why I'm interested in you."

Hearing the Fairy Queen's words confirmed Lin Yu's suspicions once again.

As expected, the queen before them was no ordinary person.

This also indirectly confirms...

Commission C-77 was indeed no simple task.

Lin Yu spoke slowly and deliberately, "It's true that I'm investigating, but... what's so sensitive about this?"

"Isn't it just a regular assassination mission? -- You just said, 'Killing and being killed are common in the City That Never Sleeps,'" Lin Yu said calmly. "Does this mission have any special significance for you?"

"Or is it that... the potential deaths resulting from Commission C-77 are far more important to you than the deaths of the three middlemen?"

Lin Yu asked sharply, and the Fairy Queen laughed.

"Ha, ha... This is a difficult question to answer. No matter what I say, it seems like it will reveal my stance and ruin my mystique."

"Sherlock, but since you've asked, I'll answer you—my answer is yes."

"The potential deaths caused by the C-77 mission are completely incomparable to the deaths of the three intermediaries."

As the Fairy Queen spoke, Lin Yu pressed further, "Because C-77's target was Noble?"

"No, Noble, Commoner ... these 'artificial divisions' of citizenship and Noble titles are not important," the Fairy Queen said leisurely. "But the target of C-77's assassination, Arter Mercury, is different from everyone else in terms of his level of existence."

"He is Chosen of God, and Chosen of God still is—so he is indeed more important."

Upon hearing the Fairy Queen's words, Lin Yu gently crossed his hands.

"'Chosen of God'... In your opinion, is this information that can be easily revealed? Why are you telling me this?"

Laughter, accompanied by static, whirred sounds, blared again from the loudspeaker.

"Haven't you already met with the Nightless Sky Family Head? There's no way she wouldn't have told you this, and there's even less reason why you wouldn't have tried to find out the situation from her."

Lin Yu was surprised.

"You know this?"

"It just so happens that you didn't try to hide it, so it's not too hard to find out," the Fairy Queen said. "Royal Nobles have many servants, so just because they wear masks doesn't mean they are robots that will definitely keep secrets."

"No matter how much you try to erase their ego and selfishness, these things will still exist."

The Fairy Queen spoke calmly, and Lin Yu nodded slowly.

The other party seemed to have a very good understanding of the internal situation of the Royal Nobles.

Moreover, she was even able to predict the content of her conversation with the Nightless Sky Family Head.

"So... what's your stance on this? Are you trying to stop me and persuade me to stop investigating this matter?"

Lin Yu asked, feigning curiosity.

He still used some "rhetoric"—although he admitted that he was investigating Commission C-77, Lin Yu did not admit that he was responsible for completing the commission.

Lin Yu needed to gauge the Fairy Queen's attitude to decide his own.

Although he could not give up on assassinating Arter Mercury, they were now on the Fairy Queen's territory.

If the other party clearly also wants to stop this commission... Lin Yu can lie to her first.

The Fairy Queen said softly, "On the contrary, it's a good thing that you're interested in this commission and are looking at me."

"What good news?"

"Because I also want Arter Mercury to die," the Fairy Queen said bluntly, "And you... your attitude isn't exactly to stop it, is it?"

"Of course," Lin Yu admitted frankly, "I was even involved in this commission in a sense."

"Then I can offer you some assistance," the Fairy Queen spoke again in a low voice. "After all, if our interests align, we can be considered friends, right?"

Despite being able to accept the other party's goodwill, Lin Yu shook his head and politely declined.

"Wrong. Having shared interests only qualifies someone as a 'partner.' While the definition of 'friend' is vague, it's probably not that simple."

"Moreover, I believe that the most important things for 'friends' are honesty and trust!"