The proposal by Teest to "recreate the same wound" was firmly rejected by Nol. Nol spent most of the evening applying heavy makeup to mimic Teest's injuries. The next morning, he left the City Lord's mansion with Teest on his back.
After that, Nol only had a street urchin pass a message to the witch, asking her to take care of Margret's body. Witch Lynn's response was brief—
[No problem,] she said.
This was the first step of the plan.
Next, they had to wait.
As they anticipated, Lord Swain became more subdued, and there was no disappearance in Whitebird City for the time being. As for killing time, Nol admitted he was no match for Teest. In one night, this guy found out the rankings of all the attractions and restaurants in the city and then dragged him around to visit them one by one.
Ironically, this was probably the first time since Nol came to this world that he had truly rested.
Seven or eight days passed, and they wandered every corner of Whitebird City during the day and shared desserts and fruits in the suite at night. Life was so leisurely that it seemed unreal, as if they were truly on a honeymoon—the two of them always came and went together, and the look in the eyes of the hotel receptionists was somewhat off.
However, their "honeymoon" didn't include sharing a bed at night.
After dinner, they each returned to their rooms. Nol mainly spent this time thinking about improving the Dragon Corpse Notebook, and as for Teest… He didn't know what Teest was up to, as the guy was as quiet as the dead.
Judging by the relaxed state in which that guy got up the next day, he probably hadn't done anything masochistic.
Today, their destination was the most upscale hotel in Whitebird City, and there were many shops with local characteristics nearby.
The sky in the afternoon was incredibly clear. The two of them, carrying bags of different sizes, each took a crunchy peach and sat on a bench near the hotel. The bench was next to a robust oak tree, whose shade blocked the dazzling sunlight, casting dappled light on the ground.
However, not far away, city guards were posting portraits of Margret Swain. She was a pretty young girl with black hair and green eyes, had delicate features, and a round face with a youthful look unique to girls.
But she was no longer in this world. It was just a play by the City Lord, Nol thought. The crunchy peach was fresh and sweet, but he'd lost his appetite.
Maybe they should put some pressure on the City Lord and take action sooner.
No sooner had Nol thought this than there was a sudden weight beside him.
Perhaps the afternoon breeze was too warm, for Teest had fallen asleep at some point. His posture was a bit awkward, and it was clear that Teest wanted to lean against the back of the bench, but his body didn't cooperate, pressing onto Nol's shoulder.
Nol didn't move away. He shifted slightly, allowing Teest to lean more comfortably. Teest smacked his lips but didn't wake up, emitting the fresh scent of peaches.
These days, Teest seemed like a real "Tahe" Player, the kind Nol hoped for—he left his troubles in reality behind and adventured freely in the beautiful fantasy city.
Nol wished he could greet him openly.
Hey, are you having fun? I hope you like my world.
Everything should've been like this. Nol touched the tips of Teest's hair, which felt cold and smooth, and the reality of it was startling.
…What kind of person are you in reality? Are you studying or working? Do you have family waiting for you?
…Why do you insist on acting alone? Are you like me, fearful of the vast unknown?
Sadly, these were questions that the NPC "Mage Nol" couldn't touch. If this matter was resolved smoothly, Nol hoped they could have a good talk.
"Hey, it's you guys! What are you doing here?"
A voice filled with delight rang out. Chef Kurt, in a new uniform, was jogging over.
Teest woke up, shaking his head, and looked somewhat surprised at "Pillow" Nol.
"I've been looking for you two recently. Thank the Goddess, the Alva Merchant Group hired me!" Kurt beamed. "It's all thanks to the two of you. I can't express how grateful I am."
"You're welcome," Teest replied, taking a bite of his crunchy peach.
"It's so good to see you both. Lately, I've been meeting good people. Perhaps it's my son watching over me from above." Mr. Kurt wiped a tear from his eye, speaking softly. "Lord Swain is also a good person… He heard about my son and personally apologized to me. He even gave our family ten gold wheels as a parting gift."
"I hope you can find Miss Swain. There will surely be a handsome reward!" he concluded.
Indeed, it surely would be handsome. However, compared to a "reward", Nol thought it would be more like "hush money", similar to the gold wheels the City Lord gifted Mr. Kurt.
As he was muttering to himself, Teest suddenly poked his back and glanced towards the flowerbed not far away—where the shrubs were densely packed and trimmed into regular spheres. Nol held his breath and felt the unmistakable presence of the breath of the living.
Someone was eavesdropping.
"This is all thanks to Teest," Nol immediately said. "You two chat. I'll go buy something to drink."
He walked to a beverage stall near the bushes and bought three glasses of iced fruit juice. As the vendor was juicing, Nol suddenly walked straight into the bushes.
A small figure jumped like a cat and ran away. Nol recognized that silhouette—Hannah, the leader of the street urchins.
Why was she following them?
What they were doing might not be safe. They might be targeted by the Eternal Church. Not to mention that the Mad Monk might still be in the city. Even if the witch had suspicions about them, she wouldn't let a child take such a risk.
With many questions in mind, Nol returned. Mr. Kurt and Teest had pretty much finished chatting—considering they didn't have much to talk about—when Nol handed Mr. Kurt a glass of juice, and the three clinked their glasses together.
"In a short while, I'll be leaving with the Alva Merchant Group," Kurt said. "I hope we meet again! If you ever come to Grape Collar, do visit me."
After the pleasantries, Mr. Kurt didn't immediately head to the inn. He straightened his collar and walked back the way he came.
[He said he's been very lucky recently and wants to go to the church to pray for his son,] Teest said, sipping his juice.
[We should also get moving soon,] Nol replied, also sipping through his straw.
Regardless of why Hannah was following them, he couldn't just lock her up. Rather than wait and worry, it was better to act swiftly.
...
That night.
In a dark and spacious living room, two handsome youths were illuminated by the dim glow of a magic circle, along with a skeleton goat standing in the center. The scene looked quite eerie.
…Provided if one ignored what they were actually doing.
Teest held a black cloak in one hand and a small hunting knife in the other, ripping the edges of the cloak. Nol, on the other hand, was bargaining with the skeleton goat using a fresh cabbage.
"This is top-quality cabbage from a premium hotel," Nol emphasized. "The leaves still have dew on them. There's not a single dry spot!"
"Baa—"
"I know, asking for your skull is a bit much. But trust me, I'll only take half, and it'll grow back," Nol tried to convince. "How about two cabbages?"
"Baa baa baa! Baa baa baa!"
"Four, and I'll give you an extra one. Eat it on the spot? Of course."
After munching on the four cabbages, the skeleton goat finally yielded. Nol held its coiled horns and separated the upper part of the skull.
The skeleton goat swayed its remaining part of its head and silently sank into the ground.
Nol quickly turned the skull into a mask using a prepared leather cord. Then, he took out fresh pig's blood obtained from the kitchen and smeared it all over the skull, ensuring every bone crevice was soaked.
Around three in the morning, they finally finished their tasks.
Nol stripped off his clothes and put on the specially modified black cloak Teest made. He pulled up the hood and put on the goat skull mask.
His physical form was dispelled.
Blue flames suddenly lit up in the dark eye sockets of the skull.
"Wow," Teest sincerely exclaimed.
"I'll sew some phalanges on the robe later." Nol finished putting on his skeleton gloves, then turned around. "How does it look, Sir Knight? Any other suggestions?"
"It's perfect." Teest touched his chin. "It's just a bit plain. You need something to awe the City Lord… Ah, wait a moment."
Teest hurried back to his room and returned with an ancient ruby necklace. It was their treasure obtained from the Lich's dungeon, belonging to the "Nameless King".
The old black robe, golden antiques, blood-like ruby, grayish goat horns, and goat bone mask—looking at himself in the mirror, Nol looked like a powerful elite monster. Even as the creator, he couldn't spot any flaws.
Teest circled around, admiring and making sounds of appreciation.
In his eyes, the withered figure under the black robe quickly became plump. Soft black hair and pale skin appeared next to the goat bone mask. Instead of will-o'-wisps, the eye holes of the skull now had pupils glowing with a faint blue light.
Nol removed the mask, laughing genuinely from the heart. At this moment, he genuinely felt the joy of a "game".
"That'll do," he said with a smile. "The mask smells strongly of cabbage on the inside. I'll have to soak it in blood… Teest?"
Teest stood in front of Nol. His golden eyes were full of focus, just like the first day they met. This bewitching gaze was brief but intense, like a whip's crack. It was so sudden that even after Teest hid it, Nol still felt chills for a second.
Then, Teest raised his right hand, slowly reaching out to Nol, moving as gently as if trying to catch a butterfly.
Nol could almost feel the warmth of Teest's fingertips.
However, just a second before touching Nol's cheek, Teest diverted his arm to grab the goat bone mask.
"I'll take care of the cabbage smell," Teest said, sounding as casual as ever.
The whole series of movements from Teest was so natural that Nol couldn't help but question himself for a moment—was he overthinking it, or had he experienced an illusion?
Nol was certain that he had never known someone like Teest before. Based on their interactions over these days, it seemed like Teest didn't know him either. Teest's reaction just now felt more like he was looking through Nol, focusing on someone else not present.
…Whatever, better not to think about it. After all, it's his personal matter.
Nol took off his hood, rubbed his face, and decided to add finger bone decorations to his robe.
The next day at midnight, the two sneaked into the City Lord's mansion again. Behind the secret passage's wall, Nol donned his hood. The finger bones at the collar clashed together, making a clicking sound—
The show was about to begin.