Chapter 122: Chapter 95: Scissors for Your Mouth, You’re So Criminal

[Evaluation: I can already picture you getting the crap beaten out of you by the Demon Clown. Hmm, that’s sure to be a joyful sight.]

[Special Reward: Survival Points +10, Origin +1, Resilience Level +2, Spirit Level +2.]

Seeing this notification, if Wei’en still didn’t understand that the clown doll was Taboo Object 1-83, the Demon Clown, he’d have to be a real idiot.

’Seriously? Is a fucking Taboo Object something you can just carry around everywhere?’

’So... that wasn’t a hallucination just now. The real Demon Clown was talking to me?’

’Offering me a cookie?’

’Fuck, you can’t mess with people like this!’

"Uh, Tina, don’t you think you should be a little nicer to it? Maybe it doesn’t actually want a cookie."

The white-haired girl tilted her head, looking at the clown doll and seemingly giving his suggestion some real thought. "Clown, eat blood."

’Blood? What blood?’

’It can’t be what I’m thinking, can it?’

Wei’en fell silent for a long moment, deciding to give up on discussing anything related to the Demon Clown with her. "Once I’m done with Captain Alianna’s business, we’ll head to the Natali District."

"Tina, know."

’You might know, but the clown might not...’

Wei’en stared dejectedly at the information on his panel. ’The fact that Tina is carrying a Taboo Object on her person... Lisi and the others must know about it, right?’

’Letting this combination of a Calamity-Type and a Taboo Object run around everywhere—aren’t they worried about it losing control?’

’This is just like dancing ballet on a high wire—doing it all for the thrill...’

’I’m definitely never provoking this clown again. It pops out to get in your face at the drop of a hat. Who could stand that?’

Wei’en let out a long sigh. ’This must have been arranged by the Secret Investigation Department. Maybe in their eyes, it’s perfectly safe for Tina to carry the clown?’

Thinking this way, his gloomy mood lifted considerably.

"Lisi, I’m here."

Just then, Captain Alianna from Investigation Division Two pushed the door open, glanced around, and asked in confusion, "Where’s your captain?"

"The captain just left for an assignment. You’re here to deliver the Era Relic, right? You can give it to me. She briefed me before she left."

"To you?"

Alianna hesitated for a moment before placing the scroll in her hand on his desk. She added a reminder, "Be careful with it, don’t damage it. Once the person she found finishes translating it, make sure to have it sent over to me."

"I’ll pass that on to Captain Lisi." Wei’en nodded, thinking, ’Lisi didn’t say who the translator was, did she?’

"And this. The translation fee is two gold pounds. Give this to her as well."

"Alright."

Wei’en put the items away. ’The money and the item are both for me. What is there to pass on?’

After Alianna left, he prepared to open the parchment and take a look.

By now, he was used to handling Era Relics, no longer the fumbling rookie he’d been when he first saw the *Gonzalez Language*.

As usual, he enveloped his hands in Spiritual Power and carefully unrolled the parchment. Only after confirming that nothing unusual was happening did he take his hand off the firearm at his waist.

He had to be prepared. He still remembered how, right after he’d joined, a Vengeful Spirit had popped out of a parchment Lisi casually opened. The memory had left a deep impression on him.

"Pat... ri... s’shi... Naxi... ster... mid..."

Wei’en scanned the text, his brow furrowing. There were words in the Gonzalez language that he didn’t recognize.

But instead of giving up or spending points to level up his Gonzalez language skill, he decided to try and decipher the word himself.

He remembered that at the Adept level for the Gonzalez language, he had a 20% success rate for translating unfamiliar words.

"Vinoci? I think that’s how you say it... Does it mean ’sea of blood’?"

[You have successfully unlocked a new Gonzalez vocabulary word. Evaluation: Knowledge isn’t just about acquiring; it’s also about applying. Congratulations on finding the correct way to gain knowledge. Special Reward: Survival Points +2, Gonzalez Language +2.]

A grin spread across Wei’en’s face. "I got it right. It definitely means ’sea of blood’."

As for the panel’s sarcasm, he just pretended he didn’t see it.

Of course, he knew that knowledge had to be applied to be truly his own. The problem was having the time and opportunity to do so.

"Let’s keep going."

"Bro, that should be a name... oh, Deadpool, that’s it!"

"And this one, Nisva... a fleet?"

[You have successfully unlocked a new Gonzalez vocabulary word. Evaluation... Special Reward: Survival Points +1, Gonzalez Language +1.]

In less than ten minutes, by cross-referencing the text with previously read Era Relics, Wei’en unlocked five new words. His progress in the Adept level of the Gonzalez language increased by 5 as well.

"The general meaning of this Era Relic is that the Cromwell Clan’s fleet, while sailing on the Cordo Sea, discovered a ’sea of blood’ near an island named ’Kent’..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Endless Deadpools swarmed out from the sea of blood and devoured the fleet. Only one warship, the *Hafis*, managed to escape."

"But when they went back to look for it, they couldn’t find the sea of blood... It had vanished, along with all the ships it had swallowed?"

Wei’en looked over the translated text. The information on this parchment didn’t seem particularly useful.

’A sea of blood, Deadpools... things that have vanished aren’t going to just come back, are they?’

He treated it as just another completed task. After confirming everything was in order, he put the two pieces of parchment away, happily clutching the two gold pounds he had just earned. He stood up and said, "Let’s go, Tina. We’re off to the Natali District."

"Tina, go."

The white-haired girl took his hand and followed him out, her other hand still clutching the clown doll in a death grip.

’Heh heh heh... excellent. Being dragged around like this is quite the novel experience. It’s giving me inspiration for new ways to play...’