Has the knight lady who married into the countryside fallen into depravity today?

"I've heard so much about you," Klein said calmly. "However, I'm more interested in knowing what Ms. Ni Lisa wanted to see me about."

Ni Lisha put down her wine glass and looked at Klein.

The eyes gleamed with an eerie light in the candlelight, like some kind of bioluminescent creature from the deep sea.

"No rush," she said, a hint of a smile in her voice. "We have all night to talk."

She paused, then turned her gaze to Ophelia.

"And I think we'll have a very pleasant conversation."

Ni Lisha's smile didn't reach her eyes.

Klein could sense that it was an elaborately crafted mask, elegant and polite, yet isolating from all genuine emotions, like a layer of ornate glass, hard and cold.

Pleasant? Probably not.

Ni Lisha is a straightforward person, but that doesn't make her seem honest.

On the contrary, this overly confident demeanor only made Klein feel that she was extremely cunning, like a bottomless abyss.

He did not question her about how she knew his name, nor did he inquire how she had tracked his and Ophelia's whereabouts.

Those questions are meaningless; they only make you seem insecure.

In this Silverscale Port, the Silverscale Merchant Guild is the uncrowned king.

Ni Lisha didn't offer any explanation; she simply placed the wine glass back on the table with elegance, the bottom of the glass clinking against the surface with a crisp "ding," as if to set the stage for the conversation.

"The Silverscale Merchant Guild is also investigating the songs that have been frequently heard at sea recently." She spoke directly, her tone as calm as if stating a fact unrelated to herself. "After all, those missing sailors and wrecked ships are all the property of the Merchant Guild."

She paused slightly, then added, "Every accident means a loss."

Klein tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the sofa, making a dull thud.

Property, loss.

The president's words were cold and ruthless. Human lives, in her words, were reduced to quantifiable numbers.

"So, if needed, we can provide Mr. Klein and Ms. Ophelia with some... conveniences." Ni Lisa's gaze slowly swept over the two of them, finally settling on Klein's face.

It was obvious that she knew Klein was the one in charge between the two.

"Since the president is so generous, I do need something."

Klein didn't refuse; he was worried that he didn't have enough alchemical materials to take with him on this trip.

The vials of medicine extracted from Karen's blood this afternoon were not satisfactory in terms of either quantity or effect due to limitations in the materials.

This president is truly... a timely help in a crisis.

Of course, Klein knew that this "charcoal" was not free; it might even be hot enough to burn his palm.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, and the president of the Silverscale Merchant Guild won't do a losing business.

"Please speak," Ni Lisha gestured, her posture impeccably elegant.

Klein didn't stand on ceremony and immediately rattled off a long list of materials in a clear and steady voice.

"At least fifty grams of moonstone powder are needed, ground to a fineness of 300 mesh or higher."

"Deep-sea silver also needs to be in powder form, the finer the better."

"And the extract of *Gynostemma pentaphyllum*, I need it to be as fresh as possible, no more than an hour out of water."

……

He listed more than a dozen rare alchemical materials, each of which was very valuable and most of them were unique deep-sea specialties of Silverscale Harbor.

These materials are not only the core of making the anti-mental pollution potion, but some of them are also essential for his research on ancient magical runes, so he took this opportunity to replenish them.

The waiter standing behind Ni Lisa couldn't help but twitch the muscles on his face, clearly shocked by the value of the list.

Klein looked calmly at Ni Lisa, observing her reaction without making a sound.

This was both his need and a test.

Upon hearing Klein's request, Ni Lisa was slightly taken aback, then covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief and let out a soft, bell-like laugh.

The laughter echoed in the quiet room, carrying a strange undertone, as if they found Klein's actions quite amusing.

"Of course." She put down the handkerchief, but the smile in her eyes deepened. "Mr. Klein is such a... honest man."

She instructed the waiter beside her, "Prepare everything Mr. Klein needs and send it here as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Chairman." The waiter bowed and quickly left the room without any hesitation.

Klein remained silent, but his heart was in turmoil.

Ni Lisa's reaction exceeded his expectations; she agreed too quickly and too readily.

It was as if he didn't want priceless alchemical materials, but rather a cheap glass of ale.

This can only mean two things.

Either the Silverscale Merchant Guild is incredibly wealthy.

Or perhaps the trouble they encounter is far more expensive than the amount of materials they have.

Klein was absolutely certain it was the latter.

Sigh... I should have ripped her off more.

After dealing with Klein's request, Ni Lisa turned her gaze to Ophelia, who had been silent, and her voice softened.

"And what about you, Ms. Ophelia? Is there anything we can help you with?"

Ophelia shook her head.

"no."

Her answer was crisp and clear, without the slightest hesitation.

She came here solely to protect Klein's safety and had no interest in anything else.

A perfectly timed hint of regret flickered across Ni Lisa's face, but it vanished in an instant. "That's such a pity."

She was preparing to continue speaking and maintain the rhythm of the conversation.

Just then, Ophelia, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly frowned slightly.

An extremely subtle, imperceptible tremor came from her left arm, which had been tainted by the power of the siren.

Almost instinctively, Ophelia jumped to her feet.

This abrupt action instantly tightened the previously relaxed atmosphere in the room, making it as tense as a bowstring.

Ni Lisha, who had been wearing a composed smile, subconsciously shrank back, and a slight crack appeared in her composed expression.

That is the most instinctive reaction when faced with uncontrollable danger.

The two guards who had been standing with their hands at their sides immediately stepped forward, their hands already firmly on the weapons at their waists, their eyes sharp as knives.

But Ni Lisha quickly regained her composure and raised her hand to stop them. "Step back."

The guards exchanged a glance, hesitated for a moment, and then returned to their original positions.

Ophelia ignored the tense atmosphere in the room.

She wasn't planning to attack anyone.

She simply walked straight to the window of the room, her golden eyes reflecting the night outside.

The huge floor-to-ceiling window faces the harbor, offering a panoramic view of most of Silverscale Harbor at night.

Klein's heart tightened, and he immediately looked out the window following her movement.

Upon seeing this, his heart sank.

The previously calm sea is now churning with restless waves.

The sound of waves crashing against the embankment was no longer a gentle concerto, but a dull, unsettling crashing sound, like the restless drumming of a giant beast in the deep sea.

Above the sky, the bright full moon had somehow been tinged with an ominous blush.

As the waves on the sea grew more and more turbulent, the color of the moon also underwent strange changes.

The red color grew deeper and deeper, spreading rapidly like ink spreading in water.

In the end, it was as if a bucket of thick blood had been splashed onto the night sky.

The full moon was being completely swallowed up by an eerie, ominous crimson.

Just as the blood moon took shape, a faint song drifted into the room on the sea breeze.

The melodious singing was like a gentle sea breeze.