Miss Celestiel was clearly overwhelmed—genuinely so.
"Can I give you something in return?" she asked. "I am willing to pay."
Sherlock couldn't quite overcome the shock yet. But one thing was absolutely clear to him: this man—Mad Dead, or whoever he truly was—was far more powerful than he appeared. And the fact that he possessed Power Fruits was strange enough.
More importantly… he had many Power Fruits.
Seriously?
The situation had become complicated.
Palmer stood frozen at one side, still stunned. It felt as if a golden bird had landed right in front of him, yet he had no hands to catch it.
He had seen Power Fruit users before—only two or three at most. All of them were either incredibly powerful or backed by formidable backgrounds.
Miss Celestiel was visibly excited about the answer she was about to hear. Yet the prolonged silence from Mr. Mad only multiplied her anticipation.
What was he waiting for?
Ryan finally spoke.
"I don't want money," he said calmly. "What I need is some information—information that is extremely difficult for me to obtain while living in this second world. And information is far more valuable than money."
Though the statement was short, Sherlock—sitting at the far end—understood its weight perfectly. There was nothing he could say. He himself was searching for the background of this new identity he had taken on.
Even his own wife felt strangely unfamiliar to him.
Sherlock silently repeated the name he had heard—Charles Nico Ben.
This name, along with the information given by Effie—whom Selena called Elinaz—was far more complex than he had anticipated.
After remaining silent for a long while, Sherlock finally spoke.
"Our meeting has reached its final stage. Miss Celestiel and Mr. Mad Dead, please complete your business quickly."
The moment his words settled in the air, Miss Celestiel responded at once.
"I will provide as much information as I can from my position. But yes—please present your request quickly."
Ryan didn't hesitate.
"I don't need much. Just information related to the royal family—Kendy Melissa, Sophia Loren, Lloyd Isaac, and Chris Stephen. Current ties will be sufficient."
The names alone caused the sky to collapse over Palmer and Zinia's heads.
They jolted in shock.
Members of the royal family?
They could hardly believe it. These were extremely rare individuals.
Zinia thought to herself, Who are they? Have I ever even heard these names before?
Still, she spoke aloud, trying to keep her composure.
"Alright. I agree. I'll try to do what I can."
Ryan smiled faintly.
"Deal. Done."
Without giving anyone else the chance to speak, Sherlock dismissed everyone back to their respective places. Before Ryan left, Sherlock also informed him of the meeting schedule.
---
— 6 Royal Street
Morning arrived quietly, filled with the chirping of birds perched on jarul trees. Carriages rolled past outside. People hurried toward their destinations. Street dogs roamed about, scavenging here and there for food.
As usual, Sherlock stood beside the window of the two-story house, observing everything below.
A sudden touch from behind made him flinch.
Effie smiled and said,
"Oh—I startled you, didn't I?"
Without turning around, Sherlock replied,
"And what brings you to me?"
Effie put on a slightly confused expression.
"What do you mean? What did I do?"
Still facing the window, Sherlock said calmly,
"Nothing. Just… a very busy person. Finding time must be quite difficult, isn't it—Miss Elinaz?"
Effie froze.
Her unease was obvious now.
Why was Sherlock behaving like this? She couldn't understand it.
Agitated, she said,
"Why are you suddenly calling me by that name? Did someone come to the house? Did someone tell you something? Nico—answer me."
Inside, Sherlock thought, Who would tell me anything? And why is she so nervous over a name? Is there something deeper hidden here?
Before he could respond, Effie abruptly turned and left the room at a hurried pace.
Whats going on?Was there any wrong I said?Or else there is some secret behind me?Whats the point that she call me in this name and why she doesn't like to expose the matter which I don't know about this brat Ben..such a weird.