In the dining room of Fragrant Manor, Helene fell into deep thought in response to Ebner's question.
To be honest, over the past few months working for Mr. Bryan, although she had been quite busy and often had her spirituality squeezed dry, things had actually been fairly relaxed and fulfilling once she got past the initial anxiety and fear.
While aboard the Black Death, Tracy had also done her best to accommodate her needs—but would never have truly allowed her to return home...
And when she signed the contract with Detective Bryan, she had initially worried that he might go back on his word and refuse to let her go when the time came... but as they spent more time together, she stopped worrying about that.
Mr. Ebner Bryan is a gentleman who keeps his word, and he genuinely respects me… Even though he always has me working, if I really didn't want to, he wouldn't force me.
He's also incredibly powerful, completely unafraid of Tracy. Traveling with him offers great security.
That's far more reliable than trying to reach out to family friends at the Intis consulate in Bayam.
More importantly, I have no idea how many more foolish things my father has done or how many debts he's racked up during my time in Tracy's captivity… If I travel with Detective Bryan, maybe I can ask for his help later on…
With that thought, Helene convinced herself to stay by Ebner's side and nodded. "I'll go with you."
"Good. Then your wages from the past few months stored here will count as your escort fee," Ebner said as he cut into another piece of steak, giving her a look that said, You're getting a deal.
He was a Sequence 5 Beyonder—based on Miss Temperance's rates, his daily fee would normally be 300 pounds.
Helene froze at his words and immediately retracted all the praises she had just been thinking. This guy's a stingy penny-pincher, a 'vampire' who gives his subordinates potions from the Sleepless pathway just to exploit them more easily.
Of course, grumble though she might, she had no intention of changing her mind.
Ebner ignored her little internal complaints, took a sip of coffee, and turned to "Lion" Leon. "You've been handling my social appearances for the past month to keep up the illusion that Detective Bryan has always been in Bayam. That must've been tough… I plan to send a servant to buy tickets tomorrow. The day after, I'll publicly take a ship back to Port Priz, then follow the railway to Intis…"
"Hmm, is there anyone I should send farewell letters to? It'd be strange to just disappear without a word."
Leon blinked and grinned. "Plenty of people, actually. Like Lady Reggie, the Governor's wife. Or Miss Clay from the Southco family. There's also Madam Enno from the Trade Association… and Abby, the youngest daughter of the North Party leader…"
Ebner nearly spat out his coffee. He quickly waved his hand to stop Leon and asked in disbelief, "I thought I asked you to maintain social contact on my behalf?"
"Isn't this normal social contact?" Leon replied innocently. "That's how it always was when I was with Roselle."
Helene, standing nearby, covered her mouth and giggled, clearly enjoying the show.
Ebner stared speechlessly at him for a moment before putting down his coffee and rubbing his temples. "You didn't actually do anything… inappropriate, did you?"
"Of course not. I'm a lion. My aesthetic isn't even the same as a human's…" Leon shook his head with conviction, but just as Ebner breathed a sigh of relief, the lion squinted and added mischievously, "Though I did give them a few very vivid dreams…"
You're just like the Magic Mirror! No wonder—you were both brought out by Roselle… Ebner silently cursed, then observed a few moments of silence for his own reputation before brushing the matter aside. I'm about to leave Bayam anyway. Even if I come back, I won't be making a grand return. What's the point of stressing over this?
"Oh right, the others are fine, but that Abby girl—the North Party leader's daughter—might be a bit of a problem…" Leon added, as if suddenly remembering something.
"The North Party's leader?" Ebner frowned. He remembered the man—he'd once shown the Fool's honorific title during a Beyonder gathering at the Amyris Leaf Bar, even offering a high bounty for any clues about believers of the Fool.
Now hearing that his daughter was involved in something strange, Ebner asked curiously, "What's wrong with her?"
"That Miss Abby has an unknown power residing in her... I almost got caught when I entered her dream... But I did gather some intel. She's very likely connected to an organization called the 'Celestial Body Cult.'" Leon's tone turned unusually serious.
The Celestial Body Cult... isn't that the group that worships the Mother Tree of Desire? In the original novel, the mistress of a certain admiral, Miss Cynthia, met a tragic end after joining this cult...
Yeah, I'd better report this! Next time we have a Tarot Gathering, I'll tell the Hanged Man and let the Church of the Storm handle it.
After that serious discussion, Ebner had just finished dinner. He stood up and waved to Helene, signaling her to follow him.
"Is there something you need, Mr. Bryan?" Helene asked, puzzled.
"I remember our contract runs until New Year. There are still a few days left. Naturally, you should continue your work as a 'maid'—go boil water in the basement. I've got several mystical items to craft," Ebner said matter-of-factly.
Hearing that, Helene's expression went blank for a moment, then she resigned herself and followed Ebner.
.....
Name: Transformation Wand - Fire
Appearance: A short rod with a deep red gemstone set at its tip.
Function: When activated using a preset "incantation," the wand reveals its true form, allowing the user to transform into a girl clad in red tight-fitting armor. In this form, the user can access most of a "Demon's" abilities, including but not limited to: "Lava Sword," "Foul Speech," and "Sulfur Fireball."
After transformation, the user passively emits a "Charm" aura that rapidly inflates the desires of all targets within range. This can either implant seeds for future control or instantly catalyze the emotions, causing targets to lose control, be unable to resist, or suffer an overload of desire that critically injures or even kills them.
Post-transformation, the user can hide in firelight, remaining undetectable even by ordinary demigods unless they actively act. The user can also fuse "Black Flame" and "Sulfur Flame" to form a "Flame Sword," which can detonate inside a target.
Negative Effects: After more than two minutes of transformation, the "Flame Sword" detonates inside the user, causing injuries lethal to low- and mid-sequence Beyonders.
Sealing Method: Use the preset incantation to deactivate the transformation, then seal the wand using intermediate-level talismans from either the "Darkness" or "Death" domain.
.....
In Mr. Gaston's workshop, when Ebner, returning by sea with Leon and Helene, stopped by Damir Port and presented this new creation to the elderly man, the latter was visibly stunned:
"How did you know the 'King of the Five Seas' had placed an order with me for something like this?"
(End of Chapter)