When Ernes left on a carriage, the few bounty hunters hiding in the vicinity immediately appeared. Without being stingy about the costs involved, they immediately stopped any rental carriages that passed by. Some memorized the target carriage's traits and attempted to take shortcuts through the cramped, isolated paths to catch up to it. Others rode on the bikes they had prepared ahead of time, swerving through the crowds and carriages with their bells ringing. It was very easy for them to keep pace.
Among them, only Xio was completely composed. She remained in her spot, watching Ernes and her peers leave.
This transportation tool known as a bicycle is more useful than I imagined. It's no wonder so many bounty hunters have saved up to buy one. This can save expenses from taking carriages and save time walking... If one often has such tracking missions, then the money saved is enough to buy a brand new bike... The only problem is that this mode of transportation tool has very few models available. All of them have high seats... Xio was enticed.
At this moment, a tracked carriage drove over from the crossroads and stopped in front of her.
Xio happened to be at a station.
Glancing at the double-decker that stopped on the iron tracks, Xio took out a few pennies, walked over, and sat down by the window.
Such public carriages could seat nearly fifty people with its double decks. It wasn't too crowded, allowing Xio to easily observe the scenery outside.
However, she didn't admire the scenery. Her mind was quickly outlining the exact appearance of her target: brown hair, red eyes, pronounced features, a nose bridge that was so high that it looked deformed, and an oil painting catalog in hand.
With her supernatural senses as a Sheriff, as well as the distance between them not being too great, Xio could vaguely grasp her target's current location and predetermined destination.
Therefore, she remained very calm and even took off her cap while using the glass windows to tidy up her coarse and stubborn blonde hair.
After several stations, Xio suddenly got up when the public carriage came to a stop as she alighted.
This was the Backlund Bridge area. She had sensed that the target had already changed direction and was preparing to head towards the bridge.
Xio immediately went on foot, planning to enter another street at the bend up ahead to board the public carriage that headed for the south bank of the Tussock River.
She had good luck, with a public carriage driving over just as she arrived at the stop.
Xio silently exhaled and took out another batch of pennies she had prepared, her urge to buy a bike strengthened.
This tracked carriage was very crowded, but with her domineering aura as an Arbiter, she was able to easily pass through the crowd, head up to the upper deck, and find a seat.
The carriage moved slowly as Xio casually looked out the window when her gaze suddenly froze.
She saw Sherman who she hadn't been able to find anywhere!
This young man who thought himself as a woman was carrying a paper bag with a few long loaves of bread and a stack of newspapers as he entered a narrow alley. @@novelbin@@
His brown shoulder-length hair had grown longer, and his gray-patterned trousers seemed tighter. 1
Although his figure disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared, making it impossible for the average person to notice, Xio, who was a Sheriff, easily made the necessary judgment.
Sherman stopped renting his place in East Borough and moved here? Seeing that Sherman was fine and that she was still tracking her target, she held back her urge to jump off the carriage to chase after him to ask him about his recent situation.
Sherman carried the paper bag with several long loaves of bread and a stack of papers as he passed through alleys and streets, making a huge detour before entering an apartment building. He followed the cramped stairs to the third story, took out a key, and opened the door to where he lived.
He seemed to possess some pretty good anti-tracking skills.
With a creak, the door opened as Sherman's eyes lit up. He saw a lady wearing a black dress in front of him.
This lady had a sweet, supple face and an impeccable figure. Even while standing at the window and blocking out the sunlight, making herself become cloaked in the shadows, she seemed to be gilded, making her appear holy and beautiful.
"Why are you here?" Sherman stared at her in surprise but couldn't help but size her up.
His unobvious Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
The next second, he turned his head and looked to the side as though he didn't dare look at her head-on.
"Ma'am T-Trissy..." Sherman stammered a greeting.
Trissy slowly smiled as she allowed the poorly-lit room to appear to become brighter. Then, she asked with a teasing tone, "Why don't you dare to look at me?"
"I-I don't know. I-1 like men. W-why do I still have odd thoughts when looking at you..." Sherman continued looking at the ground to his side as he stammered an answer.
Trissy's expression immediately turned mixed before smiling as though nothing had happened.
"Females can also appreciate the charm of beauty within their gender."
She paused for a moment before saying, "I came here today because I have a mission for you. Your original progress has been very fast, leaving me very satisfied. But it seems like it has recently stopped."
Sherman's face immediately wore a look of horror as he subconsciously took a step back.
"I-I don't think there's a need to do such things..."
Seeing Trissy silent, Sherman's gradually eloquently stringed his words.
"I really don't wish to instigate others into stealing, robbing, and murdering. That's too evil, too despicable!
"Even at the very beginning, those people you got me to assassinate seemed to be a little overboard. Although they had indeed cursed me, beat me, ostracized me, and spread bad rumors about me, using all kinds of means to harm me in exchange for joy, their actions didn't require them to pay with their lives."
Unsurprised, Trissy smiled and said, "That's not what you said back then. You hated them and had wicked feelings for them. Once you obtained Beyonder powers, you were so eager to seek revenge on them. I just made a tiny suggestion, and you planned several assassination missions. I always remember how you looked-stained with blood, trembling in excitement and fervor."
Sherman couldn't help but retreat as he heard that until he was stopped by the door which had closed at some point in time. He then covered his face with his hands, shouting, "No!
"I have nightmares every night, dreaming of them surrounding me, covered in blood. They chase after me, bite me..."
Pa! The paper bag fell to the ground as the long loaves of bread were scattered. The stack of newspapers happened to drop just beside them.
"This is very normal." Trissy cut off Sherman. "This is a necessary psychological change for an Assassin. Think about it. Didn't you wish to kill them when they were bullying you?"
"...Yes," Sherman answered hesitantly.
Trissy then chuckled.
"Just treat it as self-defense when being bullied; thus, killing them."
Her speech had a natural allure that made one wish to listen and believe. Sherman rapidly calmed down and nodded.
"From this point of view, it does seem much better..."
Upon hearing that, Trissy's dimples appeared as she teasingly added, "Besides, they weren't your match when they were alive, so what's there to be afraid of when they're dead?
"Even if they become ghosts or specters, it's nothing. You just need to seriously complete the ritual and consume one more potion, and then you'll be able to burn all those souls to oblivion!"
"B-but I can't bear seeing people turn ugly, crazy, and evil under my acts of instigation." Sherman still seemed rather unwilling.
Trissy indiscernibly curled the ends of her lips as she said with her smile maintained, "Those are evil thoughts they had to begin with. It has nothing to do with you. Even without you, those evil thoughts will erupt at specific moments and situations.
"Also, the missions I arranged for you are all related to the gangs. Aren't you most aware of what those people are like? Getting them to fracture and kill one another is mercy and kindness for people like you and the innocent people of East Borough."
Sherman subconsciously widened his mouth, swallowing the words he was just about to say.
He instantly fell silent.
Trissy's eyes swept past him and continued with a soothing voice, "You're just one step away from your target. As long as you complete the remaining ritual, you can drink the third potion to completely become a woman.
"When that happens, you can use the name Shermane that you've already picked for yourself. What a nice sounding name it is, isn't it? Then, you can leave Backlund as a woman, heading for Midseashire or Desi Bay where you can begin a brand new life. You will no longer have anything to do with this place. Yes, you will definitely be filled with charm. Many excellent men will court you, and you can choose the one you like the most and are most satisfied with, walking down the aisle in a cathedral. You will have bubbly kids, and you can bring them up to be healthy children. You can bring them to Winter County for skiing, Desi Bay for holidays, and to the hunting grounds which are pleasures that only nobles have...
"Didn't you say that you were willing to do anything to regain your true self?"
Sherman's lips quivered, and after pursing them tightly for a while, he separated them and said, "Ma'am Trissy, I understand. I-I will proceed according to your instructions."
After saying that, he seemed to lose all his strength as he stumbled to the ground. He subconsciously reached out to hold onto a coat rack beside him.
During this process, his gaze happened to sweep past the stack of newspapers.
It had already spread apart, revealing a particular report:
"...Tycoon from Desi, Mr. Dwayne Dantès, shows interest in purchasing the Larryway Steel Company, believing that it has excellent profitability and a promising future..."
...
"Sir, are you really planning on buying Larryway Steel Company?" Enuni asked while walking upstairs at 160 Böklund Street.
Dwayne Dantès shook his head and smiled.
"That news is just pure fabrication. I've only met the owner of the Larryway Steel Company, Mr. Phil La Rivie, at a ball last week and had a chat."
By the side, Butler Walter heaved a sigh of relief as he warned, "Sir, the Larryway Steel Company is indeed seeking a buyer. There are quite a number of people who are considering the option."
That also means that this piece of news was released by the reporters under Phil's instructions so that he can sell it at a better price? Klein nodded in thought. He entered the room with the half balcony and prepared to head up above the gray fog. He wanted to use Enuni's praying point of light to see any abnormalities at Hazel's place.
This was something that he had been doing daily for the past few days.
-x-X-x-
In the grand palace above the gray fog.
Through Enuni's prayer point of light, Klein saw the scene inside his valet's room.
As his vision pulled out and slowly extended out, he began taking in all of Böklund Street. Among buildings covered in fresh flowers and grass, Intis parasol trees that shielded the sunlight slowly swept past. There were slow-moving carriages that were elegantly or beautifully adorned, and youths dashing quickly on bikes.
Finally, Klein locked onto Unit 39– Member of Parliament Macht's residence. He then lowered his field of view and began observing every animal and human to see if there was any black-haired, black-eyed, monocle-wearing man.
Phew... There's no switching or grafting of fate... Nearly ten minutes later, Klein heaved a sigh of relief.
At this moment, a carriage drove into Macht's residence and stopped at their doorstep.
A young lady with curly black-green hair and bright, dark-brown eyes alighted from a carriage. It was none other than Hazel who had returned
home.
She was wearing a dark green dress that didn't expose her shoulders. Her lips were slightly pursed, and she wore a relaxed look with a hint of joy.
Upon seeing Hazel in such a state, Klein's heart skipped a beat.
This was definitely abnormal!
From Klein's point of view, the rat demigod had only two outcomes after meeting Amon's avatar. She either had a trump card and managed to escape successfully at the cost of being heavily injured, or she had turned into a Beyonder characteristic to strengthen Amon's avatar. And regardless of the outcome, there was no way Hazel could find her teacher. She would definitely be in grief and pain, feeling dispirited and sad. So how could she be relaxed and happy?
With her taking the risk to head to the manor in the suburbs to inform her teacher, she's not a cold and selfish person... Her present state indicates that she has confirmed that her teacher, that rat demigod, is fine. She has even been rewarded, perhaps obtaining all kinds of knowledge about the supernatural world... This is in conflict with my theory of the rat demigod's outcome. No, it's not in conflict. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth... Klein leaned back into his seat and came to a conclusion:
Amon had not only obtained the rat demigod's Beyonder characteristic, but he had also stolen her fate and had replaced her identity!
Therefore, to Hazel, her teacher hadn't encountered any mishaps and would only need a period of time to lie low... After making the confirmation, Klein silently exhaled and felt a little relaxed.
To him, the most terrifying aspect of Amon was that no one knew what form or identity "He" would use to appear. It could be possible that Member of Parliament Macht would one day wear a monocle, or that insects in the garden would turn around with monocles on their faces. Therefore, after grasping the identity Amon might use to appear, Klein couldn't help but feel more assured.
As for Amon's performance being problematic in front of Hazel, Klein believed that it was impossible. After all, Amon was a King of Angels that was fundamentally good at deceit. Even if "He" mentioned something that differed from what the rat demigod had said, "He" could easily use the excuse of it being a test with what "He" now said being part of her formal education to fool her.
Of course, based on Pallez Zoroast's depiction, Amon definitely wouldn't appear as a rat demigod, so I shouldn't be careless... Klein did some observations before retracting his gaze and leaving the gray fog.
Inside his room, he sat on a reclining chair and drank some black tea with a lemon slice. He half-closed his eyes and considered how he could deepen his relationship with Qonas Kilgor.
After an unknown period of time, Klein suddenly opened his eyes and activated his Spirit Vision.
At the demigod level, he could already activate it at will.
Almost at the same moment, Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. One of them had a letter in its mouth.
"Who's letter is it?" Klein asked as he reached out his right hand.
"Sharron..." Reinette Tinekerr's other head answered.
Miss Sharron? She should be making her final preparations for the advancement. Why would she suddenly write to me? Klein was slightly puzzled as he received the envelope.
After he opened it, he found very little content. There was only a simple line:
"Emlyn White is seeking out the Rose School of Thought."
Emlyn is seeking out the Rose School of Thought? Klein pricked up his brows in surprise.
His opinion of Emlyn was a Sanguine who was afraid of trouble. Unless necessary, he didn't even wish to head out. So how could he actively search for the Rose School of Thought?
This definitely isn't Emlyn's own will... Yes, Emlyn had mentioned that some important figure of the Sanguine was meeting him... This is a new mission that the Sanguine gave him? It's very possible! However, why didn't he mention it in the Tarot Club? Oh, it was focused on the punishment operation, and he had other clues, so he temporarily kept it from us? Klein thought as he leaned forward. Under the watch of Miss Messenger's eight eyes, he took out a piece of paper and a fountain pen from his coffee table.
He wasn't curious about Emlyn's clues, because it was an obvious matter.
Since Miss Sharron knew that Emlyn was seeking out the Rose School of Thought and had asked their mutual friend, Detective Sherlock Moriarty, about this matter, it meant that this Sanguine had likely asked the help of the black market arms dealer, Ian, from the Bravehearts Bar.
This also meant that, in Emlyn's previous commissions, he must've noticed Sharron or Maric; otherwise, it was impossible for him to mention the Rose School of Thought to an ordinary person.
I don't know enough about the Apothecary pathway. I can't determine how Emlyn discovered a Wraith or Zombie... Klein crossed his right leg as he placed the letter on his thigh and began scribbling:
"This is likely a mission the Sanguine's upper echelons gave Emlyn. They hate the Rose School of Thought members who believe in the Primordial Moon, and they have directed this anger at the other factions of the Rose School of Thought..."
Upon writing this, Klein paused and added, "I suspect that the Mother Tree of Desire has the intention of encroaching onto the authority of the Moon domain, but I'm unsure why the Primordial Moon believers would join the Rose School of Thought. This secret existence seems to have a very complicated relationship with the Mother Tree of Desire. They are at odds, but they have also cooperated. It's hard to tell..."
Putting down his pen and folding the letter, Klein looked at Miss Messenger who had been waiting. He asked with a chortle, "How did you know that I'll be replying?"
One of Reinette Tinekerr's heads succinctly answered, "Inkling..."
Right on the heels of that, the four blonde, red-eyed heads spoke one after another, "You..." "Seem a..." Little livelier..." "Recently..."
"Your expression..." "Has also..." "Become much...." "Richer..."
As Klein pulled out the box that was connected to his golden pocket watch, he took out a gold coin from it and said with a self-deprecating smile, "Repeatedly wearing a thick mask isn't good for one's mental health. I realized that after becoming a demigod."
Therefore, unless he was in situations where he needed to disguise or hide his feelings, he limited the use of his Clown's power to control his emotions.
Reinette Tinekerr didn't say a word as the heads bit on the gold coin and letter before vanishing. @@novelbin@@
Watching Miss Messenger leave, Klein leaned back slightly and inwardly muttered,
I wonder if Miss Sharron and Maric will use the Sanguine to deal with the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund...
Miss Sharron is probably focusing her time and efforts on her advancement. She might not involve herself, but I can't be sure about Maric...
Emlyn changed into his Church of Earth Mother priest robes, and then wore a red coat and a silk hat before walking out the Harvest Church. He then got into a rental carriage by the roadside.
After saying his destination, he casually cast his gaze out the window.
At this moment, Emlyn sensed something as he abruptly moved his body, leaving shadowy afterimages in his wake as he moved to the side.
Then, he saw a figure appear out of nowhere.
It was a young man whose coat wasn't buttoned, revealing the white shirt and black vest within. His brown hair was a little moist and messy as though he hadn't combed it in a while. His brown eyes were filled with temperance, as though he was restraining certain urges deep within his heart.
Upon seeing this pale corpse-like face, Emlyn tipped his chin and said with a smile, showing no signs of nervousness, "You have finally come."
"Aren't you afraid that I'm a member of the Rose School of Thought that's here to finish you off?" The young man's figure turned somewhat transparent.
Emlyn scoffed and said, "Would I not be aware of the Rose School of Thought's history? Or matters about the betrayal of the temperance faction and their escape?
"Well, how do I address you?"
"Maric," the young man replied. "Is this the information you received from the upper echelons of the Sanguine?"
Emlyn was taken aback as he tsked.
"You are smarter than I thought."
He used such a remark to confirm the other party's guess.
Maric slowly drew a breath and leaned forward slightly.
"How did you notice our existence from Ian's side?"
Emlyn leisurely leaned back into the carriage and said with a smile, "Humans have the smell of humans. Wraiths have the smell of wraiths."
Maric fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "You Sanguine wish to deal with the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund?"
"The important members," Emlyn replied by making an emphasis.
"If that's the case, we can use ourselves as bait to help you fish out the Rose School of Thought members. However, I need confirmation." Maric rubbed his eyes and said directly, "I know you are unable to make the decision. You can first return to seek permission from the Sanguine. After you obtain their assurance, you know where to find us."
Having said that, he handed a dossier in his hand.
"This is from Ian. It's the initial feedback from tracking Ernes Boyar. Many bounty hunters have completed this together."
Emlyn received the dossier and nodded in a rare look of solemnity.
"Okay."
-x-X-x-
When the Wraith in front of him was gone, Emlyn White retracted his gaze, untied the thread on the dossier, and pulled out the documents inside.
As he read through them, Emlyn had a rough idea of Ernes Boyar's routine.
This Sanguine Viscount had a routine which was rather random-staying at home, out visiting exhibitions, partaking in wine tasting at manors in the city outskirts, shopping at department stores with female companions, or sketching female models. He was like the typical wealthy man.
However, Ernes had recently been visiting St. George Borough every other day to monitor the renovations of the furniture factory he had invested in. It was a bid to ensure that it could quickly resume work.
This way, the Sanguine Viscount's lifestyle became repetitive. The places he visited, the paths he took, and the places he had lunch were repeated every other day.
Emlyn pressed down on his temples, seriously filtering out three venues which were suitable for the operation.
The first was inside or at the entrance of the furniture factory owned by Ernes Boyar. The second was Saint Hierländ Square where he stopped along the way home for a meal and to feed birds. The third place was Backlund Bridge. Unless Ernes was willing to take a huge detour, he had to pass by this area when traveling between his home and St. George Borough.
These three spots meet the requirement of having plenty of people, making it chaotic. However, Backlund Bridge has too few entrances and exits. With the two ends locked down, one can only leave by jumping into the river, an act only chosen by idiots... Saint Hierländ Square comes under Saint Hierländ Cathedral, core to the Church of Steam in Backlund, and even the entirety of Loen. It's akin to the second Holy See. It meets Mr. Hanged Man's suggestion. It can effectively prevent conflicts from escalating, and it can interfere with any subsequent divination and investigations... Emlyn gradually had an inclination.
And once a living being had an inclination, they would unknowingly seek more reasons to affirm their choice, and Emlyn was no exception, without a doubt. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that Saint Hierländ Square met almost all the requirements.
First, Ernes wouldn't stay in the area for too long. He would have lunch at a restaurant with Sivellaus cuisine since he was born in Sivellaus County.
Secondly, there were several tracked carriage stops in the vicinity, making the area filled with traffic on foot. With most of them being people from the lower or middle class, accidents often happened.
Thirdly, with it as the origin, one would enter the area south of the Bridge if one didn't head to the Backlund Bridge. It would then be closeby to the Harvest Church.
Finally, at noon, the Saint Hierländ Cathedral would spew steam, turn its levers, and chime a clock. It was inevitable for everyone's attention to be attracted.
It's confirmed... Emlyn quickly made up his mind. Raising his right hand and adjusting his bow tie, his red eyes were filled with anticipation.
At this moment, he suddenly frowned, sensing that something wasn't right.
Saint Hierländ Square was just perfect for the job!
It was so suitable that almost all the conditions were met!
Will Ernes be wary against my revenge? Why would he allow himself to stay in such an environment for such long periods of time? Even if he's stupid enough to not realize it, wouldn't the earls warn him? The corners of Emlyn's mouth curled up slightly as he understood the reason.
Saint Hierländ Square was the venue the Sanguine upper echelons had designated "for him"!
Heh... Emlyn chuckled, keeping his mouth curled.
He decided to request Mr. Fool to have a gathering for the few members and also invite Mr. Hanged Man to discuss the plan in detail!
This was different from the framework that they had previously decided upon. They needed to consider every detail and consider every problem!
At fifteen minutes to twelve, St. George Borough, Saint Hierländ Square. @@novelbin@@
In a private room on the third story of a restaurant northwest of the square.
A figure stood in front of the window, holding a cup filled with scarlet blood-like liquid. He was leisurely looking at the fountain nearby and the crowds that came and went.
He was a lanky person, wearing a formal suit meant for banquets. His light-colored hair that was nearly silver and his bright red eyes combined together to give him a sense of coquettish handsomeness. There was a constant faint smile lining his lips.
"My lord, will it really be fine? Emlyn seems to be different from before. This can be seen from his recent hunt of the Primordial Moon believers." A middle-aged man in a dark suit walked to the window and said with some hint of worry.
The man who had been politely addressed cast his gaze at the square where Emlyn White stood. He was listening to a violinist busking on the street as he chuckled.
"Our preparations are enough even against a demigod, much less a kid who hasn't even become a viscount.
"Besides, we don't really plan on doing anything serious. Our only goal is to identify and make confirmations. This is a lot simpler than preventing certain people from escaping."
As he spoke, the man with the light hair and bright red eyes raised his right hand slightly, rotating the ring on his left ring finger.
The ring was made of silver, and embedded in it was a strange gem with a ghostly-blue hue.
On a carriage driving towards Saint Hierländ Square, Ernes Boyar had his right hand over his left. He naturally rotated the ring on his ring finger that had a ghostly-blue gem embedded in it.
He casually looked out the window and saw a trackless carriage slowly drive over from afar. A paperboy slightly taller than 160 centimeters had a sling bag across his chest as he peddled his papers along the street. Quite a number of bicycles had replaced the carriages that were often seen last year. They darted through the crowds in St. George Borough.
Here, the number of workers wearing light blue or grayish-blue uniforms with hats had far exceeded the number of people in formal suits and top hats.
Ernes retracted his gaze as he chuckled. He had no fear about what would happen next. He even looked forward to
it.
He believed that he had made enough preparations.
He wore Oath of Rose on his left hand. It allowed him to share what he saw, heard, and smelled with Earl Mistral from a distance away. It made sure that nothing would go wrong while ensuring that their objective was met.
In his inner pocket where his silver pocket watch was, there was a Moon Paper Figurine. These could suffer a single lethal blow or an attack that targeted his Soul Body. It ensured that he wouldn't suffer any serious injuries or death within a short span of time.
He also wore Alcohol Nemesis, a diamond brooch. It kept him brimming with energy with lucidity in his thoughts. It raised his resistance against spells that acted on the Body of Heart and Mind.
By his waist was a belt named Moonlight Sash. It could effectively reduce Sun and Lightning damage.
These mystical items were the accumulation of Ernes's wealth or were bestowed by Earl Mistral. It made sure that Ernes was a "target" that could hardly be quickly finished off or controlled.
With the Sanguine Viscount's natural resistance against Nightmare-type influences, Ernes was nearly without weakness. Even against a demigod, he could put up a fight as long as the latter didn't reveal their Mythical Creature form.
The only problem is that the negative effects of all these mystical items are quite excessive... Ernes's facial muscles twitched, but he quickly composed himself.
The Oath of Rose would make his thoughts appear in Earl Mistral's mind from time to time. And if he kept wearing it for a week without removing it, the pair who had the matching rings might very well end up in love, regardless of gender or race.
Moon Paper Figurine was an expendable item. It had nearly zero side effects apart from making the body slightly cold.
The Alcohol Nemesis brooch's problem was that it would deal continuous damage to one's liver and brain. If it was worn for excessively long periods of time, it might result in one losing one's thoughts and logical reasoning. Therefore, one had to take it off for fifteen minutes after every half an hour of equipping it.
Once Moonlight Sash was worn, it made all senses much sharper, making it easy for one to see and hear things one shouldn't see or hear. At the same time, the wearer would feel itchy at intermittent intervals.
Let's hope they don't cower in fear and that this doesn't drag on... Ernes Boyar checked on his condition once again, casting his gaze of anticipation at the Saint Hierländ Square's entrance nearby.
On the other end of Saint Hierländ Square, Emlyn White, who was taking in the sights of the buskers on the streets, suddenly looked up at a bird that flew over.
Following that, he raised his hand to press down on his top hat. Bowing his head slightly, he briskly walked to the middle of the square, approaching the fountain.
In this process, Emlyn's figure kept moving as he mixed into the crowd.
However, this failed to avoid Earl Mistral's tracking.
This Sanguine Earl with silver hair rotated the ghostly-blue gem ring on his left ring finger and coldly said, "Take note."
At the entrance of Saint Hierländ Square, Ernes Boyar grew increasingly pumped. He knew that the operation was about to come-finally.
Emlyn still chose Saint Hierländ Square after all... Ernes cast his gaze out the window once more, warily watching the pedestrians on the street, the trackless public carriages that were about to pass him, the ordinary paperboy who was peddling his papers, and the elegant windows of the surrounding houses and shops.
He didn't believe that Emlyn's potential partners were hiding in there, because there were even more, better spots in Saint Hierländ Square that made it conducive to take action. However, he still kept up the required level of wariness.
Suddenly, his body lunged forward slightly as he nearly got out of his seat.
The carriage he was on had stopped without any warning!
Right on the heels of that, the horses that pulled the carriage seemed to be in a nightmare as they raised their front hooves, struggling wildly, flipping the carriage to the ground.
During this process, Ernes Boyar actually had ample space, time, and strength to help the carriage driver control the berserk horse. However, he didn't do so, because he saw a transparent wolf-shaped specter jump over from outside the window. It had thrown a rose within its body.
A rose!
Ernes Boyar's eyes widened as the carriage toppled.
He hurriedly jumped to the side and out the carriage as he made an illusory and incorporeal black chain extend out of the void. It wrapped around the wolf-shape specter!
With a soft poof, the wolf-shaped specter dissipated without a struggle.
And when Ernes Boyar found his footing, he stood there motionless, his eyes turbid.
He had already been pulled into a deep sleep.
In a trackless public carriage that passed him by, a black-haired, green-eyed young man wore a thin trench coat. His back was facing the middle of the street as he focused on reading a notebook with a green-bronze hardcover.
Around him, the other passengers were either reading the papers or chatting. Some were looking out only to see the berserk horse quickly recover.
With a whoosh, the black-haired, green-eyed man flipped the page of the notebook.
The trackless carriage continued forward and gradually distanced itself.
-x-X-x-
Saint Hierländ Square, in the northwestern corner, at the third story of a restaurant.
When the wolf specter with the rose appeared in front of Ernes Boyar, the silver-haired, scarlet-eyed Mistral retracted his gaze from Ernes Boyar. Darkness suffused from behind him as countless tiny bats flew within.
Bribe... Just as this Sanguine Earl silently muttered this single word, he "saw" the toppled carriage, "heard" the neighing of the horse, and "smelled" all kinds of smells. However, he wasn't able to instantly find the origin of the disturbance and accident.
At this moment, his "vision" darkened as his "eyes" seemed to lose the ability to take in light. The din in his "ears" also halted!
Earl Mistral chortled inwardly as he immediately fused with the bats behind him, re-materializing beside Ernes Boyar.
Suddenly, in his black "vision," a point of light appeared.
This point of light rapidly expanded as it grew brighter and brighter. A golden figure with twelve pairs of pitch-black wings walked out of it!
The pairs of wings spread out, blanketing Mistral's "vision," causing light and darkness to mix. This created mysterious and complicated symbols that didn't differentiate themselves within the golden figure. It was both holy and corrupted, both light and dark.
Angel! Mistral's pupils widened slightly as he couldn't help but take a step back, terminating his previous thoughts.
In confusion, Ernes Boyar rapidly snapped awake when he saw a pair of limpid eyes that resembled crystalline gems or a lake. He felt a copy of the newspapers being stuffed into his hand.
In those emerald-green eyes were ripples. Deep within the emanating ripples were twirls of a vortex that seemed to suck in the soul of anyone who lay their eyes on them.
Ernes Boyar instantly became engrossed in it as he couldn't move his eyes away. @@novelbin@@
Then, he heard a gentle and ethereal female voice in his ears:
"Take this newspaper and follow Emlyn White...
"Take this newspaper and follow Emlyn White..."
This voice was layered as it resounded within Ernes Boyar's ears. It drilled into his brain, sinking deep into his heart.
Ernes Boyar nodded in a daze, sensing that there was more, but he couldn't hear it clearly.
The paperboy with a sling bag diagonally across his shoulders swiftly turned around and agilely passed through the bicycles, mixing into the crowd that came and went.
This "boy" had a pretty face as "his" messy hair drooped down and hid "his" brows. As "he" walked, "he" took off a black fishnet glove that "he" had worn at some point in time, stuffing it into "his" sling bag filled with newspapers.
As the wind blew, "his" clothes shrank as a spot on "his" exposed arm protruded out.
A few seconds later, Ernes Boyar suddenly jumped back from where he stood, doing so as though he had been trying to dodge something.
No good! I was influenced by a Nightmare's ability! Just as he found his footing, his pupils dilated as he looked around his surroundings in a state of high alert, prepared for any impending attacks.
Although Ernes Boyar was perplexed about how easily he was pulled into a dream, he knew that it wasn't time to consider the details. What followed next was key. He couldn't afford to be distracted.
Ring!
A few bicycles passed him as they used their bells to warn the gentleman in the middle of the road to make way.
Ernes Boyar narrowed his eyes as he glared at him, his muscles under his clothes ready to deliver their might.
Ie
These few bicycles circled around him as the pedestrians came and went, some slowing down their footsteps and pointing their fingers.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
Twelve gongs were heard as the white steam spewed out from the chimneys of Saint Hierländ Cathedral. The holy hymns of praise resounded as the gears and levers got to work.
On the square, everyone stopped in their footsteps. At that holy moment, they either closed their eyes in prayer or were listening silently, regardless of whether they were believers of the God of Steam and Machinery or not. Only the pigeons that were being fed flew up and soared into the sky.
Gong Gong! Gong!
As the gongs sounded, no one moved. Even Earl Mistral, who was inside a private room at the restaurant, stood there motionless with a heavy expression.
His "vision" had already recovered, but all he saw was workers wearing grayish-blue or light-blue clothes and bicycles of the same make. Apart from that, he discovered nothing. Furthermore, Ernes Boyar hadn't been injured at all.
Of course, he had guessed that the paperboy was problematic from the newspaper in the Sanguine Viscount's hand. However, he didn't attempt to carry out a pursuit.
Clearly, the power that had borrowed the level of an angel didn't belong to a Low- or Mid-Sequence Beyonder. This also meant that Emlyn White's faction had at least a demigod hidden in the vicinity. Mistral believed that once he took action, he was bound to be stopped or even incur retaliation.
In a situation of being easily detected while not knowing where his opponents were hiding, Mistral believed that it spelled trouble. Carrying out a pursuit in such cases only exacerbated the matter.
Furthermore, to the Sanguine, this was only a test. If the faction backing Emlyn had mobilized a demigod, they could detain that powerhouse thanks to Ernes Boyar's protective measures. And through Oath of Rose, Mistral could confirm the attacker's identity. They had never thought of escalating the matter into an intense conflict. In their plans, it only involved Earl Mistral stopping the other party to prevent Ernes Boyar from suffering any harm.
In the present situation, they had lost the initiative. To forcefully carry out a pursuit might highly likely result in a demigods' battle. And in Backlund, around Saint Hierländ Cathedral, this was equivalent to suicide.
Besides, to Mistral, since the other demigod hadn't personally taken action and had only provided auxiliary help, to personally take action and make a pursuit would be a loss of decorumand an insult to his reputation as a Sanguine Earl.
Humph! I want to see what happens next! Mistral's facial muscles twitched as he rotated the ghostly-blue ring on his left hand once more.
After the twelve gongs, Emlyn started walking again. He circled past the fountain and arrived at the other end of Saint Hierländ Square amidst the landing pigeons.
He then saw Ernes Boyar, who had his back hunched slightly, afraid to even move half a step. He saw the toppled carriage, the horse that was flicking its tail, and the carriage driver who wore a look of pain.
Emlyn walked over, took out a wallet, and pulled out 100 pounds. He handed it to the carriage driver and said, "This is your compensation."
"Ah?" The carriage driver wore a blank but pleasantly surprised look.
The rental carriage wasn't his. He was only an ordinary employee. After the carriage was damaged because of the horse being startled, he experienced a brief moment of feeling the pinch. Following that, it was anxiousness and despair that ruled over his mind.
Based on the so-called contract and other similar accidents he had seen over the years, he was responsible for all of this. This meant compensation from him and, with his income and family situation, meant bankruptcy!
During that short moment, all kinds of thoughts had surfaced in the carriage driver's mind. They were mainly of three types. One was to scare the frozen gentleman and get him to pay compensation. This prevented his family from falling apart, with his children having to slave away at the factories at a young age. Another option was to immediately bring the horse to a gangster and sell it. Then, he would return home and leave Backlund with his wife and children. The last option was to arrange for his family to move from the place they rented. He would then plead with the owner of the carriage, hoping that he could repay it in installments. If the person wasn't agreeable, he would rather be thrown into jail than reimburse him a single penny.
Now, having 100 pounds suddenly hit him left his mind groggy. He was at a loss for words.
100 pounds was enough to buy a brand new rental carriage and even more!
Emlyn ignored the carriage driver and looked at Ernes.
"Everything's fine now."
Aren't you the biggest problem? How can it be fine with you here? Ernes lampooned as he rotated the ring with the ghostly-blue gem on his left hand.
For some unknown reason, he felt that he should believe Emlyn White and even approach him.
Emlyn shot a glance, suddenly turned around, and walked briskly into an alley.
Ernes subconsciously opened up his stride and followed closely behind. He kept holding onto the newspaper in hand.
The two Sanguine moved at extremely fast speeds, with one running and the other chasing. However, they didn't dare reveal anything extraordinary.
When Earl Mistral sensed that the two Sanguine were beyond the reach of his spirituality, he used the connection between the paired Oath of Rose rings to follow behind unhurriedly.
Emlyn occasionally made detours, taking shortcuts and occasionally returning to spots they had been before. It made it difficult to guess where his destination was. As for Ernes, he was like a bull having seen a red cloth. He refused to give up as he followed closely behind.
Unknowingly, the two Sanguine arrived at Rose Street which was south of the Bridge.
At this moment, Emlyn suddenly sped up. He wasn't afraid that others saw him producing after-images as he dashed right into the Harvest Church.
Ernes did the same.
Not good! From afar, Earl Mistral was just about to descend upon them to stop the subsequent developments when Ernes's figure vanished inside the Harvest Church's entrance.
Kacha!
A tile at Mistral's foot instantly shattered.
After entering the cathedral, Ernes came to a realization. He then saw a figure wearing a brown priest robe stand up at the front of all the rows of pews. He appeared like a mountain.
At the same time, the entire cathedral turned heavy as if it was a jail. It seemed to fuse with the land itself.
Ernes's mind buzzed immediately as another voice sounded in his mind:
"After you awaken from the first hypnosis, throw all the items on you to Emlyn White."
Amidst shuffling sounds, Ernes took off his sash, threw out the brooch, and slammed the various items towards Emlyn White. This included his silver pocket watch and a wallet filled with
cash.
Pa!
The newspaper in his hand fell to the ground, throwing out a paper card that was stuffed within.
On the paper card was the goddess of justice sitting on a chair and holding a sword and scale.
It was the tarot card—Justice.
-x-X-x-
After throwing everything other than his clothes, Ernes Boyar was stunned for a moment before he snapped to his senses.
What am I doing? What did I do? This Sanguine Viscount finally recalled the matters he had deliberately forgotten— those pair of emerald-green, limpid eyes.
A psychological cue, no—hypnosis... Ernes Boyar looked around in anger and irresistible horror, instinctively taking in the situation he was in.
His gaze then landed on the mountain-like figure. He saw Father Utravsky with his thin and sparse brows.
Instantly, Ernes Boyar had all sorts of thoughts run through his mind and collide with one another. He quickly came up with one intense thought.
He didn't put up any resistance, and he immediately said, "I'll come here to do a month of volunteer work!"
Emlyn's predicament had long been spread amongst the Sanguine in Backlund. Ernes Boyar was well aware of Father Utravsky and knew that, even if he were to put up a fight, it was difficult for him to escape the fate of doing volunteer work. He might as well surrender and choose conditions that were more beneficial to him. @@novelbin@@
At the very least, I shouldn't have any cues planted in my mind and end up converting my faith to Earth Mother... This thought flashed through Ernes's mind. He discovered a lantern in Utravsky's hand, and inside it was a strange candle that seemed to be covered in human skin with protruding lumps.
Under the candlelight's faint illumination, Ernes's pupils widened again. He only had one thought on his mind remaining as it kept resonating:
Another psychological cue...
At that moment, he felt the gloominess thicken in his heart.
"Alright," Utravsky nodded and agreed to Ernes Boyar's request.
Emlyn held back his smugness and pleased smile. He then looked at the items he had caught, looking like a farmer who had just reaped a bountiful harvest.
In a private room on the third story of a restaurant northwest of the square, the lights darkened as a huge shadow appeared.
Tiny bats flew out of the darkness and quickly clumped together.
Smoke rose up as the silver-haired, scarlet-eyed Earl Mistral appeared at the spot where the bats had appeared. Everything around him had been restored to normal.
His servant, a middle-aged man in a dark formal suit immediately stepped forward and asked with a bow, "My lord, are you having your meal now?"
He couldn't tell if things had happened smoothly, or if something had gone wrong, much less about the success of the outcome from the earl's face. However, he didn't dare inquire.
Mistral nodded and said, "Yes."
He walked to the table with a composed look, took off the ring with the ghostly-blue gem, and sat down without showing a chink in his disposition. It was as though he had headed out to feed the pigeons.
This rich smell is rather unique, but it's not bad... In the private room neighboring Earl Mistral, Klein was wearing a very ordinary face as he commented on the Sivellaus cuisine delicacy—lamb tripe.
This punishment operation was an attempt by the few members of the Tarot Club—one that didn't need The World or Mr. Fool's interference—but considering how Miss Justice and The Moon Emlyn had zero experience in such matters and lacked experience in other matters, he had come to the area incognito as a final safeguard.
He had previously used his marionette to pray to The Fool while he entered the attached bathroom of his private room to head above the gray fog. Using the corresponding point of light, he had taken in the entire square and its surroundings.
He kept holding the Sea God Scepter the entire time, prepared to deliver a lightning strike to prevent any problems once he discovered anything amiss.
However, he ultimately didn't do a thing. Everything happened more smoothly than he imagined.
There was no need for him to consider the experienced The Star Leonard, but Miss Justice, who was participating in such matters for the first time, had exceeded his expectations. She wasn't nervous at all, not showing any signs of panic!
Indeed. A Sequence 6 of the Spectator pathway is far greater than Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders of the other pathways when it comes to controlling emotions. Even if she felt uneasy, she would've resolved it with her Beyonder powers before the operation... Klein nodded indiscernibly as he continued sampling the other delicacies.
Outside the window, on Saint Hierland Square, it became filled with lively music, an eclectic mix of the flute, violin, accordion, and seven-string guitar.
A rental carriage was slowly circling around the perimeter of Saint Hierland Square.
Leonard Mitchell, who was prepared to return to the north bank of the Backlund Bridge, took one look at the pigeons in the middle of the square before asking with a suppressed voice, "Old Man, what's your take regarding the outcome of this operation?"
After he pulled Ernes Boyar into a dream, he flipped Leymano's Travels and activated Angel's Embrace. He then left the scene on carriage, unsure of the subsequent developments.
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast snapped back, "In the Fourth Epoch, there's such a saying—believe in the might of deities."
This means that this matter has received the tacit approval of Mr. Fool, so it's bound to succeed? However, Old Man doesn't know much about the Tarot Club. Mr. Fool is a witness most of the time, so there's no so-called tacit approval... Leonard mumbled inwardly before diverting the topic:
"Why doesn't this saying feel complete?"
He had never informed Pallez Zoroast of the exact situation of the Tarot Club. All he did was give mention of the general situation of the Tarot Club and inform "Him" of the matters that had been approved by Mr. Fool.
Pallez chuckled and said, "Indeed. There's also a second half of the saying: Do not trust 'Their' benevolence."
Believe in the might of deities, but do not trust "Their" benevolence... Leonard repeated in silence as he looked down at the notebook with a bronze hardcover.
He then muttered wistfully, "This is really akin to a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. Furthermore, resolving its negative effects is relatively simple."
Before this operation, consideration was given to the fact that Beyonders of the pathway involving the Moon domain, as well as the darkness, had relatively stronger resistance against Nightmare-related effects. Leonard had originally planned on borrowing Creeping Hunger from The World Klein Moretti. However, after some subsequent discussion, Miss Magician mentioned the traits of Leymano's Travels, giving him a better option.
Hence, Klein, who was originally responsible for Angel's Embrace, lent him Creeping Hunger for three hours. Various useful Beyonder powers were recorded, such as Bribe—Weaken.
"This is something from the Abraham family," Pallez Zoroast said with a sigh.
Leonard had long known of this as he nodded indiscernibly. He then asked, "Old Man, do you have the means of weakening or controlling the negative effects of the mystical item I previously mentioned?"
"You call that a mystical item? That's something that requires sealing!" Pallez first reprimanded Leonard. Then, he said, "Didn't you say that it has a living characteristic? That makes it much easier to resolve."
Leonard felt relieved as he cast his gaze out the window again, taking in the sight of Saint Hierland Cathedral, which had parts resembling factories.
In Phelps Street, North Borough, in the vicinity of Saint Samuel Cathedral, at the entrance of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
After changing her clothes, Audrey got off a carriage like an ordinary girl.
She had already gotten rid of her paperboy attire at a hotel room that had been prepared ahead of time. And that room was reserved by someone under Emlyn's instructions. It had nothing to do with her.
At this moment, there were people coming and going at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation's entrance, but Audrey walked over without any hesitation.
No one looked at her, as though she lived in another world.
Audrey briskly walked into the foyer, went up to the second story, and headed for the director's office. And everyone who she walked past seemed to join her in playing a game, pretending as though they hadn't seen her. They weren't puzzled about why this unfamiliar girl was inside.
Audrey was just about to enter the office when she suddenly heard a familiar voice inside:
"Miss Audrey, this is the amount of donations we have gathered this week..."
Audrey couldn't help but curl the ends of her lips as she gently nudged the ajar door and walked in.
Inside the office, a staff member was holding a stack of documents, showing it to the person behind the desk.
Sitting behind the desk was a golden retriever with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses hanging by her neck.
It sat at the director's seat, casually flipping through the documents, and said, "That wouldn't be an issue."
The staff member then took back the document and smiled at the golden retriever.
Then, I'll take my leave, Miss Audrey."
Behind her, Audrey held back her laughter as she walked to the sofa. She silently watched the staff member leave without interrupting the golden retriever from reading the other documents.
Susie seriously read the different documents, afraid that something wrong would happen to her acting; thus, affecting Audrey's matters.
After a while, she suddenly looked around in puzzlement.
"Audrey, are you back?"
How did you notice?" Audrey stood up from the sofa and appeared within Susie's sights.
For this operation, she had specially spoken to Susie. She got the latter to replace her at work in the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation. Then, with the golden retriever in tow, she hypnotized all the staff members who would interact with her that day, making them treat Susie as Audrey.
As for any possible visitors, she told her staff that there would only be guests in the afternoon.
And the signal to snap out of the hypnosis was the cathedral bells at two in the afternoon.
Susie jumped off the chair after seeing Audrey, saying in exasperation, "It's almost two."
That's right... Audrey inwardly made a silly face as she rushed into the small lounge and changed into her clothes. She then used Lie's Flame Controlling powers to bum her previous disguise.
After returning to her office and sitting at her seat, she felt completely relaxed. She clasped her hands together and lightly pursed her lips.
To be frank, she had always been nervous. However, she had successfully cast Placate on herself before the operation, preventing any slip-ups.
It's quite interesting now that I reminisce over it. We even discussed how we would compensate those who were affected... Audrey, well done! A smile beamed on the blonde, green-eyed beauty as it grew brighter.
After this operation, she realized that her Hypnotist potion had digested by a significant amount. Furthermore, she had also confirmed one thing: The mystical item, Hand of Horror, which came with Bribe—Charm worked perfectly with Hypnosis!
Yes, I also learned that Mr. Moon's name is Emlyn White... He didn't bother hiding the matter, because he had to tell me. Otherwise, we wouldn't have achieved our goals... Yes, yes. Perhaps just giving the name of the cathedral was enough, but that will still expose his identity... I'm still feeling some anxiety. I was too stiff when hypnotizing. I actually used words that were too direct during the first level of hypnosis... Audrey cast Placate on her slightly agitated feelings as she reviewed the entire operation, hoping that she could draw from the experience and lessons of today.
Gong! Gong!
Saint Samuel Cathedral's bells chimed, indicating that it was two in the afternoon.
Many staff who were inside 22 Phelps Street at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation had their bodies tremble after hearing it. Following that, they continued with their work as though nothing had happened.
Gong! Gong!
Amidst the cathedral's bells, Klein, who had transformed back into Dwayne Dantes, once again walked to 160 Boklund Street's balcony and took in the situation of Macht's house.
At this moment, a carriage passed by his residence's entrance and drove to the end of the street. Suddenly, Klein felt his perception trigger as a scene surfaced in his mind.
A gray rat was leaning against the carriage's window, leisurely watching the street scenery.
-x-X-x-
Gray rat... Klein's eyelids twitched as he didn't hesitate to turn back into his half-open room, leave the balcony, and enter the master bedroom. He then entered the bathroom.
He moved at an adequate pace, doing so as though he had been repeating this entire process like a daily routine.
Locking the bathroom's door, Klein took four steps counterclockwise and passed through the gray fog filled with ravings and roars, finally taking his seat on the high-back chair of The Fool.
And before this, he made his valet, Enuni, who was standing by the corridor, softly pray to Sea God Kalvetua.
Using the corresponding point of light, he beckoned for the Sea God Scepter and began expanding his vision. He then locked onto the carriage that was driving towards Macht's residence—39 Boklund Street.
And this time, the person leaning against the glass window and leisurely taking in the scenery was no longer a gray rat but a young man wearing a silk top hat and black trench coat.
He had black hair and black eyes. His face was thin with a broad forehead. He wore a crystal monocle and had a faint smile on his lips. He was none other than the Blasphemer, the Angel of Time, son of the Creator—Amon!
Although Klein was already mentally prepared, his anxiety made his entire body feel chilly.
Amon had clearly appeared in "His" original form, but after stealing the rat demigod's destiny, "He" appeared as a gray rat in everyone's eyes without incurring any suspicion.
He and his brother, Angel of Imagination Adam, had certain powers which were similar. It left terror in the mind of others the more they thought about it, but it was intrinsically different! @@novelbin@@
If not for the gray fog and not for my deeper control of this place, I wouldn't have discovered it either... Klein felt a mix of joy and alarm as he expanded his vision to seek out Amon's avatars.
Compared to the grafting of destiny, the signs of Parasitizing was a lot clearer.
However, Klein didn't notice anything this time.
Be it the other passengers in the carriage, the horses that towed the carriage, or the surrounding trees and air, there wasn't any sign of Parasitizing!
This is different from what Leonard's grandpa said... Shouldn't the appearance of one Amon mean the accompaniment of many more Amons? "He" is clearly aware that "He" was discovered by a Bizarro Sorcerer of the Church of Evernight, and "He" suspects that Boklund Street is under surveillance. Therefore, "He" only sent a single avatar to investigate the situation? Klein frowned as he came up with theories. He was a little unsure of how to handle the current development.
Of course, he recalled Pallez Zoroast mentioning that as long as one avatar was resolved, "He" could eliminate all the Amons in Boklund Street. And now, there was only one Amon in Boklund Street, a perfect time to take action!
I'll first hear what the expert's opinion is... Klein immediately conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow's figure at the other end of the long bronze table and made him reverently and piously pray.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, please inform Leonard Mitchell that Amon has appeared at 39 Boklund Street, but there's only one..."
While Gehrman Sparrow made the prayer, Klein didn't stop monitoring the carriage. He saw Hazel in a light-colored dress alight and enter her foyer.
Amon, who was wearing a monocle and black trench coat, walked behind her with complete composure. Despite not having any concealment, the servants didn't notice him at all. It was as though there was only air or some inconspicuous creature behind Miss Hazel.
Occasionally, the female servants would look at the ground and jump in fright. Just as they were about to scream, they would forget what they were about to do after their mouths opened.
Amon passed through the foyer and walked up the stairs. Pinching the crystal monocle, Amon stuffed "His" hands into "His" pockets.
Ringed transparent worms began squirming out of "His" body as they crawled in every direction before vanishing.
This left Klein's scalp tingling. He recalled Pallez Zoroast's description of Amon's Parasitizing power: a plague-like infection!
Hazel had been in an excellent mood recently. This was because her teacher hadn't truly gone mad. Everything that happened previously was only a test, and she had passed it with flying colors.
This made her gain plenty of knowledge about the supernatural world. She learned the essence of the potions and grasped the acting method. She also gained the opportunity to advance to Cryptologist.
She was currently a Sequence 7 Beyonder!
So the world actually has such a magical side to it... I wonder when I can become a demigod and shake off my mortal coils... Hazel glanced at the hanging wall clock and rubbed her sunken tummy. She decided to get her mother to bring forward the high tea session today. After all, there weren't any guests.
At noon, she had used the excuse of heading out for a meal to bring her teacher back. She also took the opportunity to act and hadn't had anything to eat.
Upon thinking that, she glanced at her teacher who was sprawled on a leather cushion on the sofa. The gray rat had raised its front paw and pressed on its right eye.
"Do you need any food?" Hazel asked reverently.
The rat lowered its front paw and answered unhurriedly, "There's no need."
"Alright, Teacher." Hazel turned around and walked forward, opening the door to her bedroom.
Her lady's maid was standing along the corridor, leisurely looking at the balcony at the end of the corridor as though she was admiring the afternoon sky.
Hazel indiscernibly frowned and said, "Guard this place. Don't let anyone in."
The lady's maid shot one glance at her and smiled.
Yes, Miss."
Only then did Hazel leave her bedroom and head for the activity room on the second story. She found her mother, Ma'am Riana.
This lady with the same black-green hair received a pair of gem-embedded glasses with a gold chain hanging from it from her lady's maid. It was more an accessory than an eyesight-correction tool.
"Don't tell me that you don't like it?" Hazel asked in puzzlement.
The corners of Ma'am Riana's mouth curled slightly.
"I like it now."
As she said that, she wore the glasses.
As Hazel was just about to say something, she heard footsteps approaching.
She turned her head to find her father, Member of Parliament Macht, coming home early.
"Father, didn't you say that you'd be at the Military Veterans Mess?" Hazel asked in passing.
There wasn't anyone there today." Macht raised his right hand and pinched the two sides of his eyes.
Hazel thought nothing of it as she nodded.
"Perfect, we haven't had high tea together in a long time."
"That's right." Member of Parliament Macht and Ma'am Riana laughed at the same time as a faint smile appeared on their lips.
At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard, who had just returned from Saint Hierland Square, threw himself onto the sofa as he lifted his feet onto the coffee table.
Having not received any "information," he believed that the punishment operation had come to a perfect end, allowing him to look forward to the spoils of war.
"Old Man, didn't you say that the Sanguine Viscount had many mystical items on him? Can you tell me what they are?" Leonard softly asked in puzzlement.
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast harrumphed.
"Items of that level aren't worth my notice."
Leonard was just about to press further when his vision suddenly blurred. He saw the boundless grayish-white fog and Gehrman Sparrow's blurry figure, as well as his prayer.
"...Amon has appeared at 39 Boklund Street, but there's only one..."
Amon has appeared? That quickly? Leonard, who had already relaxed, retracted his feet immediately and sat straight up. He became more anxious than before the punishment operation began.
He hurriedly informed Pallez Zoroast of Klein's words and asked, "...Old Man, what do we do now? Begin the operation? But there's only one Amon avatar!"
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for two seconds before saying, "If there's only one Amon, it implies that 'He' has other motives, but none of that matters.
"In the Fourth Epoch, there's a saying—there's no point crying over spilled milk. Since it has begun, we can't falter. If we delay this any further, Amon will attempt to influence the entire street. When that happens, 'He' will definitely discover Dwayne Dantes's abnormality."
Klein returned to the real world and walked out of the bathroom.
He had already made the corresponding preparations. He had Creeping Hunger on his left hand and an emblem carved from obsidian in his right.
Then, he made Enuni snap his fingers and use Flaming Jump to enter 39 Boklund Street—Member of Parliament Macht's house—with the appearance of Gehrman Sparrow.
Control of the Spirit Body Threads was instantly transferred to Klein, but this only seemed to sink into the vast ocean without any reaction.
He had lost control of his marionette!
This... Klein's eyelid twitched as he heard the door to the master bedroom creak open.
It was Enuni.
This youth with Loen and Balam blood in him had pushed open the door and walked in, completely outside of Klein's control.
He then took out a crystal monocle from his pocket and rubbed it with his sleeve. Then, he leisurely wore it on his right eye.
He then looked at Dwayne Dantes, the corners of his mouth curling up.
"Found you."
The mood in the bedroom froze as Enuni, who was pinching on the monocle, continued, "Flora Jacob's destiny was filled with too many abnormalities, and they mainly came from this street. This piqued my interest, and I spent some time to distinguish and seek out the source. It took me so many days to find you.
"I'm no stranger to this mirror, and I can control it, but I've never seen it ingratiate itself so much towards one person. This really is an interesting matter. Perhaps, I should steal your destiny and see why that is the case? Ah, right. You likely do not know of its origins. It's in no way simple..."
-x-X-x-
Wearing a monocle, Amon, who wore the appearance of Enuni, didn't seem like an infiltrator or assailant. Instead, "He" appeared like a visitor as "He" eagerly mentioned all the preparations "He" had done, as well as Arrodes's origins.
"He" paused before "He" could finish "His" sentence. Dwayne Dantes opposite "Him" had turned into a dirty gray rat.
The rat raised its right claw, pressing at its eye.
At the same time, in the garden of 160 Boklund Street, with his thin and cut, black-haired, brown-eyed face, Gehrman Sparrow appeared in the middle of a bunch of roses.
Back when Amon was saying something highly enticing, "He" had secretly split off a Worm of Time in an attempt to invade Klein's body in order to Parasitize him. However, Klein had been on high alert the entire time. He detected this attempt via the changes in his Spirit Body Threads, so he rapidly created a marionette at the critical moment and swapped locations!
Silently, Amon, who looked like a mixed-blood youth, appeared in front of Klein.
Behind "Him," a twelve-ringed transparent worm fell from the third story and returned to "His" body.
And at that instant, the earthworms in the garden's soil, the insects in the woods, the rats in the shadows all crawled out, either swarming towards Gehrman Sparrow and Amon or were fleeing from this region.
The main reason why Klein had patiently listened to Amon was to use that time to create marionettes!
To a Bizarro Sorcerer, they were only complete with their marionettes!
Amon still wasn't in a rush to take action. "He" pinched the monocle embedded deep in "His" eye socket and looked around, saying with a smile, "Your actions often expose your problems. To a master of deceit, everything that you did was enough for me to detect your weakness.
"In such a tense and dangerous situation, you actually chose to convert rats, insects, birds, and earthworms into being your marionettes without considering your servants. What does this tell me? It says that you have outstanding moral standards. You still view yourself as human and are unwilling to harm them.
"Upon grasping this point, even if my avatar is inferior to you, it's still easy to break you down. You wouldn't even be capable of dying even if you wish for it.
"Ah, right. You can stop your attempts at secretly controlling my Spirit Body Threads. This is because you're controlling the Spirit Body Threads I stole. They belong to your butler, your maid, and your coachman. If this continues, I'm afraid you will feel a deep sense of guilt."
Even Spirit Body Threads can be stolen? No, it's more like grafting... Klein's expression froze slightly as he terminated his control of Amon's Spirit Body Threads.
He had been patient, allowing Amon to drone on with his drivel, mainly doing so because he was secretly trying to turn Amon's avatar into his marionette.
To a Bizarro Sorcerer, battles like this, where he stalled for time and exerted his influence in secret, should've been something he was best at and something he enjoyed the most. Unfortunately, he had encountered Blasphemer Amon, the current pinnacle existence of the Marauder pathway. Even if he was only facing an avatar, he could do nothing about "Him."
Klein actually suspected that Amon's words were a ruse, but he wasn't able to see through it. He didn't dare take the risk.
During such times, he needed the help of a Spectator!
"For you to say so much, I doubt it's solely to think of the means to Parasitize me, right? You should know that, before severely injuring me, it's very difficult to Parasitize a Bizarro Sorcerer who can see Spirit Body Threads," Klein calmly said as he wore Gehrman Sparrow's face.
Amon immediately chortled.
"You've finally noticed it."
"You're trying to steal my destiny?" Klein swapped locations with a marionette once again, constantly making his actual body appear in different corners of the garden.
"No." Amon shook "His" head, keeping "His" hands in "His" pockets while leisurely saying with a smile, "If a magic mirror like Arrodes is willing to listen to your instructions and deliberately ingratiate itself towards you, it means that you aren't as simple as I imagined. I'm not a Beyonder of the Tyrant pathway, so I wouldn't be so rash as to directly steal your destiny. Heh heh, I suddenly have a feeling that directly replacing you would result in something I don't wish to see happening."
"How did you know Arrodes is ingratiating itself? Flora Jacob's destiny shouldn't have something like that." Klein appeared on a tree.
His different marionettes continued changing their locations.
Amon pulled out one hand and pinched "His" chin and said, "Didn't I say why? I spent time to gather information and seek out the source. Oh, I went to the Church of Steam and had a chat with Arrodes. It wasn't too frank, and it was willing to be tortured by me rather than reveal your true origins. Unfortunately, that was inside the Church of Steam; otherwise, I would've directly Parasitized it and learn of everything."
Even living Sealed Artifacts can be Parasitized? If Arrodes strictly abided by the rules, based on its answers in the past, "He" isn't too sure of my actual situation and only has certain guesses... Klein's eyes widened. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Amon laugh and say, "You really don't seem to be in a rush. What are you waiting for?
"Do you not know that my pathway's Sequence 2's name is Trojan Horse of Destiny? Although I'm only an ordinary avatar, I do have some powers that I can use, such as tinkering with your destiny, making certain errors appear for a certain period of time. For instance, no one will notice it no matter how much you cry for help.
"Heh heh, that also means that, even if you were to trigger the Evernight Emblem in your hand, you will only be able to get the effects of Concealment, and you will not be able to transmit your intentions of seeking help, regardless of your prior agreements. Also, even if you were to shout for help or create an explosion, the pedestrians and servants in the room wouldn't be able to hear a thing.
"This is the reason why I was talking so much. For an ordinary avatar, certain matters take time.
"Alright, it's your turn to answer my question."
Klein didn't answer as he kept switching positions with his marionettes. However, Amon kept appearing in front of him as they continued their "conversation."
At this moment, he made one of his marionettes ask, "Since you've already completed the controlling of destiny, why aren't you taking action?
You also seem to be waiting..."
Before this Gehrman Sparrow who was a thin "paper figurine" could finish his sentence, there was a strong gust of wind from afar.
Leonard, in a black trench coat and a black silver-inlaid cane in hand, flew to Boklund Street!
Klein, who had appeared to Amon's side, immediately said, "This is what I've been waiting for!"
As he said that, he triggered the Evernight Emblem that he had been clasping tightly.
Simultaneously, he snapped his left hand's fingers, igniting the tallest tree in the garden, making its scarlet flames soar into the sky.
And this huge, obvious bonfire, that would've been noticeable at a glance from across the street, was noticed by no one, be it the maids wiping the windows on the first story or the pedestrians strolling beneath the Intis parasol trees. Even in midair, Leonard Mitchell ignored this scene, rushing for 39 Boklund Street at high speeds.
And at this moment, Pallez Zoroast's slightly-aged voice sounded in this Red Gloves's mind:
"Turn back. Head to Unit 160.'
Although Leonard was puzzled, his experienced self didn't ask why when it came to supernatural matters. He immediately swung the direction Word of the Sea pointed and changed directions.
In the garden of 160 Boklund Street, Amon raised "His" head as "He" pressed the crystal monocle on "His" right hand, chuckling.
"This is also what I've been waiting for."
"He" ignored Gehrman Sparrow as his smile grew obvious. He continued speaking in irresistible delight, "To be able to discover the abnormalities of fate in this region...
"It's 'Him; Pallez!"
As "He" spoke, this Blasphemer changed "His" actions and adjusted "His" monocle. @@novelbin@@
At this moment, a strange gloom fell over the entire street. It was as though the entire place had been separated from reality, turning into a secret.
In the activity room of 39 Boklund Street, Hazel looked out the window and muttered in puzzlement, "Is it about to rain?"
This wasn't anything important, so she retracted her gaze and reached out her hand onto the three-layered tray for high tea.
Then, she saw her father, Member of Parliament Macht, strangely open his right palm.
Glimmers of light condensed out of thin air, forming into a crystal monocle in his palm.
Macht then wore this monocle on his right eye.
This... Hazel had already sensed something amiss as she frantically looked at the others in the room.
Her mother, Ma'am Riana, took off the accessory on her nose and wore a monocle that she had taken out of somewhere. The servants standing beside her all took out a similar monocle and wore it on their right eye.
Thud!
Hazel stood up instinctively as she retreated repeatedly, toppling the chair over in the process.
This sound alarmed everyone in the room. Macht, Riana, and the servants turned their heads to look at Hazel.
Bit by bit, a smile suffused the comers of their lips.
"Ah!"
Hazel broke down as she let out a shrill scream.
This scream passed through the house and through the garden, drawing the attention of the pedestrians on the streets. At this point, Amon had already lowered "His" right hand from his monocle. Looking at the figure in midair,
"He" said with a smile, "Pallez, it's already 1350 of the Fifth Epoch. The technique of relying on the gathering of avatars to raise one's level is already outdated."
Behind "Him," Klein didn't waste any time as he reached into his pocket as though he was drawing a gun while he made Creeping Hunger turn transparent. A transparent book condensed in front of him.
However, Amon simply raised his hand and the glove vanished.
However, along with the human-skinned glove's disappearance, Gehrman Sparrow also did.
Pa!
Landing in Amon's palm wasn't a glove but a rat, a rat that had died after becoming a marionette.
On the other side of Amon, Klein, who wasn't wearing a hat but was wearing a shirt and vest, appeared. He then threw out the item he had previously taken out, and he threw it at his target.
It was a paper crane.