Chapter 135: The Rebellious Girl
Melissa had brown eyes and black hair. She appeared somewhat thin, but her complexion was rosy, and her skin glowed with the vitality of youth.
Hobert remembered that when Klein had first crossed over, this young girl had a rather pale complexion due to long-term malnutrition. Now, she looked much healthier, which showed how much their living conditions had improved since Klein found a job.
Selena, on the other hand, had striking burgundy hair and deep dimples. Sitting together, she appeared even more eye-catching.
After exchanging a few casual words, Hobert sighed in relief. Thanks to Melissa's sharp instincts, she had immediately realized something was wrong when Elizabeth didn't show up at the agreed time and, along with Selena, came to report it.
Otherwise, in this age without mobile phones or telephones, it might have been noon or afternoon before Elizabeth's family realized she was missing because she hadn't returned home on time.
"I'm Mr. Dominic's lawyer," Hobert said. "Mr. Dominic is working hard to find Elizabeth, and he entrusted me with taking you home."
Melissa responded, "Actually, we were hoping to wait here a little longer."
"Yes," Selena agreed. "Otherwise, we won't be able to relax when we get home."
She added with a mournful expression, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't gone to mourn my teacher, Elizabeth wouldn't have gotten into trouble."
You're still going to mourn that cultist? Hobert thought. What are you thinking?
"This kind of waiting is pointless," he said. "If Elizabeth is found, you'll be notified immediately."
With Hobert's persuasion, the two girls finally agreed to go home first.
Inside the carriage, the talkative Selena chatted with Hobert, showing curiosity about the nature of his work.
During the conversation, Selena casually remarked, "Elizabeth should have met us along this road."
Hobert paused and began paying attention to the details of the road, trying to locate the spot where Elizabeth had been kidnapped.
However, he soon realized he had no talent for detective work and couldn't find any clues.
At that moment, Hobert felt a bit envious of Mr. Kross's abilities. With just an item of Elizabeth's, he could use divination to find her.
Though Hobert had a "spirit necklace," it could only perform very simple divinations and was useless for finding people.
He planned to send Melissa and Selena home first, then immediately head to the Blackthorn Security Company for assistance.
The two girls attended the same school. After watching them enter the school gates, Hobert didn't leave immediately. He first consulted with the coachman about how to get to the Blackthorn Security Company in Tingen City.
Because Hobert couldn't remember the exact address of the Blackthorn Security Company in Tingen City, he figured he could ask for directions near the Evernight Goddess Cathedral or find it on his own.
However, the coachman had never heard of such a security company, indicating that Blackthorn Security Company had little standing in the security industry.
Fortunately, Hobert remembered it wasn't far from the Evernight Goddess Cathedral, so he could ask for directions upon reaching the vicinity or search for it himself.
Just as he was about to leave, Hobert saw Melissa and Selena emerging from the school again. They were surprised to see he hadn't left yet.
Hobert opened the carriage window and asked, "Did you forget something?"
"No," Selena replied. "We're going to search for Elizabeth. We thought of a new clue."
Hobert got out of the carriage and said, "That's too dangerous. You can tell me the clue, and I'll handle it."
Selena shook her head and said, "We must be involved in finding Elizabeth. Otherwise, we won't tell you."
Clearly, they had returned to school just to avoid Hobert. If he hadn't waited a few minutes longer, they would have acted on their own.
Hobert sighed, "Alright, get in the carriage."
At least with him around, he could keep an eye on these two worrying girls.
Once back in the carriage, Melissa said, "We just thought that since Elizabeth was kidnapped on her way to meet us, the kidnappers are likely hiding her in vacant houses or places with few people along the way."
Selena added, "I've thought of a few possible locations. We can check them one by one."
"But to save time, I think we should do a divination," she said.
Hobert was startled and thought, Your half-baked divination might get us all killed!
"I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous," Selena smiled helplessly. "But Mr. Archer's divinations are truly accurate. They're even more powerful than my late teacher's, and his place isn't far from here."
You're back in contact with the Aurora Order again? Melissa asked. "Selena, maybe we shouldn't do a divination. It's time-consuming."
"No, we need a divination right now," Hobert smiled. "Let's not waste time. Let's go to Mr. Archer immediately."
Then, after visiting Blackthorn Security Company, I'll report this Aurora Order member. I suspect the Nighthawks will pay a visit to Mr. Archer's house later tonight.
Selena clapped her hands and smiled, "Wise choice."
Melissa shook her head helplessly. She hadn't expected the upright Hobert, a lawyer, to believe in such things.
Hobert noticed her expression and thought, You wouldn't believe it if I told you—there's a great charlatan right in your house!
As Selena had said, Mr. Archer's residence wasn't far. They arrived after about ten minutes in the carriage.
It was a dimly lit room, and as soon as they entered, they smelled a pungent scent of herbs. Strange occult symbols were painted on the walls, giving the room an air of mysticism.
Mr. Archer had the look of a proper mystic—dressed in loose silk robes, his hair disheveled, and mysterious oil-painted symbols on his face, obscuring his appearance.
He sat quietly in the darkest corner of the room, blending almost seamlessly with the shadows.
The decor and Archer's appearance made Melissa's expression turn serious, while Hobert frowned slightly. His intuition sensed danger—this Mr. Archer was quite powerful.
However, Hobert wasn't afraid. Since arriving in Tingen City, he had kept the "Teleportation Statue" with him at all times, only placing the stone box further away at night to avoid its negative effects.
"Mr. Archer, my friend is missing and we would like you to help us divine her whereabouts." Selene said as she skillfully sat across from Archer.
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