Empress Borough, in an inconspicuous house.
Xio and Fors found a random seat and sat down, examining the entries written on the blackboard. Mr. A, who was wearing a hooded robe, continued to sit quietly and alone on the sofa in front, looking down at everyone with a condescending attitude.
Sequence 8 Sheriff potion formula, 450 pounds … Xio silently read the familiar content and heaved a long sigh of relief.
One of the situations she was most afraid of was that no one would sell the formula to her after she had finally saved up enough money!
I got 400 pounds, and together with my original savings of 150 pounds, that's enough … It's just that the subsequent main ingredients will definitely need a lot of money … Ah right, maybe I can switch circles and see if any Beyonders are interested in this formula … Xio suddenly perked up, feeling that she had found a way to make a fortune.
Frankly speaking, if she wasn't in urgent need of money to buy the ingredients and concoct the potion to advance, she definitely wouldn't have leaked the formula. On the one hand, most people always hoped that there were fewer Beyonders in their Sequence and that they were sufficiently special. On the other hand, with more competitors in the same pathway, the corresponding ingredients' prices would be raised a lot. It was the same for the subsequent formulas.
After serious thought for a while, Xio slowly became uneasy again. This was because it was normal for a formula to be left on the shelf for a long time without being sold.
Furthermore, the Arbiter pathway belonged to the royal family and the military. It was strictly controlled in all aspects, and the parts that were scattered basically came from a small number of declining nobles. It was difficult for their formulas to form a complete low- or mid-level pathway, and there were often only one or two of them. Coupled with the control of the main ingredients, it was difficult to obtain them, so there were very few Beyonders who were willing to choose this Sequence.
Xio had been in the mysterious circles of Baekeland for a long time, but she hadn't found an Arbiter other than her. On the one hand, it might be because the other party had concealed it well, but on the other hand, it more or less explained some problems.
Phew, thinking about Fors, I'm already lucky enough. All this time, she hasn't encountered any subsequent Apprentice formulas … When Xio saw Mr. A's attendant come over, she wrote a note to buy the Sheriff formula for him.
Before long, she was led to the study on the first floor. Before entering, she took a hooded robe from the attendant and covered herself with it.
The seller in the study was dressed in the same way, and they couldn't see each other's faces.
"This is the formula for the 'Sheriff' potion. Where's my money?" The seller pressed a piece of paper on the desk and asked in a hoarse voice.
Xio took out the cash she had counted several times and pushed it to him.
After repeatedly checking the authenticity and the total amount, the seller finally let go of the formula.
Xio immediately took a step forward and grabbed the note.
She glanced at the main material. This was the most important part.
"A pair of Fear Devil Bug's eyes and the right paw of a Silverwhite War Bear."
They're all Beyonder ingredients that I've never seen anyone sell … Xio exhaled and left the study in melancholy before taking off her robe.
She returned to the living room and sat next to Fors. Having fulfilled her wish, she gradually began to worry about the unknown honorific name and the evil spirit that might be haunting her.
Ten, no, twenty pounds, no, thirty pounds. Get someone who's good at exorcism to help me with the purification ritual. Xio made up her mind and whispered a few words to Fors before beckoning Mr. A's attendant.
When the break period where they could freely communicate was over, they saw that the blackboard had an additional entry they had just submitted.
"Suspected to be haunted by an evil spirit. Seeking help from a friend who's good at exorcism. Thirty pounds."
After a while, Mr. A's attendant came to their side and whispered for them to head to the activity room on the first floor.
Waiting inside was a man wearing a white mask. He looked at the two people in loose robes who sought help of unknown gender and chuckled.
"Let me do a preliminary self-introduction first to prevent you from doubting my abilities."
"No, there's no need. We believe in Mr. A," the hooded Xio said before Fors could speak.
She deliberately suppressed her voice to prevent her childish voice from exposing her identity.
The man in the white mask spread his hands and smiled.
"It's my habit. I'm a believer of the Sun. As you know, it's rare in Baekeland, or even in the entire kingdom."
"It's only at times like this that I can live with my true identity."
Due to the huge conflict between the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the Lord of Storms, the former had never obtained the right to preach in the Kingdom of Rouen.
"A believer of the Sun?" The languid look in Fors's eyes vanished. "This is the first time I'm seeing a living believer of the Sun! Uh … I can't meet diplomats of higher status. "
"Then should I feel honored?" The man in the white mask spread his arms and raised them upwards, making a gesture of praise for the Sun.
Fors didn't answer his question and smiled instead.
Instead, she smiled and said, "When it comes to exorcism and purification, the attendants of the Sun are professionals. We're very relieved. We can begin."
The man who claimed to be a believer of the Sun didn't waste any more time. He took out a badge with the symbol of the Sun and placed it on the round table in the middle. Then, he lit two candles using a dualistic ritual.
After completing the preparatory steps, he said with a loud and abnormally pious voice:
"O eternal blazing sun;
"You are the inextinguishable light;
"You are the embodiment of order.
"I pray to you;
"I pray to you to bestow me with the light of purification;
"I pray to you to dispel the evil spirit."
…
Amidst the reverberating Hermes incantation, Xio and Fors saw the Sun badge emit a pure, warm, and bright light.
It was endless as it surged towards the two of them like a tidal wave, drowning them simultaneously.
Nearly a minute later, everything returned to normal. Xio and Fors felt warm, comfortable, and at ease. It was like soaking in a hot spring or sunbathing.
…
Cherwood Borough, Rice Police Station.
Klein was squeezed onto a very low bench with a bunch of thieves and drunkards. It was a very undignified scene.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth emanate from the back of his hand. The coldness of Baekeland's night was greatly dispelled.
Looking down, Klein realized that the four black dots that symbolized the mysterious space above the gray fog hadn't appeared.
"Who would be so kind as to know that I was a little cold just now …" he mumbled in a half-joking, half-puzzled manner.
As a former inspector, he looked at the thief who was cuffed to the pipe on his left, and then at the drunkard on his right, who was about to vomit at any moment but kept yelling about hitting someone. He sighed at his current situation, wondering when he would be able to break free.
There should be another test next. I'll succeed if I pass it … I hope that the police's attention will be focused on the ambassador and the Zmanger gang, and ignore the origins of a mere detective like me. In theory, there's a lot of hope, as long as Mrs. Sammer, Lawyer Jurgen, and the others don't say anything that interests the police … Well, they just met me, so it's impossible for them to know too much …
Meursault's Beyonder characteristic was taken away by me and hidden above the gray fog, and he didn't leave anything strange behind. No one will discover that he was once a Beyonder, so they won't suspect my strength … Hmm … It's been more than an hour …
As Klein consoled himself, he saw the sheriff with the short, brownish-yellow beard walk over.
"Sherlock Moriarty, follow me to the interrogation room," the sergeant ordered without explaining.
He's coming … Klein thought to himself as he got up and followed.
Rounding the corner, the sergeant stopped in front of an iron door and gestured for Klein to enter.
Klein took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He twisted the doorknob and opened the door.
It was a small room with thick walls. There was a small table in the middle with chairs on both sides.
Under the illumination of the elegant gas lamp on the wall, Klein clearly saw the interrogator on the other side. It was a man wearing a rarely seen black shirt.
He wasn't wearing a vest. Instead, he was wearing a non-formal black coat. His eyebrows were sparse, and his blue eyes were cold. The lines of his face were like blades, so hard that they lacked gentleness.
The man pointed to the chair opposite him and said in a deep voice,
"I ask, you answer."
Before he could finish his sentence, Klein felt an unimaginable pressure. He felt as though there were electric currents coursing through his psyche, forming a barbed whip that constantly lashed at his soul.
This "taste" was painful and numb, as though it came from the depths of his brain. It was irresistible, and all he could do was tremble as his knees went limp.
Klein nearly fell. He hurriedly propped himself up on the table and sat down, his forehead twitching.
This … This is a Beyonder power … Ordinary people might think that it was a mental problem caused by their nervousness and the dignity of the interrogator opposite them, but Klein clearly recognized that it was a Beyonder power, a Beyonder power that directly attacked the psyche of others!
He hurriedly recalled the information he had read in the past and quickly confirmed the suspect.
Sequence 7 of the Arbiter pathway, Interrogator!
The matter was transferred to the military's special department? Klein thought, feeling a little relieved.
As long as it wasn't a Nighthawk, everything was fine.
"Identify these photos and find the ambassador who met with Meursault." The cold and stiff man in black spread out seven to eight black-and-white photos on the table.
Klein felt as though the electric whip in his psyche was raised high, warning him with extreme pain, making him unwilling to lie.
Of course, there was no need for Klein to lie. After some identification, he pushed a photo in the direction of the interrogator. It was of the middle-aged gentleman who was dressed in extravagant clothes and looked very tasteful.
The interrogator glanced at it and didn't say anything.
He asked again, "Is your previous statement true?"
Klein maintained his lucidity and rationality as though he had been forced into a dream. He didn't succumb to the "whip" in his psyche.
He sincerely replied, "Everything is true."
The interrogator leaned forward and placed his hands on the table.
"When was the last time you saw Ian Wright?"
"Yesterday, early yesterday morning." Klein said with difficulty, beads of cold sweat seeping out of his forehead. "I followed Meursault and found Detective Zreal's corpse. As I didn't want to deal with the police, I took Ian with me to identify the corpse and got him to call the police himself. Zreal's corpse is in the sewer entrance at the bottom of Iron Carbon Street in East Borough."
After a brief silence, the interrogator finally nodded. Klein suddenly felt the immense pressure and the "whip" in his psyche disappear.
"You can leave now," he instructed in a flat tone.
Klein stood up, opened the door, and walked out. He didn't hide the weakness in his footsteps.
He felt that this was more tiring than fighting with Meursault. The slightest mistake would completely crush his psyche. He had to answer honestly whatever the interrogator asked.
No, if it wasn't for my special Spirit Body, allowing me to maintain my calm and rationality in certain situations after undergoing the test of ravings and shouting for a long period of time, I would've most likely collapsed just now … Klein returned to the corridor with a chill on his back.
At this moment, the sergeant from before came over and said, "Follow me.
"Come with me. Lawyer Jurgen is waiting to bail you out."
Phew … Klein secretly exhaled and completely relaxed.
He knew that the danger was finally over.
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