Backlund, South Bridge Borough, Church of Harvest.
While Emlyn was called away by Helene to shoot a film, Hazel took the opportunity to light candles in the lounge at the rear of the church. She set up a mirror, drew the symbol that represented Arrodes, and invited Bishop Utravsky to observe.
After preparing all the necessary prerequisites for the ritual, she began chanting the incantation to summon the sealed artifact "2-111."
Everything went smoothly at first. The candle flames rose, and the mirror's surface began to ripple—but then, without warning, everything came to an abrupt halt.
The candles were all extinguished, and the mirror returned to its original state.
"What happened?" Hazel frowned in confusion, unable to pinpoint the issue.
Bishop Utravsky lowered his head in thought. "Perhaps it's because this is the rear of the Mother Goddess's church."
"Is that so?" Hazel pursed her lips, sighed, and began tidying up the ritual tools.
She had used this secret ritual in hopes of finding a path toward greater strength... After all, as a mere Sequence 8, she was still far too weak. Even with her metal arm, she wasn't much help…
—She was unaware that Ebner had already "analyzed" the potion formula from the mystical trait of the "Cryptologist" who had attacked Fanny and intended to give her both the formula and trait as compensation before leaving Backlund. Of course, the condition was that she would continue to contribute to the operation of the Ruen branch of the film company…
Seeing her frustration, Bishop Utravsky smiled and said, "Child, don't be impatient. Growth takes time. Knowing your destiny in advance might not get you the result you want. You must trust that the benevolent Mother will guide you."
"I understand, Father… Praise the Benevolent Mother." Hazel crossed her hands and mimed the posture of cradling a baby.
In the church's basement, a bewitchingly beautiful man standing in the corner opened his eyes again. He looked upward and chuckled to himself:
"Arrodes is still the same—constantly bouncing back and forth between recklessness and cowardice, as someone once put it."
…
In a detached house in Cherwood Borough, Fors lounged lazily on a sofa, holding the mystical traits of "Astrologer" and "Rose Bishop" she had traded for from Mr. "Tower." She was deep in thought:
"Sequence 6 traits are quite valuable, but they're not essential to my teacher, and they're certainly not equivalent to a 'Spirit Warlock' formula… If I just give him the traits, his impression of me will drop… It'll be hard to continue using Abraham's resources to trade with the Tarot Club in the future…
"So either I pay the difference myself… or I find a way to increase the value of the 'Rose Bishop' trait.
"Maybe I should commission Mr. 'Tower' or Mr. 'Hanged Man' to craft it into a mystical item and give that to my teacher instead… Mm, due to Mr. 'Door,' the Sequence levels among the Abraham family members are generally low. A mystical item with minimal negative effects is likely something my teacher would urgently need.
"That would kill two birds with one stone."
Thinking this, she held up the "Astrologer" trait to eye level and sighed.
"I've already got all the main ingredients for the next stage of the potion, but I still haven't digested 'Trickmaster'… Do I really have to join a circus? Isn't there a simpler, more time-efficient way to role-play this?"
Just then, the sound of a mechanical lock clicking open came from the front door. Fors quickly used her spirituality to seal the box containing the two traits and stuffed it into the pocket of her morning robe.
"Back so early today?" she asked Xio, who was entering the living room.
It was only four in the afternoon.
"Special mission. I came back to retrieve a mystical item," Xio replied casually. But then she noticed the lingering look of worry on her friend's face and couldn't help but ask, "What's bothering you?"
The mention of a mystical item made Fors feel oddly guilty, but she simply shared her dilemma about not wanting to rise early and work hard in a circus.
Xio initially wanted to scold her friend for being lazy… but then remembered something, and the corners of her mouth twitched before quickly returning to normal.
Pretending to think for a moment, Xio then said, "I know a secret ritual that can help answer your question… Want to give it a try?"
She hoped this would help Fors understand the deeper truth of Emperor Roselle's famous saying: "Taking shortcuts comes at a cost."
"What kind of ritual?" Fors asked curiously.
"It's something Ebner taught me… A friend of his verified that it works quite well!" Xio replied earnestly.
…
In a dark, quiet alley behind the "Flying Fish and Wine" bar in Damir.
Danitz had taken the initiative to show himself and was now trying to recruit the adventurer who had just caused a commotion in the bar for the "Golden Dream." After reciting the ship's mission and benefits as dictated by the captain, he cleared his throat and added:
"Forgot to introduce myself."
His expression grew serious, no longer as casual as before.
"Subordinate of 'Vice Admiral Iceberg' Edwina Edwards, Fourth Boatswain of the 'Golden Dream'—Blazing Danitz."
After revealing his alias, real name, and identity, Danitz patiently waited for the other party to show signs of panic or fear.
The adventurer, who appeared refined and courteous but whose actions hinted at a touch of madness, was of course Klein—though now, he should be called Gehrman Sparrow. After hearing Danitz's self-introduction, he relaxed. After all, "Admiral Iceberg" Edwina had close ties with Mr. "Tower," which made her, in a way, an ally. Plus, his friend Talim was still serving as a pirate aboard the "Golden Dream."
If I were still Sherlock, I'd probably try to cozy up to this seemingly not-so-bright Danitz right now… But I'm Gehrman Sparrow now—a slightly mad adventurer and bounty hunter…
With that thought in mind, Klein spoke in a low voice:
"Blazing Danitz, bounty of 3,000 pounds?"
Danitz was about to reply when he suddenly felt a strange illusion—the man standing in the shadowy alley transformed into an indescribable monster, one radiating a ravenous hunger, eyeing his soul and flesh with salivating greed.
Danitz clenched his fists sharply, all traces of his earlier casual demeanor vanishing. His body tensed so tightly that he even trembled slightly.
His instincts screamed that he was facing an abyss filled with madness and bloodlust!
In that moment, he completely forgot the "Courage" badge he had just received, tucked safely in his pocket—until the man spoke again:
"Why are you here?"
"I-I'm on vacation… And, I came to look for Detective Ebner Bryan." The pride of Blazing Danitz made him disdain answering such a question, but his instincts forced him to blurt out the reason.
The moment he mentioned Ebner's name, he suddenly remembered the badge given to him and hurriedly rubbed it with his fingers.
Immediately, Danitz felt as if he were basking in warm sunlight, the chill within him completely dispelled.
It was as though he had recovered his lost courage. Though that gnawing sense of hunger for his blood and soul still lingered, he no longer felt fear.
He lifted his head, about to hurl some sarcasm, but then realized the surrounding scene had suddenly shattered—and the "Courage" badge was now in the adventurer's hand.
That horrible sensation of being devoured had vanished, but only because the man had willingly withdrawn it.
"Nightmare?" Danitz asked with a miserable expression.
Klein toyed with the badge for a while before tossing it back to Danitz and asking:
"Where is Detective Ebner Bryan?"
"He's at the school halfway up the hill to the north of town… It's the only school in town." Blazing Danitz answered truthfully.
After all, he had no real ties with that playboy, and he could instinctively tell that the detective was strong. If this adventurer intended to cause trouble, he likely wouldn't come out on top.
Klein nodded at him, then turned and walked toward the other end of the alley.
Not until that figure disappeared into the distance did Danitz finally straighten his back and tug at his cloak.
"What a terrifying guy…" he muttered silently.
Then, collecting his thoughts, he murmured to himself:
"I must inform the Captain—there's a new menace on the seas.
"A man who looks like a gentleman, but inside is a lunatic. Unless you're absolutely certain you can kill him, it's best not to cross him."
Danitz pulled up the hood of his black cloak and decided to return to the inn to sleep. He would wait until the telegraph office opened in the morning to send a message to the intermediary contact residing in the Rorsted Archipelago.
…
Back in Backlund, at the house rented by Xio Derecha and Fors.
In the dim bedroom, Fors had just finished drawing the symbol that Xio had given her. She then saw the surface of the mirror ripple like water, forming dark red ancient Feysac script:
"You have summoned Arrodes. I hope you are aware of the proper rules."
Huh? That wording's different from what Xio described… Why does it feel like this spirit is highly intelligent…? And this line even seems laced with displeasure? Fors's thoughts stirred, but she still asked in a steady voice:
"Honorable Arrodes, I wish to know the simplest way to play the role of the 'Trickmaster.'"
This time, however, the mirror did not show an image as Xio had described. Instead, dark red runes formed a few words:
"Bryan Film Company."
That's it? Bryan Film Company? Isn't that the enterprise Ebner is planning? Can it really help me digest the potion?
"It's your turn to ask a question." Fors memorized the answer and planned to consult Ebner later. A little nervously, she spoke.
The dark red letters wriggled and reshaped themselves into a new sentence:
"What did you do with the 'Silken Garment of Many Faces' Xio Derecha left in the room?"
Hearing this, Xio immediately turned her gaze toward Fors.
She had intentionally left the mystical item at home, just in case Fors needed it in an emergency. So, it wasn't a problem if Fors had used it…
But if Arrodes was asking such a question… could it mean Fors had used it for something odd?
(End of Chapter)