At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard, who had specially returned home to participate in the Tarot Gathering, was just about to head to Saint Samuel Cathedralâs basement to read the dossiers so as to make preparations for his placating of souls at night when his vision suddenly went into a blur. He saw the messenger in a dark, full dress holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.
As a Soul Assurer, he could already see such creatures with Spirit Bodies.
After taking Kleinâs letter, Leonard didnât even have the chance to say thank you when Reinette Tinekerr turned around and walked into the void. She didnât even stay for long.
ââŠOld Man, why does Klein have a messenger of this level? Is this a perk of being a Blessed?â Leonard couldnât help but ask Pallez Zoroast with a suppressed voice.
He originally fantasized that it was standard for every Tarot Club member, but he later realized that he had been imagining things.
âIt is likely to solely belong to Klein Moretti. Everyone receives some special fortuitous encounter, isnât that the case? Isnât it the same even for a fellow like you?
âHeh heh, I thought you would use âincomplete angelâ to describe âHer,â but you ended up using âmessenger of this level.â Not bad, you still remember my warning.â
Leonard curled the corners of his lips, spread open the piece of paper, and read the content on it.
âHeâs indeed the Blessed of Concealment and FateâŠâ Pallez Zoroast quickly scanned the heading through Leonardâs eyes.
Leonard didnât look at the ground. Instead, he took a few steps back and threw himself into the embrace of the sofa before saying, âKlein can see through the theft and replacement of destiny⊠Then, we donât need to rush to seek out items at the Marauder pathway demigod level.â
âEven if you were in a hurry, you have no idea where to seek them out,â Pallez scoffed.
Even for the gathering of the Hermits of Fate, similar items needed years to appear even once. And the next gathering was to happen at the end of the year.
Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words and could only cast his gaze at the last two paragraphs.
After a brief silence, he chuckled.
âIâve always been curious as to where Klein received the high-level charm of the Sun domain when facing Megose. I thought it was provided to him by that Death Consul, but I couldnât understand why a Death domain angel would be gathering high-level charms of the Sun domain. Wouldnât that be suicide? Now, I finally understand.
âOld Man, I wielded 3-0782 before as well. Why didnât you notice that there was a drop of the Eternal Blazing Sunâs divine blood hidden in that? If you couldâve stolen some of its power back then, things wouldnât haveâŠâ
Leonard originally wanted to mock Old Man, but as he went on, he fell silent.
Pallez Zoroast sighed in his mind.
âIf that drop of divine blood could be so easily discovered, that Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem wouldnât have been in Tingen.â
Leonard fell silent for a few seconds before asking, âThen how am I to create an opportunity to get that Sacred Emblem to create the Flaring Sun Charm?â
Although Klein made it sound simple in his letter, Leonard knew that it wasnât an easy task. This was because he wasnât a Nighthawk of Tingen City. Even if he returned to visit his former colleagues and teammates, he had no authority to enter Chanis Gate.
Upon hearing his question, Pallez Zoroast replied in a peeved manner, âWhy are you asking me something as trivial as this? Canât you think for yourself?â
Leonard coughed uncomfortably as he began thinking seriously to seek out a solution.
âIâm currently working alone, but the archbishop has given me the authority to get the help of the local Nighthawks in the region of question.
âHmm, if all the souls in Backlund have been placated, and if I havenât finished digesting my potion, wouldnât I have to do it at other dioceses?
âWhen that happens, if Tingen happens to have a paranormal accident, it will be very reasonable for me to return and get two Nighthawks and use 3-0782âŠâ
After Leonard finished muttering to himself, Pallez Zoroast chuckled.
âNot bad. You came up with an idea so quickly.
âBut have you thought about it? You are placating them, not purifying them. This is contradictory with obtaining 3-0782. It will easily incur suspicion.â
Leonard, who had been praised, immediately laughed.
âOld Man, thatâs because you arenât aware. Back when I joined the Nighthawks team, there was one line in the education I received: Only under the premise of having the ability to purify can placating achieve the best results.
âEmperor Roselle had also once said that to solve problems, you need a stick in one hand and a carrot in the other.â
Pallez Zoroast immediately tsked.
âThen follow your plan. Of course, thatâs assuming that you can finish Anthony Stevensonâs missions in a week or two. If you havenât obtained the Sun Flare Bullets before the actual operation of eliminating Amon begins, then it would no longer be necessary.â
Leonard recalled the list of missions written on the pieces of paper as his forehead twitched.
He then forced himself to forget about his worries and mumbled, âI wonder when the mission to punish the Sanguine will beginâŠ
âI wonder if the Sanguine has a Sealed Artifact at the Marauder pathwayâs demigod level. âTemporary dreamworld⊠I can create it myself. Iâll find a chance to make some charms, but can power at this level be able to resist the corrosion of the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods?â
In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.
Fors took out a novel, sat on the sofa, and watched Xio walk towards the lobby as she wore her boots to head out.
Finally, Fors couldnât hold back her puzzlement as she said, âThereâs no rush. That gentleman said that he wouldnât assign the mission that quickly.â
Xio shot her a glance and said, âIâm a bounty hunter. I have other missions.â
Upon saying that, she paused and said after some deliberation, âFors, do you think that Miss Justice resembles Miss Audrey?â
Fors was taken aback for a few seconds before she snapped back to senses. She subconsciously waved her hand and chuckled.
âHow is that possibleâŠâ
Just as she said that, the similarities began flashing through her mind, her eyes widening in response.
After a while, she whispered, âItâs not impossible.
âSpectator pathway, Psychology Alchemists, noble lady, blonde hair and green eyes⊠Sheâs the only noble I know that meets those criteria⊠Of course, I donât know that many nobles. Furthermore, I have no idea if the ones Iâm familiar with have anything to do with the Psychology AlchemistsâŠâ
Xio silently listened to her friend and said after some thought, âFors, do you still remember the missions assigned to us by Miss Audrey? I originally thought that it was issued by Earl Hall, but on second thought, perhaps it came from the Tarot GatheringâŠ
âAlso, how did we know of Mr. Foolâs honorific name? Do you remember? It was from books we borrowed from Viscount Glaint! In the book cover was a strange ancient slip!â
Fors nodded in enlightenment.
âIf we could discover it, as a good friend of Viscount Glaint, Miss Audrey, has a chance of discovering it as well! This can explain why she joined the gatheringâŠâ
âYeah,â Xio agreed with Forsâs guess.
Fors opened her mouth and was just about to say something when she recalled that the matter with the Sanguine wasnât completely over. She immediately looked around warily and said, âXio, we should lessen our discussions of gatherings in the future.â
âAs for Miss Audrey, we can visit her once every week or two. We can continue observing when the time comes.â
Xio snapped to her senses and nodded heavily.
âAlright!â
She then opened her door and went to a particular bar in East Borough and sat by the bar counter.
Rapping on the table, she said to the bartender who looked up, âAny new missions today?â
The bartender gave a rough list without mentioning any investigations of a particular Mr. Ernes Boyar.
Indeed, Iâll have to wait till tomorrow or the day after tomorrow⊠Xio looked around, retracted her gaze, and asked in puzzlement and concern, âI havenât seen Sherman in a while. Do you know where heâs been?â
Sherman was a young man who thought himself as a woman-one of Xioâs informants.
The bartender chuckled.
âPerhaps he ran off with some man. You do know that heâs happy to do so if a man fancies him.â
âThis isnât something worth ostracizing him about,â Xio rebutted seriously, feeling a baffling sense of concern.
She then exerted strength in her palm and jumped off the high-stool, prepared to seek out Sherman in the places he was usually seen.
Backlund Bridge area, Iron Gate Street, Bravehearts Bar.
Holding down his hat, Emlyn pinched his nose as he passed through the crowd that exuded all kinds of smells before finding the red-eyed Ian in the card
room.
âMr. White, what is it this time?â Ian smiled as he led Emlyn into an empty billiard room.
Emlyn took off his hat and quipped, âSomething trivial. Help me put up a mission to the bounty hunters. The details of the mission is to track a man named Ernes Boyar. Figure out his daily activities. The bounty reward will be 100 pounds.â
â100 pounds?â Ian subconsciously asked.
For investigations like tracking, 100 pounds was quite a ridiculous reward. One had to know that if a bounty hunter was able to complete this mission on their own, they could rest for an entire year, even if they were supporting a family!
Emlyn nodded.
âThe target is rather dangerous.â
After the discussion back with the Tarot Club, he had already thought it through. He believed that tracking Ernes Boyar was an easy mission. The Sanguine Viscount would definitely pretend as though he didnât notice anything and deliberately follow a fixed trajectory.
Therefore, this 100 pounds was in fact payment for Miss Judgment to take the risk of participating in this operation. Of course, to aid in the misdirection and concealment, it was almost certain that more than one bounty hunter would complete this mission, allowing them to earn different portions of the reward. All Emlyn could guarantee was that Miss Judgment would earn the most.
âI see.â Coming to an understanding, Ian extended his hand. âDown payment, exact address, level of danger, looks and characteristics. Itâs best if you have a portrait.â
Ernes Boyar then gave 30 pounds in cash and Ernes Boyarâs portrait.
âRed eyes?â Ian flipped through the pieces of paper in his hand and couldnât help but blurt out.
âYes.â Emlyn nodded gently and looked around him. He suppressed his voice and said, âThereâs also something else. Help me seek out clues regarding the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund.â
â⊠Rose School of Thought?â Ian was taken aback as he asked in puzzlement, as though he had never heard of the name.