Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Synonym of war… A similar Sequence as the Demoness Sequence pathway… Which one would it be? Klein watched the movie-like scene as he recalled the Sequence pathways that he knew of.
As he was only an official Nighthawk, there was still a lot of information that he couldn’t access. He was still in the dark about the names of the Mid to High Sequences and their corresponding traits. He only knew about the few that he had learned of from the Eternal Blazing Sun, such as the Priest of Light and the Unshadowed; the God of Combat Sequence pathway that he found out from the young man, Sun, such as Dawn Paladin, Guardian, and Demon Hunter; as well as Spirit Guide and Gatekeeper which he found out from Daly and Dunn.
Hence, it was difficult for him to judge which Sequence pathway would be a synonym of war. He could only eliminate them one by one, such as the God of Combat Sequence pathway which seemed more like individual battles rather than war.
Klein thought about it and minimized the scope to five options.
First, was the Arbiter Sequence pathway which the Loen Kingdom’s ruler, the Augustus family, and the Feynapotter Kingdom’s Castiya family were in control of. But Klein felt that this option was the least likely because the Arbiter’s corresponding Sequence 8 was Sheriff and Sequence 7 was Interrogator, which both seemed to be leaning towards trial and judgment but not towards war.
Second, was the Fourth Epoch Solomon Empire’s pathway of the Dark Emperor. Its Sequence 9’s modern name was Lawyer, which was good at discovering and using the flaws and weaknesses of an opponent, while also possessing outstanding eloquence and logical thinking. That was the second lowest possible Sequence pathway. He suspected that the development of the Sequence would make use of rules and walked in the shadow of order. Of course, war was also considered as one of the shadows of order.
Third, was the Hunter Sequence pathway that was in the control of the Feysac Empire’s rulers, the Einhorn family; the Intis Republic’s former royal family, the Sauron family, and also the hidden organization that only appeared in the last two to three hundred years, the Iron and Blood Cross Order. Klein thought it was quite possible.
The Nighthawk’s confidential information described Hunters as excellent trackers, outstanding trap masters, and superb hunters. The corresponding Sequence 8 was Provoker, while Sequence 7 was Pyromaniac. Both were partially associated with massacre and war.
Fourth was the ancient organization Blood Sanctify Sect that worshiped demons. They were in control of the Criminal Sequence pathway. From the sequence title itself, Klein felt that it had a high possibility.
Fifth was the Rose School of Thought that was known for bloody rituals. They had the Prisoner Sequence pathway, and the reason was the same as the one before.
Just as Klein was drowning in his own thoughts, the scene before him changed. Madam Sharon had just finished showering, and her wet hair hung low. There was a fresh yet seductive charm on her face.
I can’t see the woman in the white robe that turned Madam Sharon into a Demoness… It might be because my psychic ability is still lacking… Klein reined back his thoughts and redirected his attention to what was before his eyes.
Madam Sharon flipped her hair, and water droplets glided down her cheeks.
She looked towards the man who was waiting on the bed as she giggled and said, “Do you need me to take care of Maynard?”
The middle-aged man on the bed creased his eyebrows and shook his head. “Not unless you can guarantee that there won’t be any traces left behind. But that’s impossible; besides, what means do you have?”
Looking at the man before him, Klein was taken aback at first before suddenly feeling that it was within expectations.
The middle-aged man’s photo often appeared on the front page of the Tingen City Honest Paper and other newspapers. He was the current mayor that was looking to be re-elected, a member of Conservative Party.
Madam Sharon smiled but didn’t delve deeper into the topic. Her robe was halfway up her legs, and she walked gracefully to the side of the bed.
The scenery before him changed one after another until Klein saw many Members of Parliament, businessmen, and civil servants who appeared on the newspaper occasionally.
They would either discuss how to receive donations, bribe voters by going around the Campaign Act, or promise protection and solve problems. In the entire development, Madam Sharon acted as a broker.
This is actually a documentary, right… “Tour the Upper Circles of Tingen with Madam Sharon”… Well, but why are there so many bed scenes… Many nobles and Members of Parliament knew that Madam Sharon had many lovers, so why did they look like they couldn’t resist the temptation… Was this an ability of Madam Sharon’s Sequence? Klein watched thoughtfully as he speculated.
Through the divination earlier, he was certain that none of the guys in Tingen’s upper circles knew of Madam Sharon’s true identity, nor did they collude with her to murder Maynard.
In other words, Maynard’s death was Madam Sharon’s own decision? Why? She had no reason to take the risk.
Of course, from Madam Sharon’s perspective, she possessed the Beyonder power to interfere in divination, and she could also create a sudden death from sexual pleasure and make the death appear natural and accidental. Killing Maynard wasn’t something risky that would expose her identity, but she clearly lacks a motive. It doesn’t match the risk involved!
Could it be one of the requirements of her “acting?” But she could definitely find someone whose identity and status wasn’t as sensitive. Then, the case wouldn’t have fallen to the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or the Machinery Hivemind.
The most important point was that Madam Sharon should’ve been able to tell that Maynard’s wife hated her and was extremely indignant. That made it highly likely that someone would be sent to investigate her, so why didn’t she move those sensitive items like the white bone statue away? She could have buried it in the garden or something.
Was she so confident in the security of her safe and its hidden compartment?
Amidst his suspicion, Klein saw that Madam Sharon’s spirit had yet to disperse. He seized the opportunity to do another dream divination.
This time, his divination involved: “Madam Sharon’s true motive for killing John Maynard.”
After he recited it in silence, Klein entered a dream once again and saw a new scene.
Madam Sharon held a glass of red wine which resembled blood. In her loose sleeping gown, she was pacing back and forth in her room. Finally, she drank the rest of the wine in one gulp, as though she had decided on something.
The scene dispersed quickly, leaving Klein even more confused since Maynard’s death looked like Madam Sharon had volunteered to do it without anyone’s instigation.
“That’s weird…” Klein muttered to himself and used another few divination statements. But the answers were no different.
Seeing that Madam Sharon was growing transparent and illusory, signifying that she was going to disappear soon, Klein thought and made final contact with the dead spirit.
“Sequence potion formula of the Demoness pathway.
“Sequence potion formula of the Demoness pathway.”
…
Klein recited the new divination statement. With the aid of Cogitation, he got into his dream very quickly.
At first, he didn’t want to do the divination because he felt that the Demoness pathway only spread disaster and created pain. Even if he obtained a corresponding potion formula, he was unwilling to sell it to anyone and indirectly become a murderer.
Then, he recalled another matter from before. With his understanding of the Spectator potion, he had been able to suspect and verify that Daxter Guderian was a member of the Psychology Alchemists.
So, in order to better fight against the Demonesses in the future, he’d to learn more of the traits of their Sequence pathway.
Yes, after Hood Eugen’s death, Daxter Guderian has yet to contact me. I’m guessing the Psychology Alchemists sent some stronger members for an investigation, and he hasn’t dared to make any moves… As Klein’s thoughts flashed, he saw the dark hall again. He saw the woman in the holy white robe again.
Madam Sharon hung her head low, and she could only see the other woman’s legs, a pair of flawless legs.
Soon, she heard a melodious voice.
“Pleasure, that is the name of the Sequence 6 potion, the goal that you are about to advance to. If you succeed, you’ll be a Demoness of Pleasure.
“When pleasure is irresistible and impossible to break away from, it’s a form of agony. This is also a maxim that you have to live by.
“As long as you complete your advancement, besides the enhancement of your various abilities as a Witch, you’ll also become more beautiful, making you better at seduction and providing unforgettable pleasure to the same or opposite sex during love-making. You’ll be able to make strange threads like a spider and utilize them.”
Immediately following that, an ancient silver book appeared before Madam Sharon. After it was opened, there was the formula and ingredients placed separately.
“Main ingredients: A pair of Succubus eyes, an adult Black Widow Spider Silk Gland.
“Supplementary ingredients: 100 ml of purified water, 5 drops of Black Jimsonweed juice, the complete remnants of a Succubus’s hair, 10 grams of Feynapotter Fly Powder, and 5 grams of real Mummy ashes.”
The scene changed again. It was the same hall, the same long white robe, and the same woman with indistinguishable features. But now, the difference was that Madam Sharon had returned to her original state. She was now the young man in the picture from before.
A melodious female voice reverberated in his ears.
“This is the name of the Sequence 7 potion, I’m sure you’re surprised.”
“Yes, I still can’t believe it’s called Witch!” “Madam Sharon” said in a rather agitated manner.
“Remember, if we want to get closer to the Primordial, we have to be more and more like ‘Her.’ She’s a woman, so we have to be women too,” The melodious female voice replied. “Either you give up or you accept. After you become a Witch, you’ll become a true woman, and your appearance and charm will be enhanced substantially. You’ll have the ability to turn invisible and use substitutes. You’ll gain a rudimentary mastery of various dark magic, you’ll be skilled at disrupting the divination of others, and you’ll also gain the favor of the black flame and icy frost.
“The main ingredients are every drop of an Abyss Demonic Fish’s blood and an Agate Peacock’s egg.
“The supplementary ingredients are 80 ml of purified water, five drops of Jimsonweed juice, 3 scales of a Shadow Lizard, and 10 drops of Daffodil Juice.”
…
Scenes continued to play, one after another, and Klein saw the Instigator and Assassin formula and understood their corresponding traits.
Just as he wanted to continue the divination, Madam Sharon’s spirit dispersed completely.
Klein stopped the ritual and returned to reality. He packed up the ingredients, removed the wall of spirituality, and told Dunn Smith about the outcome of his mediumship without holding back any information. Then, he expressed his suspicions on Madam Sharon’s murder of Maynard.
“Pleasure doesn’t require her to kill anyone of a higher rank or position in society… Hmm, we need to investigate where Madam Sharon has been over the past few years and understand her origins. We need to look for the dark hall that you saw. Of course, this will need to be reported to the Holy Cathedral, and they can assign investigators accordingly. We can’t leave Tingen as we wish.” Dunn nodded slightly and looked around. He said, “Go to the first floor, check if those servants are still in deep sleep. If anyone is awake, bring them over and make them sign a confidentiality contract as per protocol. I’ll be in charge of the second floor.”
He found a black cloth and covered the Sealed Artifact 3-0271.
Upon hearing that, Klein suddenly understood why the intense battle hadn’t brought the servants over—the Captain had sent them into a deep sleep from the very beginning.
Klein’s body was still cold and stiff. He had to slow down and move forward in very, very light steps.
When he passed the bedroom door, he extended his hand and pulled out the two Tarot cards at the door. He wiped them and put them back into his pocket.
After he left the room, he walked towards the stairway.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly thought of a question—how would he make sure that the person was in a deep sleep?
Check with divination one by one? That’d be troublesome… The Captain is a Nightmare; he should be an expert in this. I’ll have to ask him if he has any fast and simple methods.
With this in mind, Klein turned around walked towards the bedroom door, step by step, as he fought against the cold and stiffness in his body.
Before he came close, he looked through the ajar door and saw the shattered pieces of the angled full-body mirror.
There were still large shards of the mirror clinging to the frame, all the size of a palm.
In the cracked mirror, Dunn Smith, in his black windbreaker, was kneeling beside Kenley’s dead body, doing something.
Suddenly, he lifted his head. His gray eyes were deep, and the corners of his lips were tainted with crimson blood.
Crimson blood.
Without thinking, Klein turned around, left the side of the door, and leaned his back against the wall.
