Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After leaving the Sweet Lemon Bar, Klein directly returned to his inn.
Just as he was packing his luggage, the gigantic skeleton messenger appeared suddenly.
It originally wanted to pat Klein on the shoulder, but it failed due to its nearly four-meter-tall body with its head penetrating through the ceiling. All it could do was throw the letter ahead before collapsing into nothingness.
Mr. Azik has finally replied. It has almost been a week… Has the messenger been changed? It looks like the original one and would make the corresponding warning… Klein caught the letter and unfolded it.
“I’m very sorry that I’m only replying to you today.
“Perhaps it’s because the memories I’ve recovered has exceeded the limits of my body. I had to spend several days in a deep sleep to adapt to it.
“The matters you described does coincide with the traits of a Marauder pathway. Their corresponding Sequence 4 is Parasite. In higher Sequences, they possess the Beyonder powers of parasitized bodies.
“According to what I know, there are two types of parasitizing.
“The first type is a preliminary state. The Parasite would ‘borrow’ the Host’s body to hide himself, so as to extend his lifespan and recover from his injuries. He can see and hear whatever the Hosts sees and hears, but he is unable to interfere with the Host’s thoughts or steal his thoughts. Therefore, for a Host to converse with a Parasite, he will have to be the first to speak.
“The other is full control. The Parasite is nearly fused with the Host’s Spirit Body, knowing and understanding his thoughts, as well as take over control of the body.
“Faced against the first type of Parasite, one can inform the Host via dreams or a subconscious conversation without worrying about being discovered by the Parasite. This is because the Parasite has to use the Host’s senses to sense his surroundings.
“For the second state, there is no way to converse with the Host without the Parasite’s knowledge. However, there is a chance of eradicating the Parasite, which is to rely on the Host’s faith. It’s very difficult for me to accurately describe such matters, and all I can say is that when one opens his heart while praying, the target of the prayer would be able to discover the existence of the Parasite, and through a particular ritual, provide feedback to complete the separation or eradication.
“Of course, the prerequisite is that the Host himself doesn’t know of this; otherwise, the Parasite would definitely be alerted and begin carrying out preventive measures…”
Isn’t the latter situation somewhat similar to Little Sun’s? He prayed to me without much thought, and I discovered the existence of Amon’s avatar. Then, with a concealed goal, I taught him the secret deed ritual and used it to cleanse the Parasite… Klein instantly had a deeper understanding of the previous situation he was in.
However, I’m currently unable to determine which state my dear poet is in. Back in Tingen, he would occasionally talk to himself. This might be a result of the first type of parasitic states, but the problem lies in the fact that it has been months. It’s possible that the Parasite has completed his complete control of Leonard.
I have to first confirm the matter before knowing what I should do. Otherwise, rashly entering his dream will only lead to preemptively warning the Parasite, making the problem more serious and harder to resolve…
If it’s the second parasitic state, my dear poet believes the Goddess, but “She” has millions of believers. It’s unlikely that she would pay important notice to a Red Glove who’s neither a Blessed or Saint…
She’s unlike me, The Fool. I read every prayer and often provide a one-to-one service.
This is what it’s like during a “startup phase”…
As Klein thought over it, he suddenly sighed and felt wistful.
He originally planned on entrusting a task to Emlyn to secretly monitor Leonard Mitchell to see if he often whispered to himself. However, after considering how Emlyn had already appeared before Leonard and the Parasite because of Tinder, there was a high chance that he was a target they were wary of or a target of investigation. Therefore, he rationally abandoned such a thought.
Miss Magician is only a Sequence 8 and a Trickmaster. She doesn’t have the ability to monitor a Parasite at the angel level or a Red Glove…
Miss Justice’s identity is the best form of concealment. Besides, she’s also a believer of the Goddess. But the problem lies in the fact that she’s back in her fief. She will only return to Backlund in June…
Mr. Hanged Man and Ma’am Hermit are at sea. As for Little Sun, there’s no way for him to connect with the outside world…
There’s still not enough Tarot Club members. The factions they’ve expanded into are still lacking. I can’t find any suitable person to help me complete this task.
Among the people I know, Miss Sharron should be the best choice to perform such matters when it comes to concealment, but I have no way of contacting her, even if I do it through Miss Magician or Emlyn… Sigh, I had fled Backlund in a hurry, so I failed to consider many of the consequences…
Klein raised his hand to knead his temples as he thought about how Leonard was an elite Red Glove in the Nighthawks. There were high-ranking deacons and the Church watching over him, so it was unlikely the Parasite would dare to do anything for now. Hence, he decided to put the matter aside and wait for a more suitable helper.
Perhaps I can wait until I digest the potion and head east of the Sonia Sea to find mermaids. After I complete my advancement, I can return to Backlund and do it myself… The experienced Klein didn’t hesitate further as he rapidly made up his mind.
…
Inside Sweet Lemon Bar.
After the uneasy Bilt handled two Naturism Sect believers among his close aides, he finally received some good news.
“Are you telling me that Admiral Amyrius will be returning to Bayam today?” He stood up with a cigar in hand.
Sothoth nodded gently and said, “His fleet left the harbor half an hour ago. It’s steering towards the Rorsted Archipelago.”
Phew… Bilt didn’t conceal his sigh of relief, having confirmed that the admiral wasn’t putting any blame on him.
Just the thought of how Gehrman Sparrow had managed to “make” the admiral suffer the loss of so many of his bodyguards, the younger brother’s loss of his position as governor-general, the injury of his secretary, and the death of his mistress, he couldn’t help but wonder about his own management capabilities.
Although the responsibility of these matters wasn’t necessary Gehrman Sparrow’s fault, to have them all happen at once had made one believe that it was the crazy adventurer’s fault. At the very least, he was unlucky enough. And as his employer and endorser, Bilt believed that there was no way he could escape responsibility. He definitely needed to incur punishment from Admiral Amyrius.
“His Excellency is indeed a demigod. He didn’t let his rage blind his reason. Praise the Lord. May the Storm be with us,” Bilt said as he struck his right fist on his left breast.
At this moment, the subordinates he sent rushed back.
“Boss! Gehrman Sparrow has disappeared!” the subordinate reported in a hurried tone.
Bilt frowned slightly.
“Disappeared?”
“Yes! After he checked out of his room, he held his suitcase and circled the area several times before disappearing!” the subordinate explained truthfully.
It’s really difficult to monitor an adventurer who can shapeshift into anyone… Bilt sighed and said, “Leave it.
“There’s no need to seek him out again.”
…
After being targeted by the Mother Tree of Desire, Klein cautiously changed his appearance and identity, as well as his place of residence to prevent anyone from targeting him.
From the feedback received from acting as Admiral Amyrius, he decided to quickly digest the potion by putting it into practice.
While riding a carriage to the Oravi Hospice Foundation, Klein once again stepped in.
The person in charge of the registration was still Ma’am Joanna. She looked up and asked, “You want to do volunteer work?”
“Yes.” Klein nodded seriously.
Joanna took out a form and asked like clockwork, “Name.”
Klein smiled and replied, “Sinbad Volentier”
…
The weather in East Chester County during April was comfortable. The vegetation was lush and the scenery was beautiful. It was the perfect season for hunting.
Audrey was dressed in a waist-fitting black riding suit with a helmet. She was on a burgundy mare, that belonged to her, while in pursuit of a brightly-colored wild chicken.
She shot a whistling arrow and accurately struck the prey.
As a Psychiatrist, her physical attributes had clearly been enhanced. Together with her education in archery from a young age, whether it was in shooting firearms or in archery, she was considered rather skilled.
A golden figure pounced forward and rapidly bit onto the prey which had lost its life. It was none other than Susie.
“It’s a pleasure working with you.” The corners of Audrey’s lips curled up as she struck her palm with Susie’s paw with a smile.
At this moment, the aristocrats surrounding her came over, either praising her for her hunting prowess or her training of her hunting hound.
Audrey felt a little ashamed regarding the latter half.
She had never trained Susie before!
The aristocrats quickly dispersed as they continued chasing their prey. As for the low-level priest of the Evernight Goddess, she came over and said to Audrey with a suppressed voice, “You can receive the Hypnotist formula after completing the final mission.”
Finally… Audrey’s eyes lit up as she silently nodded.
To be frank, if she were still the green and squeamish noble lady of the past, she would’ve long lost the patience to accumulate the required contributions and would’ve ended up requesting the purchase of the Hypnotist potion formula at the Tarot Club.
But she knew very well that building up contributions would aid her infiltration into the Psychology Alchemists. She would be more trusted and build up a good foundation for her to receive the High-Sequence potion formulas in the future. Therefore, she patiently performed matters that were either uninteresting or interesting.
Of course, Audrey didn’t waste the past two months. She had been eavesdropping on the conversations of the aristocrats and maidservants, before guiding them to pour out their frustrations and aid them in defeating their negative emotions. This allowed her to act as a Psychiatrist very perfectly.
During this process, she realized that she would unknowingly eavesdrop, observe, and steer the people around her, to understand their flaws and habitual thought processes. She believed that she could disadvantage or mentally break any one of them without leaving a mark. She could also get them to help her by their own will without them even realizing it.
It has to be said that it’s actually quite terrifying, just like monsters in the legends, who can grasp your minds… As she recalled, Audrey couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Smine was somewhat unaccustomed to horse-riding as she carefully circled the area and said, “Stoen University’s Associate Professor Michele is a collector. We wish for you to purchase a notebook from the Twenty Year War.”
The Twenty Year War referred to a war between the Loen Kingdom and Feysac Empire in the Fifth Epoch’s Year 621–642. The former was defeated and lost the ancient elves’ island, which was present-day Sonia Island.
