Chapter 601 In the Dream
"Mr. Azik has already given me that Beyonder characteristic, but I don't think I should give it up easily before confirming that Senior Deacon Pierce Turner is the Man in the Mirror. According to the information I learned from Laura, the Man in the Mirror can gain Beyonder characteristics after completely replacing the original body. Suppose, he is still not making any moves and is hiding in the church, waiting for the Night Watchman characteristic?
"Only Ms. Arianna and Her Excellency Cecima are trustworthy. I will continue to pray to the goddess, hoping they can come to Backlund and resolve the troubles of the 'Man in the Mirror'...
"Also, I ran into Triss after the ball last night. She seems to have regained her freedom, but she harbors a deep hatred for the culprit of the smog and the mastermind behind Prince Edessak's death. She plans to take action and search for clues. I think we can observe her for a while.
"There are multiple factions within the 'Witch Cult'. The one to which 'White Saint' Katarina belongs might have the potential for cooperation, but I'll be the one to contact them. If your identity is exposed, it will be difficult to escape from the Sequence 3 witches..."
After writing the information he had gained over the past few days and the new plan into the letter, Angel carefully sealed the envelope, picked up the harmonica on the table and blew it. Silent waves dissipated, the candlelight flickered, and the headless messenger Renette Tinicole slowly emerged from the air.
After meeting the "Man in the Mirror" Pierce, Klein temporarily gave the harmonica used to summon Renette to Angel so that she could quickly summon the other party in any demigod battle she might encounter.
Otherwise, even if you pay 10,000 gold coins to hire Renette, it will be difficult to get help in time in an emergency.
"Please deliver this letter to your contractor, Gehrman Sparrow."
Angel said as he handed over the envelope and a gold coin.
Renette's two heads held the gold coin and the letter respectively, but she didn't leave immediately. Instead, she looked at her expectantly.
"I might be in danger soon, just like when I was with Bayam..." Angel hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to hire you as a bodyguard again. The price is the same as last time, and I'll deduct it from your debt."
Last time it cost ten thousand, and this time it will cost another ten thousand... Although Renette is indeed a very good fighter, and she held off two members of the "Rose School" alone at that time, but... that was ten thousand gold coins!
While Angel was daydreaming, Renette's four heads were shaking slowly in her hands, and she did not agree immediately.
Is she trying to take this opportunity to raise the price? Indeed, she still owes me 20,000 gold coins. For money like this that I haven't received yet, even if she raises the price to 15,000, I might agree... Angel was a little nervous. Just as he was about to ask more, the head of Renette holding the gold coin had already gulped it down. Then, he and the other two unemployed heads spoke in turn:
"Offer..." "Only for..." "This time."
A discount, ten thousand gold coins is still a discount? Was she really planning to raise the price to fifteen thousand?
Angel felt her mouth was about to twist. She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and forced a smile.
"Thanks!"
Reinette shook her head with the letter in her mouth as a reply, and then disappeared from Angel's sight along with her body, returning to the spirit world.
Anyway, with Miss Messenger as the last guarantee, I should have a great chance of winning against the "Man in the Mirror" Pierce Turner. Of course, the premise is that he has no other helpers... Angel removed the spiritual wall and comforted himself with "life is more valuable than gold coins."
"In that case, we must be even more cautious when dealing with Pierce. We must be absolutely sure before we strike, so we don't let him escape and waste those ten thousand gold coins..."
"Triss will take action against William Sykes next week, so I need to make some preparations. Today, I came into contact with Earl Hall's eldest son, a follower of the Goddess. Given my appearance and intentions, I might be mistaken for a new member of the Witch Cult, and the Nighthawks might even conduct a dream investigation... Compared to these matters, the current issue of the 'Man in the Mirror' is not a problem that needs to be solved urgently.
"Luckily, I'm already Sequence 4. I can easily deal with ordinary Nightmares and even Sequence 6 Requiem Masters. Furthermore, I have the secret holy symbol, which is enough to withstand scrutiny from those below the level of demigods... As for Triss, I hope she doesn't provoke an enemy that even I can't handle. I won't feel any psychological burden abandoning her."
Muttering silently, Angel called the maids over. With their service, he washed away the fatigue and smell of alcohol from the day, and soon got into the warm and comfortable bed and fell asleep.
————
Amidst the thunderous whistle, a steaming steel behemoth slowly drove into the Backlund Steam Train Station. Passengers stepped out one by one, and the quiet platform instantly became bustling.
In the past, for safety reasons, steam trains would stop running after dark. However, recently, more and more people have been heading to Backlund in search of job opportunities. Therefore, several temporary trains have been added from Jianhai County and Ahowa County, departing in the afternoon and arriving in the evening, to bring fresh blood to this city waiting for workers to fill the factories.
After most of the passengers got off the bus, a man in his thirties walked out of the middle carriage. He was wearing a black windbreaker with the collar raised high to cover his chin. He was not wearing a hat, and his short golden brown hair looked like a hedgehog under the dim gas light.
The most eye-catching thing about him, besides the bright red gloves on his hands, was the silver-white box he was carrying. It was so big that it seemed like it could fit a violin. Combined with his conservative attire, the surrounding passengers thought he was a musician who came to Backlund looking for work.
Not caring much about other people's opinions, the "Red Gloves" man left the station and followed the crowd into the subway station. He exited at the North District and took a hired carriage to Saint Samuel's Church, the headquarters of the Church of the Evernight Goddess in Backlund. Like an ordinary believer, he paused in the narrow aisle, admiring the stained glass on both sides and listening to the routine mass in the prayer hall. Finally, he walked with ease to the Night Watchmen's station below the church and met the members on duty.
Daly Simone has been making rapid progress recently, and is now considered for advancement to Sequence 5 "Gatekeeper." However, her achievements aren't yet enough to earn her a potion... With her drive, this tight string could snap at any moment. Unfortunately, I can't...
He glanced at Daly, who was sitting by the door, wearing a hooded black robe and eyeshadow and blush on her face. She sensed his gaze, put down the documents in her hand, looked over, and nodded slightly.
"Lord Cecima."
"Good evening, Daly. Where's His Excellency the Archbishop?"
"In the church's conversation room, I'm discussing with Lord Hibbert Hall about hosting a charity dinner after the social season begins. Do you need me to notify him?"
Another night watchman on duty interjected.
"No need, I'll wait here."
Cecima walked through the narrow corridor and came to a small room next to it. She sat on a cushioned chair and placed the silver-white box that she always kept in her hand outside at her feet.
He noticed that there were already two Night Watchmen in the room. He recognized one of them; it was Leonard Mitchell, also a member of the Red Gloves, but assigned to the Backlund Soest team. This Night Watchman, who had only applied to join the Red Gloves after the Tingen tragedy, had been promoted second only to Daly. He had recently accumulated enough merits and taken the Requiem potion, becoming a Sequence 6, a rare achievement for his age.
Leonard's eyes were slightly closed at this time, half lying and half leaning on the recliner, and his whole body exuded an aura of tranquility and peace that could only be felt by people of the same path.
Is he "dreaming"?
Cecima subconsciously looked at the table in front of Leonard, where a document was spread out. He waved his hand lightly, and the folder flew into his hand as if it was being lifted.
"Christine Theresa arrived in Backlund two weeks ago. Spending generously, she quickly made friends with many lower-class nobles and elites from various industries. Last night, she met with Hibbert Hall for her first investigation..."
After briefly reading the document, Cecima looked back at the photo of the young woman with black hair and purple eyes.
————
Angel had just fallen into a deep sleep when he felt warnings from the magic mirror next to him and the holy emblem on his wrist, followed by a spiritual alert.
She immediately opened her eyes and found herself in the small living room on the second floor from the bedroom. A maid with a dull expression and slow movements was standing beside her, refilling the porcelain cup in front of her with coffee.
Then, there was a knock on the living room door.
Sure enough, the "dream" interrogation came... Angel understood and did not get up to open the door himself. Instead, he waited for the maid beside him who seemed to be still asleep to open the door and let a young man in a black windbreaker with his shirt hem fluttering in his movements into the living room.
"Who are you?"
Angel pretended to hesitate in his sleep, but he was actually worried in his heart.
The person who sat down in front of her with a casual attitude and took out his police ID was none other than her teammate in Tingen City, who played Leonard Mitchell, who relied on reciting poems.
"Backlund Police Department, a murder has occurred near your residence. I need to confirm your recent whereabouts and whether the information on your ID is true."
Leonard said this in a frivolous tone, unfolding the notebook in his hand and pulling out the pen from his chest.
Your excuse is lame, but it also aligns with the confidence Nightmares possess after using their abilities... Isn't there an Angel of the Thief's Path "parasitizing" him? Didn't he tell him I might be a High-Sequence Beyonder, or did He not see the problem?
Angel grumbled inwardly, recalling the difference between "shallow parasitism" and "deep parasitism", and nodded.
"Christine Theresa, female, 22 years old, left Severas County four years ago and went to Intistril..."
Leonard quickly read out her forged ID and then asked:
"Is your experience of doing business in Intis true?"
“Some of it is fake.”
Angel answered honestly.
With a hint of "as expected" smile on his face, Leonard asked, "What's the real situation?"
"I made a lot of money in various industries through deception, whistleblowing, and hostile takeovers, rather than through legitimate business..."
According to the "setting" she and Klein had discussed, Angel revealed her second identity: a young woman whose means of making money were not so legitimate, who fled back to the Kingdom of Loen for fear of being caught by the authorities and planned to launder her identity and property in Backlund.
These methods were in a legal gray area, not to mention that they were carried out in a neighboring country rather than in his own country. Leonard simply noted them down with a strange expression and did not ask any further questions.
Then, he began to repeat and shuffle questions based on Angel's answers, comparing them with each other. Angel, who had remained lucid, easily defused these "attacks." Finally, Leonard put down his notebook and spoke casually:
"Have you heard of 'The Beyonder'?"
"...I've heard of them. I even collected a few potion recipes, some of which I didn't know were true, but I never mustered up the courage to try them."
Angel knew that answering "I haven't heard of it" would only make people more suspicious, so he made up a half-true and half-false experience, imitating the other party's mentality when he first met "Justice" Audrey in the Tarot Club, and answered hesitantly.
"It's best not to try..." Leonard warned solemnly, then stood up and straightened the hem of his windbreaker. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Theresa. I wish you a sweet dream."
He waved his hand and activated the power of nightmare, causing the young lady, who seemed to be extremely beautiful but was actually a businesswoman skilled in fraud, to forget most of the things in her dream after waking up. He then quickly escaped from the dream and returned to the room under the church.
After waking up, he immediately looked at his teammate beside him and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he had not been harmed by this Beyonder who had likely lived for thousands of years while exploring Dwayne Dantès's dream.
Then, he found that there was a man sitting opposite him with the collar of his windbreaker covering his chin and mouth. The man was holding the document of his review target today and looking at him with a probing look.
"Sword of the Goddess" Lord Creste Cesimma!
Looking at the senior deacon, Leonard, who had a "parasite" in his body, immediately forgot the interrogation in his dream just now, pretended to be calm, and smiled at Cecima.
————
8 Burningham Road, in the master bedroom on the third floor.
Angel slowly opened his eyes and immediately confirmed that he had escaped from the dream and returned to reality.
I didn't expect it would be Leonard who came to examine me. He gave me the same feeling as when the captain invaded my dreams in Tingen. He was either a senior "Nightmare" or had simply been promoted to "Requiem Master"...
The fact that he, who was most likely the "Red Gloves," was interrogating me, rather than an ordinary Night Watchman, showed that my identity had attracted the attention of the Church... No, it was probably because Hibbert Hall was too highly regarded by the Church. Earl Hall's family were all believers in the Goddess and donated a large amount of property every year. An unknown person like me approaching Hibbert would naturally be subject to strict scrutiny. There might even be a second or third time...
Humph, I'm helping them deal with the "Man in the Mirror" who infiltrated the interior, but they're treating me like a thief... Angel muttered silently, stroking the "Secret Holy Emblem" on his wrist, hoping that Ms. Arianna or the "Sword of the Goddess" would respond as soon as possible.
However, unexpectedly, Leonard also became the backbone of the church...
Angel smiled and looked out the window. The crimson moonlight was illuminating the quiet street.
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