Chapter 649 Leonard's Investigation Progress
Hugh was in front, and Sherman followed slowly behind. The two left the alley and returned to the street. Instead of taking the well-connected subway line, they hired a horse-drawn carriage and drove from the North District where the steam train station was located to the East District.
After carefully closing the windows and drawing the curtains to seal the carriage, Sherman breathed a sigh of relief and took off the hood on his head.
He, no, it should be her. Her medium-length brown hair had grown to her waist and was casually tied up at the back of her head. Her face was much more delicate than when she was "Sherman", but some of her original facial features could still be seen, such as thinner eyebrows and thin but slightly wider lips, just like the difference between twin brother and sister.
But these characteristics, which could only be described as "okay" at first, combined together gave her a unique charm. Among the women Xio had met, she was also a rare type that was pleasing to the eye. She was more likely to attract the interest of the opposite sex than Fors, who had good looks but a lazy temperament.
Even her eyes, which seemed a bit melancholy in her male period, to the point of being considered lacking in masculinity, now perfectly matched her delicate appearance, making Xio, a bounty hunter who was a head shorter than her, subconsciously believe that she should accept his protection.
But he, no, she was already a Sequence 7 Beyonder!
"Sherman, I didn't expect you to actually become a woman." Looking at his friend's new appearance, Hugh's face was filled with either emotion or bewilderment. "Those things you said before about fate playing tricks on you, about long-awaited changes, I always thought they were just complaints about life... Besides, what about Freya and Daisy?"
Actually, Xio was not so opposed to Sherman turning into Sherman. After all, she had seen many kinds of changes that potions could cause to people. Some made people cold-blooded and ruthless, from a boy who didn't even dare to kill a chicken to a murderer who killed people without blinking an eye. Some made people neurotic, and they often heard words that came from nowhere... Then, a potion that could change people into another gender was not surprising.
But she knew that after saving Liv's family from the smog, the sisters had developed a liking for the thin man, and during the six months of getting along, it had developed into a longing for the opposite sex. She was afraid that in private, they had already begun to compete secretly, or reached some kind of agreement.
Now that Sherman has become Sherman, what should they do?
"I don't know... Sometimes I wonder if I should just stay at the 'instigator' stage. The East District has gradually recovered, even becoming better than before, and I have enough self-protection capabilities. But the wish I had when I entered the extraordinary world still surfaced in my mind from time to time, urging me to keep moving forward..."
A trace of confusion appeared on Sherman's face, which was full of feminine beauty.
"In the end, it was Miss Irene who convinced me that if I wanted to protect Freya, Daisy, and Liv, and truly possess my own power, Sequence 8 wasn't enough."
Her skin was delicate, and her soft, boneless arms stretched out from under her cloak, her index finger pointing upwards, standing between the two of them.
With a slight bang, a black flame that could absorb all light rose from her fingertips.
Xio immediately felt the hairs on her body stand up. The Sheriff's instinctive sense of danger made her realize that the black flame in front of her had the ability to seriously injure her or even kill her.
She had seen this cursed black flame in Miss Irene's battle with a "Judge." It easily killed the Sequence 6 enemy, just like killing an ordinary person without extraordinary abilities.
"Is this terrifying power your goal?"
She murmured, as if she didn't recognize her friend.
"No, of course not," Sherman waved his hand to dispel the cursed black flames, put on his hood again, hiding his beauty in the shadows, and shrank his delicate body slightly. "This is the power that can protect important people like Miss Irene."
The carriage roared through the streets and sped towards the East District, where they would reorganize the Black Claw Gang under the name of Sherman's sister, Sherman, and hand it over to Hugh for management. The new "witch" would hide behind the scenes and find a way to act that suited her.
————
"Do you remember the name 'Erin Watson'?"
Leonard Mitchell picked up the coffee cup on the table, took a sip, and through the mist, looked at the "Nighthawk" sitting across from him, and at "Nightmare" Chuck Hopper, who was on the same path as him but had a slightly lower sequence.
When the latter heard his question, she withdrew her gaze from the carriage speeding past the window. Her brown eyes narrowed slightly under her messy bangs, as if she was lost in memories.
Except for me, the "Nightmares" all seemed to have poor memories, like the captain... Leonard's thoughts returned to Tingen for a moment, until Hopper spoke, and he was pulled back to this cafe.
"Last September, when the manuscript of the third-generation Difference Engine was being sought and fought over by many parties, I became involved in a spy case involving supernatural powers. MI9 was supposed to be handling it, but they were all out dealing with Intis and Feysac spies, so the investigation had to be handed over to me."
Leonard took notes as he listened, comparing them with the contents of the file in his mind.
"Me and the Sheriff of Red Rose Street in the Backlund Bridge District..."
"Dürer."
"Yes, Chief Dule, we were investigating the house where a missing Feysac spy lived. It had been rented by a young woman, so we asked her a few questions and left after confirming that the spy had not returned."
"She is Irene Watson?"
"Yes, that was the only time I saw her... No, to be exact, there was another interrogation in a dream. You know, this is standard procedure," said "Nightmare" Hopper, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "But why did you ask me in person? The relevant information should be in the attendance record and case file, Mr. Mitchell."
Hopper showed some respect for the "Red Gloves", who were parallel to the "Nighthawks" system but had a slightly higher status, but not much.
After all, in Backlund, Red Gloves were more numerous than ordinary Nighthawks, so they were not considered rare.
"This is not an official assignment, but an investigation I conducted for personal reasons."
Leonard did not show any emotional change due to the other party's attitude. Over the past six months, his flamboyant temper has been restrained a lot, and only when he is alone at home will he occasionally return to the style of the Tingen period.
"I just want to know, do you remember what this Miss Irene Watson looks like?"
He pressed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and asked expectantly.
After locking onto the missing Miss Irene and confirming that she was "questionable", Leonard searched through all the Night Watchmen files stored in the basement of St. Samuel's Church for nearly a year, and finally found this name during an operation last September. He couldn't wait to make an appointment with the "Nightmare" who was in charge of the mission and asked for his assistance in a private capacity.
"Appearance..."
The look of reminiscence appeared on Chuck Hopper's face again, and Leonard thought something was wrong.
Sure enough, after a moment, the Nightmare smiled apologetically and said:
"I don't remember clearly. I see so many people every day, some in real life, some in dreams... But I still remember that her appearance was so outstanding that Sheriff Dule was a little distracted that day, and the subsequent investigation went awry."
This is a problem that most "nightmares" will face. They reverse day and night, wander in other people's dreams for a long time, and some people even cannot distinguish between reality and dreams. Memory loss is just one of the problems in this sequence that is not considered serious.
Only by mastering the art of acting, and distinguishing the real self from the "nightmare" self, can these problems be avoided... He pursed his lips, not blaming Hopper, who, like the captain, had spent many years in Sequence 7 and didn't understand the art of acting.
But the other party's vague answer also made him confirm one thing: there must be something wrong with Irene Watson!
How could that round face with some freckles, which was at most average, be so outstanding that it even made a sheriff obsessed with it?
The only way now is to enter Hopper's dream and try to make him recall the scene of that day in his dream. However, for a nightmare, it is impossible for others to enter his dream easily, unless it is in the name of a formal investigation, which will expose his actions...
As for others who might have come into contact with Irene, such as the landlady, Mrs. Wallis, they had already gone to the warm and pleasant Dixie Bay to recuperate due to the aftereffects of the smog. The neighborhood's Chief Sheriff, Dürer, had also been transferred from Backlund, so there would be no opportunity to investigate in the short term.
While he was hesitating, a somewhat ethereal voice came from behind him.
"It seems that you have encountered some unsolvable troubles and need the active assistance of a lady, huh?"
Before the other party could say anything even more inappropriate for the other Nighthawks to hear, Leonard turned around and interrupted him with a quick greeting:
"Ms. Daly, why are you here?"
Hopper obviously recognized the "Necromancer" who was wearing a black robe and had a somewhat detached temperament. The captain of the other team stood up stiffly and greeted him.
Fortunately, she didn't wear that weird makeup today, otherwise it would easily attract the attention of other guests... Leonard muttered inwardly, watching Daly sit next to him, facing Chuck Hopper.
"Of course, I came to see what you're busy doing every day, and then decide whether to report it to my superiors..."
She chuckled softly, her green eyes looking at the forgetful Nightwatcher.
"Also, I have some experience dealing with 'Nightmare' who has a poor memory. Do you need me to use my psychic skills to help him recover?"
————
A sharp whistle sounded, and the locomotive, trailing thick smoke, with carriages full of passengers, drove away from Backlund and embarked on the journey to Feynaport.
Watching the scenery outside the window change from the fog-shrouded city to the farmland covered in healthy green, Fors drew the curtains, stretched, grabbed the wine glass on the table, and drank the low-alcohol fruit wine that came with the meal.
"The food and service in the first-class carriage are better than most hotels in Backlund. The only drawback is that it's expensive... Fortunately, the expenses for this trip are paid by the publisher in Trier, otherwise I would rather squeeze into the second-class carriage..."
She murmured, looking at the manuscript on the corner of the table, hesitating whether to read the manuscript for publication again or take a nap on the sofa as wide as her bed.
“Dongdong——”
Before she could make a decision, there was a knock on the door of the private room. Fors was about to say "Come in" when she remembered that she had locked the door. She could only stand up from the sofa, unscrew the lock, and pull the door inward.
There stood someone she had never expected at the door.
"Miss Irene?"
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