Miss Hebe is Killing Her Way Out of the Lostbelt!

It would take some time for the Special Inspection Department to arrive, but Hebe had lost the mood for aimless wandering.

She turned back and saw a familiar person.

The person wore a pink and white high-necked sweater and black-rimmed glasses, exuding an aura of quiet intellect.

This was Hebe's neighbor, Presis, the owner of the small appliance repair shop by the roadside.

As soon as Hebe walked over, Presis pulled her into a corner.

"W-what are you doing?" Hebe was taken aback, surprised that Presis seemed more nervous than she was.

The intellectual beauty in front of her adjusted her glasses and gazed meaningfully at Hebe, "Miss Stanton, you're also an 'Apprentice,' aren't you?"

Hebe suddenly understood, "So you're the one who's in trouble!"

As everyone knew, to the Albion authorities, any non-official Ascender was a potential criminal.

When the Special Inspection Department came to arrest someone, they wouldn't give you a chance to argue. Any reasons could be discussed slowly in prison.

Under such circumstances, compliant Apprentices would be seen as 'criminals who can be reformed,' while disobedient ones would be seen as 'especially stubborn criminals.'

Presis's face stiffened, "But you're also an Apprentice."

Hebe wanted to argue, but on second thought, she was even more peculiar than the average Apprentice. Not to mention swallowing gold and chewing iron, her illusion magic alone was more dangerous than ten, or even nine, Dawn-level Apprentices.

"Boss, what's the plan?" Hebe knew that Presis wouldn't have called her over without having a backup plan.

Seeing Hebe's reaction, Presis was also pleased.

"The Special Inspection Department is making a big move this time. I wonder which Apprentice's recklessness caused this." Presis's expression was grim, "So I'm planning to leave London and lie low in Cornwall."

Hebe didn't reply immediately upon hearing Cornwall.

Presis, not noticing the expression on Hebe's face, assumed she was tempted and pressed on, "It seems the Special Inspection Department won't leave any room for negotiation. Do you know that clock shop across the street that also handles mail and packages? The owner is a young blue-haired woman, about your age."

"She's also an Apprentice. A few days ago, the Special Inspection Department specifically came and sealed her clock shop," Presis said with certainty, "She must have been arrested by them!"

Hebe pursed her lips, "Um... is there a possibility that Mostima was actually part of the Special Inspection Department all along?"

She finally understood why Mostima would open a clock shop on the street corner. It was specifically to monitor Presis.

The shop owner's expression froze, and she put her hand to her forehead, "So that's how it is."

She immediately turned and walked back into her shop. Hebe followed her, "What did you do to make the Special Inspection Department send someone specifically to monitor you?"

"Do you know about Life Alchemy?" Presis said concisely, "I've been researching it. This place is my temporary workshop."

Hebe exclaimed, Such a master was by my side all along.

Creating life wasn't difficult for Ascenders; the challenge was making it grow normally.

Presis's ability to tackle this subject indicated that her skill level was comparable to Royal Sister's.

Truly worthy of being a Priest, the leader of Terra's Originium Project. Even in another world, she was still bravely forging ahead, deserving of admiration.

Presis pushed open the door to the workshop, while Hebe stood outside.

Before, everyone had concealed their identities, so it was fine to visit as a guest. But now that Presis had revealed her Ascender identity, barging into someone's workshop could be seen as a declaration of war.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before Presis came out carrying a black briefcase.

"What is this?"

"This is my... colleague's project." Presis paused suspiciously, "This is a product that applies her findings. Simply put, it can hold whatever you choose to put in it, but it will still weigh the same as a briefcase."

Presis handed the briefcase to Hebe, "I'll lend this to you for now. Remember to return it to me when you get to Cornwall."

Hebe took the briefcase, "Are we leaving now?"

A lynx with green ears poked its head out from behind the door. Presis saw it and immediately shooed it back.

"No, leaving now would be too suspicious," the shop owner said. "We'll leave tonight after the Special Inspection Department's patrol officers finish their questioning. Before then, do you want to go over our stories?"

"It's probably best not to," Hebe frowned. "I have a feeling the Special Inspection Department already has an answer in mind. If we coordinate our stories, it might backfire."

"Then it's settled," Presis checked her watch. "Seven o'clock tonight, we'll meet at Vivian's restaurant."

Hebe nodded and, carrying the briefcase, returned to her antique shop.

She looked around, still finding the situation somewhat amusing and exasperating.

Although Hebe had considered moving to a remote area after confirming the Secret History Simulator was her golden finger, she hadn't expected the time to move to come so soon.

Hebe glanced at the computer. The screen was black, indicating a system update.

She wasn't worried about the move affecting the use of the Secret History Simulator.

This was because she had tested it before. The Secret History Simulator's carrier was herself; displaying it on the computer screen was just Hebe's habit.

As for Cornwall... Hebe narrowed her eyes slightly.

Wasn't the Silent Bookstore located in the countryside of Cornwall?

Just as she was contemplating her future arrangements, a knock sounded at the door.

Hebe walked over and opened it. The patrol officers from the Special Inspection Department stood outside, their expressions serious.

"Hello, we are from the Albion Special Inspection Department." The leading officer showed his identification. "I have a few questions for you. Please answer truthfully."

"Haha, so they were after me."

"Name?"

"Hebe Stanton."

"Occupation?"

"Self-employed."

"Business isn't good, huh?" The patrol officer chuckled. "Your antique shop doesn't seem to get many customers?"

Hebe shrugged, indicating she'd done her best.

"You're right, I'm moving out in the next couple of days," the young shop owner sighed. "Dreams are nice, but I still need to eat and make money. I probably won't be in this line of work anymore."

She was the picture of a young person who had just entered society and been brutally beaten by reality.

The patrol officer's pen paused as he was writing. "You're leaving Alfie Market? This is prime real estate."

Hebe shrugged; it was true she hadn't made money running the antique shop.

The patrol officer realized this too and moved on from the topic.

"Next question, have you ever dreamed of an antique shop? Its layout is..." The patrol officer read from his script, then looked around. "In Alfie Market, there are antique shops like this everywhere, aren't there?"

"Yes," Hebe nodded, her face unreadable. "I haven't had such a dream."

"Thank you for your cooperation." The patrol officer nodded to her and then left the antique shop.

A moment later, Hebe heard them knock on the door of the electronics repair shop next door.

The girl's face instantly fell.

She had thought Presis had pulled some stunt, causing the Special Inspection Department to suddenly start cracking down.

But the questions the patrol officers asked made Hebe realize they were specifically after her, at the request of someone higher up.

Hebe put her hand to her forehead. She hadn't been so keen on running away before, but now it seemed hitching a ride with Presis to the countryside of Cornwall to lie low was indeed the best option.

Some things were completely inexplicable. Until she could provide a reasonable explanation, it was probably best to keep her distance.

Time passed, and as dusk settled, Hebe closed her shop and headed to Vivian's Restaurant.

Standing before the large signboard, she sighed for no reason.

What a shame about the place she'd just found to forage... Who knew how hard it was to find a place to eat that suited her taste in Albion.

Hebe walked into the restaurant. The first floor was as packed as ever, with the manager, dressed in a well-fitting suit, directing the waitstaff.

The manager hesitated slightly when he saw Hebe approach, then walked over.

"I have a reservation."

"Ah, yes," the manager nodded and said without any difficulty, "Please follow me."

Mordred personally led Hebe to a private room on the second floor. After Hebe thanked her, she seemed hesitant.

Hebe could tell the manager had something to say.

"Um, after your last visit, I made some changes to the menu based on your suggestions," Mordred said, her gaze drifting to the side. "The response has been very good, so I wanted to specifically tell you about it."

Hebe was genuinely surprised this time.

This restaurant didn't serve high-end Gaulish cuisine; its specialty was delicious and affordable dishes.

She had only made a casual remark, yet they had actually gone and changed the menu. The cost involved must have been considerable.

"That's really... a shame," Hebe said with an apologetic smile. "I'm moving away very soon."

The manager's arm trembled. "Wh-what did you say?"

Hebe didn't think the manager's reaction was excessive. "Well... it can't be helped. There are just too many shops dealing in antiques and second-hand goods in Alfie Market; the homogenization competition is fierce."

"I haven't had a proper income in a long time," she explained slowly. "So I'm giving up on the antique shop and planning to try my luck elsewhere."

"..." Mordred fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently.

For some reason, Hebe suddenly sensed a feeling of loss and sadness from the person in front of her.

In the private room, Presis was sitting across the table, taking small sips of the complimentary drink.

After Hebe sat down, Presis frowned.

"The manager of this restaurant is also an Apprentice," Presis said.

After World War II, the Ascension of Ascenders was locked to Daylight, leading more and more Ascenders to refer to each other as Apprentices.

The biggest difference between an Apprentice of the Dawn rank and an ordinary person was that they possessed a vast amount of knowledge, collectively known as Secret Teachings.

However, beyond that, there was no fundamental difference between them and ordinary people.

In other words, if an Apprentice didn't intend to reveal themselves, they could live peacefully like an ordinary person, with no risk of exposure.

"You mean the illusion the manager cast on himself?"

Hebe smiled. She had realized this during her first visit to the restaurant.

That lobby manager must have had some unspeakable secret, which is why they cast some kind of confusion-based illusion on their own face.

Naturally, this couldn't escape Hebe's notice.

But so what? In Hebe's eyes, this was entirely the lobby manager's personal privacy. No matter what they looked like under the illusion, it had nothing to do with her as a diner.

Hebe only cared if the food was good; she didn't care about anything else.

"That's very reassuring," Presis commented. "In the world of Apprentices, a little caution is a good thing."

Hebe smiled noncommittally.

They began to discuss the many details of their departure.

"Tomorrow morning, we'll drive away," Presis said. "My destination is Blankog Island in Cornwall, which is considered an Apprentice settlement. What about you?"

Hebe answered honestly, "Me too."

Now it was Presis's turn to be surprised. "Are you sure you'll have someone to meet you there?"

The girl's deep green eyes didn't blink. "Yes."

Not only would she have someone to meet her, but she also had property there.

The A-rank reward for conquering the Lostbelt came from a branch of the Atlas Institute in the Egyptian lands—the Silent Bookstore, located in Blankog, Cornwall.

"Alright," Presis shrugged. "Then let's discuss whether we should bring the lobby manager along to Blankog."

"Why is that?" Hebe asked, confused. "To avoid attracting attention, isn't it better to have fewer people?"

"That's true, but Blankog is extremely valuable," Presis's face fell. "My savings are only enough to buy a very small plot of land there. Living there is fine, but I can't build a research workshop."

Hebe finally understood why Presis not only wanted to bring her along but also wanted to drag the manager into it.

"I'm afraid I can't participate in this plan for now," Hebe said, waving her hand. "Research results among Apprentices are better kept independent. Even if we bought the land together, how would we divide the space needed to build a workshop?"

"Alright then," Presis sighed, not pushing the matter.