Cultivate Myself? Chapter 28

Adler shook his head. "No, that's too dangerous."

"Live as a hero among men, die as a champion among ghosts. Everything for Grand Duke Marganna—what is death?"

Ryan looked like he was ready to march to his death without hesitation.

Adler was deeply gratified. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you. But Ryan, we can't rush this. We may only have one chance left. And what the Grand Duke wants isn't Cassidy dead—it's her capture."

Ryan was surprised. "Capture her?"

No wonder there had been so many attackers at the Train Station today. Capturing someone was far more difficult than killing them.

"What's the point of capturing that woman? Other than being a little prettier and having a bigger ass, what can she do?"

"? What are you talking about? Of course it's not because of her personally." Adler looked at him strangely. "The Grand Duke means that Cassidy's status is useful."

"Oh~"

He understood.

Use the emperor to command the feudal lords, right?

Of course, it hadn't reached that point yet. At most, they would use the Princess's name, then kick her aside once everything was done.

Come to think of it, it really was a good idea. At the very least, with Cassidy's title as a Princess, their series of actions during the Early Stage of the rebellion would go much more smoothly.

"But if it's just me, capturing her might be difficult." Ryan hesitated.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely help you. Although the Hand of Darkness needs to lie low for a while, our strength is still there. Besides, if you run into any trouble, you can come here. The Shopkeeper here is one of ours too. She's a Singer. I'll have her cooperate with your operations from now on."

"Listen, Ryan. Do not act impulsively. Hold back. Only act when you have absolute confidence. We lost quite a few people this time, and that bastard Jonathan has probably set his sights on me. I need to find a way to get out too."

"What you need to do is find every possible way to earn their trust. Start with the League of Fire. It would be even better if you can get close to Cassidy. I'll find a way to arrange that."

After Norman's matter had been exposed, Adler knew there would inevitably be trouble on his side as well.

It hadn't mattered for the sake of the attack plan, but now that the plan had failed, Jonathan would undoubtedly cling to him like a leech.

"Sigh~ Fine, then I'll endure a little longer." Ryan sighed softly. "But Lord Adler, when exactly can we reveal our identities? When can I return to the organization?"

"Soon, soon. As long as Marganna's great cause succeeds, we'll all be heroes who made it happen."

"But it's already been three years. I'm afraid that after another three years, and then another three years, there still won't be any hope in sight."

Ryan had joined the villainous faction three years ago. At the time, he had only recently joined the Bureau of Investigation, while Marganna had already begun planning the rebellion.

Adler reassured him patiently. "Ryan, your current identity is very important. Become a full Investigator as soon as possible... Oh, right. Come here tomorrow evening. I'll have someone test your Magic Aptitude."

"Magic Aptitude? Is it dangerous?"

"Don't worry, it isn't."

"Alright... Oh, right, about Norman. That transcendent from the League of Fire kept following me today, so I could only kill him."

"Norman? Dead is dead. He was going to die sooner or later anyway. Dying now keeps things cleaner."

Even if Ryan had not killed Norman, Adler would have found a way to make him die miserably in prison.

After all, Norman knew too much and was far too High-profile. If he got caught and turned around to bite Adler, that would be troublesome.

"Alright, Ryan, I should go. If anything comes up in the future, just come here and find the Shopkeeper. Feel free to have her handle anything you need."

Adler had slipped out while the League of Fire was attacking the Hand of Darkness. Now that he had finished arranging matters for Ryan, he had to hurry back and keep an eye on the situation there.

"Goodbye, Lord Adler."

Ryan looked around. This bookstore, less than fifty square meters in size, appeared quite ordinary. At the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor, he saw a woman dressed in blue-black clothing.

Their gazes met, and the woman gave a slight nod. "Lord Ryan, Kaisa is at your service."

If the League of Fire's operation at the Train Station had made Adler furious, then Jonathan leading people in a nighttime raid on the major strongholds made him want to flip the table.

It did not matter how many ordinary people died, but members of transcendent factions—even half-transcendents who had not changed classes—were extremely valuable.

The Hand of Darkness in Berman City might have had many members, but they had been accumulated bit by bit over many years.

This wave had sent them straight back to square one. Only Kasa and a mere dozen or so others had survived. They had been thoroughly crippled and would be unable to accomplish anything for a long while.

The Gate of Janus had also cooperated in this large-scale operation. Otherwise, the League of Fire alone could not have acted so efficiently.

'Lin Qi's' performance once again earned the approval of High Priest Lia. Not only that, after Cassidy met with Mayor Bill in Aideburg, she personally invited 'Lin Qi' to attend the banquet Bill would hold for her the following day.

An invitation from Her Highness the Princess!

For a time, the wealthy merchants and nobles across Berman City were green with envy.

As a result, early the next morning, Janus Church was packed with all sorts of people who had come to pray.

There were no shortage of Noble Merchants among them. They pretended to be there to worship the Janus Statue, but their thoughts were all on 'Lin Qi.' They tried every possible way to befriend her. Thanks to Cassidy, Ryan got to fully experience the fine customs of noble society.

Had anyone ever seen people stuff so much money into a Donation Box that it burst?

That day, Janus Church's daily income broke its all-time record.

However, the church's affairs did not attract much attention, because nearly every news report that day concerned Princess Cassidy's arrival in Berman City and Director Norman's murder.

News from the Train Station could not get out, and neither could the League of Fire's operation. Cassidy had only just arrived, yet the Director of the Bureau of Investigation responsible for public security had died. It was difficult not to draw a connection between the two.

Later that morning, the Municipal Office publicly revealed Norman's crimes: abusing children, keeping mistresses, taking bribes, murder, colluding with Heretics, and more. Mayor Bill personally stepped forward, finally bringing the matter to a close.

Ryan had thought it had nothing to do with him, but the Municipal Office suddenly issued a notice saying that, due to his contribution in exposing Norman's crimes, he was being directly transferred to serve as Criminal Investigation Captain at the Bureau of Investigation's General Bureau.

Going from Vice Captain at a branch office to Captain at the General Bureau was no small leap.

"Director, what's going on?"

East District Branch of Bureau of Investigation.

Jonathan's office.

"What else could it be?" Jonathan leaned back on the sofa and smiled. "You got promoted. Aren't you happy?"

Ryan spread his hands. "How could it fall to me? You made such a huge contribution and didn't get any reward."

Although Adler had promised him a promotion and a raise, there was probably no chance of that happening anytime soon. After all, that guy still had a whole pile of his own mess to clean up.

"As for me, no chance." Jonathan waved a hand. "Those people up there won't let me hold too much power, or they won't feel secure. Since I can't get promoted, they had to find someone to receive the reward, and you were the best fit. Of course, Her Highness the Princess probably mentioned you last night too. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gone this smoothly."

"So that's how it is."

Ryan nodded.

With Jonathan's capabilities, he would have had no problem becoming Director of the General Bureau.

But if he really took the position, those Noble Merchants would probably lose sleep at night.

The Municipal Office had no choice but to install a director. To promote the fairness and selflessness of municipal administration and make the citizens believe in the imperial government, they had to put a hero on display.

Look, that handsome young man was Ryan. He had exposed Norman's conspiracy, solved a strange case not long ago, and was an outstanding Police Officer even Her Highness the Princess had acknowledged.

Though it was somewhat a coincidence, it was still a good thing, so Ryan gladly accepted.

Captain today, Director tomorrow, kill Bill the day after tomorrow, and he could be mayor!

"Alright. Now let's talk business." Jonathan stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and stood up. "Ryan, come with me. I'll take you to test your Magic Aptitude. If all goes well, you can become an official Investigator today."

Ryan's Magic Talent

In Jonathan's eyes, Ryan was an exceptionally suitable talent for becoming an Investigator.

As long as his Magic Talent met the standard, Jonathan would not hesitate to handle Ryan's official appointment.

"...People outside say that the League of Fire's superhumans are the cheapest, because the Sun God favors humanity and is never stingy in answering Believers' prayers. But what many people don't know is that the Faith Path of the Sun Faith is not so easy to obtain. Even within the League of Fire, superhumans of this profession make up no more than thirty percent."

On the way to the testing site, Jonathan explained some basic information about the League of Fire to Ryan.

Thirty percent sounded like a lot, but the League of Fire was, after all, an organization established with the Sun Faith as its primary Faith Path.

Fortunately, unlike other supernatural factions, the League of Fire did not treat everyone outside its own faith path as outsiders. If it were a Faith Path polluted by an Outer God, they would probably have started killing long ago.

"But don't worry. I've got a feeling you'll definitely pass the test." Jonathan grinned as he spoke. "I just think you've got what it takes to make something of yourself."

"Director, you can tell fortunes too?"

"Fortune-telling is what Believers of the Moon Temple do. I can't. Do you believe in intuition? My intuition has always been accurate."

"I think so too." Ryan nodded. "I'll definitely make something of myself someday."

Jonathan froze. "You brat, you've got some thick skin."

He had complimented him, and the kid had immediately climbed right up with it.

"Confidence is a good thing. Superhumans can communicate with Deities, and I've always believed that temperament matters greatly. When you possess enough determination, even a god may cast their gaze upon you. That's probably what a God's Chosen is."

God's Chosen and Chosen One differed by only one word, but after being a superhuman for so many years, he had increasingly felt that the difference between the two was like heaven and earth.

"Director, is there still hope for someone my age to become God's Chosen?"

"Who knows? It's not up to me." Jonathan shrugged. "There are too few examples of God's Chosen, but becoming a Chosen One definitely won't be a problem."

As they spoke, the two turned into an alley. After walking for about five minutes, they stopped in front of an utterly unremarkable building.

Jonathan knocked on the door. After a while, it opened, and Jack's head poked out from inside.

"Ah, Mr. Jonathan, and Captain Ryan!"

"Jack? What are you doing here?"

"I'm with the League of Fire. This is an outpost I guard."

"I mean, aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"How could class be more important than defending the Empire?"

"Ah, true enough. Keep it up."

Ryan had initially wanted to say that school was important, that it would help him find a good job later, but then he remembered that Jack did not lack money. Jonathan had mentioned Jack that morning—the League of Fire's operating funds in Berman City included a substantial amount Jack had put together from his own Pocket Money.

Jonathan had also wanted to persuade him otherwise, but Jack was simply giving too much.

A sentence inexplicably surfaced in Ryan's mind—if I can't become an Investigator, I'll go home and inherit the family business.

Damn it. There were so many rich people in the world. Why couldn't one of them just be him for no reason?

Inside the building.

Following Jonathan's instructions, Jack had already prepared the Magic Potion needed for the test.

Besides that, a Hexagram Array had been drawn on the floor, with a pile of soul jades placed beside it.

Jonathan had Jack step aside. He wanted to test Ryan himself.

"This is a magic power testing ritual. You can think of it as a special kind of sacrifice. Magic Talent is a mysterious thing; it can't be measured like a straightforward number. At first, no one knew what magic power was, until the Deities appeared."

"The power of Transcendents comes from the paths of ability inhabited by the Deities, so testing Magic Talent also requires the gods' intervention. Inscribe the array, offer sacrifices, and the gods will bestow their power."

As he spoke, Jonathan poured an unknown liquid into the grooves of the Hexagram Array. The liquid immediately spread through the grooves, filling the entire array.

"What if the gods don't bestow their power?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know. That's never happened. The ancient Singers believed the ability to test magic power was God's Gift. Unless one's faith is lacking, it will definitely succeed."

"Like an automated reply, then."

"You could put it that way."

Jonathan did not know where the method of testing magic power had come from, and no one had ever looked deeply into it, just as no one asked where the Inner World barrier had come from.

As long as it worked, that was enough for them.

"Stand in the middle of the array and hold this bottle of Magic Potion Base."

Ryan took the small bottle Jonathan handed him. It contained a base layer of golden liquid.

He walked into the middle of the array.

In the dim room, only the light emitted by the array illuminated the surroundings.

"Once I finish reciting the ritual words, drink the Magic Potion Base in the bottle. It will briefly pull you into the Inner World, where you can listen to the Voice of God."

"Director, you can recite ritual words too? Isn't that something only Singers can do?"

"It's free, so I know a little."

Jonathan waved a hand, signaling Ryan to get ready.