Exorcism

After inspecting the apartment again, Sulu was very satisfied.

Not only is his own bedroom very large, but he also reserved rooms for servants, so hiring a live-in maid wouldn't be a problem.

Furthermore, although it was old, it was kept very clean, and the furniture was arranged very comfortably.

"It's obvious... that former tenant was a nice person, with a bit of artistic talent..."

"Judging from the Wormwood in the flowerbed, he might know a little about the occult... Of course, it could just be a coincidence."

Sulu dismissed Duran and Wood and began to examine the intelligence they had given him.

That's a bounty offered by wealthy and middle-class people in Lori City who are currently suffering from some strange events!

He plans to find a suitable job before applying for another one.

After all, his pockets were almost empty again after paying two months' rent.

'And... it can't be too intense; I don't want a fierce battle... But, the truly terrifying, wide-ranging threats have probably already been dealt with or contained by the Church and the Federation, right?'

The remaining cases were simply those that the other party didn't want or those that wouldn't kill anyone immediately, so they weren't in a hurry to be dealt with and weren't particularly dangerous.

Completing these tasks will not only earn you a hefty reward, but may also grant you access to the city's elite circles.

Two weeks later.

Inside a villa in Lori City.

"... In conclusion, Ms. Rosan, the reason you have been experiencing headaches and heart palpitations... is not due to any Evil Spirit, but simply because of this new bed..."

Sulu changed his clothes, wearing Scholar's gown and glasses, and looked much older.

At this moment, he tapped the mahogany bed in the lady of the house's bedroom with his knuckles. "The wood used for this bed... should be red cedar from the Yarit Archipelago... There's nothing wrong with it, but when mixed with the perfume from Fashelan, it creates a very subtle chemical reaction... That's the root of your recent series of problems."

"So that's how it is..."

Rosan, a very beautiful woman, held her husband's arm and murmured, "No wonder... I felt much better after you let me move out for a few days."

"Now that the matter is settled, I shall take my leave."

Sulu politely bid farewell, and was personally seen off by the male host before returning to his carriage.

He counted his earnings, then casually tossed a small bag of Gold Dragon to Duran and Wood: "Take this... it's what you deserve."

It's not feasible to keep these two thugs on their toes without paying them anything; we have to give them some benefits.

For now, a little Gold Dragon is enough.

"Thank you, generous sir!"

Wood and Duran's voices suddenly became much more excited.

During this period of time, they were actually quite uneasy, not only because of the 'curse' on them, but also because the things Sulu ordered them to do had greatly hampered their daily lives, drawing complaints from the people in the Shark Gang.

As for now?

Most problems can be solved with money!

"Let's go back to the apartment!"

Sulu leaned back in his seat and squinted.

During this period, he chose some less difficult commissions, completed them one by one with a little effort, and reaped a large sum of Gold Dragon.

As it turns out, at least half of these events were not mysterious.

Some are just ordinary psychological problems, while others are simply pranks.

Fortunately, he was very knowledgeable. He was not only Mystic Scholar but also a physicist and a chemist. He knew a little about everything and solved the problems one by one. It was foreseeable that he would soon become somewhat famous in certain local circles.

This is the ticket to enter the circle of extraordinary individuals!

Otherwise, a complete stranger would certainly be subject to much scrutiny and vigilance.

'Furthermore... among mysterious events, there aren't actually that many cases involving the supernatural... the many I encountered before... were entirely due to stumbling upon them.'

Back at the apartment, Sulu told Duran and the other person to leave.

As soon as I opened the door, a figure busy in the kitchen greeted me, speaking in a sweet voice:

"Welcome home, sir!"

She was wearing a cook's apron, in her early twenties, with a round face and big eyes. Her Mary, and she was a maid and cook hired by Sulu.

She is responsible for cleaning the house every day and cooking three meals a day for him. She does not live at home, so he also has to pay for her transportation costs.

What's for dinner tonight?

Sulu put down his coat and sat down at the dining table.

"The main course is veal, and the side dishes include a vegetable salad and oxtail soup... Please wait a moment!"

Mary bowed and returned to the kitchen, whereupon a rich and mellow aroma of beef soon filled the air.

Sulu opened a bottle of red wine for himself and picked up the newspaper beside him.

He spent the whole day outside 'exorcising demons' and didn't even have time to read the newspaper for breakfast.

Then I opened the Federation Daily and saw the latest news about Nia City.

"The Nia City mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind a shockingly large crater..."

In terms of timeliness, this information is outdated and is also blocked.

But as Sulu gazed at the aerial photographs of the Sky Pit, he fell silent.

"A city, hundreds of thousands of citizens... This is truly going to shake the Federation and shock the world; there's no way to cover it up now..."

Although the authorities seem to be desperately trying to maintain a blockade, he knows that the day of the showdown is not far off.

"Sir, your dinner is ready!"

A dozen minutes later, Mary placed a tray on the table in front of Sulu and lifted the silver cover.

Sizzle!

Intense white steam billowed out, mingling with the aroma of sizzling beef, wildly stimulating the taste buds.

"Thanks!"

Sulu wrapped a napkin around his neck, enjoyed his dinner with satisfaction, and watched Mary finish cleaning up before taking his leave.

He rested for a while, then took his basket and sickle and went to the garden.

"The Wormwood is growing well... it's ready to be harvested..."

Processed Wormwood is the main ingredient for crafting Thaumaturgy Card.

He had used up most of his cards in the previous battles and needed to replenish them.

'Creating cards is only the first step; I also need to find extraordinary individuals, seal their skills... These are things I can't accomplish right now.'

'However... it's always good to have enough blank cards on hand, just in case.'

'As I accumulate more and more possessions over time, I'll definitely need a way to store them... But even if such a Curio exists, it must be incredibly expensive, right?'

During this period, although he solved some mysterious minor incidents, his income was not very high, totaling only about one hundred Gold Dragon.

Such income could allow an ordinary person or family to live a comfortable life for several years, but when it comes to purchasing extraordinary materials, it's like a pebble thrown into a river.

With a 'plop' sound, nothing was left.