Backlund

Glowa was a Beyonder too? Was this the Beyonder Characteristic he left behind?

Lorry immediately recalled the Law of Beyonder Characteristic Conservation, which had been mentioned repeatedly in the original novel. He ventured a guess and felt quite confident in his conclusion.

I killed a Beyonder...

Lorry was utterly surprised. He had never considered the possibility, since Glowa had displayed no unusual abilities from beginning to end.

Perhaps his Beyonder Abilities weren't outwardly apparent, just like mine?

Now was not the time to ponder such matters. Lorry wasted little time on it, putting the translucent, saclike object into his money pouch, tucking it against his chest, and swiftly leaving the old man's home.

Soon, he was concealed in the shadows.

However, Lorry did not hurry away. Instead, he hid quietly a short distance off.

About fifteen minutes later, four police officers in black-and-white uniforms hurried into the narrow alley, led by a villager.

Now I really have to leave.

Lorry breathed a sigh of relief, turned, and headed deeper into the darkness.

Two days later.

It was August 15, 1349.

Inside an ordinary hotel in Backlund's Hillston District.

Lorry stood by a bay window on the second floor, watching professionals from various fields hurry along the broad street below. He could not help murmuring to himself.

"Just what you'd expect from Backlund's economic center."

"If Glowa and his friends hadn't been kind enough to sponsor me, I couldn't even afford a hotel here."

The hotel he was staying at was in a relatively out-of-the-way location and was not particularly well furnished, yet it cost 2 soli a day-1 soli of which was a "tip" for the attendant.

That was because he could not provide valid identification.

In the original novel, the protagonist and his family had often complained about the Loen Kingdom's currency system.

Lorry found it somewhat unfamiliar too.

Pennies, soli, gold pounds... even the conversion ratios were inconsistent.

Still, with the original owner's memories, it was not too difficult for him to adjust.

"I currently have 25 gold pounds, 6 soli, and 8 pennies-all courtesy of the Wanderers Mutual Aid Association. If I don't factor in Beyonder-related expenses, it could support me for a long time."

"Unfortunately, that's impossible." Lorry rubbed his money pouch. The old man's eyes, forced wide open, seemed to appear in his mind again. His voice was low but resolute. "I'll make them pay!"

He took a small sip of the black tea provided by the hotel and calmed himself a little.

"Expenses in that area are practically a bottomless pit. Besides that, I have to account for food and rent. No, there's also investigating the Wanderers Mutual Aid Association."

"A lot of the pickpockets and thugs recognize my face. I can't investigate in person. I'll have to hire private detectives to help."

"That'll be another substantial expense. Their fees aren't cheap at all!"

As Lorry continued tallying the expenses, his expression gradually stiffened.

He had initially thought 25 pounds was a considerable sum, enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for at least three months. But after sorting through everything he needed to deal with, he suddenly realized he was still penniless.

"All right, I'll stop thinking about money for now."

"Once the police station opens tomorrow, I'll find Inspector Gana and sort out my identification. Then I'll look into how to earn money."

"I also need to get moving on attending a Beyonder gathering as soon as possible."

Some things were fine as long as he did not think about them.

Once he started, Lorry realized he really was rather busy.

Getting identification was one task.

Finding a Beyonder gathering was also quite urgent for him.

The reason was simple.

It was because of the translucent, saclike object he had taken from Glowa.

Lacking sufficient mysticism knowledge, Lorry did not know how to store a Beyonder Characteristic properly. He could only keep it in his money pouch for the time being.

Doing so was extremely dangerous.

Lorry remembered the original novel mentioning that objects could also absorb Beyonder Characteristics.

If he let the two remain in contact, he might wake up one day to find a money pouch flexing its muscles-Lorry had no desire to see that!

Thus, attending a Beyonder gathering and purchasing the relevant mysticism knowledge so he could store it more safely, or selling this unknown Beyonder Characteristic, were both good options.

Lorry leaned toward the former.

If he lost money because he failed to recognize its value, he knew he would be heartbroken.

If possible, I could sell the Bird's Beak too!

Lorry thought this without betraying anything on his face as the night breeze brushed against him.

The Bird's Beak was the beak-shaped mask he had seized from Glowa.

After two days of contact through his spirituality, Lorry had roughly figured out the Beyonder item's abilities and negative effects, and had given it a name.

Wearing the Bird's Beak granted a sense of smell far superior to an ordinary hunting dog's, making the wearer extremely sensitive to odors. It was suited to tracking and searching.

However, there were some precautions:

After each use, the wearer would experience some nasal discomfort.

The severity depended on how long it was worn. The shorter the duration, the milder the symptoms; the longer the duration, the more severe they became.

It could not be worn for more than three hours at a time, or the wearer would permanently lose their sense of smell.

Simply carrying it, however, produced no negative effects.

Having read the original novel thoroughly, Lorry naturally knew that Beyonder items with useful abilities and relatively mild, easily avoided negative effects were worth quite a lot.

If he could exchange it for a large sum of gold pounds or an offensive Beyonder item, he certainly would not refuse-even though investigating the Wanderers Mutual Aid Association might require him to follow certain people.

But the Bird's Beak was not suitable for that task.

Its distinctive appearance would only make Lorry stand out in a crowd.

Well, probably.

The next day.

Lorry woke to the bells of Steam Cathedral.

He walked to the window and discovered that, unexpectedly, the weather was lovely today-Backlund had a distinctive charm on sunny days, quite unlike its usual appearance.

Good thing I didn't sleep in too late.

Ten minutes later, washed and ready, Lorry sat in the ground-floor dining room, thinking happily. A Desi pie and a cup of Highland coffee sat before him.

Both were part of the breakfast provided by the hotel. Yes... free of charge.

"It tastes pretty good."

After leisurely finishing the last sip of coffee, Lorry wiped his mouth with a napkin and gave the attendant who had come to collect his dishes a slight

nod, then rose and headed outside.

The police station where Inspector Gana, the old man's former colleague, worked was not far from his hotel. It was about a fifteen-minute walk.

He had gone there yesterday, but unfortunately had not found Inspector Gana. According to his colleagues, the inspector was on leave and would return to work today.

"Life isn't easy... looks like everyone's doing their best to get by."

Lorry walked at a normal pace while familiarizing himself with Hillston District. Suddenly, he spotted a respectably dressed lady abandon all decorum, gather up the hem of her clothes, and sprint down the street. He could not help murmuring to himself.

-It was as though he were looking at himself in his previous life, about to clock in late.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm looking for Inspector Gana." Lorry entered the police station and went straight to the reception area, dipping his head slightly in greeting.

"Inspector Gana... let me check. Oh, his leave has ended. You can go straight to office 16 to find him. Go straight, turn right, then keep going. Office 16 is at the end of the corridor."

The lady who had nearly been late did not look up at Lorry, who had just traveled the same route as her. She rummaged through the attendance records and spoke, still slightly out of breath.

She stood and helpfully pointed the way.

Suddenly, her gaze froze. She looked down at the freshly printed wanted notice, her expression caught somewhere between alarm and delight.

"Someone, come quickly! He's the wanted criminal from Koyar Village!"