Backlund, Queens Borough.
Audrey Hall sat in a hammock in a shady corner, gazing at the clusters of flowers blooming in the sunlight, pondering the matter for which Fors Wall had asked for help.
According to Viscount Glaint's confirmation, there is indeed a young girl named Xio Derecha being held in a temporary prison in the North Borough of Backlund.
Her crime was that she seriously injured a respectable gentleman in a property dispute, leaving him still lying in a hospital bed, perhaps never to stand up again.
Fors explained that the gentleman was not a good person; he was a gang leader in the East Borough of Backlund, making a living by loan sharking.
The incident began when a borrower discovered that the interest rate was several times higher than he had expected, and that he would be unable to repay it even if he went bankrupt. After failing to reach an agreement with the gentleman, he sought out Xio Derecha, a locally renowned " Arbitrator," hoping she could persuade the other party to waive the unreasonable portion of the interest.
The gentleman did not obey Xio Derecha's "rule" and even threatened to arrest the borrower's wife and children that very Xio Derecha changed his persuasion techniques and used physical means, which inadvertently caused serious harm.
Viscount Glaint investigated the matter and confirmed that Fors Wall. He also confirmed that the gang leader had lost control of his men and, after someone's midnight "visit," had forgiven the borrowers' debts and issued Xio Derecha. However, cases of serious injury are not exempt from prosecution simply because the victim does not wish to pursue the matter.
" Glaint wanted to resolve this through normal means and sent someone to consult a familiar top Lawyer. The lawyer said he was confident of a lenient sentence, but a not-guilty plea would be very difficult unless the client could obtain medical proof of mental illness or intellectual disability..." Audrey murmured to herself, leaning towards her friend's opinion.
For her, the most important thing was to avoid any public relationship with Fors Wall and Xio Derecha —after the " Tarot Club " incident, Audrey felt she was no longer an innocent and naive girl.
"There's a ball at Earl Wolfe's house tomorrow night. Tell Glaint to follow the Lawyer's advice." Audrey nodded slightly, making her decision.
In the Kingdom of Loen, Lawyer are divided into senior Lawyer and Lawyer. The latter are responsible for matters that do not require court appearances, such as collecting evidence, talking to clients, helping people draft wills, supervising the distribution of property, and providing legal advice. Of course, they can also represent clients in the Original magistrates' courts to defend simple cases.
The senior Lawyer are Lawyer who study evidence and defend their clients in court. According to the laws of the Kingdom of Loen, they must maintain an objective attitude, so they cannot directly contact their clients. They can only gather information through their assistants, who are also business Lawyer. Each of them is a true legal expert with outstanding eloquence and a very high level of debating skills.
Regaining her composure, Audrey, hiding in the darkness and peering into the light, looked at the vibrant flowers outside and suddenly thought of something:
"Medical certificate indicating mental health issues or developmental delays... Psychiatrist..."
"If the Psychology Alchemists mastered the ' Acting Method,' does that mean they can be found among Psychiatrist?"
Thinking about this, Audrey felt that her thinking was absolutely right, and her eyes shone like dazzling gems.
Just then, she saw the golden retriever Susie sneak behind the cluster of flowers, disappearing into a place only the gardener would ever visit.
" Susie... what is it going to do?" Audrey, hiding in the shadows, stared in disbelief.
The golden retriever seemed to be so captivated by the fragrance of the flowers that it didn't notice its owner behind it. It opened its mouth and made a high-pitched "ah ah ah" and "ya ya ya" sound.
Immediately afterwards, it caused the surrounding air to vibrate, producing awkward and unresonant words:
"Hello."
"Are you OK?"
Audrey's mouth opened slowly, completely forgetting the etiquette expected of an elegant lady. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing.
She stood up abruptly and blurted out:
" Susie, you can talk? When did you learn to talk?"
The golden retriever jumped up in fright and turned to face its owner.
It frantically and rapidly wagged its tail, its mouth opening and closing several times before vibrating the surrounding air.
"I..."
"I don't know how to explain it, after all, I'm just a dog."
Upon hearing this, Audrey was speechless for a moment.
On Monday morning, Klein was on vacation, reviewed and reinforced his knowledge of the occult as planned, and then took a public carriage to Hoy University.
He wanted to get to know Mr. Azik better and see what the man actually knew.
In the three-story gray stone building belonging to the history department, Klein chatted with his mentor Cohen Quentin, for a while, discussing matters related to the ancient ruins of Main Peak of Hornacis.
Having gained nothing extra, he took advantage of his mentor's absence to enter the office diagonally opposite and walk to the desk of the instructor Azik who was left behind.
"Mr. Azik, may I have a word with you?" He looked at the instructor, who had a bronze complexion, gentle features, and a small mole below his right ear, and removed his hat in a gesture of respect.
Azik, whose brown eyes held an indescribable sense of vicissitude, tidied up the books and said:
"No problem, let's go for a walk River Hoy."
"Okay." Klein picked up his cane and followed the other person out of the three-story gray stone building.
The two remained silent throughout the journey, neither uttering a word.
When the flowing river came into view, and when there were no more teachers and students around, Azik stopped, turned halfway around, and faced Klein, saying:
"What do you need me for?"
Klein pondered for a long time, considering many tactful approaches, but ultimately abandoned them all.
So he asked frankly and directly:
"Mr. Azik, you are a trustworthy and respectable gentleman. I'd like to know what you see in me, or what you know about me? I mean, about that incident last time, when you said there was something incongruous with my Fate."
Azik tapped his cane, sighed, and chuckled:
I didn't expect you to be so direct; I don't know how to answer.
"Frankly, the only thing I can see in your Fate is something incongruous with it; other than that, I don't know more than you do."
Klein hesitated for a moment and asked:
"But how could you tell? I don't believe it's from Divination."
Azik turned his head to look at the River Hoy, his tone tinged with melancholy:
"No, Klein, you don't understand. Divination can go to this extent, it just depends on who is Divination. Of course, my Divination is just a cover."
"... Some people are always special, born with some strange abilities, and I must be one of them."
"Should?" Klein keenly grasped the problem with the other party's choice of words.
"Yes, I don't know if I was born with this ability. Perhaps the price of such an ability is forgetting myself, forgetting the past, and forgetting my parents." Azik gazed at the river with a slightly melancholic look in his eyes.
Klein became increasingly confused as he listened:
"Forgetting the past?"
Azik smiled without a hint of a smile and said:
"Before entering the History Department at Backlund University, I lost most of my memory, only remembering my name and basic knowledge. Fortunately, I had identification, otherwise I would have been homeless. Over the years, I have tried to find my parents using my identification, but to no avail, even though I could only glimpse a corner of Fate."
"During my university years, I gradually discovered that I possessed some peculiar abilities, abilities that went beyond the realm of common sense."
Klein listened intently and blurted out:
"Mr. Azik, why did you lose your memory? No, I mean, did you find out the cause of your amnesia at the scene?"
He suspected that Mr. Azik was a member of the amnesiac School of Life, or even a Mid-Sequence member of considerable status—the kind of Concealment organization that corresponds to the " Monster," has produced " Prophet," and is based on a master-disciple system.
Azik shook his head heavily:
"No, it's as if I took a nap and forgot the past."
He took his cane and walked a few more steps forward, saying as he went:
"After leaving Backlund, I started having dreams, dreams of many strange things..."
Dreams? I'm an expert in dream interpretation! Klein, entering the realm of professional expertise, immediately asked:
What kind of dream was it?
Azik gave a muffled, low laugh:
"I have so many different dreams. Sometimes I dream of the dark interior of a mausoleum, of ancient coffins with corpses lying face down, their backs covered in white feathers. Sometimes I dream of being a knight in full armor, wielding a three-meter-long lance, charging towards the enemy."
"Sometimes I dream that I am a lord, with a bountiful manor, a beautiful wife, and three children. Sometimes I dream that I am a vagabond, getting soaked in the rain, walking on a muddy road, cold and hungry."
Sometimes, I dream that I have a daughter, a daughter different from my previous children. She has soft, black hair, loves to sit on the swing I made myself, and always asks me for candy. Sometimes, I dream that I am standing beside the gallows, coldly gazing up at the corpses floating above...
Listening to Azik's ramblings, Klein found himself unable to decipher the other's dreams, because the symbols of different dreams were opposite and contradictory!
Azik withdrew his gaze, his voice no longer wavering as he said:
"The southern Kingdom of Feynapotter worships the Earth Mother, and the Earth Mother's church preaches the idea that every life is a 'plant,' drawing nourishment from the earth, slowly growing, flourishing, and decaying."
"When they wither, these lives will fall to the earth, return to their mother's embrace, and then grow again the following year. Flowers bloom and fade, year after year, and so life goes on, life after life."
"Sometimes, I'm willing to believe this, to believe that because of my unique circumstances, I can dream about fragments of my past lives, and even the lives before that."
At this point, he looked at Klein and sighed:
"I haven't even told Cohen about these things. The reason I'm telling you is because I..."
Azik paused and chuckled:
"I'm sorry, my description just now wasn't accurate enough. The inconsistency in your Fate isn't the only thing I can see; I've also noticed something else."
" Klein, you're not normal anymore. You possess extraordinary, strange abilities, just like me."