A synonym for war... Sequence similar to the Witch Pathway... which one could it be? Klein watched the holographic scene while recalling the Sequence he knew.
Since he was only a formal member of the Nighthawks, he had no access to much information and was almost completely ignorant of the names and characteristics of the mid-to -High-Sequence. He only knew about the " Light Priest " and " Unshadowed " that he had gleaned from the " Eternal Blazing Sun the Sun," the "Dawn Knight," " Guardian," and " Demon Hunter " of the " God of Combat " pathway that he had learned from the "Sun" Dawn Paladin, and the " Spirit Guide " and " Gatekeeper " that Daly and Dunn had mentioned.
Therefore, it is difficult for him to accurately determine whether a Sequence Pathway is synonymous with war, and he can only use the process of elimination. For example, the " God of Combat " path does not seem to be war, but rather a single battle.
After a moment of thought, Klein narrowed the scope down to five:
One is the " Arbiter " Sequence, jointly controlled by the Augustus Family, the rulers of the Kingdom of Loen, and the Castiya Family, the rulers of the Kingdom of Feynapotter. However, Klein felt that this was the least likely, because the corresponding Sequence 8 for " Arbiter " is " Sheriff," and Sequence 7 is " Interrogator," which seems to be developing in the direction of Judgement and judgment, rather than war.
The second path is represented by the " Black Emperor " of the Solomon Empire in the Quaternary Period. Its modern name for Sequence 9 is " Lawyer." They are adept at finding and exploiting loopholes in the rules and weaknesses of their opponents, and possess extremely outstanding eloquence and logical reasoning. This is the path that Klein believes may be the second lowest. He suspects that the development of this Sequence is about using the rules and walking in the shadow of order. Of course, war is also one of the shadows of order.
Thirdly, the " Hunter " pathway is simultaneously possessed by the Einhorn Family, the rulers of the Feynapotter Empire, the Sauron Family, the former royal family of the Republic of Intis, and the " Iron and Blood Cross Order," Concealment organization that has only emerged in the last two or three hundred years. Klein believes that this possibility is quite high.
The Nighthawks' internal documents describe " Hunter " as excellent trackers, outstanding trap experts, and superb hunters. The corresponding Sequence 8 name is " Provoker," and Sequence 7 is " Pyromaniac," all of which are related to killing and war.
Fourthly, there's the " Criminal " pathway, which follows the ancient Devil organization " Blood Worship Cult." Just from the Sequence name, Klein felt it had a considerable chance of success.
Fifth, the " Prisoner " approach used by the " Rose School of Thought," known for its bloody sacrifices, for the same reasons as the previous one.
Just as Klein's thoughts were wandering, the scene changed once again. Madam Shermane had just finished bathing, her hair still wet and flowing down her back, her face possessing a fresh yet alluring charm.
"I couldn't see clearly the face of the white-robed woman who led Madam Shermane to become Witch... It must be because my Spirit Channeling abilities aren't good enough..." Klein pulled himself back to his eyes and focused his attention back on what was in front of him.
Madam Shermane tossed her hair, and it seemed as if water droplets slid down her face.
She glanced at the man waiting on the bed and chuckled softly.
Do you need me to help you with Maynard?
The middle-aged man on the bed frowned and shook his head, saying, "Unless you can guarantee that you won't leave a single trace, but that's impossible, and what can you do about it?"
Upon seeing this gentleman, Klein was initially taken aback, but then realized it was exactly what he had expected.
The middle-aged man's photo frequently appears on the front page of newspapers such as the Tingen City Honest Paper. He is the incumbent mayor, who is seeking re-election, and a member of the Conservative Party.
Madam Shermane smiled and didn't delve into the topic further. With her nightgown half-fallen off, she walked gracefully towards the bedside.
The scenes changed one after another, and Klein saw many more of the councilors, businessmen, and government employees who would occasionally appear in the city's newspapers.
They discussed how to collect donations, how to circumvent the Election Act to Bribe voters, or promised protection and solutions; Madam Shermane Acting the role of a "broker" in all of this.
This is actually a documentary, isn't it... " Madam Shermane Takes You to the Upper Circle of Tingen City "... Hmm, but why are there so many scenes with beds...? Many nobles and councilors clearly know that Madam Shermane has many lovers, so why do they still seem unable to resist temptation...? Is this Madam Shermane's Sequence Ability? Klein watched it thoughtfully, silently speculating and complaining to himself.
Through the Spirit Channeling he had just experienced, he confirmed one thing: none of the guys in Tingen City's upper circles knew Madam Shermane's true identity, nor did they actively conspire with her to murder Congressman Maynard.
In other words, Congressman Maynard's death was Madam Shermane's own doing? Why would she do that? She didn't need to take such a risk.
Of course, from Madam Shermane's perspective, she possesses the extraordinary ability to interfere with Divination and can create seemingly harmless sudden deaths during lovemaking. Dealing with Senator Maynard wouldn't be too risky or expose her, but her motives are clearly insufficient and inconsistent with the risks she would have to take!
Was this a requirement of her " Acting "? But she could have easily found a target whose identity and status were less sensitive, so that the case would not have needed the assistance of the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, or the members of the Machinery Hivemind.
More importantly, Madam Shermane should have been able to see that Congressman Maynard's wife hated her and was filled with resentment, and was quite likely to have someone investigate her. So why didn't she move the sensitive items such as the bone statues in advance, perhaps by burying them somewhere in the garden?
Why is she so confident in the safe, the hidden compartment, and its arrangement?
Puzzled, Klein noticed that Madam Shermane's spirit hadn't clearly dissipated, so he quickly performed another " Dream Divination."
The content of his Divination this time was:
" Madam Shermane's real motive for killing John Maynard."
After silently reciting the mantra, Klein Dream Divination again and saw a new scene:
Madam Shermane, holding a glass of blood-red wine and wearing a loose nightgown, paced back and forth in the room. Finally, she downed the rest of the wine in one gulp, as if she had made up her mind.
The scene quickly dissipated, and Klein became increasingly confused, because it seemed that Madam Shermane Maynard done the death voluntarily, without being instigated by anyone.
"Strange..." Klein muttered to himself, and tried several other Divination phrases, but the answers were the same.
Seeing Madam Shermane gradually becoming transparent, increasingly ethereal, and about to disappear, Klein thought for a moment and made a final Spirit Channeling:
" The Witch Pathway Sequence Potion Recipe"
" The Witch Pathway Sequence Potion Recipe"
Klein silently recited the new Divination phrases and, with the help of Cogitation, quickly entered a dream.
He originally didn't want to do this Divination because he believed that the " Witch " path was the type that spread disaster and caused suffering. Even if he obtained the corresponding Potion formula, he was unwilling to sell it to others and become an indirect murderer.
But then he remembered something from before: through his knowledge of the " Spectator " Potion recipe, he suspected and confirmed that Duster Guderian was a member of the Psychology Alchemists.
Therefore, in order to better deal with Witch in the future, it is essential to understand the characteristics of their Sequence Pathway.
Hmm, after Hood Eugen's death, Duster Guderian hasn't contacted me yet. It's likely that the Psychology Alchemists sent a powerful member to investigate, and he dares not take any action... In a flash of thought, Klein saw that deep hall again, and saw the woman draped in a white, holy robe.
Madam Shermane lowered her head, and could only see the other person's legs, a pair of flawless legs.
Soon, she heard a beautiful voice, like a song:
"' Pleasure,' that's the name of Sequence 6 Potion, and also your upcoming goal for advancement. If you succeed, you'll become the ' Demoness of Pleasure.'"
" Pleasure that is inescapable and irresistible is a form of suffering; this is a maxim you must follow."
"Once you complete the promotion, in addition to the enhancement of your ' Witch ' abilities in all aspects, you will also become more beautiful, skilled in seduction, and adept at giving unforgettable pleasure to both sexes during lovemaking. You can create strange threads like a spider and make full use of them."
Immediately afterwards, an ancient book made of silver appeared before Madam Shermane. Opened, it contained a recipe written on one side and ingredients laid out on the other.
Main ingredients: a pair of Desire Demoness eyes, and one silk gland from an adult Giant Widow Spider.
"Supporting materials: 100 ml of pure water, 5 drops of black datura juice, all remaining hair from Desire Demoness, 10 g of powdered Feynapotter fly, and 5 g of genuine mummy ashes."
The scene changed again. It was the same deep hall, the same white robe with a high slit at the side, and the same woman whose face was not visible. But this time, Madam Shermane had returned to her original appearance, back to the young man in the photograph.
A beautiful female voice echoed into my ears:
"This is the name of Sequence 7 Potion; I bet you're quite surprised."
"Yes, I can't believe it's called ' The Witch '!" Madam Shermane said, slightly agitated.
"Remember this: to get closer to the ' Primordial,' we must become more and more like Her. She is female, and we must also become female," the beautiful female voice replied. "You either give up or you must accept it. After becoming Witch, you will become a true woman and gain a great enhancement in appearance and charm. You will have the ability to become invisible and use substitutes. You will have a basic grasp of various black magic spells, be good at interfering with other people's Divination, and receive the favor of black flames and frost."
"The main ingredients are: all the blood of the Black Abyss Demonic Fish and the egg of the Agate Peacock."
"The supplementary materials are: 80 ml of pure water, 5 drops of golden datura juice, three scales of Shadow Lizard, and 10 drops of daffodil juice."
Scenes Blink; Klein saw the recipe for " Instigator," the recipe for " Assassin," and learned their respective characteristics.
When he tried to continue the Divination, Madam Shermane's spirit completely dissipated.
Exiting the ritual and returning to reality, Klein gathered his materials, dispelled the Wall of Spirituality, and told Dunn Smith everything he had learned from the Spirit Channeling encounter without any concealment Dunn Smith then expressed his doubts about Madam Shermane's murder of Senator Maynard.
"' Pleasure ' certainly doesn't require killing people of high status and position... Hmm, we need to investigate where Madam Shermane has been over the years, figure out her true origins, and find that deep hall you saw. Of course, this needs to be reported to the Holy Cathedral for unified arrangements; we can't leave Tingen at will." Dunn nodded slightly, glanced around, and said, "Go to the first floor and check if the servants are still asleep. If anyone has woken up and discovered the commotion, bring them here and have them sign a confidentiality agreement according to procedure. I'll be in charge of the second floor."
He had found a black cloth and covered the Sealed Artifact "3-0271".
Upon hearing this, Klein suddenly realized why the fierce battle hadn't brought the servants and attendants to their aid—the captain had put them into a state of slumber from the very beginning.
Klein's body was still a little cold and stiff, so he could only slow down and move forward very lightly and slowly.
As he passed the bedroom door, he reached out, forcefully pulled off the two tarot cards embedded in it, wiped them clean, and put them back in his pocket.
After leaving the room, he headed towards the stairwell.
After walking a few steps, he suddenly thought of a problem: how to make sure the other person was sound asleep.
Trying them one by one using Divination? That's too much trouble... The captain is " Nightmare," an expert in this area. I need to ask him if there's a quick and simple way.
Without hesitation, Klein turned around and, still battling the cold and stiffness, slowly made his way to the bedroom door.
Before he even got close, his gaze pierced through the open door and fell upon the broken full-length mirror facing him at an angle.
It still had a small portion hanging on the frame, with pieces of the lens cracked into pieces the size of a palm.
In the cracked mirror, Dunn Smith, is half-lying next to Kenley's corpse, seemingly doing something.
Suddenly, he raised his head, his gray eyes dark and deep, his lips stained with dark red blood.
Dark red blood.
Klein instinctively turned around, moved away from the doorway, and leaned against the wall.
P. S.: Second update, please vote with monthly tickets! Also, it's almost the end of the month, and the first month of its release is coming to a close. I'm planning a giveaway event, so please follow me and check the latest post.