To the gentle and soothing melody, Klein and Hibbert danced gracefully. One was tall and slender, the other slim and tall. Apart from the significant age difference, their movements, rhythm, temperament, and appearance were perfectly matched and extremely beautiful, almost serving as a demonstration for teaching.
Klein broke the silence, speaking casually as he turned slightly:
"I had been having nightmares a lot lately, but thankfully I was blessed by the goddess. After praying a few times in church and drinking some holy water, I stopped waking up in the middle of the night."
Hibbert silently raised her eyes, and after two seconds spoke:
What kind of nightmare?
To think they'd be interested in this topic... Will Auceptin is absolutely right... Klein smiled and replied:
"You find yourself inside an abandoned, dilapidated church, and then you're chased by all sorts of Monster."
"But as you know, things in dreams are never easy to remember in detail. I can't describe exactly what those Monster looked like."
Hibbert didn't speak, but her bright, deep brown eyes were filled with disapproval.
In other words, she believes that things in dreams are not necessarily unrememberable.
Klein embraced her and took a step to the side, smiling as he said:
"Indeed, I've had very vivid dreams before."
"At that time, I was still in the Southern Continent. I dreamed of an upside-down mausoleum, made of pitch-black boulders that stretched into the ground, with Living Corpse covered in white feathers emerging to drag me inside."
"I had similar dreams for several days in a row. It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I was terrified. I rushed to a nearby city and found Seer Club to help me interpret my dreams. The conclusion was that I might have offended a tribe's belief in the Death during a purchase of local specialties."
"Strangely enough, after I went to that tribe to apologize, offered gifts, and participated in one of their celebrations, I never had that dream again."
The above content was fabricated from the perspective of a Seer, with the aim of arousing Hibbert's interest and seeing if she would unconsciously reveal something. At the same time, it was also a subtle suggestion that would not arouse suspicion. The hidden meaning was that if Hibbert was troubled by dreams, she should consult a member of Seer Club or a church pastor to interpret the dreams, and not blindly believe the contents of the dreams or try them rashly on her own.
When Will Auceptin mentioned that Hibbert had some issues and suggested discussing dreams with her, Klein suspected that the contradictions she displayed might stem from a series of dreams. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why, despite possessing at least Sequence 8 strength, she severely lacked common sense about the mystical world and was blindly arrogant. Moreover, as a well-educated upper-class lady, she should have little contact with wild, Beyonder with unclear motives, given that her father was a member of the House of Commons who would certainly be protected and surrounded by Beyonder.
Therefore, Klein believed that Hibbert might have come into contact with some object, or that due to her personality, she was chosen by some powerful figure who guided her step by step to become Beyonder through dreams, without giving her the necessary common sense, and at the same time, lured her to dig in the sewers to search for something.
Two factors made him quite certain of this conjecture: first, Will Auceptin's words; and second, the Sequence 5 of the " Marauder " pathway is called " Dream Stealer," which cannot and will not only possess the extraordinary ability to Stealing thoughts!
After listening quietly Dawn Dantès Hibbert Dantes's story, Hazel opened her mouth unconsciously, then closed it again, and after nearly ten seconds spoke:
Why didn't you go to the goddess's church back then?
As expected, he reacted to the topic of dreams, but remained cautious and revealed nothing... Klein gave a wry smile and said:
"There isn't a church dedicated to the goddess in that area yet; it belongs to a region that worships the God of Steam and Machinery."
Hibbert didn't continue the topic, turning her attention back to the dance itself, seemingly immersed in the music.
Klein also quieted down, immersing himself in the beautiful melody with the girl.
After the dance ended, he escorted Hibbert back to her original spot, then, feeling thirsty, went to the long table area to get a glass of sweet iced tea.
Then he saw Bishop Electra enjoying red wine there.
Unlike the Church of Storms and the Church of the God of Combat, the clergy of the Evernight Goddess are forbidden from drinking alcohol and must abstain from distilled spirits. They may drink small amounts of champagne, beer, and red and white wine.
"How about it? This must be the first time you've hosted such a grand ball, right?" Bishop Electra said with a smile, raising her glass.
Klein responded with a smile:
"It's troublesome, and also, well, interesting. The biggest problem is that dancing so many dances in a row always leaves you exhausted, constantly sweating, and wanting to drink water."
Bishop Electra laughed heartily:
"When you come to Backlund, don't slack off on physical exercise. Sometimes, social situations are more tiring than you think."
At this point, he gave a mocking look and said:
"Ms. Olori speaks highly of you, believing that your inner qualities are a perfect match for your appearance."
... Thank you for your kind words... Klein couldn't find any other words to respond, so he could only reply jokingly:
"A person's inner self cannot be revealed through a single dance."
Before Bishop Electra could reveal the knowing smile that every man understands, he changed the subject and said:
"Bishop, I recently got involved in a business deal that might offend a powerful gentleman, and I'm a little worried."
He was referring to the Coim Company and Baron Sindras.
Bishop Electra sipped his lipstick and said:
"Don't worry, Backlund is a place where the law prevails, and the goddess will protect you."
"Now I'm relieved. Praise be to the goddess!" Klein carefully drew a Crimson Moon on his chest.
As Bishop Electra went to the dance floor, his gaze gradually darkened, and he sighed silently.
He wasn't afraid or hateful about anything; rather, he felt somewhat guilty. At least so far, the Church of Evernight had treated him quite well. Although it was partly due to money, they had indeed provided a lot of help and were even willing to offer some protection. However, he was planning how to deal with the internal guards and how to steal items from the sealed core behind the Chanis Gate.
Sigh, if this plan takes a long time to complete, then I really need to do regular psychotherapy, otherwise I'll have mental health issues... Klein examined his emotions and shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Inside a house in the Cherwood Borough.
Hugh placed the Feynapotter pie and Desi Bay sweet iced tea he had bought on the table and said to Fors:
"This kind of food shouldn't be eaten often; it's not very healthy."
"Why do you say that?" Fors, taking a bite of a pie studded with fruit and ham.
"I saw it in a magazine. As a bounty Hunter, staying in shape is essential." Hugh hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a piece of pie and brought it to his mouth.
Fors scoffed and said:
"You are Beyonder leans towards combat, not an ordinary bounty Hunter, so you don't need to make too much effort to maintain your physique."
"Perhaps you missed your last chance to grow taller because of this. Oh right, I've heard that the ' Warrior ' pathway can effectively make people taller; just look at those Barbarian in Feysac."
Xiu paused for a moment, then suddenly sighed:
"But I was born half an ' Arbiter,' not a ' Warrior.'"
Clearly, she had given it serious thought.
Seeing that this had stirred up memories for her friend, Fors quickly pretended not to say anything and focused on enjoying her late dinner.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill and tidied up, she pulled Hugh into her bedroom, cleared her throat, and said:
"You've helped me a lot lately, so I've decided to give you a gift."
"What troublesome thing do I need to do this time?" Hugh cautiously touched his short blond hair.
"..." Fors blinked, suddenly reflecting on her usual behavior.
She chuckled twice and said:
"This is in response to the past, the past."
Before Xiu could respond, she took out a square tin box, the kind that usually holds cigarettes, under his suspicious gaze.
"I don't smoke," Hugh said, shaking his head directly.
Fors grunted in agreement, opened the iron box, revealing the light blue, semi-transparent hexagonal prism inside.
Hugh's gaze froze as he watched the lightning flash within the crystal, and instinctively asked:
" Interrogator?"
"Yes, I saw a participant selling it cheaply at an Beyonder gathering, and I was afraid of missing out, so I quickly bought it," Fors said, speaking the absolute truth. "You know, I recently received a reward from my teacher for something, so I don't need the money."
Hugh knew his friend had been going out frequently lately, claiming she was doing work for her teacher, but he still couldn't believe she could so easily buy him a " Interrogator " Beyonder Characteristic as a gift. It was far beyond what they were used to in their lives!
Was she still gambling, and after becoming an " Astrologer," did she start winning big? Or did she finally set her sights on the bank's vault, using her " Door Opening " ability to Stealing the money inside? Hugh had many guesses flash through his mind, but he couldn't find any corresponding evidence.
Two or three seconds later, she made a decision: she would randomly choose two days each week to pretend to go out and secretly observe what Fors was doing.
If she didn't trust her friend's character and principles, she might even suspect that the friend had become the mistress of some powerful Beyonder or wealthy man.
"It's too expensive," Hugh waved his hand, trying to refuse the gift.
Fors had already prepared his explanation and said with a smile:
"Anyway, I'll be asking you for a lot of things in the future, so consider this an advance payment."
"We're good friends, there's no need to talk about payment," Hugh hesitated for a second, then shook her head and said.
"That's exactly what I was waiting for!" Fors immediately laughed.
"Consider it an early birthday present, you can't refuse!"
"But my birthday is still more than half a year away..." Hugh muttered as he finally reached out and accepted the Beyonder Characteristic of the " Interrogator ".
On Sunday morning, Hugh suppressed his excitement and anticipation and went out as usual, preparing to leave a secret mark at a specific place and arrange to meet the masked man from Military Intelligence Section 9 at night in the depths of a secluded alley.
Having acquired the Beyonder Characteristic of " Interrogator " and having already digested the " Sheriff " Potion, she only needs the correct formula to advance to Sequence 7 and take a solid step in investigating the truth of what happened back then and restoring her family's glory. Therefore, she can't wait to take on more military missions and accumulate enough merits as soon as possible.
After finishing this task, she planned to first take a trip to a few places in the East Borough to see if there was any important news, and then go home to follow Fors and find out what her friend had been doing lately and whether she was in any danger.
However, as soon as she entered the East Borough, she felt as if someone was watching her.