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The two discussed for a while longer, but had no leads on the whereabouts of this murderer who killed the Plack family, who was very likely a mid-sequence Beyonder from the "Aurora Order."
Bearer bonds are called by this name precisely because they do not require the withdrawer and purchaser to be the same person, and do not even record the purchaser's information. This Beyonder only needs to take the bonds to the corresponding bank, lose part of the interest, and can directly cash them out, get cash, without leaving any of his own information throughout the entire process.
The important thing is, they have no way to determine which bank issued the bonds.
The Loen Kingdom has seven major banks in total, and the local small banks attached to these large banks that control clearing rights are countless. In Tingen City alone, there are no less than ten branches of various kinds. Not to mention assigning people to watch each one individually, just posting wanted notices in all places would require considerable effort from the police.
If we were to add shops that can purchase jewelry, trying to block the murderer's channels for cashing out property would be even more difficult.
"Perhaps after Klein returns, he can use the existing information and the murderer's appearance to try divination, otherwise we can only wait for the 'Red Gloves,' they have more efficient tracking methods."
Leonard sighed, leaning back against the sofa backrest and stretching his body, as if he had already given up on the investigation.
"I seem to hear my name?"
A head wearing a half-high silk top hat poked out from the crack of the reception hall's main door, beneath the hat brim were black short hair and brown eyes.
Then the door was completely pushed open, and Dunn and Frye walked in behind Klein.
"You're back," Angel stood up from the sofa and greeted her teammates in turn, "Did the mission go smoothly?"
"Easy as pie."
Klein pulled out a slight smile in response, but his weary expression couldn't be concealed, like someone who had worked all night and urgently needed sleep.
Frye, the "Corpse Collector" beside him, also had a tired face and kept yawning, only Dunn Smith was in high spirits, even more energetic than usual.
This is the confidence that the "Sleepless" pathway brings him...
Angel inwardly complained, watching Dunn assign tasks to the two colleagues who had accompanied him, then take a dark golden badge about half a palm's size and walk through the hall partition to return the sealed artifact to the Chanis Gate.
"That's 3-0782, 'Mutated Sun Holy Emblem,' it can purify surrounding ghosts and corpses. This time we went to Ramde to find ghosts that were disturbing the people, and it happened to be useful."
Seeing Angel staring at Dunn's back, Klein introduced from the side.
"Mm, I remember, there is such a sealed artifact, so you're this tired because you had to stay up all night watching it?"
Angel remembered that such a mystical item was sealed within Tingen's Chanis Gate. Because it not only purifies surrounding ghosts but also simultaneously purifies the souls of all living people, ordinary people would become废人 (worthless people) who only praise the sun after staying around it for an hour, and even Beyonders couldn't last more than six hours.
So when carrying it out, the Nighthawks need to take turns bringing it to the wilderness to guard it, avoiding ordinary people from staying close for long periods.
After hurriedly introducing to Angel and Leonard in the reception hall about the experience of purifying the black-armored sword-wielding vengeful spirit in Ramde town, Klein dragged his tired body to the rest room to catch up on sleep.
Frye was also yawning, his eyelids drooping repeatedly, his already pale skin having lost even more color, but dutiful as he was, he still persisted in walking into the office equipped with a typewriter to write the mission report and reimbursement application for this operation.
The reception hall that had been quite lively just moments ago was instantly left with only Angel and Leonard, even Rozanne had gone to clean other rooms with a broom.
Fortunately, Dunn moved quickly in returning the sealed artifact. Not long after the two overworked Nighthawks left the hall, his figure appeared behind the partition.
"Old Neil told me about that case, Leonard, report the situation."
Sitting on the remaining sofa and pouring himself a cup of coffee, this Nighthawk captain didn't engage in much small talk but went straight to the point.
Leonard carefully told Dunn about the tragic case that happened at the Plack house yesterday, with Angel occasionally supplementing information from the side, including Old Neil's ritual magic results and several people's speculation about the murderer's potion pathway.
"From this perspective, the murderer is a mid-sequence Beyonder of the 'Secret Supplicant' pathway. According to the latest related materials sent down by the Holy Cathedral, he is at least a Sequence 6 'Rose Bishop,' and very likely one of the twenty-two Divine Envoys in the 'Aurora Order.' They use letters as code names, from Mr. A to Mr. X, at least Sequence 7, with the highest even reaching Sequence 5."
Letter code names... then the "Rose Bishop" at Enmat Port, Mr. C, could he also be...
Thinking that there were 21 other Beyonders besides him who were skilled in using flesh and blood magic, with cruel methods and lawless behavior, Angel couldn't help but feel a chill.
Moreover, now such a "Divine Envoy" had already come to Tingen City and had even begun committing crimes, killing five innocent citizens.
"Report to the Holy Cathedral, perhaps this time we need support from the 'Red Gloves.'"
After pondering for a moment, Dunn made his decision.
Angel felt the stone in her heart had fallen to the ground.
After the battle with Mr. C at Enmat Port, she assessed that the Tingen City Nighthawk squad's chances of victory against such an enemy were not great.
According to the evaluation by Clement, the captain of the Enmat Port squad, Mr. C should have had his strength damaged for some reason at that time and hadn't fully recovered.
And under such circumstances, being completely suppressed by the "Pronouncement Hand" that completely restrained his extraordinary abilities, he was ultimately only beaten half to death and successfully escaped.
Going through the sealed artifacts owned by the Tingen squad in her mind, only the "Blood Vessel Thief" could cause some trouble for the "Rose Bishop," and this would require good luck to steal his key abilities.
Originally she thought Dunn would hesitate, would think the Tingen City squad was sufficient to solve such trouble, and wouldn't be willing to call for support immediately. She didn't expect the captain to be so decisive.
Leonard sitting across from her also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, apparently the two shared the same concerns.
Dunn stood up from the sofa, shook his windbreaker, and walked toward the partition again, heading to the office equipped with a telegraph machine.
"By the way," his figure had just disappeared behind the door when he poked half his head out again, "Angel, come here for a moment."
Could it be that my secret complaints about the captain were seen through?
Angel nodded with confusion and stood up to follow Dunn into his office.
The latter took off his thin windbreaker and top hat and hung them on the coat rack, sat in the high-backed chair in front of the office desk, lifted the dust cover on the telegraph machine, picked up the code book, and began writing the telegram to be sent while referring to it.
Telegrams in this era are really troublesome, and they're wired. Without the fixed lines laid between cities, they're almost unusable...
However, I've read in newspapers that wireless telegrams capable of short-distance communication are already being used on a small scale. Perhaps they'll soon replace the backward wired telegrams.
Watching Dunn Smith writing the telegraph codes word by word, Angel secretly evaluated the technology of the steam age, then remembered she was called to the office by Dunn, and hesitantly opened her mouth to interrupt his work.
"Captain, may I ask what you called me here for?"
"Hmm?"
Dunn seemed to just remember there was another person in the room, stopped the pen in his hand, and looked up.
"Sorry... I forgot..."
Angel squeezed out a slight smile in response.
"It's like this, regarding your use of an unregistered mystical item during that operation in late July when we solved the curse altar, I've already inquired with acquaintances in Backlund."
"She thinks this matter isn't a big problem, because what you possessed wasn't originally a sealed artifact belonging to the Church of the Evernight, and she also agrees with our handling method, suggesting we keep this mystical item and return it to them together after finding that traitor from the Machinery Hivemind."
Dunn said while reaching for the coffee cup at the corner of the desk, glanced at it, found it was empty, and put it down with pursed lips.
"She also mentioned some dissatisfaction emotions among church members in Backlund when mentioning the Machinery Hivemind, believing this view commonly exists within the church. So this time when the 'Red Gloves' intervene in the operation is an opportunity. You can actively expose your mystical item, using 'temporary safekeeping' as an explanation."
Boldly and actively exposing is always better than hurried explanations after being investigated. I understand this...
Angel nodded.
"As for the other one..."
He looked toward Angel's waist, his mouth curving into a mysterious smile, not continuing.
So the captain already knows... perhaps Klein and Leonard also...
Angel followed Dunn's gaze and found the latter's sight focused precisely on where she hid "Thirst for Blood" under her windbreaker.
His meaning is to not expose the other item, and they'll also pretend not to know? Because black flame-enhanced bullets are easier to conceal, while the "Magic Pocket Watch" has already been written into Enmat Port's report?
Many thoughts flashed through her mind.
"There's another matter, regarding what you mentioned last time about summarizing methods to master potions from Daly's experiences," not noticing Angel's racing thoughts, Dunn continued, "Klein also mentioned similar ideas to me before going to Ramde town yesterday. Have you two communicated about this?"
Klein also revealed the acting method to the captain? Right, he said he wanted to lay groundwork for a special application.
Angel recalled Klein's "plan," nodded, and answered:
"We discussed this matter together. He found this method very effective, so he's been doing part-time work at the 'Divination Club,' giving divinations to others and pretending to be a mysterious fortune-teller. He's mastering the potion's power very quickly."
"In several battles, after killing Beyonders, I also felt my control over 'Assassin' abilities became more handy. Perhaps this caters to some special rule."
She took the opportunity to reveal information about her mastery of the "Assassin" potion.
"Then there's no mistake. This method you've summarized should be accurate. Klein told me he feels more confident about the potion's abilities, such as using spirit vision. He's even preparing to find an opportunity to submit a special application—just like Daly."
"And I've also been trying these days to become a true 'Nightmare'..."
Dunn seemed to forget he still needed to send a telegram to the Holy Cathedral, put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, his eyes becoming profound.
"What were the results?"
Angel asked curiously.
"Quite effective. I've been promoted to 'Nightmare' for three years, but only during this period have I felt I've completely mastered the related abilities."
"Well, except for memory."
He added with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
Remembering when she first heard about the "acting method," Dunn clumsily pulling down the office curtains and trying to scare himself with a lighter's flame, Angel also smiled, genuinely happy that her captain had found the correct acting method.
Wait, flames, intimidation...
I've been having nightmares continuously during this period, returning to the negative state of the "Magic Pocket Watch" every night, scared by the gas lamps filling the room and hiding in the basement. Could it all be the captain using "Nightmare" abilities?
It just so happened that last night the captain left Tingen City and went to Ramde town, and I had a good night's sleep...
He thinks the acting is "quite effective"...
Angel's smile disappeared, her eyes widened, looking at "Nightmare" Dunn Smith in disbelief.
The latter seemed to sense his teammate's angry emotions and guiltily looked away.