With a broad smile on his face, Hastur let Manager Harley help out until seven in the evening before finally leaving work.
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June 27th, Wednesday.
At eleven o'clock in the evening, Hastur stayed in his study without going to sleep, and without opening the window.
Tonight the wind was fierce and the rain was pouring, outside came the sound of raindrops beating against the window.
The sound of rain always calms a restless mood; rainy days are the best time to read.
Reading at this time has twice the effect with half the effort, because one's thoughts easily enter the world within the book.
"The old professor who wrote this Jotun book is truly remarkable. Though in his lifetime he never saw a giant, nor spoke with one, he was still able to piece together scattered knowledge into a rough framework of the giant's language, making it easier for later learners to master it."
Hastur sighed with admiration and slowly turned another page.
Bang, bang, bang!
The sudden sound made Hastur instantly alert; he closed the book, grabbed the sword-cane at his side, and fixed his eyes on the window.
Mr. A had come knocking at the window again?
After listening carefully for a moment, he realized the sound did not come from outside the window, but from the knocking on the front door downstairs.
Mr. A was coming through the front door now?
Hastur slid the sword back into the cane, tightened it, and after a moment's thought decided to go downstairs to take a look.
Cane in hand, he left the study. Just as he came down the stairs, he saw Maric staggering in from the front door, his clothes torn, his body covered in blood.
Something had happened!
Hastur hurried forward to support the gravely injured Maric.
"What happened?"
"We've been discovered! Go quickly to help Sharon! She's at the border between the North Borough and the East Borough!"
Maric spoke quickly, his expression urgent, paying no attention at all to his own severe wounds.
"Rest here first, I'll go help Sharon right away."
Hastur calmed him down, then told the butler, Neil, who was standing nearby, to take care of Maric and call for a doctor to treat his injuries.
After making all the arrangements, Hastur boarded the carriage and ordered the coachman to brave the heavy rain and rush to the place Maric had mentioned.
Maric watched Hastur leave, and only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
He couldn't help but recall the events of tonight.
That man known as the King of Curses, Barranca, had used Beyonder powers to conduct a large-scale search.
Sharon and the other Beyonders of Chained pathway had no way to escape detection.
Very soon, a Sequence 4 demigod noticed this group of fish that had slipped through the net.
To cover for the others' retreat, he and Sharon stayed behind. His strength was insufficient, and he was quickly struck down and gravely wounded.
"I'll hold him off, you get out of here quickly."
"You can't handle him alone, I'll help you!"
"You're already badly hurt, staying will only drag me down."
"I, I…"
"Go quickly, maybe you can find Hastur for help."
"Alright! You must hold on!"
Thinking back to that scene just now, Maric's heart trembled.
It was hard to imagine how Sharon could escape from the encirclement of a Sequence 4 and two Sequence 6s.
So he placed his final bet on Hastur.
The more he grew familiar with Hastur, the more he felt Hastur was not simple, perhaps he really had a way to save Sharon.
...
Inside the carriage.
As the carriage neared where Sharon was, Hastur pondered how he could help her.
The opponent was a Sequence 4 demigod. In a direct confrontation, his role would be about the same as Maric's.
One more of him would not be enough to change the outcome.
If he wanted to help Sharon, he had to find outside aid.
The Church of the Seven Gods was the best choice.
Coincidentally, before reaching Sharon's location, they would pass near the Church of the Holy Wind. At that point, he could detour there, and then go to Sharon afterward.
But what reason could he use to persuade the Holy Wind Church's Beyonders to take action?
And afterward, how could he distance himself from this matter as much as possible?
And how could he ensure that the Beyonders of the Holy Wind Church would not turn their powers against Sharon?
Time slipped by quickly as he thought. The coachman dutifully drove the carriage to the front of the Holy Wind Church.
Hastur took the black umbrella from inside the carriage, stepped down, and walked toward the church.
Crossing the muddy, rain-soaked ground, he came to the great door of the Holy Wind Church.
Inside was still brightly lit; they had not closed their doors just because it was a rainy night.
Hastur's arrival quickly drew the attention of the church's attendants.
When he stated his identity, a bishop with graying hair and a loose golden beard came over.
"I am gravely concerned about the security situation in Backlund."
Hastur's first words made the bishop freeze for a moment, this man came to the church in the middle of the night just to say this?
"My friend is being hunted under the gaze of the Storm."
Hastur's tone was calm, but the words made the bishop's heart skip a beat.
He hurriedly said, "These matters are not within our jurisdiction, Baron Campbell. What you need is the help of the police."
"A group of filthy rats have infiltrated Backlund. As apostles of the Storm, shouldn't you strangle the rats and restore cleanliness to Backlund?"
"Baron Campbell, do you know what you're saying?"
"Of course I do. People from the Rose School of Thought have secretly infiltrated Backlund. They are hunting down my friends everywhere. I am not only worried about my friends' safety, but also saddened for the future of Backlund."
Before the bishop could speak, Hastur continued: "You allow those rats to run rampant and wreak havoc in Backlund, and are no longer worthy of people's hope."
The bishop's face darkened, his voice low: "Any words that slander the deity will suffer the Storm's punishment. Even if you are a noble, you cannot avoid it!"
Hastur sneered: "One of my friends was gravely injured by members of the Rose School of Thought. He ran from the East Borough to the West Borough to seek my help, yet you just sit here waiting, showing a severe lack of judgment about the situation. It is you who are desecrating the place of the deity in our hearts."
"Who is hunting your friend?"
"Sequence 4, a demigod."
The bishop's expression suddenly changed drastically. A Sequence 4 heretic was rampaging through Backlund, and they had not even noticed.
This was definitely dereliction of duty! They had betrayed the trust the deity placed in them!
"I came here because I firmly believe in the majesty and bravery of the Storm, which can wash away all filth."
Hastur again expressed that he had no disrespectful intentions toward the deity, the Lord of Storms.
Earlier in the carriage, he had considered many plans, but in the end he felt that speaking frankly would be the best way to get reinforcements from Storms Cathedral, while minimizing future consequences.
As a noble, was it not normal to make the acquaintance of a few Beyonders?
Although Sharon and Maric belonged to the Rose School of Thought, as long as no one investigated deeply, they would be no different from ordinary Beyonders.
Besides, the Rose School of Thought had already split into two factions. High-ranking members of the Churches of the Seven who truly knew these details would not do anything to Sharon and Maric.
At most, Sharon and Maric's information would be filed in records, and their freedom slightly restricted. As long as they did not commit evil, it would not matter much.
Compared to Sharon's safety, such drawbacks were negligible.
Soon, the bishop hurried away to report, then quickly returned, saying that the Storm would severely punish any rats daring to run rampant in Backlund!
Hastur expressed his gratitude and promised to donate 500 gold pounds as an offering of thanks to the Lord of Storms.
Upon hearing the donation of 500 gold pounds, the bishop's expression clearly improved.
After settling these matters, Hastur returned to his carriage, heading to where Sharon might be.
With a demigod from Storms Cathedral dispatched, as long as the Rose School of Thought's demigod was held off, Sharon would have a much greater chance of escaping.
When the carriage arrived at the area Maric had mentioned, Sharon was nowhere in sight, nor did Hastur sense any Beyonders fighting nearby.
After thinking for a moment, he told the coachman to circle the large surrounding area several times.
If Sharon had indeed escaped, it was very likely she would be hiding.
It would be hard for him to find her, but easy for her to find him.
After circling three or four times, Sharon's weak voice finally sounded by his ear.
"Turn left, then after you see a candy shop, turn right. It's the third alley on the left."
After listening, Hastur ordered the coachman forward.
He lifted the curtain, faced the left side, and after two turns, counted to the third alley and told the coachman to stop.
He stepped down from the carriage, one hand holding his cane, the other his umbrella.
The rain was heavy tonight. Rainwater washed over the trash bins in the alley, giving off a pungent stench.
Fortunately, with the rain covering it, the smell was bearable.
Hastur walked into the alley, and at a corner ahead, he saw Sharon.
At this moment, her face was pale. Her small black soft hat had been blown away, her body drenched by the rain. Her pale-golden coiled hair had come undone, falling loosely and making her look even more fragile.
Hastur jogged a few steps, holding the umbrella above her against the downpour.
"You're here." Sharon forced a slight smile.
"Mm, let's go quickly. It's not safe here."
Hastur leaned closer, suggesting Sharon rest her hand on his arm.
Sharon shook her head. "No need for the trouble."
Saying this, she took out a palm-sized mirror and placed it in Hastur's hand. "Just protect this."
Then, under Hastur's slightly shocked gaze, her whole body melted into the mirror like a wisp of smoke.
Inside the mirror, Sharon lifted her skirts slightly and performed a small curtsey.
Even though her face was pale and she was badly injured, her etiquette remained impeccable.
"Rest assured, you are safe now."
Hastur whispered softly, placing the mirror inside his inner coat pocket.
The pocket watch originally kept there was taken out and casually hung on the umbrella handle.
Hastur glanced up at the still torrential night sky, then followed the road back, got on the carriage, and returned to the West Borough.