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As soon as Audrey stepped out of her bedroom, she heard the voice of her maid, Annie, from the corridor not far away.
"Susie, look at the mess you've made! I'm definitely going to have the Miss discipline you properly."
Audrey's mouth twitched instantly. She hurried forward and saw Susie squatting innocently on the carpet, while Evelyn, completely covered in Susie's slobber, lay on Susie's head with an equally innocent expression.
Not far away, there was a pile of shattered pieces. Audrey remembered there used to be a vase there.
Instantly understanding what had happened, Audrey said to Annie in a gentle tone, "It's alright, Annie. I'll make sure Susie behaves."
Seeing that the Miss had spoken, Annie said no more and began to clean up.
Susie obediently followed Audrey back to the bedroom. Audrey, a bit helpless, scolded her a little, then put Evelyn into Susie's private bathroom.
She had the maid wash the slobber off Evelyn, and at the same time, looking at Susie, she said, "You can't lick Evelyn anymore, understand?"
Susie barked once, stuck out her tongue, nodded her head, and sat upright beside Audrey.
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Watching Evelyn disappear, Aaron swallowed the words he hadn't finished, smiled and shook his head, then walked into the changing room and put on his Hunter outfit.
During this time, he had been learning various interrogation techniques and had interrogated quite a few petty Criminals, but his digestion progress was slow. Aaron guessed that only feedback from interrogating Beyonders could speed up the digestion.
Coupled with the subsequent need to play the role of a Judge, Aaron, after discussing with his Father, decided to have Joseph Weil, who had just returned to Backlund, personally negotiate with Vice Admiral Jonas-Coleridge, the Deputy Director of MI9.
With the push from the faction within MI9 that supported the East Tucker Family, and the East Tucker Family's long-standing influence rooted in the military.
After some wrangling and exchange of interests, Aaron was granted the rank of Major and joined the "Extraordinary Affairs Tribunal" within MI9, specifically to handle Beyonder cases.
Actually, with his identity as a Blessed of the Evernight Goddess, joining the Nighthawks team to handle Beyonder cases could also aid digestion, but gaining military rank and position now would be more helpful for his future actions in the Southern Continent.
Weighing the pros and cons, he still chose to join MI9. Next week, Aaron will officially assume his post.
Seeing that it was still early, Aaron decided to go gather more information. He put on his mask and changed into the vest he hadn't worn in a long time, Lucivide Joseph.
Aaron's figure became ethereal, and he arrived at the Bravehearts Bar, deep in Iron Gate Street in the Backlund Bridge Area.
Kaspars Kalinin behind the counter looked at Aaron with surprise, and couldn't help but say,
"Lucivide? You're not dead?"
Realizing he seemed to have said the wrong thing, he cleared his throat and immediately corrected himself:
"Ah, no, I mean, I thought you hadn't appeared before because you were being hunted by enemies and had left Backlund. Seeing you again, I really am..."
Aaron, his forehead lined with black, interrupted him, "A glass of sonia blood wine."
Kaspars gave an awkward laugh, quickly brought over a glass of sonia blood wine, and said it was on him, to celebrate the return of the Hunter Lucivide.
Aaron ignored the Boss's little trick and asked directly:
"Is there anything interesting happening in Backlund recently?"
Kaspars's eyes immediately lit up. He mysteriously invited Aaron into a private room and whispered,
"There really is. Recently, many people have come to me to offer bounties for finding someone. The bounty amount is a full 1,000 pounds, and I think they can offer even more."
As he spoke, he took out a portrait from a cabinet in the partition. The painting showed a thin old man with messy white hair, wrapped in a thick overcoat.
Kaspars looked at Aaron, who was frowning and staring at the painting, and chuckled:
"The person offering the bounty also provided a piece of information: he is very afraid of the cold, even now he wears very thick clothes, and he loves to eat sugar, as if he himself is a steam engine and candy is high-quality coal."
Listening to Kaspars's introduction, Aaron finally understood the source of that inexplicable sense of familiarity in his heart, and secretly thought:
"This should be Turani von Helmosuin, the greatest scientist, mathematician, and mechanist after Emperor Roselle, the father of the second-generation difference engine."
"He is also the human incarnation of 'Orange Light' Hilarion."
"Could it be that this person is in Backlund now? Two years later, his third-generation difference engine manuscript will be fiercely contested by the Loen military and Intis spy organizations, involving many parties."
"I hope he doesn't get discovered this time, otherwise it will definitely cause a big mess and affect my plans."
Aaron, seeing that there was no other news, walked out of the partition and met a short lady with short golden hair. Aaron nodded slightly and walked straight past her.
Xio was stunned for a moment, apparently recognizing the once very famous Hunter. Feeling the oppressive aura coming from the other party, Xio couldn't help but feel a wave of frustration.
She quickly walked to the counter, without any small talk, Xio directly handed in her mission for the bounty, left the Brave Bar, circled twice to make sure no one was following her, and then walked towards the house she rented with Fors.
Arriving at her doorstep, Xio found a letter for Fors in the mailbox and took it out. As soon as she pushed open the door, a strong smell of mixed cigarette smoke and alcohol assailed her, making Xio frown.
Xio quickly opened the window, threw the empty wine bottles and cigarette boxes aside, and somewhat helplessly woke up her friend who was sprawled on the sofa, stuffing the letter into her hand.
A groggy Fors mumbled, "You've ruined an Author's inspiration," as she tore open the letter in her hand.
Suddenly, Fors's hands began to tremble. Xio quickly noticed her friend's abnormality and hurried over to look at Fors.
On the envelope, there was a sentence written: "Mrs. Anneliese is critically ill and wishes to see you one last time."
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It was raining continuously. Fors wore a beige, ruffled, high-collared long dress, her brown hair slightly curled and draped, and her light blue eyes revealed sorrow.
Looking at the emaciated old woman on the bed, her hands tightly gripping Fors's, Fors's heart couldn't help but ache.
Mrs. Anneliese had once brought her, who had lost her Mother, an unforgettable period of warmth, and that was the happiest time for her before she met Xio.
The old woman on the bed had a calm expression, even with a hint of serenity that came from seeing through life and death. She looked kindly at Fors and said weakly:
"Child, don't be sad for me. It's my good fortune to see you before I go. After I die, take a glowing item from my body. That is my last gift to you."
"Take this bracelet on my hand as well; it can protect your safety, but never use it unless your life is in danger. The method of use is in a black-covered book in the cabinet."
"If someone claims to be my relative and comes to find you, you can give them a bronze-green hard-covered notebook and other relics from the cabinet."
The old woman seemed to say something else at the end, but her voice was already as faint as a thread, making it inaudible.
The tightly clasped hands slowly lost their strength. Fors felt as if a piece of her heart had become empty, and a crystalline light appeared in Mrs. Anneliese's palm.
Before she could release her emotions, that light merged into her and Mrs. Anneliese's tightly clasped hands.
Immediately, indescribable whispers assailed her. Fors, confused by the situation, felt her brain twitching, and could only grit her teeth and endure.
After an unknown amount of time, Fors opened her slightly blurry eyes and found herself on the ground, drenched in sweat.
Fors gritted her teeth and stood up, intending to go to the next room to change into clean clothes before dealing with Mrs. Anneliese's funeral and considering what had just happened.
Just as she was leaning against the wall, trying to catch her breath, a slightly illusory Door opened with her hands as its two ends. Fors fell directly into it, landing heavily on the floor of the adjacent room.
Fors's forehead was bruised. She looked incredulously at the illusory Door on the wall that was about to close and at her own hands, momentarily forgetting to even cry out in pain.
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