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Backlund, Glenn Cemetery.
It had been raining for two days, and a faint dampness rose from the bluestone slabs. The tombstones and stone carvings in the cemetery seemed even more ancient and solemn due to the rain's cleansing.
Fors changed into an elegant black dress, holding an umbrella in her left hand and a fresh flower in her right, the kind Mrs. Annelise liked most when she was alive.
The priest of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery softly recited a eulogy. Fors thanked the priests, placed the flower before the new tombstone, and stood there for a long time.
Her fingers fumbled with a silver bracelet on her wrist. It had five dark green, rough stones, their surfaces covered in burn marks, uneven and bumpy.
After discovering her peculiar abilities, she found the black-covered book Mrs. Annelise had mentioned.
Through the descriptions in it, Fors understood her current state: she had become a Sequence 9 Apprentice, possessing the ability to open Doors and pass through obstacles using the Spirit World's unique properties.
She also learned about the bracelet's ability: by tearing off a stone and chanting "Door" in ancient hermes, she could travel through the Spirit World to her desired location, thereby escaping insurmountable dangers.
However, Mrs. Annelise had also specifically emphasized the cost of using it in her notes: after use, one would suffer the "Blood Moon Curse," and every blood-red full moon would bring the onset of maddening full moon whispers.
After handling Mrs. Annelise's funeral arrangements and taking her belongings, including the copper-green hard-covered notebook, she boarded a carriage back to her rented house.
Fors stood outside the Door, looking at the already dark night and the light shining from the first-floor west-side room, suddenly revealing a mischievous smile.
She walked around to the west side of the room, placed her hands on the wall, and a phantom doorway appeared. Fors stepped inside, intending to give her friend a surprise.
Inside the bedroom, Xio was wondering why Fors hadn't returned home for several days and if something unexpected had happened.
Suddenly, Xio felt her hairs stand on end.
She pushed off with her feet, braced with her hands, and sprang backward, half-turning her body, delivering a sharp elbow strike while simultaneously reaching for the triangular stiletto strapped to her calf.
Bang!
She leaned against a warm body, causing the other party to let out a familiar shriek and fall to the ground.
Xio stopped her subsequent movements, halted the hand reaching for the stiletto, and looked with surprise at her friend, who was clutching her stomach, writhing in pain, and teary-eyed.
Xio's mouth twitched involuntarily, and she asked somewhat awkwardly, "Fors, how did you get in?"
Fors could swear to the heavens that the injuries and beatings she had suffered these past few days were more than she had endured in the past year combined.
She didn't answer immediately, taking a moment to recover, then, holding her stomach, she slowly stood up by leaning on the wall, complaining:
"Xio, are you crazy? You just attacked without even looking clearly! And with such heavy hands!"
"Who told you to appear silently behind me? Fully attacking in the face of unknown danger is a basic skill for every bounty Hunter, okay?"
Xio defended herself somewhat awkwardly, then righteeously questioned:
"Besides, why didn't you use the Door? You really scared me just now!"
Fors blinked, suddenly speechless.
-----------------
Backlund West Borough, Belloto Street.
Aaron stepped out of the luxurious carriage, surveying the unassuming three-story building before him. Its entrance bore no identifying marks, only a simple plaque: "9."
Today was his first day officially joining the MI9's internal Abnormal Affairs Tribunal.
In front of the building stood a man in a Loen Major's military uniform, smiling, seemingly waiting for Aaron. Upon seeing Aaron alight from the carriage, he proactively approached and introduced himself:
"Hello, Lord Aaron, I am Glenn Weil, the leader of the Fourth Special Investigation Team of the Abnormal Affairs Tribunal, a Sequence 6 Conspirer."
"I will be guiding Lord Aaron today to tour and familiarize himself with MI9 and our department, the Abnormal Affairs Tribunal."
Normally, joining MI9 was equivalent to joining the military system. When officers met each other, they would usually address each other by their rank, not their noble title.
Therefore, hearing the other party's address, Aaron asked with interest:
"Are you also a member of the East Tucker Family? How did you join MI9 in Backlund?"
He asked this for a reason: as the East Tucker Family, who were outwardly harmonious but inwardly at odds with the King's faction, even if they joined MI9, their first choice would always be East Tucker County and the MI9 in the Southern Continent.
The extremely powerful King's faction in Loen's MI9 would certainly try to make things difficult at every turn, making it not a good choice for advancement. Even Aaron only joined for the digestion of his Beyonder potion and the accumulation of experience.
Glenn Weil walked ahead, leading the way for Aaron, and turned back with a smile, saying:
"Yes, Lord Aaron, my grandfather is Joseph Weil."
"I joined MI9 at 21, went to the Southern Continent for training, became a Captain at 25, was promoted to Major due to excellent performance, and was seconded back to Backlund. I've been working here for five years now."
Aaron's expression immediately became a bit strange upon hearing the first sentence.
Looking at the smiling, enthusiastic Glenn Weil before him, he truly couldn't see any blood relation to the rigid and serious Joseph Weil.
Aaron mused internally, perhaps it was due to the Beyonder Pathway; the Hunter Pathway seemed to like smiling. Glenn Weil before him was like this, and so were Danitz and Anderson-Hood. Even the Red Angel Evil Spirit, despite its monstrous appearance, smiled every day. However, the ancestor wore a mask, so it was impossible to see if he smiled. Hmm... he probably did, if mocking counted.
Each of them was a smiling tiger, skilled in calculation. No, Danitz was an exception; he didn't have that kind of brain.
Hearing the latter part of the conversation, Aaron glanced at his Major's military uniform. A highly experienced young officer had made no progress for five whole years, clearly showing the suppression he faced from the King's faction.
Glenn Weil seemed to have mentioned it casually, but Aaron could clearly sense the bitterness beneath his smile.
Entering the Door and arriving in the corridor, he continued to introduce:
"The most core part of MI9's office building is underground. The upper floors are mainly for clerical staff, responsible for collecting and forwarding documents and other tasks."
"Of course, most Beyonders affiliated with MI9 don't stay underground after their work is done, as the environment there isn't good, the atmosphere is oppressive, and accidents could happen at any time due to improper supervision of Sealed Artifacts."
"I'll take you to meet Deputy Director General Jonas, who oversees the Abnormal Affairs Tribunal. Then you'll be officially onboarded."
Glenn Weil added with a smile, "Deputy Director General Jonas is quite hard to see these days. He's often on missions, and when he goes out, it's usually for one or two months."
Aaron's lips curled into a mocking arc. He was busy transporting people for George III and building his mausoleum all day; how could he have time to manage MI9's affairs?
However, the human trafficking personally involved by a Demigod was directly maximized in terms of concealment. It was probably because the population loss was too severe to continue covering up.
Of course, the King's faction's interference and concealment also played a part, to the extent that the Church of the Lord of Storms only noticed and began investigating the missing population in the Southern Continent two years later.
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