"Strange? Why do I feel so restless…"
The Magician leaned against the headboard, his left leg constantly shaking, making the whole bed creak.
He closed his eyes, trying hard to empty his mind…
…
A moment later, he gave up.
"No, I've been meditating for almost a whole night, and I still can't sleep…" The Magician felt puzzled. His body was clearly exhausted, yet he couldn't fall asleep.
As for why he was half-sitting on the bed instead of lying down, it was a habit he had developed over many years. In this position, he could react immediately to any disturbance.
Lying down, he would feel even more uncomfortable.
Compared to before, these tasks of bringing new people might have indeed made him a bit lax. In the past, there would always be two loaded pistols under his blanket.
Although ever since he became a true Magician, he gained the ability of air bullets, significantly reducing the importance of pistols.
But in terms of power, air bullets simply couldn't compare to demon-breaking bullets.
Back to the present, the Magician hadn't slept all night, always in a state of sustainable wakefulness.
"I'm leaving soon, surely nothing unexpected will happen now…"
Perhaps his complaint had an effect, as a hint of drowsiness washed over him.
However, just as he was about to fall asleep, a ray of sunlight shone into the room.
It was dawn…
"Sigh!"
The Magician sighed softly and got out of bed, shaking off his weariness.
He still had one last performance today; he couldn't afford any mistakes.
After a simple wash, he went to the wardrobe, put on his performance suit, and looked at the slightly exaggerated top hat in front of him. He gave a wry smile and placed it on his head.
Then, facing the dressing mirror, he quickly tidied his hair.
He looked at his haggard face in the mirror.
"These errands are truly not for humans…" he grumbled inwardly.
"After this mission, I must take a good vacation. Hmm… the seaside would be nice…"
The longing for a vacation dispelled some of his fatigue. The Magician perked up and double-checked his attire. After confirming everything was in order, he opened the door.
Faint sunlight shone on his face, and the Magician instinctively shielded his eyes.
Strange, why is it so quiet?
Without the usual commotion, the Magician felt something was off.
Looking at the morning mist lingering around, the Magician suddenly realized it was still early morning.
It's still early… the sky just barely lit up.
What is wrong with me today?
Realizing it was still early, the Magician retreated back into his room.
…
Could it be that the Official found out… The Magician always trusted his intuition. He didn't think today was just simple restlessness.
He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was almost six in the morning, still more than three hours until the morning performance. There was plenty of time.
The Magician went to his desk, picked up a pen and paper, wrote something, and then took out his pendulum, preparing for a divination.
When in doubt, divine. This is a consistent characteristic of the Seer Pathway.
Since he had plenty of time now, he decided to perform a divination.
…
Lan'erwusi's boots scraped over the iron grating of the drain, stepping through the putrid sludge.
His stomach, which hadn't eaten all day, cramped, and cold sweat plastered his linen shirt to the festering gun wound on his back. The moment he rounded the corner, his pupils suddenly constricted.
That squad of Punishers was already catching up.
"Damn it, are those guys dogs? How did they get here so fast?"
Because the Official had sealed off the train station, he was caught red-handed while waiting for a train. If not for the large crowd at the train station, and the Punishers' hesitation to go all out due to the common people, he wouldn't have been able to escape at all.
"Excuse me! Excuse me!" He pushed through the surrounding pedestrians, trying to find a suitable way out.
However, he had only walked a few steps when he noticed something was off.
"Why are there more and more people around?"
The crowd in front of him grew denser and denser, almost blocking the path.
He surveyed the surrounding crowd, looking towards where the most people were gathered.
On the horizon, pointed tents adorned with colorful flags emerged, along with balloons released into the sky, and the occasional sound of fireworks from all around.
…
Is this a Circus?
Realizing he had arrived at a Circus, Lan'erwusi's eyes lit up with excitement.
A place with so many people and so much chaos was perfect for hiding.
He quickly blended into the flow of people and entered.
…
"This Circus is indeed a bit suspicious…"
"According to the intelligence, this Circus comes to Tingen once a year."
Leonard, dressed in plain clothes, arrived near the Circus.
These past few days, he had been investigating the matter of Klein being reported.
But since the clues from Lorne Disonke had dried up, and his neighbor also didn't approve of him investigating Lorne Disonke.
He had no choice but to change his approach.
He always believed Klein was innocent in his heart; even if he had some secrets, he shouldn't be capable of betraying the Goddess.
So, assuming Klein was truly innocent, the purpose of the person who wrote that report letter became very suspicious.
Klein's matter was likely a tactic by the other party to make the Nighthawks fall into internal conflict.
Perhaps it was a trick played by a wild Beyonder he had encountered before.
Actually, Leonard also knew his reasoning might not be entirely correct, because if the other party truly intended to retaliate against the Nighthawks, then there would have been no need to expose Old Neil's situation.
An Official contaminated by an evil god's secret and on the verge of losing control was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, causing unimaginable damage.
For him personally, a teammate he had been with day and night suddenly losing control and being personally purged was an unimaginable psychological trauma.
"If Old Neil were to lose control in front of me…" Leonard couldn't imagine what his expression would be.
"No, maybe this is just a diversion."
That kind of trick, where one anticipates your anticipation, isn't impossible.
After much thought, he focused his attention on the team of Beyonders he encountered on the night Mrs. Sharon was hunted.
Based on his own intelligence gathering, combined with Pales's guidance, Leonard successfully found this Circus.
"Old man, you said that team of people we met that day were all from the Seer Pathway?"
"Yes, this might be why they wanted to snatch the Antigonus Family's notebook."
"After all, the Pathway that the Antigonus Family belongs to is the Seer Pathway."
"Could they be members of the Hermes Society?" Leonard recalled a certain secret organization.
…" Pales remained silent.
"I forgot, they snatched Antigonus's notebook from the Hermes Society's hands…" Leonard chuckled awkwardly.
"You're becoming just like your captain…"
"Are you sure it's a Circus?" Leonard asked.
"Yes, for a Beyonder of the Seer Pathway who wants to roleplay, a Circus is indeed a good choice. They can openly appear without arousing suspicion."
"Hmm." Leonard nodded, making a mental note of this piece of knowledge.
Even finding that notebook would be good…
With that thought, Leonard followed the crowd and entered the Circus.