Somewhere in Backlund, inside a modest house, a young man with short brown hair sat reading a newspaper.
It was Lukas.
"Viscount Corniferous was found dead in his home. His head was mutilated. The killer remains unknown."
After reading that, Lukas put down the paper and thought to himself,
Man, it hasn't even been a full day and there's already news about his death. They really work quickly when it's about rich people.
He sat there for a few more minutes before finally standing up. He put on the black suit and the cane he'd bought. His eyes then fell on the revolver lying on the table.
Yeah, why not? You can never be too careful in Backlund.
He slipped the revolver into his right pocket. After making sure he had everything, he finally walked out of the house.
Outside, he took a deep breath.
Man, such a good day.
A few minutes later, Lukas stopped by a shop. When he entered, he was greeted by a middle-aged man behind the counter.
"Sir, do you need anything?" the shopkeeper asked with a smile.
Lukas smiled back. "No, I'm just looking around."
"Well, if you need anything, you can always come to me," the shopkeeper said kindly.
"No problem," Lukas replied, returning the smile.
After a minute of browsing, he wandered to the book section, specifically the bestsellers shelf. There, he spotted Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He picked it up, examining the cover.
I wonder if Evernight and that priest have taken notice of me yet…
He smirked faintly, then returned the book to its place.
He wandered around the shop before finally stepping outside again.
It was raining. The streets were almost empty. Seeing this, Lukas closed his eyes. Since childhood, the rain had always brought him peace. He'd always liked the rain more than the sun.
After a deep breath, he opened his eyes, exhaled softly, and began walking.
After few steps, he heard a voice shouting behind him.
"Hey, sir! Sir! Can I have a minute of your time?"
Lukas turned around. "Yeah? How can I help you?"
"Would you like to have your future divined?" the man asked eagerly.
"Oh? And how exactly are you going to do that?" Lukas asked.
The man smiled confidently. "Of course, using tarot cards! Only five soli!"
But Lukas started walking away. The man quickly called out, "Okay, four soli!"
Lukas stopped and turned back. "I know a guy who can do it cheaper. Why should I waste my time on you?"
The man hesitated, then blurted, "Alright, alright—two soli! But that's the lowest I can go!"
"Deal," Lukas said without hesitation.
Inside the small, dimly lit tent, Lukas shuffled the cards. The divinator looked at him seriously.
"What would you like to see?"
"Past, present, and future," Lukas replied.
The divinator nodded, then drew three cards and placed them in front of him.
"Which one would you like to see first?"
"The middle one," Lukas said.
He flipped it over.
XI — Justice.
Justice… to bring balance to the scales. Interesting.
He paid the man and stepped out of the tent. The rain had lightened, and he began his walk home. But then he stopped.
An orange cat stood in his path, staring at him with an oddly menacing gaze.
Is this normal for cats? Oh well, he's just a cat.
He shrugged and turned into a nearby alleyway — a shortcut.
Halfway through, he noticed four men loitering there. As he tried to turn back, one of them shouted,
"Hey you! Get over here!"
Lukas turned calmly. "Guys, I don't mean you any harm. Can we just talk peacefully?"
Though as a Sequence 8 Telepathist, he could clearly see their intent — and it wasn't good.
One of them burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Look at this scared little bitch!"
Lukas didn't hesitate. He drew his revolver and fired.
BANG.
The bullet hit the man square in the head. He dropped instantly.
The laughter stopped. The other men froze, their faces twisting in terror.
"Hey, bro, we didn't mean any harm—"
But Lukas raised his gun again, and before he even spoke, they turned and ran for their lives.
He lowered the revolver and tucked it back into his pocket. As he did, he checked his other pocket—only to find it empty. His wallet was gone.
Don't tell me one of them was from the Error pathway… There was at least two hundred pounds in there. Mr. Fool would kill for that kind of money.
He sighed, stepping over the corpse, and resumed his walk home.
A few minutes later, Lukas arrived back at his house. After changing into clean clothes and putting the gun away, he sat at his desk, dipped his quill into ink, and began to write.
The person who stole the wallet from Lukas—the owner of this quill—will discover the honorific name of the King of Angels, Amon. Thinking it will bring him great benefits, he will chant it.
When he finished, he leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
That's what you get for stealing from me.
Hey guys, author here! I just want to say a few things—first of all, thank you to these amazing people:
Poke_Beanie for 3 Power Stones — thanks a lot!
Scorpion_13 for 3 Power Stones — I really appreciate it!
Cosmic_Void_Val for 3 Power Stones — thank you so much, my friend!
DaoistYFexvP for 1 Power Stone — I deeply appreciate it!
Jadrienne_Lee for 3 Power Stones — thank you, my friend!
Celestial_Worthy1 for 2 Power Stones — thank you so much!
And thank you, everyone, for your support! See you all tomorrow!