First bullying his brother, and now trying to hit on his sister?
Just who exactly was this George? How many heads did he have that he thought he could strut around Hope County like he owned the place?
In this city, no one dared to bully Officer Rockland’s family so blatantly right under his nose!
Arthur’s face was so dark with rage that it looked like ink could drip from it.
He began to rapidly search through legal codes in his mind.
“Illegal harassment, picking quarrels and provoking trouble, possibly even involving threats to a citizen's personal safety...”
Arthur calculated in a low voice.
He was considering whether he should cook up a few charges to send this guy named George to Old Palace Yard for a bit of “continuing education.”
Standing to the side and watching her elder brother’s terrifying expression, Charlotte felt cold sweat break out across her back.
She quickly stepped forward, grabbing Arthur’s broad arm with all her might.
“Arthur! Arthur, calm down!”
Charlotte pleaded and coaxed until she finally managed to get her overprotective brother to drop the idea of abusing his authority.
“Don’t let me see him on this street!”
Arthur let out one last threatening huff before turning to get ready for work.
Charlotte slowly sat on the sofa, letting out a long sigh of relief.
She felt that her brothers were becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
One was running away from home to play at being mysterious and disappearing, while the other had a head full of “sending people to jail.”
She pulled out the letter Elias had left behind once more, her fingertips gently tracing the slightly rough edges of the paper.
For some reason, ever since she saw that final instruction, she had a vague feeling.
She was too familiar with it; every time Elias lied, she got this feeling.
That cunning fellow must have left something else behind.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to guide the spirituality within her body.
This was the most basic skill Ms. Cecil had taught her at the asylum—activating Spirit Vision.
As the valve of her rationality was slightly nudged, Charlotte felt her eyes grow warm.
The world before her changed instantly.
On the originally yellowed stationery, the ordinary black ink handwriting began to emit a faint gray glow.
And at the bottom right of the paper, a hidden stroke composed of pure spirituality gradually emerged.
It was a crooked arrow, written with Elias’s typical casualness, pointing firmly toward the back of the letter.
“I knew there was a catch,” Charlotte muttered, nimbly flipping the paper over.
On the back, in a space that should have been blank, lines of text that could only be seen in the state of Spirit Vision lay there quietly.
【Lottie, with your talent, if you truly become a transcendent, I believe you will surely discover the mark I left on this paper.】
The very first line made Charlotte’s nose tingle slightly.
That feeling of having everything seen through by her brother, yet being silently expected to succeed, was far more intense than any face-to-face praise.
【This passage is left for you alone.】
【When you see these words, it means you have already made and acted upon that decision—you have chosen the path I was most reluctant for you to take.】
【As your brother, I feel a bit of a loss; after all, it means you will be saying goodbye to a peaceful, mundane life.】
【But I am also happy for you, because my Lottie has finally grown up and gained power worthy of her soul.】
Charlotte’s vision blurred slightly; through these words, she seemed to see Elias’s face as he wrote this with a conflicted expression.
It must have been that look of his—acting like it was a hassle while his eyes were full of tenderness.
【But you must remember, this path is not easy; in fact, it is a one-way street leading toward madness and the unknown.】
【You may witness horrors you have never seen in your life, indescribable existences that can challenge the very limits of human sanity.】
【You may encounter evils you would never have met before, a darkness rooted deep within spirituality.】
【So, I beg you, you must protect yourself.】
【Protect yourself.】
Elias repeated it here, his brushstrokes even trembling slightly.
The text that followed became heavy and oppressive.
【Regarding Victoria... I hope she can pull through and survive.】
【In that desperate situation, I had no choice.】
【I could only choose to save you first.】
【For this, I am deeply sorry and I blame myself greatly.】
【You might blame me, blame me for being cold-blooded, blame me for not saving your friend.】
【But I had to do it.】
When Charlotte read this, her tears finally couldn't be held back, falling with a splash onto the letter.
How could she possibly blame him?
That was a potion worth 1,500 gold crowns!
This idiot was actually apologizing for protecting her.
【When you see this letter, barring any accidents, I will already be on the train to Hastings Port.】
【By the way, I’ve been lying to you all this time.】
【I am not some sailor for the Wayland Shipping Company, nor will I be drifting on the surging seas.】
【My true identity is a lighthouse keeper stationed on the reefs of Moon Bay.】
【Of course, this job as a lighthouse keeper might not be exactly what you imagine.】
【The full story of this matter—perhaps when we meet again in the future, I will tell you in person.】
A lighthouse keeper?
Charlotte was stunned.
That Al, who always wore decent suits and talked a mile a minute, was actually guarding a lighthouse?
The contrast was a bit too strong.
【Remember, whatever you do, absolutely do not follow Ms. Cecil to find me, and definitely do not let that blockhead Arthur come to Moon Bay.】
【That place is currently like a hornet's nest that could explode at any moment.】
【I’ll leave Arthur to you.】
【Once I’ve handled the mess here in Moon Bay, I’ll come back to reunite with you both.】
【With love, your brother, Elias.】
“Stupid...”
Charlotte couldn't help but murmur to herself.
There was a hint of a pout in her voice that she hadn't even noticed.
The redhead sniffled loudly; though she was grumbling in her heart, she was already completely enveloped by a warm, burning current.
No wonder she always felt Al was lying, and that his “sailor” vibe felt like he was acting.
It seemed her intuition was truly accurate.
Like a human lie detector.
Charlotte wiped away her tears, lost in thought.
According to Ms. Cecil, her family seemed to have some sort of ancient Norse bloodline.
The biggest characteristic of this bloodline was that it would exponentially amplify spiritual traits.
And what she manifested was this near-cheating intuition.
But she looked at Arthur, who was currently fussing with his boots at the entryway.
She thought to herself that her two brothers, Arthur and Al, didn't seem to have inherited this sensitive intuition.
Arthur had the will of a pure man of steel, while Al... probably put all his points into “acting” and “snark,” didn't he?
“Oh! Arthur!”
Hearing the sound of shoes being put on at the door, Charlotte quickly composed herself and called out to her eldest brother, who was about to head out.
“What is it?”
Arthur, already in his crisp police uniform, poked his confused head around the doorframe.
“I might be staying home for a bit longer.”
Charlotte walked to the center of the living room and, following the explanation Ms. Cecil had given her, began her “academic report.”
“My mentor, Ms. Cecil, believes I have a great talent for the study of classical mysticism.”
“She plans to lead me in some research regarding ‘Mysticism Practice of the Velen Ancient Civilization.’”
“So, for the coming period, I will be working with her on academic research in mysticism.”
“Ms. Cecil guaranteed that as long as I participate in this research, I’ll be able to graduate smoothly with the rest of my classmates.”
This was the perfect cover Ms. Cecil had provided for her.
Hearing this, Arthur was stunned for two seconds before his eyes suddenly lit up.
“That’s a good thing! A great thing!”
In the Kingdom of Velen today, in the eyes of most ordinary citizens, mysticism was a high-end, emerging science.
Arthur was clearly no exception.
Learning that his sister had a better academic future, he was naturally all for it.
Moreover, if his sister stayed local to do research, she would be right under his nose.
As the eldest brother, he could rest easy.
“I knew it, Lottie, you’re the smartest!”
Arthur laughed heartily, his headache seeming to dissipate quite a bit.
“Study hard with that lady. If you need anything, just tell your big brother!”
Seeing Arthur’s reaction, Charlotte’s heart finally settled.
She gave a sweet smile. “I know. Now hurry up and get to work!”
“Alright!”
Arthur closed the door and left with a light step.
...
While Charlotte successfully handled Arthur using the method Cecil provided and began her new life path...
At the same time.
Hope County Railway Station.
Elias was currently sitting in a private carriage.
He leaned back against the velvet-cushioned seat, resting with his eyes closed.
However.
The tightly closed sliding door of the compartment suddenly made a faint clicking sound.
An uninvited guest, carrying a suitcase, hurriedly walked in.
Rate on N.U.
