Without a single moment of hesitation.
Elias instinctively restrained his naturally radiating spirituality.
That familiar feeling from back at the hotel had returned.
What the hell was going on?
In that hellhole of Hastings Port, he had to hide his spirituality like a thief to avoid the search of the Seventh Agency.
He finally returned home, thinking he could relax a bit, only to find himself forced to play the turtle again the moment he landed!
What kind of blessed land was this hometown of his?
Crowley and John both wanted to come here for treasure.
And just running into a random college teacher, she turns out to be a transcendent of this caliber?
Moreover, the most critical issue was: why would such a transcendent be his sister's etiquette teacher?
It was like a relative's child suddenly telling you her physical education teacher was Gandalf.
Well, he was a melee mage, so teaching P.E. was actually reasonable.
Just as Elias was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, Charlotte, who was beside him, keenly noticed something.
Seeing Elias again this time, he always gave her a sense of strangeness.
She thought it was because they hadn't seen each other in a long time.
Besides, Elias had also tanned.
But at this moment, she only felt a certain aura on her brother suddenly stall.
Looking him over again, he still seemed like the same familiar second brother.
'Is it a delusion?'
Charlotte tilted her head, a trace of confusion flashing through her amber eyes.
"Ms. Cecil."
Elias quickly adjusted his facial expression, putting on a perfectly polite smile.
"The Spark Festival is approaching. Are you here in Hope County to celebrate the holiday?"
This was a probe.
If she was just passing through or simply a tourist, that would be fine.
If she was a permanent resident here for a specific purpose, he would have to consider carrying Charlotte onto a train and fleeing overnight.
Ms. Cecil did not answer immediately.
She stared at Elias for a moment.
Her gaze carried a hint of insight within its calmness.
"Not entirely."
Her tone was flawlessly gentle.
"I'm here on a business trip."
"I just happened to run into Ms. Charlotte on the train, so we chatted a bit along the way."
"I see."
Elias nodded, but the heavy stone in his heart only partially settled.
A business trip.
That meant official business.
As long as she wasn't specifically coming for their family and didn't have designs on Charlotte, it could be considered a stroke of luck.
'Since it's for work...'
Elias calculated quickly in his mind.
'That means she can't be with Charlotte twenty-four-seven.'
He didn't want Charlotte to get mixed up in the messy affairs of transcendents.
For an ordinary person like her, it was far too dangerous.
After all, in this world, the more you knew, the faster you died; sometimes, ignorance was the greatest happiness.
"Charlotte!"
While the few of them were talking, a slightly raspy male voice came from the crowd not far away.
The group turned their heads toward the sound.
A young man wearing a gray trench coat and a soft felt hat was struggling to push through the crowded throng, waving his hand toward them.
Even from a dozen meters away, Elias could smell the decadent aura coming off the man.
"Brian?"
Elias recognized the newcomer at a glance.
That was his eldest brother Arthur's partner, a detective.
In the original owner's memories, ever since Arthur became a policeman two years ago, these two had a good relationship.
You could say they were very close.
Brian Fisher was not only a colleague but also a frequent visitor to Arthur's home.
Therefore, both Elias and Charlotte were as familiar with him as could be.
However.
When Brian Fisher walked up to them, Elias keenly noticed something wrong.
Something very wrong.
This guy's state was like a candle about to burn out.
His face was as pale as paper, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his stubble grew wildly like weeds. Those eyes, which should have been sharp, were now bloodshot and filled with a turbid sense of daze.
"Charlotte!"
Brian Fisher stopped in his tracks.
"Heavens! Have you grown taller?"
He squeezed out a smile that looked more painful than crying and opened his arms warmly toward Ms. Cecil.
"?"
The air froze in that instant.
Elias's mouth twitched.
Ms. Cecil also froze, awkwardly maintaining her posture, and had to turn her head to look at Charlotte for help.
"Brian?"
The real Charlotte crossed her arms, her small face puffed up with annoyance.
"I'm over here!"
Charlotte waved her hand dissatisfactorily, trying to call back the attention of this blind detective.
"Is something wrong with your eyes?"
Charlotte was truly a bit angry.
She had felt very lucky to run into Professor Cecil on the train.
This female professor, who had only come from Landon City to Galloway Women's College for an exchange last month, gave witty and humorous lectures. In private, she was completely approachable and had great affinity, making her a star teacher at the college.
Charlotte had originally planned that since the professor was in Hope County for business, as a local, she would definitely take her around.
Of course.
If Elias could hear her inner thoughts, he would certainly say: No, you don't want to.
Who knew that right after getting off the train, the originally beautiful atmosphere would be ruined by this unreliable Brian Fisher.
"Ah!"
Hearing the voice from his side, Brian Fisher gave a sudden jolt.
His gaze shifted back and forth between Ms. Cecil and Charlotte several times.
"Oh... oh!"
He slapped his forehead hard, making a crisp sound.
"I'm sorry, Charlotte, I'm sorry."
Brian Fisher lowered his hand, looking quite annoyed.
"My state hasn't been very good lately."
"You know, with the cases lately... I've been pulling too many all-nighters, my vision is a bit blurry."
"To the point where you can't even recognize people?"
Charlotte was not convinced by this excuse.
She knit her delicate brows, looking Brian Fisher up and down.
She could sense that Brian Fisher seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray mist.
Brian Fisher didn't respond. He sheepishly scratched his messy hair, then with some effort, he turned his head and directed those turbid eyes toward Elias, who had been standing silently by the side.
He squinted, leaning in to examine him for a long time.
"And this is...?"
"..."
Elias took a deep breath.
It was confirmed.
This guy either had something wrong with his brain, or he had encountered a supernatural event.
It was clearly a case of cognitive interference.
He didn't remember Brian Fisher being face-blind.
Besides, how could a face-blind person be a detective?
By drawing straws?
Or by relying on the suspects to raise their hands and confess?
"I'm Elias,"
Elias spoke helplessly, while unobtrusively observing Brian Fisher's pupils.
"What? You don't recognize me after so long, Brian?"
"Elias?!"
Hearing the name, Brian Fisher acted as if he'd been hit by an electric shock, his whole body jerking violently.
A near-manic joy instantly erupted in his originally turbid eyes.
"Elias!!"
He let out a loud shout and took a step forward, wanting to grab Elias's shoulders, but his legs went soft, and he almost fell.
"Where did you go?!"
"Do you know Arthur has been unsettled for so long because of you!"
"We all thought you..."
As he spoke, his voice grew smaller and smaller, and his figure began to sway like a small boat in a storm.
"Hey! Are you okay?"
Elias was quick and reached out to catch him.
Upon contact, Brian Fisher's body was frighteningly hot and trembling violently.
"I'm fine! Buddy! I'm fine!"
But Brian Fisher acted like a drunkard, slapping Elias's hand away and stubbornly trying to stand straight.
"I've just been getting sleepy lately... I'll be fine after a nap..."
"Really, just one nap..."
Before he could finish his sentence.
He was like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward.
"Thud!"
Even though Elias reacted extremely quickly to catch him, he only managed to slow the momentum of his fall.
Brian Fisher slumped in Elias's arms, his eyes tightly shut, his breathing so weak it was almost imperceptible.
"What's the situation here?"
Elias looked at this guy, feeling his head throb with a massive headache.
He'd just gotten home and hadn't even had a hot meal yet. First, he ran into a teacher who was likely a max-level boss, and now the person meeting him at the station had directly collapsed.
Wasn't this script a bit too tightly packed?
'His soul has a problem,' Edmond analyzed calmly.
'His spiritual reaction is weak to the extreme.'
'This kid's soul barrier is already as thin as paper; it's leaking everywhere.'
'If this continues, he'll either hear some murmurs he shouldn't and go crazy instantly.'
'Or he'll just suffer brain death.'
'If you were Scale Two, you'd be able to see half of his spiritual body floating outside.'
'He's been targeted by a transcendent.'
Elias felt a chill in his heart.
Arthur's partner had been targeted—what about Arthur?
Just as he was about to ask Edmond further if there was a way to save him.
A fragrant breeze drifted over.
Ms. Cecil, who had been watching from the side, suddenly stepped forward.
She crouched down, her eyes scanning Brian Fisher's pale face, and then she extended a slender finger, gently prying open Brian Fisher's eyelid.
"Here, let me see."
Her movements were practiced and professional, and her fingertips seemed to shimmer with an imperceptible ghostly light.
"Do you know medicine?"
Elias asked knowingly, his eyes filled with vigilance.
Ms. Cecil looked up, meeting Elias's eyes directly.
She gave a slight smile, her tone still as nonchalant as ever:
"Something like that."
"I know a bit of mysticism."
'Something like that?!'
'Are you a witch doctor?'
'And just "a bit"?'
'I'd say you know a hell of a lot more than just "a bit"!'
Rate on N.U.
