When she stayed at a hotel, she booked a room for six days at a time. The shop owner assured him that the bed was clean without a single bug, and even the bathtub was of the highest quality purchased from a noble lady. But in the end, Della was advised to take a bath in the bath.
"The water there is hotter," the shopkeeper said, "and the bathtub is for female guests. I don't think they will come to my house to stay after knowing that it has been used by men. They will definitely not accept it!"
Go to the bathhouse and meet a dozen naked men? She could hardly accept it herself. "Then don't let them know. I guess you'll keep it a secret."
"There is an additional charge."
"It's up to you." She paid the money happily at that time, thinking about the paper.
Now that everything was taken care of, the wound on his back began to sting, which was refreshing. Della had no memory of being hurt, she thought it was fine! "Damn it." She couldn't help but curse, "How did you do it? How should I deal with it?"
"..."
"I recited the eulogy!" Della covered her face, "But it was useless. Divine magic, magic or witchcraft, there was no response."
Neither did he. Maybe you think I'm being too whimsical.
Della began to undress. I have to get used to it. She tried her best to convince herself. The price of losing "Della Sinsena" is to live as a man in the future, which is better than living in a box.
Finally, she stood shirtless in front of the mirror and looked at her new body, which was young, energetic, powerful, and even beautiful. What more could you ask for? Now I am not afraid of homeless people when walking at night. She felt her cheeks getting hot and subconsciously stretched out her hand to cover it. However, this reserved movement suddenly destroyed the coordination of the reflection in the mirror, making him look weird. Uriel's expression stiffened.
"..."
"No." The person in the mirror suddenly became nervous, "I will be caught, Uriel! They are looking for me. Without a body, the soul is a rootless fire."
When this name comes out of the apprentice's mouth, the truth is undoubtedly revealed. De la Cincena himself knew absolutely nothing about the art of escape from Archbishop Jesela. Now she can still occupy the bathtub in the hotel, all thanks to Uriel channeling her into herself.
"..." He spoke again.
"No, trust me, Uriel, I have a way to deal with this trouble." Of course, that doesn't include going to the men's bathroom! Della hurriedly applied the magic potion to the wound, and then, all guarantees were interrupted at the same time as numbness, stinging, and burning.
"...I have to find a society." The psychic managed to finish the second half of the sentence.
"..."
"That's right, just now...wait, you know? You've heard of the Inspiration Society? No, hell, you read my letter!"
"..."
"I can't imagine you admitting it." Della snorted in displeasure.
"..."
"Professional constraints are everywhere, but I see that you still enjoy it." She sat back down on the bed carefully. "In the early years, I got information about the Highland Witches, which was collected by the Inspiration Society. But in the end, we are just private researchers and cannot be compared with the Seven Pivot Points."
"..."
His comments hit home. "It is indeed not that legal." Della coughed, "But it has nothing to do with most members. There was once a guy who took demons as a research topic and tried to analyze the activation conditions of the secret ceremony from the perspective of fire differences... Of course, this proposition has been I falsified it.”
"..."
"Demon hunters don't know so much." She couldn't help complaining, "The Crusaders use fire, the Paladins use sunlight, and examination means torture! Until the flesh and blood are drained. In order to achieve meritorious service, these people don't care about anything. Don't Seeing as Daisy is a member of the Weaver family, her family failed to save her at that time and was instead implicated. Only now, the truth is revealed, you don’t know how difficult it is!"
"..."
"In my opinion, it's definitely not a good thing to be associated with the devil." The psychic said, "The same goes for the Yinshiman Kingdom. When the demon hunting movement swept to the south, tens of thousands of people died. Now that the old thing is happening again, what are we going to do? Are you still going south?"
"..."
"Tower of Cloyin? The astrologers will kill me as a ghost! Please, Uriel." There is no doubt that the tower will send someone. Of course, Della thought, I stole the identity of a tower messenger. "it's out of the question."
Once caught by the astrologers, they would first chase her out and then put the ghost in a bottle. Della didn't want to be a specimen in a bottle.
"I know something." She revealed her plan. "It can preserve the fire of mysterious creatures."
"...? 』
"Yes, it preserves the soul. It is a container for the fire. We call it a phylactery."
"..."
What a ridiculous question. "Not at all! Who would plan an out-of-body experience? That thing is an antique and no one has dared to use it yet."
"..."
Della shrugged, "I can guarantee that." Soon we will be able to identify the authenticity. But she couldn't guarantee whether she could accept the rest of her life in darkness. "Maybe, I mean, you can let me stay with you..."
Suddenly, a feeling of nausea rose up in her throat, and she immediately shut up. As a psychic, Della knew that this was the owner of the body trying to resist. Certain words hit the bottom line, and his instincts strongly objected.
…
When he realized that the darkness in front of him might not be temporary, fear grew from the darkness and led him upward.
For a brief moment, Uriel found himself again. Panting, he leaned against the wall, feeling the roughness and warmth of the wood. There is a musty smell in the air, and there are waves of moisture from the sheets; the sun sets outside the window, the light is dim, and the noise from the balcony next door sounds like nail polishing. I'm back. He stared at his hands, watching them stop shaking. I'm back. Is she gone?
But a chill passed through his skin, and Uriel's hair suddenly stood up, and the cool wind penetrated his bones.
"No!" Uriel blurted out, "We have to talk, Della... No. Get out!" He fell on the bed, feeling a splitting headache, as if a thousand needles were piercing his head in turn. "No! Damn it. No!"
He stood up abruptly, and the survival instinct in his limbs drove them to move, trying to escape from this place. Bang. The result is undoubtedly hitting something. The apprentice recoiled in horror, tripping over his chair.
"Get out!" he shouted, "No! No! Don't come back!" But the darkness came like a tide and swallowed him up again...
…
Bang bang bang! The walls shook. "Be quiet!" a voice called from next door, "I can hear you."
"Sorry." She shouted back in the same voice, closing the window.
The room grew darker. She dug out the candle and lit the wick. The orange light cast large shadows, and she heard rats running across the beams, their slender tails passing overhead.
Without any communication, Della already knew he regretted it.
But the room fell silent, and the night was a spooky time. She hadn't felt so peaceful since discovering the Witch of the Highlands at the Haunted Mansion. The obstacles in her career path, the hardship of saving travel expenses, and the despair of losing everything in the end made Della spend every day in panic and anxiety. Soon, the psychic realizes that there is only one way for him to go.
She recalled the cold reception she received when submitting articles. Due to their status as mysterious creatures, no one dares to disregard etiquette, but their eyes are full of resistance, contempt, and helplessness! Until a publishing house accepted her to support her charity work linked to the church.
People simply don’t understand the value. Can you blame me? Mortals only buy the gospel as if it will cleanse them of their sins.
But ignorance is the real sin, Della thought. One day, I will go down in history as the founder of the mysticism of the soul. When the idea first came to her, she could hardly breathe! During the night, she tossed and turned, her mind filled with the extreme excitement of success and fame.
I almost forgot how it felt. She clenched her fists unconsciously. When he left the Academy, Della Sinsena was a shadow that no one knew or cared about.
Not anymore. Now that she is on the verge of becoming famous, some people will remember her achievements and praise her contributions. Della will become a guest of the noble lords, on an equal footing with the court bachelors. One day, she would be able to hold a scholarly gathering in Marandeno, inviting wizards and alchemists from the Alliance to attend. If all this reaches the emperor's ears, she may even have a chance to become a noble. The Sinsena family! Who would have thought that a surname made up for aristocratic demeanor would come true? By then, her descendants will be born into extraordinary status because of her.
"Trust me, Uriel," Della whispered, "This is temporary. I will find the phylactery and keep us all alive."
The man in the mirror stared at her, tall, strong, scarred, but able to tolerate everything about her. Della couldn't help but move forward and put her cheek against the mirror. How amazing. I can feel his breath.
"Help me." Strong emotions rolled in her heart, but she did not shed tears. Uriel's standards for treating tears were different from Dela Sinsena's. "I owe you, Uriel, and I have thought about dying for you. Can't you feel it? Do you still think I am a minion of the devil?"
He said nothing.
Della pushed herself up against the mirror. "But the world is so strange, and people can't always be the ideal selves." She found more coins from her pocket and counted out the amount of the gifts.
The next morning, Della went to the store and bought a small and cute beret. The tailor praised her for her eye for winning the favor of young girls and asked her if she wanted a wrapped gift card that could express her love.
Only then did Della realize that she couldn't give Daisy a hat. Heck, with me looking like this, people would think I was pursuing her.
"Can you give me some advice?" she conferred with the tower messenger. "Talk to me, Uriel."
"..."
"This is a necessary means." Della explained, "The ghost's return to the Inspiration Society is like a trap! Daisy Weaver will not hand over the phylactery obediently. We cannot reveal our intentions."
"..."
"You have to take your time. Talking about the internal affairs of the society will help us get closer, so we can start planning."
"..."
Her face sank and she threw away the clothes in her hands. "I've said enough!"
"I thought you were different from others, Uriel." The psychic stared at the mirror, "To you, my research is not worth mentioning. But then again, do you really recognize my ritual diagrams? Or do you mean that being born can unconditionally improve your knowledge?"
The ghost closed his mouth again and did not answer any of her words.
Della put on her beret and looked in the mirror. Uriel's image became funny. The tailor glanced at her furtively, and the two customers looked away and snickered. I have experienced countless ridicules, but this was the first time I was worried about my size. Della didn't know how to dress herself up, and people would compliment Daisy Weaver on her beauty. She had never heard anyone compliment her like that. Why bother thinking about this? I don't care about appearance at all.
When passing by the newspaper office, Della took care of the newsboy's business again. She eagerly found a long table and sat down to browse the headlines.
But the first line reads "Grain and oil prices in the city continue to rise, and many commercial banks refuse to produce warehouse lists."
No matter how you look at it, this title has nothing to do with academic achievements. Della immediately turned over the page. The content on the next page was not the headline. It read, "A theater flower eloped because of love!" A detailed account of Killian’s romantic history."
People love to see this. she thought. Celebrity privacy, love-hate entanglements. It's not a big deal. Only truly intelligent people will go straight to the pages of journals and study cutting-edge results.
She turned another page. This page contains photos of several unkempt and ragged guys about to be executed by the executioner. Daisy Weaver might be interested in this, but Della would just turn the page.
This is the last page, she thought as she turned the corner of the newspaper. The society auditors lied and left my paper to boring people who had to read the newspaper. Is it because the gift was not given in time? Or maybe I came too late and the Chief Alchemist failed to read it in time...
"On the transformation and development of the ancestors' sacrificial forms. It is another boring topic and disappointing." Another guest at the table said, "Besides, this is the last text. If you read it again, it will be a recruitment advertisement."
She was excited. Only then did Della realize that there was a man sitting opposite. How rude! She almost tore the newspaper. How can you disturb others from reading and thinking.
But it's more than that. "I didn't expect you to pay attention to these things." He seemed surprised. "Are you looking for news about Nightingale? This is not a honey collar, and the locals don't like to do this."
Della stared at him defensively: "Honey collar?"
"The church cares about its reputation, so it naturally has to strictly control the newspaper." The man's hair looked like a plate of overnight noodles, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was as gray as a drug addict. He spread the newspaper on the edge of the table with an uncertain smile on his lips.
A bad premonition arose in my heart. She suddenly remembered Uriel's identity and the many stupid things he had done that made him famous but also brought danger. Della has long realized that this choice is tantamount to gambling. However, in a desperate situation, the tower messenger is the only straw. She only hopes that she will not regret it so quickly.
The man leaned forward slightly and said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
…
Since arriving in Knox, Uriel has only a handful of acquaintances, and most of them are located in specific places. Della was reluctant to go to Inseman precisely to avoid meeting them. Her calculations were very good, but her luck was obviously very bad.
What's even better is that the other person happens to be the most difficult type of person for her to deal with.
"You will reveal the secret, Della." The apprentice conveyed the idea, "Lies are just a trick to him. If you ask me, it is not professional magic, this person is an expert in this industry."
"..."
"No. But your guess makes sense. I think he once worked as a torture officer or a jailer." When they first met, Uriel noticed the dark temperament of this man.
Most adventurers have had a life on their hands at one time or another. Calder and his Knox mercenaries may have done it for competition, pay, and rough roads, while others may have done it for robbery, fraud, and tyranny. And money, of course. Wealth brings Windspeaker, Selin Kalamu and Bard Saud together in the same room, and they are already the most trustworthy group of war mercenaries.
Della's emotions were about to reach the bottom line. She kept asking questions and trying to find out the identity of the other party. "..."
Nothing could be further from the truth. "The Knights of the Cross and the Nightingale of the Church both have faith, you cannot deny this."
"..."
Uriel said: "To be honest? I was worried about scaring you."
"..."
"This man is a demon hunter." The apprentice answered.
She was really frightened and didn't respond for a long time.
"As far as I know, most demons' methods are not orthodox in the current mysterious field, and are very similar to your channeling." He added the last spark, "If he becomes suspicious, he will probably attack us on the street. Conduct screening." Then we will be in trouble together.
After a brief silence, the apprentice's eyes returned to light. He was about to release the channeling immediately, but his arm wouldn't obey his command. In fact, all he could control was his mouth.
Many words hung on his lips, but Uriel quickly realized that this was Della's warning. Even if I tell the truth, she still has control over me for a short time. This woman is as timid as a mouse when facing demons and demon hunters. She only asks for the people who help her and sympathize with her. Don't I know it yet?
"I didn't expect to meet here." So the apprentice said, "Mr. Edward."
"Ha! You have become polite." Edward smiled, "Is it because the mentor's spy is not around?"
"Maybe it's because we meet again after a long separation." The warm greetings. No one could have imagined that "Barber" Edward had only met his apprentice once before. He is the captain of the Paperclip mercenary group, and his specialty is sending demons into the fire. "Going on a mission, eh? Balthazar is here too?"
"No. They're all gone. I'm on my own."
Uriel felt that he had something to say, so he asked, "What's going on?"
"It has nothing to do with anyone else. I'm leaving." Someone passed by, and Edward put away his bone staff to prevent him from being stepped on. "I have something to do, and I can't drag my brothers down. Remember the Windspeaker? The mist elf and his friend parted ways. It seems to be an archer named Anchuan." He understood just by looking at his face. "You remember, no doubt. Now I understand how he felt."
"Some things can't be shared," said the apprentice, "like danger."
The barber stared at the table. "Knox is in chaos, Uriel, everything is not safe." He laughed dryly, "War and turmoil, eh? This was originally the time when we made a fortune."
"This time is unusual." The apprentice warned, "If you ask me, letting mercenaries get involved in the mysterious battle is a bit over the top."
"That's right. We can only give a platform to the fights in the mortal world. This has always been the case. Balthazar also said so. You are very sensible, Uriel, you are all sensible people! I know that you have been involved in more wars than me. That’s right, right? You have your own reasons.”
"But you still want to get involved?"
"If you knew me, you would understand my difficulties." Edward squinted at the people passing by. "But you have enough troubles, my lord. I'm not sure you want to understand."
"..."
Uriel's arms automatically crossed together, as if in a silent urging. Of course, it wasn't for Edward.
Psychics avoid demons and demon hunters, and are not at all curious about Edward's story. However, everyone in the occult field knows that the White Envoy is a demon hunter, and his apprentice has a position invisibly. If I asked, Uriel thought, the "barber" would not refuse.
"It's not bad." He turned a blind eye to Della's hint, "What happened?"
"I picked up the old road and became a hunter." The barber tugged on his clothes. There was a constant flow of people around him, and he was careful not to reveal the seven-pointed star mark. "My brothers don't agree with me, and they are afraid that I will risk my life. They are like my biological brothers... but they are not real blood relatives after all. The devil has killed all my blood relatives."
The apprentice was shocked. "When did this happen?"
"Twenty years ago. I was still an arrogant kid who didn't understand anything." Now Edward is about forty years old. He moved his waist carelessly, and the bone staff hit the table leg. The reason why this person holds the stick is different from that of "Elder" Ferriani. When they first met, the apprentice noticed that "Barber" Edward had difficulty with his legs and feet.
"When I woke up one morning, my mother brought a pot of bone soup with cooked meat with fingernails in it. She asked Fanai and I to do it. If you want to drink the soup, you can either help her continue cooking it, or else go and keep my father company." He did not explain his father's whereabouts, but paused. Fanai screamed.
"I looked at Fanai, oh, my sister. She was so frightened that she yelled and made red soup everywhere in the restaurant. My mother, or rather, the devil." There was another unsustainable gasp. "She jumped over the chair and knocked her down. They were rolling on the floor, knocking over everything that was there. I just watched."
Uriel stared at him uneasily.
"You know? If it weren't for that pot of soup, they would just be ordinary women fighting." Edward's lips twitched. "No big deal. I watch them."
"My mother won the battle. She tore Fanai into pieces, really piece by piece. I don't think you have ever seen flesh and blood as thin and long as cloth. It was also the first time I saw it. In short, my sister died. Like the debris left behind after a balloon exploded."
He stared at the table. There was nothing there, but Uriel couldn't help but look away, as if there was a pot of bloody bone broth there.
"There is something floating out of my mother's hand." Edward murmured to himself, "It's transparent, like thread. I guess it's her magic."
"What a nightmare," the apprentice said uncontrollably. Della was using his throat to speak and clasping his hands tightly together.
Even at such a critical moment, one cannot expect this woman to be calm. "A human tragedy," he said softly.
"It's better than dying on the spot like Fanai. But since then, it has been more difficult for me to drink soup." Edward smiled, "until I met my wife."
"Lucia bless her."
The barber gave him a surprised look. "She died six years ago."
All Uriel's words were stuck in his throat. He didn't know what to say, it seemed a stupid thing to do to comfort him. "A devil again?"
"The Revenge of the Society." Edward muttered, "She was traveling with me, all the way. We fought side by side, but fell into a trap. The child... the bait... he just touched her." Strange emotions flickered in his eyes. , it’s not all pain. "He touched her and killed her."
Uriel felt cold all over after hearing this. Regardless of whether they were orthodox or lost professions, or even among the nameless people he had encountered, no one could kill someone just by touching them. Not to mention Edward, even the apprentice can't guarantee that he can avoid such instant death effects by relying on "spiritual vision". He can't predict everything!
"The devil," he asked, "what happened next?"
Edward raised his head and stared at the apprentice: "He died in Yinsman not long after. I heard that the person who did it was your mentor, Uriel."
For a moment, the apprentice didn't know how he felt. He seemed to be sinking constantly, and the air was thin and soft, leaving him nowhere to rely on.
"I lost my goal, so I changed my career and became a mercenary. Of course, when I encounter demons, I will also wear an armband and twist off the heads of these evil bastards with my own hands."
Uriel took a deep breath to overcome the suffocating feeling. "I don't know any of this."
"How do you know." "The Barber" laughed loudly, "Even Bai Zhizhi himself doesn't know. Look, he was just fulfilling his duties and casually killing an unknown person in order to protect the vassal country. In the final analysis, he didn't know at all. There is someone like me."
So this is why you are willing to talk, Uriel thought to himself.
"Anyway, I'm very grateful." Edward put away his smile, "At that time, I... felt soft for a moment." He held the crutch firmly. "People always have times like this, eh? Untimely sympathy, like an old hunter letting go of his rabbit cubs. What a fool I was! I didn't do it!"
"It's not your fault." That's all the apprentice could say.
Edward shook his head. "Thanks to him. Thanks to your mentor, Uriel."
When the apprentice heard these words, he was not so happy. In the eyes of the Noxians, all actions to protect order are acts of justice, and mercy is a kind of weakness. Edward lost his wife and family, so perhaps this view was wise for him.
"It's all in the past. Since you changed your career, why do you need to get involved in these things again?"
"You don't understand, my lord." Edward sniffed. "They said this was a real demon hunt. A big movement, a big show, and the society was going to be uprooted. It's possible to encounter such a thing in your lifetime. Damn it, finally. I have been waiting for this day."
There was a twinkle in his eye. "Some things become more mysterious the more you talk about them, so it's better not to mention them less. Tell me about you, Uriel, are you planning to return to your hometown?"
"Indeed. I was passing by here to go to Yinsman." Uriel replied. In his heart, he felt Della's mood relax for a moment. "Leave soon."
"To the west is Hot Earth Hills, right? I remember there is a shuttle station over there."
"It's not direct, I'm afraid I have to change stations."
The barber nodded. "Goodbye, Master Messenger."
