Lord of Mysteries:The Good Witch

"Deep Sleeping Flower, then Rock Rose..."

Angel carefully mixed several plant essential oils in a transparent glass bottle, shaking it thoroughly. The resulting mixture for the ritual magic was a light blue color. She wondered if it might be poisonous.

Cautiously removing the cap, she took a sniff. The blend emitted a fresh scent with familiar notes of mint and some new fragrances not present in the individual oils.

"It doesn't smell toxic, but this strange color... I should keep it stored safely except when using it for ritual magic," she mused.

Angel placed the bottle on a high shelf alongside some expensive sandalwood candles, concealing them behind some books. She planned to attempt the ritual the next day after buying fresh food, as the Fool's ritual magic required four different foods arranged in a square.

With one major task resolved, Angel's thoughts turned to another matter - the round-faced youth named Tris she had encountered in the underground market at the Evil Dragon Bar.

In hindsight, her guard had been alarmingly low. If not for her intuition's warning, she might have naively left with him. Of course, as an Assassin, Angel believed she could have defended herself in a conflict, unless he was also a Beyonder.

—-

"Is he really a Beyonder?" Angel asked.

"Do you know him?" Dunn Smith, the Nighthawks' captain, inquired curiously.

It was Tuesday morning, and most of the Nighthawks had gathered in the reception room on the second floor of the Black Thorn Security Company. Dunn was showing everyone an internal wanted poster with a sketch.

The portrait depicted a round, somewhat shy-looking young face, about 18 or 19 years old - the same Tris that Angel had met yesterday.

"I went to the underground market in the dock area yesterday... um, the one behind the Dragon Bar. I ran into him when I was purchasing items for training ritual magic and we talked for a while. At that time, I thought he was just an ordinary person who had some knowledge of the occult. I didn't expect..."

Angel explained her encounter with the wanted suspect at the underground market behind the Evil Dragon Bar while purchasing items for ritual magic training.

"I can't believe such a young person was behind the Clover steamship tragedy. Dozens of lives lost... and he's a Beyonder who barely looks of age!" Rozanne exclaimed, gesturing at a copy of the Tingen Daily from two days ago that detailed the horrific incident at sea.

The ill-fated passenger ship had first been robbed by the notorious pirate Nast, self-proclaimed King of Five Seas. Afterwards, internal strife erupted, escalating from verbal disputes to deadly violence among crew and passengers. Though the captain and some rational passengers ultimately prevailed, dozens perished in the bloodshed.

The Tingen Daily had attributed it to "an ugly conflict between survivors in an extreme situation." However, the Church of the Goddess's internal warrant suggested it was orchestrated by a Beyonder.

"If not for Klein's divination helping the survivors, the police might have agreed with the Tingen Daily's assessment," Dunn added.

"It seems that taking on side jobs can indeed benefit our work," Leonard remarked with a meaningful smile, glancing at Klein who sat in the corner, frowning at the wanted poster.

Angel struggled to reconcile the image of the witty, elegant youth she had met with the perpetrator of such a tragedy. Though Tris had shown a hint of hidden malice at the end of their conversation...

Suddenly, Angel realized the source of that familiar feeling about Tris. It wasn't that she had met him before, but rather his behavior seemed familiar.

"He's an 'Instigator'..." Angel slowly uttered the potion's name. No wonder she had dropped her guard so quickly yesterday, conversing as if with an old friend. It must have been the Instigator's power of verbal enchantment at work.

Dunn nodded gravely, "Correct. Last night, the Machinery Hivemind team asked me to investigate the Clover's survivors. I uncovered some clues in their dreams, which, combined with the details of the tragedy, confirmed this was the work of a Beyonder."

"His name is Tris, a Sequence 8 Instigator, possibly from the 'Theosophy Order '. He excels at using language to incite people's hearts, intensify conflicts, and provoke confrontations. While the pirate attack on the Clover was accidental, the subsequent violent clash between passengers and crew was undoubtedly instigated by Tris."

"He disappeared after disembarking at Enmat Harbor, but survivors have reported sighting him in Tingen. Memorize his appearance, but if you encounter him alone on the street, avoid direct confrontation. The Sequence 9 of the Instigator pathway is 'Assassin'."

As Dunn spoke, he looked towards Angel, the Assassin.

"Indeed, upon advancing to the next sequence, all existing extraordinary abilities are enhanced. His close combat skills may even rival those of many Sequence 7 Beyonders," Angel concurred with Dunn's warning.

"So, how should we deal with this Tris?" Seeka Tron, who had been listening intently, finally asked.

"I've previously briefed you on the Assassin's skills. In confined spaces like narrow rooms or alleys, I suggest using gunfire to force him back, then immediately fleeing. Never engage in single combat with him at the same sequence level," Angel advised, putting herself in the opponent's shoes.

"In open terrain, long-range weapons can suppress an Assassin. Their agility and close combat prowess are ineffective in such situations. Even a few ordinary police officers have a good chance of taking him down if they maintain distance and use firearms."

"So the key is to avoid close combat and preferably outnumber him?" Klein summarized, looking up from studying the wanted poster.

"Assassins are also adept at concealing themselves. If you encounter him without confidence, it's best not to show hostility to prevent his escape. Quickly notify us, the Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind Beyonders, or contact the nearest patrol officer," Angel added after some thought.

Dunn Smith emphasized gravely, "The fact that he dares to come to Tingen after committing such a major crime suggests he might be planning another operation here or contacting his superiors. If he becomes alert, he's likely to leave Tingen, making it extremely difficult to find him again."

"So, now that we've confirmed Tris's identity as an Instigator and haven't widely circulated the wanted notice yet, we have an advantage. Angel's encounter with him at the Evil Dragon Bar in the port area yesterday indicates he might need to purchase some urgent materials and could reappear today. This is our best opportunity for capture."

He surveyed the Nighthawks in the reception room and swiftly assigned tasks: "Leonard, you and I will take a carriage to the Evil Dragon Bar in the port area now. Coen Lee will cover your post at the Chanis Gate. Angel, take the wanted poster to the police station across the street and inform them to send a team to assist with the arrest in the port area, in plain clothes and armed. Siger, accompany her and lead the team once you have the manpower. Tris has seen Angel, so she can't go along. Klein, you stay here on standby, call for Old Neil's support if needed."

The named Nighthawks nodded in understanding. Klein, assigned to stay behind, opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent.

Those heading out for the arrest were all on the Sleepless pathway, at least Sequence 8 Beyonders... Angel observed the group, quickly recognizing the cleverness of Dunn's arrangement.

Even if encountering Instigator Tris alone, the Sleepless members, also skilled in close combat, stood a fighting chance. Once the police arrived to surround him, even an Assassin pathway expert in escape would struggle to break free. If Dunn could deploy his Nightmare ability, Tris would have no chance of escape.

Angel had just met Tris, so her presence in the port area might alert him, causing him to flee before the official Beyonders and police could seal off the area. As for Klein, being a Seer without combat abilities beyond an ordinary person, he could become a weak point in frontline combat.

She wondered why Dunn Smith was mobilizing almost all on-duty Nighthawks to capture an Instigator who had fled from another city. After all, the wanted poster for the previous Instigator, Cole Granger, had been displayed all over Tingen for two weeks, and Dunn showed no interest in his whereabouts after Madam Sharon's death.

Unless he believed Tris was connected to other Beyonders?

Sensing Angel's lingering confusion, Dunn explained, "Instigator Tris likely belongs to the secret organization 'Theosophy Order ', which often orchestrates bloody incidents like the Clover tragedy. They may also be involved in the 'Labor Mutual Aid Society Trafficking Case' the Church is currently investigating. If we can capture Tris, we should be able to obtain valuable clues through dream intrusion or spiritual communication."

How did this connect to the Labor Union? Angel raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling the mysterious assassin she had encountered at the Labor Union. She and Dunn had previously analyzed that the assassin's desperate attempt to retrieve the Union's ledger likely stemmed from coercion by the organization controlling him.

Could that assassin, like Instigator Tris, also be from the Theosophy Order ? Why did this organization, like the "Demoness Sect", seem to recruit so many Beyonders from the Assassin sequence?

Then again, considering that Beyonders in this world needed to advance through potions, it wasn't surprising for those of the same sequence to band together.

Looking at the Sleepless members preparing for departure, Angel felt her deductions were likely close to the truth.