Lord of the Mysteries: I Married the Queen Mystic

{T/N: I'm still stuck on damage control back on P@tre0n. I had to promise my members double updates for two-weeks straight in order to placate them. €10/month is no joke after all...

Anyways, this is the final week of damage control. So my schedule will hopefully clear up come next week...}

....

By noon, after running intermittently all morning, a somewhat exhausted Odis arrived at the public carriage stop to catch a ride. Only after settling into his seat did he begin to reflect on the morning's gains...

As he had anticipated, there were indeed techniques to running in combat. When fleeing, one had to mind their positioning, avoiding capture by pursuers.

When chasing, one needed a degree of foresight. Simply tailing the target blindly wouldn't do.

Fedray's guidance had been immensely helpful. Now, if Odis encountered another nimble and fast enemy, he wouldn't be caught up in a relentless pursuit.

These running techniques reminded Odis of the fictional martial art 'Lingbo Weibu' (Rippling Steps). Unfortunately, that was a purely fictional martial art with little practical application...

...

Back at the herbal shop, Odis had just finished lunch and was heading to the backyard when a customer walked in...

The shop assistant, Kain, immediately stepped forward, asking, "How may I help you?"

The customer, a man in his thirties, seemed somewhat out of breath, "Sunflowers."

Odis glanced back and noticed the man's listless demeanor, as if he hadn't slept well in days. He also observed that the man's complexion carried a faint grayish hue, suggesting possible poisoning.

While Kain fetched the sunflowers, Odis pressed his temples, activating his Spirit Vision.

Since he rarely encountered spirits, Odis seldom used this ability. Now, with Spirit Vision active, his perception deepened, and the customer before him appeared slightly translucent, his body layered in overlapping hues that revealed the colors of his organs.

Odis immediately noticed that the man's Spirit Body was entangled with wispy, cotton-like tendrils of black mist. This mist had already begun affecting the man's organs, dulling their colors.

Odis quickly deduced: 'This is the result of some dark spell, though the effects of spell itself are simple and not difficult to resolve...'

He scrutinized the customer once more, confirming his condition, then deactivated his Spirit Vision by pressing his temples again.

Before Kain could complete the transaction, Odis interjected, "Wait a moment."

Both Kain and the customer paused, turning to him. Odis continued, "Your complexion has turned gray. Ordinary sunflowers won't be very effective. I recommend 'golden-edged sunflowers' and some 'midsummer grass' brewed in water."

Though not an 'Apothecary', Odis knew how to counter the effects of dark-type spells.

The customer was agreeable, "Alright, I'll take the 'golden-edged sunflowers' and 'midsummer grass', then."

Odis instructed Kain, "Two 'golden-edged sunflowers' and 200 grams of 'midsummer grassʼ."

While Kain gathered the herbs, Odis struck up a conversation with the customer, learning that he lived at Unit 166 Anas Street in the Hillston Borough.

The man explained that he, and several of his neighbors, had been experiencing fatigue and lethargy for about a week.

Yesterday, one neighbor shared that burning sunflowers at home could alleviate the symptoms, which was why he had come to buy some during his lunch break.

After seeing the customer off, Kain remarked, "Sir, someone bought 'golden-edged sunflowers' this morning too. I think they were also from the Hillston Borough, though I didn't ask which street."

Odis knew this was no coincidence. He sketched a portrait of the customer from memory, then, with the aid of his Beyonder abilities, drew another of the morning's buyer.

He then wrote a letter and instructed Kain to hire a carriage to deliver it to the Backlund Institute for Mechanical Research.

As an informant, Odis had no intention of investigating personally. He merely needed to provide the leads and let the Machinery Hivemind handle the rest.

Once Kain returned, Odis retreated to the backyard to check the progress of the Flamebolts. Kain's engraving work was satisfactory, so Odis began mixing spiritual materials into a coating.

Most of the materials he had ordered from Viscount Kelton were meant for these Flamebolts.

Odis personally applied the coating to the engraved arrays on the components. It was a tedious process, but with no other pressing matters today, he aimed to complete all eleven Flamebolts by tomorrow to finalize both orders and collect payment...

....

~South Borough, South of the Bridge~

Xio Derecha hurried up the stairs to the third floor of an apartment building. The apartment was relatively spacious, with no clutter in the hallway...

The shared washrooms at either end were well-maintained, sparing the corridor the pungent odors typical of East Borough apartments.

Arriving at Room 309, Xio checked her trident dagger before knocking.

She had been working on a commission from the 'Hound', a member of the Mysticism Research Society, for over a week. It wasn't until last Friday that she had uncovered any leads.

Of course, Xio hadn't been solely focused on this task, she had other commissions to attend to... but Hound's request had been a side pursuit.

According to Hound's information, the deceased was named Bruce. Nearly everyone Bruce had interacted with before his death was listed in the provided materials.

Then, last Friday, Xio learned through her own channels that someone had witnessed a man in his twenties climbing through Bruce's window late one night last month. The two had apparently spoken at length.

Xio first tracked down the witness, then, based on his description, sketched a portrait. After two days of inquiries, someone finally recognized the young man in the drawing.

His name was Edgar, and he lived in Room 309 of this very apartment.

Xio's visit today was to confirm Edgar's residence before notifying Hound.

As for her pretext, she had prepared one... Edgar had borrowed money from the owner of the Black Moon Bar, and she would pose as a debt collector.

If Edgar doubted her credibility due to her petite stature and youthful appearance, Xio wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson and transforming into a genuine enforcer.

After knocking, however, there was no response. Just as she raised her hand to knock again, a faint scent of blood wafted from inside.

After a brief pause, Xio swiftly drew her trident dagger and kicked the door open. Inside, she immediately spotted the lifeless body of a young man, Edgar, the very person she had come to find.

Xio didn't step inside immediately. Instead, she surveyed the room.

Each apartment here consisted of a larger room serving as a living-dining-kitchen area and a smaller bedroom.

Edgar lay on the floor of the main room, stabbed through the heart with a sharp weapon. There were no obvious signs of a struggle.

Suddenly, Xio's eyes narrowed as the corpse on the floor twitched! The blood showed no signs of clotting, indicating Edgar's death was recent. Perhaps he had been killed just before her knock.

And since then, there had been no significant movement inside. The killer might still be hiding in the room.

Realizing this, Xio used her dagger to pull the door shut. She wasn't a police officer, nor was she about to charge in recklessly to play the hero. She pretended not to notice anything and quickly retreated downstairs.

Suddenly, she felt eyes on her. She spun around, but no one was there!

But Xio trusted her instincts. She hurried onto the street, about to hail a carriage, when it struck her... She realized that fleeing now would only confirm to the killer that she had noticed something.

Spotting two patrolling officers in the distance, she approached and reported seeing a thief on the third floor of the apartment building.

When the officers asked her to accompany them to identify the suspect, Xio, despite her small stature, exuded an authoritative aura, saying, "Go yourselves!"

The officers, as if cowed, stammered in unison, "Y-yes, we'll go ourselves!"

Free of the officers, Xio finally boarded a carriage...

Encountering a murder case like this meant the police would surely come looking for her, possibly even arresting her outright. But she was no novice bounty hunter. She knew to leverage her employer, Hound, to explain the situation to the authorities.

Once inside the carriage, Xio's sharp senses picked up the lingering gaze still fixed on her.

She realized she was being followed. If she didn't act, her pursuer would seize the first opportunity to capture and interrogate her.

Returning home wasn't an option. While Fors was adept at escaping, her Door Opening ability couldn't transport others.

Xio considered which of her friends might help, but the stalker was likely a Mid-Sequence Beyonder, possibly with accomplices.

No one in her circle matched that level of strength.

Then it hit her... the 'Leader' of the Mysticism Research Society. An attendant had once mentioned that if help was needed, she could seek it at the gathering site.

Xio instructed the coachman, "To Unit 199 Hailin Avenue."

....

~West Borough, Unit 51 Henry Street~

Odis was engrossed in applying the spiritual coating to the Flamebolts when he sensed a ripple in Spirituality. Glancing down, he saw his pocket watch glowing...

'Someone is seeking help at the Mysticism Research Society?'

Odis took a deep breath, stretched, and set out for Unit 77 Hilton Avenue.

In the basement, he donned the Leader's attire and retrieved several mystical weapons previously used by 'Leader' from the 'Knowledge Moor' via a spatial array.

Then, using a teleportation array, he arrived at Unit 199 Hailin Avenue.

Emerging from the basement, Odis spotted Xio in the sitting room and immediately understood.

"Trouble from Hound's commission?" He asked.

Xio blinked, surprised that the 'Leader' had deduced the issue without explanation.

She exhaled a sigh of relief, "Yes. That's why I've come to request the Leader's assistance."

Odis thought for a moment, then addressed one of the attendants, "Go to the alley across the street on the left and shout..."

He turned back to Xio, asking, "What was the name of the Mandated Punishers' informant, the deceased mentioned in the Hound's information?"

Xio answered promptly, "Bruce."

Odis nodded, then turned to the attendant to finish the instruction, "And say the 'Leader' has critical information about Bruce and invite them inside to discuss."

Xio was puzzled. She couldn't fathom the Leader's intentions.

Odis, however, knew that due to the Capim case, MI9 still had 'Leader' under surveillance...