Chapter 86 “A Better Solution”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
Nina, like so many times before, headed out for school. Each time she did this, she clung to the hope that her uncle’s long-standing promise to her would be fulfilled: that when she came back from school, he would be waiting for her at the antique shop. Though her trust had wavered over time, Nina clung to it, perhaps more out of stubbornness than actual belief.
At the shop’s ground floor, Duncan, her uncle, watched from behind the large glass display as Nina’s form swiftly vanished at the street’s end, leaving his line of sight.
His former self always assured her he’d be there when she returned, and the new him aimed to keep that promise.
Suddenly, he whispered, “Ai, come forth.”
In response, a vibrant green flame zipped through the air, and in its wake materialized a dove. The bird, tilting its head quizzically, fixed its deep emerald eyes upon Duncan.
Their bond, rooted in the ethereal spirit flame, granted Duncan a clear sense of the dove’s whereabouts and condition. While they couldn’t exchange sensations entirely, this bond allowed for a myriad of other capabilities.
Peering into Ai’s piercing eyes, Duncan mused, “You’re quite the bright one, aren’t you? You understand my commands and are capable of so much, aren’t you?”
In an animated manner, the dove beat its wings as if in agreement. “Of course, loyalty is a given, always a given!”
“I’ve thought of something daring, and I’d like you to attempt it,” Duncan confided, producing from his pocket the sun amulet, which had evolved into a sort of early warning system against encroaching cult members.
He swaddled the amulet in a cloth to hide it from casual observers and securely fastened it onto Ai’s back using a cloth strip. The bird was nothing but cooperative, even using its beak to help Duncan secure the knot. It was apparent that the dove grasped its master’s intentions, its intelligence rivaling that of a human, albeit with a limited means of expressing itself.
Duncan outlined his plan, “Fly across the city, Ai. If the amulet warms up, it’s detecting cultist energy. Your task is to identify the precise building from which it originates. I’ll be able to sense your location. Just stick to the lower city and Crossroad areas for now; the upper city is unfamiliar terrain for me, and I wouldn’t be able to discern a specific address from coordinates alone.”
Ai seemed to ponder the instructions for a moment before inquiring, “French fries at the end of the hour?”
Duncan’s brow furrowed, “Find the location, and I promise you a mountain of French fries.”
Eager and motivated, Ai soared toward the door, almost as if fearing Duncan might have a change of heart.
Duncan couldn’t help but smile, captivated by the graceful flight of the dove, soaring ever higher in the vast expanse of the sky. While the bird made its journey, Duncan’s keen senses, honed through the spirit flame connection, allowed him to closely monitor its precise location and gather a vague understanding of the environment surrounding it.
He retreated back into the room and fetched a detailed city map of Pland, unrolling it across the counter. Gazing intently at the intricate details of the map, he mentally overlaid the dove’s flight path, reconciling Ai’s current position with his intimate knowledge of the city’s lower districts.
To Duncan’s pleasant surprise, maintaining this connection and tracking Ai was far smoother than he’d anticipated. The link provided by the spirit flame was remarkably robust, presenting Ai’s trajectory as an almost luminous guide in his mind’s eye. Armed with the city map and his own recollections, pinpointing Ai’s exact whereabouts became second nature.
This approach was indeed ingenious.
With a soft sigh, Duncan settled into a more relaxed stance against the counter. He had given his word to Nina that he’d refrain from putting himself in harm’s way, a promise he intended to keep.
However, this didn’t mean he couldn’t dispatch the dove to do reconnaissance. As he mulled over this, he considered remaining indoors to pen down his findings.
Truth be told, this approach seemed even more efficient. Airborne and unhindered, Ai could scour the city far more swiftly than Duncan ever could in a vehicle. There was an obvious limitation, of course: while Ai could identify the cultists’ hideouts, Duncan couldn’t immediately gather intel on the inside. Their findings would essentially serve as preliminary leads.
Yet Duncan wasn’t overly bothered by this limitation. Drawing from his prior encounters, he deduced that these easily detectable cultists were essentially foot soldiers, the lowest rungs in their hierarchy. Their value in terms of intelligence was marginal. If, however, Ai stumbled upon something significant, Duncan had contingencies in place to nab the bigger targets.
It’s worth noting that Ai’s repertoire extended far beyond mere reconnaissance. Originally trained as a messenger, Ai had an ace up its wing. If they pinpointed a high-ranking target, Ai had the capability to create a portal there and then, transporting the target directly to the Vanished. With Duncan’s main body aboard, it made the process of interrogation seamless.
This was also an opportune moment to test Ai’s human teleportation abilities. While he couldn’t possibly experiment on innocents, those sinister cult members who practiced heart extraction were a different matter entirely.
If push came to shove, they were expendable.
As Duncan reclined in his seat, he mentally sketched out his strategy. Everything seemed to be falling into place – the initial report, the blueprint for the interrogation, apprehension procedures, and the teleportation logistics. The sole missing piece in this elaborate puzzle was tracking down an influential group of “Suntists.”
Duncan had meticulously pieced together every detail of his plan, yet one minor complication persisted: How would he explain to Nina if the authorities granted a reward based on his report? After all, he had given her his word that he would abstain from any “hunting” activities.
Lost in thought, an idea suddenly sparked in Duncan’s mind.
This world, now embracing the industrial era, had a nascent banking infrastructure. Such financial institutions were a natural progression in a developing economy, catering to the changing needs of society.
While this world’s banking system didn’t rival Earth’s in terms of efficiency or reach, it did possess rudimentary account services. Remarkably, the various city-states spanning the vast expanse of the Boundless Sea had collaborated to create a unified financial network. Despite the inherent challenges of sustaining such a system, given the differences from Earth, they had achieved it.
The body Duncan now inhabited had never previously ventured into the realm of banking, which wasn’t unusual for residents of the lower city. Typically, only the affluent individuals residing in the upper echelons of the city accessed and interacted with banking services. Nonetheless, these banks welcomed all citizens, regardless of their social standing.
A prominent bank was situated in the bustling Crossroad district.
Mulling over this, Duncan hatched a plan. Within the next few days, he resolved to visit the Crossroad and inaugurate his maiden “bank account” in this world. Such a step would streamline his future monetary transactions, especially if he intended to broaden his human engagements. More immediately, it eliminated the need to provide a physical address when drafting reports – a mere account number would do.
Duncan acknowledged the experimental nature of this idea. Given his limited interactions (most of which weren’t particularly favorable) with the city-state security departments, there was no guarantee of success. However, he was optimistic. In a world rife with uncertainties, anonymous reportage seemed the prudent choice for many vigilant residents.
For the present day, Duncan resolved to maintain a low profile within the confines of the antique shop. His decision was not solely rooted in his commitment to Nina. This marked his first attempt at dispatching the dove over such vast distances and utilizing the ghost flame’s power for its retrieval. The novel nature of this endeavor demanded heightened concentration, best achieved in a controlled setting.
Moreover, Duncan felt it was high time to earnestly attend to the shop’s operations. Since assuming ownership, the establishment had remained perpetually closed.
With a leisurely stretch, Duncan rose from his perch behind the counter. Sauntering to the entrance, he displayed the “Open for Business” sign, signaling the shop’s inaugural day under his stewardship.
Duncan’s current trajectory of actions and ideas had sprouted from a simple promise he had made to a young girl of seventeen. Reflecting on it, he realized just how extraordinary the series of events had been.
…
Meanwhile, not far from the Crossroad district, an old forsaken factory bore witness to an ominous scene. Members of the Storm Church, identifiable by their distinctive black long coats embellished with silver trims, had formed a secure barrier around the facility. At the forefront was Inquisitor Vanna, clad in sleek armor that glistened subtly. A sacred greatsword, symbolizing her stature and strength, rested on her back. Flanked by two storm priests, she navigated a gradually descending staircase, leading them to the depths of the factory’s lower confines.
The atmosphere was thick with a sense of foreboding. The initial reconnaissance team from the Storm Church had located this place of assembly and opted to seal it, preserving the crime scene in its raw, unaltered state for further investigation.
The expansive underground space was engulfed in an overwhelming stench – the metallic tang of fresh blood intermingling with the acrid aroma of chemicals that had been ignited. Bodies, believed to belong to members of the Suntists, littered the area, contorted in grotesque postures suggesting a violent demise. Strikingly, amidst the sea of Suntist casualties, there were no signs of their assailants – no additional bodies, discarded weapons, or even torn pieces of apparel were evident.
Vanna’s expressive eyes narrowed, her brow creased in contemplation.
It was evident that the confrontation had been staggeringly one-sided. The force that had engaged the Suntists was unmistakably superior, given that many of the deceased seemed to be mere cultists with civilian backgrounds. The nature of the attack indicated that it had been swift and brutal, leaving a significant number of the Suntists devoid of any opportunity to defend themselves or retaliate.
Now, the question looming over Vanna was: Who could have perpetrated this?
Were they rogue transcendents harboring deep-seated vendettas against these so-called heretics? Could another formidable heretical faction be vying for dominance? Or was it conceivable that this was the aftermath of a catastrophic ritual gone awry, where the Suntists, in their blind fanaticism, had conjured entities from the darkest realms, only to find them uncontrollable?
Engulfed by these theories, the young inquisitor sank into a deep musing.
tysm!?
He hasn’t gotten Ai fries even once yet
It’s true, mc seems to think that the poor dove feeds on promises ?
He probably has but it was not mentioned.
I hope MC considers the cons of mass reporting and isn’t dumb enough to overlook them.
Right?! And how is it “anonymous” when he gives them his bank account info?
Bounty hunting is an extremely common thing to do. What the hell are you talking about?