Chapter 86: “A Better Solution”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
Nina, as she had countless times before, set out for school, her heart clinging to the hope that her uncle’s longstanding promise would finally come true: that he would be waiting for her at the antique shop when she returned. Though her faith in this promise had waned over time, Nina held onto it, perhaps more out of stubbornness than genuine belief.
From behind the large glass display on the shop’s ground floor, Duncan watched as Nina’s figure swiftly disappeared at the street’s end, slipping out of his line of sight. His former self had always assured her he’d be there when she returned, and the new him was determined to keep that promise.
“Come forth, Ai,” he suddenly whispered.
A vibrant green flame zipped through the air, materializing into a dove. The bird, tilting its head quizzically, fixed its deep emerald eyes upon Duncan. Their bond, rooted in the ethereal spirit flame, gave Duncan a clear sense of the dove’s location and condition. Though they couldn’t share sensations entirely, the bond enabled a myriad of 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 a sun amulet from his pocket. It had evolved into an 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 cooperative, even using its beak to help Duncan secure the knot, clearly understanding its master’s intentions, its intelligence rivaling that of a human, albeit with limited means of expression.
“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. 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 as it soared higher into the vast sky. While the bird journeyed, 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 retrieved a detailed city map of Pland, unrolling it across the counter. Gazing intently at the map’s intricate details, he mentally overlaid the dove’s flight path, aligning 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 smoother than he had anticipated. The spirit flame’s link 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 relaxed against the counter. He had promised Nina he’d avoid putting himself in harm’s way, a promise he intended to keep. However, this didn’t preclude him from dispatching the dove for reconnaissance. He considered remaining indoors to pen down his findings.
Truth be told, this method 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: while Ai could identify the cultists’ hideouts, Duncan couldn’t immediately gather intel on the inside. Their findings would serve as preliminary leads.
Yet Duncan wasn’t overly concerned by this limitation. Drawing from prior encounters, he deduced that these detectable cultists were essentially foot soldiers, the lowest rungs in their hierarchy, offering marginal intelligence. If Ai stumbled upon something significant, Duncan had contingencies in place to nab the bigger targets.
It’s worth noting that Ai’s repertoire extended beyond mere reconnaissance. Originally trained as a messenger, Ai had an ace up its wing. If they pinpointed a high-ranking target, Ai could create a portal, transporting the target directly to the Vanished. With Duncan’s main body aboard, interrogation became seamless.
This was an opportune moment to test Ai’s human teleportation abilities. While he couldn’t 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 sketched out his strategy. Everything seemed to be falling into place – the initial report, the blueprint for interrogation, apprehension procedures, and 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 to abstain from “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 society’s changing needs. While this banking system didn’t rival Earth’s in terms of efficiency or reach, it did offer rudimentary account services. Remarkably, the various city-states across the Boundless Sea had collaborated to create a unified financial network. Despite the inherent challenges, they had achieved it.
The body Duncan now inhabited had never ventured into banking, which wasn’t unusual for residents of the lower city. Typically, only the affluent individuals in the upper city accessed 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 open his maiden “bank account” in this world. Such a step would streamline 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 suffice.
Duncan acknowledged the experimental nature of this idea. Given his limited interactions (most of which weren’t particularly favorable) with city-state security departments, success wasn’t guaranteed. However, he was optimistic. In a world rife with uncertainties, anonymous reportage seemed prudent for many vigilant residents.
For the present day, Duncan resolved to maintain a low profile within the antique shop. His decision was rooted not only in his commitment to Nina but also in the novelty of dispatching the dove over vast distances and using the ghost flame’s power for its retrieval. The 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 to a young girl of seventeen. Reflecting on it, he realized just how supernatural 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 factory’s lower confines.
The atmosphere was thick with 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 ignited chemicals. Bodies, believed to belong to 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, as many of the deceased seemed to be mere cultists with civilian backgrounds. The nature of the attack indicated it had been swift and brutal, leaving many 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 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?