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"Sir, your 'smooth breeze' is ready. If you would like to drink it in the store, please wait for us to serve it to you at your seat. Of course, you can also take it with you if you wish."
"I'll just get it for you to drink in the store."
As he spoke, Albert lifted the plate with both hands.
Although four cups of coffee are quite substantial, his hand movements were very steady, without the slightest wobbling.
Nigel followed the boy at a leisurely pace until he arrived at his seat without any unexpected incidents.
"Long wait, you two."
As the coffee was served, Albert greeted the other two people who had been seated for some time.
One of them was tall and imposing, his double-breasted hunting uniform giving him a rather intimidating presence. The other, however, looked like a child of only ten years old... with rosy lips, white teeth, and delicate features. Although he wore the same clothes as the former, his demeanor was completely different.
His identity is not hard to discern from his attire and the Hunter's emblem he wears...
It's Alvin, and Black Banyan.
"Welcome, you two 'Sons of Suzuki'. It's a shame we've had to trouble you to serve us drinks while we're in Norrington. We're really being impolite."
Alvin took the still-hot coffee and sipped it.
Although he was physically imposing and had been a seasoned hunter... he had spent over ten years sitting in the General Affairs Department office, so that his speech sometimes naturally carried a scholarly, clerical air.
“No need for formalities, Director Alvin. We know the Hunters don’t like them.”
“We are also aware that the Hunters are wary of the Son of the Tree of Beards. This is understandable; no one likes an unexpected variable to suddenly appear... especially one that happens to come after an event like the ‘Drinker’.”
Nigel's demeanor was calm and composed, suggesting he was adept at handling such situations.
"Alright! In that case, let's cut to the chase."
Hei Rong clearly disliked this kind of veiled and subtle banter. After receiving Alvin's permission, he became somewhat impatient and began to steer the conversation toward the main topic.
"The ruins of the library on the outskirts of the city have been sealed for over a century. Why do you suddenly want to reopen them?"
Although the issue of Blackie was at the heart of the meeting, his attitude made Albert somewhat uncomfortable.
Why is the head of the General Affairs Division bringing a grumpy child to the meeting? Is he his kid? Even though the location wasn't particularly formal, you can't really treat diplomatic affairs between two religious groups like a family dinner...
In fact, Suki no Ko had her own reasons for choosing to meet the Hunter at the "Gentle Breeze" café.
This area is located in the East District and is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Suncasting Order.
Although a large-scale, horrific casting accident reportedly occurred at one of the Suncasting Order's branches, the long-term presence of the "Sun Rider" Somur prevented it from becoming a mere shell of its former self.
If negotiations break down and the worst-case scenario occurs... then the Hunters will have some reservations about making a move here.
Before Nigel could speak, Albert spoke first, retorting to Blackie.
"Are even children allowed to participate in meetings between religious groups now? May I ask who you are?"
"Hmm... a child?"
Hei Rong repeated the zero-word phrase, finding it quite novel. He couldn't help but chuckle, and gently tapped the table with his finger.
“I am the head of the funeral parlor, Black Rong.”
"Also, child, I must tell you something... Your father isn't necessarily older than me. Judging from my previous appearance, you wouldn't be wrong to call him 'Grandpa'."
Upon hearing this, Albert's gaze sharpened slightly, and he was momentarily taken aback.
The little boy's words did indeed carry a hint of the bloodthirstiness of an old hunter, unmistakable. But could rejuvenation really be possible? If it were an act, he should be able to see through it.
Nigel raised his eyes slightly, clearly noticing the brass signet ring on Black Banyan's index finger that represented the supervisor.
The hunters disdain deception and would certainly not fabricate information on such trivial matters, so there is only one answer left... The person in front of them is a genuine hunter supervisor.
“Mr. Hei Rong, I understand your doubts.”
“But that library is very important to us… It is one of the two old sanctuaries of the Son of Sussus, and even though it has become a ruin, traces of Sussus’s existence still remain.”
"We are willing to pay any price to retrieve the treasures stored in the old sanctuary."
His words and demeanor were quite earnest.
After all, the two sides were not on equal footing in the negotiations. The Hunters practically dominated the city of Norrington, and it was clearly absurd for the Son of the Tree to come here rashly and try to compete with them for the dominant position.
However, he also had to demonstrate his resolve. If his demands were truly rejected without any room for negotiation, then Suki no Son would not hesitate to unseal the library ruins himself, or even use some special means.
Alvin roughly understood the other party's needs, but new doubts arose as well.
"You haven't shown any trace of yourselves for a hundred years. Why choose this moment to retrieve the sacred relic?" 〃◆〇⊥、@栖∞｀〗§玖★」壹∧'肆中×∶转∶●QuN：
Nigel took a sip of his slightly cooled coffee and then looked at Alvin with an appreciative gaze.
“Mr. Alvin, your question is exactly what we want to explain.”
"The ancient banyan tree, silent since the beginning of a thousand years, has shown signs of 'sprouting.' This signifies that it will soon emerge from the drought that has lasted for countless epochs. The children of the banyan tree should also temporarily abandon this concealment that has endured for so many years..."
The word "budding" made Hei Rong feel a little uncomfortable.
Although Hei Rong knew that Nigel was describing signs of the revival of the god he worshipped... but now that he himself was in a vegetative state, hearing such a description always felt a little off.
Oh... even his code name carries the connotation of a banyan tree.
As luck would have it, the ancient deity worshipped by Suju no Son happens to be the "Ancient Banyan Tree of Time," so in a sense, the two are quite connected...
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Chapter Five: Night Ballad of the Fog Crow
The following day, at the Foggy Street Clinic, in the operating room.
Fran is currently preparing his own regular medication, which is the small green capsules he has used before.
The most important effect of this medicine is to stabilize mental state. In addition, it also has some antibacterial and antiviral properties and promotes wound healing. It is a basic medication.
"Adaptive specialized bacteriophages, broad-spectrum antibiotic extracts, a standard sane remedy formulation, and my blood extract..."
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair and slender arm, and then skillfully took out a negative pressure tube with a syringe and inserted it into the bluish vein in her elbow.
A steel syringe pierced the soft skin, and bright red blood slowly rose in the negative pressure tube... The blood collection was completed quickly.
"The process of preparing serum plasma by low-temperature, low-speed centrifugation has been proven unnecessary. My blood can be used directly in the above formula as the original solution... and the effect is even better."
Uncle: "What's still missing? Hmm... bodily fluids containing human DNA. To complete the drug's genetic adaptation."
For a fleeting moment, Fran had the idea of calling out the name "Viola".
Many years ago, when she needed human materials, she would summon her diligent but not very bright apprentice to take a lock of her hair or a few drops of her saliva.
The name is pronounced "Hai Da".
This time, Fran called out the nun's name.
"What's wrong, Dr. Fran?"
Sanheida responded quickly to Fran, while at the same time, she keenly noticed that Fran's mood seemed to have dipped for a moment.
Ling: "Oh...you seem to be able to sense my emotional changes. Have you been secretly profiling my personality model again? I told you that's dangerous; it can have serious side effects once you reach a critical point."
Wufran pursed his lips, his eyebrows slightly reproachful, and carefully examined Haida.
The nun pondered for a moment, and then gave a rather honest answer.
"After receiving Dr. Fran's advice in 'Setting Up Dreams and Awakenings,' I basically stopped resonating with your personality model."
In other words... the reason Haida was able to sense Fran's emotional changes was simply because she was more familiar with her.
Upon hearing this, Fran nodded with satisfaction, not doubting Haida's lie. After all, there was no need, and besides, she wasn't good at lying…
"Following medical advice is a good habit. If your mind is truly assimilated by my personality, you will become one of my 'prayer hands.' It will take a lot of time to restore your original personality then."
"Although the medical staff at the Foggy Street Clinic enjoy free medical services, they still need to take care of their health, right?"
"Yeah, I'll pay attention."
Haida nodded obediently in agreement. Fran then continued with his potion-making process.
"Alright, Sister Haida, I need you to provide some medicinal materials."
"Is it blood?"
She saw Fran's blood being drawn, so she also rolled up her sleeve, exposing her elbow.
“Blood is also acceptable, but it would be wasteful… Saliva is sufficient.”
As he spoke, Fran took out a slender sampling swab.
"Open your mouth, ah—press down the back of your tongue to expose your throat, hmm, you did very well."
She meticulously scraped away the saliva and the oral epithelial cells within it. Not much was needed. After all, this portion of human genes was merely a "beacon" providing adaptive direction for the drug.
The collection process was completed quickly.
Fran immersed the obtained sample in the drug raw materials, let it stand for thirty minutes to wait for it to be compatible, and then began the alchemical blending.
Driven by the forbidden alchemy, dozens of capsule-shaped finished products were quickly produced.
Xiao$% said QUN: Eight-tailed♂Seven々∮Umbrella×√≈⊥□》 ——
【Cure Your Illness 3000. Type 2.】
[Quality: Ordinary]
[Effects: It can suppress some common infectious diseases and wound infections. In addition, due to the addition of someone's blood to the ingredients, this drug possesses mental stabilizing properties.]
[Note 1: "Wow, this little capsule is incredibly potent, ten times more effective than any other medicine!"]
[Note 2: "This is actually just a broad-spectrum emergency medication. Please do not blindly trust the previous note. If you unfortunately contract a serious illness, please treat the symptoms accordingly and do not avoid seeking medical attention. Thank you for your cooperation. Below is the contact number for Fog Street Clinic..." — Fran Hesser.]
Fran gazed at the capsules on the tray, ready to be sealed, and took one out to examine it closely.
"The number of coins produced per batch is acceptable. However, the quality is average. It seems that the technological gap caused by self-splitting is indeed quite significant..."
"It's alright, as long as there are no safety issues."
After saying this, Fran sealed the potion and put it into his medicine box. He had finally replenished some of his previous consumption.
She then walked out of the operating room and returned to the main hall of the clinic with Haida.
Just then, Sigrid carried dozens of neatly arranged paper documents and steadily stacked them on the table in the main hall.
"Dr. Fran, I've compiled the 'secret history' you requested. It's all about the Secret Court and the God of Hunting, and there's also some from the Six-Eyed Raven Cult..."
"Thank you for your hard work, Sigrid."
With a hint of encouragement, Fran raised his hand and gently stroked her molten gold hair.
Even in human form, this Suncaster's body temperature is slightly higher than average, to the point that his hair has a warm, pleasant feel. In the sweltering heat of summer, that might not be very appealing…
But in Norlington, October is already late autumn and early winter, so this warmth becomes even more pleasant, and even quite endearing.
Fran lowered his hand after Sigrid had started to blush.
She then picked through the stack of documents and began to read them casually.
"The Forest Where Crows Perch, unfortunately only fragments remain... It only tells an epic allegory between gods, without detailed descriptions of rituals or mystical knowledge."
"Creationism. This book is purely theoretical, and mostly consists of falsified nonsense."
"And this one, *Raven's Research Notes*. It's a modern book by the occultist Zoparros. He delves into the origins of the Secret Court and the origins of its occult system..."
Upon hearing this, Haida's expression turned somewhat strange.
Master Zoparros is one of the most senior occultists in the Funeral Court; he was the one who inscribed the [Hound of the Hounds] prayer on Byers' arm. Although advanced in years, he remains an active occultist and frequently participates in the creation of higher-level prayers.
It is said that he often couldn't find the books he had written, which caused him considerable distress.
The book in Fran's hand seemed to be the unique copy that had been lost decades ago...
“Mr. Zoparos is indeed very insightful, but his passion for occult arts clearly outweighs his passion for occult history, so this research notebook ends abruptly at the climax and crucial 'revealing the truth' stage.”
"If it ends at a time like this, it's better not to write at all."
Fran put down the book, which was soaked in the scent of ink and leather, and began to search for other scattered fragments.
"Dr. Fran, is this the book you're looking for?"
Sigrid took out a rather old parchment stamp from the pile of documents and handed it to Fran with a little trepidation.
"Oh... yes."