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After a quick glance, Fran couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a slight smile.
At first, Zero was actually quite worried about Seven, wondering if it was dangerous to let this humanoid walking sun help her organize the data... But in reality, as long as Sigrid doesn't activate her alchemical state, there's generally no need to worry about temperature control.
Moreover, she possesses exceptional talent in both esoteric arts and metallurgy, making her a true "genius."
Heda is about the same age as Sigrid, but currently only knows one arcane art: the [Tearing Ritual]. She is already proficient in at least five other second-class arcane arts... and can even perform overlapping spells.
She possesses an almost imperceptible sensitivity to highly heated solids, able to detect every instantaneous change in the casting. However, she exhibits an unusual insensitivity to low-heat substances, the reason for which is currently unclear…
Fran had already made a guess about this, but there had been no opportunity to confirm it yet.
Heda's eyes narrowed slightly as she clearly saw the manuscript that Sigrid had given to Fran.
His notes are scribbled yet fluent, unrestrained yet possessing a captivating charm, suggesting that the writer was in a state of creative frenzy.
At the same time, it also has a rather poetic name... "The Night Ballad of Fountainia".
"I was too lazy to look for it, and I thought it was lost. Fortunately, at least there are no security problems at the Fog Street Clinic."
Fran patted his chest, seemingly relieved.
After a quick look, she handed the manuscript and notes to Haida.
“Sister Haida, please find an opportunity to send this manuscript and the Raven Research Notes back to the Funeral Court’s Institute of Ritual. Consider it a return gift.”
Haida took the two paper documents and immediately understood, her eyes narrowing involuntarily.
Since it's a "return gift," it means Dr. Fran did indeed receive something from Master Zoparos. The origin of *The Raven's Research Notes* seems to be quite clear now...
"it is good."
Although Jiu had absolutely no idea how to return the books without being discovered, Haida agreed anyway. After all, she was now the head of the Funeral Court, and there would always be opportunities.
"But, Dr. Fran no longer needs these two documents?"
"I've already memorized the contents; I can retrieve them from my memory if needed. There's no better printing equipment."
Fran tapped his forehead, clearly quite confident about it.
"Although I deciphered 'The Night Ballad of Wunia' before, I've forgotten most of it. It will probably take another week or two to re-analyze the mystical knowledge."
She pouted and spread her hands helplessly.
Fran's amnesia contrasts sharply with her almost photographic memory... Sigrid is completely baffled by this, while Heda, who has participated in several joint house calls, is aware of it.
Mio lost those memories during the "separation experiment" before the Great Plague. But that's all she knew; she knew nothing about the specific details.
It doesn't matter... we'll find out eventually.
Fran slowly sat down on the velvet sofa, then took an antique wooden box from the pocket of his white coat and handed it to Sigrid.
“Sigrid, put this box of Golmouth ‘Winter Buds’ in the locker, hmm… in the first position of the third column. It can barely be called a rare item, but it’s unique enough to be worth collecting.”
"Okay, please leave it to me."
Sigrid deftly took the tea box and then skillfully placed it in a cabinet on one side of the main hall. She had been working at the Fog Street Clinic for over five months and was already quite adept at this kind of task.
Haida, meanwhile, stared at the box of "Winter Sprouts" and fell into deep thought.
Haida vaguely remembered that the Mirror of Enlightenment Club seemed to use this kind of tea when entertaining its most distinguished guests.
Well... it is indeed a bit impolite to rashly suspect others, after all, she did not witness Fran committing the crime.
But this doctor is indeed quite skilled at "stealing," and has a long history of it... She can even steal the crown of a deity in front of His material incarnation, which shows that she has reached a certain level of mastery in this field.
Fran noticed Haida's gaze, and then smiled at her quite naturally, his amber eyes clear and gentle.
"Although the eyeball was stated in the agreement to be completely free, treating Miss Tongen will incur a separate price. I believe the wealthy and generous Master Dorothy will accept it."
Lack of transparency in medical bills is also an integral part of private physician practices; if you're unhappy with your treatment, don't seek it...
For Fran, this would conveniently replenish his tea stockpile, increase the training level of the [Crown Thief], and also annoy the riddle master of the Lamp Cult. It seemed like a win-win-win situation, with no reason not to do it.
At this moment, she extended her index finger and lightly touched her lips, as if she remembered something.
"I had a great time on my annual house call, and I didn't pay much attention to many things. Sister Heda, please keep the gift Ivenne gave you safe."
"If Dr. Fran needs it... please take it without worrying about me."
Haida never cared much about her own interests; she was so magnanimous that she was almost generous.
Besides, she had already received so much from the doctor in front of her that it seemed that nothing she could give back to him would be enough.
A resilient physique, the power sword "Nirvana," and the life that survived the fierce battle on that snowy night...
Fran simply squinted and tapped her forehead lightly with his index finger.
“I’m not an incompetent boss who can’t pay salaries and likes to deduct employee performance bonuses for no reason. Why would I take the gift that Irwinie gave you?”
As she spoke, she opened Heda's hand and gently placed the two "Dewdrop Cup Bottles" in her palm.
Adorned in gold, with a glass interior, and glistening with drops of crimson or azure dew.
Besides giving some to Tong En to stabilize her mind, Hai Da had also drunk some of it before, and the gaps were now filled by a thick, misty white fog.
“There are no ‘blessing points’ outside the border area, so it is impossible to replenish the dew. If these two bottles are used up, you can replenish the dew outside the misty street, which will have a similar effect.”
Fran offered these thoughtful words of advice.
"...I understand, thank you Dr. Fran."
Heda took the dewdrop bottle and put it into the pouch at her waist.
Gradually, her gaze became somewhat subtle, and she sensed that something was amiss.
I always carry these two chalice bottles with me. But just now, they suddenly ended up in Fran's hands, and then she handed them to me—everything happened so naturally, as if it were meant to be…
Hmm...when exactly was it taken away?
---
Woo--
Asking for votes is exhausting, I'm not doing it today~
Chapter Six: Spiral Transformation
As an experienced funeral maid, Haida had a habit of keeping a schedule. She would categorize the tasks to be done and then arrange the time according to the situation.
And now... there is something that is of great concern to her and urgently needs an answer.
"Dr. Fran, there's something I'd like to ask you."
Si: "Hmm~ Please speak."
2. Fran, having nothing better to do at the moment, naturally wouldn't mind satisfying Haida's curiosity. After all, she already knew enough... As the saying goes, the more debts one has, the less one worries; knowing a little more wouldn't matter.
Heda took "Nir" from the scabbard behind her, which held her power sword, and presented it to Fran. Sigrid blinked and curiously leaned closer.
For a craftsman who works the Sunforge, his or her creations are like his or her own children, and he or she has an innate sense of closeness to them... not to mention that this power sword represents the highest level of skill Sigrid has achieved in her career and is the culmination of her hard work.
As the jet-black, baked two-handed greatsword lay flat on the solid wood square table in the main hall, a cold and murderous aura, accompanied by a faint smell of blood, quietly spread.
In terms of shape, it has undergone slight changes since it was just completed casting.
Its hilt and guard have become exceptionally streamlined, while the blade and spine have become much heavier. Although the original "Executioner's Greatsword" still possessed considerable combat strength, it retained the characteristics of a command instrument and a ceremonial weapon.
At this moment, it is becoming increasingly closer to being a pure weapon.
Fran gently placed his hand on the hilt of the sword and began to learn about its current specifications.
【nirvana】
[Quality: Flawless (99.8% away from 'Perfect')]
[Effect: This sword has drawn sufficient 'spirit' from the lives it has slain; the ascension is complete. It can now tear apart spirits, and its spirit-drawing effect has deepened accordingly. (Disintegration Field Module not loaded. Phase Module not loaded)]
[Note: "In the past, I was buried in a mountain of corpses of grotesque beings, drowned in a sea of blood from my mortal enemies... But today, I have returned from the abyss of purgatory."]
Her fingertips traced the spine of the sword, her spiritual awareness penetrating it as she meticulously sensed the power sword's condition.
"Hmm...it seems the little guy inside this sword has received some nourishment and is beginning to awaken."
Although Fran initially suggested removing the original casing and leaving only the pure sword blank, Sigrid insisted that "Nirvana" ultimately retain most of its finely crafted mechanics.
By incorporating the biological characteristics of living metal, this sword is able to plunder the "spirit" or even the "soul" from the evil beings it slays. This allows it to undergo a spiral-like transformation.
Thinking of this, she moved her fingers one by one, beginning to count the people who had been slain by this sword.
"Evil offspring, blood servants, vampires, the Crimson Grail High Priest, the demon of the Hill of Silence, and..."
"cough."
Just as Fran was about to say "I", Haida raised her hand to cover her mouth and coughed lightly, interrupting her at just the right moment.
She had to stop the doctor from categorizing her with those other things mentioned above...
Sigrid pressed her cheek against the hilt of the sword, listening intently to its internal changes, displaying the intimacy a creator has for their work.
For a fleeting moment, Haida even saw a certain kindness in those molten gold eyes…
Seemingly realizing that the power sword "Nirvana" already belonged to Sister Heda, Sigrid straightened up slightly and regained her dignified demeanor.
Then she began to describe the sword's specific characteristics to Haida as if she knew them by heart.
“Sister Haida, the biological characteristics of the ‘living metal’ material allow Nie to become a vessel for ‘spirit’, and only with the accumulation of a large number of alien remnant spirits… can it complete the first stage of self-transformation.”
"However, it's growing much faster than I expected... Has Sister Haida been hunting any particularly powerful evil creatures lately? Like a Holy Heir, or some kind of evil spirit or demon?"
Haida thought for a moment, then gave her answer.
"Yes, they are holy heirs transformed from ascetic priests."
"An ascetic?"
Sigrid tucked her chin in her hand, slightly puzzled.
“Ordinary flesh-based heirs shouldn’t be enough to transform ‘Nirvana’, especially since that guy should only be a crippled body… Am I being too pessimistic about the data?”
Haida and Fran exchanged a glance, and tacitly refrained from answering the question.
Being slashed by Sister Heda was hardly an honorable thing, and in order to maintain his image, Fran ultimately did not reveal the details of the quarterly house call to Sigrid.
...JiaoLIUqUN:ba^wu⌒『qi"≮liu＊liu≡sansi●si《∝er
With things settled down, the three people at the Fog Street Clinic got back to their own tasks.
Heda was studying the Book of Proverbs and Silence, Sigrid was carefully maintaining her power sword, and Fran was drafting new academic projects, mostly related to alchemy.
As dusk settled, the fog outside the clinic also became somewhat gloomy.
Haida raised her wrist and glanced at her watch, realizing it was time to return to the funeral parlor.
Although becoming a supervisor has given her more freedom in scheduling her time, it's still best to report any instances of her staying out all night without any assigned tasks.
"Preparing to return to the funeral parlor?"
Fran, who was sketching out the alchemical program, put down his pen and looked up at Heda.
"Ah."
"Go ahead, and remember to return the Raven Research Notes to that guy Zoparos for me. Also, studying arcane arts isn't enough by just piling on time and effort; you need to give yourself some rest and look for 'inspiration'."
As he gave instructions, Fran reached out and carefully straightened the collar of Sister Heda's robe.
"Dr. Fran, please don't worry too much... I'll be careful."
Looking into the doctor's amber eyes, Haida wanted to say, "My lifestyle is very healthy."
But for some reason, she suddenly recalled a time when she became so engrossed in reading that she ended up reading all night, so she changed her story.
After that, she pushed open the clinic door and stepped into the misty, ethereal atmosphere.
After seeing Sister Heda off, Fran sat back down on the velvet sofa. He resumed preparing to draw the alchemy program.
Sigrid had already brewed a cup of "Winter Sprout" and placed the porcelain cup in front of her.
The craftswoman looked somewhat relaxed at that moment. For her, being able to witness her creations grow further in the hands of the right people brought a strange joy, like "the child has grown up."
Sigrid raised her index finger and searched for QQ: 29♀4-0435⊙∞6▲［4, as if she had suddenly remembered something.
"Speaking of which, the spiritual essence of 'Nirvana' actually gave me a sense of familiarity with Dr. Fran, which is really strange..."
Upon hearing this, Fran pursed his lips slightly, lowered his eyes with a hint of guilt, and took a sip of tea.
Noticing her expression, Sigrid approached with a hint of suspicion.
“Dr. Fran, you didn’t actually use yourself to catalyze ‘Nirvana’, did you…? That’s no ordinary danger. Although this sword can only plunder a small amount of spirit at a time under normal circumstances, if the injury is too severe, it can also cause damage at the soul level.”