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Page 118
This time, it was Schmidt's turn, who had been trembling incessantly in the corner. The assistant coach was shaking like a leaf, unable to even speak coherently.
“No, Lady Hermit, don’t kill me! I was coerced by them, yes, I was manipulated. They left those things in my mind, and if I don’t obey their orders, I’ll end up like those two…”
As he spoke, he pointed to the two people sitting at the parliamentary round table who had remained silent. Although their eyes were open, they were unable to speak, like two plaster statues cast from living people.
Schmidt couldn't see the Hermit's expression through the veil of night, but he did notice a momentary softening in Elsa's expression.
He immediately knelt down and wanted to kiss Fran's insteps to show his submission. But because her legs were almost entirely covered by her gray gauze dress, he had to give up.
"I am willing to repent, I am willing to make amends, please hand me over to the White Cup Order for judgment..."
Fran smiled gently and looked at Elsa beside her.
Elsa, what's your opinion?
"Perhaps it would be better to hand him over to the White Cup Order..."
Elsa looked at the fawning assistant instructor Schmidt on the ground, her emotions a jumbled mess. Everything that had happened today was too shocking for her to process. After a long, weary thought, she added another sentence.
"But I leave the final decision to Ms. Flamel. My opinion may be shallow, and it might cause some trouble..."
"you!"
Upon hearing the latter part of Elsa's words, Schmidt was momentarily enraged. But before he could stand up... the coccyx of his interlocking spine had already pierced his chest.
Fran raised his hand and yawned, then shook off the blood and put the chimera "Sphinx" back in.
She then looked at Elsa, who was sitting on the ground beside her, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood that had fallen on her cheek.
"Elsa, this is the real world you wanted to understand. Do you have a clear understanding now?"
"I……"
Elsa hesitated for a moment, her initial resolve crumbling. Nevertheless, she stubbornly shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but I still don't want to give up on my dream..."
"Elsa, why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."
Upon hearing this, Fran curled his lips into a slight smile.
"Now, let us, according to your wishes, peel back another layer of these known 'appearances'."
As she spoke, she raised her wrist, and the chain of "Reaching for the Moon" instantly sprang out, wrapping around Nicholas's corpse and Guns's shattered skull and dragging them back.
"Look, neither the 'organizer' here nor this 'gatekeeper' has a brain inside their skull."
"They died the moment their brains were eaten by the parasites."
As Fran patiently explained and pointed things out to Elsa, she suddenly realized... there was nothing inside their heads! Their skulls were smashed open, leaving only blood and no brain matter.
"The parasitized individuals are structurally incomplete, yet they retain their 'thoughts.' This is because the [Cistanche deserticola] has achieved a symbiotic balance with their bodies... This is why this secret technique can, ≡〖』√″∽～提〓＃取繣；■：够Ranked as a superior second-class technique."
As she spoke, she kicked Schmidt, who lay on the ground seemingly dead, her amber eyes filled with a hint of mockery.
“Schmidt, I’ve patiently performed this one-man show with your puppets for so long…”
"You don't think you can get away with playing dead, do you?"
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Interacting.
Chapter Fourteen: Brain in a Vat
Fran's amber eyes curved slightly like crescent moons, her smile clear yet sending a chill down one's spine.
In fact, when Elsa first told her about the Star Chart Study, she thought it was just an ordinary, secret gathering. Although it was possible that it had been infiltrated by fanatics, the malicious intent should only be harbored by a small group of people... or just one person.
If, like with the Sunforge Order, they went in and found almost everyone inside had been wiped out, that would be incredibly unlucky.
It wasn't until Fran stepped into the private room of the Mandala Tavern, smelling the faint scent of blood on the attendees and the organizers, and seeing something writhing within their seemingly ordinary "spirits"...
Only then was she able to confirm that this branch of the Star Abyss Society had now become a puppet theater dominated by parasites.
The mastermind behind everything is hiding among the puppets, waiting for newcomers who have not yet been tainted by the Cistanche deserticola to step into the trap.
The only person whose mind had no trace of Cistanche deserticola was actually the seemingly weak teaching assistant Schmidt.
Thus, the true identity of the culprit is also revealed.
"I was worried that it would be too boring for you to perform a solo act, so I also put on an impromptu performance. Although it didn't receive a standing ovation... maybe it will turn out alright?"
As she spoke, the black chain on Fran's wrist, marked "Reaching for the Moon," began to wriggle and activate once more. Clearly, if Schmidt didn't stop playing dead... she wouldn't mind making it real.
Schmidt, his chest pierced, slowly stood up. Although sticky blood oozed from the wound, he quickly closed it.
Of course, this is just an emergency measure to prevent the injury from spreading further, and it does not mean that he has recovered.
"Terrible."
He stared intently at Fran with a gloomy gaze, muttering to himself in a low voice.
"Rumor has it that the prophet of the lamp can gradually learn everything about his enemy during battle, and now it seems that the legend is true..."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Fran accepted the compliment without any hesitation, then extended her steel limbs, now fitted with her spine, from behind her again. She wasn't going to waste any more time; if Schmidt didn't have any surprises for her... then this farce should come to an end.
Schmidt stared intently at the sharp point of the interlocking ridge "Sphinx," forcibly suppressing the urge to retreat.
It resembles the forging tools of the Sunforge Cult, but is more precise and ingenious. In addition to metal, it also incorporates some kind of bone, giving it a lifelike quality.
"The Hermit, are you a prophet sent by the Obscure Society to investigate the 'Nightmare'?"
Clearly, Fran was not prepared to answer the question.
As always, the tailbone of the chimera "Sphinx" swept out, and it looked like it was about to tear Schmidt's upper body to pieces like Guns had.
Although the spirit of the cup can give the body extraordinary vitality, it is still ultimately a fragile protein structure... Physical damage, once accumulated to a certain extent, can still take its life.
"Please wait, perhaps there is still room for a deal..."
The sweeping tail of the forged machine did not stop for the slightest; Schmidt could even hear the cracking sound of the wind being torn apart.
"I know where the Nightmare Guest is!"
At the critical moment, the sharp tip of his coccyx stopped like a needle in front of his forehead, just an inch away from piercing his skull.
Fran stopped driving the chimera spine, clearly quite interested in the topic.
"Do you know where that kid is?"
“Lady Hermit, I know I have no right to make demands, but if you are willing to let me go... I will tell you everything I know frankly.”
Upon seeing this monstrous woman, finally able to have a conversation, Schmidt couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. For a fleeting moment, he had even felt as if he were dead…
Without much thought, Fran nodded slightly and agreed to his request.
"can."
The fact that she didn't hesitate much suggests that the Hermit considers the Nightmare Guest more important than me. Or perhaps... she never intended to let me go.
Schmidt licked his lips; although his life was still in imminent danger, he finally had a moment to catch his breath.
"Please swear an oath by the deity you worship."
Fran nodded, not refusing the other party's reasonable request.
However, finding paper and pen at this time would be too cumbersome, so she began to draw up the contract orally.
"Condition: Tell me the whereabouts of 'Nightmare'."
"Contract: By the ever-burning light of the lamp and the ceaseless murmur of the gray moth, tonight, I, Flamel, will not take the life of White Cup Assistant Schmidt. Nor will I harm you or restrict your actions in any way."
Although it is only spoken, such a contract, with its own spirit as a wedge, is still effective.
After finishing all this, Fran looked at Schmidt, who had already breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, hurry up and tell us. If we keep dragging this out, the Hunters will arrive soon. Or... are you just stalling for time to wait for the hunters to come?"
"Lady Hermit, you are joking."
Schmidt waved his hand.
“If I fall into the hands of those paranoiacs, I’d rather be killed here by you.”
The lighthearted banter to ease the tension quickly ended, and he began to recount what he knew.
"That guy the Hunters call 'Nightmare' is actually from the Six-Eyed Raven Order. He had been lying low in Norrington until last year, but only today did he finally prepare to make his move against the Cleric of the Light."
"He had previously attended seven star chart training sessions and was very perceptive. He neither ingested [Cistanche deserticola] nor died in our subsequent ambush. However, like you, he made a deal with us."
"I can't reveal the specifics, but I can tell you that the Six-Eyed Raven Cult's largest secret stronghold is located in Mordway, the capital of Gormouth. He should return there after completing the mission to obtain the Spirit-Gathering Materials."
Fran's gaze sharpened slightly, and he remained silent for a moment.
Although Schmidt's information wasn't specific, it was still a rather interesting direction. Coincidentally, she's going to Gormouth next quarter, so why not make the hunt for Nightmare a side project?
Under Schmidt's tense gaze, she finally nodded.
"you can go now."
"Thank you for keeping your promise..."
As he spoke, Schmidt grabbed a coat from the coat rack and put it on, then raised his hand to touch his face, his appearance instantly changing. After doing all this, he prepared to leave this no longer safe and dangerous place.
Elsa, who had been watching the whole thing from the sidelines, couldn't help but purse her lips.
Ms. Flamel seems genuinely intending to let him go...
Even high-ranking officials from the four major churches could tolerate fanatics with a long list of bloody crimes and make deals with them without any qualms.
Just as the idea crossed her mind, a one-handed saber gleaming with a blinding light shot out and cleaved Schmidt in half at the waist as he reached the door.
The radiance swirling around the sword's edge was so dazzling, like the polar feathers blooming beneath a solar storm.
"cough!"
Schmidt, having lost his lower body, collapsed to the ground. He then stared intently at Fran, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"You want to go back on your word? Ha, are you planning to betray your faith in the gods? Or are you not a disciple of the Moth at all... But that's impossible..."
"In fact, I did nothing."
Fran spread his hands out in a rather harmless manner, seemingly trying to convince the other party that he really hadn't done anything.
"It was my maid who did it on her own, it has nothing to do with me."
Before she could finish speaking, Sigrid had already severed Schmidt's remaining arms, turning him into a human pig. Although granulation tissue could be seen oozing from the cuts, the wounds were so highly carbonized that they were completely unable to heal.
"You bitch..."
Schmidt's tirade lasted only a moment before abruptly ceasing; he saw the sun-like blade drawing near his face. It seemed that another word would be slicing out his throat.
"In fact, I gave you a 'fair' chance. It's just that you didn't seize it."
Fran tilted his head slightly, as if lamenting his own lack of ambition.
"The downside of the academic approach is that it easily falls into rigid dogma. Although I said in the contract that I would not harm you in any way, I could have easily left this to other self-aware individuals... Oh, expecting the Moth's disciple to be honest with you is simply foolish."
"Actually, I was just trying it out casually, but I didn't expect you to be so easy to fool."
"you……"
Schmidt's forehead veins bulged, and he longed to abandon the decorum expected of an educator and unleash the most vicious insults. But seeing the gleaming salute hanging to one side, he restrained himself from doing so.
"Don't hand me over to the Hunters of Mysteries, I still have something to tell you! Don't you want to know why the Star Chart Study Group fell?"
"Hmm... I am indeed interested in this."
Fran admitted this quite honestly.
However, she did not bring up the contract again, but instead called back Sigrid and handed her sword hilt to Elsa.
"Elsa, let's end this farce."
爱尔莎感受着1剑柄上传来的0炽热，0一时7有些不知所6措。原本她以9为弗1拉梅尔女4士还要再说些3什么6，没想到她竟然准备直接杀死施密特……而且将这个任务交给了自己。
Seeing her hesitate, Fran glanced at her and asked her what was wrong.
"You want to understand this world more deeply, to step out of infancy and ignorance. Isn't that your wish?"
"You probably will never feel the weight of 'reality' unless you take a life with your own hands."
Although Schmidt had once been his teacher and they shared a shallow teacher-student relationship, he had now become an incurable fanatic, committing countless killings... He deserved to die, without a doubt.